Slayer and Megadeth are sold out in Sydney and Melbourne for their Thursday October 8 and Friday October 9 shows but if you want to get onto the '80s metal ship, the Obituary tour has been announced now too. Thursday November 19 at the Corner Hotel in Melbourne and Friday November 20 at the Manning Bar in Sydney. The new Slayer record, World Painted Blood, should be in stores by the time this goes to press.
Also announcing their raid on Australian shores in recent weeks are Viking warriors Amon Amarth. Playing Billboard the Venue in Melbourne on Friday November 27 and the Metro in Sydney on Saturday November 28, the band are nationally supported by Eye of the Enemy and Orpheus in Melbourne and Bane of Isildur (must be a Tolkien thing) in Sydney.
Black Cobra play the ANU Bar on Tuesday October 6. Normally I don't get into two-piece bands without a bass player, but everything I've heard from these guys tells me that there is plenty of bottom end to be had. Also appearing is Robert from Grey Daturas' musical experiment Blarke Bayer/Black Widow.
Screamfest is making January "metal month" by following up their massive New Years two day bash in Sydney with a slew of national dates. Bands you ask? *deep breath* Cynic, Dark Funeral, Destroyer 666, Destruction, Edguy, Rotting Christ, Sonata Arctica, Ensiferum and a list of acts that the Enmore Theatre will barely be able to contain over Thursday December 31 and Friday January 1. Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart and Perth will all get side shows in the first ten days or so of the new year so if you're too far away to make the New Years show there's plenty of opportunities in most state capitals to catch the international acts on the bill.
Not enough international fun and games for you? Brutal Truth are coming back! The band have reformed and made one of the year's best albums to date in the form of Evolution Through Revolution which was mixed by Australia's own Jason P.C. of Blood Duster, who once again are the national support for the tour. The show won't be coming to Canberra this time, but you can catch the band either in Sydney on the Monday December 21 at the Manning Bar or in Melbourne at the Hi Fi Bar on the Sunday December 20. I rang Fuller to ask about it and he said the Melbourne show will likely have a few more supports that the Sydney one, so if a bit of pre-Xmas shopping and brutal grindcore are your bag then get along.
Speaking of Blood Duster, they've begun pre-production tracking on their latest record which will be out early 2010. Also finishing off a recording at the moment is Contrive who are over in Canada with Devin Townsend who is filling in for Fredrik Nordstrom in the mixer's chair this time round. Alarum are also finishing up their new album Natural Causes in Melbourne.
Josh - NP: Shotgun Boogie (James Oliver Huberty) - Church of Misery - Houses of the Unholy
