Misery

Misery would come damn close to being Australia's heaviest death metal band and it would also be fair to say that they're also one of the best and most consistent. The band formed in Brisbane in 1991 with members drawn from other local acts such as Black Magic, Savage and Northwinds. Problems with lead vocalists marked the course of the band's early career, but even so the band had already laid the foundations for their dense and formidable, all conquering holocaust.

The "Sorting of the Insects" and "Astern Diabolus" demos (the latter with its confronting "demon birth" artwork) established Misery as a supremely heavy act, with a sound that flirted with flat out grindcore and elements of doom along with their patented no mercy death metal.

Original singer Darren Goulding was jettisoned from the band after the release of A Necessary Evil and Morbid Angel support and also a national tour with Pungent Stench. Into the breech stepped Moises Contreras just in time for the Fear Factory support and 'Insidious' EP, which experimented more with doom elements and spawned the legendary gore-drenched video for the track 'Torn'. Contreras' stay with the band soon came to an end also, though his departure was on much more amicable grounds than Goulding's, and after several frustrating months finding a permanent replacement, Robinson took up the gauntlet himself.

The scene was now set for Misery's next phase, and after being picked up by Warhead Records the band recorded one of the heaviest albums ever in Australia, the brutal and vital Revel in Blasphemy. The raw production standards employed on the CD only helped to enhance the sinister, cataclysmic death metal which sprawls across the album.

More supporting opportunities came the bands way in the form of Carcass, Morbid Angel, Cannibal Corpse, Napalm Death, Bolt-thrower, Brutal Truth and Deicide. Revel helped to put Misery on a more national footing and revitalised interest in a band which had almost been forgotten outside of Brisbane until that stage. Since then Misery has continued on their path of bulldozing hate with merciless live shows.

Their Curses album was released on Venomous Records to further praise and enhanced the bands reputation as one of Australia’s best. After a tour of New Zealand late in 2001, Laszlo Kananghinis decided to leave Misery to concentrate on his other band, Green Steam. Robinson, Dwyer and Kananghinis were members of Cardinal Sin. No replacement was needed when Kananghinis moved on, his vacancy simply tightened up the bands sound with Edgar employing 2 stacks to compensate so the full power of the band remained intact.

Another tour to New Zealand ensued in ’03 as well as tours to Melbourne, Adelaide and many gigs on the bands home turf of Brisbane. Now after 7 years the band is set to release their final slab of Death Metal, “ON DEMON WINGS”, as Robinson is now living in the States. The album promises to be the most complete release and shows that they have surpassed everything else in their formidable catalogue!

Sorting of the Insects (demo) 1991
Astern Diabolus (demo) 1992
A Necessary Evil (Velvet Urge) 1993
Insidious (EP) (Valve) 1994
Invidious (video) 1995
Dark Inspirations (7" single) (Subcide) 1995
Revel in Blasphemy (Warhead) 1996
Curses (Venomous) 2000
On Demon Wings (Obsidian) 2007
Compilation track: Morbid Dreams – Come to Daddy (Thrust) 1992
Compilation track: Innocent Torture – Worst Case Scenario (Underclass) 1995
Compilation track: A Song Before Dying – Thirteen (ABC) 1997
Compilation track: Dark Inspirations - SOD No. 10 (SOD/Warhead) 1998
Compilation track: Immortal - Under the Southern Cross (Chatterbox) 1999
Compilation track: Holy Devil - Legions ~ Opening the Southern Gates (Black Talon Media)