By Rod Whitfield
G’day folks, welcome to another edition of ‘HEAVY Oz’, where I shine a spotlight on a bunch of Aussie bands you need to check out. NOW!
Don’t forget, if you want your band covered in this column, or you have news you want spread out into the heavy music world, shoot me an email: [email protected]
- Aveira Skies
Add this name to the ever-growing list of world class Aussie metalcore acts. This Perth-based five piece take a slightly more gritty approach to the metalcore sound than many of their contemporaries, although they certainly still know how to pen a massive, soaring chorus. They already have one titanic album behind them, 2014’s aptly titled The Rise of a New Breed, and a follow-up is due in early 2017. Check out its first single Utopia here:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lzi19LjxjLA]
https://www.facebook.com/aveiraskiesau/
2. Nucleust
Another great Perth band, these guys pump out a more cerebral and left of centre progressive metal sound that is all their own. With a debut EP behind them, the band released a second one in mid-2016 entitled Resistivity, and it has garnered much praise (Beat Magazine described it as ‘a compact but abundant progressive metal powerhouse’).
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5im6aKka8_U]
https://www.facebook.com/nucleustband/
3. Jack the Stripper
This Melbourne five piece must be seen live to be believed. Their live show is chaotic to say the very least, and is impressing fans of extreme music across the country. They are starting to draw the attention of international eyes and ears too, touring Europe and Japan in mid-late 2016. Could this insane powerhouse be the next in a long line of Aussie heavy bands to break out of the confines of our beautiful but isolated shores?
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLjXbmtM0Qs]
https://www.facebook.com/jtsmusic/
4. Crying Sirens
You could almost deem this hard rocking four-piece a ‘supergroup’ of the Melbourne rock scene, as it comprises former members of Fourth Floor Collapse, The Go Set, Nitidus and Revolucion Street. Their gritty, gutsy but polished alternative rock can be heard to best effect on their excellent Atsu album of this year, which was described in these pages as ‘an album that every rock fan should avail themselves of.’ Plus of course, in a live setting, and you can do just that on Saturday, September 10th when they launch the album at Melbourne’s classic Cherry Bar on AC/DC Lane in the city.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzfedWGN8js]
https://www.facebook.com/cryingsirensband/
5. Save the Clocktower
One of Tassie’s finest, this band put a slightly different slant on the melodic metalcore sound, as can be evidenced on their recently released The Familiar//The Decay album. HEAVY magazine praised the album’s ‘willingess to be bold and adventurous’, and by all accounts their live show blows minds and blisters skin.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5FYWXzxXV4]
