Ladies, gentlemen, boys and girls and wild ones of all ages, soon we will embrace the raw power that is Soundwave. Only two weeks wait for Adelaide and Melbourne; three weeks for Brisbane and Sydney. Soon our calendars will have the dates in view, and we can start checking our weather apps in the hope of a perfect day.
Traditionally I am more of a heavy and thrash metal fan but over the past couple of years my musical taste buds have mutated, and I’ve grown to accept and enjoy a wide variety of metal genres. On the Soundwave bill last year I really didn’t know many of the acts. So, I made a pact this year to cover the lead-up to the festival thoroughly and get to know all of the bands that will be attending. It has proven to be a very time-consuming work of love. To assist my mind getting around all the unfamiliar acts, I painstakingly put each artist into a rough genre guide.
Hardcore and Metalcore fans will be pleased again this year as there is no shortage of that roughage. It turns out that if you are a fan of the various punk offsprings you are going to be kept very busy for the weekend, there’s plenty of that poppy-punky stuff to boot. The slightly older ‘90s rock fans obviously have their dreams come true with the whole bunch of alternative rock bands hitting the stages night and day. There’s a whole bunch of metal variations including classic, industrial, experimental, thrash, death and progressive.
There’s something for everyone at Soundwave ’15.
Soundwave Bands Grouped Into Genres
Soundgarden: alternative rock, grungeIncubus: Alternative metal, indi rock
The Smashing Pumpkins: Alternative rock
Judas Priest: Heavy Metal
Steel Panther: Glam metal, hard rock, comedy
The Treatment: Hard rock, heavy metal
Slash w/Myles Kennedy: hard rock / metal
Monuments: Progressive metal, djent
Animals As Leaders: Progressive metal, instrumental rock, jazz fusion, djent
Godsmack: Alternative metal, hard rock, post-grunge, nu metal
Papa Roach: Hard rock, alternative metal, nu metal, rap metal
Antemasque: hard rock, progressive rock
He Is Legend: Hard rock, stoner rock, psychedelic rock, sludge, metalcore
One Ok Rock: Alternative rock, post-hardcore, emo, pop punk, post-grunge
Twin Atlantic: Alternative rock, power pop
Icon For Hire: Alternative rock, pop punk, electronic rock
Sleepwave: Alternative rock, experimental rock, electronicore
Faith No More: alternative metal, experimental metal
Dragonforce: Power metal, speed metal
Exodus: Thrash metal
Slipknot: Nu metal, alternative metal
Nonpoint: Hard rock, nu metal
Butcher Babies: Groove metal, thrash metal, heavy metal
Marilyn Manson: Industrial rock, industrial metal, glam rock, shock roc
Godflesh: Industrial metal, post-metal, experimental metal
Ministry: industrial metal
Nothing More: Industrial metal, progressive metal, alternative metal
Fear Factory: industrial metal, death metal, groove metal, thrash metal
Deathstars: Industrial metal, gothic metal
Lamb Of God: groove metal, metalcore
Killer Be Killed: Groove metal, metalcore
Of Mice & Men: Metalcore
Crown The Empire: Metalcore, post-hardcore, electronicore
Atreyu: Metalcore, post-hardcore, alternative metal
Escape The Fate: Post-hardcore, hard rock, heavy metal, metalcore, emo
Dayshell: Post-hardcore, alternative rock
Coldrain: Screamo, post-hardcore, Alternative metal
Crossfaith: Electronicore, metalcore, industrial metal
Confession: Melodic hardcore, hardcore
King 810: Metalcore, deathcore
Falling In Reverse: Post-hardcore, metalcore, glam metal, pop punk, hard rock
The Color Morale: Post-hardcore, metalcore
Lower Than Atlantis: Post-hardcore, alternative rock, melodic hardcore, indie rock
The Devil Wears Prada: Melodic metalcore, Christian metal
Evergreen Terrace: Melodic hardcore, Metalcore
Fucked Up: Hardcore punk, experimental rock
King Parrot: Grindcore, sludge metal, hardcore punk
New Found Glory: Punk pop / alternative rock
Fireworks: Pop punk, alternative rock, indie rock
Gerard Way: pop punk, post-hardcore, emo
Patent Pending: Pop punk, ska punk
Fall Out Boy: Pop punk, pop rock, alternative rock
The Aquabats: Rock, new wave, ska
Area 7: Pop punk, ska-punk
The Interrupters: Punk rock, ska punk, rap, rock, indie pop
The Swellers: Punk rock, pop-punk, melodic hardcore, emo, skate punk
Conditions: Modern Rock, pop-rock
Lagwagon: Punk rock, pop punk, skate punk
Tonight Alive: Pop punk, alternative rock
All Time Low: Pop punk
The Bennies: punk, ska genre, electronic rock
This Wild Life: Acoustic, pop, pop punk
The Wonder Years: Pop punk
Bayside: Punk rock, emo, alternative rock
Millencolin: Pop punk, punk rock, skate punk, alternative rock, melodic hardcore, ska punk
The Vandals: Pop punk, punk rock, skate punk, melodic hardcore
Le Butcherettes: Punk rock, garage rock, garage punk
Emily’s Army: rock n’ roll, pop-punk
Hollywood Undead: rap metal / alternative rock
Apocalyptica: Cello metal, neo-classical metal, progressive metal, symphonic metal
Mayhem: Black metal
Ne Obliviscaris: Extreme metal, progressive metal
Terror Universal: Horror metal
Raglans: Indie rock
Rival Sons: Blues rock, hard rock, rock n’ roll
If you are thinking that would have taken some time to put together, you would be right. A psychiatrist would probably try to label me with some pill-pushable name name like “obsessive Soundwave disease” or some such bullshit, but I say, "phoo-wee" to that. It just had to be done.
I hope it helps you discover some new bands to your liking and check them out on the day.
