American metal band Stryper, have endured both setbacks and barbs from image obsessed critics over the years to succeed where others of their era have faltered. Their perseverance in a music industry climate that seemingly makes it difficult for veteran artists to retain an active career, let alone those with a lyrical focus on evangelising
Combining traditional classical musical forms such as orchestral styles, symphonic offshoots, and chamber music plus choral arrangements with the uncompromising ferocity of death metal may sound implausible. However, for Italian band Fleshgod Apocalypse, who seemingly identify loosely as symphonic death metal, that challenge has been met, explored and pushed into the realms of musical extremities with a fair degree of success.
British progressive rock band, The Pineapple Thief, have always produced high quality music but they are most certainly improving with age and are currently experiencing a notable, well-earned upwards career trajectory.
Italian musician and composer Luca Turilli has created a huge back catalogue of great symphonic and power metal music over a good couple of decades. Initially, the band that became better known as Rhapsody of Fire released a slew of fantasy based metal music that was globally praised and influential on many a musician. About
Swedish symphonic metal band Therion is the lifework of guitarist Christofer Johnsson and with thirty years in the business, he has embarked on the most ambitious project of his career. Beloved Antichrist is a sprawling rock opera based on Russian philosopher and poet Vladímir Soloviov’s story A Short Tale of the Antichrist. Johnsson’s three act masterpiece contains 30 different characters and is a truly epic undertaking such that many a rock opera will pale by comparison as far as sheer complexity is concerned.
Supports: Hazmat + TemtrisCrowbar, Leichhardt, SydneyFriday, 30th August, 2019 There is nothing quite like an old school heavy metal show to bring out the devoted metallers of yesteryear in sleeveless battle jackets littered with patches, eager to update their wardrobe with a new version of t-shirt for a legendary band. It also provides an opportunity
When the thrash metal movement started to really gain traction in the States, in the wake of other sub genres of metal that were already established, there was a surge of bands in the Bay Area of San Francisco and surrounds who wanted no part of the glam metal scene that was firmly entrenched in
Supports: Darker Half and Sabïre.Manning Bar, Sydney UniversitySaturday, 8th of June, 2019. English rock singer Graham Bonnet has a pretty decent ongoing profile in Australia. Returning to our shores for a quick three date run of shows of Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney meant that tonight’s show was the last of the Australian dates. With the
English rock singer Graham Bonnet has sung alongside some of the most celebrated names in virtuoso guitar. His career as an established solo artist commenced in the late sixties and included decent success in the late seventies which also had a sizeable profile on the rise in Australia. Poached by the ubiquitous guitar force of
Supports: Metreya and Temtris Crowbar, Leichhardt, SydneyFriday, 10th of May, 2019. For a long time, Japan’s Loudness was firmly in the category of one of those huge international bands that wasn’t ever going to make it to our shores. Well, in what has been a bit of a change of late, some bands in that