Redcoats. Awesome.
Who went to the Redcoats album launch at Ding Dong on Saturday night? Phwoar, huh? Their debut full-length album is out now and it’s well worth your beer money. Think of a pissed-off Black Crowes crossed with the Stooges and you’re halfway there.
Hellbringer Fulfils Duty, Brings Hell
Canberra’s-own satanic speed-metal thrashers, Hellbringer, will return to Melbourne on Saturday December 1 to transport lovers of heavy music back to 1985 and launch their debut full-length LP, Dominion Of Darkness. “We play fast, evil, aggressive metal in the spirit of the old Gods” drummer Josh Bennett says. “The album features nine thrashing tracks from the chasms of Hell!” Cool! Hellbringer deliver a N.W.O.B.H.M sound with a Tutonic vibe, but with a distinctly Australian edge. Melbourne death/‘scrap metal’ dealers Black Jesus are also on the bill and they’ll have the first vinyl copies of their self-titled LP available for purchase. Also on the bill are Thrall, Witchammer and Maniaxe. The Bendigo Hotel, 125 Johnson Street, Collingwood. Doors at 8pm, tickets are $15, available only at the door on the night.
Gig Alert: Decadence of Cain
Metal kings Decadence Of Cain descended on Melbourne from the deep north earlier this year to inflict their brand of fight-riff punk metal on us. This Saturday November 17 at BANG!, they’re following their video clip for Zombies with Thrill Hammer, their debut album. The press release advises that “this culmination of blood, sweat and tears, plus a Zooerastia cover will have you banging your head ‘til you shit your pants.” So bring a change of ‘durps.
Gig Alert: High Tension
Having inadvertently attracted more than their fair share of intrigue via video High Risk, High Rewards, High Tension now find themselves in need of a more formal introduction. Featuring ex members of Young & Restless (Karina Utomo, vocals and Ashley Pegram, guitar), The Nation Blue (Matt Weston, bass), and Love Like Electrocution & Heirs (Damian Coward, drums) this Melbourne-based four-piece are ready for all sorts of arsekickery. Their debut four-track EP is produced by Tom Larkin (Shihad) and available now through Bandcamp/iTunes and Vinyl 7inch.
Limited tickets remain for their show at The Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood with SPOD on Thursday December 6.
Geoff Tate Releases Solo Album #2
The latest salvo in the whole Geoff Tate/Queensryche thing has been fired, with Tate’s new solo album Kings & Thieves released last week. And …it’s actually pretty good. Sure, his voice is a bit strained at times now and some of the lyrics are a little bit hokey, but a good two thirds of this album are up there with the best post-Hear In The Now Frontier Queensryche stuff. Is it as good as Queensryche’s classic era? Nah. But it’s certainly better than a lot of what the band had cranked out in the past decade or so. It’s almost entirely guitar-driven hard rock, and has a few sonic flashes in common with the Q2K album, which is no surprise since both feature guitarist Kelly Gray. The Todd La Torre-fronted Queensryche are working on their album and by all accounts it’s going to be diverse with plenty of heaviness. So settle in with that popcorn.
Machine Head Go Live
Check out Machine Head’s new live album, Machine Fucking Head Live on Roadrunner Records. It features performances cherry-picked from various shows during last year’s world tour, and a nice cross-section of new and old material including plenty from last year’s Unto The Locust. Robb Flynn says: “We culled some of the best nights where the band and crowd were on fire and made a badass, nearly two-hour, double live album, which is a great documentation of where the band is at, 18 years deep.”
BY PETER HODGSON
