[Gig Review] POISON THE WELL (US) + Supports @ 170 Russell, Melbourne (AU), 11.06.26.
[Gig Review]: POISON THE WELL, HAYWIRE (US), IRON MIND & ENDS IN TRAGEDY (AUS) @ 170 Russell, Melbourne, AU, 11.06.26. Organised By: destroyalllines. Photography: @richie_black_photography
[Gig Review] EXHUMED (US), ASHEN & GUTLESS (AUS) @ Stay Gold, Melbourne 06.06.26.
[Gig Review] EXHUMED (US) with ASHEN & GUTLESS (AUS), Sat 6th June 2026 @ Stay Gold Melbourne. Photography: Chris Dynia (@chrisdyphotography), Organised by: Your Mate Bookings.
[Gig Review] ESCAPE THE FATE (US) W/ THE WORD ALIVE (US), THE GLOOM IN THE CORNER (AU) @ 170 RUSSELL MELBOURNE (AU).
[Gig Review]: Escape The Fate, The Word Alive and The Gloom in the Corner successfully satiate their audience at Melbourne’s 170 Russell for a Saturday night triple whammy of metal. Writer: Mal Keecher, Images: Ofir Gee (IG: ohfear.mp4)
[Gig Review]: DESCENDENTS ‘Run Down Under’ @ Forum Melbourne, 05.06.2026.
[Gig Review]: DESCENDENTS (US) with THE SHORTS & PINCH POINTS (AUS) @ Forum Melbourne, Fri 5th June 2026. Organised by SBM Presents and Maric Media - all photography care of Richie Black at @richie_black_photography.
[Gig Reviews] DESCENDENTS ‘Run Down Under’ @ Barwon Heads Hotel, 03.06.2026.
[ Gig Review ] THE DESCENDENTS (US) ‘Run Down Under’ Tour w/ PINCH POINTS (AU) & THE SHORTS (AU), at Barwon Heads Hotel, (AU) 03.03.2026. Organised by SBM Presents & Maric Media - thanks for making my last gig down here as a local a special one!
[Album Review]: AUGUST BURNS RED (US) - ‘Season of Surrender’.
[Album Review]: August Burns Red (US) - Season of Surrender, released 5th June 2026 via Fearless Records.
[Gig Review] THE BUZZ LOVERS NIRVANA TRIBUTE (Spain) W/ ALICE REMAINS (AU) @ 170 RUSSELL, MELBOURNE (AU), 27.5.26.
The Buzz Lovers lived up to the hype of being ‘The best Nirvana tribute in the known universe’, supported by local Alice in Chains tribute show Alice Remains.
[Gig Review]: FEAR FACTORY (US) ‘Cybernetic Domination’ @ Northcote Theatre, Melb (AU), 23.05.26.
[Gig Review]: FEAR FACTORY (US) ‘35 Years of Cybernetic Domination: Australian Tour’ with BODY PRISON (AU) @ Northcote Theatre, Melbourne, AU, 23.05.26. See within for review, gig photography & artist links.
[Gig Review]: ULCERATE (NZ) w/ THE AMENTA & MUNT (AU) @ MAX WATT’S MELBOURNE (AU).
[Gig Review]: ULCERATE (Auckland, NZ) ‘Absolved in Perdition: MMXXVI’ Australasian Tour, with THE AMENTA + MUNT (AU). Fri, 8th May 2026 @ Max Watt’s Melbourne (AU). Organised by Soundworks Touring and Direct Touring. Words: Sammy O’Flynn. Images: Jason Vidic (IG: @vidic_images). (WELCOME TO THE ISC TEAM, SAMMY!).
[Gig Review] OF MICE AND MEN (US) + CRYSTAL LAKE (JPN) W/ PATIENT SIXTY-SEVEN (AU) @ 170 Russell, Melbourne (AU), 08.05.26.
Of Mice and Men enthralled a dense audience at Melbourne’s 170 Russell, complemented by the craft of Japan’s Crystal Lake and Perth’s Patient Sixty-Seven.
[Gig Review, Part II]: Brutefest 2026 @ The Tote Hotel, Melbourne (AU), 25.04.
[Gig Review, Part II]: Brutefest 2026 @ The Tote Hotel, Collingwood, Melbourne (AU) 25.04. Part II features Desecrator, Destruktor and our Brutefest headliners, USA’s Warbringer! Total thrash mayhem. Images: Richie Black Photography.
[Gig Review] MEMPHIS MAY FIRE + BLESSTHEFALL w/ SIENNA SKIES @ NORTHCOTE THEATRE, 24.04.26.
Memphis May Fire fired on all cyclinders at Northcote Theatre, with fellow American metal icons Blessthefall and local supports Sienna Skies.
[Album Reviews]: A ‘Straya-Double - CIRCLE OF BLOOD & BATTLEGRAVE (AU).
[Album Review] ‘A Straya Double’: Circle of Blood (AU) - In Praise of Darkness & Battlegrave (AU) - Enslavement. Check the link for full-album reviews for both beastly Australian extreme-metal releases, artist/label links, album/single streams and more. Oi! Oi! Oi!
[Album Reviews]: CRYPTIC SHIFT (UK) & CONVERGE (US).
For Music Monday, 13th April, we have two [Album Reviews]: CRYPTIC SHIFT (UK) - Overspace & Supertime & CONVERGE (US) - Love Is Not Enough. See within for full-album reviews, official full-album streaming links, artist/label links and more.
[Album Review]: IMMOLATION (US) - ‘Descent’.
[Album Review]: Immolation (US) - Descent, releasing today, Fri 10th April 2026 via Nuclear Blast Records. See within for album review, artist links and additional media such as latest single ‘Attrition’. Another landmark instalment in death metals’ twisted canon, Descent is not one to be missed for extreme metal fiends!
[Gig Review] MALIGNANT AURA (AU) ‘Where All Of Worth Comes To Wither’ LP Launch @ Bendigo Hotel (Melb, AU), 04.04.26.
[Gig Review] MALIGNANT AURA (Brisbane, AU) Where All Comes To Wither LP Launch @ Bendigo Hotel (Melb, AU), 04.04.26. Featuring supports Gravepeeler, Thrall & Carcinoid (Melbourne, AU). See within for full gig review, album stream, artist links and more.
[Album Review]: GRAUFAR - ‘Via Necropolis’ LP.
[Album Review] Graufar (Austria) - Via Necropolis, released independently via the artist 20th March, 2026. Words by Dean Underhill. See within for a review of some ripping Austrian blackened death-metal, as well as single/album streaming links, artist links and more. Dean’s verdict: 8/10 Undead Strudels.
[Podcast] Ep. 70: [Interview] w/ FERDI HANDOJO of VANTA (AU) + ‘Perpetual Selection’ [Album Review].
A double-feature special for you all tonight! Presenting both the Inner-Strength Check Podcast’s 70th episode via our [Interview] with Ferdi Handojo, drummer of Perth-based melodic/tech-death outfit Vanta…. AND a bonus [Album Review] of their debut full-length LP Perpetual Selection! With thanks for both to Ferdi, Vanta and Glenn ‘Dysie’ Dyson of Cult Etiquette PR.
[Gig Review]: DETHFEST 2026 @ Corner Hotel, Melbourne (AU) 08/03/26.
[Gig Review] Dethfest 2026 @ Corner Hotel, Richmond (Melbourne, AU) 08.03.26, featuring: Voidfall, Hybrid Nightmares, Anoxia, Carcinoid, Abramelin, Disentomb, Golgothan Remains, and Allegaeon. See inside for full review, artist links and photos courtesy of Richie Black Photography! Big ups to Your Mate Bookings for organising a fun-filled death metal day.
[Gig Review]: BEHEMOTH with NIDHOGG @ Forum Melbourne (AU), 21.03.25.
[Gig Review] Behemoth Chant of The Eastern Lands: Australian Tour 2026 with Nidhogg @ Forum Melbourne, 21st Feb 2026.
See within for gig review, photography, artist links &more - photo gallery [Gallery of Brewicide] incoming, too!