Fantasy is a new name in Brisbane Hardcore, but its members are already fixtures in the Australian scene. The band emerged after World of Joy ended when vocalist Liam relocated, driven by a determination to keep writing together and not let their chemistry disappear.
"World of Joy came to a pause, but the guys really enjoyed writing and playing music together and wanted to keep it rolling," vocalist Bodhi tells No Echo. Guitarist Birso had already written the foundation for several songs when drummer Al contacted Bodhi to take over vocals. "He sent me the demos asking if I'd be down to write lyrics and sing," Bodhi recalls. "I knew it would be sick when I found out who was writing and playing. And now here we are."
Fantasy may feature familiar faces, but the band is not looking to repeat the past. Bodhi describes Fantasy as a hardcore band through and through, leaning into the pointy-guitar-neck side of the sonic spectrum. "Musically and sonically there's a lot of metallic hardcore and metal influence," he says. "Heavy and hard will always be the goal."
Their approach draws from bands like 100 Demons, All Out War, Sentence, and Judiciary. Fantasy's self-titled demo also came together after Birso wrote and recorded the early demos in his bedroom, sending them to the rest of the band before they finally met in person to polish the songs. "We only jammed the songs a handful of times before recording, but they all turned out sick," Bodhi says.
For Bodhi, the process meant digging through years of ideas. "I've always kept a notebook and notes app and am always writing, whether it's lyrics or just words," he explains. "I enjoyed going back and reshuffling stuff to fit the songs. I was a bit torn on putting some lyrics into the public, but I'm stoked I did."
The demo was recorded, mixed, and mastered in two days by longtime friend Liam Kriz on the Gold Coast. Fantasy already have four new songs demoed, and the band is absorbed in refining them before returning to the studio for their first EP.
"The next few months are going to be a lot of us in a room making them the best they can be," Bodhi says. "Then it's back into the studio to record an EP and get them out there. There will definitely be more shows this year. We just want to play shows and put out good music."
Bodhi sees Australian hardcore as thriving, with a wave of bands deserving wider attention. He points to Half Man, 1000 Yard Stare, Outsiders Code, Spirit, Scram, Iron Mind, Mud, Knuckledragger, Dizdain, The Ugly and Proud, 95 Reunion, Algor Mortis, Death Tax, Born Free, Desire, Negative Mental State, Glitter Strip, World of Joy, and Deathbed, and credits Burning Hammer Records and Last Ride Records for supporting the scene.
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Fantasy on social media: Instagram
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