With the Big Day Out announcing their 2013 lineup on Monday, which apart from headliners Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Killers, is a decidedly indie-centric lineup (including Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Vampire Weekend, Sleigh Bells, Animal Collective et al.), all eyes have turned to Soundwave to provide a fix of the harder, heavier side of the music world.

While Soundwave 2013’s bill is as-yet unannounced, there’s already been more leaks than the Titanic, with sludge metallers Kingdom Of Sorrow, post-hardcore act The Blackout and Cannibal Corpse side-project Six Feet Under, have all already been confirmed.

Toronto-bred hardcore act The Cancer Bats are also confirmed, following the announcement  that their earlier Australian tour in July was cancelled, a press release from the band rescheduled for confirming that the band will “instead return for Soundwave 2013 which means they will now be performing in all 5 state capitals.”

Many of the acts have been confirmed thanks to the surreptitious twittering of Soundwave promoter, AJ Maddah, whose social media feed has been the main source of info for Australia’s eminent hard and heavy rock festival.

The latest from Maddah’s twitter reveals that the BDO has provided the catalyst for an official Soundwave 2013 lineup announcement:

Considering tickets for the Big Day Out officially go on sale this Thursday, that would put an official announcement in early August sometime. But those auspicious enough to try and forecast those that’ll appear in the final booked lineup will probably find more than a clues by sifting through Maddah’s twitter feed. Don’t worry though, we’ve saved you the hassle.

Comments to a fan’s questions makes Machine Head sound like they could be in the running, if not for Soundwave, then potentially for an Australian tour, writing:

Before hyping up that there were “so many great tours coming up” and “not just” from Soundwave Touring.

Djent forerunners Periphery (who’s new album Periphery II is one of the year’s most diverse metal releases), could potentially be heading down also:

Blink 182 also seem likely contenders after drummer Travis Barker let slip that the punk trio are due in Australia next February, albeit “with a fill in drummer cause I don’t fly.” The heavily-tattooed sticksman has previously admitted that his flying phobia has been an obstacle to the band’s touring schedule ever since his miraculous escape from the airplane crash that claimed the lives of everyone on board bar him in 2008.

Given their Jack Black’s recent comments in foreign press about bringing Tenacious D back downunder (and our nation’s mutual love for the act), they could be likely for the bill also. Black saying, “nothing has been confirmed but we’d like to come down early next year, probably around February.” Which puts them – like Blink – in line with Soundwave 2013, while Maddah has said previously, that he “would consider The D” for the bill.

Rock veterans, The Cult may be a possibility, when we spoke to The Cult guitarist Billy Duffy,  he spoke of the possibility of taking their 30th Anniversary Electric tour to our shores. “We know that that would probably resonate pretty well in Australia,” said Duffy, adding that “I know that the Soundwave festival keeps asking us to come and play.”

At the slimmer end of the rumour mill, Triple M speculated that Linkin Park, DevilDriver & Godsmack are all ‘hot tips’, while whispers that Stone Sour are playing persist too; with other acts touted for the bill based on hints for Trivium, Papa Roach and Billy Talent.

While we there are just as many that Maddah has officially rejected from the Soundwave 2013 lineup (Re: Pearl Jam, Rammstein, Motley Crue, ) but – fingers crossed- we’ll have a much more solid announcement in two weeks time.

Watch this space…

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