If You Haven't Been To A Hellions Show, You Should Fix That Immediately

Hardcore punk heroes Hellions are exceptionally in-demand dudes these days, having put out three awesome albums in the past four years and garnered a sizeable and dedicated following along the way.

With a seven-date national tour on the cards throughout this April and May (on the heels of an international jaunt through the UK, which they knocked over throughout February), there's never been a better time to get on board with the band and their brand of hectic, hard-as-nails riffery and frenetic live shows.

If you've not yet acquainted yourself with the well-regarded Sydneysiders, let us break down some specifics as to why you should do whatever you can to amend that as soon as possible.

They're More Accessible Than You Think

We know, we know — you hear the word "hardcore" and you immediately think of impenetrable walls of deathly screams, impossibly distorted guitars and an outrageous amount of double-kicked bass drum — but it's never wise to judge a book by a single term on its cover.

In fact, over the course of their three albums, Hellions — who signed with celebrated heavy label UNFD ahead of their debut album, 2013's Die Young — have consistently improved their commercial results, first cracking the top 20 with 2015's Indian Summer (peaked at #19) before smashing through the top five with 2016's acclaimed full-length Opera Oblivia, which decimated expectations to land at #4 upon its release.

They Delve Deeper Than Most Of Their Peers

Of course, chart results aren't the sole, or even most major, indicator of a band's overall excellence, but the proof is undeniable: on Opera Oblivia in particular, the band's deft balance of chug-n-shred-filled guitar, innate aggression, intelligent lyrics, soaring melodies, fist-pump-worthy choruses, powerful, punchy arrangements and fundamental technicality earned them a result that is usually only reserved for artists with the capacity to meaningfully reach great numbers of people, and paints a picture of a band with far more to offer than most people would think.

In keeping with that undeniable depth of sound, it's fitting that its scope digs into sometimes harrowing territory, and it's clear that the album is the product of much thought and consideration. As guitarist and vocalist Matthew Gravolin has previously explained, the creative process even entailed three hours of listening to interviews with victims who were sexually abused by Catholic priests, an exercise he described as "soul-shattering".

"It was really hard for us," Gravolin said. "But I think the product is worth it because people are aware; these voices are being heard in an area they haven't been heard before."

They're Only Getting Stronger As Songwriters

Given the band's willingness to go the extra mile creatively, and their evident dissatisfaction with settling for the easy route, it's little surprise that their oeuvre has continued to generate increasingly receptive responses from critics and fans alike. Following on from their well-received but (forgivably) imperfect debut — hey, we all start somewhere — follow-up album Indian Summer was lauded for its considerable "variation and dynamic range" as well as its melange of "traditional hardcore songs, contemporary fusions and almost-monolithic experimentations".

With Opera Oblivia, Hellions have transcended all previous efforts to earn uniformly growing praise for "an album drenched in drama, lyrically, musically and emotionally". Impressively, among the record's "rampant rhythms, joyous gang vocals, gutsy chugs, sombre symphonic motifs and restrained angst", enticing and infectious as it is, the band refuse to let the listener — or themselves — ever truly get comfortable, and there could be no greater indication that this is a band wholly dissatisfied with the notion of merely resting on their laurels or going through the motions.

The Rest Of The World Is Cottoning On

As mentioned, Hellions have literally just wrapped up an eight-show sojourn around the United Kingdom. The fact that they're a heavy band buoyed by an alternative culture hasn't remotely impacted their ability to find a vociferous international audience, and time is running out — really, has already run out — on the period during which you could claim to have "been there back when" they were an emergent act, especially in a local sense.

And, boy, those international outings have been enthusiastically received by the British punters who attended the shows; the band's Facebook page is now strewn with effusive and awestruck comments from UK fans about the Aussies' recent string of performances. It's now a matter of when, not if, the US sits up and takes notice and really kicks things into overdrive for this most-deserving band.

They're Simply Incredible Live

Simply put, if Hellions weren't an exceptionally talented and tight live band, they wouldn't have risen to the heights we've seen them hit over the past four years. Their intense, energetic live shows have seen them outstrip their humble origins to have appeared on festival bills and in high-profile support roles, the group having further refined their gigging skills and showmanship with a headline tour in August last year.

At the time, they were described as being "at base camp … about to fly to the top of the mountain", and it's safe to say that, following their jaunt in the UK, they're well placed to have capitalised on their growing experience and renown to have demonstrably ascended even further as performers and artists in time to blow their home-country audience away on their impending national run.

Are they perfect? No, of course not — lyrics go missing, things go wrong, that's (live) entertainment — but there's a wonderful sense of passionate yet controlled chaos that runs through this band's veins, and their performances are all the more memorable for whatever off-book moments do manifest throughout. Don't just take our word for it — check out the clip below.

Hellions kick off their upcoming national tour at the Oxford Art Factory at home in Sydney on Saturday 22 April. Additional dates are locked in for Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Canberra and Melbourne.

See theGuide for all the details.