METALISE Where does the year go? Metal Fiesta is nearly upon us and the huge bill of all Aussie metal is headed by a band I remember meeting as far fresher-faced young men than the bearded metal warriors covering the advertising for this show. Frankenbok had recorded Greetings and Salutations and a ‘more metal Mr Bungle’ was a fairly overused analogy for their sound back then when Five Star Prison Cell vocalist Adam Glynn was on the microphone, with a highly Mike Patton-esque delivery. Over a decade and two vocalists later (and the addition of Yeti replacing Scott and former singer/guitarist Adam on second guitar) and the band has evolved into an even more formidable live beast. Their new album The End of All You Know is available to pre-order on the band’s website (frankebok.com) and for 30 bucks you get the CD, a shirt, a stubby holder and a sticker. The Metal Fiesta show which serves as the Bok’s album launch is on at The Basement in Belconnen on Saturday November 19 and also includes House of Thumbs, Witchgrinder, Hatchet Dawn, Darker Half, Nobody Knew They Were Robots, Strict Vincent, Neanderthug and The Devilzwork. Monday November 21 at The Maram out in Erindale features the Romanian band Negura Bunget who are in Australia to headline the Sonic Forge Festival in Melbourne on Saturday November 26. A blend of their Romanian musical history and an atmospheric black metal assault, it is well worth a trip out to the south side to see them ply their trade. If Sonic Forge is more your taste, there is a HUGE 30 Aussie band bill at The Esplanade in St Kilda to complement the Romanian’s visit to Australia. Included are Dreadnaught, Eye of the Enemy, Chaos Divine, Million Dead Birds Laughing, Aeon of Horus, The Schoenberg Automaton, In Malice’s Wake, Eyefear, Circles, Ouroboros, Okera, Orpheus, Elysian, Synthetic Breed, Lynchmada, Arbrynth, Black Orchid, The Automata, Hemina, Naberus, Untruth, King Parrot, Whoretopsy, Odiusembowel, Phil Para & Band and more to be announced. Tickets are 20 bucks plus booking fee through Oztix. I know I’ve mentioned it a LOT, but god damn, Looking Glass III is the bomb. Get on that record. Claim The Throne, Perth’s most pirate metal band ever have a new webstore to buy such 666mas essentials as CTT g-strings for the little lady. Check claimthethrone.bigcartel.com for all the stocking fillers. Arrrrrr! This fortnight also sees Children of Bodom hit The Big Top in Sydney on Saturday November 12 with in-store signings featuring Alexi Laiho, Roope Latvala and Hennka Blacksmith at Icon Music in West Ryde on Friday November 11 at 5.30pm. Unkle Kronoz Band of the Week: Brainoil – Eyehategod-esque sludge of the highest (or perhaps lowest) order have a new LP on the 20 Buck Spin label. listen.20buckspin.com/album/death-of-thisdry-season . JOSH NIXON doomtildeath@hotmail.com
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GETAWAY GET BACK TOGETHER JESSICA CONWAY “The break up wasn’t nasty, we just weren’t talking anymore,” THE GETAWAY PLAN’s frontman Matthew Wright recounts, proving silence isn’t always golden. The Melburnian alternative rock band experienced a meteoric rise to fame fresh out of school, with their debut single Where the City Meets The Sea climbing to #6 on the ARIA Aussie Singles Chart. “The touring schedule was too much for us, we were too young. We were afraid of burning out, so we decided to pull the pin,” Matt explains. After a couple of years apart and experimenting with other bands, The Getaway Plan officially reformed last year. “We realised we were ready to take this on again, and do it right.” Matt’s re-entered the realm of back to back interviews, as The Getaway Plan enjoys a warm welcome back from fans and critics alike.
Living with the guys was incredible; it helped us rekindle a friendship that we lost when we broke up
Before my inner alternative-pop-rock fan gets my hopes up for a lasting reunion offering more alternative anthems and future melodic vocal rollercoasters, I had to know why Matt figured they’d stick this time. “We’ve all matured so much,” he says. “We’ve readied ourselves for the lifestyle that we weren’t ready for before. The dynamics are so much better between us as a group. We’ve realised how lucky we were to have what we had. “It was tiring and it’s really hard out there… I had to start looking after my own equipment. We didn’t have guitar techs or tour managers like we usually do with Getaway,” Matt says of his post break up reality check. The band headed to Toronto to knuckle down and create the new album, Requiem, 12 hours a day, six days a week for three months, all the while living together. “Living with the guys was incredible; it helped us rekindle a friendship that we lost when we broke up,” Matt recounts. “People would think we’d get sick of each other,” he laughs, “but we couldn’t get enough, hey!” The album is “a lot more real than our last record” says Matt. “Instead of searching for the best takes, we were searching for the most interesting and looking for energy and performance, rather than perfection,” he explains. Their latest film clip for The Reckoning is intense. Inspired by a movie scene, it depicts the murder of a child by his peers. “We never set out for it to be offensive,” Matt says of recent publicity. “We were more just like ‘let’s just do what we fucking want and if something turns wild then let’s just let it slide this time around’.” While The Getaway Plan have stuck to their successful formula of old, they have added depth by using a number of orchestral elements, with strings and wind instruments layering the tracks. Two choirs feature, adding to the emotion and effect of The Getaway Plan’s thematic, and often dramatic, songs. Their revamped, fleshed out sound is both expansive and captivating. Catch The Getaway Plan, supported by Break Even and Gatherer, live at the University of Canberra Refectory on Sunday November 27. Tickets are $37 + bf via Ticketek.