Windwaker ProfileThe impending inaugural Hellbound Cruise has been hit with another line-up change.
Following the recent departures of In Hearts Wake and Northlane, Melbourne metalcore group Dream On Dreamer have joined this year’s cruise after fellow local heavy outfit Windwaker announced their withdrawal.
The news was shared on Hellbound Cruise’s social media pages today (13 October), with Windwaker saying their synths and samples player and production manager, Connor Robins, is stepping away from touring for the remainder of the year for health reasons.
As a result, Windwaker are now one member down and need to re-organise their shows.
“We’re sorry to announce that we will no longer be performing at Hellbound Cruise this year,” the band’s statement reads. “After two years of consistent and demanding touring, our Synths & Samples player and Production Manager, Connor Robins, has made the difficult decision to step away from performing for the remainder of the year to prioritise his health.”
The statement continued, “Connor plays a significant role not only on stage, but behind the scenes as part of our live production team. This means we need to make some changes to our touring and production setup to ensure we can continue delivering the shows we have planned for the rest of the year.
“We’re genuinely sorry to everyone who was looking forward to seeing us at Hellbound. We know a lot of you have already made plans around the cruise, and we don’t take the disappointment of a change to the lineup lightly.
“Thank you for your understanding and continued support while we work through this. Our remaining touring schedule is continuing as planned.”
The Hellbound team added, “Please be advised, WINDWAKER will no longer be performing on board our Hellbound 2026 maiden voyage, and wish band member Connor Robins good health and a speedy recovery.”
In a separate slide, the organisers said they appreciate punters’ understanding, with just nine days until the cruise sets sail. “It is now the final stages of completing your online check-ins, packing and preparing for an amazing heavy cruise experience,” they concluded.
After a hiatus in 2020, Dream On Dreamer returned in 2023, telling fans they’d continue as a band, but on a smaller scale.
Their reunion began with the tenth anniversary celebration of their second album, Loveless, and earlier this year, the band independently released their sixth album, Heavens, their first record since 2020’s What If I Told You It Doesn’t Get Better.
Windwaker have also been busy. Their forthcoming album, smile, you’re on camera, arrives on Friday, 23 October. Throughout this month and into November, they’re touring across Australia with The Pretty Wild (US) alongside RinRin and DREGG.
After Northlane and In Hearts Wake left this year’s Hellbound Cruise, Hands Like Houses and Sunk Loto joined the event.
In July, the Hellbound team announced that DREGG and Late 90s had joined the bill after Diamond Construct and The Beautiful Monument left the ship.
This year’s Hellbound Cruise marks the first time that a metal cruise has taken place on Australian shores. The boat — the Carnival Splendor — sets sail from Darling Harbour in Sydney on Thursday, 22 October, and returns on Sunday, 25 October.
The multi-day cruise, headlined by Parkway Drive, sold out in just seven minutes, marking the fastest sell-out in Choose Your Cruise’s 15-year history. A second edition of Hellbound will take place in early 2027.
