Anytime an act sells out a show in their hometown, it’s something that should be celebrated.
When it’s a headliner show in a 1000+ person bandroom (with international support acts), it’s more than an impressive feat, it’s an indication that the best is yet to come.
This is the case for Thornhill, who upon gracing the stage at 170 Russell to play their biggest Melbourne show to date (Friday, July 15 2022), made it unmistakably clear that this is just the beginning.
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But before we get to that, the lad’s delivered an absolutely stacked lineup to help warm up on the night that should be touched on first.
Unfortunately there was some funny business going on at Southern Cross which resulted in delayed trains, meaning I was forced to miss Banks Arcade. Considering they are an act that I’ve been wanting to see for a while now I was pretty shattered, but luckily I can find solace in the fact that I’ll be seeing the upcoming In Hearts Wake Tour.
From the outset, Gravemind seemed like a bit of an odd fit for the bill. As one of the most exciting metal acts in the country at the moment, and one that relies more on the extreme aspects of the genre, they did seem like outliers. But that didn’t matter, the crowd still loved it. With Bailey Schembri stepping up as the group’s powerful new vocalist, the Melbourne based outfit tore through tracks like Volgin and Phantom Pain, with the latter proving to be one of the most receptive songs of the night amongst audience members.
As the final warm-up act on the night Dayseeker proved impressive, with lead vocalist Rory Rodriguez’s diverse vocal range leaving punters in absolute awe. Showcasing tracks from their 2019 release Sleeptalk, the Californian’s absolutely owned the stage, with songs like Gates of Ivory and The Colour Black feeling so much heavier in a live setting. Taking a moment to chat to the crowd, Rodriguez discussed the untimely death of his father before dedicating Drunk to his honour, which was performed with an evocative authenticity that’ll be sure to stay in punters minds for a long time to come.
Now onto Thornhill.
As one of the few acts to earn the title of being ‘influential’ after just one release, Thornhill’s scope over the past few years has been simply immeasurable. So when their second album Heroine dropped, ushering in a completely new direction for the group it was seen as a pretty bold move, and not just stylistically.
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Whilst their first album The Dark Pool sticks true to heavy djent riffs and tech metalcore stylings, the group’s new sound is more reliant on showmanship and theatrics, with Heroine heading more towards Deftones styled industrial riffs and sleazy vocals akin to the swoons of Muse’s Matt Belamy. Meaning that to pull it off, Thornhill had to really immerse themselves in the theatrical nature of their new sound. The lads rose to the challenge, highlighting their ambitious new sound in an absolutely triumphant display that’ll only continue to translate well as they move onto bigger arenas.
Newer tracks like Hollywood stood out due to the powerful drum beats, as did Leather Wings which delivered an absolute onslaught in its final moments, with vocalist Jacob Charlton’s high pitched screams feeling so sinister. Older tracks like Views From The Sun, Coven and All The Light We Don’t See were clear crowd favourites, with both being rewarded with a massive reception from the crowd who immediately opened up the moshpit.
Taking the theatrics to the next level Valentine saw Charlton use a telephone mic, a prop that evoked immense power with it seemingly looking like Charlton was pouring his heart out on stage. Stopping for a moment of reflection the group stated, “we’ve dreamt of playing this venue for a long time,” upon which you couldn’t help but feel proud of the upcomers.
This may seem like an unfair term to describe Thornhill, but considering their sound; output and influence seems to constantly evolve and expand, it also feels slightly unfair to refer to them as a band at their peak. Because somehow, Thornhill refuses to reach their peak, instead, they just keep getting better.
Stream Thornhill’s Heroine here.
