Fozzy w/Coridian @Galatos (Radio 13)

I’ll be honest: I wasn’t particularly expecting to enjoy Fozzy. I’m not a huge metal fan, and a metal band fronted by a pro wrestler seemed like the kind of thing that would push my limits. Despite this, I maintained an open mind when I went to see them at Galatos, and I’m glad I did.

Opening the show was NZ band Checaine, who wasted no time launching into their set with Down The Line. Despite a relatively unresponsive crowd and cramped stage space, Fraser Coombes (vocals) maintained strong energy and stage presence, and didn’t hit a wrong note once. In Symbols, a highlight of the set,

Regan Aspden (guitar) looped a melodic line which the band played to smoothly, showcasing their solidarity as a group. Drummer Pete Westbury was a star, with some very impressive technical fills that were creative and tasteful. Unfortunately, as is often the case with the opening act, there were sound issues, including some sharp jolts of feedback and some murky tones which mostly affected bassist and backing vocalist Chris Prenter, which was a shame. Despite these issues,

Checaine played a great set, and they obviously enjoyed themselves on stage. Props to them for travelling from Hamilton as well.

By the time locals Coridian took the stage, the audience had filled out a little more, although the crowd was still not as responsive as I was expecting them to be. This didn’t stop Coridian from bringing their

A game to the stage. Brothers Kris Raven (drums), Mike Raven (guitar) and Nick Raven (bass) were lead by vocalist Dity Maharaj, and for me, they were the highlight of the night. Their melodic alt-rock metal style was a nice contrast to the more straight edge pure hard-rock metal of the other two acts.

Maharaj is a natural performer, relaxingly engaging in cheeky banter with the crowd in between songs and completely carrying the energy as he launched around the stage whilst singing very demanding melodies flawlessly.

The brothers Raven are a testament to the power of musical siblings, locked in synch together perfectly and all displaying great skills in their instruments. The only issue I had was the snare drum that sounded rather strange... perhaps due to the mixing so it didn’t pack as much punch as I felt it should have... but that’s a minor gripe with an otherwise very impressive performance.