The New Dead XI @ Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide 23/4/2022
The last ringing tones of Tasmania’s brutally excellent Psycroptic fills the air as the punters file out the venue onto the nearby Enigma Bar and the New Dead Metal Fest XI after party hosted by DJ Andrew Haug.
For many of a weaker disposition, the all day annual metal event showcasing some of Australian finest metal talent right here in Adelaide is finishing. For others the night has just cranked up a gear.
New Dead Metalfest is a staple of the South Australian heavy music calendar. An annual all day jaunt through the best of Australia’s heavy music scene, great beers and good company.
Set within the hallowed walls of Lion Arts Factory, 18 bands from around the country play to a crowd hungry for the heavy.
New Dead is the brainchild of Jason North, vocalist of metal stalwarts Truth Corroded, whose aim each year is to bring the cream of Aussie metal to play in a unique festival setting for the more extreme of the genre.
Each year is a huge success and has seen international headliners such as Napalm Death, The Black Dahlia Murder and Fleshgod Apocalypse join to tread the boards to slay the audience.
The right hand man who keep things ticking along with the precision of a extreme death metal drummer is Ben Kornouchovs, owner of Korno Concert Services . His team sets the up stage and merch areas, they make sure the bands are comfortable and know exactly where to be and what time to do what they do. His team make sure the changeovers work as scheduled and with minimal fuss.
At 12:15 there is queue already formed despite first band Impetus on. This is a combination of fans keen to their get metal on but also Lion Arts incredibly slow process of getting in, something that has not improved since the new owners took over.
Impetus are spearheaded by Aidan DeMaria and display grit and metal to a already packed house this early. A truely endearing touch to the past as Aidan’s mother Mel has performed this festival with her own metal band In The Burial too.
The family vibe isn’t just confined to the bands, punters warmly greet each other like family members you actually want to spend time with. Security is discreet as not required in such a unique setting of genuine warmth and respect.
Outside food is supplied in a spacious area with a sausage snizzle filling the void in your stomachs for $2.
A merchandise spot is created upstairs for bands to display their offerings which also serves as a relaxed vantage point to check one of the two stages the bands perform on.
Bands such as Idle Ruin, playing their first show in Adelaide, absolutely slay in every sense of the word as unsuspecting punters are turned into a horde of head banging demons.
Descent have the mosh pit fired up and The Furor is literally a one man wrecking ball, as the only member on stage in a Slayer-ed up version of a one man band.
If extreme metal isn’t your thing, no worries, the festival caters for different styles and no one creates more of a party atmosphere than Lagerstein. A rocking and rollicking pirate fest with rowboats, violins and a kumbaya sit in session on the beer soaked floor.
Adelaide’s best kept secret are these festivals, if you live in Melbourne, Sydney or wherever, do yourself a favour and lock into your calendar the next New Dead Metal Fest. You won’t regret it.
Live Review By Iain McCallum