Sunk Loto have launched the next phase of their comeback with the release of Dead Shadows, the first new music from the Gold Coast alternative metal pioneers since 2024’s God Complex, alongside the band’s first official music video featuring the group since 2003.
by Paul Cashmere
Australian alternative metal veterans Sunk Loto have unveiled Dead Shadows, a new single that reconnects the band with the aggressive sound and emotional weight that first placed them at the forefront of the country’s heavy music movement in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
The release marks another significant chapter in the group’s ongoing revival following their 2022 reformation after a 15-year absence. Dead Shadows arrives ahead of a sold out east coast tour in August and also serves as the first music video to feature the band since the Between Birth And Death era more than 20 years ago.
Produced by Sunk Loto alongside respected Australian producer Forrester Savell, known for his work with Karnivool, Make Them Suffer and Animals As Leaders, the track pushes the band further into the darker and more technically refined territory they began exploring on their later recordings. Engineering duties were handled by Luke Palmer, whose credits include Dead Letter Circus, Boo Seeka and Jacob Lee.
The band said the new material grew naturally out of their reunion momentum following the 20th anniversary tour for Between Birth And Death in 2023.
“Following the Between Birth And Death 20 year anniversary tour in late 2023, we got back together early in 2024 with a handful of ideas that quickly turned into four new tracks, including Dead Shadows,” the band said.
“We headed into the studio with Forrester Savell to bring them to life soon after.”
The group also explained why Dead Shadows became the logical first release from the new sessions.
“Dead Shadows felt like the right first single after a few years away, it sits right in that space between where we’ve come from and where we’re heading, and it really lets Jas’ vocals shine.
“We’re looking forward to sharing some new music after 30 years as a band.”
Sunk Loto first emerged from the Gold Coast heavy music scene in 1997, originally forming under the name Messiah before changing identities ahead of signing with Sony Music Australia while still teenagers. At a time when international acts such as Korn, Deftones and Sevendust were reshaping alternative heavy music globally, Sunk Loto became one of Australia’s earliest and most commercially successful responses to the nu metal movement.
Their 1999 EP Society Anxiety introduced the band nationally and generated attention through tracks like Vinegar Stroke, eventually leading to appearances at Big Day Out, Homebake and Offshore festivals. The release also demonstrated the band’s ability to combine dense metal riffing with melodic vocal arrangements and hip-hop influenced rhythmic structures, a formula that separated them from many local contemporaries.
The debut album Big Picture Lies followed in 2000, peaking inside the ARIA Top 30. The record featured singles including Make You Feel and Sunken Eyes and arrived during a period when Australian labels were aggressively searching for homegrown heavy acts capable of crossing into international markets.
By the time Sunk Loto released Between Birth And Death in 2003, the band had evolved into a heavier and darker unit. Produced by Phil McKellar, the album charted across multiple ARIA categories and remains a defining release from Australia’s alternative metal era. Tracks such as Everything Everyway reflected a band moving beyond rap metal influences and towards a more emotionally layered and technically ambitious sound.
Industry shifts, management problems and changing audience trends eventually contributed to the band’s collapse in 2007. The Sony BMG merger resulted in Sunk Loto being dropped from the label during a difficult period for heavy rock acts internationally, while internal tensions and lineup changes accelerated the group’s split.
Their 2022 return arrived during a broader resurgence of interest in late 1990s and early 2000s heavy music, with legacy acts from the nu metal and alternative metal era finding renewed audiences through anniversary tours, streaming rediscoveries and younger fans exploring catalogues from the period.
The reformed lineup now features founding members Jason Brown, Dane Brown and Sean Van Gennip, alongside guitarist Rohan Stevenson of I Built The Sky, who joined following the departure of original guitarist Luke McDonald in 2023. Stevenson’s more progressive and technically expansive playing style is already evident throughout Dead Shadows, adding a sharper modern edge to the band’s established sound.
The timing of the release also underlines the continued commercial viability of Australian heavy music heritage acts. All three upcoming Sunk Loto shows in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne sold out quickly, suggesting the audience that supported the band two decades ago remains highly engaged while newer listeners continue discovering the catalogue through streaming platforms.
With Dead Shadows, Sunk Loto are not revisiting the past for nostalgia alone. The track positions the band as an active creative force again, building on the momentum established by 2023’s The Gallows Wait and 2024’s God Complex while hinting at a broader body of work still to come.
SUNK LOTO
DEAD SHADOWS TOUR
Tuesday 11 August, Brisbane, Crowbar SOLD OUT
Thursday 13 August, Sydney, Crowbar SOLD OUT
Friday 14 August, Melbourne, Corner Hotel SOLD OUT
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