American progressive metalcore band, Born of Osiris, first rose to prominence in their scene with their debut full album, A Higher Place in 2009. But it was their technically precise 2011 release, The Discovery which aptly described their impact on progressive metalcore. Born of Osiris were last here around six years ago, so on their long-awaited return tour, their fifteenth anniversary of The Discovery will also include deathcore heavy hitters, Signs of the Swarm, along for the ride to wallop audiences into submission. We recently caught up with Born of Osiris drummer and co-founding member Cameron Losch from his home studio to discuss the coming tour, and the legacy of his impressive band.

Finnish heavy metal band, Battle Beast, have been making quite a noise on the international stage, with a steadily growing fanbase, and have created a concise, well produced back catalogue over the last decade and a half. Now, with a new singer, Marina La Torraca, in their ranks, shortly after the release of their well-received latest album, Steelbound, they are about to make their debut tour to our shores. We caught up with long serving bassist, backing vocalist and co-songwriter, Eero Sipilä to discuss the new line-up and the upcoming tour.

Possessed emerged from a time in music when a stylistic approach that embraced extreme speed and aggression was well beyond the generally accepted genre bounds of music consumption. The impact was immediate, from the young band, who arguably inadvertently launched an entire genre within metal, known as death metal. Their debut album, Seven Churches remains a landmark measuring stick within metal circles, and they were certainly noticed on various tours with Bay Area Thrash Metal bands who put a definitive stamp on a worldwide genre that continues to flourish today, in various mutations. 

Scottish indie rockers Big Country have returned to Australia for a Greatest Hits tour. In 2019, they were here to celebrate the 35th Anniversary of their classic second album Steeltown which was recorded at ABBA's Polar Studios in Stockholm and produced by Steve Lillywhite, garnering a UK number one album.  Their debut album, The Crossing, also with Lillywhite at the helm, cemented their reputation as an influential band with an undeniable 80’s Celtic Rock feel that led to two Grammy nominations and widespread airplay, alongside substantial touring. A lot has transpired since those heady days but with the current line-up treading the boards with great reviews on keeping their legacy alive, we recently caught up with founding member, and guitarist, Bruce Watson via Zoom.

INXS were internationally huge, and if you ever saw them live, the reasons were self-explanatory. However, the loss of a legendary front man [Michael Hutchence] is a hard bridge to cross, yet JD Fortune rose to the challenge. Imagine stepping into the shoes of one of Australia's biggest, and most beloved, rock exports. Then, on top of that, dealing with the endless invasions into personal freedoms that international media are so adept at ignoring. So, we were privileged to gain access to the quite stellar, Canadian vocalist JD Fortune, to explore his experiences, and to discuss the approaching tour. 

Latin American, alternative metal band Ill Niño made their mark at the time of nu-metal hitting the hard music charts. Formed by Pro-Pain drummer David Chavarri, their 2001 release Revolution Revolución made a statement of presence to the metal world, whereby the band enjoyed mainstream success, continuing that drive with subsequent release Confession, with several releases since then, with the most recent being in 2014 with Till Death, La Familia. Currently fronted by enthusiastic newcomer to the fold, Tommy Roulette, Ill Niño is finally looking to contain the solid line-up that will at last release some new music, which will also be aired in their upcoming setlists.

German power metal pioneers, Helloween, weathered the naysayers when their Pumpkins United project took flight. Shortly after, the decision to reunite with three lead vocalists, for their self-titled, statement bearing release, Helloween, looked superb on paper, but had some risks to mitigate. Those eggshells were not trodden on, and with a deft display of maturity in a notoriously insecure business, the seven-membered band toured harmoniously, and subsequently have cemented their newfound stability with their latest opus, and seventeenth studio album, the remarkable Giants & Monsters. 

A celebration tour featuring notable musicians in their own right, will delve into Neil Young's vast discography to offer reinterpreted renditions of Young's great works, whilst retaining the distinct, recognisable musical flavours and unique tones of his music. Given Young's prolific musical output, the setlist will be wide and varied, including three superb vocalists in the celebration line-up: Jeff Martin [The Tea Party], Shane Nicholson [ARIA and Golden Guitar winner], and Richie Lewis [Tumbleweed], putting their own respectable stamp on Young's material. We recently spoke to Jeff Martin about this fantastic upcoming tour.