Melbourne metal band Frankenbok have revisited a song that helped shape guitarist Aaron Butler’s musical life, making the Hoodoo Gurus’ 1985 classic ‘Like Wow – Wipeout!’ the opening statement on their new album The Arriba War Honkle. The album has debuted at number five on the ARIA Australian Artist Chart, giving the release added significance during Australian Music Month.
by Paul Cashmere
For Frankenbok guitarist Aaron ‘Azza Bok’ Butler, ‘Like Wow – Wipeout!’ is more than a favourite Australian rock song. It is a piece of musical history that goes back to the days when a Walkman and a cassette tape first opened up the possibilities of playing music.
Butler was around 10 or 11 when his grandmother bought him a Walkman and a copy of the Hoodoo Gurus’ 1985 album Mars Needs Guitars!. The cassette became a constant companion, particularly while he was skating, and one song made a lasting impression.
“Like Wow! Wipeout has held a special place in my heart since I was a kid,” Butler says. “When I was around 10 or 11, my Nana bought me a Walkman and a cassette of Mars Needs Guitars! That tape barely left the player for the next couple of years as I skated and listened. The song lit something up inside me and inspired me to spend my life playing music.”
Decades later, Butler has brought that childhood inspiration into the music of the band he co-founded in Melbourne in 1997. Frankenbok have recorded their own interpretation of ‘Like Wow – Wipeout!’ and given it the prominent position of opening track on The Arriba War Honkle.
The decision initially required some convincing. When Butler first suggested covering the Hoodoo Gurus song, the response within Frankenbok was mixed. Once the band began working on its heavier interpretation, however, the idea quickly gained momentum.
“When I first mentioned the idea to the rest of the band, there were mixed reactions,” Butler explains. “But once we started working on it and putting our own spin on it, everyone was pumped, and we decided to make it the opening track on our record.”
For Butler, placing the song first was an important part of the tribute.
“It felt right to cover such an iconic Australian song that so many people know and love. We genuinely wanted to pay tribute to the Hoodoo Gurus while putting our own spin on it. Opening an album with a cover might be a little unusual, but for us, it felt right.”
The original ‘Like Wow – Wipeout!’ has its own interesting history. Released in October 1985, it became the second single from Mars Needs Guitars! and one of the defining recordings of the Hoodoo Gurus’ early catalogue.
Written by Dave Faulkner, the song was initially recorded as a B-side. Producer Charles Fisher recognised its potential and argued for it to be included on the album. The band’s noisy, unconventional rock song subsequently became a significant Australian hit, reaching number 16 on the Australian singles chart.
Faulkner later recalled that the band liked the song simply because it was noisy. That quality makes the connection with Frankenbok particularly appropriate. The Melbourne band’s music has always embraced weight, volume and a willingness to push conventional rock structures into heavier territory.
Frankenbok formed in 1997 around Butler and original vocalist Adam ‘Hutch’ Glynn. Across almost three decades, the band has developed a distinctive combination of groove metal, thrash influences and irreverent Australian humour, navigating changing line-ups and the shifting fortunes of the heavy music scene.
Glynn returned to the band in 2024, reuniting with Butler. The current line-up also features drummer Tom Rossell and bassist Owen Spratling, bringing the group together for the recording of The Arriba War Honkle.
The album’s number five debut on the ARIA Australian Artist Chart provides another milestone for a band that has maintained its identity outside the mainstream music spotlight. It also gives the Hoodoo Gurus connection a broader context, linking an influential Australian rock recording from 1985 with a Melbourne metal band continuing to make new music in 2026.
Australian Music Month provides an appropriate occasion for that connection to be recognised. The Frankenbok version is a tribute to the original recording, but it also tells a personal story about how Australian music can influence the next generation of musicians.
For Butler, the significance is particularly direct. The song that played repeatedly through his headphones as a young skateboarder has now become the first sound listeners hear when they put on his band’s latest album.
“Some songs stay with you for life, and this one still lights something up in my soul,” he says.
The official video for Frankenbok’s ‘Like Wow – Wipeout!’ is available now, alongside the album The Arriba War Honkle.
The band will take the new music on the road, with performances scheduled in Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane.
Frankenbok tour dates
Saturday 14 November 2026, Melbourne, The Graveyard Bar
Saturday 16 January 2027, Adelaide, Scorched Earth, Uni Bar
Saturday 13 February 2027, Brisbane, Munk and Petal Festival
Tickets and further information: https://www.frankenbok.net/shows
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