When you talk about the foundation of Australian heavy music, one name immediately commands respect.
Mortal Sin.
Emerging from Sydney in the mid-1980s, Mortal Sin became the undisputed pioneers of local thrash metal. Their 1987 debut album, Mayhemic Destruction, didn’t just break the mould—it drew a definitive line in the sand, proving that Australian bands could match the speed, aggression, and technicality of the dominant American and European bay-area scenes. At the center of that historic sonic assault was founding vocalist Mat Maurer, a frontman whose fierce delivery and enduring dedication have shaped the landscape of heavy music down under for four decades.
Now, following a prolonged thirteen-year hiatus that left fans wondering if they would ever witness the madness again, Mortal Sin has made a triumphant, full-throttle return. Having roared back to life to celebrate their 40th anniversary, the band has spent the year pulverising crowds at European festivals like Keep It True and Alcatraz Metal Festival, proving that their iconic catalog has lost none of its bite.
But the biggest celebration is yet to come. This September and October, Mortal Sin is joining forces with American heavyweights Flotsam and Jetsam for the co-headlining Monsters of Thrash Australian tour. For the legendary Arizona band, this marks their first-ever maiden voyage to Australian shores in their 40-year career. Armed with their fierce new album Rats In The Temple, Flotsam and Jetsam are set to unleash a decades-deep arsenal of classic speed and thrash metal. Alongside them, Mortal Sin brings their renewed firepower, turning this four-date whirlwind tour into an unmissable, historic milestone for metalheads across the country. With a stacked lineup completed by local powerhouses Hidden Intent and Livewire, this tour promises to turn venues into absolute warzones.
We had the privilege of sitting down with Mat to dig into this monumental tour. In the interview, Mat opens up about the thrill of sharing the stage with Flotsam and Jetsam for their historic debut down under, the sheer logistics of rebuilding the band after more than a decade apart, how the current 2026 iteration of Mortal Sin channels the same raw, chaotic hunger they had in the late ’80s and more.
TOUR DATES
Wednesday, Sept 30: Crowbar, Brisbane
Thursday, Oct 1: Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide
Friday, Oct 2 : Max Watt’s, Melbourne
Saturday, Oct 3: Crowbar, Sydney
Tickets and info available HERE
