If you ask me, what sets Trail of Dead apart is the fact they are actually very creative and fabulous tunemakers. Where metal-heads get their kicks from metal bands I've never heard of, I get my similar kicks from Trail of Dead. When it's time to rock the heck out and fuck the world, it's time to listen to Trail of Dead. Except 'So Divided', please do not put this album on thank you. While Trail of Dead built up a pretty steady fan base from their self titled to their 4th and arguably most commercial (and what won me over) 'Worlds Apart', they almost lost it with their disjointed, cringeworthy failure of their fifth, which was insult to themselves and said fanbase. Luckily they dusted themselves off and tried again with 'The Century of Self', a great improvement, and now with 'Tao of The Dead', which has them back on very solid footing, and even frontman Conrad Keely has decided it is his favourite. Not mine, but it is a very good album.
Anyway, Saturday night was the second time I'd seen them, after a pretty great set in 2009, this time at a bigger venue than the Zoo... and, because not a lot of people care about this band, it was not even close to sold out. It felt a bit weird standing in a very small mosh amongst a lot of nerdy hardcore males, when it is probably the most mosh-y band I will see this year or ever. Oh well!
The set began with the opening overture from 'World's Apart' ("ISIS! HORUS! RA! SETH! ISIS! HORUS! RA! SETH!" and a pretty haphazard entrance from the band, which Conrad acknowledged with the opening words "That was supposed to be much cooler". They would have redeemed themselves with the next track off that album, but instead they launched straight into 'part 2' of their new one, containing of over 15 minutes of continuous, soaring melody and layered guitar. They continued the new album theme with a selection from 'part 1', including the haunting and pleasantly melodic combination of "Spiral Jetty" and "Weight of the Sun", and ending on radio-friendly "Ebb Away" and its ridiculous outro, "The Fairlight Pendant".
This nifty little selection from 'Tao of the Dead' was a great way to showcase their new stuff, in a way that supported the album's concept, as on record each song flows seamlessly to the next. I had wondered how they could do that successfully and congrats to them for doing so, helped by playing fantastically tight, with absolute energy and effortlessness. It even sounded like Conrad's voice has improved on 2009's concert, as while live he's often partial to a few awkward missing-the-mark moments, there were few if any of those tonight. (Was it my imagination or was he looking fitter too...?)
just a tad?
In the same way, the new album medley opened up the rest of the set for what would get the crowd raging, classic Trail of Dead highlights. First, "Will You Smile Again For Me", which just, sorry, fucking ruled, and then "Caterwaul", which also, sorry, fucking ruled. "How Near, How Far" and "Another Morning Stoner" also made it in, causing the tiny mosh to swell and feel like a big mosh. There was a moment where during my own excited jumping spell, I pushed a few overexcited younguns off me only to turn around and find there was what looked like a meter between me and the rest of the crowd. Surprisingly, they played "Clair de Lune", a slow burner and personal favourite, which disappointingly didn't really fit in with the rest of the set and felt a little awkward and lacklustre. Luckily, it was all forgotten by "Richter Scale Madness", the electric standout from their first album, reminding us all what Trail of Dead came here to do, make lots of noise that make people go crazy.
They left it here and went off stage, to never return for an encore. However I was pretty satisfied. While I would have loved to hear more, the whole experience displayed a band that appear to have come out of their various hiccups over the years, to find themselves in a place where they have always wanted to be, and are happy to remain. While I never saw them in their early years, the grit and raw energy of their early albums appears to be back in full swing, and it was all there in this show (there was not a whisper from 'So Divided' or 'Century of Self'). The band looked happy, proud, and like they were enjoying themselves and liked where things were going. If Trail of Dead never release another album or do another tour, it would be okay, as they would have made their final mark on the world (and in Australia), a fantastic one, true to themselves and their legacy. And thanks to this gig, they have now surpassed David Bowie and taken the no. 2 spot on my Last.fm chart, goddammit. Good work boyz.
8 1/2 black moptop haircuts out of 10.
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