[PHOTOS + REVIEW] King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard // UNSW Roundhouse // 06/07/19
It says a lot about tonight’s headliner that their two support acts are so wildly different from a stylistic standpoint, and yet both individually make sense as warm-ups within this context. Bitch Diesel are up first, sporting Little Red Riding Hood capes and making banshee shrieks reverberate across the floor. Theirs is a biting, garage-dwelling take on post-punk – all rumbling bass, driving drums and churning clean guitar. Although there’s a couple of scratched heads around the place, by the time they get into the groove of things they’ve managed to turn the lion’s share of the crowd into converts. By the time Mildlife arrive on stage some 30 minutes later, the crowd is raring to go. They take the ball that the Melbourne quartet have softly lobbed their way and promptly run with it. The dancefloor is alight when the band roll into the groove of “The Midnight Moon,” and a flute solo halfway through the show sends the front rows into an absolute tizzy. It’s a disco-tinged, funk-oriented affair of jazz-rock – one that might otherwise seem alien to a crowd of rock fans, but in this environment are given the full respect they deserve. Life is good.
HARDCORE PUNK BAND HESITATION WOUNDS ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM
Hesitation Wounds, the collaboration between members of The Hope Conspiracy, Touché Amoré, Gouge Away and more, has returned with a blistering sophomore album titled Chicanery. The album’s first single, “Paragons of Virtue,” clues us into the hyper-aggressive whirlwind that the group has in store.
Hesitation Wounds formed in 2012 and features Jeremy Bolm of Touche Amore, Stephen LaCour (ex-Trap Them), Neeraj Kane (The Hope Conspiracy), and Thomas Cantwell (Gouge Away, Axis). With decades of musicianship and mile-long resumés, each member brings a wealth of skill and perspective to the project.
While Chicanery’s origins surfaced quickly, it is undoubtedly the most rock-solid, pummeling work that Hesitation Wounds has forged yet. Vocalist Jeremy Bolm’s biting lyrical commentary tackles social/political subject matter head-on, and is backed by an equally powerful rhythm section. The album’s frenetic energy is owed to its quick-cut conception: Chicanery was written by the group and recorded in just a few days’ time by Zach Tuch (Trash Talk, Movements). Mixed by Kurt Ballou at God City Studios and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege, Chicanery is one of 2019’s most poignant and ferocious albums.
Chicanery will be released via Deathwish Inc. on August 30. Preorders are available here.
Chicanery — Track Listing:
1. Views (Pt. 2)
3. Charlatan Fuck
4. Trending
5. At Our Best When We’re Asleep
6. Hellevangelist
7. Ends (Pt. 3)