I gave Thrice’s new Anthlogy album a listen yesterday and realised, quite sheepishly, that I’d probably been a bit rough on the ol’ Californian melodic punkers. Listening to their extensive back catalogue from Phoenix Ignition right through to more mellowed Beggars and Alchemy Index, they’ve got a fairly flawless run of music going on. In fact, there’s something to be admired in the progression of every album they’ve dropped (sans that goddamn Christmas album that will henceforth be stricken from the record). I realised that the deterioration of my fandom took place sometime around the moment someone pointed out to me that the band were deeply religious. That all those lyrics I had applied to my teenage angst, were all about God. I was kinda pissed at them for being so sneaky about it. So much of their appeal was lost on me knowing that they were spreading their religion via the music that I’d consumed so rabidly. It felt like I’d been fooled, so I bailed. It was probably too hasty a move in retrospect. The band are good. They’ve been labeled as rather passé in recent times – probably in the same way that so many Californian melodic punk bands are feeling a little stale – but if you abandoned them like I did, then I’d highly recommend a revisit. Thrice pushed boundaries. They were actually ambitious in a way I’ve rarely seen since. Look into it, and check out their live anthology while you’re at it.
Title Fight will return to Australia next year on the back of their newy Floral Green. Resist have revelaed that Tassie lads Luca Brasi will accompany them right across the country on their ten date tour. See them in Melbourne on Saturday March 16 at The Rev or Sunday March 17 at Phoenix Youth Center. Tickets available from Friday.
Keen on Tool’s Maynard James Keenan? See his ‘creative subconscious side project’ Puscifier early next year when they do a run of three shows down the East Coast. Palais Theatre in St Kilda will host an all ages gig on Thursday February 28.
SXWZD are heading our way shortly to play tracks from their second album Grey Matter/White Matter, released recently on local label Clarity Records. Catch them at The Gasometer on Saturday December 1.
Presidents Of The United States Of America will tour here again next March, but the good news is that they’ve promised to only play their smashing self-titled effort from front to back. See Kitty and Peaches in all their glory on Sunday March 10 at The Palace. Tickets on sale now.
Thursday November 15: Refused, Outright at The Palace
The Ramshackle Army, Dan Bonnici at The Spotted Mallard
No Way Out, To The Airship, Good Will Hunting at Next
Friday November 16: Between The Buried And Me, Animals As Leaders, In Trenches at Corner Hotel
Refused, Outright at The Palace
The Bennies, God God Dammit Dammit, Stockades, Summer Blood at The Reverence
High Side Driver, Written In Ruins, Pretty Dulice at The Evelyn
Radiohead at Rod Laver Arena
Teargas, Isterismo, Kromosom, Sick People, Shackles and more at The Bendigo
Saturday November 17: Violent Soho, Dune Rats, Iowa at The Tote
Thy Art Is Murder, Resist The Thought at The Gasometer
The Smith Street Band, God God Dammit Dammit, Arrows, White Walls, Regrets at John Curtin Hotel
Batfoot! at Cornish Arms
4arm, Empire, A Sleepless Winter, Abel Tasman at Rubys, Belgrave
Radiohead at Rod Laver Arena
Extortion, Isterismo, Unkown To God, Rort, Vaginors and more at The Bendigo
Red Sky Burial, Moth, Kremlings, Master Beta at The Reverence
Significant Other, Left For Wolves, Decadence Of Cain, Alibrandi at Bang
Sunday November 18: Thy Art Is Murder, Resist The Thought at OLP, Ringwood
BY EMILY KELLY
