Alive and Local #2: Growth, Wicked Smile, Speed, Hammers and more

By BRIAN GIFFIN

WELCOME to the Australia Day edition of Alive and Local. New releases, a new club opening and a passing in this week’s report. Read on for more.

GOOD news for local festival lovers. Brisbane’s Dead of Winter Festival will be back in 2026. Last held in 2019, the annual midyear event has already sold through half of the early bird tickets without a line-up even being released. Dead of Winter will return on June 27 at Brisbane’s Mansfield Tavern – head to their website for ticketing and updates.

IN further festival news, Sydney’s Steel Assassins weekender is already ticking off entrants for this year’s event. With the dust barely settled on the 2025 instalment, Vanishing Point, Asylum, Plague Dweller and Psychonaut have been announced for November 13 and 14 at the Bridge Hotel in Rozelle. Further info as it comes to hand.

It’s been over five years but Melbourne’s progressive extremists Growth have at last released new music. “Remember Me As Fire” is the first taste of the band’s forthcoming second album. Under the Under is the second part of their planned trilogy of releases exploring the pain of existence. Since forming in 2017, the original trio of Tristan and Nelson Barnes and Luke Frison have added Nick Rackham of Black Lava and Hadal Maw on bass and Ben Boyle from A Million Dead Birds Laughing on guitar to further their avant garde muse. Under the Under is out on Wild Thing Records on March 27. Pre-order now.

In some tragic and somewhat related news, Nelson Barnes’ former band The Schoenberg Automaton has announced the death of bass player Zimi Shabanay. A social media post from guitarist Shayne Johnson broke the news. “It’s with great sorrow to share that our brother, Gazim Shabanay, the almighty Zimi, has passed away. Today we were grateful to share a collective goodbye regardless of where we are in the world. Aside from being a monster bass player and an incredible composer, Zimi was a dear friend, and loving son and brother”. Zimi was bassist and a composer with TSA for seven years. Previously he was a founding member of Brisbane deathcore band Cross the Lips of Grace.

After winning $80,000 from the NSW Music Prize in November, Sydney’s hardcore worldbeaters Speed are deciding to “pay it forward” by launching a bi-monthly initiative highlighting local hardcore talent. Dynasty of Style will host six free all-ages showcases in Sydney this year, funded directly from the band’s winnings. The shows will begin in February, will the details released this week through the Speed socials.

Sydney has a new rock club with the opening of Dead Set in Darlinghurst this weekend. The basement venue will open its doors for the first time on January 30 to the sounds of punks Downgirl and Skulls. Second night of opening weekend is January 31 with seventies-rock stylists Liquid Zoo and Starcrazy. 

Following the exclusive Japanese release of their second album in November last year, Wicked Smile will see When Night Falls issued worldwide in February. The band is launching their new baby at the Northcote Social Club on March 7, then they’ll be hauling through the UK in June. Pre-order the album now.

Legendary Melbourne rockers Nick Barker and the Reptiles drop a soul-inflected new track on February 6. Streaming on all platforms, “Follow You Around” is a slow groove that Nick Barker suggests “feels like it may fall over at any minute!”. Pre-save it now.

Gold Coast bruisers Hammers have finally gotten around to completing an album and the result has just been unleashed onto the world. Death Wobbles was released on January 23 and the lads will be celebrating with a national tour in March and April that includes five shows supporting Cog. Get it now.

Melancholic progressive doom maestros The Eternal are back with a new EP. The Melbourne/Helsinki collective’s Celestial is now available on all formats including an exclusive vinyl version from their web store. Order here.

 

TOUR DATES

HAMMERS:
MARCH 6: La La La’s, Wollongong
MARCH 7: The Chippo, Sydney
MARCH 13: Mo’s Desert Clubhouse, Gold Coast
MARCH 14: Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane
MARCH 20: Volta, Ballarat
MARCH 21: The Evelyn Hotel, Melbourne
APRIL 17: Coffs Hotel, Coffs Harbour
APRIL 18: Blah, Lismore