In Hearts WakeByron Bay metalcore outfit In Hearts Wake have dropped off the Hellbound Cruise line-up, ahead of the inaugural heavy metal cruise setting sail in October.
In a statement posted on social media this afternoon, the band said that due to an “unexpected family situation,” they need to “remain present at home” with their loved ones over the next few months. Because of those developments, they’ve made the difficult decision to withdraw.
“We’re sorry to announce that In Hearts Wake will no longer be appearing on the Hellbound Cruise,” their statement began.
It continued, “Due to an unexpected family situation, we need to remain present at home with our loved ones for the next few months. We always put 100% into our live show, and preparing for an upcoming festival with multiple days away at sea is just not possible at this time. So unfortunately, we have made the difficult decision to withdraw.
“We’re incredibly sorry to everyone who was looking forward to seeing us onboard, and we appreciate your understanding that right now our family has to come first. We’ll see you in 2027 stronger than ever.”
It’s not all bad news, however. Canberra alt-rockers Hands Like Houses have replaced In Hearts Wake on the line-up.
In Hearts Wake’s withdrawal follows the departure of Northlane from the line-up, announced last month. They were replaced by Aussie alt-metallers Sunk Loto.
Northlane left the bill, citing schedule changes related to their forthcoming album, Anemoia, and their recently announced national headline tour.
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 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.
Headlined by Byron Bay metal titans Parkway Drive — leading both editions of the cruise — this year’s Hellbound also features bands including Polaris, The Butterfly Effect, Make Them Suffer, Bloom, Future Static, and many others.
