REGRESSING THE AFTERLIFE
Melbourne's Abramelin was one of Australia's pioneering death metal bands. Formed in 1988 as Acheron, the group was one of the country's most formidable death metal entities. More than a decade since they roared their last, Century Media has just released a sprawling 3-CD retrospective. Transgressing the Afterlife - The Complete Recordings 1988 - 2000 contains the band's entire opus from their Acheron demos to their 2000 Deadspeak album, plus rare live recordings. All serious fans of Australian death metal should track this one down.

BRINGING THE SUFFERING
Perth deathcore monsters Make Them Suffer are rounding out an enormous year with a huge national tour through the country from the end of this month. Stories and Glorified will also be appearing at most dates. See tour announcements for more information

OCTOBER 2013 

NATIONAL POLYMORPHISM
Australia's two premier progressive rock acts Karnivool and Dead Letter Circus are hitching their wagons together and heading out on a national tour in January. With both bands scoring either #1 or #2 albums this year and with a long string of international touring now behind DLC since, this is a tour not to be missed by any serious Aussie rock fan. Rounding out the package is ambient instrumentalists sleepmakeswaves who have indeed been making waves around the world this year. Dates: Tour Announcements.

ROCK THE NIGHT
A huge wave of tours is underway this week (October 23). Tickets to catch rap/metal favourites Limp Bizkit are still available - see here for details to enjoy a dose of late '90s nostalgia. The mighty death metal double bill of Behemoth and Hour of Penance will crush audiences, as will stoner/doom legends Sleep. Folk metallers Korpiklaani are also bringing their unique flavours to local audiences. Get out there and catch a show if you can, folks. 

THIEF IN THE NIGHT
Brisbane hard rockers Like Thieves, featuring ex-The Butterfly Effect vocalist Clint Boge have announced an East Coast tour. See Tour Announcements for details. The band also recently released their The Wolves At Winter's Edge EP. You can check out a live clip of the track Killing Reason here. 

GET THE ENVELOPE READY
This year's nominees for the ARIA Hard Rock/Heay Metal Album award are as follows: Airbourne (Black Dog Barking), Karnivool (Asymmetry), Northlane (Singularity), The Amity Affliction (Chasing Ghosts), Thy Art is Murder (Hate).

RIP JAN KUEHNEMUND
Jan Kuehnemund, singer and guitarist with female rockers Vixen, has aged 51. Kuehnemund formed the band in 1980 at the age of 17 and led the band through three albums and some monster hit singles like 'Edge of a Broken Heart' at the end of the 1980s before disbanding in 1991. Kuehnemund succumbed to cancer on October 10.

UNFORGETTABLE
Prolific prog metallers Ne Obliviscaris are continuing their tireless 2013 by scoring the support to the upcoming tour by Between the Buried and Me and The Contortionist. Having already toured SE Asia this year and opened for The Devin Townsend Project, NeO will be the national support on the tour, on which BTBAM is performing their Parallax suites front to back.

TRUTH WORLDWIDE
One of Australia's longest-running and hardest-working metal bands have just announced a worldwide deal with AFM Records. Adelaide stalwarts Truth Corroded are now part of the label's global roster. Their fifth full-length release The Saviours Slain is due early 2014.

HEARTS AND HANDS
The latest single for Byron Bay's In Hearts Wake is available for download from www.skydancerproject.com with a Pay What You Wish platform in place. 100% of the money raised from the sales of "Skydancer" will be donated to three charities working to support indigenous populations around the world - Red Dust work to promote health programs to Australian Aborigines in remote communities; the Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples promotes support of Native American communities and Germany's Hardcore Help organisation provide resources and humanitarian aid in Kenya. Get behind this amazing initative by downloading the track and handing over some cash.

RECLAIMING THE PAST
Claim the Throne are celebrating the rousing recption to their latest opus Forged in Flame by revisiting their glorious past. Previous album Triumph and Beyond and 2009's 'Aletales' EP have been reissued as a single disc. Visit claimthethrone.com or primecuts.com.au and get yours for $15 or $10 if you order Forged in Flame too. Bargain.

SEPTEMBER 2013 

BIG DAYS OUT SHRINK TO ONE
The second Sydney Big Day Out, scheduled for January 27, has been cancelled. Ken West made the announcement this morning (Sept. 27): "Hi all, Perhaps we were a bit ambitious expanding to two dates in Sydney for this year's Big Day Out... The Sydney Big Day Out show scheduled for Monday, January 27 will now be merged into one show on Sunday, January 26, Australia Day." Ticket holders can use their ticket for the 26th, get a full refund (before October 31) or exchange it for any other Big Day Out show. Visit bigdayout.com for more information.

WIN MEET AND GREETS WITH BEHEMOTH AND/OR NILE!
Why pay extra for a meet and greet ticket when you could just win one? Soundworks Touring is giving away meet and greet packages for their Behemoth and Nile tours, and all you need to do is buy a ticket to the show. The Behemoth meet and greet gives you early entry to check out soundcheck, meet the band after soundcheck, a signed poster, signing session and photos with the band. To enter, buy you ticket before October 18 and email name and proof or purchase to promo@soundworkstouring.com or hit them up on their Facebook. The Nile package includes dinner with the band before the show, a signing session and photos. To enter, buy for ticket before November 1 and hit them up on the links above!

SIGN OF THE CROSS
Sydney's annual Under the Southern Cross show is looking to be the biggest one yet with the addition of Melbourne's progressive death metal juggernaut Be'lakor to a bill that already includes Claim the Throne, Dreadnaught, The Levitation Hex, As Silence Breaks, Cruciform, Arrowhead, ROME, Yanomamo, Sorathian Dawn, Hadal Maw, Aeon of Horus, Bastardizer and Dead-Life. The show happens Australia Day 2014 at the Bald Faced Stag Hotel. While we're on the subject of massive local gigs, Dreadnaught celebrate their 21st anniversary this coming Saturday (September 21) at the Reverence Hotel in Melbourne with an all star line-up that also includes Earth, Frankenbok, Contrive, Desecrator, Heaven the Axe, Alarum, Se Bon Ki Ra, Red Sky Burial and more, including a solo set by former Beanflipper frontman Rick Kelly. Further north, the Transcontinental in Brisbane is hosting the Neck Wreck Festival on November 16 featuring Psycroptic, King Parrot, Recoil vor, Synthetic Breed, Killrazer, Darker Half, Kunvuk, Kyzer Soze, Hazmat, In Death..., Magnertron and more.

EYES OPEN
The Butterfly Effect has announced Paul Galagher as their new vocalist by way of fresh single "Eyes Down" which was serviced to fans on the band's mailing list today (Sept. 18). With the new guy in place and DVD Effected topping the chart last month, The Butterfly Effect are doing a short run of live shows in October. See tour announcements for more.

WINGS OVER OZ
Teaming up with Dominus Entertainment, Loud Online presents Indian metalheads Albatross in Australia for three shows in October. The Mumbai four piece will play Melbourne, Sydney and Wollongong in late October. Special guests at the Melbourne show are Vanishing Point, plus Crimsonfire and Alaskan Thunder. In Sydney the tourists will be joined by Hobbs Angel of Death, Bastardizer, Disintegrator and Paralysis, and Darker Half, Sylvain and Rampage will also be appearing at the Wollongong show. Deets: Tour announcements

FROM THE OTHER SIDE
Wollongong fuzz rockers Tumbleweed dominated the Aussie music scene in the 90s, touring with everyone who was anyone including Nirvana, playing through the US with Lemonheads and Mudhoney and appearing at any festival worth the money. Eleven years after they called it quits, the original line-up of the band is about to release their long-awaited comeback album. Sounds from the Other Side (Shock) will hit the stores on September 27, while the Weed hit Brisbane (The Zoo) on the 13th, Melbourne (the Espy) on the 21st and the Annandale in Sydney on the 28th.

ROLLIN' IN
As if October's touring roster wasn't busy enough, everyone's favourite red caps Limp Bizkit will be back in Australia for another tour from October 25. See tour announcements for details.

A NEW MODEL
In news that would probably surprise nobody who saw them raging around the country with the Descendents recently, Bodyjar have confirmed their comeback with the announcement of a new album, Role Model (UNFD), out on October 8. They'll be touring once again from October 31.

DOUBLE TROUBLE
Certain to cause a ruckus throughout December is the teaming up of inspirational innovators the Melvins and Helmet for a ten date run around the country. The bands will play separate nights in Melbourne but together elsewhere, with the Melvins only appearing in Hobart and WA. Dates: Tour Announcements.

LOCAL AND REGIONAL
Dream on, Dreamer has just added a bunch of regional all ages shows to their upcoming tour, with dates added in Hobart, Gladstone, Toowoomba and the Sunshine Coast. Melbourne's Scar the Surface hit the road in November to support new album From the Shadows to the Fire, also with some regional shows in the mix in Bendigo, Albury, Elizabeth and Katoomba.

BEHEMOTH MOVES SHOW
Due to demand, the Behemoth/Hour of Penance show in Melbourne has been moved from the Espy to the Prince Bandroom. Tix remain valid for the new venue.

RE-EMERGING EFFECT
The Butterfly Effect will return to live performances soon. Dates for a new tour in October have just been released.

AUGUST 2013 

FEEL THE STEEL
Into its second year, Sydney's Steel Assassins Festival is on November 2 & 3 at the Bald Faced Stag Hotel. The line-up is headed by Melbourne thrashers Elm Street, Widow from the US and Kiwis Razorwyre with a healthy serving of steel from Soulforge, Malakyte, Gorefield, Damnations Day, Cerebral Contortion, Sabretung, Hazmat, Avarin and more, including Majister's first show since 1998.

R.I.P. JOE LACAZE
Eyehategod drummer Joe LaCaze suddenly passed away on August 23. He was 41 and just returned home from a European tour with the band. LaCaze was in Australia only last year for Eyehategod's first ever tour Down Under. He and guitarist Jimmy Bower formed the sludge pioneers in 1989; he also played in The Mystik Crewe of Clearlight, also with Bower, and Outlaw Order. Further details of his death have not been released.

SOUNDWAVE GOES LIVE
The first line-up announcement for the 2014 Soundwave festival has just been made (August 23) and headlining the show next year will be Green Day and Avenged Sevenfold, leading a cast that so far also includes Megadeth, Testament, Baroness, Rob Zombie, Down, Newsted, Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, Placebo, AFI, Korn, Trivium, DevilDriver, The Black Dahlia Murder, Five Finger Death Punch, Asking Alexandria, Clutch, Living Colour, August Burns Red, GWAR, Motionless in White, Mushroomhead, Ill Nino, Bowling for Soup, Volbeat, Skindred, Amon Amarth, Nancy Vandal, Whitechapel, Tesseract, Terror, Hardcore Superstar, Letlive, Rocket From the Crypt and more we can't fit into this announcement!

CUBANATING THE RIFF
Leif "Snake" Sixx's Aussie metal covers project It'z All About the Riff is inching towards completion with cover art by Rok from Sadistik Exekution underway and Cubanate's Marc Heal working on some re-mixes. Sixx is crowd-funding this album and if you'd like to contribute to what promises to be a most interesting release, head over to his Pozible page.

EFFECTING THE CHARTS
The Butterfly Effect's doco Effected has bumped Pink and Andre Rieu from the top of the ARIA Music DVD chart, coming in at #1 upon release this week. Dead Letter Circus have also set the charts ablaze as their newie The Catalyst Fire lodges at #2 on the albums chart. Their national tour sets next week.

FORGING AHEAD
The Melbourne metal festival that raises money for Haiti's Center of Hope has released its first line-up announcement. Sonic Forge will this year feature Ne Obliviscaris plus New Zealand's Ulcerate, Hypno5e from France and dozens of others including Dreadnaught, The Amenta, the ubiquitous King Parrot, Ruins, Caligula's Horse, Orpheus Omega, Frankenbok, In Malice's Wake, Truth Corroded, A Million Dead Birds Laughing, Okera, Naberus, Hybrid Nightmares and more. At the Espy, November 30.

R.I.P. ALLEN LANIER
Allen Lanier, founding member of New York psychedelic rock gods Blue Öyster Cult, has died of heart disease. Lanier played keyboards and rhythm guitar for the band from 1967 until 2007 when he was forced into retirement through ill-health. He wrote several tracks for the band over the years including "In Thee" and "True Confessions", the only song to feature Lanier on lead vocals. He played one final show with BÖC in November 2012 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their first album. He was 67.

THREE DECADES OF METAL
Roadrunner Records is one of the most storied and influential labels in the history of metal and September 27 will see the release of a massive 4-CD 54 track overview of the label's entire catalogue. XXX: Three Decades of Roadrunner Records features tracks by Slipknot, Megadeth, Machine Head, Sepultura, Soulfly, Fear Factory, King Diamond, Cradle of Filth, Deicide, Biohazard, Suffocation, Type O Negative, Obituary, Opeth, Dream Theater, Trivium, Rush, Airbourne, Spineshank, Gojira, DevilDriver, Killswitch Engage, Hatebreed, Porcupine Tree, Down, Nickelback, Stone Sour, Murderdolls and more, as well as a detailed booklet featuring testimonials from King Diamond, Joey Jordison, Mikael Åkerfeldt, Max Cavalera and others.

CLUB METAL
The Metal Down Under team have completed 80% of the filming on their excellent documentary chronicling Australia's heavy metal music history, and they need you to help them get it finished. The guys are crowd-funding their independent film and are currently offering memberships from $100 which gets you a copy of the DVD, a t-shirt and stubby holder, a downloadadble all-Aussie metal compilation double album, your name in the credits of the film, a music video complilation and the option to attend the film's premiere screening once released. To find out more, go to the Facebook Event Page or email nick@animusindustries.com

THE MEANING OF PROG
Perth progressive metalloids Voyager are heading east again and appearing at two exclusive shows this month. Friday August 23 they will be in Brisbane headlining for the first time ever, accompanied by The Matador at Crowbar. Next day they'll be at the Espy in Melbourne for Progfest with sleepmakeswaves, Sleep Parade, Mushroom Giant, Caligula's Horse, Rise of Avernus and a couple dozen others.

SHITTING AGAIN
A week after their last show with Psycroptic, King Parrot will extend their never-ending tour with another run of shows around the country from Cairns to Perth and many points in between. Dates: Tour Announcements

SUMMER OF ENDLESS TOURS!
October's seemingly endless list of touring acts has become even more breathtaking with the announcement this week of yet more shows for the already crowded month. Finns Korpiklaani will be making their first ever appearance in Australia in October, with their Sydney and Melbourne concerts clashing with those of countrymen Stratovarius, and guitar hero Gus G brings his band Firewind Down Under as well. That tour kicks off on October 31 in Sydney. For those keeping score, bands touring October now include The Amity Affliction, Behemoth, Bring Me the Horizon, Of Mice and Men, Stratovarius, Soilwork, Rolo Tomassi, Korpiklaani, Twelve Foot Ninja, Every Time I Die, Devin Townsend Project, Amorphis, Baby Animals, Hour of Penance, Crossfaith, Sleep and Albatross, with Firewind and Enslaved rolling over into November. Speaking of which, that month is also now brimming over with tours as Between the Buried and Me return then with The Contortionist in tow and Nile and The Faceless going through the country at the same time. Veteran rockers The Screaming Jets have also released their first tour dates in years for November too. Norwegian Goth metallers Sirenia will also be playing Sydney and Melbourne in December, and the inevitable February/March list of Soundwave tours will probably be revealed shortly.

JULY 2013 

FROM THE OTHER SIDE
Wollongong's fuzz-rock legends Tumbleweed have finally completed their long-promised comeback album, due for release on September 27. Sounds from the Other Side (Shock) is the first album from Tumbleweed since 2000's Mumbo Jumbo and the first with the original line-up since Galactophonic went to #5 in 1995. The band have also just announced a brief east coast tour, kicking off in their hometown on July 30. See Tour Announcement for more.

ONE FOR THE BOOKS
Ian Kenny has become the first artist in Australian chart history to have two #1 albums with two different bands in the same calendar year as Karnivool's Asymmetry debuts at the top of the ARIA album chart with a bullet this week (July 28). His album with Birds of Tokyo, March Fires, peaked at the top in March. Karnivool's tour with Northlane kicks off in Adelaide on July 30.

OUR REMIXED ENEMY
Sydney industrialists Our Last Enemy have announced the final list of artists contributing to their forthcoming remix album, Engineering the Enemy. Among those adding their touch to the band's tunes will be Mortiis, The Berzerker, Travis Neal from Divine Heresy, Pink Industrial Whores, Viral Millenium and more. The album is currently at the mastering stage and due for release shortly.

GET A TASTE
Featuring interviews with Steve Hughes, Peter Hobbs, Matt Skitz, Adam Agius and Rodney Holder of Alchemist, Brad and Dysie from Soundworks, Segression's Chris Rand, Dave Slave from Sadistik Exekution, Andrew Haug, Blood Duster's Jason PC, members of Frankenbok, Allegiance, Voyager, Psycroptic, Dreadnaught, iNFeCTeD, Nothing Sacred and more, the doco Metal Down Under is getting closer to completion. Catch a snippet of it on YouTube here and get behind it by checking out the website.

A BREWTAL ANNIVERSARY
Melbourne hardcore legends Mindsnare are celebrating twenty years in 2013, so they are hitting the road in NSW, VIC and WA for some very rare live appearances on their 20 Years of Brewtality Tour. Details - Tour Announcements.

MORE ROCKTOBER TOUR MADNESS
As if there wasn't enough going on in October, two more tours have been announced for the tenth month this week. On the back of their first Top 20 album in almost twenty years, Baby Animals will be on the road from October 19, playing mid-sized rooms from Brissie to Perth. Appearing in Melbourne as part of ATP's Release the Bats event with Television, The Breeders, The Jesus Lizard and more, stoner metal legends Sleep will also be playing in Sydney (Manning Bar) and Perth (Rosemount). A rare opportunity that may not come again.

LIVE RECIPROCATION
Dogged Gold Coast metal veterans Lynchmada are hitting the regional road through NSW in August with Albury's I Am Atlas and To the Grave from Sydney. The Reciprocal Path tour rolls through the Riverina, Central West, Central Coast and Sydney before winding up on the Brisbane River. These will be the last shows for Lynchmada's drummer Cameron Wallace, who announced on the band's Facebook page today (July 9) that he is leaving the group.

VIDEO EFFECT
For the best past of the last decade The Butterfly Effect was one of Australia's biggest rock bands with close to quarter million album sales and more than 500 shows behind them. With the departure of Clint Boge, a chapter of Aussie rock has come to a close, and twelve months on, The Butterfly Effect is releasing Effected, a behind-the-scenes documentary film chronicling their turbulent times, plus the full concert film of their final gig with Boge at the soon-to-be-demolished Palace Theatre in Melbourne. Pre-orders are being taken now for this 2 DVD set via www.tbedvd.com ahead of its launch date on August 9.

THE CATALYST IGNITES
Three years after their #2 album debut This is the Warning that went on to be named one of the Hottest 100 Albums of All Time and has since been awarded Gold Record status, Dead Letter Circus release their second long-player The Catalyst Fire (UNFD/Warner) on August 9. First single 'Lodestone' debuted on Triple J with The Doctor on July 4 and they will kick off a national tour with Closure in Moscow and Sleep Parade from July 29. See Tour Announcements for full dates.

DON'T NEED LOVE
As they head out on the road with A Day to Remember this month, Melbourne foursome Dream On Dreamer are celebrating the release of their second album Loveless (UNFD/Warner), issued on June 28. Catch their latest clip 'The World in Front of Me' here and check out our Tour Announcement section for their shows.

MARKING THE FIFTH
The Mark of Cain has released a limited-edition vinyl pressing of their ARIA best selling album Songs of the Third and Fifth and will be launching it with two exclusive shows in Adelaide in September, at the Governor Hindmarsh on the 6th and an all ages show at Fowlers on the 7th. To top it off, they have also released a video for the track 'Milosevic', which can be viewed on their YouTube channel.

GUTTERING OUT
Orange County punk veterans Guttermouth are touring Australia for one final time in August, with a last hurrah up the east coast from Adelaide and Hobart to Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane via the ski-fields, Canberra and regional coastal centres. To find out where to catch them in Oz for the very last time, check out our Tour Announcements section.

JUNE 2013 

NINJAS JOIN THE FACTORY
Putting the icing on what already promises to be a very tasty touring cake, Melbourne's Twelve Foot Ninja have been added as the major support to Fear Factory's Demanufacture tour next week.

WE ARE NOW
Karnivool's first new music in more than four years is available now in the shape of the single "We Are". After appearing at the Download festival as recently as June 15, the lads will return to Australian soil for a tour in support of new album Asymmetry from July 30, with Sydney's Northlane in support. Shows include all ages gigs in Sydney and Adelaide - deets: Tour Announcements

LO! AND HIGH
Back in Australia after touring Europe with Cult of Luna and The Ocean, Sydney post-metal sludge barons Lo! are on the road through the east coast in July in support of their latest album Monstrorum Historia. Accompanying them on their four-date run will be Melbourne's High Tension. The shows start in Adelaide on July 12.

THE ROAD HOME
In 2003, Jarboe from Swans teamed up with Neurosis for the Neurosis & Jarboe album. Ten years later, the colloboration comes to life in Australia as Scott Kelly & the Road Home and Jarboe tour together in November. Kelly's triumphant return after his acclaimed visit here last February with John Baizley from Baroness will be with the backing of his band the Road Home, also featuring Neurosis bandmate Noah Landis. Jarboe will be performing Swans classics from her time in the band, plus her own tunes including her latest release A Symphony for Shiva. See tour announcements for more.

EVERY TIME I TOUR
Less than a year after they sweated it out on the main stage of the Big Day Out, Every Time I Die will be doing their first headline Oz tour in a long time this October, thanks to Soundwave Touring. The shows kick off in Brisbane on October 18. Dates and deets: Tour announcements.

HURRICANE WINDS UP
After a twelve month period that's seen them score a Top 20 album, open the Big Day Out and tour Europe twice, Melbourne metalcore quintet House vs. Hurricane have decided to call it quits at the end of the East Coast Rampage Tour with IKTPQ and Buried in Verona this month. Part of the band's official statement reads: "After nearly 7 years as a band, we ...have decided it's time for us to move on and call it day. ... Lovers, haters, people that don't care, thanks for being a part of the journey, it's been real!" Two new songs left over from the Crooked Teeth sessions are being made available as downloads. The first, 'Tripping Up' is available from TheMusic.com.au. The second will be released soon..

GRINDING AND SLAUGHTERING
Grindhead Records and Von Grimm Records are over-seeing the return of Slaughterfest in Sydney on July 27 this year at the unlikeliest place imaginable - Spectrum. With French obscurists Monarch taking the headlining slot, the numbers are made up by Clagg, Throwdown, Broozer, Ether Rag, At Dark, Arrowhead, Roadside Burial, Mish, Yanomamo, Frank Rizzo, Islands, Nursing Home Stalkers and 100 Years of Solitude. Tix are through Iwannaticket.com.au. Not letting the east coast hold the monopoly on extreme festivals, Prime Cuts Music is presenting Grind My Bitch Up 3 at the Civic Hotel in Perth on September 7. A day of grind, death and slam, the event will feature Disentomb, Rezume from Indonesia - launching their album Fragments of Blessed Spermicide, Entrails Eradicated, ROME, Sensory Amusia, Nails of Imposition, Chainsaw Charlie & the Chocolate Cha Cha Factory, Bloodklot, Obscenium, Facegrinder and, making a special one-off reformation appearance, the almighty Cuntscrape. Tickets are available from Oztix, 78 Records or by emailing Prime Cuts.



BRINGING THE GOSPEL LIVE
Soundwave Touring has announced two massive concert tours today (June 6). A free man after being acquitted of all charges relating to the death of a fan in the Czech Republic, Randy Blythe and the rest of Lamb of God will be in Australia from September 20, and they're bringing Swedish thundergods Meshuggah with them for a tour that cannot be missed! As if that wasn't enough, with Sempiternal finally putting them on the verge of true greatness, Bring Me the Horizon return to our shores after owning crowds at their Soundwave Festival appearances earlier in the year, and to round out the shows, Of Mice and Men and Crossfaith will be along for the ride also. Be sure to grab your tickets for these all these shows fast. They won't last! Deets: Tour announcements.

MAY 2013 

WINGS OVER OZ
Teaming up with Dominus Entertainment, Loud announces our first international co-present as we bring Indian metalheads Albatross to Australia for three shows in October. The Mumbai four piece will play Melbourne, Sydney and Wollongong in late October. Deets: Tour announcements

INHERITED SICKNESS
Two of Australia's most notorious metal bands are touring the east coast together in July and August on the Inheriting the Sickness tour. Psycroptic and ceaseless road warriors King Parrot play through regional and major centres in Queensland, NSW, Victoria and Tasmania from July 25. See Tour Announcements for dates!

FINALISED EVIL
The line-up for this year's Evil Invaders festival in Sydney on June 7 & 8 has been finalised. Not only will the event feature appearances by international visitors Archgoat, Midnight, Sadistic Intent and Vassafor, but also a special performance from Buffalo founding member Dave Tice, playing a set of classic Buffalo rockers with assistance from Harry Brus and Peter Wheeler of the Kevin Borich Express (and too many others to name including Icehouse, Choirboys, Billy Thorpe and dozens more) and Pete Ross from Age of Menace. The rest of the bill includes Cruciform, Portal, Nocturnal Graves, Consummation, Cauldron Black Ram, Inverloch, Grave Upheaval, Whitehorse, Dead River Runs Dry, Pale Sage, Erebus Enthroned, Ignivimous, Hordes of the Black Cross, Kingdom of Decay, Stand Alone, Crone and Bleakwood. Archgoat, Midnight and Sadistic Intent will also be appearing at the Bendigo in Melbourne on June 9, with Cemetery Urn. Tickets are available from www.TheCoffinsSlave.com

REMANUFACTURED
Fear Factory's Demanufacture is one of the defining albums of modern metal, a groundbreaking and innovative release that is still regarded as one of the best metal albums of all. Thanks to Soundwave Touring, the band who created it will be returning to Australia in July to perform Demanufacture in its entirety. Fear Factory's tour kicks off in Brisbane on July 4. Tix and deets are in our Tour Announcements section.

RIP TREVOR BOLDER
Uriah Heep bass player Trevor Bolder died on May 21 from pancreatic cancer. He was 62. Bolder, who originally joined Heep in 1977 after the death of Gary Thain, was the third-longest serving member of the band after guitarist Mick Box and long-serving drummer Lee Kerslake. Bolder was also the bassist with David Bowie's band between 1971 and 1974.

RIP RAY MANZAREK and PHIL BUERSTATTE
Ray Manzarek, founding member of legendary LA rock band The Doors, passed away from bile duct cancer today (May 20) at the age of 74. Manzarek, whose distinctive organ sound was at the heart of the Doors music, formed the band in 1965 with singer Jim Morrison and with John Densmore and Robbie Krieger the band went on to be one the biggest acts of the late 1960s, an idiosyncratic band that remains enormously influential today. Guitarist Krieger: "I was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of my friend and bandmate Ray Manzarek today. I'm just glad to have been able to have played Doors songs with him for the last decade. Ray was a huge part of my life and I will always miss him."

Last Crack drummer Phil Buerstatte has also died, with no further details yet made available. Buerstatte was with the Winsconsin prog metallers from 1986 until 1997, during which time he toured as part of White Zombie on the La Sexorcisto tour 1992 - 1994.

PLAYING EVERYWHERE
Sydney ambient sculptors sleepmakeswaves embark on a national tour in May, with shows all around the country including freebies in Byron and Port Mac. The tour kicks off in Canberra. See Tour Announcements for further details.

BASTARDS PUT ON HOLD
Due to changes in administration and the large amount of international touring competition in 2013, this year's Bastardfest festivities have been put on hold. Organisers plan to bring the event back bigger and better next year.

WINTER IS COMING
The first line-up annoucement has been made for Brisbane’s annual Dead of Winter Festival, set down for July 17 at the Jubilee Hotel. Fireballs head the list of the names revealed so far, which also includes Truth Corroded, The Levitation Hex, King Parrot, Disentomb, Darkc3ll, ROME, Chainsaw Hookers, Horrorwood Mannequins, a re-formed Post-Life Disorder, comedian Mitch Alexander and more, with a second announcement still to come.

MORE METAL DOWN UNDER
Nick Calpakdjian’s Metal Down Under documentary recently wrapped filming at Indonesia’s Hammersonic Festival where the team caught up with Brad and Dysie from Soundworks Touring, Caine and Dave from The Amenta and Danny and Simone of Voyager. The next round of filming will be in July, where Calpakdjian will be interviewing members of Alchemist, Nothing Sacred, Dreadnaught, Segression, Blood Duster, Mass Confusion and more, as well as other industry figures. Melbourne’s Blue Freya Records have put together two digital Aussie metal compilations to help raise money for the project. Artists include Pegazus, Hobbs Angel of Death, Taramis, iNFeCTeD, Allegiance and many others. Some of these tracks are recent and some have not been available for decades. Each volume is $10 from the Blue Freya website, iTunes and Amazon. Metal Down Under is being crowd-funded, so check it out on Facebook to find out how you can help. The DVD can be pre-ordered here.

WARRING IN OZ
NZ stoner monster Beastwars kick off their first ever Aussie tour at the Square in Sydney this coming Thursday night (May 9) with Yanomano, Summonus and Bruce! before linking up the UNIDA at the Manning Bar and then to Melbourne. Check Tour Announcements for more details.

HITTING THE NERVE
Featuring Ezekial Ox from Mammal, Cog/FLOATINGME’s Lucis Borich, Davraj Thomas of Pre-Shrunk and guitarist Glenn Proudfoot, alternative rockers The Nerve have just announced an association with Bird’s Robe Records ahead of their first national tour in June. The band’s single ‘Witness’ is released May 31.

RIP MILKY ADAMS
Hard on the heels of the tragic news of Jeff Hanneman’s passing, Melbourne band Orpheus Omega have announced the death of their bass player Milky Adams. The band released the terrible news on Friday, the eve of the launch for their debut album in Melbourne. The show went ahead, with the recorded album Resillusion being played in place of the band’s set. Further details of Adams’ death have not been released.

RIP JEFF HANNEMAN
In a what can only be described as a sudden and devastating blow to the metal world, Slayer guitarist and founder Jeff Hanneman has died of liver failure, aged 49. The announcement was made early this morning (May 3) Sydney time. Hanneman had been unwell since suffering a spider bite in 2011 that resulted in necrotising fasciitis, a rapidly-developing degenerative bacterial infection that made it impossible for him to continue playing or performing. As a member of Slayer since its foundation and a major song writer on all the band’s albums, he inspired literally thousands of musician across the rock world. His contribution to music cannot possibly be understated.

TOURS KEEP ON COMING
Bon Jovi will be back in Australia in December, exactly three years after their last massively successful Aussie jaunt. Telstra is offering its customers exclusively pre-sale deals from 9am May 13 - check out www.telstra.com/music for details. Younger punters might appreciate the tour by Emmure at the end of this month, or that by Counterparts in June. Stay tuned for further details on both of those.

APRIL 2013
CHASING GOLD
As they tour through the country with Groovin' the Moo, The Amity Affliction has been awarded a Gold Record for their chart-topping Chasing Ghosts set, making them the first act of their kind to achieve both milestones in Australia.

SHOCKWAVE UNLEASHED
Shock Records are releasing a string of classic metal DVDs over the coming weeks. May 3 will see the Rainbow live set Live in Munich '77 featuring Blackmore and the late Ronnie James Dio and Cozy Powell, plus interviews and bonus features, while on May 31, the Dio concert video Finding the Sacred Heart - Live in Philly 1986 will be issued, a DVD document of Craig Goldy's first tour with the band. For prog fans, the incredible 4-disc Jethro Tull set Around the World Live is released on the same day, featuring four full shows filmed between 1970 and 2012. And Garbage fans, the band's first ever full concert DVD release One Mile High.. Live will also be released May 31.

THE HEART OF METAL
How this almost slipped past us we have no idea, but Brisbane’s Metal Heart Festival this Saturday (April 20) brings together the biggest local line-up of heavy bands since the heyday of Metal for the Brain. Just returned from a triumphant North American tour with Testament and Overkill, 4ARM lead a 44-strong contingent of metal and hardcore across three stages at the Mansfield Tavern, raising funds for the Heart Foundation. Portal, Ouroboros, Frankenbok, Dreamkillers, The Schoenberg Automaton, Wish for Wings, ROME, D9, Eternal Rest, Dead Letter Opener, The Dead and literally dozens more will be showing their stuff. For only $35, if you’re in SE Queensland and you’re not going to this, you’re crazy.

THRASHING LIKE MANIACS
Thrash psychos Municipal Waste had added another show to their tour in June, announcing an extra Melbourne show at the Bendigo Hotel on June 19. If that wasn't enough, the band has announced a special meet and greet party for 100 fans. Ticket holders to ANY of their Aussie or NZ shows can party with the lads at Eureka Rebellion Trading, 454 Smith St Collingwood, VIC after 6pm on June 18. The guest list is strictly limited to 100, so get there first or miss out!

RIP CHI CHENG
Deftones bass player Chi Cheng has lost his battle for life. In a semi-conscious state since a car accident in 2008, Cheng died 3am Saturday morning California time at the age of 42. His family has released the following statement: Our dearest Family, This is the hardest thing to write to you. Your love and heart and devotion to Chi was unconditional and amazing. I know that you will always remember him as a giant of a man on stage with a heart for every one of you. He was taken to the emegency room and at 3 am today his heart just suddenly stopped. He left this world with me singing songs he liked in his ear. He fought the good fight.You stood by him sending love daily. He knew that he was very loved and never alone. I will write more later. I will be going through the oneloveforchi and any other information may not be reliable. If you have any stories or messages to share please send them to the onelove site. Please hold Mae and Ming and the siblings and especially Chi’s son, Gabriel in your prayers. It is so hard to let go. With great love and “Much Respect!” Mom J (and Chi)

NORTHLANE SELLS OUT PLUS MORE MURDER
Their tour doesn't kick off for more than a month but Northlane has already sold out three shows. Both Annandale gigs in Sydney and the HQ show in Perth are now at capacity, so the band has added another date at each venue. Thy Art is Murder has also added three WA shows to their upcoming tour (Cattle Decapitation will NOT be playing these shows). See Tour Announcements for more.

ENSLAVED RESCHEDULE
Entertainment visa problems have holed Enslaved's proposed July visit but never fear as their invasion has merely been postponed until November. Check the new dates in our Tour Announcements section.

ALL AT SEA
Dark Tranquillity, Fintroll, Death Angel, Overkill, Symphony X, Soilwork and Septic Flesh are seven of the 40 bands who will take part on next year's 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise. Since it began a few years ago, this has become one of the world's most popular metal events and tickets are limited to 1000 worldwide.Tickets go on sale from 5pm Eastern US time April 8 at $US666 + tax. Those who book before July 27 get to vote on where the ship goes. You know what to do.

RIP CHRIS BAILEY
Chris Bailey of The Angels died shortly after midnight this morning (April 4) after a short battle with bladder cancer. Bailey was the bass player with the band from 1976 until early 1982, following which he spent time with GANGgajang and recording and touring with Jimmy Barnes. He rejoined The Angels in 2006 when they officially reformed under that name after several years working and touring under various pseudonyms. When the band split in two in 2011, Bailey stayed with the Brewster brothers' version of the band that recorded Take it to the Streets last year. A benefit that had been organised for him in Adelaide on the 17th is now proposed to go ahead as a tribute.

STONE THE CROWS
In circumstances that insiders would probably understatedly suggest are "interesting", Aerosmith's Sydney show on April 28 has been cancelled with the band now appearing at the Stone Music Festival instead. That festival has been reconfigured to accommodate Aerosmith, although Van Halen will still be headlining the show and both bands will be playing full 90-minute sets. The McManus Entertainment Facebook page and Stone website have more detailed information, with all Sydney Aerosmith ticket holders expected to received notification and replacement tickets by April 12.

PARROT FASHION
Apparently constantly on the road since the release of Bite Your Head Off last year with Bastardfest, shows in the Alice, the Regional Roulette deal coming up and a gig with Obituary soon, Melbourne maniacs King Parrot have another reason to celebrate with the news they have just inked an international deal with Candlelight Records.

WITH A BULLET
Northlane's second album Singularity has landed in the ARIA Album chart at #3 this week, another high-charting release for the UNFD release. It comes as the band is set to head out on another big tour. Find out where they're playing in our Tour Announcements section.

ROTTING SLOW
Obituary return to our shores in May with their Rotting Slow in Australia tour, playing a 89-92 Classic Set. Soundworks Touring is doing a huge giveaway in conjunction with the tour featuring a prize pack consisting of an Obituary tour shirt and stubbie holder, an autographed tour poster, a fully signed Napalm Death poster, posters from Morbid Angel, Cannibal Corpse, Dying Fetus and Mayhem, stickers and free tickets to the next two Soundworks Touring tours! To enter, you have to hold a presale ticket or purchase one before April 21. Email your proof of purchase and details to promo@soundworkstouring.com or visit their Facebook page. Supports for the shows come in the shapes of Denouncement Pyre and King Parrot in Melbourne and Daemon Foetal Harvest and Sanctium in Sydney.

MARCH 2013 

ROAD ROULETTE
Five of Victoria's hardest and heaviest are hitting the regional trail in April and May for a tour dubbed Regional Roulette. Frankenbok, Dreadnaught, King Parrot, Heaven the Axe and Abreact are teaming up to play shows outside the usual touring locations, with no given playing order - the bands will randomly select which order they play in each night. "The primary aim of this is to encourage punters to get down early and enjoy ALL the bands, not just the headline acts," the press release states. Nice idea.

IN THE TOURING LANE
UNFD artists Northlane and In Hearts Wake head out on separate tours in coming months, both with overseas and local guests in tow. Celebrating the release of their staunch new album Singularity, Northlane hit the road with Canucks Structures, Americans Stray From the Path and local lads Statues for a run down the east coast from Brisbane to Adelaide and then two shows in Perth. The headliners will also be playing three shows in Tasmania after the main tour. Byron's In Hearts Wake will be making their "Survival Tour" sojourn with help from Canadian hardcore dudes Counterparts, plus The Storm Picturesque and Stories, from June 13.

RIP BLACKMOON
Swedish death and black metal musician David "Blackmoon" Parland, founding member of Necrophobic, Dark Funeral, Infernal and War, died on March 19 aged 42. Parland, who also ran Hellspawn Records from the mid 90s until the early 00s, had been working on a new Infernal recording for the last few years with some reports indicating it would be ready for release this year. No further details on his death are currently available.

MORE METAL THAN YOU
Australia's premier true, false-slaying heavy metal band, the aptly named Metal will release their debut album Proving Our Mettle on April 19 through iTunes and selected stores. Metal is a band straight out of the old school of balls-to-the-wall metal. Think back to the glory days of Maiden, Priest and Manowar and you're getting close. They will play Brisbane's Crowbar on April 6, support Dutch symphonic metallers Epica in Sydney on April 19 and have Japanese dates lined up in July. Because, like every metal band, they're huge in Japan.

STONE SIDES
With news that Sydney glamsters The Art have been added to the Stone Music Festival line-up alongside Van Halen, Jimmy Barnes, Kings of Chaos, The Living End, Noiseworks, Ian Moss, Buckcherry, Choirboys, Richie Ramone and more, sideshows in Melbourne and Sydney featuring Buckcherry, Richie Ramone and The Art have been announced for the Espy on April 18 and The Standard on April 19. Glenn Hughes is also playing some solo acoustic shows in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. Deets - Tour announcements.

MORE DIGGING
Round three of the talent for this year's Dig It Up! festival has just been announced. Along with Hoodoo Gurus, Blue Oyster Cult, Buzzcocks, Flamin' Groovies, Peter Case and The Stems at both shows, the Sydney event now also includes Lime Spiders, The Crusaders, Tumbleweed, Kim Salmon & Leanne Cowie, The Frowning Clouds, Ray Ahn from the Hard Ons (spoken word), Bruce Griffith (stand-up) and more still be to announced. The Melbourne show will also feature The Moodists, Salmon & Cowie, The Crusaders, Ron S Peno, The New Christs, Bob Franklin (stand-up) and still more. Tickets are still available thru feelpresents.com.

DEAD AGAIN
The fourth instalment of Adelaide's New Dead Metalfest hits Fowlers Live on May 25. The all-ages event features some of Australia's biggest and most exciting metal band including Psycroptic, The Amenta, Ne Obliviscaris, Frankenbok, Ouroboros, Truth Corroded and The Schoenberg Automaton, plus the return of Black Like Vengeance and Closed Casket and a wealth of upcoming new talent. Tickets are $35 thru Moshtix.

BURR'S BATTLE ENDS
This morning it was announced that former Iron Maiden drummer Clive Burr had passed away at age 56 after a long battle with multiple sclerosis. Burr joined Iron Maiden in 1979 after a short stint with Samson and played on their first three albums. After leaving the band in 1983, he went on to play in Praying Mantis, Trust, Alcatrazz and a string of other acts. He established the Clive Aid MS charity in 2004.

R.I.P. JAY RAMIREZ
Only a week since we reported the death of Chris Torpey from We Lost the Sea, Sydney metalheads Cryptic Scorn have made the tragic announcement that Jay Ramirez, their 23-year old bass player, passed away last weekend (March 10). A fundraiser has been organised for his family on March 17 at the Valve Bar and Venue featuring Atomesquad, Til Rapture, Drillsaw and Apparaitions of Null. Our condolences to his family, friends and bandmates.

THE DARKNESS CANCELS
Due to a long-standing injury suffered by drummer Ed Graham, The Darkness has cancelled their Australian tour. In this statement the band explains why they don't feel they can tour with a stand-in: "The Darkness also feel that to visit countries which do not get enough shows by them as it is, and not have the full, proper and original band line-up, is simply not the right thing to do. To that end there won't be any possibility for stand in's or alternative Ed's for these shows and we won't be touring with any ersatz model! We hope to have details of re-scheduled shows very soon. The Darkness sends its most heartfelt apologies to everyone involved and look forward to seeing you all as soon as possible." Joan Jett and the Blackhearts will also no longer be appearing.

NO MORE HOLIDAYS
One of the most storied and inspirational figures in all of punk rock makes his first visit to Australia with a band since 1983. Jello Biafra, erstwhile former frontman of California punk legends Dead Kennedys, one-time gubernatorial candidate and socialist raconteur, is touring in May with his band Guantanamo School of Medicine in support of their politics-driven concept album White People and the Damage Done. Supports at various shows include Hard Ons and Grong Grongs and tix go on sale March 18.

SETTING THE WORLD AFIRE
To mark their tour appearances with Ensiferum this month, Sydney's Bane of Isildur are releasing two new tracks on vinyl and download. The release includes a new original track, "...and the Earth Becomes Aflame" and a cover of Windir's "Resurrection of the Wild". The 7" vinyl is limited to 300 copies and the tracks are set for release on April 5.

MUNICIPAL MADNESS
Joining the raft of bands touring Australia this year, crossover kings Municipal Waste are set to return in June. Heathen Skulls are bringing the Richmond, VA thrashers out for seven dates in June, including a U18 Melbourne show. Tickets are on sale from March 13.

NOT SINGLED OUT
With their socio-anarcho political and forward-thinking, undefinable musical stance, Killing Joke is one of the world's most influential bands whose work has inspired Metallica, Nirvana, Ministry, Shihad, Faith No More and others. In June they return to Australia as part of their Singles World Tour for four shows only - tix and deets: Tour Announcements.

TAKING THE PiL
Public Image Ltd. are about to hit Australia for the first time in 20 years from April 9. The three-date tour hits Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne and the supports for each show are We Set Sail (Brissie), Death Mattel (Sydney) and Harmony (Melbs). After two decades away from Australia, expect nothing less than one innovative and influential live experience. Deets and tix: Tour Announcements.

ONE DAY MAKES A DIFFERENCE
Eight of Melbourne's finest are teaming up to make a difference to those affected by autism. The One Day Autism Benefit features Frankenbok, Dreadnaught, King Parrot, Heaven the Axe, Bronson, Wolfpack, Don Fernando and The Charge on March 31 at the Evelyn in Fitzroy. Tickets are $22 from Moshtix and all proceeds go to benefit Amaze - Autism Victoria. Visit the Facebook page for more details about the One Day Project.

BLYTHE GOES FREE
Reports are coming in that Lamb of God frontman Randy Blythe's Czech manslaughter trial is over, with the singer acquitted of charges relating to the death of a fan at a show in Prague in 2010. According to this post on Metalbase India, Blythe is now a free man, although the story contains the disclaimer that a final judgement is yet to be made.

R.I.P. CHRIS TORPY
Terrible news for fans, friends and family of Sydney post-metal act We Lost the Sea with the news from the band this morning that singer Chris Torpy tragically took his own life on Saturday (March 2). A statement from the band reads in part: "Chris was the soul of the band from the very begin, he was a true artist, an amazing lyricist and the best vocalist I have ever seen. He was genuine and loved his friends, he was a better friend to any of us than we deserved, and he was always the first to reach out to people who were hurting. He struggled with his demons for a long time, he used music as a way to exorcise them, sometimes we could really hear the pain and fury in his voice at practise or at a show. He always lived life to the fullest and pushed the boundaries of his own existence. These words feel cheap, and don't in anyway do his remarkable, although short, life. He will be missed by many, but never forgotten. We Lost The Sea are blessed to have his talent and his voice recorded for us to always remember him as he was, for who he was." We Lost the Sea were to support This Will Destroy You in Sydney and have at this time committed to play the show in Torpy's memory.

 

THRASH-TASTIC
Melbourne thrashers 4Arm (left) are about to wrap up a massive US tour with Testament, Overkill and Flotsam and Jetsam. The band has posted a "day in the life of" video from the tour online, which you can watch here.

 

MORE TEA
In Australia recording their comeback album due for release later this year, The Tea Party are doing a special trio of acoustic shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane this month. See Tour Announcements for details.

 

UNIDA NUTHER GARCIA TOUR
Currently on Australian stages fronting Kyuss Lives with Soundwave, John Garcia is set to return in May with Unida, the band he formed when Kyuss first went into hiatus in the late 90s. Playing Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and the Cherry Rock festival, details are on the Tour Annoucements pages.

 

A GRAVE PROCESSION
In support of their latest album of smothering death metal, Endless Procession of Souls, Swedish veterans Grave are returning to Australia this month for dates in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Hobart and Perth. Deets and dates in Tour Announcements.

 

SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY
Alternative hard rockers Sleep Parade are about to embark on an east coast tour in support of their new downloadable single "Dancing With the Enemy", which available totally free from this link. Dates for their shows are in the Tour Announcements section.

 

FEBRUARY 2013 

 

 

 

THE DRUMS OF SOUNDWAVE
First Six Feet Under, then blink-182, then Anthrax - now Slayer, but this looks serious. Two days before they are set to hit Australia, Slayer's Dave Lombardo has issued a statement to the effect that he has been relieved of his duties for this tour. According to Lombardo, he last year identified problems with the band's accounts and was working with Tom Araya to resolve the situation when he was suddenly informed last Thursday that his services would not be required for the Soundwave tour. The full statement is available on Lombardo's Facebook page.

 

SPECIAL CONDITIONS
Maynard James Keenan's Puscifer project has been added to the Sydney and Adelaide legs of the Soundwave tour. Tickets are also on-sale for their side shows - see Tour Announcements for details.

 

WIN STUFF!
Loud is giving away two CDs and a 7" single this month. Courtesy of Shock Records we have 10 copies of Re-Machined: A Tribute to Deep Purple's Machine Head featuring Metallica, Iron Maiden and more and thanks to Rocket Distribution and Soundworks Publicity, we have three copies of Holy Grail's newie Ride the Void and one copy of their single "Dark Passenger" to give away. Head over to our competitions page to enter.

 

LOCAL PRODUCT
Wollongong metallers Nekrofeist have posted the video for their track Australian Made online. You can view it here.

 

GET STONED
The inaugural Stone Music Festival has just been announced for the weekend of April 20-21 at ANZ Stadium in Sydney. Featuring the almighty Van Halen as the headlining act on day one and Buckcherry in a supporting role, further details are sure to emerge soon!

 

TOUR NEWS
In big tour news this week, Katatonia has been added to Opeth's upcoming Australian tour. And the Duff McKagan/Danko Jones Sidewave gig in Sydney will now also feature Fozzy. Extreme's tour has been postponed and pop-metal guitar goddess Lita Ford has just announced two Aussie shows in May.

ANOTHER HUB BITES THE DUST
The Illawarra Mercury has today reported that Wollongong music venue The Patch has been forced to close due to noise complaints. Loud writer Sam Radojcin ran shows there more than once and it's played host to Dead Letter Circus, Guttermouth, Tumbleweed, Segression, LORD, Voyager, Mortal Sin, Nekrofeist and dozens more over its short tenure. Pub owners are planning a submission to council to allow the venue to continue.

DIGGING THE CULT
New York psychedlic heavy rock legends Blue Öyster Cult will be in Australia for the very first time as part of the Hoodoo Gurus' invitational Dig it Up! tour. The tour plays through April and also features the Buzzcocks, the Flamin' Groovies and the Stems. Watch out for the just-released 17-volume BÖC retrospective box set too.

BACK ON FORM
Sydney doom-death pioneers Cruciform are back after an absence of over 15 years. The band is taking their first strides on a stage in March with crazy fuckers Mother Eel and Brisbane grindasaurs Brazen Bull in tow for a three-town tour. 

TALKING UP A STORM
Co-inciding with their Soundwave appearances and side shows with their bands, Scott Ian from Anthrax and Fozzy's Chris Jericho are doing a couple of spoken words gigs together in Sydney and Melboure. The Sidewaves continue to be announced for other acts too, with Cancer Bats, Kingdom of Sorrow and This is Hell confirmed for a Melbourne show and DragonForce and The Sword teaming up for Melbourne and Sydney attacks.

FRENZAL BOUNCE OFF TOUR
Frenzal Rhomb has announced today that due to the hospitalisation of one member, the band has had to cancel their appearances on the tour with Descendents, Bouncing Souls and Bodyjar this week.

DARKNESS RETURNS
British glam rock revivalists The Darkness have been killing them around the world since they set aside their differences and got back to rocking and in April they tour Australia with the First Lady of heavy rock, Joan Jett. The Darkness and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts tour from April 2 - see Tour Announcements for more details.

25 TO LIFE
California punk legends Pennywise have reunited with original vocalist Jim Lindberg and are heading back to Australia for their 25th anniversary. Following the disappointment of last year's cancelled shows, all tickets for that tour are valid for the new dates. An Adelaide show is also being planned. Support comes from Face to Face and the Menzingers.

JANUARY 2013 

THE NEW FLESH
Sydney extreme collective The Amenta unleash their latest album Flesh is Heir on March 22 (EPV/Rocket). With lyrics exploring the dichotomy of the human psyche, this marks the first work written and completely recorded by this line-up. Tour details will be announced soon. 

HIGH TENSION, HIGH TOURING
After shows with Karnivool and airplay across Triple J, Melbourne noisemakers High Tension undertake a short east coast jaunt of their own in March, with all ages stops in Brisbane and Sydney. Check our tour announcements section for further details.

KILLER DEAL
Sydney deathcore mob Thy Art is Murder have inked a worldwide deal with Nuclear Blast Entertainment. The deal will cover all territories outside of Australia, New Zealand and Canada. The label will release last year's blistering Hate record in the US and Europe in April. Check out our review of the album here.

HIGH TENSION, HIGH TOURING
After shows with Karnivool and airplay across Triple J, Melbourne noisemakers High Tension undertake a short east coast jaunt of their own in March, with all ages stops in Brisbane and Sydney. Check our tour announcements section for further details.

ANOTHER ANGEL DOWN
Following the revelation that The Angels' Doc Neeson has brain cancer, it has now been announced that bass player Chris Bailey - who currently features in the Brewster brothers' version of the band - has also been diagnosed with the life threatening illness. He has been undergoing palliative chemotheraopy. According to a statement from the band, Bailey has been battling cancer since late last year. A benefit show is being planned.

ON THEIR MARKS
The Mark of Cain is gearing up for their first national tour in six years, but due to drummer John Stanier's commitment to Tomahawk's 2013 schedule, Lifepilot's Eli Green will be filling his sizable shoes for the shows. TMOC has also announced that Blacklevel Embassy will be the national support act. Details: Tour Announcements.

SPREADING THE DISEASE
In news that's sure to bring a smile to the faces of those who figured they might miss out on seeing an Anthrax sideshow outside of Sydney, the band will be playing two headline shows, in Melbourne and Brisbane, during their Soundwave sojourn. Periphery and Crossfaith are also teaming up for Sidewaves in Melbourne and Sydney. Tix and deets: Tour Announcements.

DOC TAKES ILL
As his version of The Angels were getting up steam for wide-ranging touring during 2013, singer and Australian music legend Doc Neeson has been hospitalised with a brain tumour. The 66-year old only returned to full-time touring recently after recovering from spinal injuries received in a car accident in 2001. A statement from the band reads: "It is with deep regret and shock that The Angels have to announce that Mr Doc Neeson was admitted to hospital over the recent Christmas/New Year period," the statement reads. "He has just been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, (brain tumour). This will require immediate intensive radiation and chemotherapy treatment and will continue for the next 6-7 months. Unfortunately, due to this, The Angels therefore have no choice but to cancel all their upcoming dates."

FUCKIN' SLAYER
Anthrax and Kingdom of Sorrow have been added to the Sydney Slayer show! Need we say more?

IDIOT SINKS HYPOCRISY TOUR
After repeated appeals from the band regarding work visas and flights for their tour due to start next week, Hypocrisy have announced that they will no longer be visiting Australia this month. Peter Tägtgren had this to say on Blabbermouth: "[The promoter] hasn't yet provided us with flights or working visa for this tour and we're forced to leave next Monday, January 14. We have asked time after time after time, and even put up a deadline to deliver that, but he has failed to do so for three months now. It's so close that it's all too late now. We can't even get into the country even if we had flight tickets, 'cause he didn't fix working visa for us yet. I can only hope you get your money back for the tickets you bought, and that [another] booker from Australia will invite us soon so we can finally go to your country." "Promoter" Javi of Oceanic Sharks has made no comment about Tägtgren's allegations, but given the way he handled the Warbringer tour last year, this turn of events is none too surprising.

HOME GROWN HEAVINESS
Congratulations to Byron Bay metalcore masters Parkway Drive for scoring another gold record with latest disc Atlas. Check out the band in action in Sydney recently here.

LOADED WITH SIDES
More Sidewave shows have been announced this week with Melbourne and Sydney hosting Kyuss Lives! and Red Fang on Feb 26 & 27. Sick of it All, Madball and Vision of Disorder are also on those same dates and Duff McKagan's Loaded team up with seriously under-rated Canadian rockers Danko Jones on the 25th and 28th of Feb. See tour announcements for further deets. In other Soundwave-related news, guitarist/producer Rob Caggiano has quit Anthrax on the eve of their Metal Alliance Tour. The band made the announcement on their Facebook page today (Jan. 5)

DECEMBER 2012 

EPICA FOR PERTH
Due to overwhelming demand, Metropolis Touring has announced a Perth Epica show! The new show is April 23 and tickets are on sale now thru the promoter and the Capitol.

OVER THE TOP
Christmas has delivered another massive tour for the New Year, this time it's one band with a floating line-up touring with one that's had the same members for 43 years. Guns N Roses and ZZ Top will be in Australia together from March 9, with support from The Angels, but not the Dave Gleeson-fronted band that recently carved up the Days on the Green with Baby Animals. It's Doc Neeson's version of the Angels doing the tour, featuring previous Angels alumni Buzz Bidstrup, Bob Spencer, Jim Hilbun and James Morley. Confused? At least we know who's in ZZ Top. Dates and tix: Tour Announcements.

EVIL INVADERS GETS BUFFALOED
With the bill for next June's Evil Invaders festival now finalised, promoter The Coffin's Slave has announced one final surprise - 70s rock legends Buffalo will be making a special appearance on the Saturday night show. Band leader Dave Tice (pictured left) will be fronting a one-off line-up performing Buffalo classics on the Manning Bar stage. The rest of the festival's participants are Archgoat (Finland), Sadistic Intent (United States), Midnight (United States), Vassafor (New Zealand), Portal, Nocturnal Graves, Cauldron Black Ram, Inverloch, Grave Upheaval, Black Jesus, Sacriphyx, Whitehorse, Spire, Witchammer, Erebus Enthroned, Ignivomous, Hordes of the Black Cross, Bleakwood, Crone, Stand Alone, Kingdom of Decay and the reunited Cruciform playing their first show in 18 years. Visit The Coffin's Slave for more details.

CHRISTMAS BONUS
Soundwave have announced that a strictly limited number of tickets will be released for each festival show. They go on-sale Friday, December 21 at 10am local time - just in time for Christmas! Click here for more details.

SUPPORT THE SLAM
With the recent closure of live venues across Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne this year, February's SLAM Rally can't come at a more important time. February 23 is Save Live Australian Music day, with live music in small venues all around the nation. Lycanthia, The Veil, Okera and Subterranean Disposition are taking part in one such show at the Bendigo Hotel in Melbourne. Venues, bands and promoters are encouraged to register any gigs they have on that day at any venue in Australia by visiting the SLAM website, and support live Australian music.

ONE SHOT KILL
It's the announcement many have been waiting for - Slayer is playing a Sidewave Show in February. Their one and only appearance outside the Soundwave Festival will be at the Big Top Luna Park, Sydney on February 25. Tix and deets: Tour announcements.

RUSH'N FOR THE HALL
Rock legends Rush and Heart will be inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall Fame in 2013. The bands go in alongside Public Enemy, Randy Newman, Donna Summer and Albert King at the induction ceremony in LA on April 18.

BATTLE CHRIST
Militant Sydney hardliners Battle Pope and Jesus Christ Posse go out on a head-to-head national tour next month in support of their split 12" - available on vinyl or as a free download from here.

ANOTHER CIRCLE
Awesome Melbourne progsters Circles have debuted their new clip on the Metal Hammer site. Drummer Dave Hunter, who also filmed it, says of the new track, "Another Me": "This video was a different experience for us, because we hadn't tackled a storyline element before. The story came from an idea for a short film I was working on a few years back. After some tweaking with the guys, it all fell into place quite nicely. Especially with the lyrical content of the song." Check it out: YouTube. The song is available to download from the Basick Records Bandcamp page.

BEARING UP FOR ALL AGES
The promoter of March's tour by Ensiferum has announced that the Sydney show is now an all ages gig. Sydney Viking metallers Bane of Isildur and Broken Hill power thrashers Soulforge will be supporting and the tickets are thru Metal Massacre.

NOVEMBER 2012 
A RIOTOUS EVENT
Riot! Entertainment - Aussie distro for Nuclear Blast, Metal Blade, Earache, Relapse and more - is having a massive sale of 17 palettes of CDs and other goodies across the weekend of December 1 & 2. Head over to their Facebook page and grab some serious one-time only bargains!

COOKING UP A FEAST
It's been four years since the last Devil's Kitchen Festival but the Little Bird Agency is bringing it back in January across three cities. The celebration of underground rock/punk/stoner/groove/noise plays The Tote, The Stag and The Beetle over the first three weekends of next year with a rotating line-up that includes King Parrot, Chainsaw Hookers, Nunchukka Superfly, Fort, Giants of Science, Clagg, Dead End Kings, Mother Mars, Don Fernando and more. The compilation album is thru Art as Catharsis and can be downloaded from here.

BECAUSE, WELL, THEY CAN
Aussie metal heroes LORD have posted the shred-tastic video for their new track "Because We Can" here. The song is from their forthcoming album Digital Lies, due early 2013.

DOCUMENTING THE STEEL
Australia's metal scene has long cried out for a real, all-inclusive documentary. Nick Calpakdijan is looking to be the guy who finally does it properly, with his forthcoming production Metal Down Under. It's already received ringing endorsement from some of the best known bands and names on the local scene including Psycroptic, Blood Duster, Thy Art is Murder, LORD, Be'lakor, Frankenbok, Andrew Haug, Dysie from Soundworks and HEAVY magazine. Now he just needs the money. Fans and supporters can help raise the funds at Nick's Pozible site, pozible.com/metal, and if you want to find out more first, visit metaldownunder.com.

KEEP THE UNDERGROUND WIRED
Black Wire Records is a not-for-profit art space in Sydney's Annandale that has played host to dozens of Australia's best underground bands over the last two years, including The Hard Ons, sleepmakeswaves, Serious Beak, Adrift for Days, Brazen Bull, Captain Cleanoff, Nuclear Summer, Totally Unicorn, I Exist, Looking Glass, Extortion and more. The room is a unique quality in Sydney and the operators are currently seeking donations to keep it at the forefront of the underground in the city. Donations can be made via Paypal: mail@artascatharsis.com. Mark "Black Wire Records" in the notes field when you do.

FORGING A FUTURE
Since 2010 the Sonic Forge Festival has been raising money to assist the Center for Hope, a charity in Haiti helping orphans and displaced young people in the wake of the February 2010 earthquake that decimated the country. The recent Hurricane Sandy disaster has increased the suffering of these people in one of the poorest nations on Earth. This year, the Sonic Forge Festival continues its work with an incredible line-up featuring Ne Obliviscaris, The Levitation Hex, Be'lakor, Alarum, Death Audio, Dreadnaught, A Million Dead Birds Laughing and more. The charity show is on December 15 at Melbourne's Esplanade Hotel. Further details, see Tour Announcements.

NORTHLANE'S REGIONAL ROAD TRIP
The past twelve months have been enormous for Sydney's Northlane since the release of Discoveries last November. About to head out nationally with Parkway Drive and I Killed the Prom Queen and the Soundwave tour ahead of them in February, the band is returning to its roots in January with an all ages regional jaunt taking in three states. Joining them will be recent chartmakers In Hearts Wake and good buddies Endless Heights. Tix and deets in tour announcements.

DIME LIVES ON...
It's hard to believe it's been almost eight years since Dimebag Darrell was murdered. Honouring his memory this year is not one show but two, starting with the Sydney Dime Show at the Bald Faced Stag Hotel on November 24. Nekrofeist, Red Bee, Atomesquad, Terrorential, Cryptic Scorn and Til Rapture will be appearing, with each band playing a couple of songs that Dime played and recorded with Pantera and Damageplan. The first 50 payers will receive a copy of The Art of Shredding: A Tribute to Dime, an Aussie metal tribute album featuring the likes of LORD, Malignant Monster, Aeturnus Dominion and more. On December 8, the anniversary of his death, the Home Tavern in Wagga Wagga is hosting Dimeday, featuring a spectacular array of metal talent from around the country including LORD, Segression, Vanishing Point (their first live show in years), Frankenbok, Dead City Ruins, Nemesphyxia, Electrik Dynamite, Nekrofeist and Cowboys From Here. For $20, that's not to be missed!

WORLDWIDE HATE
Sydney chartmakers Thy Art is Murder have just signed an international deal with Canadian label Distort, home of Cancer Bats and Architects. The band's album Hate will be released worldwide early next year.

TAKING A CHOKE HOLD
The Amenta heads to Europe next week for a tour with Obituary, Macabre and Psycroptic. Joining line up for this jaunt is The Seer/Mortal Sin guitarist Ryan Huthnance and Psycroptic's Dave Haley, returning to the band in place of Robin Stone who has stepped down due to family commitments.

ANOTHER FINE MESS
"After festering in their own filth for way too long, Fuck... I'm Dead claw their way back to life to bring you Another Gory Mess. The long awaited new album features twenty-one brand new cranium crushing compositions, an absloute onslaught of relentless blasting battery, ridiculous and repulsive riffery woven together with a barrage of bloodcurdling bellows." With the ability to write their own PR as well as that, and having people like Dysie from Claim the Throne and PC from Blood Duster in their corner, Fuck... I'm Dead don't need us to say anything. You have been warned.

MAKING A MARK
The Mark of Cain keeps the local heavy music hits happening with a #38 debut on the ARIA Album chart this week for Songs of the Third and Fifth.

WE HAVE WINNERS!
The winners of our Red Bee contest have been drawn. Congratulations to Josh Thompson of Albion Park and Brad Bethall of Wollongong. Your CDs will be on the way very soon.

RISKING THE REWARDS
New Melbourne collective High Tension features members of Heirs, Young & Restless and The Nation Blue and has just released their debut, self-titled EP on Bandcamp and as a glorious vinyl edition. Check out lead track "High Risk, High Rewards" on YouTube, and then get over to their Bandcamp page for more.

ATLAS SHRUGS
Congratulations to Parkway Drive, debuting at #3 on the ARIA album chart this week with Atlas.

RIP MITCH LUCKER
Mitch Lucker, the 28-year old vocalist of California deathcore pioneers Suicide Silence has been killed in a motorcycle crash. Lucker was riding his bike alone on Halloween night when he lost control and hit a light pole in Huntington Beach. He died of his injuries the following day (Nov. 1). Suicide Silence is a huge name in the world of deathcore, with both their last two albums charting in the mainstream Billboard chart. Lucker leaves behind a wife and daughter.

THIS IS THIS
Following the release of their first album in eleven years, Songs of the Third and Fifth, Adelaide bruisers The Mark of Cain have announced a run of national dates for next year - the first live shows since 2006. Including the Golden Plains Festival, the band will play Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and the Gold Coast. See tour announcements for more.   

OCTOBER 2012

AUSTRALIA BLOODY AUSTRALIA
Black Sabbath will return to Australia for the first time in three decades next April/May. More details to come, but needless to say, we're excited about this one.

DON'T STOP BELIEVIN'
More legends are on their way to Australia with the news that Deep Purple will be here in February, accompanied by Journey on their first ever Down Under visit.

CUBAN LOVE ADDICTION
Ian Rilen was one of the unsung legends of Australian rock - a founding member of Rose Tattoo, he wrote "Bad Boy for Love" before leaving to form X and epitomising the rock n roll lifestyle through various bands right up until his death at 59 in 2006. With his band Ian Rilen & the Love Addicts he recorded three albums - the final one, Family From Cuba, was completed just before he died and has at last been given release, on famed Sydney indie label Phantom which was resurrected simply for the purpose. Released on October 12 in a hardback cover including an 80-page book documenting his life and times, the album's first single and lead track "Wishing Well" is also now available.

SEARCH AND DESTROY
Detroit legends Iggy and the Stooges will return to Australian shores in 2013 to take part in the Byron Bay Blues Festival. To round out their visit, they'll be hitting Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne with the reformed Beasts of Bourbon for one show of the year you would be crazy to miss and will surely never forget. Deets: Tour announcements.

MURDER ON THE CHARTS
Thy Art is Murder has achieved the Holy Grail of Australian death metal - their album Hate has hit the mainstream ARIA Album Chart at #35. Congratulations from the LOUD crew!

WHIPPING CONFUSION
The Whiplash Festival door fee confusion seems to have been finally sorted thanks to, as it appears, the bands taking charge of the tour themselves. After last night's (Oct. 26) embarrassment at the Cambridge in Newcastle - when the free show became a two-for-one deal because the pub had not agreed to, and was apparently unaware of, the change of plan - there will be a $20 door charge at the Canberra show this afternoon, and presumably the same deal in Melbourne. UPDATE: According to our friends at Kiss or Kill, the Melbourne show is still free.

THE MEANING OF VOYAGER
Perth's Voyager are about to hit the east coast for shows at Bastardfest, Steel Assassins, Perpetual Tides and more. Ben Berkhout recently directed a clip for the title track of their album The Meaning of I, and the band is drip-feeding a screen shot a day from today (October 26) until the video release on October 30. Check out the images on their Facebook page.

WIDOWER TOUR OFF/MOVEMBER MAYHEM ON

The Widower tour in November that was to feature Boris the Blade, Oceano, Make them Suffer and Saviour, has been cancelled. Oceano were no longer able to make the tour: "I am sad to say that we have to pull off the upcoming Australian tour w/ Make Them Suffer and Saviour. We have a few mandatory commitments that we have to deal with at home during this time, which includes some family/legal matters. We appreciate all the hard work that Matt Leost and the Artery Foundation Australia put into this run and we are rescheduling everything for 2013 so stay tuned." Boris the Blade also withdrew. Refunds are available from the place of purchase. The promoters have been quick to re-package the tour into the Movember Mayhem Tour by adding Dream On Dreamer and In Fear and Faith, with precisely the same dates. See Tour Announcements. 

BLOOD DUSTER SUCK
Australia's leading purveyors of Southern-fried groove grind, the mighty Blood Duster, will release their new album KVLT on November 1. On vinyl only. Vinyl that has been irreparably scratched so it's unplayable! Take that, illegal downloaders. For people who still want to hear some new stuff, they are also releasing the five track digital EP SVCK the same day. Go here to buy either, or both: www.bloodduster.com. Also, watch this vid of Jason PC destroying the KVLT master so no one can ever hear it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uz2a1HlnXuQ

THE TIDE PERPETUAL
Wollongong residents, Loud Online, Riot Entertainment and Black Ocean is presenting the Perpetual Tides Festival for your proggy enjoyment at The Patch on November 3. Featuring Voyager, Troldhaugen, Katabasis, The Veil, Rise of Avernus, Hemina and Saralisse in a paragon of epic progressive metal madness, tix will cost $20. Ain't to be missed. UPDATE: Red Bee is replacing Mish.

LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN
The newest signing to the Riot! roster is hard rockers Shinobi. Featuring former NSW and Parramatta Eels rugby league star Eric Grothe Jnr, the band will release their debut album Against the Brave on October 26.

THY NAME IS HATE
Fresh off a national support with Fear Factory, Thy Art is Murder unleash their second album Hate on October 19 (Halfcut/Shock). Then they're straight out on the road with Resist the Thought from November 16. The band is also giving away a 7-string ESP guitar to the fan who can come up with the best cover of their new track "Reign of Darkness", which can be checked out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47Plg93oJ1M

SUICIDAL LAW
As if there weren't enough tours hitting our shores, Suicidal Tendencies, Unwritten Law and the Dudesons are teaming up for a three-way onslaught for mid-December. See Tour Announcements for details.

A BASTARD OF AN ANNOUNCEMENT
With only three days before the national Bastardfest tour kicks off in Brisbane, the organisers of the NT show have announced that the Darwin event has been cancelled due to falling attendances and high costs. The rest of the shows are unaffected by the cancellation.

BACK FROM THE BRINK
Only a handful of months after the attack that could have been the end of him, Hard Ons frontman Blackie and his two partners in sonic decimation are back from Europe and Japan to continue the Australian tour they had to cut short with shows in Sydney, Melbourne, Newcastle and Adelaide. Smell My Finger and Dickcheese reissues will be available at all shows. 

THE CIRCUS COMES TO TOWNSEND
Or, more accurately, to your computer. Devin Townsend's Retinal Circus show at the Camden Roundhouse in London has been sold out for more than a year, but fear not! Thanks to the Internet, and LiveMusicStage.com, you can enjoy this three-hour showcase of Townsend madcap brilliance in the comfort of wherever your computer is. For £7.99, you can purchase a ticket to witness this once-in-a-lifetime performance including special guests, circus performers and more on October 28 at 2am Perth time/5am Eastern Daylight Savings time. This not-to-be-missed opportunity can be joined by going here: www.livemusicstage.com/retinal-circus

GAZING DOWN UNDER
Sydney label Art as Catharsis is celebrating the nomination of charges sleepmakeswaves for an ARIA Award by releasing a downloadable compilation of the best of Australia's recent ambient, shoegaze and post-rock outfits under the title Stargazing Under Southern Skies. Featuring Dumbsaint, Tangled Thoughts of Leaving, Adrift for Days, We Lost the Sea, Nuclear Summer, Mushroom Giant, sleepmakeswaves (naturally) and more, the collection is available here for whatever you want to pay for it, even if that's nothing!

AN EPIC APRIL TOUR
Huge-sounding Dutch symphonic metallers have announced their first Australian tour for April 2013. The band will play three shows Down Under from April 17, with tix on sale from October 19.

LIVE FUCKING HEAD
Machine Head's second live album Machine Fucking Head Live will be unleashed thru Roadrunner Records on November 9.

TOURING PRETTY
60s garage legends The Pretty Things were a direct influence on Iggy Pop, the Ramones, Nirvana, David Bowie, Patti Smith and Steven Tyler. Guitarist Dick Taylor was an original member of The Rolling Stones. Their Parachute album was the first ever recipient of Rolling Stone's Album of the Year in 1970 and was a major influence on Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. If that ain't rock n roll enough then nothing is, and they will be in Australia in December for you to check out for yourself. See Tour Announcements for more.

AND THE AWARD GOES TO...
The nominations for the 2012 ARIA Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album Award are in, and this year the selections are: Buried in Verona - Notorious (UNFD); Frenzal Rhomb - Smoko at the Pet Food Factory (independent); House vs. Hurricane - Broken Teeth (UNFD); DZ Deathrays - Bloodstreams (I Oh You) and sleepmakeswaves - ...and So We Destroyed Everything (Bird's Robe). Congratulations to all nominees.

EVEN MORE EVIL
As if the Evil Invaders V line-up wasn't big enough (see below), the third announcement has revealed that legendary Sydney doom pioneers Cruciform will be reuniting for the show after almost 20 years apart. Further details: TheCoffinsSlave

SERMON OF HATE
Sweden's most brutal and unholiest black metal export Marduk will be in Australia in January 2013. With their new album Serpent Sermon in hand, the band will storm our shores with support from the unconquerable Portal and dark lords Order of Orias from January 10. Tix and deets: Tour Announcements.

RETURN VOYAGE
Back in Australia after an extensive tour with Rhapsody of Fire, Perth's Voyager are about to hit the east coast for a tour of their own, taking in Steel Assasins in Sydney, Bastardfest in Canberra, Wollongong's Perpetual Tides Festival (brought to you by Loud) and more. Check the tour announcements for details.

SEPTEMBER 2012 

ANOTHER ME
Melbourne progsters Me will be back in Australia soon to play at next year's Big Day Out; in the meantime their sparkling new EP "Another Story High" (Lizard King) is out from today (Sept. 28).

THE FIFTH INVASION
Evil Invaders V may be still well beyond the visible horizon, but the first round of tickets have already sound out. The second line-up announcement was made today, September 25, with Finland's Archgoat, NZ's Vassafor, Portal, Erebus Enthroned, Hordes of the Black Cross, Kingdom of Decay, Bleakwood, Whitehorse, Inverloch and Spire joining American legions Sadistic Intent and Midnight, plus Nocturnal Graves, Cauldron Black Ram, Grave Upheaval, Sacriphix, Ignivimous, Black Jesus and Witchammer. For more details, visit TheCoffinsSlave.

ANOTHER FUSION
Welkin Entertainment have announced the details of the sixth volume of their Euphony Fusion CD compilation series. The group is currently accepting submissions for inclusion on the next sampler album, that will be freely distributed to metal fans during the upcoming At the Gates and BTBAM/Animals as Leaders tours. It will also be available as a free download for a limited time. For more details, visit Welkin Entertainment.

GET IN QUICKLY
Punters who missed out on Soundwave tickets are in luck, as a limited release will go on-sale at 8am local time tomorrow (September 21) for Sydney, Adelaide and Perth from the festival website. Our advice is get in quickly. The third announcement has also been made, with Killswitch Engage, The Vandals, Orange Goblin, The Sword, Chelsea Grin, Northlane and more all added to the party.

SAVIN' THE SCENE
With Sydney's Sandringham Hotel still in peril, the Save Our Sando people are holding an art and photography exhibition at the Fire Galley, 22 Enmore Rd, Enmore. The show features work by our own Andrew Pittman, plus Tracey Nicholson from Blunt, Pedro Xavier, James O'Connor, Fiona McDonald and more, musical performances, and autographed, block-mounted gig posters supplied by embattled pub owner Tony Townsend. All are available for sale by silent auction. The show runs until September 23.

A GAY OLD TIME
Irresistably bonkers swamp rockers Gay Paris are about to storm venues nationwide to promote new single "The Demarcation of Joseph Hollybone" from forthcoming second album, The Last Good Party, which was funded by a Pozible campaign headed up by typically Parisian stunts like doing raps about the highest bidder's subject of choice and selling off space on singer WH Monks' body for a fan-dedicated tattoo. Check out the single here, and see Tour Announcements for dates including shows with The Snowdroppers and the Beards.

OFF! AGAIN
After a short tour here last year that had Jack and Kyle from Tenacious D checking them out, hardcore heroes Off! return to Australian shores with the Big Day Out in January. While here, they'll be doing three stand alone shows, in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. Tix and deets: Tour announcements.

TOURING LANE
Sydney's Northlane are currently on tour in North America, after which they'll be doing three all ages shows in Melbourne on the weekend of 23-25 November. Then they cross the Tasman for dates in New Zealand before linking up with the mighty Parkway Drive and IKTPQ for the former's immense Atlas tour.

SOLD OUT!
The Perth leg of the Soundwave Festival has officially sold out, meaning all five shows have now raised the "house full" sign.

REGULAR STRANGE
Sydney rock lads Regular John release their second album Strange Flowers today (Sep. 14) and head out on the road for the next four weeks to bring it to stages up and down the east coast. See Tour Announcements for more.

THE END ROLLS ON
The Living End's incredible Retrospective Tour continues to be expanded with yet another two dates at the Corner in Melbourne including an under 18s show on December 22 (performing The Living End). Limited tickets are still available for most shows, but the Dec 3 and 4 Brisbane dates and the Perth show on Nov 11 are sold out, as are all the Melbourne gigs except the new dates.

SUPPORTING THE STEEL
Glamsters The Art have scored the support to Steel Panther's October tour. In other news, Sydney's thunderous Summonus and Brisbane stoner trippers Shellfin will be supporting High on Fire at the end of this month at various shows.

SOLO MARTIN
Following on from a hugely successful reunion tour with The Tea Party, Jeff Martin will be out on the road solo from November 8. The Tea Party's self-released live album is out on Sept. 15. Details: Tour Announcements.

HOUSE FULL SIGN GOES UP
The Adelaide leg of Soundwave 2013 has officially sold out, meaning all shows except for Perth have reached this status. If you're thinking of going in Perth, get in quickly.

AUGUST 2012

HALFCUT MURDER
With their second album (recorded with Will Putney in New Jersey) soon to see the light, Sydney deathcore mob Thy Art is Murder have signed to new Shock imprint Halfcut.

SAILING DOWN UNDER
Holy whale barnacles! Pirate-loving metallers Alestorm are sailing back to Australia in January. The band will also be documenting their Australian/New Zealand tour for a new DVD, including filming their Melbourne show. The DVD will be entitled Live at the End of the World. See Tour Announcements for dates and ticketing details.

TURBOHARASSMENT
With their ninth album Sexual Harassment hitting shelves worldwide, Norwegian death-punks Turbonegro return to Australia to feature at the Meredith Music Festival and play two stand alone shows in Sydney and Melbourne in December. Tix and deets: Tour Announcements.

MAKING WAVES
The Brisbane and Melbourne Soundwaves sold out in record time this morning (Aug 23), with all tickets snapped up in under two hours. Almost immediately, tickets were being sold off on eBay for up to twice their face value. Sydney sold out a few hours later. Promoter AJ Maddah has already tweeted that he will be attempting to buy back - at cost price - masses of scalped tickets to re-sell to genuine fans who missed out. Expect to hear more about this.

WANTED DEAD AND ALIVE
The Devil Wears Prada will release Dead & Alive, their first live CD/DVD on October 12 thru Roadrunner.

A MIRROR OF TOMORROW
All Tomorrow's Parties return to Australia in 2013 with a very special event on the weekend of February 12 & 13. I'll Be Your Mirror will be curated by ATP and The Drones, who have selected much of the amazing line-up for the event, including British shoegaze legends my bloody valentine, post-rock pioneers Godspeed You! Black Emperor, a reformed Beasts of Bourbon featuring the original line-up, German experimental music gods Einstuerzende Neubauten and New York noisemongers Swans among others, with more still to be announced. For full details, head to www.ATPFestival.com.

COME ON, YOU BASTARDS
Soundworks Touring and Bastardfest are running an exclusive competition whereby you can win a guitar valued at more than $2000, signed by Max Cavalera. Bastardfest has one ESP/LTD LMAX-600SW White authentic guitar. The axe is part of the Max Cavalera Signature Series and personally signed by the man himself. For more details, visit the Soundworks Facebook page.

PROJECT STEALTH
Leaping off the back of their national tour with Dead Letter Circus, Melbourne progsters Twelve Foot Ninja are preparing for the release of their second full length album Silent Machine (MGM) on November 2. The band is unleashing their stealth campaign, Project 12: releasing one digital track and a digital comic every week for the next twelve weeks. Created by Britain's Keith Draws, each comic reflects the lyrics of the track it accompanies. Fans ordering the album from the band's site, www.twelvefootninja.com, receive each song and comic and a physical copy of the album itself after November 2. Visit the site to order and download the first bundle free.

THE NEXT WAVE
Soundwave has announced its next batch of acts for the 2013 festival. Among the new inclusions are Slayer, Sick of it All, Gallows, Bullet For My Valentine and Bring Me The Horizon. See Tour Announcements for full list.

WORD TO THE WISE
Punkers Pennywise have postponed their Australian tour after frontman Zoli Teglas suffered a slipped disc. More details to come.

THE WAR GOES ON
With original drummer Josh Eppard back in the band, Coheed and Cambria release the first of two new albums, The Afterman: Ascension in October (V2/Cooperative). A continuation of The Amory Wars saga, the album was self-financed and self-produced and the deluxe edition will include a hardcover coffee table book. At this month's San Diego Comic Con, actor/producer Mark Wahlberg announced his intention to develop the Amory Wars into a feature film. The Afterman: Ascension is out on October 12.

BLACK AND BLUE
Georgia rockers Baroness, whose new album Yellow & Green just scored Loud's first ever 100% rating, were involved in a bus crash yesterday (August 15) in Bath, England. The band's tour bus careered 10m off an embankment, landing all members and crew in local hospital. Current news suggests no one was grievously injured, but obviously all touring has been suspended.

LOUD PRESENTS...
Loud Online is getting behind a few upcoming local shows including Perth progsters Chaos Divine's show at The Patch in Wollongong on September 7. The band's Bless the Rains Tour does Perth, Sydney, Melbourne and the Gong and they've just released a version of Toto's "Africa" which will be available at shows. The Patch is also the place you can catch New Blood's launch night for their album Subsistence (Grindhead) on September 22, also featuring Gods of Eden, Exekute and Trauma Victim. Finally, Loud is also co-presenting (with Farski Photography) the Prog Corps night at Sydney's Bald Faced Stag Hotel, featuring Caligula's Horse, Hemina, Averin and Cameria. That's on October 12.

SOUNDS MASSIVE
With the 2013 Big Day Out offering a somewhat underwhelming card for rock fans, leave it up to Soundwave to come to the rescue, delivering what is no doubt a knock-out punch to the apparently struggling summer festivals circuit (BDO over-run with dance music, American bands at Homebake) with the announcement that Metallica is headlining next year's show. Also among the starters are Linkin Park, blink-182, Paramore, A Perfect Circle, Garbage, Anthrax, The Offspring and more - unarguably a star-studded cast. Deets: Tour Announcements.

ROCK INTO NEXT YEAR
Shiny Entertainment has announced the line-up for this year's Pyramid Rock Festival at Phillip Island on 29 Dec. - 1 Jan.. While some of the acts don't really fall into the "rock" category, bands like Karnivool, House vs. Hurricane, Dream on Dreamer, Dead Letter Circus, Children Collide and Stonefield sure do: www.thepyramidrockfestival.com

JULY 2012 

WEDNESDAY ON A FRIDAY
Due to overwhelming demand, Wednesday 13's sold out Sydney show on Friday, October 26 has been moved from the Annandale Hotel to the Manning Bar. Tickets go on-sale tomorrow (August 3) from 9am. See Tour Announcements for details.

DEAD BODIES EVERYWHERE
You can win a fully signed Torture CD and Australian tour poster pack from death metal titans Cannibal Corpse. There are three pack giveaways for each show. For your chance to win, you need to have already purchased a pre-sale ticket or buy one before August 31. E-mail your name and proof of purchase to promo@soundworkstouring.com or message them at their Facebook page. The winners will be notified by Soundworks Touring on September 1. You can watch the band's new Australian tour promotional video here. UPDATE- Psycroptic have been added to the bill in Sydney and Melbourne.

DANGEROUS GOODS
Being bashed with a skateboard hasn't taken the wind out of Blackie's sails. While still recovering from the injuries he sustained back in June, the Hard Ons guitarist has just returned to his Wednesday night residency at the Sandringham Hotel in Sydney with Michele Madden and July 27 sees the release of his solo album No Dangerous Gods in Tunnel, thru Citadel Records.

MORE IDLE JOY
Hardcore dudes IDYLLS have released a follow-up to their recent album - a split recording with defunct post-hardcore Melbournians Palisades. You can download it from Bandcamp for a small donation..

GO!
In case you missed it, our friend over at Triple-J's The Racket, Lochlan Watt has announced that Swedish melodic death metal gods At the Gates will make their first trek to Australia in October/November. See Tour Announcements for details. 

LORD'S PASSING
Jon Lord, whose classically-inspired bombastic keyboard style was a cornerstone of heavy rock founders Deep Purple, has died from a pulmonary embolism associated with pancreatic cancer. Lord, who also played in Whitesnake and featured in bands with Ron Wood in the early 60s, began a second career as a classical composer after finally leaving Deep Purple due to failing health in 2002. He was 71.

THE DAY IS ANNOUNCED
The Big Day Out line-up for 2013 doesn't include too many acts we'd normally cover here at Loud, but here's the bill as released today (July 16) anyhow: Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Killers, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Vampire Weekend, Band of Horses, Bloody Beetroots, Kaskade, Animal Collective, BoB, Sleigh Bells, Foals, Alabama Shakes, 3-goddam-60, Crystal Castles, Pretty Lights, Off!, Grinspoon, Against Me!, Nicky Romero, Morgan Page, Gary Clark Jr, Every Time I Die, Delta Spirit, Childish Gambino, Me, Hunting Grounds, House vs. Hurricane, Deathgrips, Jagwa Ma. From a rock point of view, that's pretty fucking disappointing.

MORE BASTARDS COME ON BOARD
More bands have been announced for the national Bastardfest tour, with some killer inclusions in all cities. See Tour Announcements for details.

MISSING SOME PHOTO GALLERIES?
We're currently over our storage limit here at Loud, so we've moved our oldest photo galleries off-site for a while until we can get more space! To check out our earliest pix, take a look at our Flickr page: www.flickr.com/photos/loudonline/

KOBRA STRIKE
Spinefarm Records is about to issue the debut album from Canadian metalheads Kobra & the Lotus, a new signing to Gene Simmons' eponymous record label. The self titled release will hit stores on August 10. Check out a clip from the album here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXmZQyGHe1k

PLAYING THE ENEMY
Sydney's Our Last Enemy have had their track "10,000 Headless Horses", from their 2010 album Fallen Empires, included on RockBand3 for XBOX and PS3. The band has also been added to the Alt Strum Productions roster, home to dozens of heavy names and co-owned by ex-Fear Factory drummer Raymond Herrera. The video for "10,000 Headless Horses" can be seen here: http://youtu.be/YSircnMveBI 

NO APOCALYPSE
According to a post on their Facebook page, accompanied by a picture of The Workshop, a venue in Ceres, California, Melbourne thrashers 4ARM have abandoned the Zombie Apocalypse tour in the US due to poor communication and organisation by the promoters, Nemesis Records. The band claims they were given poor information about venues, no itineraries or load-in times and repatriation to absorb touring costs was promised but never given. The cancellation has been confirmed by the band's agent, Trinity Artists and Australian label Riot!. The band apologises to American fans, but on a slightly brighter note, 4ARM has booked a show at LA's Whiskey A Go Go for Friday 13. Fellow Aussies DepriVation, who are part of the same tour package, have since come out in support of the promoters and remain on the tour. 

ANNOUNCING THE BIG DAY
The complete line-up for the 2013 Big Day Out will be announced at one minute after midnight on Monday 16 July. The festival will return with a full scale bill to Adelaide and Perth after this year's contentious decision to go ahead with a reduced line-up. In other changes, there is no date for New Zealand and for the first time, the Australia Day show will be held in Melbourne and not Sydney. Advance tickets go on sale on the 16th from selected General Pants stores, with purchasers going in a draw to win a double pass to Lollapalooza in Chicago. For more details, see bigdayout.com

TOURINGWAVES
Following on from their massive road trip with Karnivool, Sydney post-rock combo sleepmakeswaves are off on a headlining tour in September, taking in all states. The band's album ...and so we destroyed everything has just secured a US release. Deets: Tour Announcements.
 
PSYCHOS YOU CAN TRUST
Syndicate Films are 70% through the production of their documentary on Victorian punk institution Cosmic Psychos, titled after their classic album Blokes You Can Trust. The group has set up a page on the crowd-funding platform Pozible to enable fans of the band to contribute towards the cost of completing the film. Watch the trailer and contribute to what should be an engrossing and hilarious Australian rock n roll story here: www.pozible.com/cosmicpsychos

A RUINOUS PLACE
Tasmanian black metallers Ruins have embarked on a national tour with Goatwhore and Impiety this week (July 5). The shows coincide with the release of the band's fourth album, Place of No Pity, of which vocalist Alex Pope says: "This album is bringing all we have done full circle. It is death and renewal, it is cyclical, it is the completion of our first phase of existence. These first four albums belong together. This album ties all of our first work together I feel." The album was produced by Joe Haley and features cover art by Rev. Kriss Hades. Catch the title track here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=44UQM02Pvs0.

JUNE 2012 

END OF DAYS

The Living End have announced that they will embark on a unique and ambitious tour this year. The Retrospective Tour will feature the rockers playing each of their six albums in full, back-to-back, start to finish, throughout 35 shows in five capital cities. This will be the very first time each album has been performed live from start to finish, and the feat will almost certainly be the first time any Australian band has undertaken such a tour. See Tour Announcements for show and ticketing details. 

BURIED ALIVE
Sydney's Buried in Verona have some major plans to announce. Their new album Notorious has already peaked at No.20 on the ARIA Album Charts and the band will be supporting heavy music giants The Amity Affliction during their upcoming national arena tour. Also announced this week was that Notorious will be released in the UK via UNFD and Essential. It will be released digitally on June 30, with a physical release on August 13. To celebrate, they'll be playing six shows in the UK in September supporting Motionless in White - many of the gigs have already sold out. However, the band has also inked a co-management deal with US company The Artery Foundation, who have also aided the success of bands like A Day to Remember, Attack Attack and Asking Alexandria. On top of all that, they've also joined The Pantheon Agency roster in the US, who will book the band in North America.

SPREADING THE DISEASE
Soundwave Touring have announced the postponement of Cancer Bats' upcoming Australian run. However, the band have been confirmed for Soundwave 2013 and in an added bonus, fans holding tickets for the July dates will be rewarded as those tickets will remain valid for the band's three Sidewave shows. According to the promoter, said shows will feature "a rather gargantuan lineup", so stay tuned for more details.

UNDER REGIONAL SKIES
Sydney road-pigs Katabasis are back in the van in July for their Under Meridional Skies tour. The dark prog doomy types hit up Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and a number of major regional centres in Victoria and NSW. Mad Blue Mountains progsters Red Bee are along for the ride. Deets: Tour Announcements.

FIGMENTS OF YOUR IMAGINATION
The lineup for The Amity Affliction's upcoming Chasing Ghosts Australian tour has been revealed, with the local heroes to be joined by Architects, Buried in Verona and new additions The Ghost Inside. The latter have posted a video to their fans about the shows which you can view here. More details on the tour to come.

THE BURDEN OF LEGACY
Sydney metalcore lads Aftermath release their second EP Their Legacy, Your Burden on July 6, with a launch on the 13th at the Burdekin with guests Vice, Hearts Like Wolves and The Adversary. Tix: Oztix.

ONE HELL OF A RACKET
Former long-time host of Triple-J's The Racket radio program Andrew Haug has announced that he will soon be launching Australia's first ever 24/7 rock and metal online radio station. The official launch date will be announced shortly. Click here for more details. 

YOU'LL FIT RIGHT IN
A slew of bands have been added to the lineup for Bastardfest 2012 in each city. See Tour Announcements for the full list. We here at Loud are proud to be co-presenting the festival again this year, so keep an eye out for loads of exciting festival-related content in the coming months, including interviews, more lineup announcements, giveaways and more.

OUR ENEMY WHISPERS AND FREE VENOM
Anxiety Whispers, the band from whence came the likes of Our Last Enemy, Graveyard Rockstars and Melody Black's Jonathon Devoy, are getting back together for a special one-off show at Venom (Agincourt Hotel) in Sydney on July 7 with support from Tensions Arise, The Damned Humans and Eschalon Hive. Entry to the show is $15. Meanwhile, the entry fee for the other two levels of Venom has been waived for the next four weeks, starting tonight (June 16). That's free entry to the upper two levels of Venom, with a door charge applicable in the basement band room only.

SLAUGHTERING SYDNEY
With one extreme music festival down, another is just around the corner in Sydney with the announcement of Slaughterfest V for July 21 at the Sando. This year's line-up is probably the most diverse to date, and features the likes of Lo! (pictured), Agonhym, Mother Eel, Mish, We Lost the Sea, Brazen Bull, At Dark and more.

BURIED IN NOTORIETY
Buried in Verona have scored a Top 20 berth in the ARIA albums chart with the release of their album Notorious, which we reviewed here. We had a bit of a chat to the band here, and their tour deets are here.

TAKING A HOLD
Extreme collective The Amenta has just released their latest recording "Chokehold" onto iTunes thru Listenable. The new recording features the band's take on the Godflesh classic "Christbait Rising" along with the title track that takes the cover as a guide. Also included is a remix of "V01D" from the previous EP and two live cuts.

WHO YA GONNA CALL? 
The Amity Affliction are currently holed up in Florida with renowned producer Michael “Elvis” Baskette, hard at work on their Roadrunner debut Chasing Ghosts. The follow-up to their #6 hit Youngbloods, the album will be released on September 14.

FEEL MORE STEEL 
Soundwave Touring has at last announced a second Steel Panther show in Sydney. The new 18+ only show at the Big Top is on October 6. Tix on sale June 14 from Ticketek, Oztix and the venue. In other news, the Adelaide show has been moved to the Thebby, same date, all tix still valid.

INVASION AND ASSAULT
Returning to the stage after their brief Aussie tour last year, Assaulter will be featuring at next weekend's (June 8 - 10) Evil Invaders IV festival in Sydney that also includes Inquisition from the States plus Mournful Congregation, Cemetery Urn, Vomitor, Hobbs Angel of Death, LORD, Stargazer, Astriaal, Destruktor and more. Following this show, Assaulter is off to Europe for shows in Ireland, Germany, Denmark, Finland and the UK, where they will be feature at The Ultimate Australian Battlezone with Destroyer 666, Hobbs Angel of Death, Gospel of the Horns and Vomitor in London.

TELLING THE TRUTH
Sydney/Wollongong metallers LORD have announced the name of their new album will be Digital Lies. You can find out more by reading the band's official blog on the subject here.

4ARM 4USA
Melbourne thrashers 4ARM kick off a US tour on July 7 with assistance from Orange death metal lads DepriVation. Together with Casket for Cassandra and Prey for Sleep, the Aussie bands will play 18 shows across the States on the Zombie Apocalypse tour, winding up at the Bay Area Metal Festival on July 28.

COME TO THE PARTY
With a new studio album some time off due to touring commitments, The Tea Party is considering recording a live album on their Australian tour in July. Currently unsigned, the band is seeking the assistance of their fans to make it happen. Says bass player Stuart Chatwood, "We've always wanted to do a proper live record, and the opportunity to capture the band in front of a passionate Australian audience has presented itself to us.  The fans can join us and together we bring this record to life via Pledgemusic.com. This might be the future of the music business, or perhaps one of the futures." Fans can join the party here.

MAY 2012

STRAIGHT TO HELL 
Last seen destroying us all as part of Soundwave 2012, Slipknot have posted a new video, Antennas to Hell: #0, which you can check out here.

THE ENDING IS THE BEGINNING
Adelaide stalwarts Double Dragon will call it quits this weekend (May 26) after their performance at the New Dead Metalfest, which also includes the like of LORD, ISAW, Truth Corroded, Desecrator, Teramaze and more. Double Dragon will finish up after a decade that saw them play at the Big Day Out and Soundwave, tour with Slayer twice, release two albums and two EPs and tour all around the country. Most members will be continuing under the name Sons of Asena. 
 
HARD ONS UPDATE
As an addendum to the article below, the rest of the Hard Ons' current tour has obviously been cancelled except for two special shows on June 1 and 2 in Sydney at the Annandale and Newcastle at the Great Northern. For these two shows only, the band will feature former members Keish de Silva (taking Blackie's place) and drummer Pete Kostic. These shows will also be a benefit for Blackie.

SUPPORT AN AUSTRALIAN MUSIC LEGEND
While working as a taxi driver in Sydney early on Friday morning (May 18), Hard Ons legend Blackie was bashed by a couple of teenagers in the northern suburbs, and is now receiving treatment in hospital for a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain. Blackie was to appear with Michele Madden on the final night of her residency at the Sandringham Hotel on May 23; the evening will now be a fund-raiser for him featuring a $10 cover charge, every cent of which will be donated to Blackie's medical costs. Supporting Michele on the night will be Ratcat's Simon Day, Mo Mayhem from Hell City Glamours and Marcus de Pasquale of Looking Glass. Blackie's attackers were arrested and have been charged.

TOURS, TOURS AND YEP, MORE TOURS
The past few days has featured a flurry of tour announcements. Slash alongside Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators are here in August, as are punk legends Pennywise. Grindcore veterans Nasum (pictured) will pay us a visit as part of their 20th anniversary farewell tour and the first batch of bands have been announced for Bastardfest 2012. Steel Panther's Sydney and Melbourne shows have also sold out in quick time. See Tour Announcements for details. 

BRINGERS OF WAR!
New generation US thrashers Warbringer are heading to Australia in October! Out here to support their latest release Worlds Torn Asunder, the band will be touring with an array of solid local supports from October 4. Details in Tour Announcements.

RIP ROB DOHERTY
Former Into Eternity guitarist Rob Doherty has died suddenly of unknown causes. Doherty featured on the band's Buried in Oblivion album before departing in 2005; he guested on "Fukushima" and "Sandstorm" on their latest album and launched his solo band Final Darkness late last year. He was 41.

ANOTHER TOMORROW
Following what appears to be an unfortunate current trend, French experimentalists Hypno5e have been forced to cancel their tour supporting Acid Mist Tomorrow due to guitarist Jo being struck down with a medical condition.

END OF THE LINE
DevilDriver have been forced to cancel their upcoming Australian tour with Darkest Hour and Six Feet Under, due to frontman Dez Fafara being able to fly for at least two weeks due to pneumonia. Ticketholders can get a refund from their point of purchase. Darkest Hour will still be appearing at special 18+ only shows in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.

APRIL 2012

CHOKE ARTISTS
Australian extreme metal collective The Amenta will release their latest digital offering, the Chokehold EP through Listenable Records in mid-May. The EP features new songs, live tracks, remixes and a cover of Godflesh's "Christbait Rising". The band have also posted an official video for the track "V01D", which you can watch here.

RETURN OF THE MUTILATED
Soundworks Touring has just announced that death metal kings Cannibal Corpse will return to Australia in October. After a three year absence, the world's best selling death metal band will play Adelaide, Perth, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane from October 4. Tix and details in Tour Announcements. In an announcement that probably surprised nobody who's visited this site regularly, The Tea Party will be touring Australia in July. The Canadian band, which toured here 12 times in ten years from the mid-90s until they split in 2005, will be here from July 14. Tix and deets: Tour Announcements.NEW TRANSMISSION Soundworks Touring has announced that The Exploited's Australian tour has had to be cancelled due to a family emergency affecting bass player Rob. Wattie from the band had this to say: NO EXPLOITATION "I'm really sorry to have to say this but I'm afraid we'll have to cancel. Apart from feeling sorry for Rob, we're all totally gutted as we were really looking forward to this, but it is out of our control. I don't really know what else to say except for I'm sorry to have to be saying this in every aspect. We'd just like to apologise to the promoter and everyone involved in these gigs and especially all of the people who were coming to see us. There’s no one more disappointed than us!  So hopefully in the future we can get a chance to come back and play to the people of Australia and New Zealand. " Melbourne's dark experimental avant garde shoegazers Heirs head out in May to support their latest release "Hunter" (Denovali/FUSE). After stunning crowds nationally on tour with Alcest last year, Heirs headline their own shows in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne early next month. Dates: Tour Announcements. HEIRS APPARENT

4DOWNLOAD
Following on from their signing to Riot! Entertainment last month, Melbourne thrashers 4arm will be playing the Download festival in the UK in June alongside massive names like Metallica, Megadeth, Black Sabbath, Soundgarden, Machine Head and Lamb of God. Following this, the band heads to the US for a three month tour.

BLOOMIN' GOOD
Roadrunner Records Australia's newest signings, Make Them Suffer will release their debut album Neverbloom on May 25. The band's video for the title track has also had a huge response, reaching more than 14,000 views within the first 24 hours alone. Check out the video here.

TALES OF THE MACABRE
Back in Australia for the second time in three years, Chicago metal outfit Macabre are bring their gore soaked humour in support of their Grim Scary Tales album, headlining Melbourne's High Voltage Fest as well as a body bag of other dates, covering most states. As always, check the tour guide for dates.

PROCESSION OF DOOM
Brutal Chilean doom merchants Procession are set to bring the riff to Australian audiences this September. Joining the caravan will be South Australia’s Mournful Congregation. Tickets can be purchased via The Coffins Slave website.

REAL WILD CHILD
Recently seen on our shores pummeling audiences as part of the Soundwave Festival, French metallers Gojira will release their new album L'Enfant Sauvage through Roadrunner on June 25th. The title translates to "The Wild Child", will feature 11 tracks and was produced by Josh Wilbur (Lamb of God). 

GO THROUGH THE PORTAL
Australian progressive/melodic/extreme metallers Ne Obliviscaris will finally release their debut album Portal Of I on May 7 through Welkin Records. The album was mixed and mastered by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Katatonia). The band will also be hitting the road in support of the album- see Tour Announcements for details.