SHYLOX | INTERVIEW + TRACK REVIEW

Melbourne outfit SHYLOX doesn’t just make music—they tear through it. Reuniting after years apart, this band of longtime friends reignited an old flame and set it ablaze with DIRE, their explosive debut EP. Known for their blend of chaos and vulnerability, SHYLOX brings a rawness to the heavy scene that feels both deeply personal and completely unhinged. With a string of wild live shows under their belt, a spot on the Atticus Chimps tour, and new music on the way, SHYLOX is gearing up for their biggest chapter yet.

We caught up with the band to talk about their journey from teenage garage jams to full-throttle live chaos, what fuels their emotional songwriting, and what’s coming next from one of the most exciting heavy acts out of Melbourne right now.

TRACK REVIEW

All You Have kicks off like a war cry—the drums hit with so much emotion it’s like you can feel the tension crackling in the air. There’s something raw and visceral in the way they land, like the drummer’s got a score to settle and isn’t holding back. It’s goosebumps-on-your-skin kind of passion.

The guitar riff slices right through, locking into a head-to-head clash with the drums that feels like a medieval battle scene—two titans fighting for the same weapon. It’s gritty, tight, and relentless.

What really takes the track to another level is the dynamic vocal delivery. The whisper-sung verses draw you in with eerie intensity, layered harmonies weaving in and out like ghosts. Then, just when you settle into the softness, the full-volume vocals crash in and tear it all open again—only to drop you right back into the quiet. It’s chaos and control in perfect balance.

And that line—“They say it’s never gonna be the same”—sticks. It lands like a gut punch, bold and vulnerable at the same time. This track isn’t just a listen—it’s a full-body experience, and a clear signal that SHYLOX has a lot more fire to throw.

LISTEN HERE

Tell us a little about how SHYLOX came to be. What pulled you all together and made this project feel different from past bands?

Most of us first locked in as teenagers—sweaty garage jams, high‑school battle‑of‑the‑bands, that whole thing. Then life happened: uni, jobs, families, and a long stretch where the instruments gathered dust. When we finally circled back and plugged in again, it felt less like starting a new band and more like picking up an unfinished conversation. There’s a shorthand that only comes from growing up side‑by‑side; you hit a chord and everyone just knows where to take it.That said, over that time each of us has matured and soaked up wildly different influences, we bring that whole palette into the band. That mix of chemistry and perspectives is what makes SHYLOX feel unique: it’s an old spark, reignited, now fuelled by a much bigger tank of ideas.

Your sound feels like it sits right in the middle of vulnerability and absolute chaos. Was that always the vision, or did it just naturally happen that way?

Thanks! It happened completely naturally. We never sat down and said, “Let’s be chaotic yet vulnerable.” We just bring our own emotion to the studio and let it spill out in the music. Some of that is raw aggression; some is quiet introspection, and you can’t really plan or choreograph that. We started noticing sonic explosions sitting beside very exposed, tender moments. Once we recognised that dynamic, we leaned in harder; it feels like a pretty honest representation of us.

The EP DIRE really feels like a turning point for the band. Looking back now, what does that record represent for you?

DIRE was our very first release—the moment we stopped workshopping ideas in rehearsal rooms and finally hit “record.” It captures the exact point where we figured out what SHYLOX actually sounds like. We quit second‑guessing the darker, heavier stuff in our heads and just let it rip, dumping all the desperation, flashes of clarity, and unresolved tension straight onto tape. We’re super proud of how it came out. Because of that, DIRE became the snapshot of us finding our voice—and it lit the fuse for what comes next. Our follow‑up, due later this year, pushes that heaviness even further: if DIRE was the doorway, the next release is the sledgehammer.

Your live shows have a reputation for being loud, wild and raw. What does the perfect SHYLOX crowd look like in your head?

We came up at a time when kids were climbing onto stages with the band, so that sense of breaking the barrier is baked into our DNA. The perfect crowd is one that feels the music and lets it spill out however it hits them—screaming the choruses, letting the sound wash over them, maybe even spilling onto the stage for a shared shout. We don’t need uniformity; we need honesty. If people lean into the rawness we’re throwing out and reflect it back in their own way, that shared pulse is the dream scenario.

Lyrically, there’s a lot of reflection and tension in your songs. Do your lyrics come from personal experiences, or do you like to keep things a little mysterious?

I once heard the saying “write what you know,” and that’s the compass I follow. It’s definitely personal, but I cloak things in enough ambiguity that people can interpret them through their own lens. When you spell everything out, you risk losing that universal pull. Real experiences absolutely shape everything—be it heartbreak, self‑loathing, or disillusionment—and that raw honesty is probably where some of the on‑stage energy comes from. Leaving a few shadows in the lyrics gives listeners space to insert their own stories, and that’s when the songs really breathe and resonate beyond a single perspective.

Congrats on jumping on the Atticus Chimps tour. What’s the game plan for winning over new crowds on this run?

We can’t wait to play for fresh ears—that’s half the thrill. Atticus Chimps are doing great things and reaching tonnes of people right now, so we’re genuinely proud to have been asked to support them. The “game plan” is simple: be ourselves at 110 %. No watered‑down set, no pandering—just the full SHYLOX experience from first note to last. If we bring that honesty and energy, the crowd will feel it.

Melbourne’s heavy scene is stacked with talent right now. Are there any bands locally or nationally that you feel really connected to or inspired by?

Absolutely—there’s a ton. It’s an amazing time to be playing heavy music because you’re constantly inspired by the creativity around you. Lately we’ve been vibing hard with locals like Crawling; their sound is an amazing revitalisation of that heavy ’90s wall of sound, twisted into something totally fresh. Nationally, we love DRENCHED out of Tassie—so much so that we’re touring with them in September, which is going to be heaps of fun. SHYLOX tends to sit between traditional genres, which can make us tricky to slot on a bill, so the real connection point is finding good people who share the same passion for the music they’re putting out.

What’s the most unhinged or memorable moment you’ve experienced on stage so far?

Probably the night we unintentionally totalled a 360° camera during our closer. Our friends Hello Enemy had mounted it right at the front of the stage to capture the show. The track ends with jammy freak out; mid‑riff, a swing of the guitar clipped the camera and a mic stand, sending both crashing to the floor. We kept playing while the camera rolled from the floor, capturing a warped, spinning shot of pure bedlam—pretty much the perfect visual summary of a SHYLOX show! (Also… Sorry again Hello Enemy!)

You’ve been teasing new music; how does the next chapter of SHYLOX sound compared to what people might expect?

It still has that raw, emotional core, but we’re exploring more dynamics—bigger highs, darker lows. We’re tapping into new textures, sometimes slowing down to build even more tension before everything explodes. If people liked the intensity of DIRE, they’ll be happy, but we also want to show we’re not afraid to experiment. It’s definitely SHYLOX, just on a larger sonic scale. We plan on releasing singles in May in line with shows we have lined up for June.

For someone about to hit play on SHYLOX for the first time, which track should they start with and why?

Sonically, “All You Have” is the perfect gateway—it delivers our full spectrum of grit, melody, and a bit of emotional whiplash in one hit. But if you want a glimpse of the band’s DNA, queue up “T.O.Y.L.” It was one of the first songs we wrote together and still feels like the blueprint of who we are at our core: raw, desperate, and unfiltered. If those two tracks grab you, the rest of the catalogue will feel like home.

LISTEN HERE