. . .
When I was a kid, Australia scared the hell out of me. The cliché-riddled pictures painted by movies and television depicted it as an island where Mother Nature had gone batshit crazy and was out for blood. Populated by crocodiles, poisonous snakes, and spiders, surrounded by an ocean teeming with man-eating sharks – this wasn’t a country, it was a fucking death trap. The Land Down Under was about as frightening and alien a place as could be to a boy growing up in Central Iowa.
In the early ’00s, I started digging into the Australian metal scene and was terrified all over again. Bands like Deströyer 666 and Fuck… I’m Dead were as brutal and violent as my childhood memories of Shark Week on the Discovery Channel. Australian bands were loud, chaotic, ugly, and savage: the very definition of violent extremity. From Hobbs’ Angel of Death to Sadistik Exekution to Vomitor, the country has established a metallic legacy characterized by a tenacious DIY work ethic and a desire to run over or through any obstacle that gets in the way.
But for all the time I spent listening to the music, the inner workings of the Australian scene were still a mystery to me. What factors caused it to develop in such a unique way? Is it everything it’s cracked up to be? Where did it come from, and where is it going? What difficulties do the musicians face, living and working in such an isolated country? The only way to truly learn about this largely unheralded scene was to contact a few of its luminaries and get answers straight from the crocodile’s maw.
. . .
THE PARTICIPANTS
Decaylust
guitar, vocals/Denouncement Pyre, vocals/Hunter’s Moon, live guitar/Nocturnal Graves
Marcus Hellkunt
drums/Vomitor, drums/Gospel of the Horns, ex-Bestial Warlust
Ian Belshaw
bass/Trench Hell, ex-Shackles
Ben Wrecker
drums/Hotel Wrecking City Traders, owner of Bro Fidelity Records
Glenn Destruktor
guitar, vocals/Destruktor
. . .
. . .
What characteristics make Australian metal unique?
Decaylust
Early on, I would say it was the ferocious and bestial styles that made bands appealing to the overseas maniacs. In recent years, I’m not really sure. There are a few quality bands, but also some I don’t really care for.
Marcus Hellkunt
Alcoholic fuelled heavy motherfucking satanik death metal rock filth!!!!!
Ian Belshaw
I don’t think Australian heavy metal in general is unique, but the war metal/black/thrash bands either grew up together or grew up watching each other play. The typical Australian culture (by no means predominant these days) of drinking beer, driving V8 cars, eating meat, listening to AC/DC, and watching sport breeds an uncompromising heavy metal individual who would rather listen to Sodom than Nightwish. These are the characters that drive the bands you refer to, and it’s this uncompromising attitude that may be seen to make their music unique.
Ben Wrecker
The DIY ethic runs very strong here, and also a melting pot of cultures and ethnicities that make up bands. This is a very diverse society, and the music reflects this. There are also very Australian sounding bands as well as bands that sound like they were from other countries, but for the most part the beauty is in the variety and the sort of “Aussie Battler” mentality that nothing’s supposed to be that easy.
Glenn Destruktor
The fact that most of our killer bands can not be pigeonholed as a particular style, and the fact that gothic/dramatic/image-based shit does not get any respect amongst most metalheads. These bands should stop playing with metal bands. They should fuck off to some theatre, and torture someone other than metalheads with their wimpy gothic fashion shit!!!
. . .
Sadistik Exekution
. . .
Who are the pioneering bands of Australian metal? What was it about them that inspired you?
Decaylust
Well, the history of the underground scene here is widely known. I guess some of the earlier bands that made a real mark beyond our shores include Sadistik Exekution, Corpse Molestation, Bestial Warlust, Mortal Sin, Armoured Angel, Hobbs Angel of Death, a few others also. Of course there were some death and thrash bands that pre-dated some of these, but they were known on a lesser scale and still some are very obscure.
I wouldn’t say any of these necessarily inspired us to play music, as our motivation comes from a source that is entirely different. Perhaps they opened the door for other Australian bands to gain a following outside of this country, which isn’t a bad thing.
Marcus Hellkunt
Slaughter Lord, Mass Confusion, Depression, Bestial Warlust, Deströyer 666, Armoured Angel. All brutal and heavy as fuck!!!
Ian Belshaw
Taipan, Hobbs’ Angel of Death, Slaughter Lord, Sadistik Exekution, Armoured Angel, Bestial Warlust, Disembowelment, to name a few. As a kid growing up, I was particularly inspired by Sadistik Exekution and Armoured Angel – Sadistik being the local maniacs who sounded like no one else and had a cult following throughout the world, Armoured because they had their own distinct style that was dark as sin and heavy metal to the bone. Both were at the forefront of the local scene when I was growing up.
Ben Wrecker
We grew up outside of Australia, so our contact with the early bands was little to none. However bands such as Abramelin and Thumlock stood out. Both very different sides of the spectrum, but each amazing in their own right.
Glenn Destruktor
Australia had a great hard rock scene with bands such as AC/DC, The Angels, Rose Tattoo, and so on. But as far as the extreme metal side of things is concerned, bands such as Sadistik Exekution, Mortal Sin, Hobbs Angel of Death and Slaughterlord led the way in the mid-late 80’s. The early 90’s saw bands such as Corpse Molestation/Bestial Warlust, Entasis, Armoured Angel, Anatomy, Cruciform, and Hecatomb rise before bands like Deströyer 666, Abyssic Hate, Spear of Longinus, Abominator, Gospel of the Horns, Nazxul, and others took things further.
I took no more inspiration from these bands than from elsewhere. I was isolated from the scene early on, and discovered my own path, which revolved around my appreciation of death, black and doom metal from different points of the globe. Maybe this is no different to other maniacs from Australia. The main similarity between a lot of the good Aussie bands is that they can not be pigeonholed as death, black or thrash metal, but somewhere between all of it. I had started the band before I had gotten very involved with the underground, and discovering it as I did was more an inspiration. It made the whole thing real to me, not this over-publicized, glamorized commercial shit, but real humans, creating the truest, purest forms of metal known to man.
. . .
Bestial Warlust – “Bestial Warlust”
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Is there one predominant metal subgenre that epitomizes the scene?
Decaylust
Most seem to identify the scene by the ferocity of older bands like Sadistik Exekution and Bestial Warlust. The whole war metal tag that gets thrust upon most bands would be the most common reference. Many miss the mark by tagging every band since with the same label. It’s become such a generalization that I think it misrepresents most bands. Death Metal appears to be on the forefront at the moment. You can see now there are a few newer bands emerging that are delving into this down-tuned “obscure & twisted” sort of style that has become popular due to a few overseas bands leading the way. I don’t think there is one style that should sum it up though; every band should pursue their art regardless of what’s happening around them.
Marcus Hellkunt
The death/thrash metal scene in Australia, for sure, and the average metal head that’s into the classics…Slayer, Metallica, Priest, Maiden, Mötley Crüe, Motörhead, etc., etc.
Ian Belshaw
Of course people will associate Australia with war metal, or nowadays with “black/thrash”. If foreigners want to call this “the Australian sound”, then so be it. Just keep in mind that only a handful of bands in Australia ever played that sort of music, amongst hundreds of heavy, death, grind, black, and thrash metal acts, many of them clones of the latest European or American trend.
Ben Wrecker
Melbourne’s always had what seems to be called a “stoner” scene. Theres a very healthy and growing noise and experimental scene growing, as there is with the more traditional and black sides of metal. I think Australians are really supportive of homegrown bands, and it’s a good place to be if you are into playing lots of shows in lots of different places to different crowds.
Glenn Destruktor
As stated, part of our recognition of our scene is for the reason that most killer bands cannot be strictly described as thrash, doom, black, or death metal. Most bands would utilize some elements from two or three different subgenres. At on time, it was called “war metal”, but I don’t think there were enough chaotic, violent bands from Australia to really warrant a “war metal” scene. Fact is, a lot of the true maniacs in Australia are not restricted to being a pure death metal fan. Many accept black metal, thrash, doom, classic metal, and even some grind as great metal, regardless of “style”. It’s not as clear-cut as, say, the Tampa scene, which was clearly death metal, or Norway, or [Sweden]. There was no access to this shit but imports until 1990 or so, which meant a lot of us were a little more open-minded to extreme metal than some other scenes worldwide. With the Internet and shit, it is more diverse, and more crap is accessible, and more bands are popping up via bedroom recordings and shit. Eventually, there will be no particular scenes from everywhere, as everything will sound the fucking same. [Ed. note: That has already happened.]
. . .
Gospel of the Horns
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Is your music at all influenced by your heritage and/or surroundings?
Decaylust
Not really. The main influence for creating this music is irrespective of our location. Music is influenced mainly by the energy and spirit that resides within its creator, which in our case does not have its basis in our everyday surroundings.
Marcus Hellkunt
Definitely in the death metal scene. It has its own fast, brutally aggressive style, which is recognized in Europe, South America, US, NZ, Asia etc.
Bestial Warlust termed it “war metal”. Vomitor is along that line, but more classic death metal, likened to Morbid Angel/Sodom. Gospel of the Horns have our own nasty brand of black thrash with a demonic, patriotic twist.
Ian Belshaw
Yes, it definitely was. Whether we liked it or not, Shackles was influenced by bands like Deströyer 666, Gospel of the Horns, and Grenade, who we watched live and associated with on a regular basis. Add to that the pioneering Australian bands mentioned earlier, who inspired by their great music rather than their pioneering nature. Australians have traditionally had a fairly staunch, uncompromising nature, and I think this has flowed into the way our music – right back to AC/DC, Buffalo, and Rose Tattoo – has been performed.
Ben Wrecker
Yeah, we (HWCT) have lived all over the place – Australia, Asia, the UK, the USA, Canada etc… So all of these cultures and cities, towns, villages, and metropolises that we’ve had the fortune of spending time in have shaped the way we see ourselves fitting in (or not). I don’t think the heritage of Australia has really played any great part in our sound. We are an instrumental band, so we rely on sounds and textures to get our moods and themes across.
Glenn Destruktor
No.
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Trench Hell – “Southern Cross Ripper”
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Do you think the Australian metal scene gets the recognition it deserves on an international level?
Decaylust
I think it does. There has always been a lot of interest in what Australian bands are doing, and from all impressions the Europeans especially really worship the old Australian bands. I think it’s fairly easy for a band to promote themselves overseas, get onto an international label, or to have their music distributed, and from there the interest just seems to grow.
Marcus Hellkunt
I think so, depending on what style of metal you like. The death metal, black metal, thrash metal scenes, [and] bands like Portal, Blood Duster, D666, Psycroptic, Naxzul, The Bezerker, Sadistik Exekution, amongst others, have all proven to be popular both at home and internationally. There are fucking tons of metal bands in Australia. Because there is a decent scene here, a lot of metal bands from around the globe come over to gig.
Ian Belshaw
Given our geographical isolation, which is always an impediment to touring, I think the Australian heavy metal scene does get the recognition it deserves internationally. It probably didn’t in the early ’90s, but these days many underground fans around the globe are aware of bands such as Trench Hell, Gospel of the Horns, Vomitor, Cauldron Black Ram, Nocturnal Graves, and more. If people are not familiar with them, it’s not for lack of opportunity or exposure.
Ben Wrecker
Yes and no. I think there are some amazing bands out here, and bands are increasingly more often going on tour overseas and playing in Europe, Asia, and the USA. I think the standards are fairly high here, and it makes the bands challenging and exciting to hear and see live.
Glenn Destruktor
I may be biased, but there are many good bands from Australia, and per capita, we crush most!! Our scene has had a reputation for many years, but it never realized its full potential. Gospel [of the Horns] reformed a little late, Bestial Warlust broke up, Deströyer 666 lessened the extremity, Sadistik Exekution became reclusive, bands broke up, and that was it. We continue to have a reputation, but it is not like it was back in the mid-’90s. The black metal explosion was dying, death metal was dead, people were looking for something more attacking, and Brazil delivered somewhat, but Australia just never quite got the same recognition. Maybe Australia was just a little too disconnected with the rest of the world. Fuck recognition, anyway, gay-arse bands get recognition for being technical wizards that play boring, wanky music. A great country does not make a great band!! Great metal comes from all parts of the globe.
. . .
Hotel Wrecking City Traders
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From afar, your country appears to have tons of interesting bands. Is the scene really as amazing as it seems?
Decaylust
I can see how those from overseas have a great impression of metal from Australia, but I think when you live here, it’s a little different. Most of the killer bands do not play live, or only rarely when they do. I go to maybe 2-3 shows a year, and especially the last few years there has been very few active bands that have interested me. There are some good recordings coming out, though, and the flow seems to be fairly constant.
Marcus Hellkunt
Yes, there are always gigs on in Brisbane and Melbourne every weekend. Sydney’s OK. Adelaide, Perth, and Tassie are a little slower.
Ian Belshaw
To be honest, probably not. Definitely not these days. There are tons of un-interesting bands in Australia. The good thing is that only the interesting ones tend to become known to outsiders, as they are the ones doing something different to what can be heard from somewhere else. And despite the amount of killer bands lurking in the underground, very few of them play live on a regular basis (if at all) due to the small scene and large physical scale of this nation.
Ben Wrecker
Yes, it is. The sheer volume of bands per capita here is insane, especially in Melbourne where we live. Sometimes it can be a little too expansive, and you have to pick and choose what shows you are gonna see, and which ones you will have to miss out on. Same goes for playing shows. You can if you want to (and believe me we have) play every weekend in a multitude of venues. Pubs, clubs, house shows, warehouses, DIY art spaces, you name it, we have it here. Ultimately, it seems to increase the variety and diversity amongst all the bands in the city and around the rest of the country.
Glenn Destruktor
It is steady, but nothing spectacular. Gigs are regular, but killer lineups are not so frequent. As a social thing, I’m sure there is enough going on to keep them satisfied, but as far as quality gigs, they are not so common. It seems our scene is not as good as you imagine it, but it is by no means fucked! Fuck all distros, fuck all good promoters, fuck all zines, but still, the scene has been similar for the last few years, and will never be what it was during the late-80’s through to mid-90’s.
. . .
Denouncement Pyre – Album Teaser
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Does your band get much support locally?
Decaylust
Actually, we receive little support or interest from Australia. I would still consider Denouncement Pyre to be a relatively unknown band within this country. Most of the interest and support comes from overseas – places like USA, Europe (France, Germany), Asia, and the UK. I was surprised during my travels through Europe last year how many people knew the band and were into it. Also, from the mail I receive, it seems to come from everywhere but Australia. Whether this will change in the future, I really don’t know, and to be honest, it isn’t very important.
Marcus Hellkunt
Yes. Both Gospel of the Horns and Vomitor get good crowds at most gigs.
Ian Belshaw
Shackles was quite well supported locally, keeping in mind that the amount of support a band receives is generally dependent on the amount of effort they put into pushing their product. We were content with being a force in the underground, rather than aiming for high profile international support slots or deals with more mainstream labels.
Ben Wrecker
We get a moderate level of support, I guess. It’s definitely grown since we started playing, and we are getting invited to open up for international touring bands a lot more now, which is always fun. I think bands can get lost in the sea of many, though, a lot of the time, too. There’s only so much room for coverage, and like anywhere, trends prevail and bands sometimes get awkwardly lumped together and talked about as some sort of micro-scene. But I very much enjoy being based in Melbourne, as there are shows on every night of the week, and you could live in far worse places, for sure.
Glenn Destruktor
There is some support, but not a lot. We rarely have shit turnouts to gigs, but as far as distribution is concerned, we have fuck all. We are in very few shops in Australia, and in essence, we are still buried deep in the underground. No endorsements, no management, no distribution license, just the support of some maniacs and others involved in the scene. We don’t get much support from promoters, though. Don’t get me wrong, though, we don’t really seek this stuff, and will leave that to those that get gratification from being the biggest band. We stand the test of time, we have our legions, which grows day by day. One day it may came to an end, and I can look back [and] say I’ve had some good times, I’ve stuck through the good and the bad, I’ve achieved some killer things, and become even less significant than I am now, knowing I did not bow to demands. We kept it real, honest, and satisfied the hunger of many a metalhead worldwide for at least a few minutes of their life. Maybe we will grow from here. Whatever, really. It is not good or bad, it just is.
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. . .
Do you ever feel isolated from the rest of the international metal scene? How does this affect you/your band?
Decaylust
With the ease of technology now, the world has become a smaller place so it’s not hard to stay up to date with everything, if one chooses. The biggest problem with being this isolated is that is limits touring capabilities. It’s very expensive to get a 3 or 4 piece band to Europe or the States for tours, and there aren’t many major cities in Australian where a band can play. It also costs a lot to send releases and merch overseas. Postage is a real killer, but that seems to be fairly common in most countries.
Marcus Hellkunt
I definitely feel isolated when I have to be on a fucking plane for 20 god damned hours. This affects us as we all have to drink shitloads of piss and take heaps of drugs to tolerate each other for this long.
Ian Belshaw
The only isolation is in terms of live shows. Other than that, there is no impediment to promoting an Australian band in this day and age or getting signed to an overseas label. In fact, with people out there especially interested in what comes out of Australia, it can actually be an advantage to hail from here. The only other impact is higher postage costs when you are promoting your music internationally, though for many bands the Internet has made that easier these days, anyway.
Ben Wrecker
Touring overseas is an expensive proposition, and one that only a small amount of bands actually mange to pull off. We’ve been entertaining the prospect of touring Europe this year, and it looks like it’s gonna be put off ’til mid-next year due to financial restraints and our desire to put out another couple of records before we do. Running Bro Fidelity Records, mailorder prices seem expensive when people from the USA or Europe want to order our releases. I make the prices as cheap as I possibly can, but postage is usually around 60% extra [more] than the actual price of the records themselves. I think that is probably the biggest difficulty. But people still order, and we sell records all over the place. I think it’s just something you have to deal with purely down to the geographical side of things.
Glenn Destruktor
Surely these days I feel isolated. We should have toured Europe and other places by now, but playing this sort of music, and living as far away as we do certainly makes things harder than if I lived in the vicinity of Europe or North and South America. I guess it makes it more satisfying when we reach places such as those mentioned, but to do it live would certainly give me some satisfaction that can’t be obtained somehow else. It would be a special moment in my life to do these things. Hopefully this can be done in the next couple of years. I won’t regret many things in life, but I would regret it if I did not do something about doing something like a small European tour. I don’t think I could do a lot more with a band like Destruktor, than to play some successful shows in Europe! I think with a lot less distance between continents, we could have some more impact worldwide, but then again, we may have been seen as outdated and boring to all the modern metalheads worldwide. I guess I’ll never know.
. . .
Destruktor – “Violence Unseen”
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Has technology/social networking/etc. made it easier for you to spread the word?
Decaylust
I guess it has made it easier for both bands and fans. From a band point of view, the best advantage is contact with the label surrounding a release and getting everything organized. The problem is it’s perhaps too easy, and every mongoloid with an instrument know has the ease of uploading their “music” and can use this platform to promote their rubbish. I don’t really care either way. You can still sort the false from the genuine. It’s as much a fashionable thing to use these sites as it is to be against them.
Marcus Hellkunt
Yes…hail the Internet!!! Hail MySpace!!!!
Ian Belshaw
Of course it has. Geographical distance is nothing when the Internet is concerned. We in Shackles were initially reluctant to get a MySpace page, but once we did, we found it to make things much easier. It is also much quicker to email labels/distros/zines or other bands than writing a letter and waiting for a reply. Society is very impatient these days – they want information immediately, put on a plate in front of them, or not at all. You can fight it all you want, but at the end of the day you’ll be limiting the scope of your band in the process.
Ben Wrecker
Yeah, the Internet’s been both a positive and a negative thing. Essentially now everyone’s got a level platform for making people aware of their band or label, and whilst that’s also a positive thing, it also really makes it hard to stand out amongst the crowd. Bro Fidelity is a very niche-based label. It isn’t meant to be a huge money earner. It’s done for the love of the music and the desire to expose it to a broader amount of people in other countries, and nowadays it’s all independently focused, and less physical records are being sold because of downloading, etc.
I think it’s great to be able to make a record with a guy like Gary Arce (Yawning Man/Ten East), which Hotel Wrecking City Traders recently have done. It started off when HWCT got to open up for Ten East in Melbourne, and then via the Internet we’ve recorded a record together in Melbourne [and] California, and I think that’s a really remarkable thing. Bands are doing split releases with bands from overseas more than ever, and it’s a cool way to expose bands to each other’s respective necks of the woods and make the connections between bands that may have never really had the opportunity to do so in the days of tape trading and limited run print zines.
On the flipside, I hold that era of discovering music very close to my heart because it was so much harder to discover bands, and when you did, it was like you’d uncovered something you could share with your friends, and it was a sort of nerdy club of music-obsessed people sharing their new discoveries. It’s no different these days, but people are sharing entire hard drives of MP3 formatted music files, and it’s become so much larger in scope. Good music is in the eye of the beholder, so it will always be there and different for everyone. That’s the best part of it.
Glenn Destruktor
I think a lot of our reputation and fan base was established from the mail I used to do many years ago. This shaped the band, no doubt, and everything since has just been an evolution. The Internet has made everything more accessible, but that also means that it is very easy for shitty bands with shitty recording with their shitty songs to spam themselves to make themselves popular, and start their shitty website to show how crap they are to every dickhead that bothers to gives it a listen. I’m proud that Destruktor was established from the old-school way whilst we were in an era of change to the digital, Internet, blah blah world. No doubt this is an easier way to promote the band, but that does not necessarily make it a good thing. It makes it too easy for jobless, trend jumping idiots to call themselves a metalhead, with no idea what the fuck they are on about, no dedication, no life.
. . .
Vomitor
. . .
Are there any obstacles/difficulties you face that you think are particular to your country?
Decaylust
As already mentioned, the biggest obstacle would be the distance from the rest of the world and the way this affects touring overseas.
Marcus Hellkunt
Definitely. Distance, funds, drugs, alcohol, and chicks are all obstacles.
Ian Belshaw
Not really. We all speak English, which is the global heavy metal language. We have a high standard of living, meaning that computer access and the purchasing of musical gear is no obstacle. We’re a lucky country in many ways.
Ben Wrecker
Mainly the size and distance. Bands in Europe can drive the same amount of miles as bands here and play in multiple countries. Australia is so big and the drives much longer, and you get far less venues, let alone countries, for the amount of miles you drive. That always surprises bands when they come from overseas – how long it takes to get around and do shows. But it is a fun country to tour, though, I always enjoy it.
Glenn Destruktor
The distance between here and everywhere else, regardless of [where] internationally. Look at a map of Australia. There are barely five cities in Australia that can consistently gather a semi-reasonable crowd to gigs. It is even shitty to play gigs in different parts of Australia because of the distance between the cities. That is a major reason why we do not play a lot of gigs. No point playing to the same people every fucking month! Lack of good distribution, a sparsely populated land, and distance from overseas would be the biggest issues, I guess. I don’t really think or worry about these things. I just do what I do, however I can, whenever I want, really.
. . .
Hunters Moon – “The Ravens Swoon”
. . .
What bands do you consider to be “the future” of the Australian scene?
Decaylust
I really don’t know. There will always be a handful of good bands and a horde of shit that doesn’t appeal to me on any level.
Marcus Hellkunt
Stormbane and Diabolical Demon Director from Melbourne. Check ‘em out.
Ian Belshaw
Apart from established bands such as Portal, Cauldron Black Ram, Nocturnal Graves, Trench Hell, and Raven Black Night, the likes of Innsmouth, Demons Gate, Hellbringer, Doomed Beast, and Mongrel’s Cross are some to keep an eye on. Not exactly revolutionary, but taking the torch into the future.
Ben Wrecker
Fire Witch, Spider Goat Canyon, Breathing Shrine, Agonhymn are all really exciting and diverse, and their live shows are always killer.
Glenn Destruktor
I don’t see it growing much. I think you will continue to hear of another band popping up that still invoke the spirit of old, and while bands continue to do it, some good bands should continue to arise over the years. I doubt there will be any explosion of Aussie metal, because the scene is more diverse and attracts different crowds. The future of Aussie metal I still like to think is us, along with bands such as Portal, Vomitor, Nocturnal Graves, Denouncement Pyre, Cemetery Urn, Ignivomous, and now a band called Stormbane are now showing some very positive signs. Other bands like Trench Hell, Cauldron Black Ram, and others also continue to fly the flag of the mighty underground.
. . .
. . .
Don’t forget about the Dropbears… those things are lethal.
Nice to see the Australian scene getting a mention in the international metal world
Great interview(s)
Alchemist?
@jon from nj:
Thank you! Not a single token mention of my favorite Aussie group (and one of the very few that I’ve seen play live)? That’s not a FAIL, but damn near.
Ah well, I guess Alchemist’s tripped out sci-fi/psyche flavored brand of metal doesn’t get much notice even amongst their contemporaries.
//TB
Destroyer 666 absolutely destroyed Emo’s in Austin two nights ago.
Awesome, Josh.
Isolation is the thing in Australia. Isolation from the rest of the world and isolation between the cities within Australia.
The guys spelled it out, but what people outside of Australia often don’t understand is the sheer size of Australia and the population distribution. Overlay a map of Australia over a map of the US, and you will see that it is not significantly smaller – it’s maybe two-thirds the size of the US or more.
But the US has over 300 million people, while Australia has just over 20 million. And most of these people live in a handful of cities, 100’s of kilometres apart from each other.
I’m from Adelaide, and my experience is probably slightly different from those in the east coast cities (Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane).
Adelaide has a reasonably large population, spread out over a large area. Most local bands just play in Adelaide, to the same bunch of punters every time. Some make the 800km trip to Melbourne and play the odd show. But it’s pretty hard to build a local Australian fan base when the distances are so huge. You can only really build a bit of a following in your hometown and maybe the next one.
For instance I lived in Australia all my life up until November – but I have never seen Portal. Psycroptic came through my hometown a couple of times in the last year, but it’s not like bands from Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane are constantly coming through. Some international bands tour Australia more regularly than some of the bigger Australian bands. (And on a side note, many of those international bands on do a 3 date east coast tour. Some even fly directly over Adelaide to Perth, the most isolated city in the world)
As a consequence some Australian bands are bigger outside of Oz than they are locally.
Also getting a support slot on an international band tour of Oz is a big deal, to get exposure outside of your city – but sometimes the best bands don’t necessarily get these supports.
The internet has homogenised the world, but 12- 15 years ago I didn’t have the internet at home. I used it a bit at school and then uni. And there are only so many albums you could buy, copy and borrow. Lots of the international underground metal albums were very hard to get a hold of. As a consequence I used to listen to a lot more radio than I do now. There were metal programmes on the national government radio station, JJJ, and on the local community radio station, 3D, but otherwise the best you could hope for outside of those shows, was heavier alternative rock.
So I think that as mentioned in the article, people weren’t just black metal, or death metal, or thrash metal. A lot of people were forced to listen to other stuff just based on availability of music… Everything has changed now. If you just want to listen to nothing but ambient black metal, the internet has allowed you to do so.
I could say more, but I’ve filled up too much space – and my experience is one of many that may differ… I know lots of Australians read this blog. So hopefully they put their 2 cents in too.
Thanks for writing about our little old continent.
Thanks for the perspective, Noise Road… was interesting to read
Fascinating reading. Thanks to Josh and the participants!
Nice post, haven’t heard of many of those bands. Distance is a bitch
Not one mention of Ne Obliviscaris? I am disappoint
How about these bands throw a metal fest in Wadeye? It’s that town in the Northern Territories that has gangs named after metal bands. I’m pretty sure the natives would appreciate it.
http://www.vbs.tv/watch/music-world/heavy-metal-gangs-of-wadeye-1-of-2
No mention of Ulcerate either, they’re Aussies right? great band
I was wrong, Ulcerate are Kiwis. Sorry, I bet Aussies and Kiwis don’t like it when people get them mixed up.
Noise Road, thanks for the fan’s perspective. Australia is one of the top two countries I want to visit, and insights like these only reinforce that notion. From afar, it certainly does seem like Australia has a strong bestial/war/whatever you want to call it “scene”. But zoom in, and you see a lot of distance and isolation. Fascinating.
Foeglitarian – Indeed, I’ve had Aussies and Kiwis look at me askance when I mixed them up.
Very interesting read.
That Hunter’s Moon EP got ripped by a lot of publications but I thought it was rad, completely worthy Bathory tribute from down under.
Thanks for the kind words everyone! I had a great time putting this together. I’ve always thought there was something special about the Australian bands, so it was a very interesting process getting in touch with them and finally getting some insight into their scene.
@jon from nj as far as I can tell, Alchemist are no longer active. Their website claims they are “hibernating indefinitely” and their myspace blog hasn’t been updated since January.
Some more aus bands:
Ouroboros(death/thrash)
Captain Cleanoff (grind)
Clagg (sludge)
>”That Hunter’s Moon EP got ripped by a lot of publications but I thought it was rad, completely worthy Bathory tribute from down under.”
Yeah, it’s really nice. I enjoyed it.
NeObliviscaris are not to be mentioned again. They are gothic crap.
LOL! I agree, and what self-respecting metalhead wouldn’t?
If you would like a review of New Zealand metal let me know.
@W A MacMurdo
I would like to read about the punk/metal scene in New Zealand and its affiliations with the one in Japan, at least back in the days when geography had a major role in these things.
“NeObliviscaris are not to be mentioned again. They are gothic crap.”
Agree.
We lost a lot when we lost Metal For The Brain, it was an annual fesitval held at the nations capital Canberra that would have most of the better bands playing and draw people from all across the country. The guys in Alchemist used to put it together but it died as a reult of becoming too much of a pain in the ass to put together (public liability insurance was a big part of it, the old stigma of metal = idiots destroying venues and each other is still faily prominant here). I’m in Newcastle myself which is outisde of the major cities, though the most populace non-major city. We used to have a decent thrash scene when I was 18/19 with a bunch of young guys who just wanted to play in shitty dives to their mates (Neglected Faith FTW!!), and I hear there are some decent bands doing the rounds but mostly it’s the gothic type crap you get peddled by anguished late teen Slipknot fans.
I particularly liked the slight divergence in opinion between the guys from the more extreme bands and Ben from Hotel Wrecking City Traders who play more Karma To Burn style stoner. The extreme guys still seem to searching for that purity of old school ideals where as the stoner crowd has a fairly prominant and active scene (at least in the major capitals, bands like Peeping Tom, Hotel Wrecking City Traders, Shellfin, Aghonhymn and Arrowhead among others seem to be playing regularly enough around their home cities.
I especially liked the comment that most of the notable Aussie bands don’t just run with one style, they tend to be amalgamations of different things (prime example with Blood Duster grinding all over stoner rock with Str8OuttaNorthcote).
Ne Obliviscaris are pretty much the embodiment of that “technical for the sake of technical” crap that some of the guys briefly touched upon. I’ve had the misfortune of experiencing their live set, and yeah, they possess some impressive widdling skills, but they come up far shorter than the sum of their parts; the music is simply boring wank. No one gives a fuck if their drummer has the fastest feet in Australia or whatever (a point that the band never fails to mention in their publicity), in the end it doesn’t serve to make interesting music.
In regards to Alchemist – they’re a solid band and hardworking guys, I’ve no doubt they’ve earned the respect of pretty much every metalhead in Australia, but they exist in a metal scene/crowd separate to the ones represented by the five blokes above.
The death/thrash/bestial/whatever scene is indeed alive and well, although if I had to give my three favourite (and currently active) metal bands in the country it’d be Portal, Stargazer and Mournful Congregation.
Few Perth Bands worth checking out
Probably one of Perth’s biggest metal band,their latest Album “Hollow Be My Name” Boasts and awesome concept of the convicts coming to Australia.
Some not so big bands:
Very newly formed metal act with some hardcore influence. Crushing live and looking forward to all the upcoming endeavors.
Something different:
A complete mind fuck of awesomeness beyond belief. Amazing live, incredibly unique.
Obviously screwed up my html in my original post please ignore
Few Perth Bands worth checking out
Eleventh he Reaches London
Probably one of Perth’s biggest metal band,their latest Album “Hollow Be My Name” Boasts and awesome concept of the convicts coming to Australia.
Some not so big bands:
Ibex
Very newly formed metal act with some hardcore influence. Crushing live and looking forward to all the upcoming endeavors.
Something different:
Mongrel Country
A complete mind fuck of awesomeness beyond belief. Amazing live, incredibly unique.
Definitely check out my gun shoots out love by mongrel country… the Mp3’s just don’t do it justice though…. God damn LSB
Sorry, what? Where was the metal in those links, again? The vocals for Ibex and Mongrel Country were especially terrible. Not all loud and/or heavy and/or distorted music is metal, I’m afraid none of that qualified as metal or as good music.
Just to come back to this again, I meant to say My Left Boot above insted of Peeping Tom, Peeping Tom shut up shop a while ago, but were still an awesome band.
Some other quality Aussie stuff
Atolah – instrumental doom, quality stuff
http://www.myspace.com/atolah
Clagg – Sweet sludge/doom with harsh vocals
http://www.myspace.com/clagg
My Left Boot – like late-Soundgarden jamming on Kyuss (sloppy description yes, awesome band, check out Are You Listening and Writers Block.
http://www.myspace.com/myleftboot
Mother Mars – spacey psych rock, tidy jams
http://www.myspace.com/mothermars
Sons of The Ionian Sea – the remnants of Peeping Tom, cool groove in their stuff.
http://www.myspace.com/sonsoftheioniansea
plenty more, plenty more…too much to mention!! (my band too, http://www.myspace.com/RogerKilljoy, only basic demos)
Ok.. this article is ok. But its all the old cunts of the seen from the 80/90’s. You need to be talking about the new breed of Australian metal, ya know, what people actually CARE about and follow these days. Not the balding old cunts of yesterday. Sure respect where respect is due, but let me tell you the bands to watch right now, from Australia.
Psycroptic – http://www.myspace.com/pyscroptic Pretty much, these guys blow every Australian band off the planet. Totally relevant, unlike all the bands above. A personal favourite of Black Dahlia Murder, Decapitated etc.
Truth Corroded – http://www.myspace.com/truthcorroded Australia’s first band to tour China, modern thrash with some classic elements. Have supported Sepultura, Behemoth etc. Kevin Talley ( ex Dying Fetus ) playing on their new album. Huge body of work and well respected in the Aussie scene. Work horse band. Think Sepultura cross Forbidden.
A Red Shore – http://www.myspace.com/aredshore Dont be fooled by the appereance, A Red Shore jam more notes in 30 seconds than the entire Sad Ex back catalogue.. ever. Shall fly the flag for Oz in the us IN 2010/2011. For fans of Behemoth
Entrails Eradicated – http://www.myspace.com/entrailseradicated – Tech metal, innovative, same as above, but the bogan versions. Ex members of Claim The Throne, ridiculous playing, world class shit right here. Watch these guys. Pretty much every riff is your average bands sweep solo. Mind blowingly great musicians. For fans of Origin
Double Dragon – http://www.myspace.com/doubledragonheavymetal Hand picked by Tom Araya to open the Slayer/Megadeth tour, meat and potato metal,internationals bands seem to love these guys,Ozzie bands HATE them, Ozzy fans love them, especially the younger ones. New album coming soon, still very new and the darkhorse of Aussie metal. Singer sung a song with Slayer in Melbourne. For Faith No More / The Haunted fans.
Humonic – http://www.myspace.com/humonic – blackened thrash, with the mighty SKITZ ( ex Damaged ) on the skins. Touring alot around the country ,RELEVANT for fans of Goatwhore, Soilent Green etc.
Five Star Prison Cell – http://www.myspace.com/fivestarprisoncell Crazy band, think fantomas, carbomb?, no one sounds like these guys, heavily patton inspired chaotic madness. For all Mike Patton, Dillinger, crazy fuckers.
Universum – http://www.myspace.com/universumband – Australia’s melodic metallers, very swedodeath sound, mixed by Jonas from Scar Symmetry, albums feature guests from Mors Principium among others. Very soilwork, but no one in Oz is really doing this style and remaining authentic. HAve supported Dragonforce/ Cradle of Filth, for fans of Dark Tranquillity / Soilwork
Parkway Drive – Australia’s biggest metal export… EVER. Sure, they look like hardcore kids, but they play metal, and sound like Pantera. Have built an empire, play the biggest venues in Australia, sell out every show and a band with a MASSIVE cultural importance on the youth of Australia. Anyone who denys Parkway Drive as a force in Aussie metal is an ignorant cunt, or an old washed up 40 year old ‘back in the days’ Oz metal head.
Now.. these are just a few. Australian metal is doing things right now and making connections. Im sorry, but your article should read “The History Of Australian metal” not whats happening, and what is RELEVANT in this day and age. Unfortunately, the new bands, are kicking the arses of the old ones, but.. they did pave the way for the onslaught to come.
“Parkway Drive – Australia’s biggest metal export… EVER”
ahahahahahahaha. Now I’m unsure if I’m an ignorant cunt or an old washed up 40 year old.
These guys sell more records by themselves than the whole of Australia’s metal bands combined. Their latest album debuted number 2 on the Aria charts.Who else has even cracked the 100? NO ONE. Stop being ignorant. Im talking export dollars. No one does better than them, I dont even like them, but you cannot deny, they are doing better than any other metal band has from Australia.. ever. If you can’t understand that, youre just in denial. Check the numbers.
Oh I’m sure they’ve sold their arses all across the eastern seaboard many times over and outsell a band like Blood Duster 50 times over, but calling them our biggest metal export of all time? I would think Mortification would bury them purely with their Christian appeal (note: research not done to back this up). It’s never taken good songs or quality product to sell heaps of cd’s, especially when you’re main audience is mid to late teenagers with disposable incomes and ever changing tastes in music.
yeah.. you could be right there, the christian market is huge, but Parkway on Epitaph and lots of support, Warped Tours, sold out Euro tours, the fact is, they are a business in every sense of the word, and a highly succesful one at that. I highly doubt Mortification did one hundred thousand a night in merch alone. Granted.. its sceney bullshit, a fad, trend or whatever, but they really do have a massive worldwide fanbase. I mean even their new film clip reeks of cash.. I mean, i love and grew up with Hobbs,Pathogen, Destroyer666, great scene.. but a small segmented scene of Australia, they were doing what the bands I mentioned are doing ten to fifteen years ago. There is ALOT of bands in Australia that think Australian metal died with them, when the reality is they inspired a shitload of new, Aussie metal soon to be balding jaded cunts.
Haha, all those bands pretty much fall under the categories of generic thrash, generic death (especially the shitty tech-death nonsense) or generic metalcore. Look at the introduction to the article: “Australian bands were loud, chaotic, ugly, and savage”. We’re dealing with a particular kind of metal here, one that doesn’t give a shit whether it enters the ARIA charts next to some teabagger like Guy Sebastian or whether it sells thousands of dollars of merch a night. Not the kind of music that tries to rip off whatever’s popular in the US and Europe at the moment, and not the kind of music that gives a shit for breakdowns, stupid gravity blasts and 20-notes-a-second technical riffs. This nonsense will die as quickly as it popped up, and these cocksmokers with their nice haircuts, retarded flesh tunnel piercings and colourful quasi-metal band logos will find some other bandwagon to jump onto.
how the hell do you know? ‘Generic’ Nice one buddy. You call Pyscroptic ‘generic’. You call A Red Shore “generic’? The only thing generic about this whole page is your generic comment bashing the bands. Listen to them. ‘Generic Thrash’.. my god. You seen more knowledged on the scene, the accesories, I know these bands, none of them have ‘plugs’ or short hair… I’d like to see you call Skitz a generic thrasher. Im stating facts here. Truth Corroded were the first AUSSIE BAND EVER to tour China – Im sure kevin Talley will play on a ‘generic’ thrash album – or is Dying Fetus/ Daath – ‘generic ddeath metal’ Pyscroptic tour the world, they are far from ‘generic’ the Haley brothers are some of the finest MUSICIANS in the world. Red Shore are about to tour the US, their guitarist Roman is a HIGHLY SKILLED, MUSICIAN. Im yet to see ANY band like them on rotation on MTV. Tom Aray CHOSE Double Dragon to tour with them, as he is a fan.. of ‘generic metal?’ I suppose Slayer are generic Thrash in your eyes? Entrails Eradicated are not tech for being tech, they are tech because they can fucking play, and play well. They are better MUSICIANS than the bands mentioned. Isnt this what we are hear to discuss? Music? Or fashion? Musicians or ‘Scenes’ or old ’scenes from Melbourne and Sydney fifteen fucken years ago? How can you.. internet warrior tell these bands ‘They are Generic?’ Generic because they have some moderate success? Or Generic in the fact that the haters will hate, and the jealous will come out with their ‘generic’ fucking comments. Its music. I doubt any of these bands, including Parkway give a fuck about any scenes. They play with passion, and showcase their ABILITES and ART. Im sorry if they are too good and skilled for your ears. Go listen to some shitty bootlegs of Sad Ex.
“but still, the scene has been similar for the last few years, and will never be what it was during the late-80’s through to mid-90’s.” Stop living in the past DESTRUKTOR. Metal in Australia has never been bigger, the tours and bands interested in playing the Pacific territory proves it. Iron Maiden and Slayer ( \m/ ) headlining Soundwave ( Australia’s new premiere Summer Touring Festival ) speaks volumes for my argument.
Terrible shame Psycroptic stopped releasing good material after they dropped Matthew Chalk.
The Isle of Disenchantment and Scepter of the Ancients are far more enjoyable than Symbols of Failure and beyond. Shame, really.
And Skippy, the interviews are relevant to today’s metal scene.
They make references to what happened in the past to strengthen their point.
Skippy, the bands you like are gay. That by extension means you probably have AIDS. The faggotry you kids are listening to and accepting as good music is humorous to say the least. These bands are soft and appeal to the lowest common denominator. Bands like parkway drive are for emo faggots. Or did you miss the eyeliner and gay haircuts? I don’t think they could even like the rubbish they play, but playing weak emo faggotry has retarded kids who wear makeup and cut themselves shelling out the cash.
And what? No mention of Volatile? That was the embodiment of true Aussie metal. Drinking piss and BBQ.
Fuck off cap. I’m not 15. Im 35. I have no care for the fashion, the look or the image. I listen with my ears not my eyes. Five Star Prison Cell watered down – your fucken dreaming. Granted – Parkway do play for emo faggots, but the reality is, they are doing better that your band, so suck a dick. They are playing the world, and having the times of their lives, I can understand your beef as your band probably plays to 4 people at your local. Its cool, I understand. Yes, Chalky is a mate of mine actually, but Jason is an expceptional front man, and their fans around the entire globe that love Pyscroptic would tell you that too. Australian metal isnt just V8’s and BBQ’s. Thats fucking redneck shite. Yes, we have loser rednecks in Australia too. You know, unemployable, long haired miserable cunts who do more whinging about their peers than a fucking mothers meeting. The bands supporting the internationals at the moment, may not be the most ‘Br00dal’ but they are the bands that WORK HARD. They dont play for scenes, promoters and fans like them and it is simple as that. I’m terribly sorry they dont appreciate your music anymore.
Thanks for proving my point, faggot. You are 35? That makes it even worse. You like watered down, gay rubbish. Nobody cares who is playing the world if their music sucks. The opinion of kids doesn’t count. Maybe you should stick to shitty pop music if popularity rather than being any good drive what you listen to. In short, you have AIDS and play the skin flute, princess. Any man who doesn’t like a V8 and a BBQ is obviously a Peter puffer.
Keep it clean, guys, or take it outside.
Now you know why the English sent us away mate…
Good read, I saw D666 two weekends ago and they fucking brought it at Atlanta GA. I am sure dealing with money and driving through suck ass America has got them in war mode, they weren’t shy talking about what a fucked up time they were having in the states and how much they appreciated the rabid crowd response and support. I can’t think of many bands I’ve seen live with that much heart and spirit, intense as hell.
Maybe I’d better let this topic die, but… I have a hard time understanding the hate for Ne Obliviscaris. To each his own, but I particularly don’t get the “technical for the sake of technical” comment. I wouldn’t even have thought of this band as “technical” at all. I mean, just because there is fast drumming and a little bit of violin isn’t enough to be labelled technical. For me their songs are epic and have lots of great melodies and that’s what I like about them. Definitely looking forward to their debut. Now, I’ve also read a lot of comments stating that they suck live. Maybe they do, I don’t really care since I’ll never get to see them just like 99.99% of the bands I like.
“Ok.. this article is ok. But its all the old cunts of the seen from the 80/90’s. You need to be talking about the new breed of Australian metal, ya know, what people actually CARE about and follow these days. Not the balding old cunts of yesterday. Sure respect where respect is due, but let me tell you the bands to watch right now, from Australia.”
All of the ‘old cunts’ that were interviewed are still living and breathing this music. So no, they aren’t just “from” the 80’s and 90’s. They’ve been writing and contributing music right up till present day. Most have recently toured Europe and have been releasing solid material to date. The poofter modern Metal scene that you’re talking about receives plenty of attention in Australia. Just look to the cringefest that was the ‘Metal Awards’ to see what kind of crowd those boring bands appeal to.
Haha, I forgot all about that “Australian Metal Awards” business. Managed to forgot that one quickly, eh? It was like the Australian version of all those retarded polls you see in crap like Kerrang mag.
sickofmotion – Granted, perhaps “technical” was the wrong term to use, as I didn’t mean it in the sense of bands like Cynic or Meshuggah or Atheist or Dream Theater or whatever bands people like to apply the term to, and endlessly crap on about the band’s time signatures and chord progressions and so on. But the band definitely has an element of what people may call “virtuosity”… and I suppose I can say that to their credit. They’re bloody impressive musicians. It’s just that when it’s all brought together, it just sounds quite dull. I don’t know what made them think those clean vocals would work. And, well, if you genuinely like them then maybe you shouldn’t see them live, really not much to write home about.
This discussion, civil or not, has gotten me thinking about metal scenes in other cities and countries. I’ve talked to metal musicians from all over and asked them some of these types of questions, and the impression I get is that metal has gotten so big and diverse now that there can exist completely separate metal scenes, broken down by age or subgenre, even within the same city. (Chicago is a good example.) So it’s just a matter of finding what works for oneself. The teenage Parkway Drive fan and the veteran Destruktor fan aren’t ever going to see eye-to-eye (unless the former grows up to become the latter).
You’re spot on. The ’scene’ is fiercely divided here, and for good reason.
What is a scene?
METAL IN AUSTRALIAS MAAAAAAD!
check out my band Burnt At The Stake
Hailing from the Depths of Western Sydney \M/
http://www.myspace.com/burntatthestakeau
I think I must be one of those balding washed up 40 year old cunts. Very unfortunate for me because I’m 32 and musically at my best.
So what if PD made number 2. I think Def Leppard did to. Does that make them better than Metallica?
Regardless, the scene will not be what it was, as mentioend in the interview. Back in about 1994, Bestial Warlust and Sad Ex played to close to 1000 people. For such violent, ugly music, this is and was unheard of. Weather or not PD are playing to umpteen million people is not relevant to the discussion taking place. We may aswell add Rose Tattoo, The Angels, AC/DC to the discusiion.
skippy-
the fact that a band (in this case,parkway drive)is doing “good”,doesnt give them more credibility than anyone else..and certainly not when youre talking about a style as bestial and raging like aussie metal. their “doing good” has nothing to do with musical quality,and more with being a flavor of the month kiddies band and playing shows with other big label backed bands to promote more kiddies music no one will give a rats about in a week. parkway drive- and swhats with these nowadays bands that name themselves after streets/apt complexes anyways? and the streets/apt. complexes they name themselves after sound like they were new 2 years ago,which makes sense considering these bands are so interchangeable and vapid- might be big this week,but no ones gonna talk about em the way they do bestial warlust
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