w/ KUBLAI KHAN

Written by: Matthew Keal - Sense Music Media | Published: Monday 28th November 2022

Sydney’s JUSTICE FOR THE DAMNED released their album Pain is Power in June 2020 during what we now know to be the beginning of a very tough time for the music industry as a whole, and especially so for Australian touring artists. Not ones to be held back, the band has emerged from lock downs, travel restrictions and uncertainty better than ever and I had the opportunity to witness the product of the group’s hard work first hand at Adelaide’s Lion Arts Factory on Friday 11th November.

HONEST CROOKS

I had never heard HONEST CROOKS before, but the one thing I was struck by immediately was the sheer energy that the band exuded and it was immediately felt by the crowd. As an opening act, you set the tone for the rest of the show to follow, and clearly they were the right band for the job. Their latest single ‘Serpent of Old’ was an absolute stand-out for me, with a powerful vocal performance only made more impressive by the (at least) three Hahn Super Dry 3.5s that were consumed on stage by vocalist Brodie Graham.

SANCTION

There was a quote from an unidentified crowd member during SANCTION’s set that I overheard and went something like “I don’t know what I was expecting, but that was better than all of it”. That quote stuck with me, because I feel exactly the same way.

The band proves the age old formula that if you have a sick drummer and a sick vocalist, people are going to like your band. It was a high energy, heavy set with a Billy Madison super cut playing on the projector behind the band which prompted one audience member or another to yell “O’Doyle rules!” every few minutes. I seriously could have watched another hour of this band, but after relentless breakdowns the drummer’s china cymbal was falling apart at the seams, so probably wouldn’t have made it much longer.

KUBLAI KHAN

What is there to say about KUBLAI KHAN that you don’t already know? The Texas hardcore outfit have captivating audiences worldwide since at least 2017 with the release of their incredibly well received album Nomad. Now, off the back of their most recent EP Lowest Form Of Animal, the band has returned to Australian shores as main support for JUSTICE FOR THE DAMNED.

The band opened with ‘Swan Song’, the lead single from the new EP, and immediately I was struck by how commanding vocalist Matt Honeycutt was on stage. His voice cut through the crowd with ease, and he had plenty to say during and between songs to keep energy levels high amongst patrons. One of my favourite lines he came out with was when, while introducing the second song of the set, he yelled “let your nuts hang, this is ‘Boomslang’”. The energy, engaging stage presence, powerful vocals and the musicianship of everyone on stage meant that every song had at least one moment where the whole crowd was screaming right back. All this was made all the more impressive by the fact that while their own guitarist was back home in Texas recovering from injury, JUSTICE FOR THE DAMNED’s very own Nic Adams was filling in on guitar for the entire tour. Without having been told, I wouldn’t have noticed, as the band were incredibly tight and Nic hit every single pinch harmonic in ‘Antpile’ flawlessly.

JUSTICE FOR THE DAMNED

After the tough few years that the band has had (vocalist Bobak Raffiee appropriately described it as “a shit-show of an album cycle”), seeing them take to the stage to celebrate emerging from the fire was cathartic.

They kicked things off with the ‘Guidance From The Pain’ and showed no signs of slowing down when they moved on to ‘The House You Built Is Burning’, two absolutely crushing songs that translate perfectly to a live setting. A stand out moment for me was when the band performed ‘Pain Is Power’, the title track of their 2020 album, which allowed drummer Chas Levi to shine, ending with an immense breakdown at the end of the track which saw hands and feet flying in the mosh pit.

It is not hard to see why JUSTICE FOR THE DAMNED have cemented themselves at the top of the list of Australian bands being sought out for international tours, they are a huge presence on stage, and are one of the tightest live acts I have seen. Having risen out of Sydney’s heavy scene due to nothing but sheer hard work, they are as influential and impressive to their local Australian audiences as they are to the new punters they are no doubt going to continue to play for around the world in the coming years, and they show no signs of hitting the brakes any time soon.

All photos by: Billy Bourne

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