Review: FILTER - The Algorithm World Tour
Written by: Tom Wilson
Photos by: Tracy McLaughlan >> SEE PHOTOS
Sunday 7th April 2024
Welcome (Back) To The Fold
First impressions count. You know this, I know this, and crucially New Zealand four-piece BLACK SMOKE TRIGGER know this, so they stride out onstage and waste no time absolutely sending it. Tight as a drum with an absolutely rock-solid groove, they set the tone early, and you can’t help but be impressed. Baldrick is a charismatic frontman with a serious beard and an even more serious set of pipes, but there is no ego on display tonight, often disappearing offstage between vocals to let the audience focus on the synergy between guitar, bass and drums. Their mission statement on social media is that they’re on a mission to take over the world. With sets like this, they just might.
The changeover is quick, the lights go down, and FILTER emerge, frontman Richard Patrick in a hoodie and sunglasses, and plunge into You Walk Away. Tosh Peterson is already shirtless and beating the kit like it owes him money, and as much as the lighting might be a nightmare for the photographers in the pit, it certainly sets a mood. The Drowning leads into Algorithm highlight For The Beaten, alternating between spasmodic riffs and Richard’s soaring voice. He asks the crowd if they can play an old song, before dropping (Can’t You) Trip Like I Do, the opening track of one of the first CDs I ever owned, 1997’s Spawn soundtrack. It’s electric, and guitarist Jonathan Radtke does a stellar job of filling space previously occupied by THE CRYSTAL METHOD’s synths.
It’s been an eye-watering 24 YEARS since industrial rockers FILTER did a headline tour of Australia, so you’d be forgiven for thinking that the crowd would be a bit livelier than they are at The Triffid tonight. Richard introduces The Take by saying “this is usually the part of the show where people start moshing”, but aside from a few keen beans (myself included), the crowd remains reserved. Maybe everyone is recovering from a big Saturday. Jurassitol is a stunning example of what FILTER do best, with their throbbing, ominous soundscapes punctuated with buzzsaw guitar riffs and Richard’s signature rasp. He introduces the next song as their biggest hit ever, and Take a Picture triggers a huge singalong. Captain Bligh brings the rage back, and Tosh is a sight to behold on the kit. It’s Gonna Kill Me is an absolute masterclass in tension and release, each chorus detonating like a grenade. American Cliché is a barbed commentary on the state of American politics, and he punctuates each chorus with “Fuck Donald Trump” from his spot on the barrier. He winds up flat on his back on the stage, before the riff for So I Quit kicks off and he unleashes an epic scream of “MOTHERFUCKER!!!!!!!” It’s glorious. Drug Boy segues into the storming anthem Welcome To The Fold, and the chorus is everything you could want it to be.
“We have one song left. I wonder if you can guess what it is?” We certainly can. “This is the song that I quit NINE INCH NAILS for.” The slow, menacing bassline (made famous by movies, TV shows, trailers and even the rugby) fills the Triffid, and Richard mounts the barrier to get in our faces as Hey Man, Nice Shot erupts. I’m still hoarse from screaming that chorus at him. Time will tell if this is the last time that FILTER make it to our shores, but one thing is certain: they’ve still got what it takes.
Photos by: Tracy McLaughlan
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