Sydney sci-fi stoner metal duo Astrodeath headline a stacked bill at Geelong’s Medusa Bar this Thursday night.
The self-dubbed “two-piece from hell” are a star on the rise in the Australian metal scene, having completed a national tour in support of their second album Vol.2 (2023) followed by another coast-to-coast tour supporting UK stoner/doom legends Orange Goblin.
Lauded for their ability to create a full rock sound with just two musicians, Astrodeath guitarist and singer Tim Lancken said the key to their sound was the chemistry between him and drummer Yoshi Hausler.
“We’ve known each other since we finished high school, but we weren’t really mates,” Lancken said.
“We rehearsed at the same studio (the Sonic Factory in Belmore, Sydney) and we’d crossed paths a few times… and I always thought he was a mad drummer. And then we didn’t see each other for quite a while.
“I wanted to do a two-piece forever, and I just researched every two-piece band that I could find to see what was possible and what people were doing.
“And I’d been working on the two-piece thing with a bunch of other drummers, and doing a whole bunch of things trying to get it to work, and then as soon as I had one jam with Yosh I felt like the two-piece thing could actually work.”
A blend of many influences, Astrodeath’s “big dumb riffs” pay homage to Black Sabbath while incorporating elements from experimental metal giants Deftones and renowned post-grunge rock duo Local H.
The Medusa Bar gig will see them backed by Melbourne rockers Spacejunk and local acts Smoke Witch and Grytt.
“We’re going to bring it; we try to give people energy, we try to give them a good show and a good time,” Lancken said.
“I’ve never been to Medusa Bar but I hear it’s a small, vibey kind of dive bar, which is where we shine.
“We love playing big venues, but we like it tight, where everyone’s at the same level, so yeah, we’re psyched for it.”
