It’s been four long years since Melbourne’s prodigiously talented prog-rock outfit Sydonia released their groundbreaking debut album Given To Destroyers. On the first night of their “Ocean of Storms” single tour, the band got a chance to showcase new material from their upcoming 2011 album to a room full of eager punters at the Annandale Hotel.

If there’s one thing that can be said about support act Melody Black is that they definitely had the right kind of trashy punk-rock attitude and plenty rock ‘n’ roll swagger. It’s no surprise considering vocalist Jonathan Devoy and bassist Leeno Dee are both best known as members of sorely missed industrial metal outfit Jerk, which had a brief stint with Sony before coming to a tragic end due to band infighting. Though a lot more straightforward and not as sonically adventurous as the aforementioned Jerk or Dee’s and Devoy’s main project Ink, Melody Black still had plenty of catchy tunes at their disposal. The band channeled everyone from Motley Crue to Iggy and The Stooges to White Zombie in their energetic set. The only downside was that Devoy’s trademark vocal delivery did not cut through as much as it should have; however, this was really the fault of the sound engineer.

Lamb of God vocalist Randy Blythe and Slipknot guitarist Jim Root are both outspoken fans of Sydonia and it’s easy to see why. The dramatic set opener “Adornment” saw frontman Dana Roskvist perform solo while the rest of the band created a wall of percussion for at least two thirds of the song before picking up their instruments and launching into a full-fledged rock assault.

As the set progressed I became more and more convinced Sydonia might just be the best alternative rock act in the country. Trying to aptly describe their sound is a futile exercise. Sure there are familiar elements from bands like Deftones, Tool and Slipknot, but on the whole Sydonia is a unique entity. Roskvist’s vocal performance was nothing short of spectacular and drummer Sean Bailey is a god behind the kit. 

Unlike the vast majority of Aussie prog-rock bands that never talk to the audience and stand practically still on stage, because that’s what Tool do, Sydonia were energetic in all the right moments and openly shared their excitement about supporting Korn this December with the crowd. They made their way through all the old favourites including “No Woman’s Land”, “Sorry” and “Rubber Soul”, but real highlight was the new material from their upcoming sophomore LP. There was obviously the new single “Ocean of Storms” but also “Drag You Out” and “Sinner”, which can both be heard in demo form on the band’s myspace. Sydonia have a knack for writing perfect alternative rock “hits” with ridiculously catchy hooks, yet avoid sounding like they were written for the sole purpose of getting commercial radio airplay. No matter how good their past releases are, the material from the upcoming album takes the band’s craft to a whole new level and is already shaping up to be one of the most exiting releases of 2011.

If you haven’t seen Sydonia live yet, I highly recommend you check them out. They stand head and shoulders above all their commercially successful Australian contemporaries. It’s only a matter of time before they get the credit they so well and truly deserve.