If you like your heavy music served with a side of absolute, unadulterated chaos, then grab a cold beer and brace yourself, because Swiss deathcore juggernauts Paleface Swiss are heading back Down Under. After completely decimating venues across the country on their sold-out 2025 run, the Zurich four-piece have just announced a massive seven-date Australian headline tour for January and February 2027. Trust me when I say this is shaping up to be one of the absolute heaviest and most anticipated tours of the year.
Ever since they detonated onto the global metal scene, Paleface Swiss have earned a formidable reputation for unleashing some of the most volatile and relentlessly aggressive live shows on the planet. Led by the maniacal vocal delivery of frontman Marc “Zelli” Zellweger, the band has been steadily conquering the heavy music world, a fact proven by their latest record, Cursed, smashing its way into the top ten of the Spotify Global Charts. Now, armed with a brand new EP, The Wilted, and a hunger to tear our rooms apart, they are ready to level up the aggression for Aussie crowds.
But they aren’t coming alone. To ensure maximum sonic devastation, they are bringing Canadian metalcore powerhouses Counterparts – fronted by the unfiltered Brendan Murphy – and Colorado’s crushing hardcore-groove outfit Fox Lake along for the ride. The tour kicks off at the Astor Theatre in Perth on Wednesday, 27 January, before hitting Adelaide’s ferocious Froth & Fury Festival, Melbourne’s iconic Forum, Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane, and wrapping up in Townsville. It is a massive, comprehensive lap of honour that proves just how much these Swiss heavyweights love the insane energy of the Australian metal community.
I had the absolute pleasure of pulling up a virtual barstool with the main man himself, Marc “Zelli” Zellweger, to find out exactly what the band has in store for us. We chatted all about the chaotic memories from their last Australian visit, the intense sonic evolution behind their latest brutal material, and what it feels like to lead one of the fastest-growing forces in modern extreme music. Zelli is always one of the most passionate, down-to-earth guys to speak to in the business, and his excitement for this upcoming run is completely infectious. So, turn the volume up to eleven, check out our full chat below, and make sure you secure your tickets before they inevitably vanish!
One thing we mention is that Paleface Swiss must have made a great impression last time they were out to be invited back so soon.
“Dude, honestly, I am sure you get to hear this a lot from many bands, but Australia is one of the best places to play music because it’s the truth,” Zelli enthused, a warm smile on his face. “Australia is sick. The people are so… I have said this so many times already: the people who go to shows in Australia, they go because they want to experience fun. And in so many places on this planet, people go to shows because they want to criticise things. They want to find things that they don’t like. They go there as critics, and they don’t go there like open-hearted, you know.“
Check out the full interview for much more.
Tickets www.thephoenix.au
