The Berzerker

The Berzerker

The Berzerker are an extreme metal band from Melbourne, Australia, active from 1995 to the present. Their sound combines grindcore and death metal with industrial metal, speedcore and gabba, and founding member Luke Kenny describes it as industrial death metal. The band is listed as a group with a line-up including Luke Kenny, Sam Bean, Ed Lacey, Jason V, Gary Thomas, David Gray, Todd Hansen, Adrian Naudi and Matt Wilcock.

Style and recordings

The Berzerker’s music draws heavily on older death metal and grindcore, with industrial metal as a central part of the sound. They have released five full-length albums: The Berzerker, Dissimulate, World of Lies, Animosity and The Reawakening. The first four are released through Earache Records, while The Reawakening is released through Berserker Industries.

Live presentation and film

In the early part of their career as a live act, the band members appear on stage under roles such as The Vocalist, The Guitarist, The Bassist and The Drummer, and wear masks that distinguish them rather than individual identities. The group later abandons this approach. A DVD documentary, The Principles and Practices of The Berzerker, includes several hours of live concert footage and the first public images of the band without masks.

Broadcast controversy

Several of the band’s music videos are banned from broadcast. The video for “Forever” is described as possibly containing imagery that could induce epileptic fits, while “Reality” features graphic images of cadavers and body parts, along with appearances by the band.