Explosions In The Sky – The Metro, Sydney 11/12/2011

December 13, 2011

It had been almost four years since Explosions in the Sky’s last visit to Sydney. They were back, touring for their sixth studio album entitled Take Care, Take Care, Take Care. Munaf greeted the crowd with a couple of short and humble sentences to introduce themselves, and the band proceeded straight into the ever-epic and bittersweet number, The Only Moment We Were Alone.

A band needs to do something special if they are to keep an audience engaged, especially if they haven’t got a vocal force on board. In my honest opinion, words are often direly inadequate in translating such depth in complex emotions, and with Explosions – the instruments more than compensate by engaging in conversations of pure, melodic harmony. Each song was more akin to a symphonic narrative, taking anywhere from six up to eleven minutes to unfold. As with every good story, there are peaks and troughs, and emotions are never static. Explosions have truly mastered the art of instrumental storytelling in the way they gracefully transition from one chapter to another, and take us on an emotionally-driven journey of sound.

The set comprised of a healthy dose of the older, timeless classics such as Greet Death, The Moon is Down and Your Hand in Mine. Tracks from the new album sounded phenomenal, particularly Last Known Surroundings and Postcard from 1952. Munaf was a delight to watch. He was incredibly animated and looked as if he played every note as if it was his last. He might have even put a dent in the Metro Theatre’s floor with his tambourine!

As a long-time Explosions in the Sky fan, it’s been a real pleasure to watch these guys mature, develop their sound and finally start to gain the respect and attention they deserve (these guys really should be selling out the Hordern, not just the Metro!). Now let’s just hope it’s not another four more painstaking years before they decide to visit us again …