MONOLITH Festival - Saturday 2nd April 2022 – Reunion Park, Melbourne
Review By: Ollie Midso
Melbourne’s iteration of the inaugural Monolith Festival promised an unforgettable celebration of Australian progressive music. PICA’s junkyard aesthetic was a magnificent setting for the festivities with the show taking place in a former aircraft hangar that shook and rattled with every low end punch. Striking large scale sculptures dotted the art centre’s grounds that made for a lovely spectacle to behold between bands. And the bands were in fine form.
Perth Math Rock group YOMI SHIP had a respectable turnout for their set to kick off the day and the technicality shared between the three members was astonishing. Guitarist Jarred Osbourne leaned heavily on the reverb for this set and conjured some eerily gorgeous noodle-y soundscapes from his guitar, while bassist Jade Champion and drummer Nick Osbourne held it down as a solid rhythm section with chops to match. There was grace and flow from the low end and the drum fills on display were nothing short of jaw dropping. Wonderful way to start the day.
RELIQA are a captivating band to watch play. Despite the fact they had a disappointing mix where certain crucial elements of their sound were lost, they put on an entertaining performance with wild energy and you could tell they were on cloud nine. Vocalist Monique Pym has an incredible range and presence, seamlessly shifting between breakneck rapping and vocally demanding riffs. Her interplay with surprise guest vocalist Mikey Arthur (The Gloom In The Corner) was fantastic as the two smashed out the band’s latest single Safety, with Arthur subbing in for Make Them Suffer vocalist Sean Harmanis. Playing half a set of old material and half a set of new material from their forthcoming record, RELIQA certainly brought it.
Returning to the realm of instrumental, Sydney prog titans SLEEPMAKESWAVES graced Melbourne with their presence after three years away. The band’s iconography commonly depicts a geometric snowflake, and the visual certainly matched the aural, with the band offering up an expansive set of uplifting post-metal that make you feel like you were standing on a frozen “Tundra” watching the “Great Northern” sun rise. Wordplay aside, the entire band were tight as a drum and were so eager to perform for the hungry crowd.
PLINI has become a household name in the Australian and international prog community, and his popularity drew a massive response from the audience. Joined by mates Simon Grove, Chris Allison and Jake Howsham-Lowe, the band smashed through all of Plini’s hits with ridiculous synergy and camaraderie. Pan, Glass Bead Game and fan favourite Electric Sunrise especially had the crowd bobbing their heads in odd times and throwing hands when the djent got turned up to 11.
OCEAN GROVE’s addition to this largely progressive rock/metal drew some confusion from the heavy community overall upon the festival’s initial announcement back in November of 2021, but that didn’t stop them from putting on a spectacular performance and winning over the 70% of the crowd who had never seen them before. The band’s new mantra of PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) really brought the happy vibes to Monolith as they smashed out hit after hit off their latest two albums “Flip Phone Fantasy” & “Up In The Air Forever”. Frontman Dale Tanner was born for the stage and his interaction between fellow bandmates Twiggy Hunter, Sam Bassal and live guitarist Andy Szetho (ex-Storm The Sky) turned the old hangar into party central.
Penultimate band COG drew a massive crowd that packed out every square inch of the space as the Sydney three-piece launched into an hour of progressive rock that spanned their near 25 year career. The musicianship shared between Cog was truly impressive, as great care was given to their dynamics, letting each other share the spotlight and show off their respective instruments. Drummer Lucius Borich’s massive kit offered a broad scope of percussive elements that elevated the music to unique heights on tracks like “What If”, and the crowd fed off of guitarist/vocalist Flynn Gower, throwing the words right back at him in a loud game of call and response.
A black scrim shrouded the stage in large shadows as the anticipation for headline act KARNIVOOL started to build. When the curtain dropped after the syncopated impact of “Fear of the Sky”, the crowd of Vooligans exploded into cheers as Ian Kenny and co. graced the stage for a mammoth set of tracks from their beloved back catalogue. “Goliath”, “The Refusal” and “Set Fire To The Hive” set the crowd off into a frenzy of excitement as the fan favourites showcased the heavy, frenetic side of the band, while songs like “New Day” and “We Are” offered moments of contemplation and enthusiastic singalongs.
Closing out the night with the one-two punch of newest track “All It Takes,” and one of their oldest tracks, “Fade”, Karnivool proved why they are the undisputed kings of Australian progressive rock, and left their fanbase eager for the future, as their upcoming fourth LP inches closer and closer to realisation.
Monolith’s maiden voyage across the country has proven to be a success with excellent musicianship, positive vibes, and optimism for future instalments. Here’s hoping for another lap of Australia!
