Soundwave founder AJ Maddah has always been proud of his festival’s status as an international festival. Attracting big names from the world over, be it from the furthest, icy reaches of Scandinavia or the bustling metropolis of Tokyo, Japan, Soundwave does not discriminate.
It makes for a varied lineup that caters to just about every taste you can think of, be it hard rock, heavy metal, punk rock, metalcore, hardcore, or one of any of a thousand metal sub-genres, as well as plenty of collective frequent flier miles for the band’s slated for the lineup.
In order to celebrate Soundwave’s status as something of a UN for heavy music, we’ve decided to take a trip around the world using the Soundwave 2015 lineup as our map and guide. We’ve selected one delegate from each of the country’s represented on this year’s bill to give us a better understanding of the global reach of Soundwave.
United States: Slipknot
We chose Slipknot to represent the US because, in many ways, they encapsulate what it is to be an American band. Like fellow Soundwave 2015 alumni Soundgarden and Marilyn Manson, the Iowa natives were driven towards music because of a general lack of anything else to do in their town. And, with their combination of the shock tactics of KISS and Alice Cooper, the riffs of Slayer, the industrial stylings of Fear Factory, the eerie soundscapes of Neurosis, the experimentation of Mr. Bungle and Faith No More, and the rock-friendly elements of Beastie Boys and Public Enemy, Slipknot are part of a quintessentially American tradition.
Japan: Coldrain
One of the most intriguing internationalists on the Soundwave 2015 lineup, they, like brothers-in-arms Crossfaith and One OK Rock, play a high-energy brand of dynamic, explosive heavy music without sacrificing any of the nonchalant technical wizardry that Japanese musicians are known for. At once melodic and hardcore, Coldrain’s energy services their artistry instead of compensating for it. It’s that same efficiency that characterises so many of Japan’s best heavy metal and metalcore exports and is sure to see Coldrain join the likes of buddies Crossfaith and Dir En Grey at the top of the Japanese metal pyramid.
Australia: King Parrot
This Melbourne five-piece had previously dipped their toe in the Soundwave pool as local additions to last year’s festival, but now the rest of the country will get to experience their gnarly mesh of Frankensteined metal and punk rock. Besides the brutality of King Parrot’s music — their album Bite Your Head Off is a dizzying nexus of all things heavy, from grindcore to death metal — there’s something quintessentially Australian about them. Their larrikin attitude and sly sense of humour is just the sort of representation we need at Soundwave 2015.
England: Judas Priest
Between Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Led Zeppelin, you’ve got a strong case to argue that heavy metal is essentially an English construct and Birmingham natives Priest are about as English as you can get. Classics like ‘Breaking the Law’ come barreling right out of the belly of disaffected Thatcherism, while defiant anthems like ‘You’ve Got Another Thing Comin” are testament to that English mettle that no amount of political fuckery could ever hope to degrade. Judas Priest don’t just represent England, they are England.
Sweden: Millencolin
Millencolin belie their origins and open many eyes to the musical diversity that can be found in Scandinavia. After all, the same place that gave us In Flames and Opeth also gave us The Soundtrack of Our Lives and ABBA. It therefore stands to reason that the band’s fellow Swedes on the Soundwave 2015 lineup, Deathstars, are virtually Millencolin’s polar opposite, trading instead in a brand of gothed-up industrial metal characterised by dark, horror-themed lyrics. It’s all part of the stewing, somewhat insular melting pot that is Sweden.
Norway: Mayhem
While their name is not as obtuse or grisly as some of their black metal peers, make no mistake, you’re looking at one of the most controversial bands of all time. Since forming in 1984, these black metal pioneers have been embroiled in every kind of nightmare scandal or personal tragedy imaginable, from arson, to member suicide, and murder. But behind the controversy is a band with an important legacy. Their first album, De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, is still held up as a landmark release of the genre, and their reputation for spectacular live performances make them something of a Norwegian national treasure.
Scotland: Twin Atlantic
Despite what Trainspotting would have you believe, the Scots are a very proud people, particularly what pertains to their heritage and culture. How else do you explain their perpetuation of eating haggis? They even have a proud musical history, with native comedian Danny Bhoy famously describing the bagpipes as “the missing link between noise and sound”. This therefore begs the question: why do so many Scottish and British bands insist on singing like Americans? Well, Glaswegians Twin Atlanic have said ‘arse to that’. Their gritty-poppy-gritty tunes are marked by frontman Sam McTrusty’s unmistakably Scottish drawl.
Finland: Apocalyptica
Remember how we mentioned that Sweden is a stewing melting pot and all that? Well, it looks like that status stretches across Scandinavia. Case in point is Apocalyptica. The Helsinki natives are comprised of three classically trained cellists and a drummer. Forming as a Metallica tribute act, Apocalyptica play an epic-sounding mesh of classical music, symphonic metal, neoclassical metal, speed metal, alt-metal, post-grunge, hard rock, and progressive metal, with elements of folk and world music. How very… Finnish.
Canada: Fucked Up
Ah, our brothers and sisters in the Commonwealth, eh? Fucked Up play hardcore punk the way only a Canadian band could – with intensity, intelligence, humour, artistry, and an inextinguishable spirit that permeates their every release and live performance. Their 2008 album The Chemistry of Common Life set a new standard for what hardcore bands could do in the 21st Century in much the same way that Zen Arcade and Double Nickels on the Dime opened the eyes and minds of many back in the genre’s nascent days. Their combination of harsh vocals, grumbling guitars, and unique production make for something at once fierce and halcyonic.
Mexico: Le Butcherettes
These Guadalajara natives began stirring serious buzz back in 2007 as a result of their notorious live performances, which famously feature props such as brooms, feather dusters, and bloody aprons, which are used as a pointed attack on the perceived status of women as slaves, as well as the intensity of frontwoman Teri Gender Bender, now a Mexican underground cultural icon, who has been known to use artificial blood, flour, eggs, meat, and pig heads on stage. Le Butcherettes are the light of Bikini Kill, Le Tigre, Hole, Sleater-Kinney, and Babes In Toyland transmitted through a distinctly Mexican prism.
Ireland: Raglans
Raglans’ trademark is a peppy brand of indie rock that is heavy on the hook and the mirth, while continually harkening back to the music of their homeland, such as on their single ‘Digging Holes’, and even bearing a few post-punk elements here and there. Taking their name from Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh’s 1946 work On Raglan Road (not the T-shirt, if you were wondering), Raglans blend the best of traditional Irish folk and UK punk pioneers like The Clash for a streamlined, 21st Century answer to the timeless sound of The Pogues.
