March kicks off brutal with the USA extremity of Sulfuric Cautery and Girth being joined by killer Melbourne band Contaminated and locals Blight Worms and Bloodmouth. This massive package is crammed into The Basement on Thursday, 5 March.
And come Friday, 13 March you have choices to make, Canberra metal folk.
The Basement in Belconnen hosts Canberra’s Deathbeds launching their new album Sinner. The symphonic metalcore six-piece are taking off on an east coast jaunt from Canberra’s spiritual home of heavy and have recruited Teeth for the whole tour and Pillager and Purity for the Canberra gig, ahead of shows in Sydney, Newcastle and Melbourne over the month to continue the celebration of the fruits of their labours.
At the Transit Bar, also on the 13th, plays host to the return of Canberra stoner doom institution Pod People. This will mark the bands first Canberra show in nine years and the first show for “new” guitarist Roy Torkington (ex Alchemist) in ten years. It’s set to be a massive night with Victorian grind supergroup Remains (fresh from supports with Obituary, Cattle Decapitation and a host of local shows), Hekate featuring Marcus De Pasquale of Witchskull on vocals and guitar, and Point 17 to fire up the night.
Saturday, 21 March at the Transit Bar celebrates the launch of the Pilots of Baalbek album Uncontrolled Airspace, a killer self release which has more ’70s shuffles than a nursing home. The launch party includes Sydney bands White Knuckle Fever and Mucho Sonar as well as the delights of locals Local Horror. The album is fantastic, check it out!
The Exploited is a hot ticket and for good reason. The seminal punk band have a 40-year history to draw from; their integrity is unquestioned and they will bring their barmy army of fans along for the party which still includes VIP tickets with a load of extras as long as our collective arms. Wednesday, 25 March at The Basement for that one.
German psych rock trio Kadavar are at The Basement on April Fools and you would have to be one to miss this band as they air tracks from their back catalogue and their latest, For the Dead Travels Fast. I’m still waiting for confirmation on the supports, but you don’t want to miss these guys live.
Melbourne two-piece Dead have a new album entitled Raving Drooling and they’re bring their new material to town for your entertainment on the Friday, 3 April at The Basement. In the interests of musical diversity, CHUD and Inebriator are on board for this auspicious occasion.
Like an aggressively growing cell, Fu Manchu in the late ’90s split into two and the second half formed the formidable and equally special stoner act Nebula. Thanks to Your Mate Bookings, Transit Bar will play host to the supreme guitar skills of Eddie Glass and he’ll be abled and abetted by Pilots of Baalbek and Grand Duke on May 7.
I’ve been blasting a whole slew of newish music on recommendation of dear friends and my own musical sleuthing of late, and before writing some more considered reviews, I reckon here’s some albums to ask Landspeed Records to get in for you.
Memoriam – Requiem for Mankind. Karl Willets of Bolt Thrower tries to out throw his own bolts in this slick and bludgeoning masterpiece. The previous two albums from this band did nothing to indicate how amazing this would be.
Midnight – Rebirth in Blasphemy. Maybe not as great as their last one, but still quite great and lots of fun along the way. It almost feels like a heavier WASP in parts…
Dragunov – Arkipov. Instrumental heaviness and really well played. Reminds me a bit of Capricorns when they’re doing their instrumentals moments. Big visual scope to this work.
Brutus – Nest. This Belgian three-piece have been a bit of a revelation for me in no small part to the talents of their drummer singer Stefanie Mannaerts and blends hardcore and post rock with flashes of Neurosis at times.
Wilderun – Veil Of Imagination. Like Opeth at their heaviest peak, glorious heavy prog with some great riffs and achingly pretty acoustic moments and melodic vocals segueing into blasts and death growls and highly competent in both realms.
Retortion Terror – ST EP. Japanese grind, really fast, for fans of Japanese grind like Unholy Grave. They stand out from a lot of their peers thanks to some slick guitar work that is a little more technically ambitious than the mean.
Enforced – At The Walls. Three mates of mine with vastly different tastes recommended me this album. To combine the recommendations, this is raucous sleeveless t-shirt thrash that will equally please fans of hardcore a la Mindsnare, modern thrash like Powertrip, and old buggers that recall their skank glory days.
Speaking of skanking glory days, don’t forget the DRI/Hirax on Thursday, 9 April at The Basement!!!!
Until next month.
