Nick Holmes, the stalwart gothic metal pioneer is a right ‘gobby’ bloke (for someone who's boring after three pints of lager, as described in his own self-deprecating Twitter bio) – it’s a requisite for the job as singer in the morose doom metal outfit Paradise Lost. In the early 1990s in Yorkshire, Paradise Lost seemingly channeled the lament of long-haired youth who were witnessing their metal greats blundering about aimlessly as grunge invaded the popular consciousness. In comparison, grunge’s flirtation with despondency was piecemeal in comparison to the UK doom scene’s dyed-in-the-wool, consummate romance with bleakness and sorrow.

Underoath and Dream on Dreamer have announced their much-anticipated Sidewave shows. Underoath will be touring off the back of their latest release Ø and as we know they have a reputation for adrenaline charged live performances. Dream on Dreamer was one of Australia’s biggest success stories in 2011 signing to Rise Records and released their stellar debut album Heartbound. Tickets go on sale 2nd Feb.

Looks like the weather isn't going to stop Brisbane's Laneway from going ahead, and rest assured music-goers will get their thrills from an array of amazing talents at this year's summer festivals! Here'e the latest festival news:

We have a pile of new live show announcements for you on this Friday, and we kick things off with three hotly anticipated Soundwave sideshows... for more details about these shows, head to the Soundwave Official Website.

Ahead of their tour here as part of the Soundwave Festival, I had a chat to Strung Out drummer Jordan Burns about the new year, Soundwave, Top Contenders and everything in between.

As you will read on, you'll find out that I can't categorise St. Alban's four-piece Enter Shikari at all. For a band who've been smashing stages worldwide since their first release Take To The Skies, they're still constantly adding and playing around with different musical elements which set them apart from their other post-hardcore counterparts.

Get ready for an amazing line-up of tours as Sidewaves announces acts including Devin Townsend, Angels & Airwaves, Raised Fist (Pictured), Unwritten Law and more!

It's been a bumper few weeks for Australian festivals and announcements; we've picked the cream of the crop so as not to leave you hanging! First off, we turn to the latest news from Heatwave Festival over the whole "D12 not showing up" thing...

There is no doubt that Chris Conley from Saves The Day is a man who wears his heart on his sleeve. His battle with deep complex emotions have been on display now for over fifteen years. The driving force behind the band talks to us in length about the importance of the recently completed trilogy of records, (2006’s Sound The Alarm, 2007’s Under The Boards and last years Daybreak ), his songwriting techniques and suggests that the band may have a surprise or two for us when they play Soundwave in February.

San Diego-based rockers Switchfoot are heading back to Australia, playing their own very special set of sideshows as well as joining the monster Soundwave 2012 bill!

With Soundwave only months away, I chat with Rena Lovelis, one fourth of L.A. rock band Cherri Bomb. Though they may be newcomers to Australia, Lovelis and her girls have been attracting the attention of rock fans in the U.S. and European markets, as well as iconic musicians including Billy Corgan and Dave Grohl.

We asked our contributors to share with us their favourite festivals of 2011. We collected the votes and these were their TOP FIVE touring festivals of 2011...

Sporting a bedraggled beard and fierce axe to stir the envy of Odin and his mighty sons, Zakk Wylde and his Black Label Society have knocked the paisley-mellow orthodoxy of metal virtuoso guitar on its ass; breathing nothing but fire and spittle while shredding up storms of fury throughout his colorful career. Mastering his craft since the age of fourteen, Wylde drops recondite phrases into his genre-spanning career just for kicks as enraptured, raw-throated crowds cheer on. Jetting into Australia for Soundwave, the confidante and doom-driven acolyte of Ozzy Osbourne shoots straight from the hip laying down some real talk for y’all about spirituality, strange times and the Shatner. You’d expect nothing less from the fearless leader of the famed Black Label Order, leading the wounded cult of rock n’ roll back into the darkness.

There is a new wave of artists that are constantly evolving and pushing the boundaries. A DAY REMEMBER are at the forefront of this uprising redefining a genre that was desperately seeking creativity,

The good news from the Soundwave camp keeps coming, with seperate sideshows announced for legendary Brit-rockers Bush and singer-songwriter Chris Carrabba’s vehicle Dashboard Confessional.

BUSH