Ears were buzzing as the heavy sound of Atlantis Awaits reverberated from the walls of a sweaty Holy Grail. The local alternative rock band are quickly garnering a strong following and their debut E.P launch show proved this.
Before the headliners rocked out, it was first the turn of another two rising bands; Hands like Houses and Retraspec. During their sets the crowd were receptive and showed their appreciation for bands, all of which are strengthening the ever-growing Canberra rock music scene.
After the support acts, Atlantis Awaits rose to the stage to a warm and rowdy applause, beginning with the lead guitarist playing his first power chord of the night.
The band were clearly not short of energy as they leapt around the stage to their own brand of hard rock.
Lead-singer Alice led from the front with head-bangs and tortured lyrics galore. New songs such as Cradle showed the crowd what they could expect from their E.P.
The equation of the band became clear as the set progressed. Heavy distorted guitars + pounding drums, + soaring vocals = Atlantis Awaits.
There were a few secret ingredients thrown in for good measure including the bass player’s incredible screams on tracks like Deeper Than Me.
The crowd was clearly enjoying the riotous music, and I lost track of the number of crowd surfers who seemed to float over the heavy distortion of the guitars.
It was a short set that lasted a little under an hour, but was certainly enough to give fans a taste of the EP and the band’s future direction.
The only criticism I have of the set was their choice to finish with a cover of a Getaway Plan tune. It lacked the vibe of their originals and felt drawn out and forced – it was most certainly an odd way to end the evening.
Having said that, the performance was strong and the Holy Grail suited the band perfectly.
Atlantis Awaits is definitely a band to keep an eye on, and one can only hope they continue to represent Canberra’s music scene with creativity and that hardcore energy.
Atlantis Awaits’ self-titled E.P is out now.
