ABOUT FUCKEN TIME!
Firstly, I’d like to personally apologise to Headbore. It took over a year for this review to be written. Branded was released March 21, 2025, and it took this long for the album to receive its first long-awaited review.
When I interviewed Headbore’s vocalist, Fish, at Metal on Murray, he informed me that Branded had not had a single review. I took personal offence to that, so I promised Fish there and then that I would remedy this unfortunate, yet obviously overlooked mistake, with haste.
Today, I re-listened to the album and three things struck me over the course of Branded:
- The length of the album, the bang for your buck is incredible.
- Fish, at times, can channel the voice of Adelaide’s own metal legend, Jason North from Truth Corroded.
- The quality of this album is top fucking notch.
You know, sometimes it’s hard to believe that the best thrash metal is made in my own backyard. These guys don’t live too far away from me and that absolutely amazes me.
When I was young, I used to think that all of the good metal, with the exception of Mortal Sin, came from overseas. The U.S, the U.K, Canada or Europe… not from right here in Australia.
As I got older, and particularly since I made my foray into reviewing and interviewing local bands, I found that the best metal comes from right here at home.
Branded by Headbore is exceptional. Heavy, gritty and fastidiously furious, it’s a brilliantly crafted lesson in metal. Masterfully blending fast Aussie thrash with a splash of death and speed metal to boot.
Guitarists Luke Fisher and Chris Ward bring a barrage of riffs and sordid shredding solos that sometimes make you shut your eyes and just listen. I don’t advise doing this while driving, but if you get the chance to throw some headphones on at home and digest the aural audacity, absolutely do it.
The rhythm section of Mike Brown on bass and Rob Soppitt behind the kit are nothing short of dynamic devastation. Punishing and downright pulverizing to their very core, the boys break it down and build it right the fuck back up again.
Uncompromisingly aggressive when all four are brought together.
Now, as I was saying before, vocalist Adam Fisher, or Fish as he’s known, seems to be able to channel Truth Corroded’s Jason North in a way only Fish could, while still bringing his own vigour and brutality throughout Headbore’s third full-length album, and first in nine years.
The, what I would call, slender man, seems to unleash his inner turbulence in a most venomous way.
The talent these five guys exude is limitless.
I couldn’t be happier to be the first person to review Branded, and hopefully this inspires a few more outlets to do the same.
The album crushes any and every expectation I may have had before listening. And upon re-listening, I found I loved it even more, and now it will continue in the rotation for the foreseeable months to come.
If the world is gonna come to an end, I might as well be listening to some killer metal while the sky is falling.
To my friends in Headbore, congratulations on such a fucking annihilating album in Branded. I’m amazed I’m the first to write… I hope the launch goes well! Haha, just kidding, the album is fucking killer!
To the readers, buy Headbore’s album Branded. And get out and catch them live. They’re as tight as an ant’s asshole in the best way.
In a couple of months, they share the stage with Australia’s almighty Mortal Sin and SA’s marquee thrashers Hidden Intent, with up-and-comers Broken Loose opening the evening this coming June.
It truly would be a crime to miss it.
Order the album on CD here: http://www.HEADBORE.com
