By: Callum Doig
Over the years, we’ve had a vast amount of legendary singers from the country such as Bon Scott and Brian Johnson, Lord Tim, Adam Agius, Ian Kelly and Angry Anderson establish Australia’s heavy music movement. Now, we’re taking a look at the current decade and the latest movement in Aussie metal to see who’s been keeping the scene and legacy in check, making sure it’s getting stronger and stronger as the years pass.
Cain Cressall (The Amenta)
Sydney’s very own The Amenta put a catastrophic amount of fear and abrasive characteristics into their sound, especially with Cain Cressall as the band’s vocal orchestrator. While The Amenta are on indefinite hiatus, Cain Cressall has still been able to present a world of horror and trepidation through his scratchy and chilling screaming to the entire globe of metal.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gkwt9qcANI]
Daniel Estrin (Voyager)
Perth’s very own Voyager would never be among the greatest without Daniel Estrin; founder and keyboardist and frontman of the group. Within the digital and energetic approach to progressive and electronic compositions, Estrin’s gifted with operatic and tenor-based executions from his diaphragm which are delivered in a proficient and astute manner.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrBF0mhz1ho]
Jason North (Truth Corroded)
Truth Corroded have had themselves going at it for some years, now. But with Jason North’s contribution in taking part in vocal duties through the Adelaide-based death metal quintet since the beginning of the band, Jason’s growling has put a significant amount of imperilment and threat into his audible agenda that cannot compare to any other death metal act in the business.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQVki0b_EDU]
Jesse Dracman (DarkC3ll)
Rob Zombie’s Aussie equivalent comes in the form of Jesse Dracman of DarkC3ll. He is the one that wears and speaks through the devil’s grin in DarkC3ll’s evil, malicious image and sound of industrial music. Throughout each song, Dracman orchestrates an antagonistic and suggestively lecherous and evil persona to his onstage chic, similar to that of Dave Gahan and Marilyn Manson.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g09HUR8UvJA]
Jim Grey (Caligula’s Horse)
Brisbanian prog geniuses Caligula’s Horse would never be complete without a vocalist as elegant as Jim Grey. Approaching each piece with a graceful style that remains clean and luxurious, Grey can fit his vocals at any given moment that’s either thick and abrasive or soft and dulcet. Best believe that his voice has made him out to be Mikael Akerfeldt and Dan Tompkins’ Aussie counterpart.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObL9u7cG2wM]
Karina Utomo (High Tension)
Guys, watch yourselves. If there’s any vocalist in the country that can outdo anyone when it comes to screaming and growling, it’s Karina Utomo from High Tension and the now-defunct Young & Reckless. While many singers in our country have plenty of skill and versatility, Karina’s beyond aggressive tone bellows in an extreme manner through her band’s signature sludge punk establishment. To any screamers out there, be careful, because Karina will show you how it’s done.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lFRmd79GrM]
Kin Etik (Twelve Foot Ninja)
Fronting the Melbournian emulsion of Mr Bungle and Meshuggah known as Twelve Foot Ninja is Kin Etik. In his baritone range, Kin delivers a high threshold of cinematic and melodic styles to each Twelve Foot track. Whenever the Melbournian quintet shift between reggae and salsa to metal and funk, Kin can execute a variety of flairs that fit perfectly in the band’s audible motion.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJsLq5hm3f4]
Matt Young (King Parrot)
If GG Allin had an Aussie reincarnation (minus the onstage defecating and the constant use of drugs and alcohol), this would be the result – Matt Young, the man responsible for making every single patron in the pit go into a state of absolute lunacy and recklessness. With King Parrot being one of Australia’s and grindcore’s best live bands, Matt has the habit of mooning with his mosh shorts, getting piggybacks and getting devastating slams from a bunch of wall of deaths.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KO8dmG3vUbw]
Sean Harmanis (Make Them Suffer)
In deathcore, Sean Harmanis is the man who’s able to portray a menacing undertone in harsh and theatrical measures, putting every other vocalist in their genre right in their place. Dropping a series of bellowing growls and unsettling screaming in the midst of each abrasive and dismal piece Make Them Suffer offer within their catalogue.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NyMGQd6BlE]
Winston McCall (Parkway Drive)
Parkway Drive is one of a handful of Aussie bands that helped make the scene down under become more recognised across the globe. Being the most iconic voice in Australian metalcore, Winston McCall has contributed in making Australian metal as big as it once was, through him and his band’s detail that’s put into each and every song. Not to mention, thanks to McCall’s ongoing influence to Aussie metal in general, it’s safe to say that he’s been one of the most dependable leaders in the scene.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m4685liWb0]
