DEVOLVED

John Sankey (drums); Brett Noordin (vocals, guitar); Mark Walpole (guitar); Wayde Dunn (bass)

Very heavy Brisbane band featuring tight, mechanical Fear Factory-type drumming. The band's self-financed album features imagery and lyrical content that draws inspiration from the cyber-metal field, but Devolved's music is more of a crunching style of very heavy and frantic metal with stop-start staccato riffs enhanced with electronics that has been compared by some to early Damaged. Bassist Joel Graham was replaced by Leighton Kearns in mid-2001. Devolved was voted Australian Metal Band of the Year by both listeners and staff of Triple J radio in 2001. Kearns left Devolved in early 2002 and was replaced by Wayde Dunn from Sunshine Coast death metal band Excruciate. Devolved toured extensively through the UK and Europe in 2002. Amazingly, Carpenter was sacked after only a few shows of the tour and Noordin and Dunn took over vocal duties for the remainder of the dates. After returning to Australia, Devolved toured nationally with Japanese metalcore act Suns Owl; Carpenter sang lead vocals at some of these shows. The "Automation 001" EP was meant to be the first of three released the same year but Carpenter's dismissal sank the idea. Devolved has been working on new material for much of 2003; drummer Sankey has also been involved in a recording project with former Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares.

Discography:

Automation 001 (EP) (self release) 2002

John Sankey (drums, samples)
Brett Noordin (guitar)
Mark Walpole (guitar)
Nik Carpenter (vocals)
Wayde Dunn (bass, effects)

Technologies (self release) 2001

John Sankey (drums, samples, effects)
Brett Noordin (guitar)
Mark Walpole (guitar)
Nik Carpenter (vocals)
Joel Graham (bass)
  1. Distorted
  2. Supremacy
  3. Progress
  4. Second Face
  5. Adapt
  6. Fallen Cities
  7. Aversive Control
  8. Functional Conflict
  9. Emergence

Compilation track: Supremacy -- Metal for the Brain XI (Metal for the Brain) 2001

Compilation track: Progress -- Full Metal Racket (ABC/EMI) 2002

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This page is part of The Australian Metal Guide