_{Review by Kayla Hamilton (@kaylazomboid)}

THORNHILL w/Ocean Grove, Paledusk (Jpn) and HEAVENSGATE
at The Governor Hindmarsh, Adelaide, South Australia 26/2/26

Now and then, a line-up comes along and you know from start to finish you are in for an epic night. The Thornhill Australian ‘Bodies’ tour was exactly that. Even with international act Amira Elfeky pulling out, having Ocean Grove to step into her place was a huge win.

So we could not resist heading down to The Gov for this (rightfully so) sold-out show.

Kicking off proceedings was HEAVENSGATE. There is something to be said about the way this band can combine the most violent and aggressive-sounding riffs into such emotionally charged, stunning melodies. It’s a heaviness that feels so pure and raw that you can only marvel at its beauty. Opening with ‘Rain’, the Melbourne band immediately impressed, letting the weight of their sound envelope the Adelaide crowd. Most punters got in early, which is a great sight. Balancing the brutality of some of their heavier tracks with the melancholic ‘Petrichor’, it was a treat to finally be able to experience some of the tracks of their latest release A Heart Is A Heavy Burden live. ‘Ginsick’ also always hits mega hard, so it was a great inclusion to the set. 

Honestly, this band may be one of the most underrated bands in the Australian scene right now. I simply can’t wait for them to return to SA with another headline tour. 

Speaking of a band that desperately needs another headline Australia tour, Paledusk were the next to hit the stage. Masters of their own breed of chaoscore, there is no other act in the world quite like this Japanese sensation. Hitting our shores for the first time in 2022, the Fukuoka kings of experimentation have built a solid relationship with Australian audiences, particularly on the East Coast. While we’ve seen them a couple of times in Adelaide, this was definitely the biggest crowd they have played to here. Not ones to start slow, they kicked off with their theme song and went straight to establishing dominance with the beefy ‘Area PD’. While there did seem to be a few tech issues, they covered it well with their insane energy. Guitarist DaiDai always impresses with his never-ending spinkicks and their latest material fully allows him and fellow guitarist Tsubasa to flex their shredding skills. A great mix of newer tracks and old classics like ‘Slay!!!’ and for the old fans, ‘HAPPY TALK’, they finished their set with the epic anisong ‘[HUGS]’. This band is never boring, and judging from the chatter after their set, they won over some new fans.

While the show had sold out long before Ocean Grove were added to the bill, it was clear it would’ve sold out even faster with their inclusion. Adelaide fans really love Ocean Grove, and even though they weren’t here that long ago, the locals turned up with max energy for their set. Movement was impossible to fight. Opening with ‘CELL DIVISION’, it set expectations firmly high, and the crowd was jumping from the start. There is something so infectious about Ocean Grove’s music, and live it just hits even harder. They had the room in the palm of their hands from the start, drawing from across their discography and hitting us with a few treats like ‘Intimate Alien’. We saw our first crowd surfers of the night and anything they asked, the Adelaide punters happily obliged. They slowed it down with ‘Last Dance’ but that chill pace was just a breather so they could get the room spinning with ‘JUNKIE$’. Of course, finishing off with ‘FLY AWAY’ was definitely the best move, and it was the ultimate set-up for the headliners to swoop in…because everybody was beyond hyped after Ocean Grove.

The changeovers were so quick, full credit to the tour crew, and before long, it was time for Thornhill to hit the stage. You could definitely feel the weight of a packed-out venue as many squeezed past to get as close to the stage as possible. With strobes flashing and a simple backdrop, the hosts of the night entered the stage with a new aura than I had witnessed before. ‘DIESEL’ blared through the speakers, and the audience seemed to become a collective body. It felt as if we were being put under a trance, and as they went into the energeticand bass-heavy ‘Revolver’, one thing was for certain: we won’t be seeing this band in rooms this small for much longer.

Moving around the venue proved difficult; that’s how packed out it felt. Tables were at risk of being knocked over, and the pit grew larger as most of the crowd lost themselves to the music. Even if you did not desire to hit the centre, those on the outskirts were moving to the music almost absentmindedly. Moments felt like everybody was holding their breath as the sound washed over us, and only between songs did people break out. 

The ambience was ruined a little by people who did not catch the memo of locking in and felt that their conversations were much more important, along with a select few who may not be familiar with ‘mosh etiquette’ making those around them uncomfortable, unsafe and/or annoyed- but even those moments could not take away from the wow factor.

Dipping back into the files proved to be a popular move, as playing ‘Lily & The Moon’ provided one of the most moving moments of the night. As the SA audience belted out the chorus, frontman Jacob Charlton decided to let their voices ring out, holding the microphone to the sky. Even though this tour was for the new album, it seemed to be more of a night to solidify the band’s current position in the musical hierarchy. A throwback to remind the audience why we fell in love with them as they showed us why we have stuck around.

A few of their softer moments again tempted people to dip back into the chatter, which has become mine (and many others) current gripe with concert etiquette. If you were at the front, then this would hopefully not have detracted from your experience, but it did mine a little. In the moments of being able to lock in, though, I found myself absolutely mesmerised.

Everything was so polished, but still felt so human. Something you want from a live performance. ‘Silver Swarm’ broke up the softer melodies, and once again, the crowd was uncontrollably moving. Those around me looked at each other in awe and disbelief after the song wrapped, proving once again that this band is on the trajectory to be huge.

Heading into the business end of the set, Charlton warned everybody there would be no encore, so it was time to leave it all on the floor. The fans happily obliged, and between crowdsurfers and the mosh, it was a high-octane finish up till the end. The final song was ‘nerv’, which, from memory (correct me if I’m wrong), they played live for the first time to an Adelaide audience back at Froth & Fury in 2024- so it felt fitting to finish on this note. 

As promised, there was no encore, but honestly, they didn’t really need it. An hour and 15 minutes set of Thornhill mastery was worth the ticket price alone. So once you include the three opening acts, it truly was one of those shows that you would have been devastated to miss.

Thornhill are kicking goals in their career, moving up into rooms and tours that just keep getting bigger and better…and after this night, it was easy to see why.

The tightness of their performance, the quality of their songwriting and the masterful delivery was definitely something to behold.

I said it earlier, and I will say it again.

We won’t be seeing Thornhill play in rooms this size any longer.