The Word on Metal with Josh Nixon
Following a month of Witchskull every weekend, it’s time for the capital to transition from the stoner doom goodness of our hometown heroes to full-blown spring insanity.
And holy fuckballs… is there ever a plethora of shows to suck your wallet dry.
On Friday, 8 November, was the massive kick-off to a huge weekend with pioneering Dutch legends Pestilence hitting The Baso on their first-ever Australian tour. The death metal OG’s hit the road for five Aussie dates, and the run includes some killer support. [read BMA’s write up!]
Alarum once took out Metal Album of the Year at the one and only time Metal for the Brain ran an awards show (and I should know; I organised it with the help of the Alchemist benefactors, and they drank so much Jagermeister that it almost ruined their set the following day).
More recently, 50% of the band were in Canberra psych death lads Levitation Hex, and it’s a treat to welcome the boys back to town along with Gosika to welcome our Dutch overlords to town.
Speaking of, Gosika also has a headline show at The Baso on Friday, 13 December, with Nebulam, Life Sentence, and Saltwater if you couldn’t make the 8th. Tix are $18.40 via Oztix.
Comedy doesn’t typically get a mention in this column, but when the former drummer of Slaughter Lord and Mortal Sin comes to town you put some damn respect on Mr Steve Hughes’ name and go to The Baso on Saturday, 9 November for what no doubt promised to be a great set. > Edit Unfortunately the show was postponed. Here’s to a speedy recovery Steve! We’ll keep you posted on any updates. BUT go read BMA’s interview here!
On Sunday, 10 November, the “Weed meets the Speed” when King Parrot once again took roost in the nation’s capital with an absolutely stellar bill tucked into the nest with them.
The USA’s long-running sludge lords, Weedeater, made for top-notch nestbuds, with emphasis on the buds. North Carolina sludge doesn’t come any finer, and it’s a warm welcome return to the country for the first time since Donald Trump first threatened democracy.
Throw in perennial two-piece favourites Astrodeath and the unbridled savagery of Melbourne’s Choof, and this positively insists on a Monday morning bangover. Sleep was not on the tickets. Read BMA’s interview with King Parrots Youngy here >>
Saturday, 16 November at The Baso marks the Honest Crooks Ten Years of Torment tour which leans into the hardcore more than the Metalise.
But with Bloodmouth on the bill, I need to consider the consequences of not acknowledging their live actions, as I have a family to feed.
That said, I need to tell you that I’m totally reading the following of my own volition: CARNIST PROPAGANDA BE DAMNED, BUT THIS MISSIVE MUST BE HEEDED BY ALL. CHAMPIONS, HONEST CROOKS AND SHINTO KATANA HAVE RECRUITED PLANT BASED MERCENARIES ALONG WITH FAT LIP, MOVING VIOLATION AND STEP TO ME FOR ACTIONS ON SATURDAY 16 NOVEMBER.
THE ARBITRARY LETTER BOMB CAMPAIGN WILL SCATTER RANDOM CARNISTS AT OUR RANDOM WHIM. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
Sheesh, you think these guys could just eat a burger and chill the fuck out. Tickets via the mighty Oztix.
Killer Tracks
The tail end of the year means one starts to turn their mind to end-of-year lists but damn if there hasn’t been a late surge of killer material in the last little while.
Mixed reactions from staunch traditionalist death metal fans aside, I can’t fault the new Blood Incantation record Absolute Elsewhere. Yes, its psychedelic death reminds one that Alchemist was 35 years ahead of their time. Still, holy crap, it’s a killer blend of 2 20-ish minute songs broken into three “tablets”, each blending the sci-fi death of 2019’s Hidden History Of The Human Race and their analogue synth explorations on 2022’s Timewave Zero into a nearly perfect record.
The Nails’ Every Bridge is Burning record is far less subtle and artistic but it is positively dripping with malice.
Other recent must checkouts include:
- More Insane from recent visitors Undeath
- the new Kruelty EP Profane Usurpation
- the Enforced-esque hardcore/thrash Gun by Ingrown
- the incoming claustrophobic catastrophe of Melbourne doom band Ghostsmoker and the early listen of their forthcoming Inertia Cult
Tours, tours, tours
Coupla big international tours were announced for 2025, as was the next instalment of Knotfest (Melbourne 28 February, Brisbane 2 March, Sydney 8 March). The line-up has drawn a curious blend of ire in most of the social media I’ve seen, and yet the fans are voting with their dollars in that the early ticket sales have been reportedly robust.
Said line-up comprises: Slipknot, A Day to Remember, Baby Metal, Slaughter To Prevail, Polaris, Within Temptation, Enter: Shakari, a curious seemingly arbitrary “23rd anniversary” celebration of Perseverance from Hatebreed, In Hearts Wake, Health, Miss May I, Vended and Sunami.
And finally, a little band by the name of Metallica also announced a 6-date run with support from Evanescence and Suicidal Tendencies, with tickets now on sale. I’m not overly familiar with them, but I’ve heard good things about the early stuff.
Right! Time to go work out the end-of-year lists!
Til’ next month, thrashers. [ doomtildeath@hotmail.com ]
