LIVE REVIEW: KING 810 + THE GLOOM IN THE CORNER + DREGG + APATE @ CROWBAR 08/03/26

Words by Cecilia Pattison-Levi Photos Charlyn Cameron

It was the debut headline tour for the American Flint, Michigan based band King 810. The Crowbar in Brisbane was the venue for the last night of the tour. The three bands touring Australia with King 810, Apate, Dregg and Gloom In The Corner each had a set of their own to showcase their heavy metal and rock sounds.

Brisbane band Apate took the stage to kick off the night. They delivered a sharp seven track set with the new song ‘Echoes’ and ‘Flesh Feeder’ from 2022’s ‘Rage’. They brought the heavy to start the warm up of the crowd as they performed a range of new and older tracks. Apate set the tone for the night, serving up big drum beats, a thumping bassline and headbanging riffs that had the crowd fully engaged through the new track ‘Bleach’ and ‘Jackal’.

The band (Caleb Patch, Zakk Ludwig, David Hensler, Kurt Doglione, and Tim Wheaton) delivered their thumping funky bass-heavy tunes, especially through ‘Pallor Mortis’ and ‘Black Noise’. Zakk Ludwig led the charge with thunderous screams, taking command of the stage and igniting the crowd with their bass heavy down tuned fury. However, the clean singing by the band was the highlight as it overlaid the nu-metal rhythm with melodic hooks.

The bass player from Dregg (Aiden Zovic) joined Apate on stage for the last track. It was great until the bass player launched himself off the stage with no warning. The result, one head injury and broken glasses, two hurt lower limbs and a back and shoulder out. I just hope everyone walked away okay! Apate’s set was well delivered.

Melbourne based band Dregg were up next. They had the circle pit open from the start of their set as the band performed ‘LV Vest’, ‘In The Search Of’ and the really good song ‘21st Century Ignorance’. Dregg delivered the heavy as they got the crowd’s hands in the air as their bassline thrummed and the sound waves went right through the chest. Then, the stage diving started with ‘Dog C@#ts’ and Dregg told the crowd to “Bang your f#@kin’ head”.

Dregg (Christopher Mackertich, Zak Thom, Aiden Zovic and Caleb Brew) continued to deliver their energetic nu-metal as they played ‘PCP Wednesdays’ and ‘Butterscotch Biscuits’. With heavy bass riffs, crushing breakdowns and a high-energy performance, Dregg poured everything into pumping up the crowd with the great nu-metal track ‘Internet’ and ‘Dress Down’. They closed out their powerful performance with ‘Subscribe To Kill’ and ‘Your Mind’.

The stage was cleared as Dregg packed away their equipment. Then, the crowd waited for Gloom In The Corner to start their set and we waited. The band did some great warm-up exercises off stage with the funkiest setlist being played from the sound desk.

The Melbourne based band Gloom In The Corner have just released a contender for album of the year in ‘Royal Discordance’ and it was great that tonight the crowd would get to hear those new tracks when they got on stage – time had become fluid.  Gloom In The Corner’s sound is massive with a heavy rhythm section. The venue had their hands in the air from the opening track as the band pumped out the chunky riffs.

Gloom In The Corner (Mikey Arthur, Jesse Abdurazak, Paul Musolino and Joshua Clinch) were joined on stage with a guest singer as Jesse Abdurazak was unwell. They played five songs from the new album including ‘You Didn’t Like Me Then’, ‘Assassination Run’, ‘Angel's Wrath Whiskey’, ‘Nope (Hollow Point Elysium)’ and ‘Painkiller Soliloquy’. They performed their signature nu-metal that has a very melodic centre that is vibrant, energetic and haunting.

The Gloom In The Corner’s Mikey Arthur acknowledged international days as he dedicated a song to the women in the venue. It was a nice touch. They got the mosh pit moving, the head banging happening as the crowd moved in unison to the heavy drums and bassline riffs. The guitar and bass were both being thrashed around like there was no tomorrow as the lead singer sat on the drum riser to watch the crowd. The Gloom In The Corner’s stage presence was theatrical and engaging. Their soundscape was a blended mix of melodic and lyrical songs with that heavy sound. They made it sound so good!

Then, the stage was stripped back again. Setlists went down on the ground. The stage was black with red light circling.

King 810 walked onto the Crowbar stage and there was no mucking around or chat as they launched into the signature sound in ‘Rustbelt Metal’. They were covered in black clothing, masks and gloves and in the Brisbane heat I was trying to guess how long it would take for the band to strip off. It was not long before the band’s tattoos were exposed as layers of clothing were peeled off.

King 810 have the vibe of being a band that are dangerous, heavy and foreboding. The stage was shaking from their heavy sound. Their lead singer David Gunn was an image, a juxtaposition of a person shrouded in black, lacking expression but at the same time pouring out his emotion through song. The band (Eugene Gill, John Paul Vega, Bryce Ballinger and David Gunn) performed vigorously as they delivered ‘Fat Around The Heart’ and ‘Murder Murder Murder’ as David Gunn lurched across the stage and dropped to his knee.

The band moved through their 13-song set with power and aggression. The back stage backdrop had spiritualism in their sights as they weaved a tapestry of soundscapes such as ‘Brains On The Asphalt’, ‘Blood Rum & Rhythm’ and ‘Hellhounds’. There was a “thank you” made! It was the only crowd engagement throughout the set until the end. There was only occasional eye contact with the non-masked members of the band. This concealed distance from the crowd played to King 810’s advantage as it made their songs more introspective. 

This aura of mystery and urgency that surrounded them as ‘Vendettas’, ‘Raindance’, ‘Widdershins’ and ‘Noonday Demon’ were delivered in rapid fire succession. The band just drove on, track after track. The last three songs of the night were King 810’s biggest hits with fans, the classics ‘Killem All’, the pounding drums through ‘Boo’ and the driving and slow ‘Alpha & Omega’. There was a solitary “thank you” as the band left the stage. The house lights came on.

The set from King 810 was quite short really and it came in just under 55 minutes. But it was full of intensity, their performance and the crowd’s reactions. It was a raw and energetic delivery of overpowering metal, the band brought the music and tortured lyricism and the crowd brought the electricity. It equated to a great night of dynamic metal!