Synthetic Breed
| Industry | Music |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2002 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Products | Music albums, extended plays |
Synthetic Breed was an Australian heavy metal ensemble established in 2002 in Melbourne, Victoria. The lineup prominently featured Jonas Bahlo on bass and backing vocals, Callan Hughes as lead vocalist, Daniel Luttick on drums, and Vincent Zylstra handling lead guitar and backing vocals. Their discography includes two studio albums: Catatonic released in April 2008, and Perpetual Motion Machine which came out in October 2010.
History
Originating as a four-member industrial death metal outfit, Synthetic Breed initially consisted of Vincent Zylstra and Reza Nasseri on lead guitars, Jonas Bahlo playing bass, and Mark Condello providing lead vocals. Drumming duties were intermittently filled by Nick Bose, who did not appear in live performances. By March 2004, Daniel Luttick had taken over as the drummer. After a short period performing with Condello, Callan Hughes stepped in as the lead singer in April 2005. The band notably supported the Swedish metal act Arch Enemy during their tour across Australia.
In November 2005, the group released their second extended play titled Fractured. Critics characterized their sound as both intense and meticulously crafted. Following their participation at Germany's With Full Force Festival in 2006, Reza Nasseri departed and was succeeded by guitarist Darcy Mildren.
Their debut full-length album, Catatonic, was launched in April 2008 through Faultline Records. Reviews highlighted a progression towards richer melodic content and more complex vocal harmonies compared to their prior EPs. Later that year, Mildren exited the band, reverting Synthetic Breed to a quartet.
The sophomore album, Perpetual Motion Machine, arrived in October 2010 amid a period of reduced live activity. It garnered favorable critiques that emphasized its unique sound relative to their first album. In 2011, the band toured Australia to promote this release. During this tour, both Bahlo and Hughes left the lineup and were replaced by Luke Thiel on bass and Mares Refalaeda as vocalist. Refalaeda contributed as co-writer to the track "Zero Degrees Freedom" featured on their May 2012 EP bearing the same name.
By early 2012, Synthetic Breed had secured a contract with an American record label, reissued their initial two albums for the US market, and conducted extensive touring throughout Australia. However, mid-2012 saw the departure of Thiel and Refalaeda; by September of that year, Bahlo and Hughes had rejoined the band.
Work on a third studio album commenced in 2013 but no further developments were reported after early 2014. Around mid-2014, Zylstra embarked on a collaborative venture called Project Rogue – Titans, funded through crowdfunding efforts. Meanwhile, Jonas Bahlo shifted his career towards teaching English and German at secondary schools in Melbourne. By 2015, Mares Refalaeda had taken on the role of vocalist and keyboardist for Sydney-based death metal group Rise of Avernus.
Members
- Mark Condello – vocals (2002–04)
- Reza Nasseri – guitar (2002–06)
- Vincent Zylstra – guitar, backing vocals (2002–14)
- Jonas Bahlo – bass guitar, backing vocals (2002–10, 2012–14)
- Nick Bose – drums (2002–04)
- Daniel Luttick – drums (2004–14)
- Callan Hughes – lead vocals (2005–11, 2012–14)
- Darcy Mildren – guitar (2006–08)
- Mares Refalaeda – lead vocals (2011–12)
- Luke Thiel – bass guitar (2011–12)
Extended plays
- Synthetic Breed (2003)
- Synthetic Breed (Redux edition, 2007)
- Fractured (November 2005)
- Fractured (Redux edition, 2007)
- Formulated Chaos (2013)
Live and compilation albums
- With Full Force 2006 – Live in Germany (2007)
- Convergence (Compilation album, 2011)
- Zero Degrees Freedom (Compilation EP, May 2012)
Studio albums
- Catatonic (April 2008), released through Faultline Records/AmpHead
- Perpetual Motion Machine (October 2010)