The word on metal with Josh Nixon | doomtildeath@hotmail.com
Coming In First
The absence of snow on the Brindies does not alleviate my winter fatigue. I’m over it. ESPECIALLY when so many bloody amazing shows are beckoning me out of the house.
Kings of Thrash return to The Baso on Tuesday, 23 July, featuring the talents of David Ellefson, Jeff Young and special guest Chris Poland of the seminal Big 4, Mt Rushmore Of Metal, Megadeth.
Supported by Thraxas, you will doubtless be enticed from your winter lair for an evening of classics from the ‘Deth back catalogue. Them tickets be on the Baso Oztix site.
Alienist Love/Hate Tour
UNFD-associated Wollongong metalcore outfit Alienist is on tour this winter and will pop by The Baso on Friday, 26 July. The sterling undercard will feature spellcheck compromising bands ALTVS, Synge, and Deathbeds.
The Love/Hate tour is named after the band’s UNFD-released EP, which hit the streams on 1 March. The team is bringing the works for a lap around the country in celebration. If it’s the modern metalcore you crave, then rip in. Get yer tix here and listen to the EP here!
Slower and Fuzzier
If a slower, fuzzier evening is more your speed, then save yourself for the following evening (at The Baso… derrr) for the hotly anticipated evening of vile appariffons with Melbournites 100 Years War, Black Jesus, Religious Observance and fresh post-Wretch locals Street Trash bringing it to Belco.
The Eastern Exorcism tour brings a huge night of riffs on Saturday, 27 July, and just for the fresh cuts from the new Religious Observance record 7 Years of Neglect alone, would be worth the price of admission. Of course, the package offers even more enticing delights, so get along with that one. Tickets please.
80’s Grimness
Wednesday, 14 August, is a special one with Tom G Warrior’s Hellhammer being refreshed under the moniker Triumph of Death, hitting the town with none other than the mighty Witchskull in tow to make this an unmissable night of ‘80s grimness.
I caught Triumph of Death and Triptykon in Hobart a couple of years back, and I can not stress enough that if you hold any reverence for this material, it’s been done with more than just good service; it’s as vital as it was in the early ‘80s.
You really need this one on your list. It’s at The Baso, so get your tickets. You know what’s good.
Witchskull Residency
Speaking of Witchskull, the guys are marking a decade as a band with a four-night residency on consecutive Saturdays at The Baso, covering each of their four studio albums in full, front to back. To whit:
5 October – Vast Electric Dark
12 October – Coven’s Will
19 October – A Driftwood Cross
26 October – The Serpent Tide
An early bird season pass for all four shows for 50 bucks is available—hit The Baso ticket site for the goodness.
You may as well camp there through Thursday as Friday night, the 16th, the doubleheader of the month lands at The Baso. Full of Hell and Thou have put out essential heavy new music this year. The fact you will be able to see them share a stage together on the same night— and a Friday night to boot— is so sick.
Tickets are available through United Front Touring. In the interim, check out Coagulated Bliss by Full of Hell and Umbilical by Thou to warm up for the big night.
ESSENCE Festival
This month’s big news was a new extreme music fest landing on us over two nights at The Baso on 27 & 28 September. Essence Fest is run by a couple of super keen promoters who have put together an uncompromising festival of top-notch Australian talent.
Friday, 27 September, has Abramelin, Impetuous Ritual, Midnight Odyssey, Altars, Host, The Veil, Subterranean Disposition, and Delays Have Dangerous Ends.
When you recover from that bill, a doozy in its own right, the Saturday, 28 September eve showcases Spire, Whitehorse, Carcinoid, Convulsing, Sow Discord, Luman ad Mortem, Malignant Aura, Mondernte (Iceland), Soma Plume, Blood of a Pomegranate, Black Aleph, Blight Worms, Wicked Sisters, Sulphur Garden, Cheap Coffins, and Street Trash.
That’s an absolutely world-class package. Follow the Fest on the socials, and stay tuned here for more info and to get a ticket! > EDIT Good news, tix are available now via The Baso.
Immorium On Tour
Our own Immorium is embarking on a national tour to mark the release of their Rose Water Black album, due on 21 July. The tour lands at The Baso on Friday, 30 August, but to prepare for the record, check out the track Withering (https://immorium.hearnow.com/ withering/) to rev you up for the big show. Tickets here.
Congrats, guys, and all the best for the album and tour.
New Music!
A lot of cool new music and bands popping up around the place from all over the metal spectrum. In addition to the excellent track above, Aglo, the Star Trek-themed death metal solo project of I Exist alumni Aaron Osbourne, put out a new EP called Control & Torture.
Filth, a Canberra industrial project (filth7.bandcamp. com) slapped Useful Idiots across the Metalise desk in the last couple of weeks.
Melbourne’s The Eternal has returned with a killer new album, Skinwalker.
Potent power trio, Emu, dropped a preview of their upcoming full-length in the form of New Age.
Final Words…
Lastly this month a bit of indulgence if you will dear readers.
Pod People have been tinkering in the riff mines and are finally showing a return. We announced a partnership with French boutique label Black Farm Records, which will be putting the album out on vinyl in Europe in the very near future.
You can hear the first track, God Help You, from the album, entitled Oblivion, when it hits the social and national airwaves this week. Have a listen and check out the artwork at podpeopleoblivion.bandcamp.com
