EYE OF THE ENEMY
Volume II
Melbourne metallers Eye of the Enemy will release their brand new album, Titan, on Friday, October 11 via Art Is War Records.

Titan’s songs are connected by the thematic elements of deception, hubris and self-inflicted loss, a mixture of musically relentless aggression and serene sombreness. Eye of the Enemy have produced their strongest and most varied record to date, combining melodic hooks and atmosphere with a gut-wrenching vocal performance to be reckoned with.

The band have been raising hell within the metal scene since 2006 with the release of their demo and subsequent self-titled E.P in 2008. Two years later, they released their first full length album, Weight of Redemption.

In 2014 they made their mark with their long-awaited second album, The Vengeance Paradox. The album’s masterful blending of devastatingly heavy and soaring melodic elements solidified their sound and established them as one of the most exciting metal acts today. The Vengeance Paradox was included in Album Of The Year lists by a number of media outlets.

Eye of the Enemy have been incredibly active of the Australian heavy music circuit, playing several notable shows and national tours with international bands including: Amon Amarth (two national tours), Fleshgod Apocalypse, Fear Factory, At The Gates, Children Of Bodom, Cradle Of Filth, Despised Icon, Malevolent Creation and the Screamfest Metal Festival (Edguy, Ensiferum, Cynic, Dark Funeral, Deströyer 666 and several more).

The Australian local metal scene has seen plenty of Eye of the Enemy action with the band having played Sonic Forge Festival, New Dead Festival, Brewtality Festival and many more.

Eye of the Enemy’s hugely successful 2015 Asian tour saw the band hit eight cities in five different countries, supporting Fleshgod Apocalypse in Hong Kong, Taipei, Osaka and Tokyo, playing alongside fellow Aussies Psycroptic and Ne Obliviscaris in Japan and then travelling to Busan, Seoul, Guangzhou and Wuhan for their own headline shows.

Eye of the Enemy are planning to return to the road in 2020.

ILLYRIA
Volume II
Perth’s post-black metal quintet Illyria made waves earlier in the year with their sophomore release The Carpathian Summit and are back with a totally instrumental edition that highlights the serious musicianship emanating from this band.

At the forefront of the instrumental edition of The Carpathian Summit is The Second Day Of Spring, recorded, mixed and mastered by Illyria bassist Daniel Hacking, which demonstrates a whole plethora of interesting sounds including natures own soundtrack, intricate and fragile guitar melodies, dark interludes, triumphant breakthroughs and an all round satisfying listen from start to finish.

The Second Day of Spring is the sixth track on the album and is an experimental free-flowing jam that transitions between multiple styles, including mid-west emo, folk metal and post-rock. The song’s texture polarises with extreme dynamics featuring a traditional post-rock crescendo climax. Thematically, The Second Day of Spring is a prime showcase of the nature elements found throughout the artistic direction of the album. Vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Ilija Stajić explains the thought process behind the instrumental rendition: “As the old saying goes, ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’, and we felt that this can also be translated in music. The instrumental versions intention was to allow our listeners to make up their own story rather than feel limited to my lyrics.”

In March Kenopsia and Wilderness lead the way for the upcoming album, showcasing Illyria’s chaotic cacophony of crafted sounds. Kenopsia tapped into a post-black metal niche that appealed to a wide audience. Wilderness experimented with a post-punk vibe that was a refreshing hit within the black metal community. Shortly after release, the single made its way on to two Spotify editorial playlists, Black & Dark Metal and New Metal Tracks. The band also filmed their music video for it in Norway showcasing breathtaking nature shots and acting from local talent.

Illyria is Ilija Stajić on vocals and guitar, George Blacklock and James Warren on guitar, Daniel Hacking on bass and Matt Unkovich on drums. Inspired by fellow contemporaries Alcest, Deafheaven, Lantlôs and Les Discrets, Illyria’s goal is to captivate with the gracious melodies and pulsating rhythms of their hybrid genre whilst promoting the accessibility of post-black metal to new listeners around the world. The band have already shared the stage with musical acts such as Polaris, Circles, Ne Obliviscaris, Plini, Alcest, Caligula’s Horse, Lindsay Schoolcraft and Make Them Suffer with the vision of expanding their horizons.

Illyria’s instrumental version of The Carpathian Summit will be released on Friday October 18 and can be pre-ordered now.

ONE MORE WEEKEND
Volume II
Melbourne rockers One More Weekend’s debut album We Used To… is put simply, a roller coaster ride of emotions. The albums ‘loose theme’ is based around all aspects of communication in today’s world. The high energy brand of rock that One More Weekend brings is both tight and perfected and yet they are not afraid to show their softer side. Their songs tell stories and provoke feelings which their audience can absorb and so enjoy the adventure.

The album’s opening track, Boxheads, is a slice of pure pop rock and an ode to those that yearn for something more in everyday life. Faceless Names, The Heat, Leave Me Be and Deprived all deal with personal, mental and physical relationship issues and come with their own distinctive rock groove. Shredders, Listen, Generation and You Don’t Know Me bring a very real world take on subjects that include the advertising fuelled consumerism industry, communication and predetermination in today’s society. De-Icing My Car and Humanity are both powerfully emotional highlights that provide insight into personal and world issues; and if all that wasn’t enough the band has shoehorned two acoustic tracks – Cover Talk and Lost At Sea – that delve into deeply personal stories.

The band formed in early March 2015 in Melbourne’s Eastern suburbs and includes frontman Connor Dougan on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Leith Dougan on bass , Tim Aslett on lead guitar and Paul Healey on drums. Working on Connor Dougan’s original songs the band crafted and mastered their current style of alternative rock.

In May 2015 OMW played their first show at the Grind n Groove in Healesville. At that show they were asked to fill in the next night for a last minute “no-show act” in a Battle of the Bands gig located at the Laundry Bar in Fitzroy, Melbourne hosted by Wedgetail Records.

They suddenly found themselves through to the final round of the battle performing alongside eight other finalists winning a full days recording at Wedgetail Records.

Live gigs started coming thick and fast including spots on the Melbourne legs of the Double Lined Minority and The Beautiful Monument tours. After winning the best act in the Knox Big Break Festival they were asked to play Dweebfest in Mt Gambier.

With over sixty successful live shows around Melbourne alone, the band have developed their skills to produce a tight, high energy performance.