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[Review] Soulfly @ Manning Bar, Sydney 6/12/2022

The 6th of December marks the end of sideshows for this year’s Good Things Festival, and I’m spending it at the Manning Bar in Sydney seeing the mighty Soufly. They must be looking forwards to one last throwdown to cap off the Australian performances after appearing at 3 festivals in 3 days across 3 different states. 

The initial support, Melbourne’s Primitive pull-out of the show last-minute moving Sydney’s deathcore superstars To The Grave to the main and only support. To The Grave have been busy! Not only did they also appear at Good Things Festival (in Melbourne and Brisbane only), they supported Soulfly on their Melbourne sideshow and we’re lucky to have them here tonight.  

They open with Red Dot Sight as lead singer Dane Evans storms the stage in a balaclava under his hoodie. They may be a different brand of metal in comparison to tonight’s headliner, but the crowd bounce and headbang along as the Sydney squad play their hearts out. If you haven’t seen To The Grave perform before, I highly recommend it. Evans has a stage presence beyond his years and a voice that can compete with the likes of Phil Bozeman and Brooke Reeves. I can’t wait to see his evolution; I feel he will only get better!
Simon’s drum kit is positioned in front of Soulfly’s, leaving little room for movement up there, he nonetheless near destroys each drum with strength and accuracy. Just that morning, the film clip to Axe of Kindness was released, and we get to hear the heavy, gritty assault live!
The single is out now and will be on their new album Directors Cuts coming February 24th
Closing the set with Wastage, they call for a wall of death. Metalheads pour down to the floor from the outskirts as Evans counts down to carnage.  

The venue’s capacity fills very quickly as the time draws near for metal legends Soulfly to take the stage. I make a very silly decision to buy merch as I hear the intro to Back To the Primitive stream out of the speakers behind me. I tap my card, grab my shirt and sprint to the front. The venue claps along as the band appears one by one.
It may be a Tuesday but that does not stop the pit from going ballistic! The album Primitive, in which Back to the Primitive is from, was released in 2000 and looking around, everyone sure knows the words. Max and co take no prisoners ripping through tracks such as Prophecy, Downstroy and Filth Upon Filth from their latest album Totem. 

As most know, Dino Cazares, guitarist from Fear Factory is along for the ride. The two guitar legends share a moment on stage, axes facing each other – shredding like it’s child’s play, the crowd lap it up. Ritual is one of the strongest songs of the night, a loud chanting chorus that everyone can join in and a chugging slower outro to bang our heads.
Soulfly was born in 1998, but they were made when they arrived in Australia in 1999, according to metal god himself Max Cavalera. Tonight, the admiration is mutual!
Multiple sound problems at Good Things made me glad I went to tonight’s event because the sound is excellent! One punter rips his top off and twirls it around his head, giving Bleed one of the finest receptions of the night. 

Max asks us if we want some Chaos AD, to roars of excitement! Max’s son Zyon (who it’s playing drums for Soulfly) counts down to the Sepultura classic, Refuse Resist and the venue lose their minds. Brazilian football chants work very well in a metal setting, with a few lyrical alteration we are singing “ole ole ole ole Soulflyyyy Soulfyyyy’.
As an enormous Fear Factory fan, I am beyond excited to hear the intro to Body Hammer, it’s cut short to make way for the huge single, Replica. The intro to Demanufacture also teased as Soulfly gets back to business.  

Tonight’s fantastic show is rounded up with Eye For An Eye and the ever-amazing Jumpdafuckup. As metalheads we are used to artists asking us to sit down, only to jump to the sky as the beat kicks in. I could not wipe the smile off my face watching the entire venue takes part, not just the moshpit! The energy is electric as we yell the chorus knowing the show is coming to an end.  

Soulfly was a highlight of the Good Things line up and I was so fortunate to see them perform twice. With his contagious grooves, persistent worldwide touring, and love for metal, Max Cavalera has established himself as a true symbol of our scene. The current Soulfly line up, Dino Cazares, Mike Leon and Zyon Cavalera is outrageously talented, I hope it stays this way for some time.
The world is opening back up, and the shows keep on coming. I can’t wait to see what 2023 has instore for music lovers across Australia.  

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InterviewsTour Interview

Interview with Josh & Hazel Meyer (Those Who Dream)

​Those Who Dream are an Australian alternative rock duo and multifaceted creative project of siblings Josh and Hazel Meyer. Their captivating energy and revealing lyrics has not only earned them the acclaim of Pop Buzz, Rock Sound and Alternative Press; but more importantly, a cult-like following across the world. The Meyer siblings are as DIY as it gets, citing “YouTube tutorials” as their teachers of filmmaking, 3D animation, design, songwriting and production. The sum of these talents can be best seen in the duo’s extravagant music video for their breakout single #Violet, featuring surreal and eerie visuals reminiscent of psychological-horror films. Growing up perpetually fascinated by art in all of its forms; the siblings quickly learnt to channel their own struggles and emotional turmoil into creative expression. After creating individually and experimenting in bands, it quickly became apparent that their best work was created together. Now, it seems their hard work is paying off, with the group touring this year with Mayday Parade, Real Friends and Short Stack, and set to perform at all three Good Things Festival events in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane in December.

GOOD THINGS FESTIVAL LINE UP:
 
Bring Me The Horizon | Deftones | NOFX (performing ‘Punk In Drublic’ in full + all your favourites) | TISM (Exclusive: First shows in 19 years!) | The Amity Affliction | Gojira | ONE OK ROCK

 
In Alphabetical Order:
 
3OH!3 | Blood Command | Chasing Ghosts | Cosmic Psychos | Electric Callboy
Fever 333 | Jinjer | JXDN | Kisschasy (Performing ‘United Paper People’ In Full)
Lacuna Coil | Millencolin | Nova Twins | Polaris | RedHook | Regurgitator
Sabaton | Sleeping With Sirens | Soulfly | The Story So Far | Thornhill
 

DATES AND VENUES:
Friday 2nd December – Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne (LIC AA 15+)
Saturday 3 December- Centennial Park, Sydney (18+)
Sunday 4 December – Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane (LIC AA 15+)

Early Bird pre-sale tickets on sale Tuesday 21 June @ 10am AEST Time
Sign up now for early bird pre-sale tickets at www.goodthingsfestival.com.au
 
General Public tickets on sale Thursday 23 June @ 10am AEST Time
https://www.oztix.com.au/

GOOD THINGS FESTIVAL | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK

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InterviewsTour Interview

Interview with Joel Vanderuit (Kisschasy)

Kisschasy are an Australian rock band whose music varies from catchy pop to emo-tinged ballads to hard rock. A fateful meeting took place between Darren Cordeux (vocals, guitar) and Joel Vanderuit (bass) in the crowd at the 2002 Warped Tour. The two youths had both been tinkering with bands of their own, but inspired by the world-class music all around them, they decided to start fresh with a new band: Kisschasy. Two of Vanderuit's friends joined them — Sean Thomas (guitar) and Karl Ammitzboll (drums). Their first recordings were the 2004 EPs Darkside/Stay Awake and Cara Sposa, released on indie label Below Par Records. A year later, they recorded their debut album, United Paper People, a gentle pop/rock record. Over the next two years, songwriter Cordeux worked on two albums' worth of songs for their next release. One set was made of country-tinged songs that he described as “Lemonheads-y,” with the rest being heavier rock numbers. The band decided to go with the louder songs and released Hymns for the Nonbeliever in 2007.

Recently Joel had a chat with STMs Kynan about what we might expect from their appearenne at Good Things Festival next weekend. 

GOOD THINGS FESTIVAL LINE UP:
 
Bring Me The Horizon | Deftones | NOFX (performing ‘Punk In Drublic’ in full + all your favourites) | TISM (Exclusive: First shows in 19 years!) | The Amity Affliction | Gojira | ONE OK ROCK

 
In Alphabetical Order:
 
3OH!3 | Blood Command | Chasing Ghosts | Cosmic Psychos | Electric Callboy
Fever 333 | Jinjer | JXDN | Kisschasy (Performing ‘United Paper People’ In Full)
Lacuna Coil | Millencolin | Nova Twins | Polaris | RedHook | Regurgitator
Sabaton | Sleeping With Sirens | Soulfly | The Story So Far | Thornhill
 

DATES AND VENUES:
Friday 2nd December – Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne (LIC AA 15+)
Saturday 3 December- Centennial Park, Sydney (18+)
Sunday 4 December – Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane (LIC AA 15+)

Early Bird pre-sale tickets on sale Tuesday 21 June @ 10am AEST Time
Sign up now for early bird pre-sale tickets at www.goodthingsfestival.com.au
 
General Public tickets on sale Thursday 23 June @ 10am AEST Time
https://www.oztix.com.au/

GOOD THINGS FESTIVAL | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK

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The Good Things Festival Reveal Maps & Timetables & The Addition Of More Artists

Only 8 more sleeps until Good Things Festival will be here igniting the mosh pits along the east coast of Australia.

Headlined by one of the world’s most electrifying and successful rock bands BRING ME THE HORIZON, the stacked line-up also includes Australian iconic and gold-selling larrikins TISM performing for the first time in 19 years, American heavyweights DEFTONES, pioneers of SoCal punk NOFX will perform their 1994 iconic album ‘Punk In Drublic’ in full including all your favourites as well as THE AMITY AFFLICTION, GOJIRA and ONE OK ROCK to name a few.

JXDN and 3OH!3 are no longer able to perform due to circumstances beyond our control but in fantastic news we welcome OCEAN GROVE and TEENAGE JOANS to the line up.

Aussie oddballs OCEAN GROVE freely fuse rock, metal, grunge, hip-hop & Brit-pop influences, pioneering what can only be described as Oddworld Music. The eclectic trio hailing from Melbourne recently released their third LP Up In The Air Forever in April 2022 to critical acclaim and have since been on a global assault touring their new brand of Oddworld Music. Having just returned from their debut headline tour across the UK & Europe in October 2022 and off the back of their biggest headline shows in Australia to date, OCEAN GROVE are set to make 2023 a career-defining year with the promise of a lot more new music around the corner…

After taking out the triple j unearthed high crown in 2020, TEENAGE JOANS, the Adelaide two-piece have not slowed down, taking out #87 in the 2021 H100, releasing single ‘Something About Being Sixteen’ and playing two sold out co-headline shows with TOWNS in Brisbane and Melbourne. They have shared the stage with Violent Soho, Ruby Fields, The Hard Aches, Clowns, The Chats, Bugs, Amy Shark and Sly Withers and performed at Summer Sounds, Mountain Goat Valley Crawl, Yours & Owls, Laneway Festival 2019 as part of the Girls Rock! Showcase and were a highlight performance at A Day Of Clarity and Stonecutters Festival’s.


We recently welcomed these additional artists..

YOU AM I are one of the most successful and internationally admired Australian bands. Centered around the prolific songwriting skills of singer/guitarist Tim Rogers, their breakthrough came at the inaugural Lollapalooza-style Big Day Out concert in January 1993. With three number one albums, a handful of ARIA awards and 11 albums under their belts, YOU AM I cement themselves as one of Australia’s most esteemed bands. 

For a lot of bands, chaos & insanity are used as colourfully descriptive words for their character; for Japan’s PALEDUSK, they’re somewhat of an understatement. The electronic-metalcore powerhouse leaves absolutely nothing behind as they carve a path that is truly one of a kind. Word has spread like wildfire about these young kids from the Japanese island of Kyushu and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down. See them before they become the next global sensation that everyone is talking about. 
 

From their immersive sonic aesthetics to their high-octane live shows, there’s nobody quite like Melbourne cinema-core masterminds THE GLOOM IN THE CORNER. Recently adding to The Gloom Cinematic Universe with their blistering sophomore album Trinity, THE GLOOM IN THE CORNER are primed to whisk your breath away onstage with their sharp storytelling, unwavering melodics and nuanced, explosive heaviness. Prepare for a sonic spectacle for the ages this December.

Deathcore flag bearers TO THE GRAVE have been focussed on dominance since their inception and show no signs of slowing down. After their 2019 record Global Warning elevated them to global awareness, they have been set on a warpath across the world to bulldoze audiences with a visceral live experience and a confronting message that demands your attention. They’ll be appearing at the Melbourne and Brisbane events only.
 

THOSE WHO DREAM, an exciting Australian alternative rock duo are a multifaceted creative project of siblings Josh and Cooper Meyer. Their captivating energy and revealing lyrics has not only earned them the acclaim of NME, Pop Buzz, Rock Sound and Alternative Press; but more importantly, a cult-like following around the world.
Start planning your day as the maps and timetables are here!

December 2nd – Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne

December 3rd – Centennial Park, Sydney

December 4th – Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane

GOOD THINGS FESTIVAL LINE UP:
 
Bring Me The Horizon | Deftones | NOFX (performing ‘Punk In Drublic’ in full + all your favourites) | TISM (Exclusive: First shows in 19 years!) | The Amity Affliction | Gojira 
ONE OK ROCK | Sabaton | Polaris | Millencolin

 
In Alphabetical Order:
 
Blood Command | Chasing Ghosts | Cosmic Psychos | Electric Callboy
Jinjer | Kisschasy (Performing ‘United Paper People’ In Full) | Lacuna Coil
Nova Twins | Ocean Grove | Paledusk | RedHook | Regurgitator | Sleeping With Sirens 
Soulfly | Teenage Joans | The Gloom In The Corner | The Story So Far | Thornhill 
THOSE WHO DREAM  | To The Grave* | YOU AM I


*To The Grave not appearing in Sydney
 
DATES AND VENUES:
Friday 2nd December – Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne (LIC AA 15+)
Saturday 3 December- Centennial Park, Sydney (18+)
Sunday 4 December – Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane (LIC AA 15+) Tickets on sale now at www.goodthingsfestival.com.au

GOOD THINGS FESTIVAL | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK


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FeaturedNews

GOOD THINGS FESTIVAL Announce Massive Sideshows!!!!

Australia’s biggest alternative travelling music festival, aka Good Things Festival is almost upon us and it’s the biggest one yet!

Good Things come to those who wait and Good Things Festival is thrilled to announce the headline sideshows from some of the artists on the huge festival line up. This is the first and only sideshow announcement and there will be no more sideshows announced. Set your alarm clocks as these tickets won’t last. 
 

Early bird pre-sale tickets on sale Tuesday 8 November @ 10am local time until Wednesday 9 November, 8am local time

Register here https://bit.ly/GT-Sideshow

General tickets are on sale Wednesday 9 November @ 9am local time 
www.destroyalllines.com

Without further adieu, we present to you the Good Things Festival 2022 sideshows…

DEFTONES

WEDNESDAY 30 NOVEMBER –
THEBARTON THEATRE, ADELAIDE

 

The multi platinum GRAMMY® Award-winning Deftones are an influential alternative presence. The quintet’s career spans three platinum albums with over 10 million records sold worldwide.

They landed their first #1 Aria chart debut with their 2016 release Gore and in 2018 they curated, launched, presented, and headlined their own festival, Dia De Los Deftones. Selling out both installments to date, the eclectic lineups hosted everyone from Future and CHVRCHES to Gojira and Megan Thee Stallion. In 2020, Deftones continued their trailblazing arc as an alternative leader with their ninth full-length album, Ohms which debuted at #3 on the Aria album chart and a thrilling full-album remix of White Pony.

MILLENCOLIN

WEDNESDAY 30 NOVEMBER – 170 RUSSELL, MELBOURNE
MONDAY 5 DECEMBER – THE TIVOLI, BRISBANE

The much loved favourite seminal Swedish skate-punk band Millencolin promise to deliver shows you won’t forget. They’ll be performing all of their hits from across their entire catalogue. 

It’s clear the band members are just as unified as they were when they formed Millencolin, roughly 30 years, nine albums and over 2,000 live shows ago. “We’re a band truly formed from respect and understanding for each other and our passion for rock music,” explains vocalist/bassist Nikola Sarcevic. “If you ask us, this is the best job in the world!”

SLEEPING WITH SIRENS
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS THE BEAUTIFUL MONUMENT & BAD/LOVE

WEDNESDAY 30 NOVEMBER – THE GOV, ADELAIDE
THURSDAY 1 DECEMBER – MAX WATTS, MELBOURNE
TUESDAY 6 DECEMBER – THE TRIFFID, BRISBANE

Since emerging in 2010, Sleeping With Sirens have tested the boundaries of rock by walking a tightrope between pop, punk, metal, hardcore, electronic, acoustic, and even a little R&B. This high-wire balancing act attracted a faithful fan base known as “Strays,” generated global album sales in excess of 1.5 million, ignited over half-a-billion streams, and achieved a trio of gold-selling singles.

They’ve collaborated with MGK on Alone and Pierce the Veil on the gold-certified King For A Day. Beyond selling out shows worldwide and receiving acclaim from The New York Times, Alternative Press crowned them “Artist of the Year” at the Alternative Press Music Awards, proclaimed “Kick Me” the 2015 “Song of the Year”, and featured them as cover stars a whopping seven times. 

Joining Sleeping With Sirens as special guests are Melbourne’s The Beautiful Monument and emotive rock group Bad/Love.

THE STORY SO FAR
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS AWOL

WEDNESDAY 30 NOVEMBER – STAY GOLD, MELBOURNE
THURSDAY 1 DECEMBER – SOOKI LOUNGE, BELGRAVE

Californian rockers The Story So Far have been on an absolute tear since their 2018 opus Proper Dose, selling out countless headline tours and receiving praises from fans and critics across the globe.

They’ve recently performed at When We Were Young Festival, Four Chord Music Festival, Riot Fest, Furnace Fest and will be joining blink-182 on their UK and European headline tour in 2023.

Joining them at these intimate shows are special guests AWOL.

3OH!3

THURSDAY 1 DECEMBER – STAY GOLD, MELBOURNE


The dynamic duo Sean Foreman and Nathaniel Motte aka 3OH!3 have been rocking sold out venues, amphitheaters, and college campuses around the world since 2018.

Your boys have cemented their sound with global hits like Don’t Trust Me, STARSTRUKK (feat. Katy Perry), & My First Kiss (feat. Kesha). Having not released any music as 3OH!3 since 2016, Sean and Nat have written and produced hits for other artists such as Maroon 5’s Love Somebody, MAX’s Lights Down Low, Ariana Grande’s Tattooed Heart, and Kesha’s Blah Blah Blah.

They continued to play in front of thousands of fans while celebrating the 10-year anniversary of their RIAA certified Gold album WANT. in 2020, the itch of wanting to get back in the studio to make music that was fun, inclusive, edgy, weird and – most importantly – their own, proved to be an inevitable reality. And 3OH!3 is back with new music with more to come.

NOVA TWINS
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS BLOOD COMMAND

WEDNESDAY 30 NOVEMBER – CROWBAR, SYDNEY

Nova Twins are the zeitgeist-capturing polymath pioneers that our times have been waiting for. Whether pushing the MOBO Awards to create a category for POC alt. acts, to teaming up with No Music On A Dead Planet and Oxfam to play for environmental change, working with Dr. Martens to raise money for The Black Curriculum or aiming to inspire a new wave of young, diverse talent, Amy Love and Georgia South are much more than one of the UK’s most exciting bands – they are changemakers and they have battled through the old guard of rock’s narrow-minded expectations. 

Rage Against The Machine icon Tom Morello dubbed them “an incredible band who deserve to be huge” as well as inviting them on tour with Prophets Of Rage. Bring Me The Horizon’s Oli Sykes called them one of his “favourite new bands” before having them collaborate on song ‘1×1’ from 2020’s UK No.1 album ‘POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR’.

There’s no band out there quite like Nova Twins. If more artists blazed a trail like this, we’d be celebrating a lot more difference, rather than craving what’s safe and similar. From being “shunned” when they arrived on the scene, now Nova Twins are leading a game all of their own. Now, there are no rules.

Joining them as special guests are Blood Command. Yngve Andersen and Australia’s Nikki Brumen live every moment in the mantra ‘Blood Command against the world’ which guides Bergen, Norway’s “death pop” quintet spiritually and sonically, and which forms the soul of their fourth full-length record, Praise Armageddonism.

GOJIRA
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS LACUNA COIL

TUESDAY 29 NOVEMBER – ROUNDHOUSE, SYDNEY
THURSDAY 1 DECEMBER – FORUM THEATRE, MELBOURNE
TUESDAY 6 DECEMBER – EATONS HILL HOTEL, BRISBANE

Grammy nominated French heavy metal quartet Gojira have risen from the utmost obscurity during the first half of their career to widespread global recognition in the second. Combining elements of thrash, death, math, groove, progressive, and post-metal with philosophical and environment-themed lyrics. They have made their mark as one of the paramount metal bands of this generation.

Joining them as special guests are Italian alt metal superstars Lacuna Coil

Lacuna Coil’s spirited and lauded live performances have also earned them a solid reputation for a band that not only delivers night in/night out, but also a band whose stage performance reverberates long after the show is over. Lacuna Coil’s heartfelt, heavy, melodic, and rhythmic metal—a hybrid of gothic, groove, and alternative—has created a rabid worldwide following.

SOULFLY

THURSDAY 1 DECEMBER – CROXTON BANDROOM, MELBOURNE
TUESDAY 6 DECEMBER – MANNING BAR, SYDNEY

At the dawn of the new millennium, Rolling Stone declared, “Soulfly seem built to last.” More than two decades, countless  worldwide tours, and a dozen albums later, that prophecy rings true. 

Underground icon, extreme metal trailblazer, third world warrior, and leader of a diverse and dedicated tribe, Max Cavalera not only survives but thrives, blasting out riff after killer riff.

Soulfly’s savage anthems of aggression push extreme music to its bludgeoning limits while injecting it with brilliant moments of trippy nuance and dissonance. Like all innovative musical heroes, Max makes anthems for the people. Soulfly is a celebration of family and legacy. Whatever Max Cavalera hammers out on the bridges of his four-string guitars, it always sets souls free.

Their Australian shows will feature Fear Factory’s Dino Cazares as a special guest.

JINJER
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS EARTH CALLER & FUTURE STATIC

WEDNESDAY 30 NOVEMBER – MANNING BAR, SYDNEY
THURSDAY 1 DECEMBER – CORNER HOTEL, MELBOURNE


Through their relentless hard work, non-stop touring and critically acclaimed /chart-breaking releases gaining over 250M streams/views across all platforms globally – JINJER are truly one of modern metal’s hottest and most exciting bands around today. The band has become synonymous with doing things their own way and breaking every rule in the Heavy Metal handbook- which they made loudly clear on their hugely successful fourth studio album: WALLFLOWERS.

In less than12 years, the four-piece Progressive Groove metal wrecking machine has carved their very own place in the Metal landscape. Hailing from Donetsk but now based in Kiev, this Ukrainian musical oddity formed in 2009 but consider the official start of the band with the addition of the incredible vocalist and Femme Fatale Tatiana Shmayluk in 2010.

They’ll be supported by Melbourne’s metalcore ground Earth Caller and Melbourne quintet Future Static who create an exhilarating synthesis of alternative, melodic, and progressive to shape a unique brand of emotional heavy music which is unlike any other.

ELECTRIC CALLBOY
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS PALEDUSK & DREGG (MELB) &
CLAY J GLADSTONE (SYD)

WEDNESDAY 30 NOVEMBER – MAX WATTS, MELBOURNE
THURSDAY 1 DECEMBER – FACTORY THEATRE, SYDNEY


As diverse and as electrifying as their name, Electric Callboy weld modern trap with alt rock, pop punk and beyond into an exhilarating musical experience. Their latest release TEKKNO debuted at #1 on the German album charts. It journeys between comedy, powerful pop, and trancecore, as well as oscillating between synthy pop and hard-hitting circle pit anthems with extreme ease.

Electric Callboy are known for their ecstatic live shows and will be performing in Australia for the very first time.

Supporting them as special guests are Japan’s most exciting heavy acts Paledusk and Melbourne’s DREGG. Clay J Gladstone will be supporting them in Sydney.

JXDN

TUESDAY 29 NOVEMBER – OXFORD ART FACTORY, SYDNEY
WEDNESDAY 30 NOVEMBER – NORTHCOTE SOCIAL CLUB, MELBOURNE

 

Defying the rules with style and substance, jxdn bends and breaks the boundaries as he moves between subcultures in a very genuine way to position himself as a new kind of rockstar.

Generating 15 million streams within a month and becoming the first artist signed to Travis Barker’s DTA Records, the 19-year-old genre breaker presents a signature style on a series of 2020 releases.

In 2018, he took control and developed a presence online through a consistent stream of engaging and clever content. He quietly exploded on Tik Tok, attracting 5.8 million followers and 202.3 million likes. After witnessing an arena show by the late Juice WRLD, he dove headfirst into music and unleashed his independent debut single Comatose. The track has since racked up over 20 million streams across platforms and broken into over 38 Global Viral Charts to date. Upon hearing it, Barker immediately signed him to DTA Records. Now, jxdn takes flight on the single Angels & Demons.

GOOD THINGS FESTIVAL LINE UP:
 
Bring Me The Horizon | Deftones | NOFX (performing ‘Punk In Drublic’ in full + all your favourites) TISM (Exclusive: First shows in 19 years!) | The Amity Affliction | Gojira | ONE OK ROCK
 
In Alphabetical Order:
 
3OH!3 | Blood Command | Chasing Ghosts | Cosmic Psychos | Electric Callboy
Fever 333 | Jinjer | JXDN | Kisschasy (Performing ‘United Paper People’ In Full)
Lacuna Coil | Millencolin | Nova Twins | Polaris | RedHook | Regurgitator
Sabaton | Sleeping With Sirens | Soulfly | The Story So Far | Thornhill
 

DATES AND VENUES:
Friday 2nd December – Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne (LIC AA 15+)
Saturday 3 December- Centennial Park, Sydney (18+)
Sunday 4 December – Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane (LIC AA 15+)
 
Tickets on sale now at www.goodthingsfestival.com.au

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Interview with Max Cavalera (SOULFLY)

At the dawn of the new millennium, Rolling Stone declared, “Soulfly seem built to last.” More than two decades, countless worldwide tours, and a dozen albums later, that prophecy rings true.

Underground icon, extreme metal trailblazer, third world warrior, and leader of a diverse and dedicated tribe, Max Cavalera not only survives but thrives, blasting out riff after killer riff. The same voice, body, and spirit which launched Soulfly in 1997 summons impossibly heavy noise to this day, throwing down ten slabs of monstrous music on Soulfly’s twelfth album, 2022’s Totem.

Produced by Max alongside Arthur Rizk, whom Revolver described as “the secret weapon behind Power Trip, Code Orange, and Cavalera Conspiracy,” Totem attacks without apology. It brims with the blackened-thrash and death metal bite of modern Soulfly classics like Ritual (2018) and Archangel (2015), with nods to the heavy groove of Primitive (2000) and Prophecy (2004).

“I really dig what Arthur does in the underground scene, with records by bands like Outer Heaven, Pissgrave, Black Curse,” Max explains. “Those are crazy productions, man. They’re off-the-wall and crazy-sounding. I wanted a Soulfly record with a sonic character like that, so Arthur was the perfect guy. At one point during the production, he came up to me and he was like, ‘You know Max, we’re not just doing another Soulfly record. We’re doing the best Soulfly record.’ I liked that attitude.”

Among the most prolific musicians in the genre’s history, Max led Sepultura from Brazil to the world stage, making fans out of Ozzy Osbourne, Deftones, and Dave Grohl along the way. He cofounded Nailbomb, Cavalera Conspiracy, Go Ahead And Die, and Killer Be Killed, issuing album after album to spirited acclaim from critics and fans. But no project is as singularly identified with Max as Soulfly, whose gold-selling self-titled debut arrived with unrivaled determination and spirit.

Soulfly, the moniker Max conjured, is an original portmanteau like “Lookaway” or “Straighthate.” The idea rose from one of the indigenous spiritual practices that inspire Max. “Many South American tribes believe the souls of their ancestors fly around them when they play music. They can even feel the souls of the animals sacrificed to create their instruments. It’s heavy shit.”

Loaded with multiple guests and instrumentation, Soulfly (1998) set a precedent for the records that would follow by managing the almost-magical feat of combining world music with metal without sacrificing the raw, authentic vibe of a band banging out songs in a basement. Twenty years on, Kerrang! included Soulfly’s debut in their 10 Best Nü-Metal Albums Of All Time, alongside massively successful records by System Of A Down, Slipknot, Korn, Papa Roach, and Deftones. “I never felt Soulfly was a nü-metal band,” Max points out. “We had elements of it. But by the time the sound went very commercial with Linkin Park, I didn’t feel part of that. We’re much heavier.”

Melody Maker declared Primitive “the metal album of the year” in late 2000. When 3 followed in 2002, Spin wrote, “There’s something undeniably thrilling about an Ozzfest demagogue who champions dignity as a human right and makes a maxim like ‘Faith is a weapon’ a rallying cry. The band remains a hard-charging, tribal-drumming monster fierce enough to kick the bulldozers out of the rainforest.” Touring in support of 3 included a North American trek with Slayer.

Less than a year after its release, album four found its way into German magazine Rock Hard’s 2005 book, The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time. Sputnik Music praised Prophecy as “the best Soulfly album to date,” calling it their “heaviest, most experimental, and most mature.” Thrash-fueled power dominated Dark Ages (2005), Conquer (2008), and Omen (2010). Critics hailed Cavalera’s never-ending supply of riffs all over again with Enslaved (2012). They celebrated the fierce vibe of Savages (2013), the first Soulfly album with Max’s son, Zyon Cavalera, on drums.

Archangel pushed the musical bludgeoning to its very limit while injecting the songs with moments of trippy nuance and dissonance. Max revisited the ritualistic and mystical ruminations on Soulfly’s Prophecy while simultaneously doubling down on the most extreme music of his career. Ritual “retained the groove of early Soulfly as well as my love for the heavy, fast stuff,” Max explains. “I think, in the end, we created a cool mix of songs that covered a lot of ground in my career.”

The songs on Totem originated with a back-to-basics songwriting approach inspired by Max’s son, Zyon. Soulfly’s drummer since 2012, Zyon asked Max one day to show him how Sepultura created their early classics. The elder Cavalera describes the process as putting riffs together like pieces in a puzzle, or bricks in a pyramid. “Zyon and I jammed for many weeks, creating the foundation.”

Max first envisioned Soulfly as a band with an evolving lineup, eager to “shake the tree” with an infusion of new creative blood from time to time. Many amazing players and guest musicians appear throughout the discography. Totem is the band’s fourth album with Zyon and second with bassist Mike Leon. It’s also the first Soulfly album without guitarist Marc Rizzo since 2004.

“Some of my favorite records are ones where everything changed, and I had to find a way to make something work,” Max says. “A lot of my best records came from struggles, like Sepultura’s Chaos A.D., the first Soulfly album, and Prophecy.” Chris Ulsh of Mammoth Grinder and Power Trip plays a guitar solo in album closer “Spirit Animal.” John Powers, Rizk’s bandmate in the group Eternal Champion, contributes several solos to the album, and Rizk plays rhythm and lead guitars as well. “Arthur ended up jamming with me a lot on the record. He’s a great guitar player,” Max says.

Like every Soulfly album before it, Totem includes a dedication to God in the liner notes. And as ever, Max follows his spiritual muse into evolving and diverse territory, taking inspiration from multiple traditions and practices. Songs like “Superstition,” “Ancestors,” and the title track lean heavily into one of the album’s themes, which deals with nature as a spiritual force.

“I wanted to make a record connected to spirit animals, forests, environmental stuff,” he says. “I’ve always been fascinated by nature. Traveling so much, I’ve gotten to see some amazing places,” he continues, citing examples like Iceland, the fjords of Norway, and the Badlands of South Dakota. “Superstition” specifically is inspired by Superstition Mountain, located in Arizona. “Far beyond all the things that you know

/ superstition, harder than stone,” Max says in the song.

Each Soulfly album boasts an instrumental, which Max lovingly likens to a “Planet Caravan moment,” the way Black Sabbath’s classic jam created something of a mellow album oasis. Totem is no exception. “Soulfly XII” indulges Max’s love of dark ‘80s goth guitar chords and synths. “I try to get creative with all of them; either with different instruments, like the saxophone on the Ritual instrumental, or I go by vibe. This one is really influenced by The Cure and Sisters Of Mercy.”

Old school heaviness reminiscent of Sepultura’s Beneath the Remains era punctuates the environmentalist anthem “The Damage Done,” which concludes with a crushing decrease in tempo. “Scouring the Vile,” featuring a guest appearance from Obituary vocalist John Tardy, confronts cancer. “The sickening concealed behind my dying eyes / I ripped you from me.”

Roughly 25 years since the band began, essential Soulfly bangers like “Jumpdafuckup,” “Back to the Primitive,” “Downstroy,” “Eye for an Eye,” “Ritual,” and “Dead Behind the Eyes” are celebrated live just like Cavalera classics “Roots Bloody Roots,” “Refuse / Resist,” “Territory,” and “Dead Embryonic Cells.” Bursting with hunger and energy forged by more than three decades as a heavy metal force, Totem is a suitably brutal, vibrant, extreme, and uplifting entry into the Soulfly canon.

Soulfly’s savage anthems of aggression push extreme music to its bludgeoning limits while injecting it with brilliant moments of trippy nuance and dissonance. Like all innovative musical heroes, Max makes anthems for the people. Soulfly is a celebration of family and legacy. Whatever Max Cavalera hammers out on the bridges of his four-string guitars, it always sets souls free.

Order your copy of Totem, here:

https://www.jbhifi.com.au/collections/soulfly-totem

Stream Totem on all streaming platforms: https://bfan.link/soulfly-totem

SOULFLY – Totem (Tracklisting)
01. Superstition
02. Scouring The Vile
03. Filth Upon Filth
04. Rot In Pain
05. The Damage Done
06. Totem
07. Ancestors
08. Ecstasy Of Gold
09. Soulfly XII
10. Spirit Animal

GOOD THINGS FESTIVAL LINE UP:
 
Bring Me The Horizon | Deftones | NOFX (performing ‘Punk In Drublic’ in full + all your favourites) | TISM (Exclusive: First shows in 19 years!) | The Amity Affliction | Gojira | ONE OK ROCK

 
In Alphabetical Order:
 
3OH!3 | Blood Command | Chasing Ghosts | Cosmic Psychos | Electric Callboy
Fever 333 | Jinjer | JXDN | Kisschasy (Performing ‘United Paper People’ In Full)
Lacuna Coil | Millencolin | Nova Twins | Polaris | RedHook | Regurgitator
Sabaton | Sleeping With Sirens | Soulfly | The Story So Far | Thornhill
 

DATES AND VENUES:
Friday 2nd December – Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne (LIC AA 15+)
Saturday 3 December- Centennial Park, Sydney (18+)
Sunday 4 December – Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane (LIC AA 15+)

Early Bird pre-sale tickets on sale Tuesday 21 June @ 10am AEST Time
Sign up now for early bird pre-sale tickets at www.goodthingsfestival.com.au
 
General Public tickets on sale Thursday 23 June @ 10am AEST Time
https://www.oztix.com.au/

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GOOD THINGS FESTIVAL: TISM EXCLUSIVE: Scott’s Real Concession Speech

TISM last night overheard the ex-prime minister deliver his real concession speech in the building recently named after him; they were hiding by the windows, whilst he stood in the Morrison Hotel, by the doors.
 
Mr. Morrison: Let me first clarify one thing. Some people are claiming I intended to win the recent federal election, and so remain this country’s leader. I reject this entirely. No fair-minded person, once having closely studied our policies for the future or our performances in the past, could have thought we were serious about running this country. After all, one of our candidates was Alan Tudge. Moreover, I have put this charge before the infallible judge upon whose deep wisdom and moral probity I have always relied – and Phil Gaetjens has concluded he agrees with me. Some may quibble Phil was investigating the very person he works for, but that wouldn’t bother him, as he’s used to it.

            These scurrilous accusations are as false as the criticism that I am an untrustworthy bully. Untrustworthy? Look at what I did when Josh fecklessly blew $19 billion on JobKeeper. Imagine what I’d’ve said if he’d been a Labor treasurer! Imagine! Nine-teen-bill-i-on! Yet I have never once spoken to him about it. Not once. This shows what a supportive leader I was.

            And a bully? Well, first off, these accusations seem mainly to be made by women, which shows half of the population never had a problem with me. Second, women aren’t powerless because men like me despise them; men like me despise them because they’re powerless. I would never bully anyone who has power over me, and I’m no sexist: that includes a powerful woman. If I ever met one, I’d prove it.

            After all, I have a wife and daughters, as seeing Jenny often reminds me. And where are women more respected than within the family? If I didn’t believe this, would I have had a deputy prime minister like Barnaby Joyce? As Barnaby told us often during the same-sex marriage debate, he supports the family. In fact, he supports the family so much, that he’s got two of them. He was too modest to mention this at the time, which I think says a lot about the man.

            It may be that, to some cynical journos, I might have looked and sounded like I wanted to win this election. Well, they can follow what they’re told by their senses – but I grew up being taught there are other, better things to believe in. If there’s one thing my faith has shown me, it’s that if nothing is true, everything is possible. I have always strongly supported Australians’ right to freely choose the beliefs they want to force on other people. My own strict Christian faith allows me, for instance, to ignore not only the many explicit, written, unambiguous biblical injunctions that prohibit charging interest on loans, but also to disregard the fifteen centuries of Christian practice during which those rules were enforced; whilst at the same time, I bind myself whole-heartedly to always following that same Bible and those same centuries of tradition regarding, say, the roles of men and women. This instinct I have to instantly choose to believe whatever I want, whenever I want to – a habit of mind taught to me by my faith – was the basis of my political career. To me, it doesn’t matter so much what we do with power – more important to me is that it is us doing it. As all Australians know, we Liberals don’t mind institutions having great wealth and influence. But they’ve got to be the right institutions. Why, banks robbed, cheated, provided criminals with millions in laundered cash, sold products to dead people – we backed them to the hilt. But the superannuation industry not only provides working people with protection from the vicissitudes and poverty of old age, but it also invests in green energy, was set up by Paul Keating, and is often controlled by the unions. No wonder we hate them. All Australians can see the difference. I want to make this clear: Jesus is universal and super, but that doesn’t mean he supports universal super.

Finally, let me ask all Australians: did I lose the election? Did I? After all, I’ll be back – if not me, my ideas will be. And you don’t need a majority to win over Australia to my way of doing things. You just need (to use the phrase of Joe Hockey, a person who grew up trained in the demanding moral ethics of real estate agents) is a committed minority who are lifters, not leaners; who lift themselves, no matter what, disregarding others, rather than lean on their fellow man in the repugnant belief that we have mutual obligations to a common good. In this way, my rule lives on. People sensed in me a hard nut of selfishness, a bullshitter’s ability to win through, a faculty for ignoring any legitimate grievance if it conflicts with my self-interest. Everyone has had a boss like me – the bloke you bitch about only after he’s left the staff area. (You wait because he’s the boss: what a great exemplar of power!) It was important that not only was I a bullshitter, but that I was an incompetent bullshitter. If Australia is a country where only the talented, the original, the creative or the competent get success, where does that leave people like me, who only have rat-cunning? My example has shown the nation it needn’t be so. As Josh points out, we threw all that JobKeeper money at rich business people because they might not have applied for it if they had to pay it back. Of course, they would only have had to pay back the stuff they didn’t deserve to get. And that’s not the LNP way. If the Australian business class only gets what it deserves, what’s the point of government at all? And where would it stop? Why, people deserve good health care, fine schools, a maggot-free lunch in aged care, but you didn’t see us doing that. Besides, robo-debt showed how we got poor people to pay back even the stuff they did deserve. In the end, it all balances out. Only an idiot can’t see the system works. I may be out of office, but I’m not out of power. You don’t need everyone to be like me; you only need enough of us to not do our bit, drop the hose, decline refuge to the powerless, ignore the sick, disrespect the peacemaker, and I truly believe then the spirit of self-interest will do its holy work, and so force the rest to abandon the common good and act the same. I’m changing Australia in small increments, and soon it’ll be like climate change: too late to change back.

This is why it is impossible for me to have wanted to remain this country’s leader. I was never a leader.
 
TISM [attempting a gotcha question]: Can you name the seven dwarves?
 
Mr. Morrison: Of course! I loved them all as a kid, and tell Jenny she should read their story to ours. There’s Self-Importance, Duplicity, Flim, Flam, Smoke, Mirrors, and, lastly, loveable Colbeck.
 
TISM: Is it true that you will play live with us during the Good Things festival in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane on December 2nd, 3rd and 4th?
 
Mr. Morrison: I reject the premise of your question. However, I can certainly see why TISM has decided to play live again. Now myself and my cabinet are out of office, there is an opening for public appearances by grotesque clowns.
 
TISM: Can you at least confirm Tim Smith, ex-member for Kew, will be driving the TISM tour bus?
 
Mr. Morrison: Shit yeah. No brainer.
 
TISM’s preferred pronouns: Shithead/Smartarse.

Good Things Festival Line Up

Bring Me The Horizon | Deftones | NOFX (performing ‘Punk In Drublic’ in full + all your favorites) | TISM (Exclusive: First shows in 19 years!) | The Amity Affliction | Gojira | ONE OK ROCK
 
In Alphabetical Order:
 
3OH!3 | Blood Command | Chasing Ghosts | Cosmic Psychos | Electric Callboy
Fever 333 | Jinjer | JXDN | Kisschasy (Performing ‘United Paper People’ In Full)
Lacuna Coil | Millencolin | Nova Twins | Polaris | RedHook | Regurgitator
Sabaton | Sleeping With Sirens | Soulfly | The Story So Far | Thornhill
 

DATES AND VENUES:
Friday 2nd December – Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne (LIC AA 15+)
Saturday 3 December- Centennial Park, Sydney (18+)
Sunday 4 December – Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane (LIC AA 15+)

 Early Bird pre-sale tickets are on sale Tuesday 21 June @ 10 am AEST Time

Sign up now for early bird pre-sale tickets at www.goodthingsfestival.com.au
 
General Public tickets are on sale Thursday 23 June @ 10 am AEST Time
 
For more information head to www.goodthingsfestival.com.au

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GOOD THINGS FESTIVAL 2022 Huge Line Up Announcement!!!!!!

Australia’s largest and favourite traveling music festival, aka Good Things Festival, is officially returning to ignite mosh pits and more along the east coast in December – and we can’t wait to celebrate with you!
 
With so few things to celebrate over the past few years and a severe lack of live music and festivals, it’s about time we all had something to look forward to; and Good Things Festival is bringing the good times and then some, offering a world-class line up entirely worth the wait.
 
To kickstart the celebrations lying in wait this December, Good Things Festival 2022 has confirmed none other than one of the world’s most electrifying and successful rock bands BRING ME THE HORIZON to headline proceedings. With BRIT and Grammy nominations, multi-platinum selling releases, and over 1 billion YouTube views in their wake since forming in the early 2000s, BRING ME THE HORIZON continue to push expectations and sonic boundaries, and their live performances are nothing short of show-stopping, to say the least.

They said it would never ever happen, but an Australian miracle will also take place at Good Things Festival – for their first live performances in 19 years, iconic and gold-selling larrikins TISM will be exclusively appearing onstage.
 
Forget the tone-deaf empty platitudes, Good Things Festival has also brought American heavyweights DEFTONES to ramp up festivities. Hailing from Sacramento, California, DEFTONES are undeniably one of the most innovative and enduring alternative metal acts of all time, and they’ll be in extremely good company alongside rough-and-tumble punk favorites NOFX this December as well. Pioneers of SoCal punk and nearly four decades into their careers, NOFX will perform their 1994 iconic album ‘Punk In Drublic’ in full and all your favorites at every Good Things Festival 2022 appearance, with all the hooks and refined raucous energy primed to explode on Aussie stages.
 
Speaking of Aussie stages, a band no stranger to playing at home and abroad is none other than The Amity Affliction, with the Queensland metallers set to bring their melodic and majestic brand of metalcore to the masses. Wielding their latest release, 2021’s EP ‘Somewhere Beyond the Blue’, as well as a horde of old favorites, this is one astounding affliction you’ll be ecstatic to experience live in action.

The party will be in full swing when Japanese rockers ONE OK ROCK take the stage, with the quartet’s dynamic blend of pop-rock, post-hardcore, and alternative rock set to simultaneously ignite some good vibes and dynamic singalongs. And fresh from releasing their chart-topping 2021 album ‘Fortitude’, French progressive metal behemoths GOJIRA are ready to unleash all the earth-shattering polyrhythms, blast beats, and thought-provoking thematics fans have come to know and love on Australian soil.
 
The metal vibes keep coming with some delicious goth heaviness via Italian quintet LACUNA COIL, while noise firebrands and habitual party starters FEVER 333 will be lending their voice to the celebrations, as will the crushingly brutal Ukrainian hell-raisers JINJER. German metalcore shapeshifters ELECTRIC CALLBOY will be making their first-ever trip down under for the occasion, with superstar start-up JXDN also set to chalk up his first-ever Australian performances.
 
Of course, it wouldn’t be a proper party without the inclusion of some other punk favorites, with appearances locked in from Swedish troublemakers MILLENCOLIN and Californian pop-punk lords THE STORY SO FAR, as well as some triumphant sets from Norwegian punk rockers BLOOD COMMAND and Florida alternative giants SLEEPING WITH SIRENS to ensure a blistering blowout of epic proportions.
 
The festivities continue, with American electronic music duo 3OH!3 and urban punk duo NOVA TWINS guaranteed to get you all fired up. And heavy metal icons SABATON will arrive armed with their brand new album ‘The War To End All Wars’, choosing Australia as one of the first to hear the new tunes live, while SOULFLY will also fly the heavy metal flag, returning to their adoring down under fans after one of their longest periods away from Australia in their 30-year career.
 
But it’s not just the internationals we’ll be celebrating with this December, with an army of Aussie beloveds also ready to roll. Australian punk rock institution COSMIC PSYCHOS, a band who can claim Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder as a mate and musical peer, will be storming the Good Things Festival stages. Fellow Aussie staples also set to appear to include rock and electropop trio REGURGITATOR and emphatic ARIA-nominated rockers KISSCHASY, as well as formidable artisan punk storytellers CHASING GHOSTS.
 
And that’s still not all! Join some of Australia’s favorite alternative exports at Good Things Festival this year, from some melodically charged mayhem courtesy of Sydney metalcore outfit POLARIS, to some lush modern heavy charm via Melbourne’s THORNHILL – and some fiery, razor-sharp moments from everybody’s favorite screaming rap-rock-electro-pop mutants REDHOOK for good measure!

Good Things Festival Line Up

Bring Me The Horizon | Deftones | NOFX (performing ‘Punk In Drublic’ in full + all your favorites) | TISM (Exclusive: First shows in 19 years!) | The Amity Affliction | Gojira | ONE OK ROCK
 
In Alphabetical Order:
 
3OH!3 | Blood Command | Chasing Ghosts | Cosmic Psychos | Electric Callboy
Fever 333 | Jinjer | JXDN | Kisschasy (Performing ‘United Paper People’ In Full)
Lacuna Coil | Millencolin | Nova Twins | Polaris | RedHook | Regurgitator
Sabaton | Sleeping With Sirens | Soulfly | The Story So Far | Thornhill
 

DATES AND VENUES:
Friday 2nd December – Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne (LIC AA 15+)
Saturday 3 December- Centennial Park, Sydney (18+)
Sunday 4 December – Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane (LIC AA 15+)

 Early Bird pre-sale tickets are on sale Tuesday 21 June @ 10 am AEST Time

Sign up now for early bird pre-sale tickets at www.goodthingsfestival.com.au
 
General Public tickets are on sale Thursday 23 June @ 10 am AEST Time
 
For more information head to www.goodthingsfestival.com.au

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