Devildriver/ Cradle of Filth
The Forum
11/07/2026
An excited air fills the venue as the general chatter of punters overrides the ambient playlist from the speakers. Outside the cold winter rains soak the Melbourne streets and a chilling wind drives people to pull their coats tighter. Inside though, the hum of excitement and the beauty of the Forum venue promise one of the biggest double bills of the year. The backdrop reads a giant Devildriver sign in simple black and white text and the drum kit lays ominously still – awaiting the onslaught of fury. Cradle of Filth and Devildriver shirts fill the crowd, interspersed with the occasional battle jacket, patches galore. The fans appear as equally excited for each band, both of whom have extensive back catalogues. A roar erupts as the lights drop. Dez wastes no time bringing the crowd into a frenzy, egging the pit on. Opening with the flawless “Clouds over California” the band shows precision and tightness. They are clearly in a good mood and happy to be on stage and are infectious with their energy. The audio mix shows crystal clarity allowing the double time guitar picking and double kick to explode out over the crowd. Devildriver keep the crowd anticipating new material as they dive into some deep cuts from their catalogue, tearing into “Not All Who Wander Are Lost”. Once the solos kick in it feels like the band are playing a stadium.
Dez shows infectious enthusiasm, never standing still for long and moving across the stage like a stealthy predatory leopard. The crowd follow along with most of the main floor moving and shouting to songs and eventually a circle pit breaking out in “Meet The Wretched”. Dez confidently controls the crowd commanding the audience to open the middle of the pit. A hint of Coal Chamber style vocals creeping in, mixed into long growls and rapid-fire syllables as they pull songs right back to their very first self-titled release from 2003. All of it sounding as pristine as the vocals across each Devildriver album – ferocious and uncompromising. There is perfect control and perfect sustain. This is underpinned by a heavy low end and furious precision drums. Once settled into their groove, by the fifth song, the band are an unstoppable machine virtually exploding off the stage and mixing technical proficiency with pure energy and rage. “I Could Care Less” bangs out over the speakers. The drumming on “Dig Your Own Grave” shows the insane proficiency of Davier Pérez and the song, while driven by nasty, chunky disjointed guitar, is really an ode to syncopated drumming. The double kick just pounding through in a beautifully mixed squishy sound. There is really no reprieve with Devildriver. It is one onslaught after the other with its speed metal like tracks hardly giving the crowd time to rest, except for the groove in the choruses. Years of experience and perfection all translate into a solid, flawless flood of sound, only interrupted by dual solos. Reminiscent of the unpredictability and overwhelming passion that grew out of the 90’s metal scene this gig harkens back to a time when you didn’t know what to expect. There was a sense of controlled chaos. By the time “Hold Back The Day” rolls out there is no doubt that this tour is celebrating an enormous back catalogue of crushing songs and unashamedly relishing everything about them. While Dez did charm the audience in the beginning of the set, by the middle it was all business. The groove of the music making the crowd heave in a sweaty trance. The mix never falters once, perfectly articulating the subtle and nuanced tones of the chords between the death metal riffs. The band seems to be truly comfortable giving one of the tightest performances of the year. And this is critical for the sound as this band has relentlessly carved out their own genre mixing technicality and groove in equal measure. The only break in the performance comes as the sound of rain pours out the speakers in a slight pause before menacing chainsaw riff after riff rips into the crowd. “Dead in The Water”, “Grinf..ed” and “Cry for Me Sky” and Dez hi-fiving a crowd surfer in the middle of the songs propel the energy even further. Wave after wave of groove and speed as they show their precision and stop dead on a dime. “I was brought up on punk rock not metal, we do not do encores”, Dez states as they rip into their second last song for the evening. Closing with a giant circle pit while Dez shouts “burn it down.”, the band close as they opened- with relentless speed – pinched harmonics echoing across the room. The lighting goes into overdrive. The band play with the intensity and passion of a new band but the technical brilliance of their many years on the road. The melodic opening of “The End of the Line” heralds the final song and riotous applause.
The ominous and mythical backdrop of Cradle of Filth sets a very different tone for the next set. Shrouded in a giant cape Dani Filth strikes a portentous figure. The swooning piano choruses immediately bring the mood into a more sombre and reflective tone. The crowd’s excitement is rewarded with the signature high pitch cries perfected by Dani. An eruption of energy as the stage is blasted in light and the band explode on stage. Dani’s command of the venue is complete and focused. The noticeable difference to the previous set is how dominant the double kicks of Martin “Marthus” Škaroupka are. Perhaps a little too dominant. Huge thunderous kicks that accent the symphonic piano. Cradle of Filth have beautiful, slow mournful guitar leads that punctuate the rapid fire squeals and high pitch vocals. The difference in tone and atmosphere between the two sets meant the two bands contrasted despite both being extreme in nature. As such it was great and unexpected pairing for the double bill. Both bands exhibiting absolute professionalism and commitment, neither compromising, and accentuating the differences while embracing the same passion. Cradle of Filth tear through “To Live Deliciously”; “Demagoguery”; “Nocturnal Supremacy” and “Malignant Perfection”. Dark, violent, and aggressive. Dani Filth is definitely the standout front focus of their set even though he is backed by an amazing theatrical feel from the rest of the band. It is hard to tear your eyes away as he pivots from deep growling guttural bellows to glass shattering highs. By the third song the mood has truly shifted into a dark and a sombre air. Gone are the circle pits and instead a dark blue light floods the hall in an eerie gloomy glow. There is, at first, little interaction with the audience and rather a focus on a deep celebration of the darkness within. The two standouts are certainly the drums and piano who provide a solid foundation on which the other band members can pivot. The whole concert in its blackened death and black metal vibe conjure up images of a funeral procession and the crowd’s own reaction is suitably swooning and entranced in turn. This is less a concert and more of a summoning. The band tear through the songs effortlessly. The harmonised leads between the two guitarists ratcheting up the tension with every melodic crescendo. Dani finally addresses the audience and he doesn’t disappoint. He announces the “The Principle of Evil Made Flesh” and the mood shifts quickly. Blast beats, crushing guitar and the first circle pit of the set erupts. Ferocious and fast the song shows the technical proficiency of the band as they navigate intricate scales and high notes with ease, slipping into ultra melodic solos, blasting double kick and snare and generally picking up the vibe from its more mournful tone. The band reminds everyone of exactly why they are known as one of the best extreme metal bands out there. The band sound fresh, cutting edge and progressive – each lick; each grinding chainsaw riff; each pummelling drum roll; are all crystal clear and heavy. However, Dani addresses the technical issues plaguing the band, although the only evidence of this was Dani leaving the stage occasionally. From the audience perspective the wall of sound is impenetrable. There is a good camaraderie among the band as they work as a tight knit unit. The whole performance feels more settled and focused now by the fifth song.
By the time “Nymphetamine (Fix)” comes on the crowd is swooning from side to side. The slower more rhythmic song welcomes a break in the pace of the entire gig. A standout mention is the soaring high vocal of piano player Kelsey Peters who brings every song to a melodic centre and adds an air of beauty to the set. By the time they play The Screaming of the Valkyries and “White Hellebore”, dedicated to the crowd at the front, the mood shifts again. The guitars dominate and the tempo is generally more upbeat and is one of the best songs of the set. Clear, powerful, varied and interesting the band look confident and relaxed as they power through. The whole concert takes on a more emotional and cathartic element as the music mixes elements of deathcore, death metal, blackened metal and opera into a modern masterpiece. Now the gothic eerie vibes and wave of guitars find the right balance. True darkness has been released. And the piercing vocals herald a call to the underworld. Dani’s quirky humour provides a welcome respite during songs. What works so well is that it feels like an epic mix of theatre, extreme metal, and a spiritual seance. At times Dani feels like he is communicating with the dead during “The Mordant Liquid of Tears”. In that sense his audience interactions are just guiding us on his journey beyond the lands of man and into the spiritual void. The crowd is suitably, eerily, still as they watch mesmerised and the haunting rolling highs of piano cut through the dark sludgy guitar. Unlike Devildriver there is a long spacious interlude before the band bring back the darkness. They return with some of their heaviest songs for the night. “Gilded C..t”, “Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids”, and “Her Ghost in the Fog” which all close the set well. A strong statement of why and how they helped to pioneer extreme metal through the nineties and into the modern era.
