PerthZine

Tag: kill devil hills

  • Gig Review – The Kill Devil Hills + Grub + Phantom Island

    Gig Review – The Kill Devil Hills + Grub + Phantom Island

    Mojos, Saturday April 11, 2026

    The Kill Devil Hills have a reputation as one of the most experienced and battle-hardened bands to come out of Perth/Boorloo. Seeing them strut their stuff to a sold-out Mojos only added to the legend.

    Opening the night were 4-piece Phantom Island. The band play a classic brand of indie rock, with an edge coming from the demon lead guitarist doing a lot more than the average melodic licks you would expect – giving them a slight proggy edge. Combine that with shared singing duties including the Britney-style mic’d up drummer and you’ve got a good formula. The stomping second-last song Adam was a highlight.

    Time to up the ante and who better than the triple guitar threat Grub to do it. Matilda up front drives the sound with her tele and ocker wit. Mix it with two more guitars and a ridiculously heavy rhythm section, and the force of sound coming from that stage is nothing short of mind-blowing. With singles like Ghost (stupidly heavy) and the crowd singing along to The Floor, it’s clear why these guys are getting plenty of radio play and hype. Thrashing it out in their hometown of Freo, they were magnificent and clearly having a good time.

    With the bands done and dusted, the stage fell into smoke and red light — and into the hands of The Kill Devil Hills. They took to the stage to a packed house and made it their home.

    Working from a formidable song catalogue, they went through everything from The Day the Dinosaurs Died to This Is Karrakatta. With a star-studded lineup of musicians including Timothy Nelson on keys / backing vocals, and drummer extraordinaire Todd Pickett banging away, the Kills could do no wrong. The crowd were rowdy and drinking too much, which added to the moody, smoke-filled ghost-town bar feel, with haunting violins drifting out into the haze. The combination of Brendan Humphries leading the vocals, with harmonies and more coming from Pickett and Nelson only amplified the atmosphere.

    Was it a coincidence that a black cat crossed the road outside as they played 13th Sunday? I don’t know but the devil works in mysterious ways.

  • Classic Album Review – The Kill Devil Hills: MATANGO!

    Classic Album Review – The Kill Devil Hills: MATANGO!

    The Hills Kill

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    With The Kill Devil Hills about to take over Mojos, we thought it’d be worth revisiting their last album MATANGO! Yes, we are calling it a classic album (let’s say anything over 12 months old counts).

    The album is an experimental, creeky alt-rock musical sprawl, with all band members stepping to the plate for big hits — even the backing vocalists are star players. The first track, Survivor Guilt, goes the furthest and sounds close to late Bowie, with a heartbeat-like rhythm and horror-movie vocals.

    This Is Karrakatta sets the tone for the rest of the album. Dirty, bluesy rock with a stomping rhythm section and the repetitive lyric “this is Karrakatta, mind over matter” forming the main hook. Meanwhile, singer Brendan Humphries paints a vivid image of the Perth/Boorloo suburb and train line.

    Humphries’ deep vocal tone goes to another level on The Day the Dinosaurs Died — smooth and deep, and best described as somewhere between Bowie and Nick Cave. Alongside the Cretaceous lyrical subject matter, it makes for a great tune. Atomic Kitty plays like a slow and swampy single but with something murderous underneath, and any song called Unlike Hemingway Said can only be a banger. It’s one of the faster, grindier tracks on the record.

    New Ordos is drifting into Floyd territory, if they were sitting in an old shack by the creek. The lyrics are dense with imagery — “and drown me in freshwater, I’ve got crystal left for grit” — and it just gets deeper. The song soars in the middle, with a swelling soundscape topped by big guitars. We then get the signature ballad, Weight of a Woman, to close out the album. Gentle, full of emotion, and it only cuts through more when the fine string solo plays.

    Look at that, I went the whole review without gushing over drummer Todd Pickett (he’s not just a drummer either). That’s a good milestone. Unlikely to be repeated after Saturday night. The Kill Devil Hills are one of the best bands in this town, maybe new music on the way?

    The Kill Devil Hills play Mojos Bar on Saturday, April 11.