Written By Tom Wilke
Most bands want to entertain you. Awful Noise would probably prefer to leave psychological damage.
Since erupting from the Brisbane/Ipswich underground in 2017, the Australian deathgrind outfit has built its reputation on blast beats, bile, and a complete disregard for good taste.
Their music is ugly, abrasive, darkly funny, and entirely intentional. One minute they’re taking aim at mainstream culture, the next they’re laughing at humanity’s collective collapse.
Along the way, they’ve shared stages with grindcore royalty including Napalm Death, Pig Destroyer, and Rotten Sound while carving out their own niche in Australia’s extreme underground.
With a Japan tour looming, a new single titled “Snuff Film Superstar” on the way, and no interest whatsoever in softening their approach, Awful Noise remain true to form.
In this Awful Noise interview, Metal Lair’s Tom Wilke caught up with vocalist and bassist Lindon Arthurs to discuss the band’s origins, songwriting philosophy, Australia’s underground scene, and why slowing down doesn’t appear to be part of the plan.
Inside Awful Noise: Lindon Arthurs on Deathgrind and Australia’s Underground Metal Scene
Metal Lair: For those hearing about Awful Noise for the first time, how would you describe the overall theme?
Lindon: Callous and unrelenting deathgrind. Our theme is pretty typical of grind, lots of dark humour and plenty of jabs at the expense of mainstream media, society, the music industry and people in general
Metal Lair: Has this always been the focus? Has it gone through changes or progression, or have you always known what you wanted to portray in a band?
Lindon: It would have been a lot more straightforward grind and very silly humour but once the lineup got cemented so did the music and themes. Lots of the joke songs also just didn’t last the test of time
Metal Lair: Do you have a song in particular you’d like us to share with the audience?
Lindon: Mr. Type A Personality
Metal Lair: Which bands do you believe had the most influence on Awful Noise and on you as an artist? Do those same influences spill over into your vocal style as well?
Lindon: Pig Destroyer, Napalm Death and Rotten Sound and we’ve had the pleasure of sharing the stage with all 3 bands.
Also lots of love to Nasum, Benighted & Abaddon Incarnate. Vocally yes but I also draw influence from lots of brutal death and deathcore. Travis from Cattle Decapitation, Guy from The Red Chord etc and even just love the brutality of bands like Defeated Sanity and Wormed
Metal Lair: Care to tell us a few things about the band’s origin story?
Lindon: So it started with our OG bass player Brady posting in a chat that he was keen to do grind, I’ve always been a bassist but wanted to do vocals on a grind band so jumped in on that.
Soon afterwards our original drummer Pete had put out that he was keen to jam with us and Chris from Those Who Endure had informed me of his desire to play grind. Snowballed from there.
We announced our first show as a support band for Ireland’s Abaddon Incarnate in 2017 and just kept playing shows
Metal Lair: You personally juggle quite a bit, running around south east Queensland all this time with your band as a frontman and bassist, your label Infinite Regress Records, your events management group Ungreatful Dead Promotions, your job, and even a little stand-up comedy. How do you keep it going? How do you even find the energy?
Lindon: Haha great question, I had a massive sugar addiction at one point but the older you get the worse that is for you. IRR is sorta back, just a bit of fun.
I’ve stopped doing FULL BLOWN gigs as UDP as running gigs as frequently as I was, just didn’t work for me financially and mentally, occasional bookings for now.
I do have a post-metal band in the works too, seriously what the hell is wrong with me haha. Will get back into comedy, miss doing that. Life gets busy
Metal Lair: Do you have any songs from earlier in your career that you’d like to see listeners rediscover?
Lindon: Chelsea Smiles for the Camera and Born With Sewn Shut Eyes definitely.
Metal Lair: Are you guys recording a new album at the moment?
Lindon: Nah just writing nowadays. We have a lot of songs near completion but we make it a habit to not rush material, it may be grind but doesn’t mean we can’t have a song writing conscious.
We did do drums for our next single “Snuff Film Superstar“. Once we do our tour we will continue recording that one
Metal Lair: What would you say is the driving force behind the new songs you’re working on?
Lindon: Putting out tunes we would like to both hear as fans and as musicians
Metal Lair: Congratulations on your upcoming Japan tour by the way, how are you feeling about that? How do you think you guys’ll be received over there?
Lindon: Thanks man we’re pretty chuffed about it. Since the new line-up was locked in we’ve been talking about doing Japan. Lots of sick death, grind, thrash, hardcore etc coming from there so I’m sure we’ll smash it
Metal Lair: Before we go, is there anything else you’d like to mention to fans?
Lindon: Stay tuned, we’re working with veteran grind band GATE and the Japan tour isn’t the only thing in works, stay tuned on our socials.
A massive thank you to Lindon for taking the time to chop it up with us. Whether he’s fronting a deathgrind onslaught, plotting an impending sonic assault on Japan, or joking about his own relentless multi-tasking, the man is a testament to the work ethic keeping the Australian heavy underground alive and screaming.
With “Snuff Film Superstar” on the tracking block, a post-metal project brewing, and a mysterious collaboration with grind veterans GATE in the works, Awful Noise is primed to leave a massive crater in 2026. Do your ears a favor: dive into their brutal back catalog, gear up for their next live destruction, and support independent extreme music.
Run through the links below to connect with the band, snag some merch, and blast their discography until your neighbors call the cops.
Awful Noise Line – up:
Chris Perkins – Guitars
Lindon Arthurs – Lead Vocals, bass
Marco Foxlee – Drums, Vocals
Ali Tekesin – Guitars, vocals
FOLLOW AWFUL NOISE ONLINE
About The Author
Tom Wilke is a music journalist, casual rhythm guitarist and Metal Lair ambassador based in Brisbane, Australia. He was once a member of the ‘All Things Metal’ inner circle, a once great metal journalism group that was slain by Zucc, eater of worlds, and rose from the ashes to become Metal Lair.
Tom’s been involved in the Brisbane metal scene since 2012 doing occasional roadie work, helping friends with song writing and getting rowdy in the moshpit. After taking a break from music to focus on other things, Tom joined the Metal Lair team in 2023 and now you can find him interviewing bands for us on zoom, writing reviews for gigs and festivals, networking and doing a little photography on the side.
Tom’s top 5 bands:
Cattle Decapitation
Gojira
Revocation
Skeletonwitch
The Acacia Strain
See More From This Author:
Werewolves Interview – Sam Bean Talks Rage, Nihilism, and the 10 Albums in 10 Years Mission
Metal Lair Interviews Travis Everett of Witchgrinder
Metal Lair Interviews Lyn Jeffs of Ingested, New Vocalist Brutal New Era
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