Bryan Martin is a country singer songwriter from Louisiana whose songs relate gritty and authentic knowledge from his lived experience. From oil fields and rodeos to country stages, his stories resonate because they are lived. “Out of darkness came songs. I just tell it like it is.”

When Battle Beast announced the departure of long-standing vocalist Noora Louhimo, fans around the world braced for change. Now, with powerhouse vocalist Marina La Torraca stepping into the spotlight, the band begin a bold new chapter as they prepare for their debut Australian tour.

Ahead of Cradle of Filth’s co-headline Australian tour with DevilDriver this July, we spoke with the band’s infamous architect of darkness, Dani Filth. From new music on the horizon to the theatrical chaos fans can expect on stage, the conversation drifted through poetry, horror soundtracks and the strange fate of lost lyrics. As Filth himself promises, the upcoming tour will be “high octane, theatrical and loud”.

Memphis May Fire are returning to Australia in April following sold out shows across the country. “We didn’t want to wait to come back to Australia,” said Matty Mullins. “There were all these full venues with many fans getting in touch with us saying they missed out on seeing us. So we thought we had better get back quickly.”

Alien Weaponry return to Australia this March supporting thrash metal icons Anthrax. The New Zealand band have been touring Europe following the release of their latest album ‘Te Rā’ and are ready to bring their powerful Māori influenced metal to Australian crowds.

Blessthefall return on their own terms, rediscovering their joy for music after years away. With Gallows, the band reclaim control of their sound, their balance and their future. Frontman Beau Bokan reflects on perspective, growth and why stepping back was exactly what they needed to move forward again.

With new music on the horizon and her first tour of Australia and New Zealand approaching, Sylvaine is embracing the next stage of her artistic journey. For her, the goal is simple: “I want my new album to be authentic and follow my heart and soul.”

Looking ahead to 2026, Born of Osiris are already thinking beyond ‘Through Shadows’. “The latest album reflects what’s been happening in our personal lives,” said Nick Rossi. “We want to write and follow up with a new album with refreshed brains and a new vision of where we want to go. It’s all been a long time coming.”

Eivør is bringing her ethereal voice and genre-defying music back to Australia. “I like my setlists to be a musical journey,” she explained. With an album almost ready and Sylvaine performing a rare solo set, this tour blends Nordic traditions, electronic influences and powerful live energy.

Elias Soriano talks about slowing the pace after years on the road. “We are concentrating on playing high-energy shows and not being so rushed on the recording side,” he says, describing a band taking more care with how ideas are developed and when they are released.

Behemoth’s live shows aren’t built for comfort. “It is heavy metal on steroids,” Nergal says, describing performances that push body and mind to the limit. As the band return to Australia in 2026, the frontman reflects on survival, endurance and why these shows still demand everything from him.

What makes the music of Lou Reed, The Velvet Underground and Nico still sound so dynamic and important? It was music written when rock ’n’ roll was still fresh, new and bubbling with creative innovation. The music, the lyricism and the style were products of the youth cultural revolution. Dave Graney joined us to discuss Celebrating Lou Reed, The Velvet Underground & Nico.

California punk legends Lagwagon will be in Australia in January and February for their own headline tour, celebrating the 31st anniversary of the album ‘Hoss’. “It’s downtime before we gear up for the tour,” said Joey Cape. “The heat’s going to be a thing. I only do shorts now, if everyone else does. I don’t want to feel dumb in them.”

“The album made us who we are”, said Paul Smith. Maxïmo Park’s Mercury Prize-nominated debut ‘A Certain Trigger’ captured the mood of the times and spoke to the trials and tribulations of youth. The band will tour Australia in April 2026, performing the album in full along with other fan favourites.

It’s time to celebrate the landmark writing and recording of ‘Broke’. “People have been asking us to play ‘Broke’ live – like forever,” said Jahred Gomes. “We will play the whole album – all 12 songs – but it will be mixed in with some surprises.”

Of Mice & Men are returning to Australia in May 2026 with Japan’s Crystal Lake. “Live gigs are chaos,” said Aaron Pauley. “We want to see moshpits, crowd surfing and circle pits when we come to Australia,” added Tino Arteaga.

CKY will return to Australia for the first time in over a decade in January 2026. “We really do need to apologise to our fans in Australia and make it up to them,” said Jess Margera. “We need to get back and play some rockin’ shows”.

“Well, we were better than a turd in a bowl,” stated John. “We have lit the match. We are keeping the flame of SNOT alive. And it has been so much better than we or anyone else could have expected.” We caught up with SNOT bassist John “Tumour” Fahnestock to talk about how the band’s been going, what’s changed, and coming back to Australia with Soulfly.

“It's hard to write songs for Cryptopsy because it must be extreme! Cryptopsy songs and instrumentation has to be memorable. It has to be catchy with a melody. It must have groove. It must be heavy. There's a lot of boxes that need to be checked to fall underneath the Cryptopsy umbrella”.‍ ‍

Billie Joe Armstrong called Bad Nerves ‘the best new band in England right now’ and I would have to agree. Bad Nerves are one of the most talked about bands in modern punk. Cecilia caught up with Bobby Nerves before the chaos of the Crowbar headline gig in Sydney.