LIVE: Silent Knight – Perth, 11 Oct, 2019

Shane | 25 October 2019 | Reply

LIVE: Silent Knight – Perth, 11 Oct, 2019
Silent Knight with Wrath of Fenrir & Midnight Furnace, Amplifier Bar, Perth, Western Australia
Review & photography by Pete Gardner

Perths favourite power metal band Silent Knight made a rare live appearance on Friday night at the Amplifier Bar to the delight of a hardcore band of local metal heads. With two big gigs coming up for the group – the first a couple of days later at the Southern Gathering festival in Melbourne, followed on November 10th at the massive November Rain Festival in Semarang, Indonesia – it could have been easy to mistake this night for a simple warm up gig, but the guys played a blinding set of favourites with power, speed and sheer guts on the small amplifier stage as if they were playing to a packed arena.

Kicking off the night and playing their inaugural gig, Midnight Furnace took to the stage with enthusiasm. For a first outing they were tight and well rehearsed and played an enjoyable set. Highlights included War On All Of Us, a good solid metal track, and the more textured Desert Of Lost Souls, building to a satisfying crescendo. Frontman Alex Harper has a good range and handles the vocal duties well, whilst the rest of the band, including Silent Knight’s Cameron Daw on bass, kept the momentum at full tilt as heads are banged and the hair starts flying. Not a bad first outing and worth checking these guys out at their next gig.

After a short flurry of activity on stage as drum kits and effects boards are exchanged, Silent Knight have time for a quick soundcheck whilst the crowd recharge their glasses. It’s not long before the first power chords or Prisoner Of Your World ring out from the dual guitars of Stu McGill and Cameron Nicholas thundering out across the room. Jesse Onour Oz’s incredible voice soars, supported by the backbone of Cameron Daw playing his second set in a row tonight and Dan Grainger doing solid work on the kit.

[Show picture list]

For the next hour Silent Knight play a fast and furious set, with the crowd headbanging enthusiastically along. The pace doesn’t let up as Cameron Nichols executes a stream of fast shredding solos, with the band running all over the stage, obviously having a brilliant time. When a band looks like they are having this much fun its impossible not to have a great night. With a shout out of “who’s ready for some serious heavy metal?” the band launch into the only new song of the night, from their currently-in-production third album. Blood On The Water is a great track with Nichols again providing some brilliant solos.

Masterplan is, as always, a standout in the set with Jesse Onur Oz making full use of his impressive vocal range, whilst McGill and Nichols shred away standing front and centre before a sea of flying hair. The pace continues as the band segue into Power Metal Supreme and finish a much too short set with Curse Of The Black Rose.

This was the last chance to see Silent Knight play in Perth this year, so too bad if you missed it. The guys now head off to play the aforementioned festivals before returning to the studio to finish their anticipated third album. We shall await their return with baited breath.

Wrath of Fenrir finished up the night with an excellent and unique set, for those who remained, though sadly the crowd had thinned a little after Silent Knights set.

I must confess, Viking Metal is a new one for me, and the guys took the stage dressed as traditional 8th century Vikings complete with furs and tunics. Songs about longboats invading Saxon England, pillaging monasteries and the glory of dying and fighting battles for eternity in Valhalla ran the risk of the whole thing becoming a big gimmick, however the band get away with it by being bloody excellent. Frontman Aiden Vestgaard is another great guitar player and held the vocal duties well, but the real standout was Herb Bennetts on the ‘war drums,’ pounding the kit with a Viking’s ferocity and maintaining a ferocious pace throughout the set.

In all, a great night out with three of Perth’s excellent metal bands, well worth the entry fee! If you haven’t seen these bands live yet, its time to do yourself a favour and get along next time they play!

Silent Knight Setlist
Prisoner of your World
One by One
The Strike of the Sword
The Ravens Return
Blood on the Water
Conquer and Command
Masterplan
Power Metal Supreme
Evil is thy Name
Prelude: Fear and Tyranny
The Curse of the Black Rose

Addendum
Sadly, just as I was finishing up this review, Silent Knight announced on their Facebook page that Jesse Onur Oz has resigned the band for personal reasons. We wish Jesse all the best, and hope to see Silent Knight back in the near future with a new lineup. The full statement from the band can be read on their Facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/silentknightband/