Australian progressive metallers Ne Obliviscaris found themselves at the center of one of the greatest feel-good metal stories in recent memory after they successfully crowd-funded $86,000 Australian Dollars (about $67k USD) to go on a full world tour. That tour got underway this past summer in Asia and Europe, and the band just embarked on a month-long run opening for Cradle of Filth, also in Europe.

One problem: drummer Dan Presland’s day job wouldn’t let him take the required time off to do all that globe-trotting. Presland’s solution? He just up and quit, leaving his job as a train driver where he made $150,000/year. That’s commitment to one’s art! Especially so given the fact that NeO aren’t at the level where they can come home with a profit — all the money they earn out on the road gets piped right back into the band.

Here’s Dan’s initial announcement, via Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153197724486169&set=a.10153083717286169.1073741831.732766168&type=3

Dan also sent the following statement exclusively to MetalSucks:

Many people think that NeO are already doing really well financially, and everyone is making an income from touring/merch sales, when in fact none of us have been paid a cent… However we know the only way to make this band our ‘career’ is to go all in and take the risk head on. Money comes and goes, but opportunities don’t.

Dan elaborates that only one member of NeO still has a full time job, as Xen vocals and Tim Charles (violin and clean vocals) also lost their primary jobs to do this tour (guitarist Matt Klavins managed to keep his job is by applying for “long service leave,” whatever that is).

The moral of the story: no one’s getting rich from metal. It’s a true labor or love. Kudos to the guys in NeO for giving it their all, as risky a move as it is.

Get Ne Obliviscaris’ tour dates with Cradle of Filth here.