Presented By Realm Of Thorns Promotions & Black Roos
Rhino Room and Low Life Bar, Adelaide
May 23, 2026
Review by Liam “Mr Doom” Raven
Photo Gallery by Jai That Aussie Metal Guy for CRANNK
Metal United Down Under is an annual event built to unite local metal bands together, and on Saturday May 23, Adelaide got its dose of underground heaviness in a big way. Held across Rhino Room and Low Life Bar, MUDU Adelaide was spread over two stages and presented by Realm Of Thorns Promotions, run by Cindy and Ethan, who have become a well seasoned staple in the local metal community.
The event kicked off at 4pm and ran through until 11:30pm, bringing twelve bands together for one massive night of insanely good metal. For Adelaide, it was an absolutely awesome night.
I was sitting outside for a little while before doors and it was already beautiful mayhem. Vests, patches, smokes, people chatting, and that feeling that something heavy was about to go down. The atmosphere was great all around, and I was pumped to be there.
Once the doors opened, everyone started flooding downstairs into Low Life Bar. The lights were red, the music was pumping, and the whole place felt ready for war. The setup was perfect, and massive credit has to go to Realm Of Thorns Promotions. Truly magnificent work. We would not have had such an amazing event without them.
Asmodeus
Asmodeus opened the night as a one man band, setting the stage for everyone as the event kicked off. Ethan was heavy, bringing lyrics of hell while shredding his guitar straight apart. Each song told its own story, with bits and pieces being put together over his time with us.
Everyone in the room was watching with anticipation, keen and excited for the night ahead. We got an amazing start.
“Our Pain and Sorrow.”
Final Mourning
Double kicks and bass from the graveyard. Final Mourning thrashed into a heavy awakening. Such a strong band, twisting my face as soon as they started.
Their lyrics were awesome, with beauty in their own right and backed by skill and deep heavy metal force. With the scheduling, bands had a few minutes of layover time, and Final Mourning were legendary and respectful enough to wait through that layover. A very cool and energetic band.
A Murder Of Crows
Heavy, hair splitting, energetic and nuts. A Murder Of Crows were sick as hell. They had a unique sound with high screaming vocals and insane bass.
The crowd was wild as the band gave us a new song, putting soul behind their performance while absolutely grabbing the room by the throat. Super engaging and just fantastic. Epic work by Paul Russel.
PS, I ended up getting their last tin. What an honour!
Bong Coffin
This band is doom AF. Mystical and legendary, plus dripped the hell out. Are they priests or dark necromancers? Bong Coffin have that whole vibe, sending a message across the crowd while staying mysterious.
Heavy bass with deep meaning, this doom metal band is right up my alley. Guttural low screeches filled the room, with smoke rolling through the stage and crowd.
“The apocalypse waits for no one, except the guitarist…”
The long drone sound was just amazing. Maybe I can hire these lads to perform for my D&D sessions. Just an amazing deep dark vibe all around, keeping us on our feet with an edge.
Destruction Of The Healer
A rush of emotions rained over us immediately. Destruction Of The Healer were crazy and so unique in their skillsets and sound. A great mix of characters.
They were so heavy that I struggled to even write this without thrashing out. The lead singer got low, giving us a screech from hell and filling the room with nothing but excitement.
Their slow drop destroyed the room. Coming all the way from Sydney, they gave us an epic show.
Suspended Animation
Adrenaline and smoke kicked this band off with a big old bang. Suspended Animation had great crowd work, chatty and definitely inviting. Great lads for sure.
Heavy with a hint of melody and high pitch, yet that brutal bass hit your soul hard. The whole room was set into a fast paced mood, with exciting ups and downs that gave us crooked spines.
“War” was an amazing song. Heavy, of course, and it held a grip on us from their new EP.
Therein
So unique in character and sound, Therein had a crazy cool Space Jesus as their singer, with a really cool six string bass player.
Shredding a million over here, the band brought beautiful melody, giving me ethereal vibes and feels while still delivering heavy uncut slams to the face.
They brought such epic energy to the room, keeping the crowd on their toes while also gracing it with atmosphere.
Spacey yet thrashing, wicked all around. Space Jesus Cameron even spoke to me and had some funky sounds. Legends.
Impetus
Holy shit, epic in every stance. A crazy start with nothing but absolute follow up bangers. Aiden and his crew were wicked, and I had been keen for Impetus all night. What more could you need from a dripped out bassist, nuts guitarist, strong yet friendly frontman, and a fitting fast drummer?
They have a new album coming out this year, with more of a grindcore style that they teased at the festival. Super keen.
I had a few chats with the band members and they were so friendly. I am excited to see your other work down the line!
Project: Ultimate Satan
Themed and legendary. This band were wearing Cthulhu masks and robes, heavy but collected. The band were missing a few members for multiple reasons, however they still gave an absolute mental show.
The hints of piano brought a symphonic edge, and were so wicked and fit in every way. Their dual vocalists gave the set a different flavour and helped make the whole thing stand out.
The Canberra band had a long drive yet still pulled their riffs from hell and beyond. Fantastic work.
STOVED
This is no ordinary band. It is metal for all, with that pinpoint taste in unique style and feel. It is metal hardcore for stoners. The vibe was nuts and got everyone moving, with the lead singer going through the crowd. He even came up to me when I was in the back corner writing!
Not stoner metal per se, but absolutely stoner music. The beauty of the green lights illuminated the crowd and STOVED’s awesome huge banner. The green and purple colouring mixed so well. The sound felt familiar yet fresh to my ears. Dope as hell.
Sons Of Erebus
It was so epic to see these lads again. I saw them at the Dead By Daylight show some time ago, and they had a great turnout here, with music hitting personal spots for many.
Two guitarists, bass, wicked drums, and Paul doing a phenomenal job on the mic. The room was slam packed, and the air and area held a green light that fit the set well.
“We are the children of the unholy!”
The bassist walked through the crowd all menacingly, holding a tight grip and locking hard eyes on all that were brave enough to meet him. Just woah. It all ended nicely with the best encore.
Hell Machine
My god, what a great finish for the night. Double kick and bass, how sick. The two man band were awesome.
Not only are these lads cool in their own right, they have what looks like a brotherly bond that keeps them smashing forward in their twisted ways. Drums shook the room, with the bass and lyrics ripping us apart in a loud rumble.
Dave, the frontman, may say they come from the Northern Territory or live in Adelaide, but as far as I am concerned, it is Hell. By the second song, everyone was moving and going mental. For me, it was how they really nailed that 80s thrash style. Wicked.
Final Thoughts
All good things come to an end eventually, however that does not mean our soul splitting bands are gone for good. Realm Of Thorns Promotions really captured the underground metal scene in Adelaide all around, so another massive shout out to them.
I really cannot capture in words how big this event was for everyone. It was truly a metal as fuck show that brought everyone together for a well awaited night.
It was good to finally meet everyone and be a part of greatness. It was awesome to get on the ground and review an event at this scale.
I hope to see you all out there.
May The Riffs Guide You,
Mr Doom, Out.
