Those Who Endure

There is a storm brewing in Queensland as a set of locals aim to take progressive black metal to the next level. That band is Those Who Endure, and they truly are something to behold. Anyone who has been to a Those Who Endure live-show will understand what the Queensland five-piece are trying to achieve. It’s an intense affair, with vocalist Pete Ball stalking the stage delivering his turn-on-a-dime vocal diatribes to a rapt audience, whipping them into a frenzy. Meanwhile, drummer Jason Lambeth and bass player Brendan Douglas are keeping the rhythms tight, complex and brutal, developing the structure for guitarists Chris Perkins and Kaleb Peleti to add their signature sounds. This is no ordinary metal show; this is a community, a shared intensity that no one is going to forget in a hurry. Having shared stages with the likes of For Today, Norma Jean, The Black Dahlia Murder and Australia’s own Mortification and Psycroptic, the boys in Those Who Endure have certainly learned from the best. But the intensity of TWE is not limited only to their live show. Whether on stage or on record, it is the lyrics and themes pursued by the TWE crew that really make them stand out. Ever since their debut release – the Arise, O Sleeper E.P., launched in 2009 – Those Who Endure have mined a rich, dark, intense thematic vein, adding a sumptuous depth to their work. Personal themes such as pride, hubris and the struggle of an individual to follow a path of integrity and honour are explored; then the focus shifts to wider themes as the band examine a fractured society and the state of humanity within the very soul of their music. Such heavyweight themes need a suitably cacophonous accompaniment, and TWE draw on a wide range of diverse influences to make this happen. Jason’s savage and relentless drumbeats underpin the structure, while a dark, discordant, down-tuned bassline from Brendan threads the whole thing together. Chris and Kaleb provide devastatingly heavy and complex guitar riffs, with Pete’s intense, challenging vocals overlaid on top. The result is a creation which is more than just the sum of its parts. Those Who Endure make thought-provoking, mosh inducing hardcore, inspired in equal parts by the internal struggle of the day-to-day and by the negativity we witness in the world around us. Influenced by some of the titans of different metal genre's in the USA, Europe and right here in Australia, TWE have flipped that template, creating a sound which is all their own; and an ethos which is unquestionably theirs. Progressive and brutal metal, from Southeast Queensland.