MTXS - SUMMITFEST 19 / LOUD & CLEAR

The Nambucca has a long list of artists who have passed through early on in their career including Mac Demarco, The Maccabees and The 1975. Recently a more bone crunching state of metal and rock has taken over the area and none more impressively so than South East’s very own MTXS. Headlining the local annual festival of Summitfest, it was very apparent as soon as you walk through those annoyingly stiff and small doors that all of the shirts and hoodies being worn were branded with that beautifully vicious MTXS logo.

Vanity were in full swing to a budding crowd dressed uniformly in black from head to toe. Utilising two vocalists to bounce off each other in choruses brining a more interesting dynamic compared to the usual standalone scream. One appeared to be much more suited to the role joining in and throwing spin kicks around in unison with his long metalhead hair whilst another would gleefully stay on the stage even attempting some cleans through the set. Unfortunately forgettable but momentarily enjoyable, instrumentally Vanity wouldn’t bring any fresh produce to the table but deliver a brilliant warm welcome to the evening.

Griever would be next to take the stage with their own stage banners, makeup and black paint around their necks, something I annoyingly only associate with Twenty One Pilots these day. As I overheard “It’s time to get spooky” I was hoping for some dark and high tempo two step riffs from the group but instead found myself watching just an incredibly talented and tight drummer play a concept that I don’t believe even he fully trusted himself. Vanity at least had crowd engagement and elements of fun and important messages, Griever would just provide an obliterated use of a crash cymbal.

Headlining the night and most anticipated - MTXS. Following their debut album release Ache the quintet had yet to set foot in London to play some of the new tracks. Ultimately a explosive record, it’s depth and raw power transform live with some of the most captivating personality and theatrical ability. A variety of two-stepping, spin kicks and some of the highest jumps I’ve ever seen from the small front man Paul Collins ensues despite a short delay of technical difficulties. Even dedicating chants of ‘Rudy’ repeatedly for the guitarist now-turned-crowd-member as he was forced to leave the stage. These difficulties in no way took away from the show as the group continued to utilise the strobe lighting to full effect along with an aggressive smash of a fire bell. Every band has their quirk and MTXS seem to have found theirs with clarity in delivery and pure theatrics. Comparatively similar to Knocked Loose in the way that although the genre they exist in can be plagiarised too much. What they do, they do it incredibly well.

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Catch MTXS at Castlefest next month in Luton.