On June 25, seasoned Sydney thrashers Hazmat, Newcastle progressive metal trio Age of Innocence and Dubbo mainstays Extractor will perform at the venue, in an event that's being presented by Black-Roos Entertainment and Devoured Flesh entertainment.

It will be the first Bathurst gig for all three acts, and each have expressed excitement for the upcoming event:

Dubbo's Extractor have been on the scene for much of the past decade as one of the mainstay metal acts of the Central West.

Proudly independent, the band mixes old-school thrash metal with death metal and melodic black metal touches, with vocals reminiscent of genre heavyweights such as Pantera and Machine Head.

Extractor co-founder Dale Stewart, who performs lead vocals and guitar in the group, said the band is in the process of finishing off their debut album, which has been in development for the past few years.

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"We have fast and slow tunes, and our lyrical content covers everything from politics to serial killers," Stewart said.

"We've recorded around 80 per cent of 10 songs and have another four in the works, but we're having to work around life and family commitments, so we're focusing more on getting back into live gigs and producing merchandise."

Extractor recently performed at Dubbo's Mirkwood Metalfest alongside fellow local acts Mirrorshield, Killing Time and Whisperhead; the latter of whom performed at April's Farmers Arms gig.

With Dubbo, in many ways, flying the flag for heavy music in the Central West, Stewart said the city has benefitted from a number of dedicated individuals getting events up and running.

"Tim Read's been a big part of metal's popularity in Dubbo. He was in this band called TrollGasm and a couple of offside bands he's still in now, and he's been able to bring metal acts from Sydney, Queensland and even overseas to town," he said.

"At one stage, we were the only heavy metal group going strong in Dubbo, but it's great to see there's interest growing again in the Central West. We enjoy watching other bands as much as we enjoy playing live."

Hailing from Newcastle, Age of Emergence have spent the last decade sharing their unique brand of progressive metal with audiences across eastern Australia.

With two EPs under their belt, the three piece, featuring Dean Holmes, Allan Hofer and Benn Baxter, play a brand of music steeped in a firm appreciation for 1990s music.

Holmes said the group has received favourable comparisons to Mastodon, and also considers bands such as Tool and Dream Theater key influences.

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"We're pretty much inspired by any hard rock and grunge music from the 90s to now, but we also have an appreciation for the classics of the genre, such as Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Metallica," he said.

The band has been gigging once a month throughout 2022, and Holmes said the group has continued to evolve as a live unit.

"We try to put a lot of energy into our shows and get the crowd into it. Our aim is to keep things as tight as possible," he said.

"We're looking forward to getting down to Bathurst. I have a few relatives there, so it'll be great to reach out to a new demographic."

Buoyed by a devout appreciation for old-school thrash metal, Sydney's Hazmat have spent much of the past two decades entertaining audiences in Australia and abroad.

The group boasts quite an extraordinary resume of acts they've shared a bill with, including Overkill, Anvil, Metal Church, Blaze Bayley [ex-Iron Maiden] and Tim 'Ripper' Owens [ex-Judas Priest].

But for Jay Hazmat, the group's front man, the opportunity to perform in regional areas such as Bathurst is of high importance to the group.

"A crowd of 60 in the country is better than 3000 people in the city," Jay said.

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"Sydney's pretty spoilt in the sense people can see a metal gig three or four nights a week, but country folk don't get the same opportunities."

Jay said the point of playing music is to ensure audiences have a good time, regardless of genre.

"Some of the best shows we've played have been with smaller crowds, because you get to sit and talk with people who've come," he said.

"It's why plenty big-name acts have been able to keep things going. They're normal people who want the crowd feel welcome and included."

Hazmat, Age of Emergence and Extractor will perform at The Farmers Arms on June 25 from 7.30pm. The event is free to attend. For more information, visit the Facebook event page.

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