The wait is nearly over. Blacken Open Air – to be held from September 19 to 22 – Australia’s most unique heavy music festival, has dropped its full line-up for 2025, featuring an electrifying mix of international icons, exclusive reunions, and homegrown heavyweights.
This is not a rehashed, derivative or template event; it is a reinvention. We are building on what we’ve done in the past, while reinterpreting the reason for doing it. In 2025, we’ve searched the globe for artists that bring the extreme, the inspiring, the outrageous and the absurd, representing the real diversity of voices in the heavy music space. Not just across Australia and New Zealand, but from America, Europe and Asia as well.
And what better way for you to know what to expect than a personal, up close Q & A session? Today, we get to know Full Tone Generator.
BRIEF HISTORY: One of the biggest stoner and desert rock bands to come out of Australia in recent times, known for their electric live shows and heavy, immersive sound, Full Tone Generator have gone from strength to strength, continuously growing, evolving and honing their sound with each new release. Now comprised of Andy Fernando (guitar & vocals) Brad Young (Guitar) Ben Hall (bass) and Matty David (drums), the band initially formed as a recording project when Brant Bjork (KYUSS, Fu Manchu) agreed to do some writing and recording with Andy in 2018. The writing and recording that took place would turn out to be Full Tone Generator’s debut album, ‘Valley of the Universe’. After putting a full live band together to play the songs live, the band hit the road and continued to release new music, including releasing a double A-side with Nick Oliveri (KYUSS, Queens of the Stone Age), playing Ripple Fest in Austin, Texas, playing alongside Eagles of Death Metal and The Sword, and playing their own headline tour throughout the States.
LATEST RELEASE: Refuge Of Sinners
GENRE: Stoner Rock
WHY PEOPLE SHOULD CHECK YOU OUT AT BLACKEN OPEN AIR: Big riffs, big stage show
THREE THINGS PEOPLE MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT THE BAND: We don’t take ourselves too seriously, we love K-pop, and we don’t do drugs
BLACKEN OPEN AIR 2025 is approaching fast. Are the nerves kicking in yet?
Yes! Getting very excited.
What does it mean to you to be playing at BLACKEN?
We are stoked to be included on such a unique festival and line-up, we have never played in the NT before, so it’s a great honour.
BLACKEN has been called Australia’s most unique music festival. Do you agree?
Absolutely agree, we haven’t been before, but from what we have seen, there is nothing else really like it on the planet.
Who are you most looking forward to playing with and why?
Brant Bjork Trio, Earthless and Blood Duster because they are all killer bands that have influenced us in some way.
It’s a long day of music. What will you be doing to make sure you will still be standing come your set time?
Water and nutrients!
Give me your Top 3 Festival survival tips.
Stay hydrated, take a break and don’t do floor drugs.
Which band – other than yourself – do you think will get up to the most mischief on the day?
Blood Duster, without a doubt.
What song do you think the crowd would want you to play to finish your set?
Let the Good Times Roll, in a sea of heavy riffs, this little rock n roller will get people dancing.
What song are you going to play?
Not sure yet!
What one song would you tell festival goers to listen to of yours if they haven’t heard you play before?
Juan Carlos, it just has all our ingredients.
Finally, what plans does your band have for the rest of 2025?
Touring Australia with Brant Bjork Trio and finish writing a new album.
