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, grunge

Incubus: 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.