The word on metal with Josh Nixon [DOOMTILDEATH@HOTMAIL.COM]

Where the hell did that year go? The year was just settling in, and suddenly we’re compiling the end-of-year lists?

It hardly seems like anything came out this year until I actually bother to look at my listening habits and sort by year of release and see there are well over 20 albums this year that have been getting pretty good air time on my daily commutes and tapping away in the garage.

Notable events this past month include the opening of a new venue, Fun Time Pony, where the Pancake Parlour used to be. Hopefully, we get some big riffs down in the city again for our southsiders who have to spend lots of cash to go out to the newly renamed Belconnen home of heavy.

Yes, renamed. The Basement is now the name of the Sydney Jazz Club again, as Nic and Mik have rebranded to The Baso. The WLVIC (winningest live venue in Canberra) has a new logo (not a bass; it should have had 4 strings) and a new name but the same dedication to heavy music. All the best, team.

Looking back to this time last year, I wrapped 2022’s biggest metal news with the announcement of the Pantera reunion. A year on, and the big story closing out 2023 is the Knotfest lineup, headlined by the world’s most controversial cover band.

While several performances were cancelled this year in response to the fallout of Anselmo’s infamous “white power” salute at Dimefest in 2016, the specific criticism blowing up in the Knotfest lineup hasn’t so much to do with Pantera.

The lineup includes Disturbed, Lamb of God, Halestorm, The Hu, Asking Alexandra, Wage War, Escape The Fate, Thy Art Is Murder, Skindred, Speed, Windwaker, Brand of Sacrifice and King Parrot.

The Instagram account @lineupswithoutmales pointed out that only 7% of band members are female. Local Andrew Glitoris hit out on social media, suggesting the event be called “Manfest”, continuing, “1.5% of the musicians on this line-up are women. As well as the other questions about relevance and the politics of the headliner, there’s no justification for the absence of women.”

Knotfest could do with some old-school Melbourne death metal from Carcinoid, who dropped their Encomium To Extinction EP in November, and Sydney doomers Potion, who reissued their three EPs on one album in November. Melbourne doom bands Religious Observance, and Vvarp recorded new albums due soon. Javan laced black metal Kilat or the fine theatrics of The Neptune Power Federation could bring some diversity in not just gender by tempo and substance to the affairs, to name a very select few, so Andrew’s point was well made.

At $240-ish a ticket, the show is reasonable value for 15 international touring bands (Thy Art, Speed and King Parrot all toured OS this year) compared to the bill shock at the Mr Bungle and Melvins double bill announced for next year, which had many excited til they announced the $169.95 ticket price.

In this economy? Damn, I heard the RBA were putting up interest rates because of haircuts; don’t tell them about the concert prices!

King Parrot had an incredible 2023 with a massive US tour, including several Pantera support slots, with Anselmo regularly wearing their merch on stage. They’re keeping their live show iron-tempered for the Knotfest shows with a mini pre-Xmas Oz tour that includes a show at The Baso on 16 December with Witchskull, Deprivation, and Point 17.

Witchskull had another sterling year with their 4th album, The Serpent Tide, doing well on the internationally recognised doom charts, a national tour and some seriously tasty offers to head to Europe in ‘24.

Deprivation can give the ‘skull advice on the best airlines and hotels based on their thrilling experience playing Wacken Open Air this year, a great 2023 for both bands.

Lucifungus went ahead and combined both of those achievements with their 4th album IV AND a jolly good month-long jaunt in Europe throughout November, breaking new ground for Canberra-flavoured sludge.

They’ve also done a split 7” with Melbourne sludge band Burn the Hostages. They joined Pungent Stench at the Pot Belly on 1 December to round out a massive 2023 for the lads.

I had a look at my playlist on my desktop (I am an old man who doesn’t like Spotify) in order to scour for my notable releases for 2023.

Case in point: I’m listening to Canberra death metal legends Psychrist and their excellent Embrace Rapture in Disgust on CD as I write this today (shout out Yuri/Kel and lads; still a cracker).

I used to go in for the Top 5, but I can fit more into this column for a wrap-up on releases for the year.

Merry Happy 666mas List

So, in alphabetical order, I present for your 2023 666mas shopping list/playlist consideration the following releases (deep breath):

• Autopsy Ashes – Organs Blood & Crypts is one of the OGs and is still a great time
• Aglo – Build Fear – Canberran ex-pat making Star Trek-themed death metal a genre
• Baroness – Stone – Return to form; noodle city
• Carcinoid – Encomium To Extinction – Death metal, old school, nasty
• Church of Misery – Born Under a Mad Sign – Japanese murder doom lords return with a ripper
• Danava – Nothing But Nothing – A bit like Killers era Maiden playing stoner doom ripping guitar work
• Enforced – War Remains – A thoroughly thrashin’ good time for everyone
• Isua – Abandon – Melbourne doom band won a VIC music award for this
• Khanate – To Be Cruel – The nastiest surprise release of the year and as withering as they’ve ever been. Nasty, nasty doom
• Kruelty – Untopia – Super fun, ridiculously heavy Japanese slam, and a great live band to boot
• Kvelertak – Endling – I didn’t love the last one; this one is much more coherent from back to back
• Gummo – Assimilation is Death – Blink-and-you-miss grinding fun, insanely hilarious, heavy tones
• Lo! – The Gleaners – Great production, big step up in quality in all departments and an impressive release
• Lucifungus – IV – I am contractually bound to praise this record, but they can’t make me wear their shirt
• Memoriam – Rise To Power– My inner Bolt Thrower tragic can’t at least not mention this prolific death
• Mutoid Man – Mutants – I didn’t love it as much as the last one, but I gave it another go, and it is indeed very catchy heavy weirdness from the Mutoid gang
• Saint Karloff – Paleolithic War Crimes – Norse groovy swingin’ doom and a well-written body of good songs
• Tomb Mold – The Enduring Spirit – The enduring spirit of whack-a-do death metal is alive and well here. Kooky and fearless and just a great blasting time.
• Witchskull – The Serpent Tide – The locals focus on the riffs and the songs, and the results speak for themselves on their third release for Rise Above Records
• Yawning Man – Long Walk of the Navajo – A couple of Canberra visits from these guys only enhanced my appreciation for this unique band

So what did I miss? Jump onto the Metalise Facebook and let me know. But in the meantime, the above should sort you out into 2024 and prepare for another year of heavy metal madness.

A couple of notable shows announced since the last column are worth considering for sticking in the stocking for the discerning metalhead this 666mas.

Death doom quality on a boat in January, you say? Why not! Mortiferum make a welcome summer visit on 19 January with Faceless Burial and Altars sharing the tour and Melbourne’s excellent Contaminated swabbing the poop deck. Tickets from Oztix.

The Baso hosts the most brutal 4/20 in the land next year with death metal gods Suffocation joined by the also killer Revocation! Get your tickets via Oztix.

Cirith Ungol announced a first and last Australian tour that lands at the WLVIC, er The Baso, on 30 May with Night Demon. Tickets via Oztix.

And that’s it for 2023, folks. Love your work, stay heavy, and look forward to even more in 2024!