Nevermore, Transcending Mortality, The Loving Tongue
Fowler's Live
Sun 29 November


Compared with the other big-name metal shows that have taken place at Fowler's Live in recent weeks, Seattle band Nevermore's show was almost an intimate little gig. To be sure, it still attracted a healthy turn-out; it was just that, probably due to it being an 18+ event, there were noticeably fewer people there than at each of the aforementioned other shows.

Unfortunately, despite being an adults-only affair, the show still started early; as a result, weekend worker that I am, I missed a large chunk of local power metal outfit The Loving Tongue's opening set. Sigh. Still, I did manage to catch their last few songs (among them the famed Lady In Black) and greatly enjoyed what I did hear. From what I saw of it, their set went down well, an achievement made all the more impressive by the fact that they'd just taken a new drummer on board.

Like The Loving Tongue, Sydney's Transcending Mortality are a power metal band: one that local metalheads may remember paying us a visit last January as well. Their performance was a fairly straightforward affair - with minimal banter or other distractions from the actual music - and was also enjoyable, if over a little too quickly.

One thing I've always found about Nevermore is that their material seems to have a somewhat sinister quality about it. While a large part of this is doubtless due to the song lyrics themselves, I've also come to the conclusion that another contributing factor is the fact that band front-man, Warrel Dane, neither looks nor sounds a 100 percent sane.

With his long, whitish-blond hair (that he was wont to twirl from time to time) and matching goatee, and the faintly maniacal expression that always seemed to be on his face, he was certainly a striking, if ever-so-slightly unnerving, presence on stage that evening. When not actually singing, he spent a lot of his time ribbing the audience over an apparent lack of energy on its part, laying much of the blame for that on the show's 18+ status; indeed, there were times when he tried to make us feel like a bunch of old farts.

Lack of energy was certainly not something that he and the rest of the band could be accused of themselves; they put on a very spirited performance that covered a lot of material. Much of this was taken from their three most recent albums, although at least one older song - Next In Line from 'The Politics Of Ecstasy' album - got a play too.

James Brazel

Pics: Alan Riley