This Saturday Sonic Forge Festival is bringing headbangers together for an epic day of metal for its third year running. Spearheaded by Kiwi heavyweights Ulcerate and Melbourne’s own Ne Obliviscaris, the full line-up for 2013 includes so many potential headliner bands you couldn’t possibly be disappointed.
Joining them are King Parrot, The Amenta, Ruins and Hypno5e (France), among many others. Such a stellar line-up is no accident though, according to organiser Tim Charles, but an intention to make each year bigger and better than the last.
“We’re always trying to fine tune things every year,” he says. “A couple of years ago we had Romanian band Negura Bunget headlining, and had incredibly bad luck when the drummer broke his foot a couple of days before they were going to fly to Australia. There were a lot of great bands on the bill but I was sort of relying on them as my headliner, so it made it difficult when they pulled out because that top of end the line-up ended up being a bit sparse. This year, learning from that, I feel like I’ve gone the opposite way where we’ve got a whole bunch of bands that could legitimately headline the show.”
But it’s not just about the big guns, Sonic Forge highlights a bunch of smaller bands from across the country and gives punters a wide variety of music to choose from.
“We try to make sure that we cater to all styles and genres. There’s black metal bands and power metal, and death metal, and really everything in between,” says Charles. “This year we wanted to put together a line-up that was something special, and I really think we have managed to do that with so many great bands, and so many headlining bands, as well as so many emerging bands and all those in the middle.”
Sonic Forge is a charity festival, donating proceeds to the Center for Hope, an orphanage in Haiti providing much needed support for the thousands of people affected by the 2011 earthquake. Charles, who recently joined the orphanage’s advisory board, decided to commit to sponsoring the Center for Hope after the first year of the festival, and funds now provide school uniforms, lunches, and even the salary of a teacher. For Charles, the opportunity to run a charity metal festival is a dual love.
“It’s a big pleasure to put on a great day of metal for all the bands and the Australian metal fans, while also trying to help out these kids who really don’t have very much at the same time.”
The festival, which will again be held at The Espy in St. Kilda, will see thirty bands dominate the venue’s three stages, giving punters a solid 12 hours of metal.
Tim’s tips for unsuspecting bands?
“Caligula’s Horse, they’re like progressive heavy rock/metal and they just released a new album in October through my record label and they’ve been doing really great shows lately as well.”
“Also for anyone who doesn’t know Hypno5e, they are coming over from France to play the show. They’re sort of progressive death metal – they are really an absolutely fantastic band and it’s really worth making sure you prioritise seeing them as part of your day.
Otherwise just go and check out one stage, and if you’re not a huge fan of that band then chances are on one of the other two stages there’ll be someone you really like playing.”
You can buy tickets here, check out the event page here and look at the timetable here.
Full line-up featuring:
Ne Obliviscaris
Ulcerate (NZ)
The Amenta (NSW)
King Parrot
Ruins (TAS)
Dreadnaught
Hypno5e (France)
Caligula’s Horse (QLD)
Orpheus
Frankenbok
In Malice’s Wake
Truth Corroded (SA)
AMDBL
Okera
Naberus
Hybrid Nightmares
Adamus Exul
Hadal Maw
Bane Of Winterstorm
Metalstorm
Jack The Stripper
Departé (TAS)
Harlott
Miazma (NT)
Flesh Of The Earth
The Seraphim Veil
Myridian
Hollow World
Eritherium
Beneath the Waters
