Live Review: Orb, Phlo, Barbiturates

The Tote band room really is buzzing. Barbiturates ease us into the night, warming up the PA with a reverberating glow. An unenthusiastic drum machine guides the two-piece while they meander around their instruments. The plodding bass and consistent drum line leave the guitar free to drench everyone in layered reverberation, pulsing onward into ten-plus-minute burners. 

Tonight's line-up seems to gradually rise in fuzz and heavy riffs. Phlo are modest in their presence. Rolling through their set with a fuzzy disposition and a serious hook addiction, the group take a classic jam momentum. The band room is filled with nodding heads as Phlo work through each song progression. They lift the room up with them as they vamp on a heavier riff with splattering drums building the jam before Phlo let it float away.

Fresh out of the van after supporting King Gizzard & Lizard Wizard on their Nonagon Infinity tour, Orb obviously made an impression given how quickly tickets to tonight's show were snapped up. Technical issues suck, the amount of anticipation filling the room for this sold out show is mildly stifled by a failing microphone as Orb tear into Reflection with pace, visibly a little thrown off by the mic trouble. A little too much echo finds its way into the snare and lingers for the next few songs, making it incredibly hard to follow the beat. The trio on stage consists of Daff Gravolin and Zak Olsen alternating on bass and guitar, the two cultivating the huge rumbling now grunting out of the sound system. Jamie Harmer sits further back keeping rhythm; his fill work on drums is phenomenal and incredibly enjoyable. At a glance, it may appear as if the three have simply gathered to jam, mostly facing each other before snapping away into the occasional lead break.

A quick instrument swap helps move the set into its better half. Olson is now on guitar. He takes a moment to ask the more boisterous crowd members not to push and shove so much for the benefit of those around them. Migration is full of grunt as it drops into a heavy swaggering rhythm. It's clear that the boys take heed of those who paved the way in the heavy rock world. Delving into all the best parts of their new album as well as few sinister-sounding new ones, Birth Of A New Moon closes. The 16-minute, doom-filled journey with one of the best call-and-response breakdowns you've ever heard crushes everything you thought you knew about rock, taking a classic sound and breathing new life into it. Orb overcome technical problems to finish the night strongly. Mesmerised faces are lit up green as the band leave the stage.