Live Review: This Will Destroy You, Hazards Of Swimming Naked, We Lost The Sea

The Queen’s Birthday public holiday isn’t one that would by reputation attract a sizeable audience to a late-night instrumental onslaught of unmistakably stunning music, but considering not one of the outfits performing on this extra day of the weekend has royalty of the traditional kind in their respective continents, that seemed more than enough reason for a line outside of the venue even before doors open. 

With not one local act on this bill, it was up to Sydney’s We Lost The Sea to initiate the borderline deafening wall of sound that was to become the key concept for the evening. The six-piece featured three guitarists and a keyboardist, who together brought an extra dimension to what can be sometimes be a repetitive genre. At times the sextet were capable to creating a soundscape that would not be out of place on the soundtrack to the 1995 film, Desperado, then in another adventurous track, WLTS could have been mentored by post-metal icons The Ocean. It hasn’t been the easiest ride for these New South Welshmen, especially since the unfortunate passing of their former vocalist Chris Torpy, but with the announcement of their soon to be released third album, Departure Songs, (23 Jul), maybe these six gentlemen will soar high enough that they’ll not be able to see the ocean. 

Queensland’s Hazards Of Swimming Naked had a tough task ahead of them following the prior exceptional act, but the quintet (once again with three guitarists) stamped their feet on the situation, literally. Before they’d even played one note the five-piece collectively removed their shoes, but their music had a pronounced energy to it, like a combination of Washington’s Wolves In The Throne Room collaborating with California’s Thrice sans the vocals of Dustin Kensure. The spoken word backing track incorporating political rants and music obsession seemed a bit unnecessary, but also in keeping with how this five-piece are about sound obsession. Drummer Rick Anzolin was most progressive here, with use of his hands instead of drum sticks to find the correct tones on cymbals and even utilising a miniature xylophone at one point. The highlight would have been guitarist Adrian Diery’s dramatic toward the drums lunge mid-song and remaining ground-oriented in a rolling fit. The band was clearly honoured to be a part of the tour as well as playing in Adelaide. Whilst HOSN were not quite as hypnotic as We Lost The Sea, they certainly earned the right to be part of the show.

Patience was definitely a virtue, the night’s proceedings running rather late at this point, but after the excruciatingly painful time This Will Destroy You took to sound check, the show was running an hour late. But this meticulousness rewarded the audience who were honestly left in bewilderment, amazement, awe and stupefaction by the first minute of the quartet’s opening song. With the inclusion of a discreet yet alluring light show, impossibly an extra character was added to the epic sound the quartet created, itself undeniably flawless. Bassist/keyboardist Donovan Jones was the most animated of the four, not only changing between instruments, but also punching/slapping the strings of his bass when the Texans embraced their heavier doom tracks. Drummer Alex Bhore was inconceivable in his delivery, his timing picture perfect, particularly when tapping the rim of his snare to trance-inducing effect. 
These highlighted characteristics were just part of the whole This Will Destroy You production, their ability to transport a capacity room to another universe of marvel. Words cannot begin to capture what these four men are capable of; it has to be more than seen, it has to be experienced.