The nation’s biggest celebration of the heavier side of music hits Sydney this month with close to 100 acts hitting Sydney Olympic Park. Here are three of Time Out’s particular highlights:
Mastodon
Who? Their Blood Mountain album was the metal disc that it was OK for indie fans to like, thanks to its post-rock and prog elements, but last year’s The Hunter is a collection of punchy, economical rock tunes with monster riffs and lyrics about huffing sawdust, the thrills of zero-gravity humping, and, er, monsters.
What do I know? ‘Curl of the Burl’, ‘Blood and Thunder’, ‘Divinations’
What inspired the subject matter? Brent Hinds: “I love horror films, big fan. I just talked to someone from Japan and I was like ‘Man, ‘Now that you woke him up with the earthquakes and stuff, how’s Godzilla doing over there? He’s around, trust me; he’s outside your window right now!’”
Slipknot
Who? The platinum-selling Ohio nine-piece suffered a major blow in 2010 when bassist and co-founder Paul Gray was found dead in his hotel room, but the masked metallers have soldiered on (with original guitarist Donnie Steele subbing on bass for this tour) and are reportedly working on a new album this year.
What do I know? ‘Pyschosexual’, ‘Duality’, ‘My Plague’
Is it hard to keep going without Gray? Shawn “Clown” Crahan: “Man, I hear all this shit all the time about how Paul wanted us to go on. Well, cool. Maybe I don’t wanna go on without him. Maybe all the things we haven’t done yet that he’s not gonna get to do, maybe I don’t wanna do without him, you know?”
Bush
Who? Recently-reunited, whose mix of chunky guitars and Gavin Rossdale’s matinee idol good looks took them from obscure UK grunge wannabes to US chart toppers. Last year’s comeback album, The Sea of Memories, is actually pretty solid.
What do I know? ‘Glycerine’, ‘The Chemicals Between Us’, ‘Swallowed’
Why reconvene the band? Gavin Rossdale: “Julian Casablancas made a very good solo record but really everyone wants to see him in The Strokes. Chris Cornell is a fantastic singer, but truth is we want to see him in Soundgarden. It’s really just a matter of people’s comfort.”
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The Soundwave Revolution experiment may have toppled over in 2011, but the 2012 Soundwave line up have taken many of the highlights of what would have been on offer for that tour, packed in plenty of surprises and a some heavy-hitting headliners. We're also getting Bush, In Flames, The Black Dahlia Murder, Holy Grail, Hyro Da Hero, These Kids Wear Crowns, In This Moment, Black Tide, Kids In Glass Houses, Fireworks, Conditions and Cherri Bomb. Also, Dragonforce have sadly pulled out thanks to a behind-schedule album, but they're replaced by Switchfoot and Paradise Lost.
They join the already-announced Bad Religion, Strung Out, Staind, Wednesday 13, Unearth, The Pretty Reckless, Cathedral, Shadows Fall, Tonight Alive, Motionless In White, Break Even, Heaven Shall Burn, Your Demise, A Rocket To The Moon, The Ready Set, The Menzingers, Dream On Dreamer, Kittie, Dredg, Attack! Attack!, The Smoking Hearts and The Summer Set, System Of A Down, Slipknot, Limp Bizkit, Marilyn Manson, A Day To Remember, Machine Head, Lamb Of God, Trivium, Alter Bridge, Lostprophets, Angels & Airwaves, Cobra Starship, The Used, You Me At Six, Devin Townsend Project, Unwritten Law, Coal Chamber, Dashboard Confessional, Thursday, Forever The Sickest Kids, Raised Fist, Dillinger Escape Plan, Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society, Mastodon, Underoath, Saves The Day, Circa Survive, Steel Panther, Jack's Mannequin, Meshuggah, The Sisters Of Mercy, Enter Shikari, Four Year Strong, Black Veil Brides, Madina Lake, Zebrahead, Hatebreed, Biohazard, Times Of Grace, Cky, Street Dogs, Gojira, Kvelertak, Letlive, Hellyeah, Cro-Mags, The Cab, Relient K, Versa Emerge, Heroes For Hire, Kill Hannah, The Dangerous Summer, Chimaira, Framing Hanley, Watain, The Mission in Motion, Royal Republic, I Am The Avalanche, Turisas and River City Extension. Our ears are already ringing.
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