Twelve Foot Ninja
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2007 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Headquarters | Melbourne , Australia |
| Products | Music albums, extended plays |
Twelve Foot Ninja is a heavy metal group originating from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Their first full-length album, Silent Machine, debuted in 2012. The band members consist of Kin on vocals, Russ handling drums, Stevic as lead guitarist, and Rohan playing rhythm guitar. In 2014, they earned the Best New Talent award at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards and secured two audience-choice accolades from SiriusXM's Liquid Metal in 2013. Notably, they hold the world record for the most crowdfunded music video project. During their inaugural European headline tour in April 2017, five out of seven shows across the UK were sold out. Midway through 2022, the band announced an "indefinite hiatus," yet collaborated with former vocalist Nik Barker on an acoustic album titled Mutant Dreams and Face Transplants: An Acoustic Experience, which was released on 11 July 2024. On the day of this album's launch, the group declared their official disbandment.
2007–2011: Formation and Early EP Releases
Established in 2007 by guitarist Stevic Mackay, Twelve Foot Ninja introduced their first EP, New Dawn, in 2008. The track "Dark Passenger" reached number one on Triple J Unearthed, leading to supporting gigs and an appearance at Sydney's Come Together Festival.
Their follow-up EP, Smoke Bomb (2010), was self-produced by Stevic Mackay in his Melbourne home studio. Mixing duties were handled by Hadyn Buxton (known for work with Trial Kennedy and Jonesez), while mastering was completed by Howie Weinberg—renowned for collaborations with Deftones, Nirvana, and Jeff Buckley—at Masterdisk in New York City. The EP featured guest performances from Bär McKinnon of Mr. Bungle on saxophone and Ollie McGill from Cat Empire on keyboards.
2012–2015: Release and Impact of Silent Machine
November 2012 saw the release of their debut studio album, Silent Machine. The lead single "Mother Sky" premiered on Triple J's Home & Hosed blog on 24 August, followed by the second single "Coming for You" on 2 November. Each song was paired with a comic series illustrated by UK artist Keith Draws and co-written by Steve "Stevic" Mackay. These comics narrate a story about a ninja striving to restore equilibrium amid an apocalyptic setting and were later compiled into a 72-page volume.
In early 2013, Twelve Foot Ninja embarked on their first headline tour across Australia, achieving sold-out shows in every capital city. That May, they successfully crowdfunded a music video for "Ain't That a Bitch" via Pozible, an Australian platform; this video portrays a revenge tale centered on an internet troll.
From October to November 2013, the band toured Europe and North America for the first time. Their London performance at Camden Barfly sold out three weeks ahead of schedule, and at Euroblast in Cologne they ranked second in merchandise sales after headliners Meshuggah. They also supported progressive metal act Periphery during their 2013 US/Canada tour. In May 2014, Twelve Foot Ninja returned to North America for their initial headline tour and appeared at prominent AEG festivals such as Rock on the Range, Carolina Rebellion, Welcome To Rockville, and Rocklahoma. Additionally, they were invited to perform at the Sunset Sessions rock radio conference held in San Diego.
In July 2014, "Coming for You" was promoted to US Active Rock radio stations and peaked at number 45 on the chart. Its music video has accumulated over 4.1 million views on YouTube, with total channel views surpassing 10 million. From October through December 2014, the band toured the US once more as support for In This Moment.
2016–2019: Outlier
In November 2015, Twelve Foot Ninja revealed they were working on their sophomore album, aiming for a release by the end of 2016, and shared an early track titled "One Hand Killing." To support the album's production and pre-orders, they initiated a PledgeMusic campaign. Vocalist Nik Barker explained that this new record builds upon the foundation laid by Silent Machine but shifts focus more towards songwriting rather than relying heavily on riffs.
On 19 July 2016, the band announced the album's name as Outlier, which was officially released on 26 August 2016. The album achieved impressive chart success, entering at number one on the Australian 100% Independent Album chart, number two on the ARIA Australian Artist Chart, and securing the sixth spot on the overall ARIA chart. In the United States, it attained position 15 on Billboard’s Alternative Rock chart and climbed to number three on Billboard’s Heatseeker chart. Notably, Disturbed personally chose Twelve Foot Ninja to open for their Australian tour in 2016.
Between April and May 2017, Twelve Foot Ninja embarked on their inaugural headline tour across Europe, selling out five out of seven shows in the UK and drawing significant crowds in countries including Holland, Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Spain, and Italy. Later, in July 2017, they announced the Monsoon Tour encompassing Europe, India, and Nepal, featuring headline performances at notable events such as Euroblast Festival in Cologne and Silence Festival in Kathmandu.
In 2019, longtime bassist Damon McKinnon parted ways with the group.
2020–2024: Vengeance, Nik "Kin" Barker’s exit, hiatus and dissolution
On 27 May 2021, Twelve Foot Ninja unveiled a music video for "Long Way Home," promoting it as part of an upcoming album expected later that year. This was followed by the release of their second single "Start the Fire" on 9 July 2021 and a third single "Over and Out" on 9 September 2021.
Their album Vengeance was launched in October 2021 and debuted at number 20 on the ARIA charts.
On 17 December 2021, lead vocalist Nik Barker announced his intention to leave the band by late 2022 after completing a final Australian tour and once a new singer had been secured. Concurrently, the band revealed plans for a European tour scheduled for 2023 while actively searching for Barker’s replacement.
However, on 12 July 2022, Twelve Foot Ninja declared an indefinite hiatus and canceled all planned tours for 2023.
Later, on 10 October 2023, they quietly introduced a new acoustic project through Bandcamp with the release of the single "Everywhere I Look."
Finally, on 11 July 2024, Twelve Foot Ninja released their acoustic album titled Mutant Dreams and Face Transplants: An Acoustic Experience alongside announcing their official breakup.
2025–present: Reunion
On 29 July 2025, founding guitarist Steve MacKay confirmed that Twelve Foot Ninja would be returning with an entirely revamped lineup.
Musical style
Twelve Foot Ninja’s sound is characterized by a fusion of alternative metal, experimental rock, progressive metal, experimental metal, and djent elements.
Current
- Steve "Stevic" MacKay – lead guitar, production (2007–2024, 2025–present)
Former
- Nik "Kin Etik" Barker – lead vocals (2008–2024)
- Shane "Russ" Russell – drums (2008–2024)
- Damon McKinnon – bass (2008–2019)
- Fred Narkel – rhythm guitar (2008–2012)
- Rohan "Ro" Hayes – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2012–2024)
- David de Vent – bass (2021–2024)
Studio albums
| Title | Details | Highest chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Machine | * Date of release: 13 November 2012
|
— |
| Outlier | * Released on: 26 August 2016
|
6 |
| Vengeance | * Release date: 15 October 2021
|
20 |
| Mutant Dreams and Face Transplants: An Acoustic Experience | * Released: 11 July 2024
|
— |
Extended plays
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| New Dawn | * Date released: 1 November 2008
|
| Smoke Bomb! | * Released on: 30 October 2010
|
Golden Gods Awards
Awarded Best New Talent in 2014
AIR Awards
The Australian Independent Record Awards (AIR Awards) celebrate achievements within Australia's independent music industry.
| Year | Work | Category | Outcome |
| 2017 | Outlier | Best Independent Hard Rock, Heavy or Punk Album | Nominee |
| 2022 | Vengeance | Best Independent Heavy Album or EP | Nominee |
ARIA Music Awards
The ARIA Music Awards is an annual event honoring outstanding accomplishments and creativity across all genres in Australian music.
|- | 2016 | Outlier | Best Hard Rock or Heavy Metal Album | |-
External links
- Musical groups established in 2007
- Musical groups from Victoria (state)
- Australian alternative metal musical groups
- Australian progressive metal musical groups
- Australian djent musical groups
- Avant-garde metal musical groups
- Funk metal musical groups
- Musical groups disestablished in 2024
- Musical groups reestablished in 2025
- 2007 establishments in Australia
- 2024 disestablishments in Australia