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Claw Machine, a newly formed midwest-emo inspired duo, are defining the new era of emo with their brand new debut single ‘that’s too much, man!’. Consisting of Gabrielle Michael (vocals) and Joshua Tchatchanidze (Guitar), who bonded over their love of the genre, Claw Machine draws on the “poppier side of the midwest-emo scene and bands like Hot Mulligan, Riley! and Summerbruise. ‘That’s too much, man!’ gets its name from TV-show 'Bojack Horseman', and is described as being a

2026 has been a big year for post-hardcore and shoegaze adjacent music. Basement's first new album in eight years, Deftones playing arena shows, and From First to Last releasing their first non-single new music in over ten years. All this going on must be inspiring and driving the next generation of bands in the genre. Bands like Adelaide’s Paraphernalia. Paraphernalia by @jaycjgibbs Paraphernalia have been releasing music and playing shows since 2023. We aren’t here to tal

Sydney pop-rock collective besties have dropped their final EP ever. Yes, after 4 years of releasing anthems and touring alongside legends such as Maggie Lindemann and Teenage Joans, the band have decided to call it a day, this EP acting as a last hurrah. Each track here feels intentional, a serenade and celebration of all they have created in their career. The EP commences with a celebratory goodbye, a “Congrats” to all that the band has achieved over their career, as well

Looking for a brand-new song that sounds right from the ‘Queen of The Damned’ soundtrack? Y’know, the sexy bloody vampire movie from 2002 where Lestat becomes a rockstar? Well look no further because Major Arcana definitely have this one covered with their latest single "Bloom". "Bloom" cover art Major Arcana are a four-piece alt noise metal band originating from the Southern Highlands in NSW. These guys are entirely committed to their DIY roots, with "Bloom" being entirely r

What are they putting in the water up in Brisbane? In the last few years some incredible alternative emo bands have been popping off out of Brisbane. Bad Neighbour, Talk Heavy, and Semantics to name a few. Garden Eyes have been working the Brisbane scene for a couple of years now and they seem primed to fucking explode. Garden Eyes shot by Will Johnstone Garden Eyes have (at long last) released their first EP. Selfish Art is an accumulation of releases that Garden Eyes have b

Last week, Hole released their original three track "Teenage Whore" single on streaming services for the first time ever, and it is absolutely everything that die hard fans have been hungry for. Consisting of “Teenage Whore”, “Burn Black” and “Drown Soda”, the titular track was originally released in 1991 and was the opening song of Hole’s debut album Pretty On The Inside. Unabashedly angry and vulnerable, "Teenage Whore" is one of my all time favourite Hole tracks, with Cour

Wake up elder emos, Brisbane based pop-punkers ‘All Hours’ are back with a hot new single ‘Let Me Go’. We love to see a female fronted band coming out of Australia, especially one that pairs heavy breakdowns with poppy y2k choruses, there's something among their discography for everyone. This track preempts their debut album ‘Everything in Between’, after almost 10 years as a band. The track includes distorted vocals, reminiscent of a 2000’s movie score, paired with intense

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, and those of you who identify as neither, please take your seats, the show is about to begin. Slothrust have returned. Highly anticipated new album, What They Grow In The Garden, is finally hear via Equal Vision Records and Civilians. Slothrust by levi price Slothrust return for their sixth full length album in fourteen years. Off the back of 2021’s Parallel Timeline, the band spent time working hard on some smaller projects. 2023’s EP

“The more we can look at each other as human beings and treat this world a little bit more fucking kindly, the better this planet will be.” Daniel Winter-Bates On Wednesday 9th September, Melbourne’s Northcote Theatre housed one of the most diverse heavy lineups I’ve attended in a while. From Aussie hip-hop-influenced metal, to the UK’s legendary Bury Tomorrow, the stage truly transformed, fitting the atmosphere of each band. I’d like to give each incredible artist on the bil

Over the last month here at Hot & Heavy, there has been one name that has been on the tips of everyone’s tongues and across our keyboards; and that name is Sage. Sage is Melbourne’s reigning queen of bitch-punk, and along with drummer Jareth, the duo have just dropped their debut album ‘Free Brainwashing’. Sage has proven time and time again that she is an absolute force to be reckoned with, and this debut album is a total testament to that fact. Her bandcamp bio describes h

If you’re looking for a sonic assault on the senses that brings major 80’s vibes into the modern era, B.F. Raid (Boston’s Final Raid) have you covered with their latest album ‘Combat Zone’. Official Album Cover Art B.F. Raid is a band that began in the early 1980’s and made their way around the Boston local scene of that era. Taking influence from traditional metal, punk energy, progressive rock and psychedelic grooves, these guys have a sound that has stood the test of time.

In case you’ve missed it, forgotten or been living under a rock, Hot & Heavy’s man of many talents, Ethan is putting on his very first solo ran show under Damned Productions on THIS WEEK! Friday 4th of September, 7pm at TIALive in Adelaide. You won’t want to miss this incredible lineup this chef has cooked up for you. Kicking off the night is a debut and EP launch by your new favourite discovery, Sørrøwstate. For a band less than 12 months old that already have a decent follo

Sydney's post rock icons are back with a hot new single 'without you', pairing melodic vocals with ferocious breakdowns. After TEASING THE COVER IMAGE ACROSS SOCIALS THIS WEEK, FANS BOTH NEW AND OLD ARE LOVING THE TRACK, AS WELL AS THE CHURCH INSPIRED AESTHETICS PRESENT IN THE MUSIC VIDEO, ALSO DROPPING TODAY. the track relays the feelings experienced as the group lost their brother and bandmate ryan siew in 2023, exploring the indelible hurt and heartbreak associated with gr

Faceless Australian extreme-metal band NYCTALOR have just released their debut EP ‘EP I: The Collapse’, and it is a brutally beautiful sonic tour de force. ‘EP I: The Collapse’ comprises of two tracks, spanning over twenty minutes of cataclysmic darkness and an underlying building of tension. Drawing on influences like black, death and doom metal, NYCTALOR have crafted a sound that is both suffocating and expressive. The first track, ‘The Harrowing’ is unrelentingly dark and

South arcade at the croxton photographed by June (@staticDawn__) On a drizzly August evening in Melbourne, South Arcade Kicked off their entirely sold out Australian tour. june and I were given the absolute pleasure of being tasked with shooting and reviewing the night. i love the croxton. it's a great venue that i always look forward to returning to. South Arcade have been busy, making their third visit to Australia in just over a year. The band’s first trip was in May 202

oh... hell yeah, guys. this was a fun night. The hammo was packed to the brim with metalheads for the insanley goated line up. BLINDER Blinder are new on my radar and immediely i thought. 'these guys are a great fit' for fans of thornhill and loathe with the get up of a 90s-00s time capsule. imagine floating on the clouds but the sky in that beautiful lilac and blue you get when the suns is just about to make an appearence. i'm getting there... But you're listening to some g

Anonymous four-piece NYCTALOR have announced their debut EP titled "EP I: The Collapse", due to be released August 24th 2026. Hailing from the 'ACT', NYCTALOR are a newly-formed band with a sound which they describe as: “the sonic collapse of existence through, atmosphere, dissonance and crushing heaviness”. What makes NYCTALOR so intriguing is that Everything about these guys is crafted with intention. Their choice to hide their identities is stated as being a deliberate way

Who doesn’t love finding new bands? let alone getting on at the ground floor before they (inevitably) take off! Sydney’s pop-punk scene’s newest band are here. Facelift have announced their arrival with their debut single, ‘Ceiling Fan’. Photo by Gabrielle Michael Driven for a desire to return the pop-punk scene to its pre-2020 former glory, Facelift are on a mission. 'Ceiling Fan' is a great jumping off point. catchy, relatable and the perfect amount of emo. The band cite in

Rising from the innermost parts of Lebanon’s underground music scene, Borrowed Time are hitting hard in 2026 with their newest single 'Withered'. 'Withered' takes existential dread plus those questions that keep us awake at night, and provides a haven for anyone weighed down by a heavy mind. Did I make the right decisions? Have my sacrifices in life been worth it? 'Withered' deals with these feelings of burnout and turns them into something worthwhile. By entwining elements o

If you're a fan of Nirvana, Silverchair and Soundgarden, Adelaide's Jonny Amoral has just released a second album called 'Delirium ', and it's definitely the album for you. Listening to the first track, 'Pull The Trigger ', made me feel like I had taken a time machine back to the 90s grunge scene. Nostalgic but fresh, I could tell I was going to like this album straight off the bat! Moving on to 'Here ', where do I even begin? The verse melody is so addictive and angsty, ramp