We are extremely happy to offer our very first EVERYDAY METAL tee.
Featuring a huge SUPPORT LOCAL HEAVY METAL back print, our shirts are designed in house and printed by the very talented Redwood Press on 100% combed cotton.
Check out our behind the scenes video below and you can get your tee in our online store.
Words – @ladylane____
Photos – @djsedick
There was little chance of standing still at Northcote Theatre on Friday night.
There is something satisfying about a bill that refuses to play it safe. On paper, DREGG, FUTURE and Welsh genre-benders SKINDRED might occupy very different corners of the heavy music world. In the flesh, however, the combination made perfect sense. Each band brought its own identity, energy and attitude to Northcote Theatre, gradually turning the evening from a groove-heavy warm-up into an electric modern-metal showcase before SKINDRED transformed the venue into one enormous, gloriously chaotic party.
First up were DREGG, and there was no messing around. Fast, fun and groovy, the Melbourne outfit immediately injected movement into the room. Their performance carried the kind of loose, irreverent energy that makes an opening set memorable rather than merely functional. Heavy riffs were matched by an instinct for rhythm and groove, giving the music a physical quality that demanded a response from the crowd.
DREGG understands that heaviness doesn’t have to mean relentless seriousness. Their set was playful without losing its punch, energetic without becoming exhausting, and sufficiently unpredictable to make it clear that this was a band enjoying the opportunity to get onstage and cause some trouble.
They did their job exceptionally well: the room was warmed up, bodies were moving and the anticipation for the next act was building.
If DREGG brought the groove, FUTURE STATIC brought the electricity.
The Melbourne band delivered one of the evening’s most compelling performances, occupying that increasingly exciting territory where modern metal, melody, atmosphere and technical ambition collide. There was something alluring about the way the band controlled the room. Rather than simply relying on volume and aggression, Future Static drew the audience into their world, balancing heaviness with a sense of scale and drama.
Their performance felt ambitious. More importantly, it felt like the work of a band with a clear identity and an appetite for pushing beyond the expected boundaries of contemporary heavy music.
Future Static were not simply filling the support slot before the headliners arrived. They made a case for themselves.
Electric, alluring and ground-breaking, their set provided the night’s most intriguing contrast to what had come before – and what was still to come.
Then the lights went down and it was time for the Welsh legends.
SKINDRED have never been a band particularly interested in respecting genre boundaries. Their music has always been a collision of metal, punk, reggae, hip-hop, dancehall and electronic sounds, but live that collision becomes something much more powerful. It becomes a communal experience.
SKINDRED were bombastic, outrageous and, above all, enormous fun.
From the opening “Thunderstruck / Star Wars Imperial March” sequence, the intention was obvious: this was not going to be a conventional rock show. The band were here to entertain, and they attacked the room with the confidence of musicians who have spent decades learning exactly how to turn an audience into a participant.
The set moved effortlessly through “This Is the Sound,” “Set Fazers” and “Rat Race”, before the wonderfully unpredictable “Pressure”incorporated AC/DC’s Back in Black into the proceedings. SKINDRED’S ability to make these moments feel completely natural is part of their appeal. There is no concern about musical purity here. Everything is fair game if it makes the room move.
“That’s My Jam” kept the momentum high, while “Radio 01633” expanded the sonic palette even further, incorporating tribute elements and dubstep influences. Then came the wonderfully chaotic “Jump / Jump Around” combination, another reminder that a SKINDRED concert is as much sound-system party as it is metal show.
The newer material also fitted comfortably into the set. “You Got This” sat alongside established SKINDRED favourites without feeling like an obligatory promotion of the latest release. Instead, it became another part of the band’s continually evolving live arsenal.
As the night moved towards its conclusion, the energy only intensified. “Kill the Power,” “Can I Get A,” “Nobody,” “Gimme That Boom” and “Warning” provided the kind of closing run that leaves very little doubt about why SKINDRED have earned their reputation as one of the most entertaining live acts in heavy music.
And entertainment is really the key word.
Many thanks to DREGG, Future Static, Skindred and Dallas Does PR.
GRAMMY® Award-nominated progressive metal quintet Periphery are headed back to Australia next March, bringing their new album A Pale White Dot to life on stages across the country for a six-date headline tour. Supporting them on all dates will be Sydney modern metalcore outfit Inertia – tickets go on sale Thursday 10 September at 9am local time via Destroy All Lines.
The upcoming tour marks the band’s return down under following their 2024 appearance at Monolith Festival, kicking off on Monday 8th March at Astor Theatre in Perth, before making stops at The Gov in Adelaide, Forum in Melbourne, Metro Theatre in Sydney and The Basement in Canberra before wrapping at The Tivoli in Brisbane on Wednesday 17th March.
Formed nearly two decades ago, Periphery—Misha Mansoor [guitar, programming], Jake Bowen [guitar, programming], Matt Halpern [drums], Spencer Sotelo [vocals] and Mark Holcomb [guitar]—have spent their career diligently reshaping, recharging, and redefining themselves. The band’s signature sound has evolved like any living and breathing organism would, gaining complexity and strength through life experience. Such progression has enabled the collective to deliver its most cohesive offering yet, A Pale White Dot (3DOT Recordings).
From their 2010 self-titled debut through to 2023’s Periphery V: Djent Is Not a Genre, the band have built a reputation for mind-blowing instrumentation, immersive soundscape architecture, cathartically crushing vocals, and cosmically catchy melodies, but you’ll also get emotional acuity, raw humanity, and a level of relatability that could only come from a group of brothers who have effectively gone through it all. Periphery has charged ahead at lightspeed since the 2010 release of their self-titled debut LP. Along the way, they picked up a GRAMMY® Award nomination for “Best Metal Performance,” notched three straight Top 25 debuts on the Billboard 200, clocked hundreds of millions of streams, and sold out shows in multiple continents.
Supporting Periphery across Australia is Sydney-siders Inertia. Described by Rolling Stone Australia as “one of Australia’s most compelling heavy acts right now”, Inertia have forged their path as ones to watch in the global heavy scene, and they tightened their grip on modern metalcore with the release of their debut album Second Shadow. The quartet bend and break the boundaries of their genre, targeting fans of Loathe, Spiritbox and Thornhill with flashes of SZA and The Weeknd. The band bring elements of dark pop and soul to the forefront as they explore the darkest corners of metal music and add to it their own sprinkling of emo pop.
Fans can expect a progressive metal masterclass when Periphery hit Australian stages next March. Don’t miss out on tickets – on sale Thursday 10 September at 9am local time via Destroy All Lines. Exclusive presale’s available Tuesday 8 September at 9am local time.
Destroy All Lines Presents
PERIPHERY AUSTRALIAN TOUR
With support from INERTIA
March 2027
Monday 8 March 2027 – Astor Theatre, Perth
Wednesday 10 March 2027 – The Gov, Adelaide
Friday 12 March 2027 – Forum, Melbourne
Saturday 13 March 2027 – Metro Theatre, Sydney
Monday 15 March 2027 – The Basement, Canberra
Wednesday 17 March 2027 – The Tivoli, Brisbane
Tickets on sale Thursday 10 September at 9am local time via Destroy All Lines.
Exclusive presale available Tuesday 8 September at 9am local time
Words – jaxi_camilleri
Photos – dannomc
Approaching the Northcote Theatre, you might have thought the circus had come to town and pitched its tent in the venue, as a line of faces in clown makeup snaked around the building’s side.
And, technically, you would be right. Avatar was set to perform their world-class musical carnival act for their Melbourne fans. A fanbase that would confuse metal purists who think they know what a metal crowd looks like, as the crowd was as diverse as they come for metal shows. Iron Maiden dads mixed in with youngsters who are probably being lectured by said Iron Maiden dads on the importance of Iron Maiden. But seriously, I challenge you to find a band that brings such a varied group of people together. With Pyrefly as the only opener, meaning intense and generously long sets, Melbourne was in for a night of clownery featuring the melodic highs, walloping groove riffs and intricate solos the two acts are known for.
Exhilaration led the congregation to desperately thrust forward to fill out the venue for the only support act that made sense, Sydney’s Pyrefly. It’s not the band’s first time in the Avatar circus, having played with Avatar in Sydney on their last journey Down South. But this time they were on for the entire Australian run of the tour, and they came with a debut album released this year to flaunt to the crowd.
Flaunt they did, the band bursting onto the stage with energy that only riled up the already eager crowd. With one long scream, blasting drums and dual guitar damage, the band went straight into aggression with their first song, although briefly giving the audience a slight rest from the onslaught with their melodic choruses, the singers’ duality on display immediately. Pyrefly clearly do not like waiting for fun, only waiting about halfway through their first song before bringing out swords (pool noodles) for the crowd, encouraging crowd action within seconds. Throughout the rest of the set, one could see any of these pool noodles flying above the crowd, being swung in time with the music, a clear favourite of the fans.
Giving us a brief second to take in the band before further musical demolition, we see their partiality for clown-esque makeup and dramatic clothing, giving the crowd a teaser of what was to come with Avatar. But the chaos didn’t stop with pool noodles; no, it only increased by the next song when the singer introduced its name and chant, ‘Imhotep’, surely still stuck in the heads of those in attendance. Shortly after, blink, and you’ll miss it, he jumps into the crowd, crowd surfing, legs sticking up, passing the mic to people to shout the chant. He was not done there; by the next song, ‘Blind,’ with its nu metal flair, he’s back in the crowd, calling for those with pool noodles to pummel him while he sang. The crowd created a circle pit of pool noodle violence, bashing him as he sang, and somehow he didn’t miss a beat.
If you weren’t distracted by Risk’s antics, you would notice the energy of the bassist in his hooded cape going as hard as he possibly could on stage alongside one of the guitarists, their energy matching the singers. Meanwhile, the lead guitarist put his full focus into his technical, shreddingly fast standout solos that caught the audience off guard amongst the clean hammering riffs, as well as his impressive backing vocals that deserve as much praise as his guitar work. Yet another standout was how well the guitarists worked together, creating entirely unique sonic textures of warbling, circling, whirring guitar, followed by intensity. Of course, this was all backed up by the amazing drum work, the first sound to catch my attention and admiration, as well as the distorted, vigorous bass. Distinctive yet reminiscent of experimental 00s metal was the only way to describe the live sound of Pyrefly.
Oh, and of course we cannot forget to mention the ‘Like A Prayer’ cover, which had the crowd thinking they were all Madonna, singing along. They may have been covering an 80s pop anthem, but it sounded entirely theirs, their innovation not stopped by polarity.
By the final song, Pyrefly had everyone’s hands (and pool noodles) up in the air to wave them off as the lights flashed in time with the drums and guitar soloing them out. Their crowd work was the perfect preparation for the upcoming theatrics of Avatar, warming the crowd to spirited chaos and a crossover of severe sounds and melodic elements.
Thirty minutes pass, and the sounds of storms quietly creep up on the excited crowd, placing us in the atmosphere. Until it’s interrupted by an ancient chant and cloaked figures who float onto the stage, one particularly tall man holding a lantern. The crowd erupts in the fulfilment of their patient anticipation, but as soon as ‘Captain Goat’ opens with its layered vocals, the crowd listens intently. Opening up with a waltzing start that demands heads move with the slow yet gut driven heavy rhythm, particularly when Johannes Eckerström growls out “oar up, head down.” The pirate-shanty paired with the coated, lantern wielding entrance tells us exactly what type of immersion we will experience in their set.
While it’s only been three long years since they last played, the Swedish band have since released ‘Don’t Go In The Forest’ just last year and a hot new single, ‘Crying Fire’, just a few months ago. The vibration of the crowd that let you know they were eager to belt out the new tunes along with the band. Fresh off some massive shows supporting Metallica and a few casual number one chart toppers, the band keep proving they can go further and reach more and more fans.
Next up, ‘Let it Burn’ and ‘The Eagle has Landed’ introduced the bouncy groove Avatar infuses within their music, while ‘In the Airwaves’ has the speed and death growls that bring the crowd to a mosh, while its melodic, uplifting chorus has the crowd reaching out and floating along with his vocals. Now, anyone who has listened to Avatar knows Eckerström, also known as the Clown, as dictated by his on-stage character, has an extraordinary vocal range that stretches from beautifully sung melodies and high shrieks to deep, aggressive snarls, but hearing it live, from the first word he sang, is something else entirely. When they
began, I was floored by how much talent flows out from that eerily painted mouth. While his vocals sound amazing on their tracks, his voice needs to be heard live to truly understand his gift.
Watching John Alfredsson, the drummer, who founded the band in 2001, it’s clear that he has been honing his skill for many years, so precise in filling out the songs with exactly what they need without sacrificing flair, not overdoing it with speed when it wasn’t needed, but blasting the drums when it did. Tim Öhrström’s solos made the audience tip their heads back and savour the way each note is masterfully dragged into a groove while Jonas Jarlsbys whipped them up in a fast, complex, whirlwind of notes. Not to forget Henrik Sandelin, whose fingerstyle bass playing was given the spotlight it was entitled to in ‘Colossus’. Despite the many, many elements of sound that go into Avatar’s performance, the crowd always reacted to exactly what was demanded. Whether it be headbanging, swinging or swaying their arms, clapping along, bouncing or moshing, the crowd was ready for whatever Avatar threw at them. Including the numerous times the crowd was encouraged to sing along, which they did with obvious fanfare, not something you see often at metal concerts.
Of course, you cannot discuss an Avatar gig without mentioning one of the crucial parts that makes them known as one of the best live shows, their on-stage dramatics. Their costumes were evocative of marching band, military and circus uniforms and depending on what song was playing, the uniform presented differently, some songs demanded marching with military precision, while others gave off a carnival vibe. Of course, one uniform is not enough for the variety of Avatar, and there was a certain level of theatre behind each costume change. The lights would dim as they all dipped off stage before one of the members would return back to start off the next song, spotlighted, allowing each member their own time to shine. As much as Clown was the ringleader with his various outfit changes like his red coat or studded jacket, each member had their moments of bringing energy and flair to the stage, playing their instruments with such purposeful movement. I cannot express enough the joy in watching all five members windmill their hair round and round, and although they did it almost every song, the synchronism they perfected made it mesmerising each time.
The Clowns movements and facial expressions, perfectly visible on the well sized Northcote Theatre stage, emphasised each word sung, each note and beat. His long limbs, a result of his 6’4” height, swung in time with each song and his clown persona was underpinned by his makeup, which accentuated each grin, each lyric sung, and each crazy look thrown to the crowd. So thought-out is every part of the performance, even Clowns drinking water was done through a jerry can, and no part of the performance was boring. Other theatrics included having a man with a china symbol on his head come onto stage to be hit by the drummer or having a red balloon float across stage for the ‘Don’t Go In The Forest’ encore, preparing the audience for the song. Many people may think encores are overdone, but for a band like Avatar it made perfect sense and served to get the crowd hyped for their final hits of the night, who never tired of the hit after hit.
Important to note, the theatrics do not distract from the music but were more of a natural growth from the massive, uncontainable sound of the band. With a sound that belongs on massive stadiums, a theatrical outlet is naturally needed for their performance. Each song being the emotional journey it is live, a visual story to go along with it makes perfect sense. It also highlighted how much each member of that band enjoys being in that band and performing their songs. They mouthed along to each lyric, grinning and performing their parts with perfect punctuality. The joy from their performance emanated into the crowd, who bounced it right back, again a rare sight in metal. They spoke of their gratitude, maintaining interaction with the crowd through conversation, entirely humble in ways you don’t often see in metal bands.
Finishing off with songs like ‘Smells Like a Freak Show’ and ‘Hail to the Apocalypse’, they gave a send-off dedicated to their fans’ final cheers and screams. After they bowed out of their performance, Eckerström made Melbourne a promise to return, and one surely Avatar must keep; after all, he still owes us the second half of Waltzing Matilda.
It’s hard to believe that this is just the second show in this massive tour; we highly recommend you don’t miss AVATAR on their remaining dates!
A huge thanks goes out to the Northcote Theatre crew, Pyrefly, Avatar and The Phoenix for having us!
Johannes Eckerström of AVATAR discusses touring with Metallica, ‘Don’t Go In The Forest’ and returning to Australia
Q: Metallica publicly praised AVATAR for “raising the bar” on the M72 Tour — how did it feel to have one of the biggest metal bands on the planet acknowledge your stagecraft so directly?
Johannes ‘’We are fans. We grew up with Metallica, and they are without exaggeration one of the absolute main reasons Avatar came to be in the first place. All of that matters much more than their size, and it is as fans we take that message, which of course feels amazing in the goofiest boyhood dream way you can imagine. That being said, the fact that the biggest band in the history of metal chooses to use their platform to put the spotlight on us like that, is far beyond anything we have the right to expect or dare to hope for. It is incredibly generous, and very much in tune with how they treated us throughout all the shows we did with them. This goes for the band, but also everyone around them.’’
Q: Johannes, Metallica called every night with AVATAR “a spectacle.” What specific elements of your live show do you think resonated so strongly with them and their fans across Europe and the UK?
Johannes ‘’I think we are very unapologetic with who we are and what we do. We are also just as hungry as we were on day one, and we make sure that it shows. I don’t think it’s one specific element, but rather the sum of everything, which maybe can be summed up in us saying “Holy shit! Heavy metal rules! Let’s break their bones and make them love it”
Q: You’ve called the M72 run a series of memories you’ll carry forever. What moments from that tour reshaped AVATAR’s vision moving forward?
Johannes: Most of the memories have more to do with all that lead up to being there at all, such as watching Metallica’s set with my brother, who already had all their albums when I got into metal myself. When thinking forward, it makes us want to step up our game in how we take care of our own openers. I also think that playing such a bare bone show in that environment helped reintroduce us to ourselves a bit as performers. For a band like us there is a fine line between the theatrical and theatre. The M72 shows were rock and roll, and that’s what it’s all about.
Q: Australia witnessed AVATAR’s power in 2023 now you return with Don’t Go In The Forest. How does this new album evolve the twisted, theatrical Avatar universe? What will fans expect, including those in New Zealand for the first time, following you into the forest on this tour?
Johannes: ‘’Something that has become a core tenet in our trip is that every album must be something we wouldn’t be able to have done before, and also unable to repeat. We achieve that by being honest with ourselves about where we are at and let the music reflect it. I want to learn and discover something every time. The titular forest of this album mainly refers to our inner darkness, and our minds overall. I paid more attention to the subconscious during the writing process this time around, letting dreams seep into the stories and the words. The album carries a different sense of being present to me than anything we’ve done in the past. A great show is all about that presence, that nerve. We seek to create, and when done right people will have the opportunity to get lost in their own inner forests and unleash themselves upon the world. New Zealand should be prepared to experience what Australia did last time and more!’’
Q: Dance Devil Dance hit #1 on the iTunes Rock and Metal charts here, and the new album continues that momentum. How do you see Australian fans shaping AVATAR’s global rise?
Johannes: ‘’The fact that we could finally go to Australia in the first place and now return to prove it wasn’t just a little fling, speaks for itself. What blew my mind when we came over last time, is that it didn’t feel like a first time at all. No explanations were needed. We were among our people, and it was beautiful and now we get to go to New Zealand which is another dream come true’’
Q: AVATAR shows are known for their immersive theatre: The Clown, the fire, the ritual. How do you balance storytelling with sheer sonic intensity when crafting a live experience?
Johannes ‘’It isn’t very hard if you put the music first. When you write and play your own material, and that material is made with the right intentions, all you really need to do is continue to be yourself. The clowning around, the ritualistic side of things, the clashing shades of light and darkness, are all extensions of the songs and of ourselves. We don’t worry about balance.’’
Q: You’ve built a cult following across Australia. Is there a particular memory, venue, or fan interaction from last tours here that shaped how you approach this return?
Johannes: ‘’We made sure to premiere On the Beach in Australia, as it borrows heavily from Nevil Shute’s novel. It was cool to bring a slice of Australia to Australia, even if it might have been a very dark and bleak one. On a more goofy side of things, I played a bit of Waltzing Matilda on the piano one night, which I always had wanted to do because Tom Waits did it on some Australian TV show back in the day, and we had learned the song during English class in 6th grade or something like that. I was also a pretty good tourist on our first visit, which pleases me. I held a koala, fed a kangaroo, and shat myself seeing a cassowary. I took a selfie in front of the Sydney Opera House, and patted myself on the back for the tiles coming from the Swedish company Höganäs Keramik. Now we also hope to build a strong following in Auckland and see some sights!’’
Q: Your performances are intensely physical. How do you prepare your bodies for a tour this demanding, and has the band’s approach to stamina, fitness, or recovery evolved over the years?
Johannes: ‘’My current training program is six days per week, with three being lifting, two cardio, and one a bit of both. Together with practicing the music on the regular, the whole idea is to get your body out of the way of what you want to do. It is crazy though how relatively little it helps. I mean, in the most cardio focused phases of my life, I’ve started tours with a resting pulse under 50. But the passion and adrenaline you feel once you are up there on stage is a different beast that you can only learn to tame and ride in the moment. I have never surfed, but I still think the idea of learning how to ride a wave is a good analogy. You can’t control the waves. You are surrounded by a force much greater than you. Still, you can get on top of it and if you know your place and stay tune with it, you can have it take you exactly where you need to go.’’
Q: AVATAR is constantly evolving, sonically, visually, philosophically. What’s the biggest internal shift happening within the band at the moment, and how will Australian fans feel that onstage during this tour?
Johannes: ‘’We have found ourselves in the middle of a giant epiphany at the moment, actually. We are deconstructing our entire modus operandi in regards to how a show is put together. We are breathing life back into something that technology has made very safe and predictable. We are rediscovering rock and roll. It is very exciting, and because we’re pretty much wrapping up some kind of vacation, Australia and New Zealand will be the beginning of something new and we can’t wait to get back there and play for all of our fans, it will be one hell of a show’’
AVATAR 2026 Australian and NZ Tour Dates
Wednesday 26th August ADELAIDE, Lion Arts Factory
Friday 28th August MELBOURNE, Northcote Theatre
Saturday 29th August SYDNEY, Manning Bar
Sunday 30th August BRISBANE, Princess Theatre
Tuesday 1st September AUCKLAND, Powerstation
Tickets On Sale Now From:https://thephoenix.au/avatar-2026/
AVATAR have announced that PYREFLY one of Australia’s finest metal exponents and New Zealand Metal legends will support them BULLETBELT on their upcoming tour!
PYREFLY will open proceedings in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Forged in Sydney’s heavy underground, Pyrefly deliver a volatile blend of crushing modern metal, massive hooks and raw emotional weight. From commanding festival stages at Good Things to sharing bills with some of heavy music’s most formidable international acts, the band have built a reputation for explosive live shows that hit with equal parts precision and chaos. At the heart of Pyrefly is a fiercely inclusive community, built around heavy music as a place for outsiders to belong, lose themselves for a night, and leave feeling like they were part of something.
Whilst in Auckland local legends BULLETBELT get things underway in Auckland. From sharing stages with international metal heavyweights, tours in Europe and Japan to landing tracks on the Deathgasm feature film soundtrack, Wellington, NZ‘s own Bulletbelt remains a defining, high-octane fixture of Southern Hemisphere metal. Having recently road-tested ferocious new material on tour, anticipation is high as the band prepares to unleash their hotly awaited sixth studio album.
AVATAR 2026 Australian and NZ Tour Dates
Wednesday 26th August ADELAIDE, Lion Arts Factory
Friday 28th August MELBOURNE, Northcote Theatre
Saturday 29th August SYDNEY, Manning Bar
Sunday 30th August BRISBANE, Princess Theatre
Tuesday 1st September AUCKLAND, Powerstation
Tickets On Sale Now From:https://thephoenix.au/avatar-2026/
Photos – @photo.amai
Words – @ladylane____
Some metal bills work because the bands sound similar and others work because they don’t.
The PSYCROPTIC and RIVERS OF NIHIL co-headline at Max Watts belonged emphatically to the second category. With Melbourne’s GROWTH and Sydney’s SLAUGHTERCULT opening the night, the bill moved through several shades of extreme metal from psychological heaviness and brutal death-grind through progressive death metal and the surgical technicality that has made PSYCROPTIC one of Australia’s most respected extreme-metal exports.
SLAUGHTERCULT hit the stage with exactly the kind of uncompromising brutality their place on the Psycroptic and Rivers of Nihil bill demanded. The Sydney trio brought a savage blend of brutal death metal and grindcore, delivering crushing riffs, relentless percussion and a filthy, claustrophobic intensity that immediately cut through the room. While the rest of the lineup would explore technical precision, progressive atmosphere and psychological heaviness, Slaughtercult were the blunt instrument of raw, direct and unapologetic violence. Their early position on the bill meant they had the difficult task of winning over a crowd still arriving, but their stripped-back attack needed little introduction or explanation. There was no unnecessary showmanship or overcomplication; the music simply hit hard, with every riff and rhythmic shift reinforcing the band’s reputation for outright extremity.
Melbourne’s own GROWTH were the perfect hometown representatives.
Their psychologically twisted approach to extreme metal gave the opening stages of the evening an ominous quality. Rather than relying purely on speed or technical fireworks, GROWTH builds heaviness through atmosphere and tension, creating something darker and more immersive.
GROWTH’s music has always been about more than simply making extreme metal sound heavy. The band was formed as a creative outlet for brothers Tristan and Nelson Barnes and vocalist LF, with their music exploring trauma, grief, isolation and recovery without romanticising any of it. Under The Under takes that concept into an even more uncomfortable territory, examining what happens after the immediate crisis has passed the fractured, chaotic and often confronting process of trying to rebuild yourself. That emotional weight translated naturally to the live environment, giving their set a sense of tension that separated them from the more straightforward assault of SLAUGHTERCULT. GROWTH allowed their riffs to feel heavy and oppressive, creating an atmosphere that was as important as the individual musicianship.
What makes GROWTH particularly compelling is the contrast between the bleak subject matter and the underlying sense of movement within the music. This isn’t heaviness for heaviness sake. There is a feeling of struggle, uncertainty and eventual forward motion running underneath it, even when the riffs remain crushing and the atmosphere becomes oppressive.
RIVERS OF NIHIL presence changed the scale of the evening.
The Pennsylvania band arrived in Australia on the back of their 2025 self-titled fifth album, a record that expanded their progressive death-metal vocabulary while retaining the crushing weight that initially established their reputation. The album also marked a significant change in the band’s identity, with bassist Adam Biggs taking on lead-vocal duties.
That evolution is important to understanding Rivers of Nihil as a live proposition in 2026. This is not simply a technical death-metal band attempting to reproduce complicated studio arrangements onstage. Their music is increasingly about creating an environment. The riffs can still hit with enormous force, but they are surrounded by atmosphere, melody, progressive structures and unexpected textures. The result is extreme metal that can feel simultaneously massive and strangely spacious.
Live, that contrast gives Rivers of Nihil something the other bands on the bill don’t quite possess. They can make brutality feel beautiful.That is particularly evident in the band’s ability to move from dense death-metal riffing into atmospheric passages without making the transition feel like a genre exercise. Instead, the contrasting elements become part of the same emotional landscape. ‘The Silent Life’, ‘The Sub-Orbital Blues’ and ‘House of Light’ weren’t just songs performed but a performance established further cementing RIVERS OF NIHIL a pillar within the death metal genre.
Their musicianship may be sophisticated, but the underlying physicality remains intact. The low-end weight, aggressive vocals and complex rhythmic structures still hit with the force expected from a death-metal performance. The difference is that RIVERS OF NIHIL give the audience more places to go between those blows.
And then came the band many in the room had ultimately come to see.
PSYCROPTIC don’t need much introduction to an Australian death-metal audience. More than two decades into their career, the Tasmanian band have established a reputation for extraordinary technical precision, rhythmic complexity and a refusal to remain creatively static. Rather than simply celebrating an extensive back catalogue, PSYCROPTIC were presenting the next stage of their evolution.The new material reinforces what the band have always done well while allowing additional shades into the formula. ‘No Blade Of Grass’ combines classic PSYCROPTIC riffing with looser, sludgier passages and a choral/orchestral component – an unusual combination that demonstrates the band’s willingness to stretch their established sound. But none of that experimentation comes at the expense of impact.
PSYCROPTIC live are fundamentally a physical experience further backed up with ‘Enslavement’, ‘Frozen Gaze’ and their finishing masterpiece ‘Carriers of the Plague’. The precision is astonishing, but it never feels like technicality for technicality’s sake. The riffs have momentum. The rhythmic shifts feel designed to knock the audience off balance. Drums, guitars and bass operate almost like interconnected machinery, but the music retains enough groove to prevent it becoming sterile. And then there is Jason Peppiatt. His vocal attack provides the human brutality inside all that instrumental precision. The contrast is one of PSYCROPTIC’s enduring strengths: incredibly intricate music delivered with an almost primal vocal intensity. For a band this technically accomplished, PSYCROPTIC remain remarkably direct.
They don’t need to explain the complexity which is what makes them such a formidable live band after more than two decades. The technical passages aren’t there to demonstrate how difficult the songs are; they’re there because this is how Psycroptic naturally communicate.
Every rhythmic turn matters.
Every stop-start section hits harder.
Every riff feels engineered to create maximum physical impact.
The Melbourne audience therefore received Psycroptic at an especially interesting moment in their career: an established Australian institution presenting new material while continuing to draw on the musical language that made them so influential in the first place.
Huge thanks to the Max Watts Crew, Slaugtercult, Growth, Rivers Of Nihil, Psycroptic and Soundworks Touring for having us!
In a time of digital chaos and concrete sprawl, the frequencies have locked in and a citadel for heavy and alternative music will emerge once again in 2026. Welcome to the next evolution of Australia’s largest travelling music celebration, with Good Things Festival returning this year for another monumental cycle, armed with a colossal lineup from every sector, spanning culture-shaping legends through to the current defining generation of the alternative scene and emerging artists set to shape the future. Locked in across the East Coast this December, all event dates will once again be 16+ and up. The network is alive, and the architectural soundscape awaits to welcome all generations in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane this December.
Leading the primary frequency for Good Things Festival in 2026, LIMP BIZKIT’s imprint on nu metal and alternative culture has generated an enduring and towering reputation throughout the band’s 30+ year career. As one of the major pioneers of nu metal, and one of the most successful bands in the scene of all time, LIMP BIZKIT’s signature collision of rap rock, grooves, searing riffs, angsty themes and larger than life performances has transcended the group from the late 90s breeding ground of MTV and teenage frustrations into enamouring a multi-generational fanbase with high octane party anthems and entertaining chaos decades since their formation. Exploding out of the gates with their debut full-length album, 1997’s Three Dollar Bill, Y’all, LIMP BIZKIT’s sophomore 1999 album Significant Other reached #1 on the US Billboard 200, ticked off two GRAMMY Award Nominations, was certified 7 x Platinum, and spawned some of the band’s perennially adored singles, including Break Stuff and Nookie. Now with six studio albums under their belts, including 2000’s Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water which set the record for the fastest-selling rock album of all time, and their most recent full-length venture, 2021’s STILL SUCKS, LIMP BIZKIT continue to blitz streaming charts to this very day, sell out international tours and headline powerhouse global festivals, including Download Festival earlier this year. LIMP BIZKIT will make their return to Good Things Festival in 2026 as headliners following their unforgettable performances at the 2023 edition and selling out their headline sideshows in Brisbane and Melbourne. Believe the hype, there’s nothing quite like a LIMP BIZKIT live show, and these will be monolithic performances to truly rattle the mainframe.
As one of the most culturally and commercially successful bands in rock, SIMPLE PLAN have spent over two decades cultivating and evolving their status as pop punk legends. Now in command of over 10 billion streams worldwide, almost 2 billion views on YouTube, and an inescapable social media presence that bridges their longtime fans with a whole new generation, SIMPLE PLAN have never been a band content to rest on their laurels. The group’s multi-platinum 2002 album No Pads, No Helmets…Just Balls introduced the world to smash singles like I’d Do Anything, I’m Just A Kid, Addicted and Perfect, while later hits spanning Welcome To My Life, Summer Paradise, Untitled (How Could This Happen To Me?) and more catapulted the Montreal-hailing quartet onto the main stages of Vans Warped Tour and When We Were Young, along with performances at the 2010 Winter Olympics, worldwide amphitheatre and arena tours with some of the scene’s biggest names, and massive headline treks along the way. Famous for their buoyant performances laden with pop punk anthems and infectious enthusiasm, SIMPLE PLAN have also raised more than $3 million through their Simple Plan Foundation over the years. Recently celebrating their 25th anniversary in 2025, including a co-headline run with The Offspring down under, SIMPLE PLAN will once again wow Good Things Festival crowds in 2026 after their mesmerising appearances at the event in 2019.
The sonic equivalent of capturing lightning in a bottle, Canada’s SPIRITBOX solidified themselves as a household name in 2020 via their blistering breakout single Holy Roller. Instantly capturing attention and exploding into a meteoric rise, the progressive heavy metal mainstays have notably never plateaued along the way, exceeding every expectation in 2021 with the release of their debut studio album Eternal Blue, which debuted at #13 on the US Billboard 200, and ultimately rewrote the genre’s playbook in the process. With three GRAMMY Award nominations under their belts for Best Metal Performance, including for Jaded in 2024, Cellar Door in 2025 and Soft Spine in 2026, SPIRITBOX remain one of the most influential acts in modern metal today; a fact echoed by the band’s equally beloved 2025 sophomore studio album Tsunami Sea, which hit #26 on the US Billboard 200, cracked the top 20 in the UK charts, reached #1 on the UK Indie charts and #12 on the Top German Album charts. A band simultaneously capable of boundless innovation, fearless reinvention and an unwavering connection to their burgeoning global audience, SPIRITBOX’s live show boasts arena-level production, skull-crushing heaviness morphed alongside ethereal atmospherics, while immersing audiences head-first into the band’s unwavering energy and artistry that most recently was on display for audiences down under when the group made their debut Aussie performances at Knotfest Australia in 2023.
Also feeding the Good Things Festival matrix in 2026, Sydney’s POLARIS are primed to stupefy with their blend of ferocity and melody, laced with blistering metalcore, post-rock and electronic influences. After relentless touring over the past few years, including supporting Linkin Park earlier this year for a massive national Australian arena run and supporting Electric Callboy in North America, POLARIS will celebrate a range of hits with Good Things audiences later this year, including cuts from their most recent ARIA Award-nominated studio album Fatalism which debuted at #1 on the ARIA Charts, secured triple j’s Feature Album upon release and won Best Independent Heavy Album at the 2024 AIR Awards. Now and forever, THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS proudly remain “a band of the people”, balancing raw honesty with uncompromising artistic integrity since forming at the turn of the century. An antidote to the age of opulence and over-stimulation, THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS’ bulletproof back catalogue incites adoration from day-one OG fans through to brand new converts, with earlier hits like Dirty Little Secret, Move Along and It Ends Tonight joining with more recent creative terrain, including their fifth 2026 studio album Sandbox, to fortify fans and the band’s sonic DNA time and time again. 2026 will also mark the band’s first performances in Australia in over 17 years. Celebrating their 45 (+1) anniversary in 2026, BAD RELIGION are not just a band who defined the California half-pipe punk blueprint; they also held strong against changing trends and an ever-changing industry backdrop, crafting and releasing challenging album after challenging album while expanding their core audience with subsequent generations of anxiously energetic kids. Forming on the heels of the original punk explosion, BAD RELIGION injected their melodic riffs, zooming harmonies and sharp lyricism into the realms of hardcore, neo-punk and alternative rock along the way. Thought-provoking with an insatiable live presence that will live under your skin long after the lights go down, BAD RELIGION’s 17 studio albums also ensure a plethora of acclaimed favourites to dazzle any and all audiences, anywhere in the world.
Exploding out of Southern Ontario’s underground in 2001, ALEXISONFIRE would ultimately go on to become one of Canada’s most influential post hardcore bands. Multi-platinum, two-time JUNO Award winners, with more than one million records sold worldwide and five acclaimed albums in their wake, ALEXISONFIRE will gift Australian crowds this December a 20th anniversary performance of their 2006 third studio album Crisis in full; an album that has been widely dubbed as a defining entry in the 2000s post hardcore scene and includes longtime favourites This Could Be Anywhere in the World, Boiled Frogs and Rough Hands. Also prepare to fill your chemical heart with lashings of Australian alternative rock this December, with GRINSPOON ready to bring their incomparable live energy to Good Things stages in 2026. Hailing from Lismore, GRINSPOON leapt from taking out the triple j Unearthed competition in the mid 90s into an act who have landed in the top 10 of the ARIA albums chart for all eight of their albums to date, along with several nominations and 2 wins at the ARIA Awards, endless tours and an unwavering reputation for helping shape the Aussie alt-rock explosion in the 1990s. From songs as familiar as the national anthem like Chemical Heart, Just Ace and Hard Act To Follow through to more recent, and equally resonant fare, GRINSPOON continue their in demand status now over three decades into the journey. For over 25 years, Swedish punk pillars MILLENCOLIN have perfected their ever-evolving brand of melodic punk, continuously achieving global success along with shaping skate punk in the 1990s and 2000s in the process. Now nine albums in, with thousands of shows and a lineup that has survived and thrived the entire time, MILLENCOLIN will touch down in Australia this year after previously electrifying crowds down under with Pennywise in 2025, and delighting Good Things Festival crowds in 2022. And as an extra icing on top this year, MILLENCOLIN will perform their groundbreaking and platinum-certified 2000 album Pennybridge Pioneers in full at Good Things this year. Meanwhile, from a DIY phenomenon to selling out tours around the world and sharing stages with Sleep Token, BABYMETAL and Bad Omens, Columbus, Ohio singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer BILMURI has spent the past decade defying expectations while also catching the eyes and ears of some of the biggest names in the scene. Via his uncanny hybrid of alternative rock hooks, heavy metal riffs, emo introspection and countrified charisma, BILMURI now boasts over 418 million streams, a staunchly dedicated and ever-evolving global fanbase, and most recently released his brand new full-length KINDA HARD which Kerrang! declared as “eccentric and full of curveballs but that’s the magic…you wouldn’t want it any other way”. Following his debut Australian national tour in 2026, BILMURI will return to electrify Aussie festival-goers this year at Good Things.
Pioneering electronic synth pop coated with abrasive industrial metal terrain, Chicago-hailing heavies MINISTRY defined the industrial world in the mid-to-late 80s with thrashing percussion and neon-soaked distortion, fearlessly helmed by Al Jourgensen. Poised to release album #17 this October, the band’s upcoming record Hate to Go – Take Out or Delivery will join some of their commercial juggernaut records like 1989’s The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste and 1992’s GRAMMY Award-nominated and platinum-certified Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed and the Way to Suck Eggs. With their 2026 Good Things Festival appearances also marking their final Australian performances, don’t miss your chance to farewell MINISTRY with a send-off like no other. With a 30+ year legacy in heavy metal, CHAD GRAY is undeniably a definitive voice in modern metal with his tenure in both Mudvayne and HELLYEAH. Seamlessly flitting between screaming intensity and mellow melodic cleans, CHAD GRAY is set to level up the spectacle at Good Things Festival this year, also making his Aussie return after touring with Mudvayne in 2024, and will bust out a tantalising mix of hits for the festival punters from his Mudvayne and HELLYEAH back catalogues. One of the most defining bands from the fertile and abundant mid-90s pop punk scene, MXPX not only set a blueprint of high-octane riffage and infectious choruses for generations of bands to come, they also maintained their own longevity for decades in the process, transitioning to releasing their music independently and expanding a deeply connective fanbase for over three decades. Between hits like Let’s Ride, Punk Rawk Show, Kids In America and more, MXPX will finally return to Australian soil this year for the first time in 13 years. Forming in a spare room in Wrexham, Wales, NECK DEEP have gone on to become one of British Rock music’s most successful global exports in recent memory. From top 5 records in the US and the UK to global touring, including a raucous Australian run in 2025, viral hits and over 1.8 billion streams and counting, NECK DEEP’s music is equally at home sharing stages with Blink-182, State Champs and The Story So Far as it is featuring with custom music kits in the Counter Strike video game series, and at major festival stages, including Vans Warped Tour, Slam Dunk Festival and countless others.
Leaping from DIY Aussie band into global powerhouse status, Sydney’s SPEED are synonymous with hardcore and tenacity. Staking their claim on the genre alongside an unwavering ethos built on inclusivity, authenticity and conviction, SPEED will bring their heavyweight set and immersive tunes to hometown crowds this year, following in-demand sets at Coachella, Reading & Leeds Festival and Sick New World, as well as sharing stages with Turnstile, Madball and Knocked Loose, and taking home the inaugural NSW Music Prize in 2025. Also flying the flag for Australian music at Good Things this year, SLOWLY SLOWLY have become firm favourites with their energetic brand of indie rock and pop punk that potently translates to a live setting. Debuting at #8 on the ARIA chart with their most recent album, 2025’s Forgiving Spree, SLOWLY SLOWLY have previously wowed main stage slots at Good Things Festival, Splendour In The Grass and Groovin’ The Moo, while nurturing their fanbase, accumulating 40+ million streams and releasing five beloved albums in just under 10 years. American nu metal pioneers P.O.D. have spent decades crafting their unique sound, bolstered by heavy riffs lined with hip hop, reggae and rap rock. Balancing aggressive sounds with uplifting themes, P.O.D.’s commercial appeal has seen them tour the globe time and time again, including their most recent Australian appearances back in 2018, while also unleashing era-defining singles like Youth of the Nation, Boom and Alive, sell over 12 million records worldwide and appear on high profile movie soundtracks including The Matrix Reloaded, Little Nicky, Any Given Sunday and many more. Exploring life’s extremes in their music, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA fearlessly face darkness and mirror life’s ups and downs in their sonic creations. After two decades of making music, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA most recently showcased their powerful bond as bandmates and creatives with their 2025 critically-acclaimed album Flowers, expanding into their most honest and heartfelt iteration to date, and seamlessly adding to their hallowed fan-favourites like Danger: Wildman, Hey John, What’s Your Name Again? and Dez Moines. Bona fide Australian rock royalty will also grace the Good Things citadel in 2026, with the CHOIRBOYS bringing some true blue charm to proceedings. From their landmark Aussie pub rock 1987 track Run to Paradise through to other iconic singles like Boys Will Be Boys and Never Gonna Die, CHOIRBOYS have spent over four decades releasing music that defines generations with storytelling and gritty delivery, translating into raw and boisterous live performances that truly are not to be missed.
Ticking off their debut Australian performances earlier this year, Nashville-hailing ALL THEM WITCHES exist at an elusive crossroads of slow-burning and meditative distortion soaked with blues rock, dark Americana and magnetic psychedelia. Between their intoxicating live energy and transcendent creations, prepare to surrender your senses to this quartet’s Good Things Festival set. After astounding Australian fans back in 2019, heightened power synth pop group THE BLACK QUEEN, aka Greg Puciato (The Dillinger Escape Plan, Killer Be Killed), Joshua Eustis (Nine Inch Nails, Puscifer), Chris Pennie (Coheed and Cambria, The Dillinger Escape Plan) and seasoned tech Steven Alexander (DEP, NIN, Ke$ha), will bring lashings of 80s production with glossy and emotional depth this December; prepare for shadows, synths and sweat. With emotional intensity and expansive soundscapes, Germany alt metal act FUTURE PALACE have been traversing the avenues of post hardcore, metal, electronica and synth pop since forming in 2018. From the vocal acrobatics of Maria Lessing through to their bewitching sonic output, FUTURE PALACE also just unleashed their fourth studio album Resurgence, retaining their crown as one of the biggest rising acts in modern metal. And closer to home with one of Brisbane’s most exciting emerging acts, HEADWRECK will also make their return to Good Things Festival this year after performing as a secret guest on Stage 5 in their hometown in 2025. With their glitch-heavy sonic wiles and appeal that spans fans of Moodring, Linkin Park, Northlane and Make Them Suffer, come and experience why HEADWRECK are prolifically sought out by fellow local and international heavies in the scene.
Seattle-based quartet THE HOME TEAM will add some heavy pop vibes to the Good Things vibes this December, brandishing their mix of traditional pop punk and metal, lined with R&B, funk, jazz and straight up pop stylings that saw them score a 4/5 from Kerrang! for their 2024 album The Crucible of Life. Raw, hard-hitting, avant-garde and leading the charge for a new era of art-rock intensity, Los Angeles duo HOUSE OF PROTECTION balance confidence and chaos, bringing together Stephen Harrison (The Chariot) and Aric Improta (Night Verses) for a collision of post hardcore pedigree and boundless sonic experimentation that has seen them open for Poppy, Bad Omens and, most recently, Architects nationally for their 2025 Australian run. But if you’re looking for a safe space to crawl into, curl up and find comfort in, Florida-born artist IVRI, who kicked off her solo career with a string of EPs beginning in 2022, has just what you’re looking for, shaping her sound around DIY alternative, intense pop, shoegaze, rock and sci-fi soul. Fusing raw and vulnerable writing with genre-blurring soundscapes, IVRI’s intimate, cinematic and, at times, otherworldly songs are eternally a unique and refreshing experience.
Missouri-born, Las Vegas-raised KAMI KEHOE instantly took social media by storm with her live drum playthroughs, going on to release her debut 2023 album Drama Queen, before following up with 2024’s Revived. Spinning heartbreak into modern alternative rock, sprinkled with pop, punk, R&B and soul, KAMI KEHOE commands centre stage with every magnetic performance, whether headlining or performing with the likes of Seether and P.O.D. And if you’re seeking something short, fast and loud, Missouri hardcore act LOCKED SHUT abide by three musical tenets when it comes to creating: fast, heavy and straightforward. Revered for their relentless energy, blisteringly fast runtimes and barbed-wire grooves, LOCKED SHUT are the breakneck band of your dreams for anyone who loves hardcore music that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Come for the intensity, stay for the unpredictable pandemonium. In a short space of time, Toronto-born, Los Angeles-based rising pop punk star LØLØ has already ticked off collaborating with Simple Plan, toured with Boys Like Girls, New Found Glory and Against The Current, and graced the states of Lollapalooza, Sad Summer Festival and Slam Dunk Festival. Releasing her sophomore album god forbid a girl spits out her feelings! earlier this year, Good Things Festival will mark LØLØ’s maiden Australian performances. A meeting point between metalcore, elasticated 80s vibes, jazz, R&B and rap, Germany’s vianova straddle hard-hitting immersion with a fearless pursuit of genre fusion. With over 19.1 million streams across their catalogue to date and counting, vianova’s viral trajectory has led to them enamouring TikTok and sharing stages with Thornhill, ERRA, Chamber and many more. Shattering stereotypes and bringing heavy music to a global stage, Indonesian all-female metal trio VOICE OF BACEPROT tackle environmental, gender and societal issues through their unapologetic blend of metal, heavy rock and punk. From small town classes to international festivals, VOICE OF BACEPROT are a loud, proud and unstoppable force that will find its way back down under after a blistering 2024 inaugural headline run.
This December, a monolithic sonic sanctuary awaits. Escape the corporate static. Plug into the spectacular chaos. Embrace the noise. The future is now. Good Things are here. End of transmission.
GOOD THINGS FESTIVAL LINE UP:
Limp Bizkit
Simple Plan | Spiritbox
Polaris | The All-American Rejects | Bad Religion (45 + 1 Anniversary)
Alexisonfire (Performing ‘Crisis’ In Full) | Grinspoon
Millencolin (Performing ‘Pennybridge Pioneers’ In Full) | Bilmuri
Ministry(Farewell Australia) | Chad Gray (30 Years Of Madnesss. Performing Mudvayne & Hellyeah)
MxPx | Neck Deep
Speed | Slowly Slowly | P.O.D. | The Devil Wears Prada | Choirboys
In Alphabetical Order:
All Them Witches | The Black Queen | Future Palace | Headwreck | The Home Team
House Of Protection | ivri | Kami Kehoe | Locked Shut | LØLØ
vianova | Voice Of Baceprot | Plus The Chaos Of Stage 666!
DATES AND VENUES:
Friday 4 December – Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne (16+)
Saturday 5 December – Sydney Showground, Sydney (16+)
Sunday 6 December – Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane (16+)
Pre-sale tickets on sale Tuesday 18 August @ 10am AEST Time
Sign up now for pre-sale tickets at www.goodthingsfestival.com.au
General Public tickets on sale Thursday 20 August @ 10am AEST Time
https://www.oztix.com.au/
For more information head to www.goodthingsfestival.com.au
For publicity and media enquiries e-mail Janine Morcos janine@dallasdoespr.com
GOOD THINGS FESTIVAL | FACEBOOK | X | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK
Photos – @djsedick
Words – @jstewbyy
Coming to the end of a weekend dedicated to time with friends, working on music & general shenanigans, it always feels a little grim knowing the work week is ahead. This weekend I had the pleasure of trading the usual Sunday night wind-down and early bedtime for the fake night sky and grand walls of the Forum. A late addition to the ‘It Calls Me By Name’ world tour, out of fear there wouldn’t be anything left standing at the original venue.
It’s a rare occasion that I get to catch a show stacked with bands that I love, all of which I’m yet to see live, but on this particular night I was excited to finally be ticking off USA heavyweights Wage War & Orthodox, alongside Melbourne’s very own Heavensgate. Between crushing breakdowns, infectious grooves and enough pit calls to keep the room moving from start to finish, the night did not slow for a moment. Even between sets, the energy in the room held strong.
Heavensgate,With an already packed venue, the crowd was treated to a moment of calm in the form of nostalgic and ambient music before the sound they’re known so well for hit like a tonne of bricks. They launched into their set in a way that makes me surprised they weren’t handing out neck braces at the door. Opening on their song Rain, the crowd responded immediately and moved almost like water as everyone headed to their preferred position, a space opening in the middle of the room for the pit & those that like to be up close and personal shuffling forward. The band instantly landed in a sweet spot right between groove-driven riffs & explosive heaviness all tied together with tight, yet fluid vocals. It was like a sonic affair between chaos & order.
Every member looked locked in, creating a performance that was both unhinged and surprisingly controlled.
Next, Orthodox wasted no time turning the intensity up a level. Following another calming introduction, the band exploded into Sacred Place, immediately sending the room into motion. Before the first song was even over, the guitarist was already demanding movement from the crowd, to which the audience responded without hesitation. Vocalist Adam Easterling’s goofy dance moves added an unexpected layer of personality between the brutality while the band’s raw energy never let up. Between crowd bounces, aggressive kicks and an uncompromising wall of sound, Orthodox delivered exactly the kind of chaotic set their reputation promises
By the time it was Wage War‘s turn, the energy in the room had peaked. Right before the band appeared, the stage was illuminated in a way that felt like the crowd was about to be run down by a truck, a fitting visual cue before opening with their song 4×4. It was an entrance that immediately commanded attention and perfectly matched the crushing weight of the opening track.
As they moved through their set, the metalcore veterans blessed the crowd with songs from their latest release, It Calls Me By Name & seamlessly weaving the newer songs between fan favourites from across the years. The fresh material translated effortlessly to the live setting, delivering the same punch and melodic hooks that have helped define the bands sound.
Wage War have a proven track record of blending accessibility and aggression, this show was another strong example of that! Flowing through massive choruses, crushing breakdowns, punchy riffs & emotional delivery, reminding everyone why the band has become one of metalcores most reliable bands to carry the genre.
With three bands delivering distinctly different flavours of heavy while sharing the same relentless intensity, the night was a celebration of everything that makes the genre so enjoyable in a live setting. From Heavensgates blend of chaos & order, through Orthodoxs unpredictable & raw wall of aggression, to Wage War’s arena worthy performance, it was an evening that left no room to catch your breath.
Huge thanks to Heavensgate, Orthodox, Wage War, the Forum crew and Dallas Does PR for having us!
Words – @ladylane____
Photos – @djsedick
CAR BOMB don’t believe in easing an audience in. Making their long-awaited Australian performance while opening for TESSERACT and KARNIVOOL, the New Yorkers launched straight into a barrage of jagged riffs, impossible rhythms and suffocating heaviness.
Every member was locked in, with Elliot Hoffman’s remarkable drumming underpinning the band’s organised chaos and Michael Dafferner’s vocal attack cutting through the dense arrangements. The frenetic lights at Margaret Court Arena bounced around with violent precision adding to the caustic environment that CAR BOMB declared and owned.
The technical detail never disappeared beneath the volume, allowing every rhythmic twist to land with crushing impact. ‘Blindsides’, Nonagon’ and ‘Dissect Yourself’ landed like a hammer against cloth building the punters up for their gut-punch closing song ‘Secrets Within’.
There was no spectacle, no filler – just relentless precision and controlled chaos. For those who had waited years to finally witness CAR BOMB live, the band more than justified the anticipation, delivering an unforgettable and exhilarating performance.
TESSERACT launched into their mesmerizing set boasting a balanced palate of crushing heaviness with cinematic atmosphere. The British progressive metal pioneers were welcomed back to Melbourne with such a thunderous applause that I am sure Adelaide would have heard.
From the opening moments, Daniel Tompkins commanded the stage with a vocal performance that was both technically flawless and deeply emotive, effortlessly shifting between soaring melodies and visceral intensity. Behind him, Acle Kahney, James Monteith, Amos Williams and Jay Postones performed with remarkable exactitude, navigating the band’s intricate rhythms without ever sacrificing groove or feeling.
The arena’s production elevated the experience. Expansive lighting and immersive visuals complemented the band’s layered soundscapes, while a powerful, crystal-clear mix ensured every syncopated riff, atmospheric passage and thunderous low end hit with maximum impact. Rather than relying on spectacle alone, TESSERACT let their song writing take centre stage. The dynamic pacing of the set moving seamlessly between crushing technical passages and moments of quiet reflection holding the audience throughout, with each crescendo earning an enthusiastic response which served to be both palpable and infectious. ‘Of Mind – Nocturne’, ‘Smile’, ‘Arrow’ and especially ‘Juno’ concreted TESSERACT as the perfect support act for KARNIVOOL – substantial enough to impress, brief enough to leave everyone wanting more.
Confident, refined and emotionally resonant, TESSERACT delivered a performance that reaffirmed their place at the forefront of modern progressive metal and left everyone parched and anticipated for a headlining tour.
There are concerts, and then there are occasions. Bands seldom and do both however KARNIVOOL can and that’s a fact I will not be arguing with anyone. Personally, it was a celebration of one of Australia’s most influential progressive bands, shared with an audience that has stood by them for more than two decades, the Perth five-piece delivered a performance that was equal parts precision, passion and catharsis.
Opening with the atmospheric ‘Ghost’, KARNIVOOL immediately established the night’s tone before moving through a carefully crafted set that balanced fan favourites, deep cuts and newer material. ‘Simple Boy’ and ‘Goliath’ arrived with a ravenous response from the crowd, while songs including ‘Aozora’, ‘Drone’, ‘We are’, ‘Conversations’ and ‘All It Takes’demonstrated that KARNIVOOL’s evolving sound sits comfortably alongside the songs that built their legacy.
Ian Kenny was captivating throughout, his voice soaring effortlessly through the arena while retaining the vulnerability and raw emotion that have always defined KARNIVOOL’s music. Whether delivering intimate, reflective verses or unleashing towering choruses, he remained completely immersed in every lyric, drawing the audience deeper into each song and even beginning to feel their tear ducts swell.
Behind him (physically) but together in stunning unison, Drew Goddard and Mark Hosking once again proved why they remain one of progressive music’s most distinctive guitar partnerships. Their intricate interplay was both technically dazzling and deeply expressive, while Jon Stockman’s unmistakable bass tone provided an authoritative foundation beneath every movement. Steve Judd was immense behind the kit, combining precision and power as he navigated the band’s complex arrangements with effortless control.
KARNIVOOLS’s greatest strength has always been their ability to make complexity feel natural, and that was on full display throughout the night. Their music ebbed and flowed between delicate atmosphere, crushing heaviness and emotional release, with every transition carefully considered and every crescendo delivering maximum impact.
The final stretch of the set was nothing short of euphoric. ‘Themata’ transformed the arena into a sea of voices before the crushing weight of ‘Roquefort’, the emotional power of ‘New Day’ and the cinematic beauty of ‘Opal’ carried the audience toward a breathtaking conclusion. The night became even more special as the band expanded their sonic palette with a series of memorable guest appearances. MICHELLE SMITH joined the band on harp for ‘Animation’, ‘New Day’ and ‘Opal’, adding a beautiful, haunting dimension to songs already rich with emotion. ‘Roquefort’ received an additional burst of energy with the arrival of THE EMPIRE HORNS, whose brass arrangements elevated the song’s richness and added an extra layer of emotion
The emotional closer, ‘Salva’, brought together everything that makes Karnivool special – ambition, atmosphere, musicianship and a willingness to push beyond expectations. The closing moments of the night belonged to ‘Salva’, with Grant Scroggie adding the unmistakable sound of bagpipes to the song’s dramatic finale, creating a truly unforgettable ending. My eyes were certainly not dry by the end of the brilliance of ‘Salva’.
By the final notes, I had this overwhelming sense of immense gratitude. Gratitude for a band that continues to evolve without losing its identity, and for a performance that reminded everyone why KARNIVOOL will remain one of Australia’s most respected and cherished acts.
My profound thanks to Car Bomb, TesseracT, Karnviool, Margaret Court Arena and DEATHPROOF PR.
After a 7-year hiatus, the iconic Dead of Winter festival made an incredible return on July 27th, taking over Mansfield Tavern in not-so-sunny Brisbane (it IS called Dead of Winter after all)
Luckily, the weather held out, and fans both new and returning were treated to a cavalcade of fantastic acts over almost 13 hours, including but certainly not limited to the 20-odd I was able to catch
I would love to write a detailed review of everyone that I saw but unfortunately between shooting, live posting, remembering to eat half of the amazing eggplant parma on offer (I’m from Melbourne – it’s parmA – FIGHT ME!) running into old friends and making new ones it became a tsunami of awesome that I wasn’t really navigating so much as riding in a white knuckled blur so I cannot offer you that
Instead, I offer you this gallery of photos that I took of cool shit I saw and a promise that I’ll see you again at next year’s DOW
Stay Brutal
Dan – @djsedick
WITCHGRINDER
TOE TO TOE
SYNDONIA
RORONOAH
RICK DANGEROUS
PIZZA DEATH
NICOLAS CAGE FIGHTER
MAMMAL
LO!
HELLTRIPPERS
HAMMERS
GRIZZLY SHARK
FLAMES OF DESIRE
DZ DEATHRAYS
CULT THE SHOW
BULLETBELT
BRACE
BLACK RHENO
BEANFLIPPER
