Here's A Bunch Of Reasons Why You Should To Go To Invasion Fest

A lot is happening in Melbourne on December 10th gig-wise. Anti-Flag and Scott Reynolds are playing at Max Watts. Make Them Suffer are playing with DVSR, Foxblood, Death In Bloom and Advocates at the Northcote Social Club. And hell, even Coldplay are performing a sold-out show over at Etihad Stadium. But what's also going down on that fabled Saturday will be the subject of this article - Invasion Fest.

Now, just in case you are free that day and maybe on the fence about heading out to Invasion Fest next Saturday at Arrow On Swanson, I've compiled a list of a few well-thought out, deep, and defining reasons as to why you should head out to see the stacked 19 band line up filling out this one-day fest. And even if you're already going to the show, then great, this should reinforce your ticket purchasing decision all the more. So off we go in no particular order!

There is a really good mix of bands playing:

Invasion Fest boasts a solid mix of 18 Australian bands and one international act to help keep a lot of the punters out there happy. From the alternative rock sound of Harbours to the pop-punk stylings of Our Past Days, the heavy riffs and tight breakdowns of Graves and Iconoclast, the hardcore weirdness of Dregg (more on them soon) to the post-hardcore goodness and stage destroying antics of local faves Belle Haven, the metalcore-meets-nu-metal jams of Ocean Grove to the cold and calculated prog-metal of Sentinel; there is bound to be something for everyone's tastes on offer here. Well, that is unless you are after EDM, jazz, or funk music, in which case you had best look elsewhere. Oh, and speaking of Sentinel...

Invasion Fest Will Be Sentinel's Last Ever Show:

Melbourne's Sentinel are a fine band, walking a strong line between the current standard metalcore archetypes and an overzealous prog-metal sound, morphing the best of both genres into one to create a solid, consistent formula. The group dropped their latest and greatest single 'Grieve', (which is perhaps their best work yet) at the beginning of 2016, but that was hastily followed up by the band announcing they would be putting Sentinel to rest sometime this year. And that day - December 10th - soon approaches. So come out and see the metal band play in their hometown under the Sentinel moniker for the last ever time, which will more than likely see cuts from 'The Primordial Ruin', their latest single and maybe even a track off 'The History Weave' EP. I mean, I cannot say with absolute certainty that they'll play a set such as that, but you'll just have to go along to the show to find out, won't you?

And hey, if it's your first time seeing the band live, you had best pucker up that sphincter, son.

Invasion Fest Is One Of Kublai Khan's First Ever Australian Shows:

Texas hardcore outfit, Kublai Khan have been making a lot of noise over in the US and abroad with their latest album 'New Strength', and the band have finally made their way down to us for their current national tour supporting Graves, alongside NSW's Justice For The Damned, and Perth's Cursed Earth this month. Which will, of course, include a set at this Invasion Fest. A set which is bound to go off its proverbial multiple tits. Oh, and to further sweeten the deal, those three other bands I just mentioned - Graves, Cursed Earth, & Justice For The Damned - are also playing Invasion Fest. Booyah!

There's Plenty Of Emotion & Feels To Be Found On The Lineup:

One look at the full lineup tells you immediately that there are plenty of solid, straight-up hardcore bands like Staunch, Reactions, and Relentless, and even heavier acts like Graves, Kublai Khan, JFTD, Sentinel and so on. However, there is also plenty of melodic, feels-heavy hardcore for the taking. For instance, take Hindsight, whose latest EP, 'Disposable Paradise', was a musically simple yet tight and feels heavy release that elevates the Adelaide band to the top of the national melodic hardcore crop. Just take one listen to 'Loveover' to confirm that sentiment.

Then, of course, there is Stepson, whose Invasion Fest performance goes down just a mere five days from the release of their new EP, 'The Beautiful Lie' (which is fucking great, by the way, but I'll talk about that release at another time). But before that particular release enters your ears, this quintet will rip through songs like their first tear-jerking single 'Twelve', the anthemic standout of 'TV', the fast-paced 'Outside Myself', the heavier jam of 'Bruised', and hopefully, the gorgeous new single that is 'The Beautiful Lie', among others.

Either way, it will be a time and a half for both bands, I assure you.

Motherfucking Dregg Are Playing:

Okay, so Dregg being on the bill may not be the sole reason for some of you heading out to Invasion Fest, and I know that they aren't everyone's cup of tea, but hey, that's okay; we all have our flaws! Having seen this band perform at the start of the year when supporting Saviour, I've found that these guys have really come into their own since then, both musically and visually that now they're on a whole other level to their former selves and a lot of their peers. Now, considering Dregg's weird visual aesthetic and their zero-fucks-given attitude, their sweet, sweet live cover of System Of A Down's 'Sugar', and the utter bangers that were their latest singles, 'Sorry Daddy' and 'Weirdo', you would be a foolish fool to miss this set.

Actually, that brings me to another great point about this event...

There Are No Set Clashes At Invasion Fest:

That's right, much like Unify Gathering 2017, no band's set will be clashing with another on the day. With a 25-30 minute set allocated to each band and with two separate stages at Arrow On Swanson, you and your mates will get to see all of these 19 bands do their respective thangs. Which means that you guys - the audience, the punters, the crowd -  don't miss out on seeing any band and get real bang for your buck unless you're just hanging out in the foyer area because you just cannot be arsed with a particular band's set.

Oh, and the tickets are pretty cheap too:

Finally, the entry cost for Invasion Fest ain't even $30 - $28.60 to be precise. That is some great value right there! I mean, come on, that is approximately $1.50 per band, for fuck's sake! So for just under thirty schmeckles you can gain entry to see a whole host of solid Australian bands and one hard-as-fuck-going US outfit to cap off what should make for a damn fine Saturday.

Be sure to out the set times and the full lineup below, and you can pick up your tickets for Invasion Fest right here. And look, if you're going to any of the other shows happening that day in Melbourne, have got other plans, or you just can't be fucked, you may like to go to the Invasion Fest Preshow on Friday at Wrangler Studios. It too has a sick lineup.