Review: Remains @ The Old Bar, Melbourne

Remains. Image: Supplied

Review: Remains supported by Faceless Burial, Carcinoid, and Choof at The Old Bar, Melbourne, 20th August, 2022.

If you’ve been following the world of Australian grind closely, then these last few months have been a near-torturous wait for the lords of Australian grind, Remains, to unleash their debut album.

Having first formed back in 2019, Remains spent the past few years dealing with the stasis of COVID while still managing to carve out a name for themselves as a fierce live outfit.

Relative newcomers to the world of local music as a unified collective, Remains comprise some of the biggest names in the metal and grind scene, with its members bringing together decades of combined experience thanks to their work in outfits such as Blood Duster, Captain Cleanoff, The Day Everything Became Nothing, The Kill, Fuck… I’m Dead, Undinism, and One Inch Punch/Mid Youth Crisis.

Earlier this year though, they made their recorded debut, releasing tracks like "Bloodthirst", "Lord of Grind", and the eponymous "Remains" as they ramped up excitement for their debut album, Grind 'Til Death.

Released via Melbourne label Disdain Records and arguably one of the most ferocious albums to be unveiled throughout 2022, Grind 'Til Death stands tall as not just a stellar example of what makes Australian grind so powerful, but also presents itself as a surprisingly accessible album for those not quite across the genre, without alienating diehard supporters.

Officially released last month, the last few weeks have seen fans and band alike readying themselves for the brutal experience that is the Grind 'Til Death album launch, which finally took place on 20th August at The Old Bar in Melbourne.

Remains – Grind ‘Til Death album launch poster.

Having sold out just hours before kick-off, it was clear that excitement was set to be high for the affair, and thus, as punters filed into the Johnston Street venue on Saturday evening, they were confronted with the sort of musical mayhem that only Choof could provide.

Short, sharp, and far from sweet, the group's energetic and mesmerically-rambunctious antics were a sight to behold, with reports from those in the audience being that it was "the band's best show to date" and that "they would hate that sort of review". Indeed, it was a stellar way to welcome fans into the evening, with Carcinoid undoubtedly left with some big shoes to fill.

Gearing up to embark on a European trek in the coming days, the Saturday show served as Carcinoid's last local gig for the immediate future, thus leaving them intent to ensure fans were treated to one hell of a send-off. Dishing out a crushing blend of doom and death metal, the quintet's brutal, authentically-'80s-era sound washed over the adoring crowd, whose adoration was translated into the thriving mess of bodies that lay before the group in the pit.

Capping off their set with a pair of tracks from their forthcoming, as-yet-unrecorded EP, Carcinoid showed fans that they're not only getting better with each and every performance, but that their upcoming era is set to be even better than what we've already seen.

As the halfway point of the evening was upon us, restless punters found themselves getting eager for the final two acts of the evening, and as the mighty Faceless Burial took to the stage, it was clear to that their excitement was not misplaced.

Easily going harder than they had any right to do, Faceless Burial's set has the potential to go down as one of the best you'll see in Melbourne this year. Armed with blistering instrumental and colossal death metal sensibilities, the group evenly showcased their worth as truly brutal performers, while complementing their mesmerising set with filthy rhythms, guttural vocals, and classic rock 'n' roll guitarwork that combined to provide a set more than worth writing home about.

However, the main attraction of the evening was undoubtedly the unrelenting Remains. Having chosen an array of stellar supports already, the question of what was to follow surely flashed across the minds of some punters that evening. "How on Earth could Remains follow up a bill this good?" Of course, there was never any doubt that the outfit would deliver on the promises they had made, with the power flowing through them from the moment that frontman Tony 'Tone Bone' Forde appeared before us.

Dressed in black glasses (so dark that reading the setlist became an arduous task) and sporting his silver spiked gauntlets, Tone Bone's immense vocals washed over us from the very start of the set, ferociously setting the tone as the group delivered a stellar set comprising brutal cuts from their long-awaited debut.

As the likes of "The Butcher", "Lords of Grind", "Bludgeoned to Death", "You're on Fire", and a full-on aural assault of numerous other cuts powered their way through the crowd, so too did the pit thrive with fierce fury, as the pent-up energy of months spent waiting for this moment manifested itself across the crowd.

Blistering riffs, monstrous beats, and grizzly bass provided a menacing backing to Tone Bone's foreboding presence, turning each and every already-towering track into what felt like an immediate classic of the world of grind.

As with any grind show though, it felt like it was over far too quickly. But not so quickly that fans won't remember the brilliance that they witnessed this evening. Fierce, furious, and as powerful as ever, Remains are undoubtedly at the top of their game right now, and if their album launch was anything to go by, you certainly won't want to miss any of their upcoming shows as they tour the country over the coming months.

Remains’ Grind 'Til Death is out now via Disdain Records.