Review: NE OBLIVISCARIS - Live in Brisbane

16 June

Beauty Meeting Brutality In Perfect Balance

Sunday 15th June 2025

Written by Jake Folmer
Photographed by: Rashid AlKamraikhi

It was the last night of NE OBLIVISCARIS’ Australian Tour 2025 at The Princess Theatre in Brisbane, and we were there to see beauty meet brutality in perfect balance.

Bursting onto stage with fervour, our local six-piece Norse folk metal outfit VALHALORE delivered their signature sweeping melodies and heavy riffs, firing up the crowd early. Lachlan’s vocals were in full force, passionate and commanding. In prelude to their final track, Lachy, voice quivering, reflected on the song’s theme of death and presence. The band entered a folk-metal trance, drawing the crowd in completely. Valhalore continues to evolve, often representing Aussie metal abroad, but there’s something especially powerful about seeing them on home soil.

Tech-death titans from the deep south, PSYCROPTIC, blasted through with blistering precision and energy. The pits opened fast, and the crowd's energy was immediate. A fan called out “Awesome cunts!” to which the frontman replied, “I can tell you love us if you’re calling us cunts,” summing up the mood perfectly. The Aussie Metal veterans delivered a set as tight and powerful as ever, with punchy riffs, relentless drums, and cheeky Aussie humour (often aimed at their international bassist). Backed by their drummer's machine-like timing, they genuinely have one of the tightest live metal rhythm sections around, and proved once again why they're one of the best in the game.

NE OBLIVISCARIS put on an absolute masterclass in extreme/progressive metal and stagecraft. The show opened with fire twirlers in ritualistic regalia, as violinist/clean vocalist Tim Charles emerged for “Ahedonia.” Their transition into “Keepers of the Tempest” was heavy yet graceful, forming the apex of beauty meeting brutality in perfect balance. Clean and harsh vocals interwove with intricate instrumentation, with each member locked into their parts. During the climax, a power outage interrupted the song. Tim joked, “Pretend that didn’t happen,” and they returned unfazed and the guitar solos soared.

Their fire performer returned during instrumental interludes that broke up their over two-hour set, with their flames burning brightly amid layers of flowing melodic textures. “Before Pyriph” brought emotional depth, as the band celebrated Citadel's 10th anniversary, and introduced James Dorton (Black Crown Initiate) as their official harsh vocalist. A surprise Muse cover added flair before closing with “And Plague Flowers the Kaleidoscope”. A definitive and theatrical end to a massive set.