So I've been looking for some good Australian underground metal recently, but I can't really find that much. I've looked at a few bands like Ruins, Darkrealm but I can barely find anything. Are there any releases that you'd classify as a 'gem' or any important records from the Australian underground?

There are many, many gems that can be found in the Australian circuit, it just depends on how hard you're looking for them.

Nazxul - Totem
This is the definitive Australian black metal album. All of the glories of the second wave of black metal can be found in here, including the predominant melodies of Emperor, and so geographically distant from Norway.

Sadistik Exekution - The Magus
Recorded in 1986, this would have been the one of the first death metal albums released if not for the five-year delay in its release. Even nowadays, it's some of the most frenzied, fastest, most aggressive death metal that's around. A must-listen for any self-proclaimed Australian metal fan.

Nocturnal Graves - Satan's Cross
Even though it's from recent times, I would call this a modern classic. Even though the blackened thrash found here is aggressive and 'full' sounding due to the excellent production, you can't help but say that the riffs are catchy as hell!

Mournful Congregation - The Monad of Creation
A must have for any doom metal fan. Crushing and slow funeral doom it may be, the intricate guitar melodies that play throughout the record evokes feelings of sadness but do it so that it's beautiful. No, I will never stop recommending this album.

Austere - To Lay Like Old Ashes
Only two years old, this album is acclaimed in the genre of depressive black metal for its use of simplistic riffs and clean production.

You should also look into Portal if you're into extremely weird, experimental death metal but I know that people will start arguing over them. But yeah, good luck getting into Australian metal, mate. There's certainly a lot that the country can provide but like I said before, only if you look hard enough.

Wow mate, thanks a lot for putting a bit of commentary as well, it's really appreciated

I'll try looking a bit harder into it I suppose as well. And yes, I have Portal, but they haven't quicked 'clicked' with me yet haha, I'm sure they will eventually!

You're shitting me aren't you

Apart from the what Atrocious mentioned there are multitudes of outstanding Aussie metal. Bands like Destruktor, Misery's Omen, Grave Upheaval, Impetuous Ritual, Ignivomous, Bestial Warlust (a little older but killer none the less), Slaughter Lord (again an older band), Denouncement Pyre, Assaulter, Grenade, fucking Trench Hell and so on are ALL fuckin' stellar.

Well yeah I'm a huge noob when it comes to these scenes but a lot of the stuff I've founnd online, I already knew about... What I was looking for was proper underground stuff but I guess I had no idea where to look really, so thanks for the namedropping

Look at the venues. Seriously, there is some pretty great stuff going on in Aussie metal right now.

agree with a lot of the bands mentioned above. but i have to add innsmouth

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvjqxrZM64A

old school death metal with a sick atmosphere. no technical wank going on here. def worth checking out

Yeah, forgot about those guys, great stuff - and they were stellar live too! Going to add Hellbringer to this growing list, really solid Thrash. Keep on digging OP, really digging. This site will also help you out a lot...

Yeah thanks a lot guys, my first thought when I gave up on Google was "Hey, the Metal Archives forum knows everything"...

Amen to that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well I suppose that given that I'm doing my best right now to be involved in getting the Adelaide scene up and running from the ruining of all this post-hardcore bullshit, now would be a good time to plut some Adelaide bands on here, mainly younger ones too, including my band.

Optical Delusion - This one is my band and basically we haven't shyed away from anything we've done everything from groovey riffs, to mellow instrumentals, to punk covers, to death metal, basically hoping to be the best and to every corner of the metal world. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Optical-Delusion/194787187209841

Exerthur - These guys kick ass, so fucking heavy, great groove and just face poundingly heavy once again http://www.facebook.com/Exerthur

Alkira - These guys have been around for a while now and play some pretty hard drinking thrash, throroughly fun and definitely enjoyable http://http://www.facebook.com/pages/ALKIRA/128622453818762

Sever Hill - Sever Hill has been probably the most successful so far due to having metalcore-ish vocals (metalcore was/is fucking huge in adelaide [annoying]), but their riffs are definitely rooted more in thrash and death metal http://www.facebook.com/pages/ALKIRA/128622453818762#!/severhill

anyway, those are the bands that my band play with a lot, there a lot of others though, Truth Corroded are cool and so are Double Dragon, and I would also REALLY suggest having a look at the bands "gorlapse" and "blood covered shovel" great and also a lot of fun death metal bands that are more about having a good time than taking it too seriously, think shaun of the dead,

anyways, thats my 2 cents in, I strongly advise checking them all out (definitely my band at least haha) and have fun bangin along to all of these bands tunes

i mentioned innsmouth prior, but ill add a couple of more:

Erebus Enthroned - really good black metal, debut album has just been released in the last week:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEh-gciYB7g

Spire - atmopsheric black metal, only just heard them for the first time the other day, quite good stuff
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4d4DnJrFtpQ

Abramelin - killer old school death metal, this is a must for death metal fans
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq4yBeO00oU

Infinitium - death metal, with more a technical touch. filled with great riffs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FalrsoVEvvQ

there is 2 new albums coming out that sound like they have the potential to become gems
beyond terror beyond grace's album nadir
and
erebus enthroned's album night black angel even if it is a horrible album name i heard its amazing(its kinda already out)

also ne obliviscaris's debut is highly anticipated while no one has heard any songs from that either its ment to be really good
also if you like anything sludgeish check out space bong, also Adrift for days is very good, amazing vocalist imo
even the most recent stuff by the red shore is decent tech death its very good imo just a bit too repetitive this is an example of their new stuff
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9en1plZNKI

and aeons of horus are good
EDIT: should have read the entire thread before suggesting erebus enthroned

oh and i have seen Spire live, they are up there with portal in terms of a show, they put on a hell of a show one of the best i have ever seen and i have seen about 100 bands live

Yes to this!

Adding to that: Innsmouth, Sacriphyx, Demons Gate, Doomed Beast, Hellbringer, Gospel of the Horns, Mongrels Cross. Heaps of good shit.

Amen to this too!!!!!!

I own this really obscure split CD called 'Bound in Blasphemy' with two Australian bands: Dark Dominion and Secratain. Now, the Secratain half is fairly worthless, but Dark Dominion offers a few very unique occult black metal songs with a good atmosphere and quite some acoustic influences.

The release is worth checking out, at least, although I can't even find one song on YouTube and I don't know whether the release is easy to obtain.

Mhorgl from Perth are excellent. They put on a killer live show and their new album ain't half bad. Black metal's not really my thing though.

Might as well namedrop Shrapnel. More of the same ace Aussie black/thrash. I swaer if you just clicked the links on the members pages for half these bands you'd be able to find fuckloads of them in pretty much no time.

I just started a thread about Midnight Odyssey. If you missed it, or were to pompous and ignorant to open it, listen to the band.

Majestic and atmospheric black metal, to the highest calibre.

Disembowelment, unbelievably amazing ambient doom/death

I can't believe no one has mentioned Destroyer 666 yet!! "Phoenix Rising" is a great album!

Cemetery Urn and Drowning the Light are good.

Clagg is pretty much all I can think of that hasn't been mentioned yet. Lord of the Deep is a very cool album.

Shiiit guys, thanks to all for posting here, I'll be sure to check out every single one of these bands and take up your recommendations once I have the time!

Ghastly, black metal.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L-NIwH4gao
Too bad they split up because this sounds really promising. I own their split with Flame which I can't get enough of.

And if you like Destroyer 666 I'd also recommend Razor of Occam

Let me recommend some local Brisbane bands for you.

Defamer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwaenKawFzQ

Misery:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNKUlnwBO4U

Impetuous Ritual:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfTKRZpNWe4

I would also recommend The Dead and Spire, but I can't find any youtube videos.

Seconding Impetuous Ritual; good call, Beast. Disgusting and cavernous death metal. It literally sounds like a soundtrack to a subterranean ritual den.

Yeah, I really dig Dark Dominion's input on that too. Too bad that's all they ever did though.

Here's an Australian metal doco for you too that you might find interesting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PjqqiKNAho

I'm a little surprised no one has mentioned Psycroptic from Tasmania. For new-school tech death, they are pretty damn good.

Oh yeah, and Hobbs' Angel of Death, probably the first Aussie band I ever listened to.

Nice. Forgot about these guys, great Death Metal.

Some other recommendations that I remembered:

Psychrist. Crushing Death metal from Canberra, now split-up.

Gospel Of The Horns. Seriously awesome Black/Thrash. Neck-snappin' goodness...

Cruciform. Loooong dead Death band from the early nineties, but still pretty awesome.

Kill For Satan. Another great band from Psychrist's former founder/guitarist.

Last but by no means least is the legendary Armoured Angel, who are also now sadly defunct. The ep this track is from slays....

the last post just reminded me of the amenta, very good band, seen them live twice with 2 different singers

Yep. It's a masterwork. Creeped me out using headphones one night.

I am terribly distressed at the lack of Cauldron Black Ram thus far.


Australia is mostly known for its black/death/thrash mixups but there's a fair amount of good doom out there, mostly in the sludge/stoner side. Prisonbitch, Space Bong, the aforementioned Clagg, Agonhymn, Adrift For Days, Hydromedusa, Pod People and such. Iron Worzel might join that list if they ever get off their arses and record shit.

The grind scene is also fairly strong if somewhat centered in Melbourne. Captain Cleanoff, Beyond Terror Beyond Grace, Die Pigeon Die, A Million Dead Birds Laughing, Death Cult Jock etc.


@plasticpope: If you want to try and reclaim Adelaide from the metalcore/post-hardcore stuff, it might not be such a good idea to associate yourself with Truth Corroded/Double Dragon. Truth Inc is responsible for a lot of the bullshit that goes on in the Adelaide scene. Nice enough blokes but they tend to monopolise support slots and stack shows with their -core signings.

There's some really good rec's here already (Doomed Beast. Trench Hell!) But how is it no one's mentioned Vomitor yet?!

Vomitor!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGs5IbQHrbU

Fucking DEATH with fuck off SOUND...

really love Adrift for days, A million dead birds laughing, beyond terror beyond grace(their 2nd album is good but their third album is looking amazing from the album preview, i am a bit obsessed with that atm), like Captain Cleanoff too, there are so many good australian bands out there

also speaking of beyond terror beyond grace i dont think dining in tuscany(their old singers new band) is very good too

also i like truth corroded, their new album is pretty good i heard they do get way too many support slots though

EDIT: holy shit no one mentioned stargazer, their most recent album is amazing, pretty soft compared to the rest of the stuff but it is extremely relaxing and well made

i also forgot about alchemist

I'm surprised that no-one's mentioned Mortal Sin. OK, they were signed to a major label for a while back in the 80s when every major label wanted a thrash band of their own, but I can imagine that they were a major influence for loads of other aussie bands.

I skimmed through this but didn't see Urgrund mentioned. Great band!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQitgGSirO8


Cemetery Urn is amazing! As is Vomitor.

Both albums are classic. Highly original too.

Finally someone mentioned the legendary Armoured Angel!

Mortification. They were on nuclear blast at some point in the early 90's and I only heard their debut, but it's awesome oldschool style death/thrash if that is your thing.