Metalcore Band Find Musical Inspiration In The Heartbreak of Addiction

Those Left Behind prove that heavy music can still harbour sensitivity with their new single Ouroboros.

Releasing on all streaming platforms on November 27th, the track owes its name to the ancient symbol of a serpent eating its own tail, representing the neverending cycle of destruction and rebirth. 

“We wrote Ouroboros after experiencing the painful reality of a close friend battling addiction,” explains frontman Timmy B. “It’s a song about the betrayal that comes when someone you care about chooses their addiction over their relationships, and how it feels like you’re stuck in an endless loop of pain, trying to hold on but knowing you’re being consumed in the process. The ouroboros symbol represents the toxic cycle that can feel impossible to break.”

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The Adelaide-based post-hardcore band, formed in 2018, have established themselves as a mainstay of the heavy scene - and this new single further solidifies their position. Ouroboros boasts the band’s characteristic gothic, screamy vocals, manic drumbeat, and aggressive, flailing guitar. The music is devilish and brain-melting, but the sentiment is important. Heavy music seems to be a healthy outlet for the feelings of anguish and betrayal that can arise when a close friend is struggling with self-destructive tendencies.

Those Left Behind have two upcoming shows where Ouroboros can be experienced live.

The band will be playing at the Woodshed in Royal Park on December 1st, alongside Life Pilot, Shadow Monarchy, and When Silence Breaks.

They will also be playing on January 18th 2025, at I’M NOT A BURDEN, the all-ages, all-day event of live music and tattoos dedicated to raising awareness for those suffering with mental health conditions.

Ouroboros is streaming everywhere now.