Written by: Ryan Fitz-Henry - Sense Music Media | Friday 16th February 2024
Photos by: Daniel Farr - Farski Photography >> SEE PHOTOS

Genre heavyweights bring Sydney metal fans a fresh dose of "Nüstalgia"

MUDVAYNE and tour support COAL CHAMBER have embarked on their first tour of Australia in 18 years, and tonight have arrived at the Hordern Pavilion for their Sydney stopover. Tonight is somewhat of a Nü-Metal legacy tour, as neither act has put out an album in close to a decade or more. However this hasn't stopped the excited fans from dusting off their black cargo pants, fishnets and favourite metal t-shirt for a big Friday night out. 

Nü-Metal. A genre that died almost as quickly as it began. With a market fast becoming oversaturated, it wouldn’t be long for us metalhead Millennial’s to grow up and leave our love of Nü-Metal behind, often with a sense of deniability that it had ever even happened. Fast forward to the 2020's however, and it would soon be apparent that we had grown up even more. We had jobs, we had started families, and we had gotten bogged down in the reality of life. Soon, we would crave the feeling of youth that only drop-tuned guitars and sweaty moshpits could provide. And thus, the wave of 2020’s Nüstalgia was born.

The line of ageing nüstalgic fans outside the Hordern Pavilion tonight is testament to MUDVAYNE’s place amongst Nü-Metal giants. They were among the first to combine the Nü-Metal aesthetic with prog metal riffs, alternative metal harmony and some seriously talented slap bass abilities (sorry Fieldy!). They were even immortalised online with the classic (even if rather niche) “BRBR DENG!” meme. MUDVAYNE were a force to truly transcend a genre label that had swiftly killed the careers of so many lesser acts.

As the older die-hard fans shuffle into the theatre, the fear of herniating a lumbar disc in the moshpit is palpable in the air. However, a sigh of relief is felt when a glimpse of the stage times is gained. COAL CHAMBER will take to the stage at 08.00pm, and the headliner will begin at 09.30pm. No local supports are listed meaning us geriatric headbangers will be back in bed at a reasonable hour. 

COAL CHAMBER took to the stage as scheduled, opening with their career defining hit Loco. One could certainly find this a retrospective nod to the Nüstalgic train ride they are set to take us on. Their live presence proved to be a different beast to that on record. MIKE COX on drums hypes the band up dramatically just before the song kicks, with everyone on stage instantly locking into the iconic main riff. Bassist NADJA PEULEN windmills her red hair in the air whilst spinning in circles, rarely with two feet on the ground. As the song ends, vocalist DEZ FAFARA simply tells the crowd "I came to do business" as the band seamlessly transitions into Fiend. The stage lights turn into a sea of green and blue as MIKE flails wildly, hitting the drums with a pounding precision. It would be this relentless onslaught of dance paced drums that would keep the crowd moving ecstatically for the entire set.

The crowd is asked "who has the keys to this motherfucker?" as the band starts Big Truck to an excited crowd reaction. Almost dissonant wobbly phaser guitar effects courtesy of MIGUEL RASCÓN play out over the bridge, before pumping seamlessly into chorus finale as DEZ screams chaotically. The dance-like pace resumes in I.O.U Nothing, somewhat reminding me of genre cousins STATIC X. Rowboat proved to be a set highlight, immense slow power chords echo throughout the arena leaving rhythmic space for DEZ's lofi effected vocals. Chaotic noise and a wah infused guitar solo are followed by the tempo picking up for the final repetitious vocal hook as the mosh goes wild. 

In tracks like Another Nail in the Coffin, MIGUEL continues to work his wah-wah pedal like a demonic KIRK HAMMET. For Something Told Me, NADJA poses with her bass held vertically, her red hair flying, long boots stomping and stunning silver dress reflecting all the stage lights. Between her and MIKE, the rhythm force driving COAL CHAMBER proved to be immutable. DEZ starts up a crowd chant of "The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire" before the band close with fan favourite Sway, and walk off the stage to guitar feedback and the crowd cheering. 

During the break I scan the crowd, hoping to see some signs of a younger generation in attendance. Whilst the younger faces were far and few between, I did spot at least two super excited youngsters in attendance. The first I spotted was complete with his own clown face paint, an obvious homage to Nü-metal theatrics. Another rode atop his dads shoulders in the moshpit, decked out with a huge spiked mohawk that could be spotted from the back row. Has Nü-Metal truly proved timeless despite many predicting it wouldn't? Any brief moment of hope that I had for some youth left in this scene was quickly crushed after the dawning realisation that we're all old enough to be parents now.

Warped sounds start to emanate from the PA as the crowd realises now is the time to push forward ready for the mayhem. True to the image that the band embraced on debut album LD50, each member takes to the stage in a uniquely nightmarish costume and make-up design. The long anticipation of the chaos dawning on us was now a tangible reality. The band kicks off almost too excitedly with Not Falling. Bassist RYAN MARTINIE rushes to the front to greet the crowd before losing his footing and collapsing to the ground, missing his entrance. Perhaps it was an ego bruising start for the iconic bass player, who is lauded by fans as one of the most distinguished in metal. But what could have been a show stopper is quickly saved as stage hands hoist him to his feet, allowing him to rejoin and lock straight back into the crowd's energy. By the next track Internal Primates Forever, his ridiculously intricate bass lines are on full show, whilst managing 360 degree mid air spins without missing a beat. 

By the third track -1 the band are now fully warmed up, with vocalist CHAD GRAY climbing atop his own stage riser for his confessional crooning opening lyrics. The stage lights strobe to the pace of guitarist GREG TRIBBET's riffs as his electric spiked hair glows in the dark. As the band transitions to Severed, the band is lit up red from the front, with the beautiful twin skull backdrop it in blue. It creates the perfect haunting visual for CHAD to again climb his podium and belt out the outro lyrics as the entire stage fades to red to drive the ending home. The band tears into Death Blooms with the iconic fast paced riff and beautiful bass harmonics courtesy of RYAN. The lights shift colour rapidly as the stage fills with smoke, strobes in sync with MATTHEW MCDONOUGH's double kick patterns. The epic call for a crowd sing-along in the breakdown proves why this track is a fan favourite. 

Between songs, CHAD takes a moment to remind us that MUDVAYNE has not toured to Australia in eighteen years. We probably could have done without the reminder of how poorly our 36 year old livers will tolerate tomorrow's hangover, but he ends on a positive note about how much he loves our country. The next track is introduced as one in which they have "only played this song a few times in our career". Launching into A New Game the crowd is assaulted with relentless double kicks courtesy of MATTHEW's two shoes. 

The fast galloping guitar riff that leads into Fish out of Water from album The New Game provides a welcome change of pace as GREG palm mutes robototically. One does start to wonder if his elaborate hair spikes and cumbersome goggles hold him back from headbanging as much as he should, as RYAN is seen chaotically bounding from one end of the stage to the other, whilst playing yet even more bewildering bass lines. CHAD takes to his stage altar again to let out his raging inner demons. 

CHAD takes another moment to talk to the crowd. "This music is the fountain of youth" he tells us, "everytime I listen to MASTER OF PUPPETS, I'm fourteen again". A fitting message, it drives home the real meaning behind why we are all here tonight. Despite all the odds stacked against us we are still headbanging to this music decades down the track. The band begin the almost mathematical power chord shuffle of Prod as the crowd welcomes the band returning to more LD50 classics. The silence between chords in the chorus is really accentuated here. Even the crowd falls silent in awe. CHAD delivers his most bone chilling screams of the night: "Drain us, of life, and cleanse, the mess" as the band then moves into the almost psychedelic breakdown. The short tribal drum solo leads its way straight into the final pounding verse and chorus, leaving this track an unexpected set highlight. 

In Nothing to Gein CHAD again climbs atop his riser, this time standing tall and towering over the crowd below as the song breaks down and deconstructs itself into a quiet groove, whilst RYAN recreates percussive glitchy noises on his bass. As the set grows close to the end, we are asked "I've got one question for you Sydney, are you Happy?". One of MUDVAYNE's more infectious tracks is unfortunately let down by a rushed tempo and some missed lyrics. Thankfully they have the opportunity to redeem themselves with the set closer and much anticipated Dig. As RYAN and MATTHEW lock in for the iconic Brbr Deng, CHAD lets out the brutal intro scream we all came here to hear. GREG then slams us with the insanely catchy riff hook that we all tried to learn on our first guitar at some point. 

Everything falls back into place and fans exit the venue right on time, stoked that this moment of Nüstalgia had finally come to pass (and that they would be in bed before midnight). 

Photos by: Daniel Farr - Farski Photography
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THE SETLIST