Metal News.

On Sat 14 October, the Bridgeway Hotel will be playing host to Metalstorm, a licensed, all-ages show featuring interstate visitors Antonamasia (NSW) and Remind (VIC), as well as locals Diatribe, Skintilla and Splyne, the last of whom will be launching a new CD on the night. Doors open at 6:30 pm for a 7 pm start.

Also on Sat 14 October, there will be a show at the Lizard Lounge featuring Raven Black Night, Slaughter Thou, Pitchfork, Obsidian Aspect and Cauldron Black Ram; also playing will be Victorian visitors Dominaeon. Doors open at 8 pm.

On Sat 21 October, there will be another show at the Lizard Lounge, this time the big all-ages Southern Apocalypse II. Bands on the bill for this one will be locals Murder Hill, Double Dragon, Blood Mason, Imminent Psychosis and The Guantanamo Bay City Rollers, as well as sort-of-locals Captain Cleanoff and interstate visitors Switchblade, Vaticide and Black Like Vengeance. Doors open at 5 pm.

In my last column, I promised to give a few more details about some of the shows that will be taking place at Fowler's Live this month; unfortunately, for some of those shows, I still don't know much more about them than I did this time last fortnight. Regarding Arch Enemy's show, this will be all-ages and will take place on Thurs 19 October, with doors opening at 7 pm. I can't say who'll be supporting them, though, for at the time I was writing this, the venue's online gig guide was still lumping all supports under the rather unhelpful heading of 'guests'. Soulfly's show on Wed 25 October will also be all-ages, with doors opening at 7 pm for that one too. Supporting the band will be Germany's Caliban as well as, you guessed it, more 'guests'. A show I can give more concrete details for, however, is Crucified Barbara's on Fri 20 October. They're not a band I'm at all familiar with, but from what I've heard about them, they're an all-female rock/metal four-piece from Sweden who've been described as "A skin-tight leather [wearing], beer-swilling machine with bone-splintering sleaze guitar". Their show will also be all-ages and also begin at 7 pm. Supporting them will be Melbourne's Sebasrockets and The RIP Rides, as well as locals Muscle Car.

Given that the name of pretty much every evil god, demon and sorcerer that ever existed has been adopted as a band name by some extreme metal group at some point in time, I often used to wonder when some up-and-coming metal band would call themselves Voldemort in an attempt to show that they were the most evil things since Adolf Hitler. Well, it seems that one group has finally been crazy enough to do just that. Formed in Durmstrang (a.k.a. Norway) last year, Voldemort - who describe their music as 'wizard metal' - comprise Lord Dolohov Mulciber, Count Draco Horcrux, Lady Lysandra and Muggleslayer respectively. Lysandra is the latest addition to the band, replacing a certain Count Igor The Foul, who "Wimped out because the music Lord Dolohov Mulciber wished to play was too loud and evil for him." To find out more about Voldemort and sample such offerings of theirs as Mayhem At The Ministry, Dementor and Slaying Trevor, go to http://www.myspace.com/voldemorttruemetal; if this succeeds in whetting your appetite for their material, also try http://www.myspace.com/voldemortwizardmetal. Beware however! In the words of the band: "This music is not for the faint-hearted! We are very evil indeed! All you cowards who sympathize with mediocre mudblood wizards like Harry Potty, Neville Longbuttocks, The Weasels or House-elf Granger: GET OUT AND DIE!"

JAMES BRAZEL