Northlane Pull Out Of Hellbound Cruise Line-up As Sunk Loto Step In

Mary Varvaris

The inaugural Hellbound Cruise, headlined by Parkway Drive and showcasing a huge line-up of Australian heavy music, sets sail in October.

Northlane(Credit: Kane Hibberd)

Northlane

Australian metal outfit Northlane have announced that they’ll no longer be appearing on this year’s Hellbound Cruise line-up, citing changes in schedule relating to their forthcoming album, Anemoia, and their just-announced national headline tour.

The news was confirmed in a post shared by the Hellbound Cruise account on social media, which included Northlane’s statement on the matter and the band who would replace them at sea.

Sunk Loto have now joined the line-up, fresh off a sold-out East Coast tour in support of their new single, Dead Shadows, with more new music on the way.

In a statement shared on social media today (14 August), Northlane said of their departure from the cruise, “Since joining the line-up over a year ago, the plans surrounding our forthcoming album have changed significantly.”

They continued, “We want the live introduction of Anemoia to be a defining moment for Northlane. With our Australian headline tour fast approaching, we need to prioritise the time and preparation required to deliver those shows, and the next chapter of Northlane, at a new standard.

“We’re sorry to everyone who was looking forward to seeing us onboard, and we appreciate your understanding.”

Last month, 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, In Hearts Wake, Bloom, Future Static, and many others.