If you’re on the hunt for the fiercest heavy metal on offer down under this winter, you’re in the right place. We’ve compiled this list of some of Australia’s heaviest hitters appearing at venues across the country in the coming months. Some of them are as good as household names for the scene, whilst others are decidedly more underground.
Obviously, you’re not going to find these kinds of bands in the kind of glitzy glamorous Vegas casino-like venues of Sydney or Melbourne. You’ve got to dig a bit deeper to find the real gems of the Aussie metal scene. So, to help you make a good choice of appropriate night spot to consume the filthiest sounds going, here are just a few of the best and most slamming gigs to attend this winter.
King Parrot
Thrashy, abrasive, and fast as all hell, the mighty King Parrot will be playing a couple of shows on the East Coast this August. You know to expect plenty of air-cymbal-finger-wagging down front. They’ll be joined by Tasmanian tech-death force Psycroptic.
The Melbourne-based thrashers will also be in Adelaide this November for the New Dead Metal Fest 2019. They’ll be taking the stage with the none other than Fleshgod Apocalypse, Abrahmelin, and loads more to boot.
KING PARROT SUMMER DATES
Wednesday 07 August 2019 @ Crowbar, Fortitude Valley, QLD, Australia
Thursday 08 August 2019 @ Crowbar Sydney, Leichhardt, NSW, Australia
Thy Art is Murder
Another massive name from the Aussie metal scene is Sydney deathcore outfit Thy Art is Murder. The five-piece will be performing a string of dates to warm up for a European onslaught in August. With new album Human Target about to drop, one of the following shows could be a wicked opportunity to catch TAIM’s new material live for the first time.
THY ART IS MURDER: LIFE IN THE CROSSHAIRS TOUR
Thursday 11 July 2019 @ The Zoo, Fortitude Valley Qld, Australia
Friday 12 July 2019 @ Crowbar Sydney, Leichhardt, Australia
Saturday 13 July 2019 @ The Corner Hotel, Richmond, Australia
Joining Thy Art is Murder for these dates will be the sonic onslaught of brutal-as-they-come supergroup, Dealer. The band features ex-Alpha Wolf frontman, Aidan, as well as members of Northlane, Capture The Crown, and Iconoclast. Basically, going off the members alone, you know you’re likely to have your skull crushed by the brutal and relatively new ensemble.
Alpha Wolf
Purveyors of some of the rawest noise emanating from our fair shores are Alpha Wolf. Hailing from Tasmania originally, this five-piece metalcore group is signed toGreyscale Records. Hot off the release of the Fault EP, the dissonance merchants have already played a healthy run of shows this year. They do, however, have one more to go in their homeland.
Armed with a new vocalist, Lochie Keogh from Earthender, and a new drummer, Mitchell Fogarty (Iconoclast), the new material from the group is arguably their heaviest stuff to date.
ALPHA WOLF SUMMER DATES
Saturday 10 August 2019 @ Corner Hotel, Richmond, VIC, Australia
Joining Alpha Wolf in Richmond will be fellow New Zealand metalcore outfit, Antagonist A.D. Another recent signing for Grayscale, you can expect slamming breakdowns, and filth a plenty.
Cursed Earth
Perth-based hardcore unit Cursed Earth will be taking their act on the road this winter, too. The group just put out a seven-track EP, titled The Deathbed Sessions. The effort is particularly notable for its inclusion of iconic vocalists from the world of extreme music. A total of eight different singers appeared on the record, including from Make Them Suffer, Kublai Khan, The Amity Afflication, Justice for the Damned and others.
For the shows themselves, the band will be hitting the stage with guest vocalist Jack McDonald from Melbourne-based metalcore outfit Cast Down. You may need to take some ear plugs to these show as its going to be loud, and according to CasinoShortList, you won’t be getting out to your favourite casino to play pokies as these nights are going to be brutal.
CURSED EARTH TYRANNY ACROSS AUSTRALIA TOUR DATES
Wednesday, July 17 2019 @ Hamilton Station, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
Thursday July 18 2019 @ Crowbar, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Friday July 19 2019 @ Red Rattler, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Saturday July 20 2019 @ Bendigo Hotel, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Sunday July 21 2019 @ Crown & Anchor, Adelaide, SA, Australia
Friday July 26 2019 @ Amplifier Bar, Perth, WA, Australia
Joining the brutal onslaught that is Cursed Earth at most of the dates will be Perth-based Daybreak, Melbourne’s The Gloom in the Corner, and Sydney extremists Wreath.
The Amity Affliction
Love them or hate them, The Amity Affliction are undoubtedly one of Australia’s most successful metallic exports of the new millennium. Formed in Queensland in 2003, the post-hardcore outfit will spend most of our winter indulging European fans before heading back to their homeland for a few shows. The Amity Affliction released the album Misery last year.
THE AMITY AFFLICTION TOUR DATES 2O19
Thursday 12 September 2019 @ Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Joining the Roadrunner Records quartet will be Florida rockers Underoath and Japanese industrial metalcore unit Crossfaith.
Polaris
Finally, in our roundup of the hottest metal shows coming to Australia this year is technical metalcore group Polaris. Formed in 2012 in Sydney, the band’s debut full-length The Mortal Coil was nominated for a prestigious ARIA Award for Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal award in 2018. The effort was beaten out by Reverence from the mighty Parkway Drive (unfortunately not playing here this summer).
If you like your metal technical with massive riffs, check out Polaris on tour this August. They’ll be joining England’s Architects as part of their Holy Hell Tour.
ARCHITECTS HOLY HELL TOUR 2019
Tuesday 6 August @ Thebarton Theatre, Adenlaide, Australia
Thursday 8 August 2019 @ Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane, Australia (SOLD OUT)
Friday 9 August 2019 @ Big Top, Sydney, Australia (SHOW ADDED)
Saturday 10 August 2019 @ Big Top, Sydney, Australia (SOLD OUT)
Sunday 11 August 2019 @ Festival Hall, Melbourne, Australia
