LIVE REVIEW: FATE GEAR + KRAVE + AEON NEXUS @ THE BRIGHTSIDE 17/09/25

Photo Charlyn Cameron

Words by Cecilia Pattison-Levi. Photos Charlyn Cameron

The Brightside hosted a night of distinctive and unique female heavy metal bands with Aeon Nexus, Krave and the Japanese powerhouse steampunk metal band FATE GEAR bringing the heavy sounds to Brisbane. It was great to see three killer metal acts featuring female vocalists to rock out to, as the heavy metal goddesses ruled over the venue and the crowd.

The evening commenced with the progressive local Brisbane metalcore band Aeon Nexus. The band were bathed in red light as Sam Wolstenholme, Travis Hagstrom, Jordan Gray and Jesse Nikolic delivered a short and entertaining set of original songs to warm up the crowd. Sam Wolstenholme’s vocal fry technique demonstrated her singing prowess as she flowed in and out of melodic operatic soprano vocals to howling roars and guttural growls. Her bandmates were skilled in providing the driving force of the music, especially their bassist – he slayed it!

Photo Charlyn Cameron

Aeon Nexus bounced and stomped the stage as they delivered some really good songs in ‘The Choice’, ‘Twin Hurricanes’ and ‘Weightless’. They blended raw metal aggression with pop sensibilities to produce a very unique set. They closed out with their latest release ‘Black Mass’ and the crowd appreciated the tight performance.

After a quick change of stage set-up and instruments the three-piece Brisbane-based band Krave took to the Brightside stage to deliver a different form of female led heavy metal rock.

Krave (Siana Davis, Ryan White and Lachy Shirley) set their heavy rock agenda early with the crowd as they delivered original songs like the opener ‘Purgatory’ and then followed it with ‘Alchemy’ and then the really great track ‘Shapeshifter’. Siana Davies was really great at delivering an entertaining set and it showed she was having fun. She was great at engaging the crowd and drawing people in.

Photo Charlyn Cameron

Ryan White and Lachy Shirley delivered the piercing rock belts and searing shreds when performing ‘Outta Control’ and ‘Take Your Bow’. But it was Krave’s take on melodic heavy rock with screamcore elements that was distinctive. The band’s performance was played straighter and with real dynamism. The chemistry in the band was obvious as they played off each other and they were fun to watch.

The crowd really appreciated their energy as Krave closed out the short but animated set with ‘Skeletal’ and ‘Unalive’. Krave delivered a great blend of songs with catchy hooks, heavy riffs, all with a dynamic stage presence that combined power and rhythm. Ryan White was amazing on guitar, displaying his technical and versatile playing style. There was a lot to like in this performance by Krave.

Then, after another short break as equipment was moved, microphones were changed and people got ready – the venue filled. It was such a treat to have a quality live band like FATE GEAR here in the country.

Photo Charlyn Cameron

FATE GEAR is a Japanese female heavy metal band from Tokyo, formed in 2015 by guitarist Mina Taichō. And it has been full steam ahead for the melodic steampunk metal band. It is astonishing to think they are already celebrating their 10th anniversary with this tour of Australia. FATE GEAR is the real deal, there is no artifice here, the band are all about playing heavy metal music live and it is visceral.

It was amazing to consider what they might play to the crowd at the Brightside as they have such a deep back catalogue. Having left a tantalising trail of four albums, six extended plays (EPs), the band are now making a name for themselves as an explosive live act.

The crowd did not have to wait long before the band came onto the stage one by one and introduced themselves (Haruka, Erika, Mina and Hime). They didn’t waste any time after getting settled to launch into ‘Kill the Shadow King’ and they followed it quickly without much chat into ‘Devil's Pact’, ‘Romancer’ and ‘Lunaticed-Faced’. Before they stopped to acknowledge the crowd. There was broken English from FATE GEAR and broken Japanese from the crowd – but it all worked through the love of the music as FATE GEAR kicked the Brightside into fist pumping party drive mode.

FATE GEAR proved themselves to be a musical tornado. And a bunch of headbanging maniacs. The band members long manes and follicles were flying, and the crowd responded in kind by punching the air and chanting in unison especially during ‘The Sky Pirates’ and ‘Megabullets’. The four band members combined to create a maelstrom, and it was a feast for the ears and eyes, and one that overloaded the senses with a full-force metal attack but in a good and joyful way.

Photo Charlyn Cameron

Watching and listening to FATE GEAR makes you happy. It was also interesting to hear the piano keys of the songs that are usually hidden away in the metal mix, but they placed boldly out in the open and created a melodic retro-Deep Purple-ish vibe that jarred with their futuristic feminine sound which was so upfront in ‘This Fate’, ‘Battle Against Justice’ and the cover of Evanescence ‘Bring Me To Life’.

The set started to draw to its close with the energy ratcheting up with ‘Prisoners’, Draw You Dagger’ and the regulation set closed out with ‘Unbreakable Wings’. Mina was amazing on the guitar as she delivered and pulled some devilishly good sounds. The bassist Erika was insane (in a good way) to watch as she skillfully let it rip and her headbanging performance was astonishing. The drummer Haruka was in lockstep as she tightly created a driving and punchy sound that had the walls and floors shaking (there went my vinyl).

The vocalist Hime was wonderful to watch as she was the focal point of the band. Her vocal range was impressive, and her energetic stagecraft was like watching world class aerobics as she became a blur as she moved from side to side across the stage from left to right. My photos were not great as she was so hard to capture as she was never still – she was like a whirling dervish as she delivered high octane energy to the crowd.

FATE GEAR was a band of headbanging, high energy loving metal goddesses. giving the crowd a dynamic performance that left no one disappointed. But the Brightside crowd demanded an encore, and FATE GEAR were happy to oblige, as they gave a rip-roaring run-through of ‘Headless Goddess’ before sending everybody home happy and tired on a Brisbane Wednesday winter night.

FATE GEAR delivered a wonderful celebration of their 10 years together as a band. If you haven’t seen them – make sure you catch them while they are here in Australia or get stuck into their back catalogue and get to a gig when they return. I hope that FATE GEAR return to Australia quickly for they deliver melodic power speed-metal in a tight show and they are awesome musicians. The real thing!