Adust – Madhouse Bar – Friday 24th July 2009
Forlorn were on first, and unfortunately weren't aided by an overly quiet sound. Quiet death metal? Enough said. Their set was well played but without the usual accompanying sonic assault felt a little flat. It was a characteristically tight performance of mainly tried and tested songs. Not much more to add really... Set list; “Culture Shock”, “Ferality”, “The Rotting”, “Worlds End”, “In The Face Of Terror”, “Mindless”, “Law Of Hate”, “Wasting Away”.
Adrenaline got a punchier sound and took full advantage of it. Coupled with a huge amount of “bounce”, they unleashed a savage, yet melodic, set. Unsurprisingly the most recent album provided the vast majority of the material, although there were calls for earlier songs (mainly “Inch Of Skin”) which haven't been aired for a while. Indeed, I would be interested to see Adrenaline play a longer set, incorporating both old and new, sooner rather than later. Solid as a rock as a band, and more than ably led by frontman Dave, Adrenaline go from strength to strength, and it will be fascinating to hear how their second album turns out. Set list; “The Clearer”, “Playing The Role Of God”, “The Bereaved”, “Smile”, “Provoking The Thought”, “Kill It For Me”, “Relentless”, “Inertia”.
It's been a while since I'd seen Adust, and wow what a difference! Not that they weren't good before, but coming off the back of a mini tour and playing three new songs of the forthcoming EP, made for a dazzling display, and definitely the best show of their's I've witnessed by quite a considerable margin. Slick doesn't really come close. Not even a drumstick disappearing seconds into the set put them off their stride. Classy and assured throughout, this was a coming of age performance and a platform for even greater heights to come I'm sure. Pity the EP isn't out until October – but it will be worth the wait!! The newer material has a darker, more complex, structure, and will inevitably endear them to a far wider audience. Very stylish fellas – look forward to seeing you again soon. Set list; “Enmity” (intro), “The Fall Of Man”, “The Evil That Dwells Within”, “Prinzessin”, “Blinded By Ignorance”, “The Damaged”, “The Inner Struggle”, “Forevermore”.
