Raised Fist
29th November 2016
The Kings Arms, Auckland, New Zealand
Review by Kate Taylor. Photography by Matt Henry Photography.
Tuesday night and I’m proud of Auckland’s established hardcore fans coming out on a pre-silly season weeknight to embrace and welcome Sweden’s bedrock of the genre, Raised Fist. Comprised of a mass of old school heads, it was a nice sized crowd to move through around The Kings Arms.
Personally missing out on the initial openers Blind Threats, members of the crowd when quizzed said they were a solid and enjoyable, straight up the guts hardcore outfit from Hamilton, similar in sound to top flight acts like Terror. Dammit… it sounds like they would have been my cup of tea! Bridge Burner followed up on stage before Raised Fist commander Alexander and his band took centre stage. Built from the ashes of several of New Zealand’s premium metal and hardcore bands, Bridge Burner delivered a dirge ridden, black metal adjacent sound that nestled alongside the well-known notes and tones of horror films creating an atmospheric soundscape complemented by the band member’s minimal movements on stage so as not to distract. Bridge Burner’s cool touch of keeping the stage lighting a constant, unwavering red bathed them in suggested violence and made the band mates look like they were in their own Dario Argento film.
Oh my mosh! Looking ready to slay, Raised Fist tweaked and readied themselves for the stage before bursting on and destroying us. Fiercely professional, Raised Fist look the part and know their way around a stage set up like it’s their home ground advantage. Alexander was quick to offer that Raised Fist were feeling jet-lagged AF, letting us know that they’d been on a plane for basically three days in order to get to us. Trading 11hr flights for 13hr flights, coming From The North where they’d left waist height snow to a sweaty box that’s directly – if you punch a hole through the earth – on the other side of the globe from their home. Apologising profusely for their lack of fire, I’ve just got one thing to offer; if THIS was Raised Fist in a compromised and jet-lagged performance: Australia get ready cause these guys are going to melt your faces off.
With a set list featuring a superb mix of new tracks from their sixth studio album From The North and from classic albums like Ignoring the Guidelines, Veil of Ignorance and Fuel there were big responses for tracks City of Cold plus Friends and Traitors which created a tumultuous yet polite circle of thrashers at the front of the stage. It wouldn’t be a hard core gig if we didn’t discuss some important societal issues and Alexander’s no jokes demeanour implored us, “we’ve got to address this” and to give a fuck about new research he’d heard on his morning news in Sweden before jetting out to see us. Torn by the obvious conflict of ecological realities in his homeland and then travelling across the world to perform for us; his ability to justify what he’s doing in a world that’s dying, filled with souls who are indifferent to the destruction, it was powerful and very moving. Alexander spat “you put up your selfie stick, you do your duck face and it’s another day tomorrow, who the fuck cares right?! Well I care”.
Mustering up the goods to give us an encore this group of earnest dudes gave absolutely everything they had to show us their heart; their split kicks, the brimstone flashing in their eyes as they swapped mics, stalking the stage never crashing into one another; Raised Fist are a blistering organism that I’m so glad I’m able to say I’ve finally seen live. If you’ve got a chance to see them on this Australia leg of the tour, as I’ve said before…prepare to pick your jaw up from the floor at the end of the night.
Were you there at the Kings Arms to witness this amazing show? Or have you seen Raised Fist somewhere else? Tell me about it in the comments below!