Saturday, 26th February @ The Rocket Room – Review by Chris Martin

With the heat of summer seemingly never letting up, the only method of escape is to go somewhere that’s air conditioned. Fortunately, Rocket Room fits into this category. Over Unity were releasing their much anticipated EP, Collide The Space , and the fans were hungry for it.

First up was Chasing The Ninth. Chasing The Ninth may have been an oddity for the lineup, given their melodic hardcore influenced sound, but this helped them stand out. Unfortunately there were not a lot of people there to watch their set, but they managed to engage the small crowd very well. Singer Michael Carrivick was in fine form, especially on Tales of Empathy. They finished off with Subway to Sleeping Cities to cap off a solid set.

After what seemed like an eternity Opia took the stage, kicking off with Man on Fire. By now the crowd had picked up considerably. Opia’s brand of alternative rock owes much to the Deftones, with their blend of texture and brute force, highlighted on Nomandson. Opia’s greatest strength is their rhythm section, with bass player Mike Williams’ snaky basslines an integral part of the band’s sound. The set finished off with recent video release Recharge, and the band’s work was done.

Next up was Mercurial. It was a wonder that the band was able to fit all their gear on stage but they pulled it off. The first song was the epic Ghosts. The band’s name is a more than apt description of the band’s sound, ranging from progressive tracks such as Icarus Burn and The Inertia Tides to upbeat electronica like Intramural. The ultra-emotive vocals of Brent Tunbridge were on show throughout the set, while Geoff Harris conjured otherworldly noises from his synth.  To finish off an explosive set they brought out special guest Jared Bridgeman from Advent Sorrow for Consecrate. Mercurial are now seasoned veterans of the Perth scene, and they keep getting better.

Then it was what the fans had been waiting for, Over Unity. The Rocket Room was now packed, and Over Unity took the stage to a huge cheer. The fans were delirious, even when it came to the band’s lighter moments. Frontman Joe Dignon’s voice perfectly suits the band’s music, changing in intensity with the band’s songs. Over Unity’s songs do not follow the standard verse-chorus template, they take you on journeys. A good example of this is Tides, which shows off what the band does best; experimental melodic hard rock. The band finished their set to a rapturous applause, so it won’t be too long before Over Unity are playing on bigger stages.