[Gallery] of Brewicide XXV, Part II: BRUTEFEST 2026 @ Tote Hotel, Melbourne, AU, 25.04.
Stay tuned for the full [Gig Review] - Coming Soon!
Event: Brutefest 2026
Artist/s:
Warbringer (US - Headliners), Destruktor, Anoxia, Ratlord, Circle of Blood, Munitions, Monoliyth, Desecrator, Harlott, MUNT, Virulent Invocation (AU)
Organiser:
Your Mate Bookings/ Brutefest
Location:
The Tote Hotel, Collingwood, Melbourne (AU)
Date:
Saturday, 25th April 2026
Author Pit-Injuries:
Nearly septic, but thankfully not quite…
Photography:
Richie Black Photography
Footage:
Brady Irwin (via ISC on Youtube)
John Kevill demands you MF’s appreciate Richie’s stellar photography - here’s me jumping into the article. Gig Review out shortly!
Get MUNTed on, ya clown!
MUNT Footage #1
(via the Inner-Strength Check Youtube Channel):
Old Mate Tim Richmond’s got a stare on him onstage like you just shanked his wife - don’t get too close, kids.
Yo, Spud Robertson! Rate the shit out of the riffing and repping Descent - awesome band, go check em out!
The Mountain From Game Of Thrones Ron Dixon charging the stage and slamming down that grind-bassist fury!
He gurns, he meddles, he plays around with pedals - it’s guitarist Sol Lakowski y’all!
The blastbeaten Ringwraith of the band, Jared Roberts bringing his veteran arcana to demolish those skins.
MUNT Footage #2
(via the Inner-Strength Check Youtube Channel):
HARLOTT (melbourne, AU):
Nothing like sipping on some of that thrash lean, eh fellas?
Winners are grinners, esp. when you’re riffing like Hair-n-Shred-Man Leigh Bartley.
All this thrash double-timin’. Eh Andrew Hudson? Onya!
Anyone checked in on Tom Richards’ bass? Is it okay? Slap twice if you can hear me!
Last but not least, it’s the thrash-drummin’ beast - Glen Trayhern slaying those skins!
circle of blood (Melbourne, AU):
(See Here for our Album Review of Circle of Blood’s 2026 debut album In Praise of Darkness - also featuring a review of Battlegrave’s recent LP, Enslavement. Both HUGELY recommended by Yours Truly! Cheers.)
Yeah go on, pretend you’re not shitting bricks with screamin’ demon Dave McCarthy in front of ya.
‘Guys? Beer me? Anyone? Getting sweaty over here… anyone?! Argh fuck ya’s then’*
*not an actual frontman quote, for embellishment and legal purposes. ;)
Happiest death metal drummer in the whole goddamn scene! Peter Colaiaco is a happy blaster, even in the front-bar curtains.
Chris Green throwing all he’s got into that cramped stage with the rest, claustrophobia and tree-trunk instrument be damned.
Yo! Reece Hickey out here representing Floating, hella underrated, whilst he floats about a sea of endless headbang and tremolo.
Circle of Blood:
DESECRATOR (MELBOURNE, AU):
Desecrator Footage
(Too busy getting my arse handed to me for more! via our the Inner-Strength Check Youtube Channel):
The thrash faithful gather in their swarmed masses around Mr Gonzo Pit Journalism, Richie Black.
The world skullet-est frontman, screamin’ and croonin’, it’s frontmantarist Riley Strong of course!
Thrash has got to be the most fun subgenre to play as a metal bassist - Gerad Biesboer knows it!
Jared Roberts pulling extra Brutefest drummer duties, for more of Melbourne’s finest. What an absolute machine!
Riff-machine #2 Andrew Hudson, bringing up the shred-and-rhythm-rear alongside our frontman over here.
Spiffin’ good riffin’ chaps, warmed ‘em up right up you did!
desecrator - links:
destruktor (Melbourne, AU):
Jesus don’t want ‘em for sunbeams, but do Destruktor honestly care? Not under the sign of the Black Goat.
Destruktor - Footage #1
(via the Inner-Strength Check Youtube Channel):
About as compromising as a brick wall to the face, it’s the riff-and-growl purveyor himself - Glenn Destruktor.
Destruktor - Footage #2
(via the Inner-Strength Check Youtube Channel):
Chris McEwin’s no saint either - an endless unholy procession of deliciously-clack-toned black/death rumble.
Destruktor - Footage #3
(via the Inner-Strength Check Youtube Channel):
Jahred, my man - you’re a fuckin’ maniac. Some the most furious blasting of the whole night!
WARBRINGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!
(Shameless plug for Episode 73 of Inner-Strength Check Podcast, aka our interview with John Kevill (Vocals) ahead of the Asian-Australian tour.
It’s a longer and more in-depth chat with a lot of different topical routes. Thanks once again to John for catching the night before flying out of the US for a special, fanboying-as-hell chat with us.)
Warbringer (Los Angeles, USA):
Thrash is love, thrash is life!
Warbringer - Footage #1
(via the Inner-Strength Check Youtube Channel):
Man, myth, crowd-surf-agitator, crowd-surfer, sword-wielder. It’s your boi John Kevill!
Epitomising my previous statement about thrash-metal bass and fun times - Mario Salcedo (Fueled By Fire, Skeletal Remains)’s all over that fretboard.
Warbringer - Footage #2
(via the Inner-Strength Check Youtube Channel):
The relentlessly shred-tastic and technical modern-thrash stylings of Adam Carroll and Luke Man (Leatherwolf, Exmortus)!
Note: I’ve filmed almost the whole Warbringer set, however Youtube’s boned us with DMCA strikes. If you want to check out the rest of the footage, head on over to our social media (links bottom of article/top right of website header).
Cheers!
Blake Anderson (Heathen, Vektor) fitting the drumming role on this tour absolutely hand-in-glove, or indeed hand-around-sticks.
Bunch of pit action! Don’t know who this dickhead in the Cavalera shirt and backwards cap is. Rumour is he’s some writer for a blog who thinks he’s cool. Don’t worry, he got his! Slashed my arse-cheek, cut a chunk out of my toe, lost my phone twice.
Very, very sure I wasn’t anywhere near the sorest after that absolutely intense set, either. Never seen the Tote floor so covered in broken glass. Goddamn. Wild.
Props to everyone for bringing Warbringer absolutely incredible energy!
I’ve unfortunately run out of time to get you the full Gig Review tonight - but stick around, follow us on socials, duck back in on the website tomorrow as I have been spending an entire week writing a monster of a review.
More photography to come on our socials and the review taken by myself and Richie Black.
See those of you going to Rotten Sound in Melbourne tonight there - cheers to pit-legend Paul (featured in many of these photos) for hooking us up!
As Always,
Peace, Love and Grindcore - Brady/Richie.
your mate bookings:
richie black photography:
inner-strength check - links:
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Peace, Love and Grindcore - Brady & The ISC Team.