Electric Callboy @ Afterpay Arena
Pyro, pounding beats and crushing riffs collide as Electric Callboy take over Afterpay Arena
Words and Photos by Ivan Souriyavong
Stepping into the newly christened Afterpay Arena, the first thing that struck me was the crowd itself, a wonderfully eclectic, genre-blurring mix of fans packed shoulder to shoulder. Battle-vested metalheads clad in black stood shoulder to shoulder with a riot of neon and fluorescent Electric Callboy devotees, their costumes turning the floor into a kaleidoscope of colour. Unsurprisingly, whole families had turned out with kids in tow, a telling sign of just how far and wide Electric Callboy's infectious appeal has spread.
Coldrain
Hailing from Nagoya, Japan, metalcore outfit Coldrain tore open the night with a ferocious opening set. Between the crushing riffs and razor-sharp chugs, the band expertly traded blistering screams for soaring, angelic clean vocals, whipping the crowd into an early frenzy. They won over a wave of fresh converts while treating longtime fans to euphoric new cuts like "Ex-Humanity" and "Chasing Shadows."
Ice Nine Kills
Next up were the horror-obsessed theatrics of Ice Nine Kills, hailing from Boston, Massachusetts. The band has carved out their niche by weaving in iconic horror IPs from the slasher menace of Michael Myers in Halloween to Freddy Krueger's nightmarish reign in A Nightmare on Elm Street alongside unexpected flourishes like their Joker-inspired visuals. Pre and post-song visual reels flickered across the screens, keeping the crowd locked in as the band ducked offstage for lightning-fast costume changes between segments. This was my first time catching them live, and they've unquestionably raised the bar for what a metal performance can be the inclusion of actors, elaborate props, and full-blown theatrical acting throughout the set turned the show into something closer to a horror film brought to life. A standout moment came when Alex Reade of Make Them Suffer emerged as a surprise guest, lending his vocals to "Twisting the Knife" hands-down one of the highlights of their set.
Electric Callboy
On stage, a vivid Tanzneid curtain loomed large as the lights dimmed and a pulsing electronic beat began to build, sending the crowd into a chorus of cheers and screams. Then the curtain dropped, revealing the electronicore heavyweights from Castrop-Rauxel, Germany, decked out in puffer jackets straight out of the Tanzneid music video. Bursts of CO2 and pyros and sparklers throughout the set helped elevate the atmosphere of the arena as the concert transformed into a massive rave.
For those not in the know, Sum 41 drummer Frank Zummo has joined Electric Callboy's ranks for a handful of their upcoming tour dates, and the crowd got a taste of that crossover firsthand.
Breaking into "Still Waiting," the boys treated fans to a rowdy, high-energy cover of the Sum 41 classic, a fitting tip of the hat to their newest addition.
Never shying away from their identity as a fun, unapologetic party band, the crowd ate up every last minute of the atmosphere. I've always been floored by their songwriting, the way they fuse metalcore's crushing weight with EDM and techno's pulsing energy so seamlessly it never feels forced.
The vocal interplay between Kevin Ratajczak's guttural screams and Nico Sallach's soaring cleans played off each other beautifully, while the rest of the band prowled the stage with the effortless, battle-tested confidence of seasoned performers, whipping the crowd into an absolute frenzy.
“The way they fuse metalcore’s crushing weight with EDM and techno’s pulsing energy so seamlessly it never feels forced.”
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Thanks to Dallas Does PR for having Outsiders Journal along.
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Electric Callboy brought the Tanzneid party to Sydney, transforming Afterpay Arena into a massive rave with pyrotechnics, pounding electronics and plenty of metalcore chaos alongside Ice Nine Kills and Coldrain.