The nation's largest metal festival, Canberra's Metal For The Brain, will stage its fifteenth and final instalment this year.
The festival debuted in 1991 as a six band benefit show set up by Canberra metallers Armoured Angel to raise money for good friend Adam Hurley who suffered a brain injury while trying to stop a fight outside a Canberra nightclub. Over its fifteen years, the festival has raised thousands for Hurley, increased awareness about acquired brain injuries and certainly garnered much goodwill for the metal community.Armoured Angel disbanded in 1996, passing the handling of the festival to legendary Canberra death metallers Alchemist (who played on the very first year). Metal For The Brain came to host every significant metal band in the nation, showcasing almost 40 bands in 2001 before being cancelled in 2002 due to the public liability insurance crisis.
Organisers stated that the annual festival is being halted due to the risk of costs and expenses, which have been building for years. The final Metal For The Brain will be staged at the University Of Canberra on November 4 2006. The line-up will include I Killed The Prom Queen, Blood Duster, Frankenbok, Captain Cleanoff, Dreadnaught, Alarum, US band Skinless and more than 30 other bands.
