Author: sam_sweeney

I think there's something a lot cooler about calling yourself a heavy music journalist than just a music journalist, or worse yet, simply a journalist. Therefore, in a vain attempt to inflate my ego a little further, I'll consider myself to have been a heavy music journalist for the past two years, and probably unofficially/uneducatedly for a lot longer prior to that. Ironically, I'm a law student with a preference for hardcore and aggressively anti-authority punk and hip-hop music, so this is the more exciting side of my double life. I also really, really love dogs and dream of the day dogs become integral parts of metal bands.

[LIVE REVIEW] Architects and supports, Prince of Wales, Melbourne, 3rd May 2017

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Architects were, for me, one of those bands that you really, really want to see live but circumstances, or time, or money, or your boss, or some other form of obstacle, have consistently managed to stand between you and being able to enjoy the experience you so desperately seek to have. Thankfully, this is […]

[LIVE REVIEW + PHOTOS] UNDEROATH & sleepmakeswaves, Melbourne, February 12th 2017

There is something undeniably special about attending the self-christened “rebirth” tour of one of the most important, most successful post-hardcore bands of the 2000s. Underoath, for the first time since their reunion in 2015, graced Melbourne’s hardcore scene with the almighty presence of a band as crucial to the genre as the walls to the […]

[LIVE REVIEW] The Amity Affliction + supports, The Geelong Arena, 2nd February 2017

If you were to ask me how many times I’ve seen The Amity Affliction live, it’s unlikely I’d be able to give you a definitive answer and I’d instead hazard a guess at about six or seven. I think, therefore, that that alone speaks volumes about this band’s consistently fantastic live performances and their unfailing […]

[LIVE REVIEW + PHOTOS] NORTHLANE, Hellions and Polaris, Melbourne, 17th November 2016

Nothing quite describes a hot mess like The Corner Hotel on a 30-degree evening while three of Australia’s most exciting hardcore acts tear the place to shreds. It was the good kind of a hot mess, though if such a thing can ever possibly exist. Polaris warmed up the already heavily perspiring crowd with ease, […]

[INTERVIEW] KNOCKED LOOSE

For an American band of only three years, Knocked Loose have remarkably already established an enormous presence here in Australia. The release of their debut album Laugh Tracks in September has launched the band into a string of tours not only across the US, but also across Europe and Australia for the first time. We […]

[REVIEW AND PHOTOS] Violent Soho + The Bronx, Luca Brasi in Melbourne, 31st October

It was a cool Hallows’ Eve as hundreds flocked to Festival Hall, a desperate effort by many to escape the vast array of eerie, grotesque creatures let loose on Melbourne’s streets… Actually, that’s a standard evening in Melbourne, and it was our alt-rock legends Violent Soho that drew the enormous crowd on the spookiest night […]

[LIVE REVIEW] Void of Vision and Supports, Melbourne, 21st Oct

On a mid-October evening, Melbourne had its finest spring weather on display: pouring rain, below average temperatures and biting wind. Nevertheless, it could not dampen the spirits of those attending the first show of Void of Vision’s national tour, loaded with fresh Aussie hardcore, which kicked off at the Workers Club in Melbourne following the […]

[ALBUM REVIEW] JOYCE MANOR: Cody

[rwp-review id=”0″] If I had to describe the new album from pop-punk legends Joyce Manor in one sentence, it would be: “Cody” is more than just an album; it is a tribute to age, growing, learning and losing. And, most of all, to their musical history and the three records that precede their latest release. […]

[ALBUM REVIEW] Touché Amoré: Stage Four

Back with their powerfully evocative sound, Touché Amoré present album number four. Aptly titled Stage Four, this album proves the band’s dedication to their unique take on post-hardcore. All eleven songs perfectly embody raw emotion with a beautifully heavy musical backdrop. Flowers and You kicks off the album with an uncomplicated guitar melody and rhythm combo. […]

[ALBUM REVIEW] Foxblood: The Devil, The Dark and The Rain

[rwp-review id=”0″] If a light-hearted, easygoing album was what you were looking for, avoid Foxblood’s The Devil, The Dark and The Rain. One of the heaviest albums to come out of Melbourne’s hardcore scene, let alone any band in a very long time, The Devil… is an absolute treasure. Hurricane Hearts kicks off the album, with melodic guitar […]

[ALBUM REVIEW] Void of Vision: Children of Chrome

Review by Sam Sweeney Void of Vision have been described as one of Melbourne’s most exciting emerging metalcore bands, and debut album Children of Chrome does nothing but prove this statement to be true. It’s been three years since Void of Vision outgrew their initial status as a local heavy band, and found a new […]

[ALBUM REVIEW] I Prevail – Lifelines

I Prevail – Lifelines Fearless Records Release date: 21st October 2016 Review by: Sam Sweeney It’s with thanks only to Michigan post-hardcore newcomers I Prevail that Taylor Swift gets a mention in a music publication with the nature such as that of HEAVY; their cover of Swift’s Blank Space has racked up over 20 million […]