Artists: ISUA, Kilat, Diploid, Hope Drone, Carcinoid, Messianic Gloss, TIMBERFINISH
Venue: The Bendigo Hotel, Melbourne, Australia (Naarm, Woiwurrung country)
Date: 22nd March 2025

Reviews by: The crew
All photos by: Dave Collopy

Known for throwing gigs to celebrate their birthday each year, the Mill Brewery have had their biggest yet after taking over operations at The Bendigo Hotel late last year. Boasting a black lager beer launch, black tacos, and a huge line up consisting not only black metal but a wide array from sludge/doom to noise to electronic, this was the hottest gig in Melbourne this weekend.

Timberfinish – review by Jess JRoc
We open one of the biggest nights of the year, of the 7 act birthday show with the solo-project of ISUA vocalist Mikey. With an undecipherable logo and one recent bandcamp release, TIMBERFINISH is a post-industrial, experimental noise project, and with the table he stands before, I see piles of chains and a baking tray covered in contact microphones. I think we’re in safe hands here, or are we?
His samples and drum beats rhythmically set the mood, we’re immediately taken by heavily distorted voices, billowing with desperation, the echo of sound suffocates you. With one microphone within reach of each hand, his screams throttle you, and he takes you down with his stare that seems to know more about you, than you do yourself. Brutal, and an excellent beginning to the enormous evening, that his same screams will close out when ISUA later takes the stage.

Messianic Gloss – review by Jess JRoc
When 7pm hit I thought I knew where I was, but that quickly changed. The soundie made a theatre-style announcement, “the next performance will take place on the floor, so make some space”. Ominous, but, I trust whatever is about to happen.
Adeladian duo Messianic Gloss lay out what is a tech-heads dream, a single strobe towering over twin trestle tables, completely full in a tetris-esque layout. The room goes dark, the smoke starts to fill the space and that’s when I forgot where I was. Their ambient, dark, noise and light show was state-altering in ways I hadn’t felt in years.
To fluidly skew 34 minutes in Collingwood to feel like 4 hours in an underground Berlin tunnel as the bpm crept up surrounded by industrial loops and gritty thumping electronic power, I had never seen this act before, and I will do anything I can to see them again.

Carcinoid – review by Ulffe
After a slightly delayed start the crowd had grown hungry for a riff feast.
Carcinoid hit the stage adorned in a violet crimson haze… an apocalyptic sunset. The crowd is drawn into the band room by the screaming feedback before their set kicks in.
If you’re looking for classic, brutal sounds of death metal, these are your guys. They have all the fine ingredients of solid death at their disposal. They groove hard with dirty riffs – so much that the Bendi bar staff were dancing to the music as if it was a jaunty jig – their fuzzy bass thuds through your chest cavity. Their vocals push you down into the earth and tempo shifting drumming piles gravel on top of your shallow grave.
You’ve been warned!

Kilat – review by Faye Pettinella
The stage lights turned blue, the smell of incense wafted through the bandroom – Kilat’s ritual had begun.
Vocalist Karina Utomo took to the stage, clearly thrilled to be celebrating The Mill and guitarist B.A’s birthday, also including a strong statement of acknowledgement and reminding us of the ongoing horrific treatment of Palestine before unleashing their ferocious raw black metal terror.
The band room was absolutely packed in as Kilat smashed the audience with crushing, lightning fast heavy as hell riffs from B.A, super intense blast beats that rattled skulls delivered by Rama Parwata and the most bone chilling harsh vocals and captivating movements from Karina Utomo. There is nothing quite like seeing Kilat live, the terrifying all consuming atmosphere of darkness they conjure scares the shit out of me, but I wouldn’t have it any other way – I don’t think anyone else would either.

Hope Drone – review by Ben Eldström
Time again for a major shift in gears. Exploring yet another avenue of abrasiveness, Brisbane’s Hope Drone pummeled the crowd for a good 40 minutes or so. Built upon an extremely lush sound, their songwriting undulated from slow and foreboding before extended crushing and persistent onslaughts. If you could penetrate the wall of sound of these onslaughts, you would be rewarded by some thoroughly satisfying chord progressions and rhythmic structures that speak to you on a visceral level.
Regularly employing the calm-before-the-storm song style, Hope Drone weren’t lacking in the calmer sections either. Whilst their standard of “calm” might still be heavier than most, they still managed to induce feelings of pensiveness and tenderness that lulled you into a sense of ease. Harmonised clean vocals led the effort, before yet another onslaught began.

Hope Drone are an attack on the senses and, whilst it was a treat to see them at such an intimate venue two thousand kilometres from their home town, they’d also benefit from a larger sound system and bigger lighting rig to fully attack the audience.

Diploid – review by Ulffe
Socially and politically charged, Diploid completely melted the faces off any flesh-bound being who was congregating at the Bendi.
Each member provides their own distinct vocal talents, the way they play off each other makes for a killer, unique experience. Witnessing Miriam (guitar/vocals) is always a highlight for me- there’s so much power, anguish and expression in their performance.
This three piece is monstrous and they pack a punch within each second of their music. They’re punk, they’re grind and bloody brutal. Their set feels like smashing down 10 espresso shots on an empty stomach. You’re going to feel wired after the experience – but that’s why we’re here.

ISUA – review by Faye Pettinella
What a way to close out a massive unforgettable line up for the Bendi Bash with local legends ISUA tearing the bandroom apart with walls of gargantuan sludge and doom riffs. The relentless presence of the five band members was infectious as they churned out an onslaught of slow, gritty doom riffs that sent heads banging throughout the crowd.
My little brain definitely got rattled during ISUA’s set, as they seamlessly flowed from driving doom riffs to sinister grim grooves, all with piercing harsh growls that added a layer of hard hitting emotion – everything combined just hit the spot. The crowd relished in their performance and reciprocated their energy, and towards the end of the set they supported the vocalist as he crowd surfed and screamed into the abyss.

Go see ISUA live, you’ll figure out very fast why they’ve become a well known name in this scene.