[Archive] ISC Podcast Ep. 28: FROTH AND FURY FESTIVAL REVIEW PT 2 (Frothie-A-Deux).
Note: This is the second part of our comprehensive review of November 2024’s Froth and Fury Festival in SA, Adelaide. See here if you missed the written version of Part 1 - links to the combined audio review can be found in either post.
Eternal metal hails to Jason North, the Froth Crew and all the stakeholders who made this gargantuan metal/alternative music bonanza possible!
Peace, Love and Grindcore xoxo - Brady.
Part 2: Review of FROTH AND FURY FEST, Sat 9th Nov 2024 (Frothie-A-Deux)
Words: Brady Irwin/Mal Montisanti
Images: See images for artist credits - featured image courtesy of Jai Anderson (links below).
See here for Part 1 of our Froth and Fury 2024 review, which includes coverage of the festival on a broader scale as well as setlist reviews for Impetus, Sundowner, Bifurcation, LOLA, Signals, Lumen Ad Mortem, FANGZ, Future Static, Pizza Death, Great American Ghost and Hands Like Houses.
Podcast (Audio) Version of Parts 1 + 2 now available!
Spotify Link:
Youtube Link:
Note: ISC Podcast is also available on: Our Youtube Podcast Page, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, GoodPods, iHeartRadio, PocketCasts and RadioPublic.
"Two Parts?! Aw Yeah!"
In the previous article, as well as the pre-show 'Primer', our coverage was fairly expansive in scope and incorporated all the necessary acknowledgements, observations from the general atmosphere and layout of the festival, etc.
Whilst we'll certainly be retrospectively analysing some of those peripheral elements here, Part 2 will be more focused around the remaining setlists from the absolute marathon of a day that was Froth 2024.
Per Part 1, you'll see our respective names indicating thoughts on the reviewers' attended sets. Even between two madly-scrambling people, 33 bands over 3 stages in one day is a mammoth task.
FROTH PART 2: FROTHIE-A-DEUX.
Mal: It was always an imperative intention to witness one of Thornhill's power-sets prior to today, especially given their crescendo towards becoming known more internationally. With such blistering tunes as 'Where We Go When We Die', Thornhill thoroughly enthused this evening crowd, lead by skilful vocalist Jacob Charlton (evidently well-trained by Vox Singing Academy).
See above clip for a first-ever performance of a new Thornhill track! Footage courtesy of Wall of Sound.
Having gone to many Soundwave festivals past, plus other heavy/alternative all-dayers, I cannot stress enough how impressed Mal, my friends, punters and myself all were with the constant clarity across endless stage, gear and mix changes today. Really phenomenal job on behalf of the crew working diligently to keep this intact across the day.
Which brings me to yet another cool aspect of the festival - on-site tattoos! The folks at Black Diamond Tattoo Port Adelaide had their work cut out for them, with a constant stream of punters looking to commemorate a momentous day with some permanent ink-based memorabilia.
During a brief intermission (where my legs felt more like sticks of fire and lactic acid than actual limbs), I did the rounds chatting to a few folks in the Beer Hall who'd gotten ink done. Much like the comparatively minimal lines for food trucks, vendors and drinks, people were able to get in, get some quality work done and head back out to catch their preferred setlists with both minimal disruption and maximum quality!
Pic courtesy of Scart Photography. Go check out Black Diamond's socials via the above link for plenty more tattoo-action from the day!
Okay. Back to the bands, shall we?
Brady: I wished beyond wish that my sun-drenched and exhausted body had what it took to join the densely-packed neutron star of hardcore-fiends that was rapidly packing out the entire Explosive stage area and beyond for one of the huge draws for the bill in Day of Contempt. At first, it didn't seem possible. By the end of the first track, it was time to hit the ol' dusty trail and get in there. Eventually!
Nevertheless, even from my vantage point way back near the Ironclad Academy arena, propped for dear life against a pole, the energy from this far back was nothing short of electric. The reformation of this seminal metalcore unit after a 15-year hiatus drew a sea of punters from across the demographic spectrum, with frontman declaring " This one goes out to the old dogs!" among many other old-school kudos, prior to launching into classics such as 'Walk Away', 'Tear You Down' and 'Where Shadows Lie' , etc.
Yeah, alright. I'll bite mate. I couldn't help it. He got me. Damnit. I hobbled into that pit with a swarm of scene-kid compadres of all backgrounds as we cheered these vanguards on, chuffed they've clearly lost none of their energy, enthusiasm or passion for the scene.
As an 'elder-millenial' (what a term, lol), it was honestly a joyous moment to be side-to-side alongside Gen Xers and Zoomers alike, multiple tiers of Australian hardcore fanatics all providing big love to such a crucial component of the Adelaide 'core scene, back at it again. Moments like this remind us why the 'core community is referred to as a scene; this was one organism of mosh-happy pundits for sure!
I mean dude, c'mon - check this out already (courtesy of Wall of Sound's pit-gonzo journalism on Youtube)!:
Brady: By admission, due to being run around like a headless chicken of my own accord I hadn't caught as much of the much hyped-up These New South Whales as I'd have preferred, having literally been there for the opening and closing tracks. I certainly had a great time in the sparse moments I'd been able to catch these up-and-coming punk rockers, who shelled out a passionate and high-energy set that was as lively and spirited on conclusion as the outset.
It was heart-warming to see across the day just how much attention artists were receiving across the board, with no one from my recollection copping a lukewarm reception by the equally-animated crowd. Asking for a couple of punter perspectives, the unanimous agreement was a) I'd missed out on a really fun set and b)I/they would do best to catch them on an upcoming tour run.
Based on the snippets I saw, I'm not disagreeing with that at all. (p.s., if anyone's got pics from their set, let me know and I'll add them in!)
Brady: We're jumping to and fro a bit here in the initiative order for the afternoon, but proper penance must be paid to the slamming wall (literally, in the crowd's case) that was Canadian deathcore outfit Brand of Sacrifice. Talk about shifting gears, eh? Imposing a chaotic maelstrom of blast-beats, skull-shattering breakdowns and technical, unforgiving riffage, the harsher light of the afternoon was no disincentive for the furious vortex of bodies occupying a large portion of the bitumen underlaying the larger stage.
Something really needs to be said somewhere in the piece about the sound, man. Not just Brand's set, but the day as whole. The audio production quality across all three stages (Froth, Fury and Explosive) represented next-level attention to detail. The consistency of high-quality sonic output, carefully-balanced mixes and quick addressing of technical issues was of formidable caliber. Massive props in particular to AJS Lighting Sound Events, who evidently have a team of consummate professionals given the fantastic audio-visual feasts we were privy to across the entire day!
Calls for walls of death and circle-pits were given not one hint of hesitation, brutality and passion of those stage-side offering little recourse for the audience but to show 'em how a pit is done proper. Had I participated in some of those walls of death, I probably would've written the rest of my review from the medical tent!
Deathcore vocalists are dime-a-dozen these days, but Kyle Anderson's range and capacity proved otherworldly. Able to drop into a sub-octave guttural belch-roar and pivot to caustic, black metal style shrieks at the tip of a hat, the crystal-clear quality emanating from the PA and cranked amps added crushing weight to this already heavy performance. For someone not hugely into the genre and at times an extreme-metal snob, let me say these dudes give any death metal band a high bar to raise to in terms of musical performance and proficiency. Top-tier.
Brand of Sacrifice set pics courtesy of Jai – That Aussie Metal Guy, aka Jai Anderson of Crannk media.
Brady: Ah, Psycroptic. The Croppers. A band I've seen so, so many times. Seriously, I tried calculating how many times I've seen these Tasmanian death-metal tyrants over the years, and it has to be heading towards if not over the 20's mark! That certainly led me to have some preconceived expectations (all positive) about their reception in Adelaide this afternoon.
Pic credit - Froth and Fury official photographer Samuel Phillips. Check the official page, website and photographer links for many more more high-quality snaps!
What I wasn't ready for, however, was just how little the combat-fatigue of being now six-plus hours into neck-grilling sunshine, beer, mounting exhaustion and teeth-gritting soreness would factor into either the crowd or my own reaction. Exploding onto the stage with relentless appreciation and calls for circle-pits to a) occur in the first place and b) 'keep it moving, Adelaide!', the churning human washing machine occupying a good portion of the crowd just never let up. Over all the times I've seen Psycroptic in NSW, QLD, VIC and SA, I'm stating from experience that this was one of their most frenetic performances and crowd reactions yet. Seriously!
Pit after pit after pit, seeming to never cease, with howls of appreciation for a setlist encompassing everything from 'The Watcher Of All' and 'Carriers Of The Plague' up to 'Observant'. In the latter case, literally at the point I couldn't even walk or stand properly, I'd had enough of spectating. I had to pay my dues and get amongst it for a few songs. Jason Peppiatt was not going to let the inhuman technical proficiency of Haley Brothers and Co. go unnoticed either, and thus it was that Psycroptic's set today was one of the most energetic and gratitude-filled shows I've witnessed from them thus far. A riotous performance with ample crowd-surfing, fist-pumping, head-banging and circle-pits to boot.
FULL front-and-centre recording of Psycroptic’s set, courtest of Justin666HatredSlave on Youtube. Great recording, takes me right back!
Phew. Finally. Six hours in, and I can catch a more decent respite.
The pale-ale > water slow-burn, plus addition of the odd caffeinated beverage from Cosmo Coffee with the multiple food-truck vendors was finally hitting the spot. Carb-loading on potato sticks, chicken wings and fries from various food stalls is normally a recipe for feeling bloated but today was, as per the above set, just too full of too many invitations to get and keep moving. Off to catch a bit o' Testeagles with Mal, then a shuffle back to Organectomy.
Mal: Another welcome return was from Testeagles, reuniting to showcase their brand of fun, catchy tunes. I first heard them feature alongside bands like Grinspoon on a big wave surfing VHS in the late 90s.
Brady: And sidling up to Mal for the start of this set, my spirit increasingly a mix of physically broken/spiritually getting a second-wind, we basically clung to a barrier towards the back and enjoyed classic, anthemic Aussie nu-metal to a crowd that can only be described as rapturous.
Both Mal and myself found each other grinning and bopping to the funk-coded syncopated grooves, big detuned chugs and cheers of gratitude from the band. I ended up returning from the set below for some more 'Eagles, feeling lucky enough to catch the final two numbers, almost aghast (but totally unsurprised) to see TE3's audience effectively doubled in size once more! To have caught two seminal SA acts which were big influences for me in the late 90's/ early 2000's was a double pinch-yourself moment in the same day and, as with DoC just prior, the emanation of passion, energy and endless gratitude was tangible on both sides of the barrier.
Testeagles set pics courtesy of Jai – That Aussie Metal Guy, aka Jai Anderson of Crannk media.
Another quality full-set recording - this time it’s Organectomy! Courtesy once more of Justin666HatredSlave on Youtube.
Brady: Organectomy's a rough one, honestly. I was really chuffed on being able to catch some next-level guttural brutality from these Kiwis, who were really rousing up a strong contingent of death-metal freaks such as myself. From what we caught up to a certain point was a serious treat - gut-wrenching breakdowns juxtaposed against blistering blastbeats, and vocals so guttural you'd swear they trapped fifty pitbulls in a coal bunker, not one person. So far, phenomenal stuff.
Sadly, we had a serious incident occur during this set. Off to my right, someone dropped to the ground and did not get back up. Later reports from eyewitnesses were that someone was really throwing their fists around in ye-olde crowd-killing style, but was too close to folks on the periphery of the circle-pit. Someone had been clocked square in the head by an errant closed fist and subsequently dropped right on their head on the hard surface.
What irritates me about this, to be frank, is that myself and my group of friends were all within the outer-left edge of the circle. We all saw and gave plenty, and I mean plenty, of room, as had everyone throughout the day. The knowledge we were moshing on a hard surface brings that extra level of judgement into the equation.
The band themselves were stymied, at first asking whether to continue or not but soon realising the gravity of the incident at hand. Ultimately, that was their set done and dusted as the person who'd fallen required serious medical input.
Now I'd also like to address another important factor; given the nature of the location and physical environment, addition of endless beers and sunlight etc? I was fully expecting complete mayhem and chaos with many, many more incidents than this over a given day. Fact is, I don't think I saw any overt instances of punch-ons or other aggressive behaviours between punters on the day. And I know I've dwelt on this particular incident a bit, but I also wanted to exemplify it as I've been to many festivals where this (and far worse) is happening throughout the day. Punch-on's, increasingly drunk bogan idiots verbally abusing each other, cops being sicced on whole groups of unruly tosspots, etc.
The fact so many people were able to get together where alcohol consumption and constant moshpits are the agreed order of the day also meant what could've gone full Woodstock 1999 was handled respectfully by audience and staff alike. It's also testament, as mentioned in Part 1, as the heavy/alternative music culture being one far different from negative tropes perpetuated by society writ large.
Fortunately, we get to move on to what is easily my capstone moment for the festival - Fear Factory. By this stage, Mal and I were geared up to attend this set plus Bodyjar together, so I offered to take review reins.
And oh man. Boy howdy, did I take ‘em gladly for this one especially.
Fear Factory set pics courtesy of Jai – That Aussie Metal Guy, aka Jai Anderson of Crannk media.
We felt lucky enough to be getting a one-off exclusive performance from the latest iteration of these industrial metal super-giants, all thanks to Froth and Fury. Likewise, having recently caught new vocalist Milo Silvestro at their performance in Melbourne recently, I knew to expect a very high-quality vocalist spear-heading one of the tightest and most technical bands in mainstream metal.
This being my fifth time seeing FF live and a band crucial to musical journey, I still was woefully unprepared for the emotional impact of this absolutely killer setlist. I'll be honest, whilst I caught glimpses of the band themselves in full energetic throttle onstage, rousing the tired masses back into fever pitch as the sun set behind them... for the most part, my head was basically cocked in either skyward position or headbanging furiously. I still can't talk properly from how hard I was roaring every scream, trying poorly to keep up with Milo's incredibly powerful vocal refrains. Naught needs to be said about the inhumanly-precise nature of Dino Cazares and crew, but it should anyway. Palm-muted chugs atop chest-bursting double-kicks and well-woven sample effects, it felt a step beyond what any computer could generate in terms of incredible accuracy and organic fury.
They were far from done yet, however, with another gig-fave in 'Linchpin' drumming monstrous roars of "Can't tear me apart!" from the crowd, and a chorus belted out in equal measure. 'What Will Become?' was a very welcome side tangent, but it was 'New Breed' and later 'Zero Signal' where I actually proper cracked it. Covered in sweat, I didn't care if anyone saw manly metal-tears as the vocal refrains just absolutely cooked me emotionally.
And if that wasn't enough, Milo then announces a perfect, perfect trifecta of old-school cool in 'Martyr', 'Leechmaster' and 'Scumgrief' - three Soul Of A New Machine tracks in a freaking row?! Yep, there goes my vocal cords, and by the dime-precise delivery on all band members' fronts, you'd swear we were hearing it at a local gig circa mid-1990's, as though the LP was fresh and new.
The drill-bit tones of the Terminator theme song were the perfect descent (pun intended?) down from what felt like a stratospheric performance. I felt a measure of guilt preside alongside the thought that, sorry Burton, love you to death - but that may have just been my favourite FF gig ever. That a festival can provide such a high bar over previous headline/festival sets is, once again, testament to the infinitesimal detail and care given to ensuring the lighting, sound and stage setup were beautifully managed.
Completely and utterly physically wrecked and emotionally devastated (in a good way), I took this time to slump on a table and try gather enough composure to stand up and head in for Thy Art is Murder, who wasted no time whatsoever bringing another level of ferocity to the adjoining stage just moments afterwards.
Alas, I was facing complete physical ruin by this stage. Speaking of stage, the eerie smoke-drenched red of Thy Art's set from my far-off vantage point was punctuated by... is that.... shoes? Oh, yeah okay, people are already literally upside-down in the pit.
Justin666HatredSlave yet again with another banger recording! This time it’s TAIM’s full set.
Stepping the heavy metal fury up ten notches, vocalist Tyler Miller provoked an invitation for weary punters to join them in the writhing mass that became an intense pit sermon. Having stopped only long enough to catch 'Destroyer of Dreams', 'Blood Throne' and 'Death Squad Anthem', the ant-trails of folks stumbling out of the pit breathlessly was matched only by the same number of keen devotees ready to get in and get their share. An impressively brutal performance, these guys were sounding even heavier by the year and the crowd reaction certainly followed suit.
Bodyjar pics courtesy of Samuel Phillips Photography.
By this time, though, I felt it necessary to embody my punk rock spirit and join Mal, who comments that Melbournian pop punk pioneers Bodyjar pumped out purely exhilarating familiar favourites at this reunion show with hit songs like 'Not The Same', a staple of many early 2000's millenial's fond reminiscence.
He wasn't wrong, either! Surely having gotten a more respectable viewpoint than my half-sprawl next to the chain-link fences, we both nevertheless came to mutual agreement that these punk-pioneers had invested full energy into their hit-laden performance. What was left of my vocal cords tried feebly to match the iconic power coursing via both frontman and audience alike, ekeing out croaky renditions alongside all others present to 'Not The Same', 'One In A Million' and, heck, even a Simon and Garfunkel cover in 'A Hazy Shade of Winter'. The latter track was so punked-up I had to double-take, demonstrating their prowess and love for melodic punk in a way that transcends their own (brilliant) source material.
Clearly collectively weary and hanging on by a thread, there was no less joyfulness and respect thundered towards the band, who had plenty of love in return for old-guard and new fans alike.
Northlane pics courtesy of official Froth and Fury photographer Samuel Phillips. Go check the official FB page and the photographer's socials for many more!
Mal and I, basically comatose with tiredness at this point, both opted to try catching Northlane where we could. I for one, was not going to let anything or anyone forsake my opportunity to see goddamn freaking Pestilence live, but I was happy to sneak in a pre-emptive peep.
To quote Mal, "Northlane (no surprise, another Vox alumni with Marcus Bridge) negated the need for necromancy as this crowd remained wild and willing until the very epic end. I'd stuck in for as long as 'Clockwork' and later catching some of 'Citizen' on the shuffle out, however it was readily apparent to me how much these guys had grown from the first times I'd seen them in the early 2010's to now. Comprising little physical space on the large stage, Northlane nevertheless garnered a cavernous sonic presence with a legion of excited fans roaring in appreciation."
It was then I had to muster everything in my power and make it back over, c'mon Brady, once more, and collapse my near-corpse somewhere in proper view of Pestilence. I am so, so, so glad I did.
To experience a band this technically proficient and musically intense capping off the day legitimately lit enough spark and fire in me to see the final throes through with big smiles. I remember actually pinching myself watching these Dutch metal overlords wring out classic canon such as 'Dehydrated', 'Chronic Infection' and 'The Process of Suffocation', laughing gleefully at the dry European humour and sentiments provided between tracks. Displaying a level of veterancy and effortlessness in brilliant technical proficiency, each band member was able to move and headbang, sing, whirl and stomp whilst slicing sheets of corrugated riff-metal atop spindly, mind-blowing shred as though simply reading the Sunday paper.
