[Gallery] of Brewicide VI: THE HIVES @ The Forum, Melb (AU), 20.07.25.
Gallery of Brewicide, Gig Reviews, Music Brady Irwin Gallery of Brewicide, Gig Reviews, Music Brady Irwin

[Gallery] of Brewicide VI: THE HIVES @ The Forum, Melb (AU), 20.07.25.

Now that’s a spicy Svenska meatball! Peep the link for our 6th iteration of the Gallery of Brewicide photography series. Massive thanks to photographer Kaza Black (IG: @kaza.black_photography), staff at Forum Melbourne & Frontier Touring and today’s stars The Hives! Links included for further visual and auditory enjoyment, too.

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[Gig Review] TESTAMENT w/ HIDDEN INTENT @ Northcote Theatre, Melb (AU), 21.06.25.
Gig Reviews, Reviews, Music, Music Mondays Brady Irwin Gig Reviews, Reviews, Music, Music Mondays Brady Irwin

[Gig Review] TESTAMENT w/ HIDDEN INTENT @ Northcote Theatre, Melb (AU), 21.06.25.

Eleven long, thrash-gig-filled years of our lives. And yet, Testament nonchalantly pop in from across the pond and, alongside local thrash-units Hidden Intent, completely lay waste to everyone since @ Northcote Theatre, Melbourne (AU) on Saturday, 21st June. Care of The Phoenix.au, Metropolis Touring NT staff, touring crew, and Richie Black Photography. Cheers.

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[Gig Review] CHURCH OF CROW - DOOM FESTIVAL III @ Chiesa Di San Giuseppe (IT), 02.05.25 (Part II).
Gig Reviews, Music, Reviews Brady Irwin Gig Reviews, Music, Reviews Brady Irwin

[Gig Review] CHURCH OF CROW - DOOM FESTIVAL III @ Chiesa Di San Giuseppe (IT), 02.05.25 (Part II).

Featured Image: Dean. Well, we’re back on the second day of posting our doom-aficionado’s apex Italia journey into metal’s logical conclusion - a two-day festival in a regional Italian church! Featuring: Gli Alberi, Nero Kane, Dead Chasm, In Autumn, The Rite, Hands of Orlac, Epitaph & Abysmal Dawn. To quote the guy hung upside down for a long time in Life of Brian: “You lucky, lucky bastard!”.

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[GIG REVIEW] CHURCH OF CROW - DOOM FESTIVAL III @ Chiesa Di San Giuseppe (IT), 02.05.25 (Part I).
Music, Gig Reviews, Reviews Brady Irwin Music, Gig Reviews, Reviews Brady Irwin

[GIG REVIEW] CHURCH OF CROW - DOOM FESTIVAL III @ Chiesa Di San Giuseppe (IT), 02.05.25 (Part I).

(Featured Image credit: Ombeline Cannele). Man’s gone and done it again, tut-tut! ‘Least esteemed dooms-man Dean left it ‘til after his holiday to get this onto the desk. But, speaking of holidays, our bearded adventurer has wandered into a small church in Italy on his travels, where he experienced multiple days of doom-metal glory in an iconic, intimate setting. Yep, here’s Part 1 of his Church of the Crow Doom Metal Festival III coverage - we’ll have Part II out tomorrow!

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[Gallery] of Brewicide V: ATHEIST + Supports @ Leadbeater Hotel, Melb (AU) 08.06.2025.
Gallery of Brewicide, Music, Gig Reviews Brady Irwin Gallery of Brewicide, Music, Gig Reviews Brady Irwin

[Gallery] of Brewicide V: ATHEIST + Supports @ Leadbeater Hotel, Melb (AU) 08.06.2025.

As if one gig review stacked with enough quality snaps from Atheist’s performance on Sun 8th June was enough. Nor some great shots of supports Anoxia, Vexation and Alarum. Hell no, man. Not when we’ve got talented band/crowd-snapper Jason Vidic of Vidic Images on the case! See within for additional crisp snaps from a truly chaotic, mind-bending evening. Plus artist links and more!

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[Gig Review] ATHEIST + Supports, Leadbeater Hotel (Melb, AU), 08.06.25.
Gig Reviews, Reviews, Music Brady Irwin Gig Reviews, Reviews, Music Brady Irwin

[Gig Review] ATHEIST + Supports, Leadbeater Hotel (Melb, AU), 08.06.25.

How many words/which words can be used to describe a night of musical perfection? A night 35+ years in the making, featuring one of the most important and influential bands in extreme metal via Atheist? Supported by Australian death-metal legends Alarum, Vexation and Anoxia?! No idea, but for the best-guess attempt & some stellar images by Jason Vidic (of Vidic Images), check out our gig review.

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[Gig Review] ALPHA WOLF (AUS) /MALEVOLENCE (UK), The Wool Exchange (Geelong, AU) 29.05.2025.
Gig Reviews, Music Brady Irwin Gig Reviews, Music Brady Irwin

[Gig Review] ALPHA WOLF (AUS) /MALEVOLENCE (UK), The Wool Exchange (Geelong, AU) 29.05.2025.

I was NOT expecting many, many things when I took on a regional show from destroyalllines to write up Alpha Wolf’s blitzkrieg-tour of Australia alongside beloved UK ‘core-titans Malevolence. Supported by no less than two knockouts in Zuko and Melting. A gig so fun, frenetic, manic, loveable and earnest that I went pretty damn hard in that direction, too.

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[Podcast] [Interview] with CHRIS & DAIF of STALKER (NZ) + Brutefest 2025 Photo Gallery!

[Podcast] [Interview] with CHRIS & DAIF of STALKER (NZ) + Brutefest 2025 Photo Gallery!

DUDE. This post right here is absolutely STACKED! I was fortunate enough to finally wrangle an interview with legends Daif and Chris from New Zealand legendary speed-metal maniacs, Stalker! Check the link not only for the full video/audio-only interview (a very, very fun and heartfelt chat from these Kiwi legends) but also a whole bunch of additional Brutefest 2025 photo/footage alongside those posted for our recent review of said gig.

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[Gig Review] RAGNAROK FESTIVAL (20th Anniversary), Lichtenfels (GER), 24.04 -26.04.2025.
Gig Reviews, Music, Music Mondays Brady Irwin Gig Reviews, Music, Music Mondays Brady Irwin

[Gig Review] RAGNAROK FESTIVAL (20th Anniversary), Lichtenfels (GER), 24.04 -26.04.2025.

Fellow ISC staffer and metal-maniac, Dean Underhill, was asked to enjoy some respite on his sojourn to Europe from Australia. Turns out, Dean’s interpretation of respite is sending in a gargantuan recollection of his experiences at Ragnarok Festival 2025, i.e. the 20th anniversary of this glorious and esteemed Euro-fest! Review includes, damn, nearly the entire lineup - artist links and live footage also included!

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[Review] BRUTEFEST 2025 @ The Tote Hotel, Melbourne (AU), 17.05.
Gig Reviews, Reviews, Music Brady Irwin Gig Reviews, Reviews, Music Brady Irwin

[Review] BRUTEFEST 2025 @ The Tote Hotel, Melbourne (AU), 17.05.

Brutal Truth have an album titled Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme Responses, yeah? Well, extremely-stacked extreme-metal lineups demand extreme reviews!

Check here for our written/photographic coverage of Brutefest 2025 at The Tote in Collingwood, Melbourne (AU) 17.05, feat: Burnout, Mortuary Sickness, Black Jesus, Sufferance, Resistance, Vexation, Choof, Pizza Death and co-headliners Abigail (JP) & Stalker (NZ)!

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[GIG REVIEW] From The Archive: DIRECT UNDERGROUND FEST, Max Watt’s Melb (AU) 07.09.2019.
Gig Reviews, Reviews, Music Mondays, Music Brady Irwin Gig Reviews, Reviews, Music Mondays, Music Brady Irwin

[GIG REVIEW] From The Archive: DIRECT UNDERGROUND FEST, Max Watt’s Melb (AU) 07.09.2019.

First of several Music Mondays articles for this week is a prior review exhumed from the Overdrive Music Magazine archive (many thanks to Seb Graham for consent to do so)! It also appeared on our own now-defunct website, but it’s back again! Necromancy! Speaking of, check out Brady’s review of Direct Underground Fest 2019 - feat. Dark Funeral, Immolation, Reaper, Abramelin and Christ Dismembered. Blastbeats are eternal.

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[GALLERY] Of Brewicide II: Metal United Down Under @ The Bendigo Hotel (MELB, AU) 26.04.25.
Music, Gig Reviews, Riffs Brady Irwin Music, Gig Reviews, Riffs Brady Irwin

[GALLERY] Of Brewicide II: Metal United Down Under @ The Bendigo Hotel (MELB, AU) 26.04.25.

Need a distraction from election shenanigans tonight? Avert your eyes from there for a moment and enjoy the second addition to our Gallery of Brewicide gig-photography/footage series on the blog! This time, we’re joined again by Richie Black Photography. Enjoy the quality shots from Metal United Down Under at The Bendigo Hotel, Melbourne, 26th April , as well as artist links for the bands - Alarum, Vexation, Monoliyth Kuntsquad and Kniver!

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[Gig Review] NERVOSA & Supports @ Northcote Social Club, Melbourne, 19.04.2025.
Music, Gig Reviews, Reviews Brady Irwin Music, Gig Reviews, Reviews Brady Irwin

[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.

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[GIG REVIEW]: GHOSTSMOKER + Supports @ The Bendigo Hotel, 29.03.25.
Music, Gig Reviews, Reviews Brady Irwin Music, Gig Reviews, Reviews Brady Irwin

[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].

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[Gig Review] PALLBEARER Feat: CONAN/MAMMON’s THRONE/ GHOSTSMOKER @ Max Watt’s Melbourne, 12.03.25.
Gig Reviews, Reviews, Music Brady Irwin Gig Reviews, Reviews, Music Brady Irwin

[Gig Review] PALLBEARER Feat: CONAN/MAMMON’s THRONE/ GHOSTSMOKER @ Max Watt’s Melbourne, 12.03.25.

What an Earth-shattering night. A true spectacle of the full aural gamut available via the trade of doom mercantile trade, Brady and photographer Richie Black were lucky enough to witness a cosmic, tectonic performance at Max Watt’s, Melbourne (AU) on Wed, 12th March. Check the link for stellar photography, reviews of the full performance by Ghostsmoker, Mammon’s Throne, Conan and Pallbearer, as well as all related artist links, tour info and more!

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[Podcast] Froth and Fury 2024 Review: All-In-One/Omnibus Edition!
Podcast, Music, Reviews, Gig Reviews Brady Irwin Podcast, Music, Reviews, Gig Reviews Brady Irwin

[Podcast] Froth and Fury 2024 Review: All-In-One/Omnibus Edition!

Get on board the Froth and Fury Omnibus, because we’ve finally resurrected this handy all-in-one multi-post collection of our extensive gig coverage/info/interviews and more for the blast that was last years’ festival - all in one convenient, accessible link! From here you’ll be able to access primers/info, our interviews with Lumen Ad Mortem and Sundowner, as well as mine and Mal’s MASSIVE two-part blog/podcast episode coverage of the whole festival!

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[GIG REVIEW] SYLOSIS + ANGELMAKER @ MAX WATTS, MELBOURNE 14.02.25
Gig Reviews, Music Mal Keecher Gig Reviews, Music Mal Keecher

[GIG REVIEW] SYLOSIS + ANGELMAKER @ MAX WATTS, MELBOURNE 14.02.25

Returning for some outright decimation of Australia’s capitals for the first time since 2013, progressive modern thrash metal titans Sylosis demonstrated to Melbourne’s eager audiences that not one iota of energy or musical talent has atrophied since. On Valentine’s Day, to boot! Check the link for gig review written by Mal, as well as recants of Angelmaker’s crushing set, plus stellar, crisp pics courtesy of Jason Vidic (Vidic Images)!

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[Gig Review] ENFORCER @ The Leadbeater Hotel, Melbourne 25.01.25.
Gig Reviews, Music Brady Irwin Gig Reviews, Music Brady Irwin

[Gig Review] ENFORCER @ The Leadbeater Hotel, Melbourne 25.01.25.

What an honour! Our first local review as an official outlet in Melbourne, and it could’ve been a better pick to kick things off in that respect. Sweden’s Enforcer blazed The Leadbeater Hotel in Richmond last night with a level of NWOBHM/trad/speed-metal and classic rock bombast that was transcendent, skilled and heartfelt! Read on for full the review, including sets by support acts Burnout, Aardvark and Livewire, gig footage, pics and more!

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