Bound For Ruin
[youtube]http://youtu.be/DtQFQzlGuTQ[/youtube]
Consisting of a handful of veterans from other bands, Brisbane quintet Bound for Ruin have made a solid name for themselves since forming in 2012. The metalcore band’s sophomore album, Oblivion, was released last year. Heavy and technical, yet melodic, with some hints of electronics, its easy to see why the band have taken off so quickly.
Bound For Ruin will be playing at 8:10 at the metal showcase at the Crowbar on Wednesday, September 10 . You can follow them on Facebook or Bandcamp.
Caligula’s Horse
[youtube]http://youtu.be/NRzhYqvSvkw[/youtube]
Another Brisbane band, Caligula’s Horse formed in 2011, and have released two albums. Much like fellow Aussies Karnivool and Dead Letter Circus, they’re a progressive metal band that have tons of melody and chops. Unlike those bands, they haven’t made their way over to the States yet, but after listening to them, we have a feeling it won’t be too long. We particularly dig “Dark Hair Down,” which starts like Karnivool and ends like Opeth. Their showcase at the Crowbar will find them fresh from sharing the stage with Protest the Hero.
Caligula’s Horse will be playing Bigsound’s Prog showcase on Thursday, September 11th at the Crowbar. Check them out on Facebook and Twitter.
A Million Dead Birds Laughing
[youtube]http://youtu.be/oIPFyTgcbbg[/youtube]
We’re not all that familiar with Australia’s grindcore scene beyond the fantastic King Parrot, but Melbourne’s A Million Dead Birds Laughing makes us think that the scene’s got to be healthy. The band’s third release, Bloom, was released last year, and the band say they represent “a statement of serious intent to offer up something feach and sisniter to the musical ether.”
A Million Dead Birds Laughing will be playing at 9pm at the metal showcase at the Crowbar on Wednesday, September 10.Check them out on Facebook.
My Friend The Betrayer
[youtube]http://youtu.be/AOLtj4_518w[/youtube]
With the New Wave of American Heavy Metal in its twilight age, modern metalcore is taking more of its cues from Australia than most casual fans would expect. O’Byrne’s hat tips to Parkway Drive and Thy Art Is Murder span the more melodic and deathcore sides of the spectrum, but others like The Amity Affliction (whose last two albums have hit #1 in Australia) and Northlane have had notable success Stateside while clicking with everyone from Warped Tour-goers to fans of the hookier side of Sumerian’s roster. My Friend The Betrayer is an uncommonly gifted rising star in this side of the scene, carrying a combo of heft in the verses and melody in the choruses that – unlike the work of many similar bands – has enough extra crush to create a unique fingerprint.
My Friend The Betrayer is opening for I Killed The Prom Queen and The Ghost Inside on a Triple J-sponsored tour stop at Toowoomba RSL Club on Wednesday, September 10 before closing the showcase at Crowbar later that evening. More info awaits on their Facebook.
Life Pilot
[youtube]http://youtu.be/-Il13cTAcOE[/youtube]
The melodic side of Australia’s metalcore scene isn’t the only type of metallic hardcore on display in the country if you know where to look. The gritter side awaits in the form of Life Pilot, who have a swagger and rawness that has more in common with influences Shai Hulud and Every Time I Die than with just about anything on Rise Records not named The Acacia Strain. They’re a damn fine antidote to the scene’s more saccharine side, with big enough riffs, dissonance and grit to even click for fans of darker, crustier acts like Cult Leader. Australia’s Blunt Magazine selected them as one of their Bands to Watch in 2014, and it takes mere seconds to see why.
Life Pilot will also be playing at Crowbar‘s stacked metal showcase at 9:50pm Wednesday, September 10. Check them out on Facebook for more.
