When Brisbane hard rock legends The Butterfly Effect dropped IV – their first album in 14 years – last month, the return was more than welcomed by fans. The band are taking the record around the country on an 11-date national tour with Thornhill and Caligula’s Horse, which included Eatons Hill Hotel in North Brisbane on Friday 7 October.
Opening the night was Brisbane prog metal quartet Caligula’s Horse to warm up the sparse crowd. Rocking grooves in odd time signatures with falsetto to soaring vocals made for a dynamic and engaging performance. The huge chorus and killer guitar solo of “Slow Violence” and unending breakdown of “Rust” had both fans and onlookers banging their heads. Unable to tour their latest album Rise Radiant in 2020, the reception of this support run will hopefully incite one in the near future.
Up next was Melbourne alt-hardcore quartet Thornhill, who had the younger audience members up the front buzzing. The band emerged amongst a thick fog and jumped straight into their energetic set of intricate grooves and stomping breakdowns. Frontman Jacob Charlton’s visceral screaming at the end of “Leather Wings” certainly perked the ears of old-school diehards by the end of their second song. Theatrical stagecraft for “Hollywood” set the tone of their latest album Heroine, while “Views from the Sun” got the first pit of the night going.
Finally, The Butterfly Effect stepped out to a packed ballroom after an instrumental intro. Considering that these guys haven’t toured consistently for over a decade, you wouldn’t even know it from watching them live. Grungy riffs, deft basslines and complex grooves in odd time signatures kept the crowd lively all night, while frontman Clint Boge’s delicately powerful vocals had everyone singing their big hooks. Old favourites “A Slow Descent” and “Always” got the room bouncing, with urgent and angry newbies “So Tired” and “Nil by Mouth” proving to be just as fun.
Wandering pieces like “Gone” and “Everybody Runs” showcased TBE’s softer moments as Clint and guitarist Kurt Goedhart performed alone, the rest of the band returning for the heavy outro. They thanked everyone for making the trek to the northside venue then began lengthy faux-closer “Worlds on Fire”. After a brief intermission, each member made their way back on stage for an encore of ‘one old and one new’ song. The careful picking of “Visiting Hours” entranced fans and catchy classic “Reach” left the crowd content.
With bands like Grinspoon and Karnivool getting a second wind now that festivals are well and truly back, it’s no surprise that The Butterfly Effect have had such a good turnout for their national headline tour. Bringing talented locals Thornhill and Caligula’s Horse along for the ride to introduce new fans is a smart move in keeping the Brissy boys relevant, too.
You can get tickets to the remaining shows of the tour HERE.
