[Gallery] Void Of Vision @ 170 Russell, Melbourne 18/08/2023
Void Of Vision
Like Moths To Flames
Varials
Annalynn
Interview with Johannes Eckstrom (Avatar)
We are just over a week out from AVATAR's Australian shows and the pace of the band's ascendency has not bated since the tour was announced. As well as a sold out European arena tour with friends, Gojira and a tour of South America with the mighty Iron Maiden, the band have delivered stunning sets across Europe's biggest festivals (Download, Grasppop, etc) and to top it all off their new album, Dance Devil Dance has made the list of the Best Albums Of 2023 in both Loudwire and Metal Hammer where they appear at the very summit of the list!
Renowned for legendary performances, ludicrous levels of skill as musicians and a seemingly endless catalog of killer songs, many of which will be on display during three unmissable performances this month, the band are pleased to announce 3 outstanding Australian supports for the upcoming shows.
As Avatar are expected to perform a near 2 hour Best Of set at these shows, there will be only 1 support artist per show.
Melbourne’s Teramaze have solidified their reputation as one of the country's most consistent and distinctive progressive heavy acts. They deliver cutting edge, modern metal built around the fretwork of two world class guitarists and dual powerhouse vocals.
Sydney’s Our Last Enemy are the embodiment of apocalyptic industrial metal. Methodical riffs embellished with synth overtones; dark, hypnotic rhythms and down and dirty vocals with big singalong choruses that are primed for the live arena.
Brisbane’s Krave are a truly unique cross section of hard rock and alt metal with musical influences as diverse as Zeppelin, Sabbath and Pantera with a vocal delivery from frontwoman Siana Davis that’s somewhere between Paramore, Evanescence and Halestorm. Definitely ones to watch.
TOUR DATES
Friday, August 25: 170 Russell, Melbourne
Saturday, August 26: The Metro, Sydney
Sunday, August 27: The Triffid, Brisbane
Tickets available from
Caskets – Reflections
When creating a new album, you always want to have something to say with the songs you’ve written, and you also want to do better than the previous album. Caskets have come out with their sophomore album, Reflections, which I believe does both. Metalcore is on the rise once again, that’s right you purists, go hide away from the mainstream for a while, big sing along chorus’s, chunky breakdowns and synth backing tracks are coming back in full swing, but what makes Caskets stand out amongst the crowd?
First off, you’ve got to have a wicked hook or melody and the singles released for the album Believe, Better Way Out and More Than Misery were the best choices off this album in this aspect. Believe is bouncy as hell and I had it on repeat, there are killer hooks and melodies throughout this entire album but this one got me good. The artwork for the film clip really ran with the reflections idea, crystals and mirrors everywhere! More Than Misery comes in with a massive sing along chorus and that’s gonna come across well when they hit live scene.
Better Way Out is a brilliant track, because as well as being a well written track musically, lyrically, it deals with those dark thoughts and the film clip perfectly portrays a scenario of someone not coping with that situation. With the “You are not alone, there are people who care” at the end, it really cements what they are trying to get across to their fans and listeners.
The second album is probably more daunting than the first, with the first, you write the best that you know how, you record and engineer to the best you know how. Once that first album is released, you then have a bar to go above and beyond but how do you write better? How do you record better? Caskets released Lost Souls in 2021 and they already have the next one in the barrel ready to go. They have definitely stepped up the game here with Reflections, they are sounding massive, stronger and coming out better song writers. The album will have you bouncing and singing along every time.
Having a message with your music is also what can make you stand out amongst the other bands, and I do love a band with a message. This album deals with the themes of mental health, dealing with your inner demons, ranging from a breakup song (high overview) to struggling with finding the strength to deal with everyday life. Caskets are reminding their fans and listeners that these are real issues and there are appropriate ways to deal with them. Self-care is an important message and more people do need to recognise this as a constant battle.
These guys were recently here, just as I got to do the review for this. I wish I had the chance to see them play live to give another dynamic to the review, I did hear that they dropped a couple of new ones in live though and I’m interested to hear which ones. After giving this a listen I’m hoping they are coming back sometime soon.
Interview with Luke Ashley (Orpheus Omega)
(Mitch Charlton) Thank you for taking the time to have a chat with me, it’s been a couple of years since our last chat, you had just released Career Suicide with Triple Kill, you’re now going on tour with them, any chance some of those covers will make the live set?
(Luke Ashley) Hey mate, it's our pleasure! We want to make every show feel like a unique experience so we're pulling out some new covers for this tour alongside our latest EP.
(MC) Triple Kill have been known to have a joke or two, create some pretty damn funny content, can we expect some tour antics when teaming up with Orpheus?
(LA) Absolutely not. I still haven't recovered from the last AirBnB we shared together, it was a total party wipe. This time it's all death & taxes.
(MC)With the upcoming Questfest in Sept, I’m hoping that there’s some stage outfit ideas already in the works, any hints the fans can have for the show?
(LA)Look, all I'm gonna say is we were forged in the fires of Cheez TV. You can expect some Cease & Desist inducing homages come showtime. My favourite part of Questfest is seeing how people twist the theme. Costumes are always encouraged but a rootin-tootin 'tude is mandatory partner.
(MC)Are any of the band into fantasy games/books?
(LA)I dare you to find a metalhead who isn't! A vast swath of heavy culture is rooted in escapism so there is shared DNA. It's rare to have a conversation with Chris or Kes without them referencing Middle Earth. Matt hoards CCG, Garry is a Warhammer wiz, and let's face it – Leon is the male fantasy. We draw a lot of inspiration from media rooted in sci-fi and mythology too.
(MC) What Class would everyone be in the band in a Fantasy world scenario? Feel free to include the Triple Kill gents for some fun too.
(LA) Haha, great question! Chris could be an artificer since he spends all day 3D printing new gadgets, or maybe he's a rogue because he stays up all night watching Lockpicking Lawyer. Matt is a Wizard of the Coast with sleight of hand proficiency. Leon is a lawful good paladin, Kes is a plucky bard and I'm the tavern keeper handing out fetch quests. Triple Kill are two half-giant barbarians and three gnomes in a trenchcoat – I'll let you decide who is who.
(MC)The songs from the latest EP have been written by individuals of the band, can you explain a little about this process? How did each track come together?
(LA)For sure. Each track on Portraits was written in isolation with each member having full creative licence. It was nerve-wracking hitting play on the demo since we'd all only heard one fifth of the record. The song order and arrangements unanimously made sense; very few structural adjustments were made from first draft to master. It may have been challenging for Chris to mix but the end result is the most natural work in our catalogue.
(MC) The Portraits EP features a few guests, Andy Gillion, Jim Grey, Jukka Pelkonen to name a few, how did you come about getting these artists involved?
(LA)The wand chose the wizard. Each song was designed with specific artists in mind – people who have inspired us through our own musical journeys. I can tell you now, these folks are the real deal, going so far as to contribute musical ideas and appear in music videos. It's sublime stuff and we're very glad to have met our heroes.
(MC) Are there any Aussie artists who you would like to work with in the future, not necessarily Metal related?
(LA) Dude, it's gotta be Team Cherry or House House. Tiny but mighty game dev teams that shook the global landscape of indie gaming. They're the bees knees.
(MC) You have just released a new cover, Children of Bodom’s Hatecrew Deathroll, will this be coming into the live set or solely a video release? Why this song in particular?
(LA) You'll have to come to Questfest to find out! Finnvox Studios mastered the original Hatecrew Deathroll 20 years ago and generously mastered our tribute to the late great Alexi Laiho in turn. The track itself is a rallying cry amongst the COBHC and holds significant meaning to us both as individuals and as Orpheus Omega.
(MC) Lastly, anything in particular that is a must have on an Orpheus Tour?
(LA) Our sixth & seventh Beatles Garry & Kayne. They make us sound good and look better, never leave your house without them.
The Good Things Festival 2023 Huge Line-Up Is Here!!!!!!!
We interrupt your regular viewing to announce that Good Things season is upon us – and if you thought 2022 was huge, that’s not all folks! Australia’s largest and favourite travelling music festival, Good Things Festival, returns this December with a bumper line-up set to descend on the east coast, bringing a horde of new and iconic faves from Australia and around the globe together for nothing but a good time.
Leading the pack for Good Things Festival 2023 will be none other than American rock idols FALL OUT BOY. From dominating your Myspace era to becoming one of rock’s biggest-selling bands, FALL OUT BOY have proven time and time again that their sweltering legacy is definitely not a phase, with their latest 2023 album So Much (For) Stardust marking the band’s seventh consecutive top-ten charting album. Armed with a career to date that spans Billboard #1 debuts, gracing the cover of Rolling Stone, sold out stadium runs playing to over 1 million fans and multiple Grammy Award nominations, a FALL OUT BOY live experience is guaranteed to be explosive, enigmatic and packed full sentimental delights as well as fresh cuts.
Whether you’re a Dad Vibes stan or have been rollin’ since day one, Good Things Festival are also bringing in Florida heavies LIMP BIZKIT to keep the party rockin’ this December. One of the most influential acts of the nu metal era, LIMP BIZKIT have garnered three Grammy Award nominations alongside their timeless angst and genre-straddling prowess that brought rap metal to the masses; a fact that continues colourfully to this day. And from breaking stuff to whipping it, American new wave legends DEVO will also take the Good Things Festival stages later this year for their last-ever Australian appearances as part of The Farewell Tour Celebrating 50 Years. The ultimate meeting point for rock and electronic fusion, DEVO’s impact on the alternative music landscape is as revered as their tongue-in-cheek charm, and you absolutely won’t want to miss the final bucket list chance to catch the group live in action on our shores this December.
Also locked and loaded to return to down under, post-hardcore Grammy-nominated heroes I PREVAIL will be bringing the arena vibes, continuing their meteoric rise that has spanned their decade-long career. Hailed as being one of rock’s biggest breakthrough bands, I PREVAIL’s might has only intensified of late with the release of their 2022 album True Power. And speaking of might, Welsh metal outfit BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE have got you covered, with their explosive and infectious blend of heavy metal, metalcore and beyond set to collide into beautiful chaos across the east coast of Australia, while Slipknot frontman COREY TAYLOR gears up to keep the party firing on all cylinders, bringing his solo adventures to Australia alongside his brand-new album CMF2.
Flying the flag for all things raucous, Golden State staples PENNYWISE will flex their fiery flair, with the iconic California punk rockers heading our way yet again after a monstrous headline run in 2022. And also repping the punk at Good Things Festival this year will be none other than the ARIA Award-winning stylings of thrash pop mainstays SPIDERBAIT; three friends from a small country town who took the industry by storm decades ago, and have snagged nearly every accolade in existence on the Australian music scene.
Speaking of Aussies, beloved indie rockers SLOWLY SLOWLY will be ready to delight this December with their anthemic melodics and colourful pop and armed with their buoyant 2022 album Daisy Chain which snagged triple j’s feature album upon release. Meanwhile, British electronic rockers ENTER SHIKARI will be packing their dynamic wares to wow the crowds wielding their seventh full-length album, the #1 charting A Kiss for the Whole World.
The relentless fury of Poland metallers BEHEMOTH will be primed to blow the festivities into a whole new stratosphere when the group make their eagerly anticipated return down under. A band whose creative innovation is as revered as their jagged dynamics, BEHEMOTH’s live show is renowned for its power, as is the sweltering live reputation of influential groove merchants SEPULTURA who will return to Australia this December all the way from Brazil.
Also letting the good vibes roll this December, prolific indie rockers TAKING BACK SUNDAY will hit our shores armed with hooks, odes to heartbreak and their notorious live potency, alongside the enigmatic electropop stylings of the chameleonic PVRIS guaranteed to bring all of the captivating feels to a Good Things Festival stage near you.
But just when you thought that was as good as it gets, in keeping with Good Things Festival 2023’s nod to some of our most beloved icons, the gamut of Australian alternative rock will also be celebrated in brilliant fashion by some of the most formative names in the game, including the chart-topping, multi-time ARIA Award-winning rockers ESKIMO JOE, as well as the band who nearly broke the airwaves with their irresistible rockin’ earworms in the 90s: JEBEDIAH.
Continuing the Aussie flavour at Good Things Festival this year, you’ll never have so much fun as you do copping punk rock rapscallions FRENZAL RHOMB live in action, with the Sydney group lined up alongside quintessential Central Coast pop punks SHORT STACK and charismatic Melbourne mainstays BOOM CRASH OPERA to lather you in all the fun and punk-tastic earworms you can handle. And continuing a huge year of touring and releasing new music, Tassie rockers LUCA BRASI are ready to dazzle with their emphatic rock wares, as are symphonic metal dynamos MAKE THEM SUFFER, Sydney melodic hardcore outfit BLOOM and Melbourne post hardcore powerhouses TAPESTRY.
For lovers of metalcore and its surrounds, clear your schedule and get pumped for the J-pop-soaked riffs and breakdowns from Japan’s HANABIE, as well as the cathartic yet towering potency of Ohio quartet THE PLOT IN YOU, the lush brutality of British melodic heavy-hitters WHILE SHE SLEEPS, and the pummeling force of Australia’s very own OCEAN SLEEPER. And from riff city to delicious brutality, Russian deathcore titans SLAUGHTER TO PREVAIL are ready, willing, and gleefully able to lure you into the mosh.
And that’s still not all! Whether you need a hit of buoyant punk, glossy alt pop or both; good news, you don’t have to choose because Florida rockers MAGNOLIA PARK and solo sensation ROYAL & THE SERPENT will both be in your Good Things Festival future in 2023, with Sydney pop punks STAND ATLANTIC also locked in to stupefy later this year with a heap of new tunes in tow.
Good Things Festival Line Up
Fall Out Boy
Limp Bizkit
Devo (The Farewell Tour Celebrating 50 Years)
I Prevail | Bullet For My Valentine | Corey Taylor
Pennywise | Spiderbait | Slowly Slowly | Enter Shikari
Behemoth | Sepultura | Taking Back Sunday | PVRIS
In Alphabetical Order:
Bloom | Boom Crash Opera | Eskimo Joe | Frenzal Rhomb | Hanabie | Jebediah | Luca Brasi
Magnolia Park | Make Them Suffer | Ocean Sleeper | Royal & The Serpent | Short Stack
Slaughter To Prevail | Stand Atlantic | Tapestry | The Plot In You | While She Sleeps
DATES AND VENUES:
Friday 1 December – Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne (LIC AA 15+)
Saturday 2 December – Centennial Park, Sydney (18+)
Sunday 3 December – Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane (LIC AA 15+)
Early Bird pre-sale tickets on sale Tuesday 22 August @ 10am AEST Time
Sign up now for early bird pre-sale tickets at www.goodthingsfestival.com.au
General Public tickets on sale Thursday 24 August @ 10am AEST Time
http://goodthings.oztix.com.au/
GOOD THINGS FESTIVAL | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK
[Review] Void Of Vision @ Factory Theatre, Sydney 13/08/2023
Review By Megan Milner
It was a night of international mayhem as Thailand’s very own ANNALYNN, the US powerhouses Varials, and Like Moths to Flames joined forces to set the stage ablaze but it was the Australian metalcore titans, Void of Vision, who truly stole the show. After back-to-back sold out shows in Brisbane and Newcastle, the spotlight is on Sydney’s Factory Theatre where the frenzy continues.
ANNALYNN’s debut Australian tour kicked off with an exciting start, drawing in a crowd eager to catch their set as the opening act of the night. They wasted no time diving headfirst into a high-energy set that had the venue buzzing. A particularly memorable moment saw one of the guitarists jumping in the middle of the mosh pit, kicking the air while delivering a chunky riff! What struck a chord beyond the music was the genuine kindness and gratitude each band member radiated in response to the warm reception from the Sydney crowd. This connection between performers and fans added an extra layer of magic to the night, setting the stage for a hell of a night.
Varials shattered the silence with heavy vocals that felt like a punch to the gut. The bass in their breakdowns hit so hard, you’d think they were trying to rearrange your internal organs. Hailing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, these guys brought the melodic heavy vibes that made you want to throw down. The frontman was a whirlwind, engaging the crowd with infectious energy. Choreographed guitar swings during breakdowns left the audience spellbound, and the closing anthem Stigmata, with its battle cry of “This is a holy war, death to all who fail” was a fitting finale. What truly set them apart was the constant dynamic movement of each band member, a visual treat that matched the auditory onslaught. After the show I learnt their original vocalist, Mitch was involved in quite a serious van crash returning home after a show and was on doctor ordered rest. We wish him a very speedy recovery!
Then, Ohio’s Like Moths to Flames grabbed the baton and ran with it. The crowd packed in tighter, fuelling the energy as livewire lead singer Chris Roetter moved like he was born on the stage, commanding attention with every move. The backup vocalist, belted out cleans that could rival anyone’s, adding a new layer of intensity. With piercing eye contact and demanding interaction, the crowd did not stand still for their entire set. The lighting might’ve been a bit flat, but the performance was anything but. As their set came to a close with Bury Your Pain it was evident that every band on the bill was elevating their game, leaving us eagerly awaiting what the headliner had in store.
It was time to brace ourselves for the Aussie ambush, Void of Vision! As they took the stage, the lead singer Jack Bergin sports a spiked balaclava that hinted at the madness to come. The Factory Theatre, the very same venue where I had witnessed Bad Omens’ first-ever headline show in Sydney earlier this year, was now the stage for yet another unforgettable show. The memory of that night, cut short by lead singer Noah Sebastian’s vocal troubles, lingered in my mind as I watched Void of Vision’s lead singer, adorned in a similar mask, command the stage with unstoppable force.
With tracks like BERGHAIN, they sent us spiralling into a sonic vortex, balancing raw heaviness with melodic finesse. DOMINATRIX came to life, and the energy was off the charts, their choruses were like anthems, by the leather-and-chains-clad band, a sight far from your stereotypical metalcore scene. The drummer showed off with stick-spinning tricks, he may not have been up front with the guitarists and vocalists, but he was showing us he could move just as much and add to the visual element. Their foray into a heavy dance beat, ASMR transformed the atmosphere, showcasing the band’s versatility. HELL HELL HELL and the entrancing GOTHIKA REMIX shook the venue, a testament to their mastery of diverse genres.
INTO THE DARK emerged as a standout track of the night and an undeniable favourite for many, myself included. The energy was electric, with every soul in the crowd seemingly knowing the lyrics by heart. The chorus ignited a unity of jumping that reverberated through the floor, creating a palpable connection between the band and their dedicated fans. As ALTER and THE LONELY PEOPLE made their appearance, there was a subtle sense that the set was winding down. But just when you thought it was over, Bergin made a triumphant return to the stage with a guitar in hand, signalling the beginning of Angel of Darkness.
In the end, this concert was a metalcore lover’s dream, and the resilient Sydney crowd who braved the weather were rewarded with an unforgettable night of musical brilliance. The grins were as wide as the mosh pits, and it was clear that new favourite bands had been discovered. The sea of newly adorned merch was a testament to the connection forged between artists and their fans. As the echoes of the night’s performance lingered, one thing was certain: this wasn’t just a concert; it was an immersive experience that left a lasting mark on everyone fortunate enough to be part of it.
You can still catch Void of Vision at the following dates:
AUG 16TH • THE BASEMENT, CANBERRA
AUG 18TH • 170 RUSSELL, MELKBOURNE
AUG 19TH • LION ARTS FACTORY, ADELAIDE
AUG 20TH • MAGNET HOUSE, PERTH
