So, I decided to step into some slightly personally unexplored musical territory on the 10th of December coming to Mojo’s to review Devil’s Child, the Judas Priest Cover Band. The general sonic aesthetic of the night was filled with grunge, hard rock, elements of punk and metal, an audio palette that blends and ebbs quite nicely.

Amongst the band T-shirts and black attire, was little old me watching the first grunge folk act Ella Munro. A well-known name in Perth, as well as the guitarist in Last Lions, Ella has a very familiar grunge/pop-punk feel discussing songs of sexuality, love and mental health. Her sound is very much akin to that of Australian punk/grunge legends Violent Soho. Ella’s four-piece was loud and emotional, making for a great starter for the night to come.

Second on was well named Magic Chicken Fudge Toe. I’d love to hear the story behind the choice of name if ever came the opportunity to speak with the band! The three pieces filled the room with hardcore punk energy, which they perfectly counteracted with slower but just as heavy songs hence their genre titling of sludge rock, which they oozed with. A personal favourite of mine by them is their recent album release StarCult Euphrates.

The act of the night finally made an appearance! Devil’s Child was aesthetically strong, a five-piece with old school band shirts of Guns n Roses and Iron Maiden shirts, a heavy artillery drum kit and a singer with a great taste in jackets. The lead singer’s voice was very powerful and cut through the whole band, and was both an instrument and necessary weapon amongst his fellow musicians. The bass player had a great stage presence and energy, and the guitarists were precise and on point. A crowd favourite was their rendition of ‘Breakin The Law’, myself not being a massive fan but more an appreciator of Judas Priest, I had to take my cues from the audience, and the response was an approving consensus amongst the crowd.

To end the night off was the all-black aesthetic Mariana. The three-piece Freo natives came through with Tool inspired progressions with deep cut grooves. Personally, I loved the guitarist’s exuberant energy; his ability to be so lively only invites audience participation, a very rare trait to find. The drummer and bassists delicately balanced complex and quick rhythms, which could only show great preparation. I was most impressed with their interplay of time signatures and tempos, especially with their piece ‘Everybody’s Stoned’, a personal favourite of mine.

All up it was a great night, I found myself having fun, and enjoying the presence of the artists and audience. All-round fantastic artists and musicians made for an 8/10 night!