Noxshi

When NOXSHI launched, by heck they launched! Waves of tight, technical metal with more than a hint of psychedelia shook the crowd who were, by this point, going mad. It would be unfair to directly compare NOXSHI to Tool, but they were certainly more similar to them than anyone else I could think of - intelligent, progressive rock music demonstrated with great skill, with echoes of straight-up 1960s Californian psychedelia but with a heavy, cerebral edge. Bodypainted and costumed dancers writhed through the moshing crowd, making for a very tightly packed floor - and a formidable, almost hallucinogenic treat for the senses...

A top night indeed with a wide variety of music, great set up and a friendly crowd. We'll keep you updated when the next one comes up. - Toxin Magazine

Noxshi state on their website "Noxshi make music designed to be infectious on the level of the collective harmonic brainframe" - and while I originally thought such a statement was too self indulgent, I have a feeling they've borrowed that from a critic - because it's pretty spot on to describing their sound.

All the way from the UK, the band are currently in the country supporting Yusef Islam (formerly Cat Stevens). When you hear their music, you may ask yourself – what what what!? But if you discover that the lead singer of this band, Yoriyos, is actually Yusef’s son, then you‘ll understand why they’ve been paired up for the local tour.

Tonight at the Spectrum, their only headlining show in Sydney, the band were free of the stadium vibe, ready to let loose and play a few songs for an unfamiliar but intimate crowd. They opened up their set with a stellar instrumental, bordering on the ambient, but too in your face to be ignored. Yoriyos wore a gas mask and deployed his mad Theremin skills, as the rest of the five-piece jammed away on their respective instruments, with skill and style. Meanwhile, their attire saw them wearing women’s dresses, masks and white one pieces. Quite the varied ensemble to say the least!

This wasn’t the style to be heard throughout, however, as distorted vocals and a harder edge were introduced in the second song. Maracas also debuted at this time, replacing Yoriyos’ Theremin (which, thankfully, returned a bit later on). He himself admitted things were going to “be a bit hectic” when he later pulled out the megaphone, and indeed, shit did go a little crazy. In addition to the Theremin and maracas, Yoriyos could be seen creating a variety of sound effects throughout - spending part of the set on the floor in front of effect pedals, as he held his microphone in his mouth, or hit it against the drum kit. This resulted in quite a unique sound from the five piece.

Instrumentally, this band is superb. They’re a bit flat on the crowd interaction part, but considering that was their second gig of the night, off the back of a pretty full on Australian tour, I can't blame them. And it certainly didn’t take anything away from the performance – which was tight, original and at times surprising. If you like rock music that’s big on the guitar (and Theremin), taking things to a slightly harder edge without them feeling them need to scream their faces off inaudibly – then this is definitely a band for you.

Their set ended with a fantastic track employing the megaphone throughout. It wasn’t quite their heaviest number, but it was certainly their most energetic, and I really left the set with a bit of a buzz. Although maybe that was just the ringing in my ears.

Leaving Hot Damn! I couldn’t have felt more satisfied by the two bands I experienced – each of them took common expectations of their respective genres and threw them on their head, creating something original and exciting in the process – especially in the case of Noxshi. But does this mean I'll be seen at Hot Damn! again next week? Well, probably not. But at least now I get what all the fuss is about! - The AU Review