Brady Irwin 28/4/25 Brady Irwin 28/4/25

[Riffs] New Series - ‘Gallery Of Brewicide’ I: CONAN/PALLBEARER 12.03.25.

I’m a man of few talents as podcast host/blog chief here at ISC. But two I can certainly point to - bad music puns and new thematic series! Presenting the first Gallery of Brewicide, featuring some preamble words of support for music photographers out there, plus additional pics from our prior Conan/Pallbearer headline gig review, courtesy of Blackened Lights Photography/ Richie Black Photography !

Brady Irwin 21/4/25 Brady Irwin 21/4/25

[Gig Review] NERVOSA & Supports @ Northcote Social Club, Melbourne, 19.04.2025.

‘Girls Rock’, huh? Nah, man. If Saturday’s outright devastation of the Northcote Social Club Melbourne by Brazilian death-thrashers Nervosa (with breakneck local supports Resistance and Mason) is anything to go by - girls THRASH. Check out our review and photography coverage of a truly blistering, fun and frantic night of riffs via the link.

Brady Irwin 17/4/25 Brady Irwin 17/4/25

[Podcast] Ep. 43: [Interview] with KELLY SHAEFER of Florida (US) Death-Metal Gods ATHEIST.

As host of this humble podcast/blog, I am incredibly humbled and awed beyond measure for this opportunity! See the link for an extensive, fun and thought-provoking interview with Kelly Shaefer of US death-metal godfathers Atheist, ahead of their upcoming first-ever Australian tour, care of YourMateBookings.com. You’ll also be able to access tickets, tour info, artist bio, additional album info, album/merch order links and more!

Brady Irwin 14/4/25 Brady Irwin 14/4/25

[Podcast] EP. 42: Interview with NAMELESS, a.k.a. DENNIS MIKULA of GHOST BATH.

Atmospheric black metal (aka blackgaze, post-black metal) has experienced rapid growth - to the point of oversaturation. One artist who retains a strongly unique musical aesthetic is, of course Nameless (aka Dennis Mikula) of US black metal unit Ghost Bath. See link for Youtube video interview, audio-only version, recent singles, artist/album preorder links, an extensive artist release statement and more!

Featured Image: via Ghost Bath’s official Facebook profile.

Brady Irwin 13/4/25 Brady Irwin 13/4/25

[Review] TRIA PRIMA - ‘Three Primes of Alchemy’ EP

The lost arts of alchemy foretold the ability to meld metal, matter, elements and more in a carefully-prepared concoction. We can say much the same of Ukraine’s Tria Prima, whose Three Primes of Alchemy EP is combed over by fellow ISC staffer and honestly-probably-a-wizard-IRL, Dean. Check out the review, with further artist/album links available as well! Slava Ukraini.

Brady Irwin 12/4/25 Brady Irwin 12/4/25

[Review] Drudkh - ‘Shadow Play’ LP.

Ukrainian atmospheric black metal veterans Drudkh offer their latest musical outing to the world, Shadow Play, released on March 21st via label Season of Mist. Check out ISC staffer Dean’s comprehensive review of this sojourn into their latest darkly aesthetic offering, as well as full-album and single streams, artist/label/album order links and more.

Brady Irwin 10/4/25 Brady Irwin 10/4/25

[Tabletop Thursday] Of Dice and Men, A.K.A. RNGEsus Saves.

Come, my nerdy flock. Gather thyselves around, for I hath news. News regarding some future content for Dicey News in the future but, most importantly, a theological sermon. A treatise, an educational devotion to the god of chance, of mathematics, of triumph and despair. I’m talking, of course, about RNGesus. Happy Tabletop Thursday from us nerds at ISC!

Brady Irwin 9/4/25 Brady Irwin 9/4/25

[Heavy News] Past, Present, Future - TRIA PRIMA (UA) & WARRIOR POPE (UK)!

Featured Image Credit: Warrior Pope - @Skywinophotography. Recently, we had a couple of musicians reach out to us directly via email, and we love that! Presenting Ukraine’s Tria Prima and January 2025 EP release Three Primes of Alchemy, an alchemical discourse in death metal/dungeon-synth & doom. Also featuring - Bristol (UK) based doom-metal outfit Warrior Pope, who are independently releasing 4th LP A Morbid Parody of Justice late May, 2025. Support independent artists!

Brady Irwin 8/4/25 Brady Irwin 8/4/25

[From The Legion] - Stats For Nerds/Why Music Groups Matter - And A Bunch of Musolegion Content!

It’s been a minute (several thousand, to be honest) since the last self-contained ISC update regarding sister-blog/music community Musolegion! To commemorate, as an admin of the group I dive into some analytics, discuss some research around the importance of online music communities and most importantly - provide you a bunch of links and updates from what’s cooking in our heavy/alternative music tribe!

Brady Irwin 8/4/25 Brady Irwin 8/4/25

[Archive Review] Brian Campeau - ‘Old Dog, New Tricks’ LP (19.07.18)

Reposted from the sadly now-defunct Overdrive Music Magazine, with permission from owner Sebastian Graham. Check out ISC staffer Hamza’s prior review from 2018 of an interesting fork from our usual - Australian folk/indie acoustic singer-songwriter Brian Campeau’s 2018 LP Old Dogs, New Tricks! Link also contains artist/label socials, as well as a little intro preamble from your host, Brady. More treasures from the vault to be posted across 2025! Thanks again to label Art as Catharsis.

Brady Irwin 7/4/25 Brady Irwin 7/4/25

[Heavy News] #MusicMonday New Release Roundup, 07.04.25.

Another week, another bunch of great releases you’ll no longer have to wait for! In this Music Mondays article, you’ll find a wide selection of musical treats, links, singles, album/merch order links and more for: Thornhill - Bodies, Messiah Paratroops - Legions of Tomorrow, Luna Kills - Deathmatch, Godless - Genesis of Decay EP and Chiaroscuro - Self-Titled. Everything from alt-rock, post-hardcore and old-school death metal, and then some. Eat up!

Brady Irwin 5/4/25 Brady Irwin 5/4/25

[Podcast] Ep. 41: [Interview] with ALEX TAYLOR, Vocalist of UK Metalcore Bruisers MALEVOLENCE.

Rounding out a trio of UK heavy-music interviews for the past week is Alex Taylor, enigmatic and passionate vocalist for UK's fast-rising metalcore bruisers Malevolence. We had a wide-reaching conversation, covering everything from the process of writing and recording for upcoming LP Where Only The Truth is Spoken (including recording in the infamous Studio 606, owned by Dave Grohl!) up to touring, the UK metal scene's recent string of successes, the upcoming Australian tour and much more!

Brady Irwin 4/4/25 Brady Irwin 4/4/25

[Podcast] Ep. 40: [Interview] with SCOTT KENNEDY, Vocalist of UK’s BLEED FROM WITHIN.

Episode 40 of the Inner-Strength Check Podcast is here! This week, host Brady interviews Scott Kennedy, vocalist of Glasgow’s fast-rising modern metal wrecking-crew Bleed From Within. With Zenith officially releasing as of the 4th April, we discuss the albums’ recording/songwriting process, plus BFW’s history, recent and upcoming tours and more! Check link for video version, audio-only version plus single music videos, artist and album order links and more!

Mal Keecher 3/4/25 Mal Keecher 3/4/25

[ALBUM REVIEW] THORNHILL - ‘BODIES’ LP.

If you missed Thornhill’s recent Bodies album preview shows and can’t wait to hear the LP, here is your chance to familiarise yourself with this first-class metalcore creation, the night before its official release.

Brady Irwin 2/4/25 Brady Irwin 2/4/25

[GIG REVIEW]: GHOSTSMOKER + Supports @ The Bendigo Hotel, 29.03.25.

Brutal Truth once titled an album titled Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme Responses. I couldn’t think of a more fitting analogue to Dean’s review! Leviathan Gigs Demand Leviathan Content, and this here review is stacked floor to ceiling with the finest detail regarding Ghostsmoker’s devastating headliner show on Sat 29th March @ The Bendigo Hotel, Melbourne. No expense has been spared for supports Bentham’s Head, Mammon’s Throne or AGLO, either! [Featured Image Credit: Rajesh Kotian aka Raj of Blackened Lights Photography].

Brady Irwin 31/3/25 Brady Irwin 31/3/25

[Review] INDUSTRIAL PUKE - ‘Alive To No Avail’ LP.

What a timely little slice of Swedish death metal/crust/hardcore from Industrial Puke, eh? Having recently covered Svenska crust/d-beat on the Musolegion blog, these mind-readers provide an up-to-date addition to the crust-canon with the relentless, fun LP in Alive To No Avail. Check the link for full album review, single/album stream links, artist/label details and more! Get your grime on.

Brady Irwin 28/3/25 Brady Irwin 28/3/25

[Podcast] Interview with DARREN ‘DAZ’ BROOKES of UK Death Metal Godfathers BENEDICTION.

What a venerable honour for this late end of a Friday evening. Tonight, I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to discuss upcoming LP Ravages of Empires (and so, so much more) with UK death metal godfathers Benediction’s guitarist and one of two founding members - Darren Brookes! A band that is hugely influential for much of the music we post here, as well as many bands I/we know and love. Great interview, plus the blog post also contains album order links, single music videos and more!

Brady Irwin 28/3/25 Brady Irwin 28/3/25

[Riffs] #BSAS2024: Brady’s 2024 AOTY List, Part 3.

Continuing on with a better-late-than-never endeavour to continue coverage of 2024’s Behind Screen and Speaker yearly wrap-up, your host Brady continues his exploration of favourite albums from the year just passed. Within you’ll find synopses/mini-reviews, artist/label links, full album streams and more for Gigan, Viscera Infest, Oranssi Pazuzu, Blood Incantation and Chat Pile!

Brady Irwin 27/3/25 Brady Irwin 27/3/25

[Tabletop Thursday, 27.03.25] A Nearly-Full-Monty (Python RPG) Column.

This week, I finally opened the packaging my Sensible Middle Class Edition of Monty Python’s Cocurricular Mediaeval Reenactment Programme came shipped in. In an act of divine providence akin to counting to five (three, sir!), Exalted Funeral have now brought the beautiful menagerie of TTRPG, coconut dice-roller, cow-flinging board game and more to all of you! Peek within to find more details, links and info on another upcoming campaign in The Job.

Brady Irwin 26/3/25 Brady Irwin 26/3/25

[Dicey News] The ‘Evolved Edition’ Kickstarter For ‘Alien: The Roleplaying Game’ Has Begun!

A HUGE day for Tabletop RPG’s - the long-awaited Evolved Edition Kickstarter for Alien: The Roleplaying Game has launched! Featuring new and modified rulesets, multiple core and supplemental boxes, physical minis, maps, a new solo mode and more. This is a jam-packed campaign, one of Free League Publishing’s biggest yet.

[Riffs] New Series - ‘Gallery Of Brewicide’ I: CONAN/PALLBEARER 12.03.25.

[Podcast] Ep. 43: [Interview] with KELLY SHAEFER of Florida (US) Death-Metal Gods ATHEIST.

[Podcast] EP. 42: Interview with NAMELESS, a.k.a. DENNIS MIKULA of GHOST BATH.

[Review] TRIA PRIMA - ‘Three Primes of Alchemy’ EP

[Review] Drudkh - ‘Shadow Play’ LP.

[Tabletop Thursday] Of Dice and Men, A.K.A. RNGEsus Saves.

[Heavy News] Past, Present, Future - TRIA PRIMA (UA) & WARRIOR POPE (UK)!

[From The Legion] - Stats For Nerds/Why Music Groups Matter - And A Bunch of Musolegion Content!

[Archive Review] Brian Campeau - ‘Old Dog, New Tricks’ LP (19.07.18)

[Heavy News] #MusicMonday New Release Roundup, 07.04.25.

[Podcast] Ep. 41: [Interview] with ALEX TAYLOR, Vocalist of UK Metalcore Bruisers MALEVOLENCE.

[Podcast] Ep. 40: [Interview] with SCOTT KENNEDY, Vocalist of UK’s BLEED FROM WITHIN.

[ALBUM REVIEW] THORNHILL - ‘BODIES’ LP.

[GIG REVIEW]: GHOSTSMOKER + Supports @ The Bendigo Hotel, 29.03.25.

[Review] INDUSTRIAL PUKE - ‘Alive To No Avail’ LP.

[Podcast] Interview with DARREN ‘DAZ’ BROOKES of UK Death Metal Godfathers BENEDICTION.

[Riffs] #BSAS2024: Brady’s 2024 AOTY List, Part 3.

[Tabletop Thursday, 27.03.25] A Nearly-Full-Monty (Python RPG) Column.

[Dicey News] The ‘Evolved Edition’ Kickstarter For ‘Alien: The Roleplaying Game’ Has Begun!

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