ROUND 3: AUSSIE BANDS YOU SHOULD KNOW
- Kirsty Shepherd
- Jul 26
- 4 min read
ding ding, round three is here and we are focusing on bands with less than 6k listeners. so buckle up and hopefully you will find your new favourite small band.
Arkángel - 2.4k monthly listeners
albury deathcore group arkángel formed in 2022 and presented their debut self titled ep in January this year. Arkángel recently completed their leg of whisperhead's 'Sterilise' tour and will be joining roronoah on their 'accustomed to hurt' tour and war bear's 'fear the goo' tour. you can buy tickets below:
For fans of: Lorna shore, make them suffer, brand of sacrifice and fit for an autopsy
bare bones - 1.9k monthly listeners
sydney band bare bones blend punk, hardcore, rock, nu-metal and metalcore, "Signing to legendary Australian label, Resist Records, in 2017. Their discography encompasses three EP’s, two LP’s and a peppering of unrelenting singles. Bare Bones have taken to the stage alongside metal titans Slipknot, Marilyn Manson, Parkway Drive, Stone Sour, Rise Against, Every Time I Die, Black Label Society, and Northlane to name but a few." - via spotify
For fans of: MOTIONLESS in white, gallows, Stray From the Path and Every Time I Die
druid - 1k monthly listeners
melbourne band "Druid bring a unique devastating show fronted by dual lead vocals. With influences stemming from post hardcore, metal and 90s nu metal, Druid blends that nu-metal sound we all know and love with heavy chugging breakdowns and modern metalcore." - via spotify. the band has one ep, "semblance" (2019) and Album, "the beauty in the decay" (2021) alongside several singles, including latest release "hostage" to their names thus far. Druid have toured with the likes of Alpha Wolf, Void of Vision, The Motion Below and Harroway.
You can find DRUID on: spotify, apple music, facebook, instagram and youtube
For fans of: diggy graves, Alpha Wolf, Linkin park and I prevail
4. grave risk - 500 monthly listeners
melbourne punk, hardcore and thrash inspired band, Grave risk, have released their debut EP "mind killer" (2024) with A COLLECTION of singleS, including latest release "good for me" in february this year.
You can find grave risk on: spotify, apple music, instagram and youtube
For fans of: Mind Force, Drain, Power Trip and terror
zeolite - 2.2 k monthly listeners
zeolite is a deathcore band from melbourne.
"Zeolite defiantly stand apart from their peers with a sound characterised by cold, bleak soundscapes backed by monolithic riffs and devastating aggression. Having carved a niche for themselves in the dense community of Australian metal, the band has gained notoriety following the release of their debut album Proselytism, which reached #4 on the AIR independent charts and earned widespread acclaim in both the Australian and international metal communities." - via spotify
zeolite have two EPs, "zeolite" (2016) and "sermones mortis" (2019), with two full length albums "proselytism" (2021) and "l'appeal du vide" (2025) in their discography to date.
For fans of: the black dahlia murder, Aborted, Thy Art Is Murder and Anaal Nathrakh
crave death - 1k monthly listeners
brisbane sludge, hardcore and metalcore fusion band, crave death have two EPs "life after death" (2016) and "die slow" (2023) along with several singles including their latest release "decay ii" in 2024. crave death has previously toured with frenzal rhomb, "merry heavy xmas" festival and "cvltfest" with Alpha Wolf.
You can find crave death on: spotify, apple music, facebook, instagram and youtube
For fans of: arch enemy, Kublai Khan tx, knocked loose and body snatcher
vilify - 1.6k monthly listeners
Newcastle metalcore group vilify has three eps to date, "clarity" (2020), "fever dream" (2024) and "save me" (2024). Vilify has featured on am//pm, emo never sleeps Halloween, the price of existence tour (HARROWAY) and nyd recovery fest.
For fans of: Spiritbox, Alpha Wolf, Stray From the Path and diamond construct
Irken armada - 5.8k monthly listeners
irken armada is a Sydney based metalcore band with one ep "a sign to kill" (2024) to their name with several singles, including latest release "the house of no tomorrow" (2025). irken have featured on am//pm and slaughtering September as well as supporting cancer bats, erra and INERTIA.
For fans of: Every Time I Die, Beartooth, Kublai Khan tx and Misery Signals
winnerz circle - 2.2k monthly listeners
winnerz circle is a hardcore band from adelaide. They have two eps, "da demo" (2022) and "da $plit" (2024) under their belt to day. they will be supporting I killed the prom queen this October and have previously performed alongside the acacia strain, Deez nuts, the Amity affliction, comeback kid and silverstein.
You can find winnerz circle on: spotify, apple music, instagram and youtube
For fans of: bulldoze, sunami, fury of five and pain of truth
end it all - 629 monthly listeners
end it all is a hardcore-metalcore fusion band from boorloo/perth. debuting their music onto the scene in 2018, they have since released EP "I can't help this feeling" (2019), album "put here to suffer" (2022) and EP "unyielding hate" (2024).
end it all have appeared on lineups such as one blood fest and the gathering, as well as touring as a support for malevolence, sunami, the acacia strain and Kublai Khan tx on their Australian tours.
For fans of: knocked loose, GOJIRA, converge and Norma jean
did you find your new favourite smaller band? who is your favourite up and coming australian band?
