4 May 2025 – Harvey Road Tavern, Gladstone – words and pictures by Brad Fry
An average day in the small port city of Gladstone. Large coal ships set sail to their home ports as small pleasure craft made use of Gladstone’s extensive waterways. For fans of heavy music, the minutes felt like hours, as their anticipation for tonight’s show (at The Harvey Road Tavern) played on repeat in their minds. Like a storm of epic proportions building on the horizon, Gladstone prepared for the arrival of Alpha Wolf, Malevolence, Zuko and Diamond Construct as a part of the Terrible Days Across Australia tour.
As the last rays of sunshine slid out of sight, the black shirt faithful gathered in mass outside the Tavern’s doors. Once inside, they downed beverages and regurgitated the excitement that had been festering in their minds all day. Merchandise flew off the table and into the hands of fans wanting to fly their hero’s standard during tonight’s onslaught. As the house lights darkened, roars from the crowd filled the room. While unsure of what was to come, the crowd surged forward without hesitation. The time had come to bear witness to a show that would be etched into the annals of the port city’s musical history.
With a ferocity that caught the room off guard, Zuko exploded into the eyes and ears of the locals. With blistering riffs, growling vocals, and relentless drum work, the Brisbane band wasted no time in claiming their piece of the stage. Zuko performed with the confidence and power of a seasoned headliner, their energy bleeding into the crowd from the first breakdown to the last blast beat. The room—still thick with the scent of anticipation and fresh schooners—was suddenly gripped by a circle pit as the band carved their sonic mark into the evening. Each track on the eight song setlist, built on the last, crafting a set that was less a performance and more a battle cry. By the time Zuko wrapped their final song, they’d left no doubt: Gladstone’s night of brutality was well and truly underway.
Zuko – Harvey Road Tavern – photos by Brad Fry
Based in New South Wales, Diamond Construct stormed the stage with a ferocity that demanded attention. Their electrifying blend of groove-laden riffs, crushing heaviness, and glitchy electronic flourishes created a soundscape that was both punishing and captivating—a relentless assault on the senses that refused to let up. Determined to carve out new territory far from their home base, the band made it clear they weren’t just here to play—they were here to convert. And convert they did. The Gladstone crowd, initially curious, quickly became ravenous, feeding off every jagged riff and pulse-pounding breakdown as though the band had been hometown heroes. The southern metal alchemists brought a level of professionalism and passion that left a lasting impression. Judging by the sea of horns and cheers, Diamond Construct will be more than welcome in Gladstone any time they return.
Diamond Construct – Harvey Road Tavern – photos by Brad Fry
If Zuko and Diamond Construct sparked the fire, Malevolence poured petrol on it. Hailing from the UK, the Sheffield bruisers brought refined chaos to The Harvey Road Tavern. Blending hardcore grit with metallic groove, their music pulsed through the chest of every person in the room. Malevolence commanded the crowd with a presence that straddled menace and charisma. Circle pits spun like cyclones, fists pounded the air, and every breakdown hit with the force of a sledgehammer. Tracks like ‘Malicious Intent’ and ‘Still Waters Run Deep’ turned the Tavern floor into a war zone, but beneath the brutality, there was an undeniable unity—a shared catharsis through sound. Brutality and musicality in exactly the right ratio. Malevolence were here to connect, and that is exactly what they did, leaving behind a crowd dripping in sweat, smiles and fuck yeah’s!
Malevolence – Harvey Road Tavern – photos by Brad Fry
And then there was one. As the lights dropped for the final time, the atmosphere in the room—already brimming with electricity—crackled with anticipation. An intro track bled into the room , pierced only by the roar of the crowd. Silhouettes loomed through swirling haze and strobes, their movements ghostlike and deliberate. Then came the opening riff—sharp, serrated, and deafening—and Alpha Wolf didn’t walk onto the stage, they erupted onto it, like a force torn from some violent, otherworldly dimension.
Alpha Wolf – Harvey Road Tavern – photos by Brad Fry
From the first note, the sound was punishing—tight as a clenched fist, every beat landing with surgical precision. Lochie Keogh prowled the stage like something unchained, his presence magnetic and menacing. His vocal delivery was a whirlwind of raw emotion, moving effortlessly between razor-sharp screams and deep, visceral growls that seemed to rise from the earth itself. What followed was less a concert than a ritual—a carefully orchestrated dance of chaos and control. Each track was a storm, each breakdown a rumble beneath our feet. Songs from Alpha Wolf’s stacked catalogue hit with renewed venom, their already brutal edges honed to a lethal point.
Alpha Wolf – Harvey Road Tavern – photos by Brad Fry
The crowd gave themselves over entirely: limbs flailed in the pit, voices tore through the air, sweat dripped from every surface. There was a shared madness that bound strangers together for just a moment in time. As the final note rang out and the lights finally died, the crowd stood breathless. Alpha Wolf hadn’t just played—they annihilated. And everyone there knew they had witnessed something truly unforgettable.
Gladstone may be a port town used to the rhythm of tides and trade, but on this night, it swayed to a different beat: one of distortion, destruction, and the kind of music that leaves scars in all the best ways.
