Brutally heavy Illawarra metallers Graves have announced one last hurrah.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The band undertook a farewell tour late last year, which included a show at Wollongong's Rad Bar.
However, guitarist and Shellharbour Village resident Shaun O’Brien said they wanted to afford their home-town fans a more fitting farewell.
Therefore, they'll perform their final show, a Licensed All Ages gig at Towradgi Surf Club on Sunday, July 1.
“The band finished pretty abruptly; just prior to that farewell tour our vocalist Rhys (Benn) told us that he couldn't continue on with the band any more,” O’Brien said.
“He said he wanted to focus more on his family life.
“Also where he was financially, he couldn't really continue on with it... And we were all in a relatively similar situation when it comes to the financial side of things.”
When other members also indicated that they wanted to leave, the band collectively decided to call it a day.
“It sucks, but we did that last tour,” O’Brien, 26, said.
“We’re all still really good mates; we didn’t end it on bad terms or anything. I’m pretty stoked to play one last show at home.”
Initially all five band members hailed from the Illawarra, although later line-ups also featured personnel from Nowra and Newcastle.
O’Brien previously described their sound to the Mercury as “a mixture of deathcore, metalcore, nu-metal and hardcore”.
Graves released debut album Monster in October 2016 via Melbourne-based label Greyscale Records.
Monster debuted at No.29 on the ARIA Charts.
The axeman said standout moments since forming in 2011 included tours with some of their favourite bands.
During the band’s career they opened for Byron Bay heavyweights Parkway Drive in Wollongong, and toured Australia with the likes of America’s Suicide Silence and Sydney’s Thy Art Is Murder.
However, he also said it was a thrill to know they had impacted their own fans’ lives.
“Between releasing music and touring there’s a lot of great moments that I’m very thankful for, and that I know the other boys are very thankful for as well,” he said.
“Some of the responses from people that have shared the event have told stories about how they met someone at a Graves show, or started a band because of Graves, which has been really cool to read.”
The University of Wollongong student is eyeing a career as a high school history teacher, but said he planned to continue playing music as a hobby in the future.
The farewell show kicks off at 3pm and will also feature Honest Crooks, Life's Ill, Under Miner and Napalm.
Read More: Thy Art is Murder headed to Wollongong