Ne Obliviscaris, an Australian band blending extreme progressive metal with elements of classical and jazz, has made waves in the music industry not only through their unique sound but also by successfully crowdfunded their world tour—something no band had achieved before.
In a recent interview, Tim Charles, the band’s clean vocalist and violinist, reflected on the unconventional nature of their music. “There are plenty of people we know where we’re the most extreme band they listen to – but they got hooked by a section of a song that wasn’t metal,” he explains. “Plus, you know, not all bands have a violinist.”
The music of Ne Obliviscaris is known for its complexity and intensity, often requiring multiple listens to fully appreciate the nuances. “It’s intense in many different directions. It’s not quickly digested. If you listen to it once, you’re only going to get part of it,” says Charles. His bandmate Marc ‘Xenoyr’ Campbell, who handles harsh vocals and lyrics, echoes this sentiment, describing their music as “beautiful extremes,” and emphasizing their blend of extreme progressive metal with classical and jazz influences.
Despite the band’s unique approach, it took years of struggle before they achieved success. For the first decade of their career, Ne Obliviscaris worked hard to establish themselves and solidify their lineup. It wasn’t until their debut album Portal Of I was released in 2012 that things began to shift. However, even then, the band didn’t expect to become anything more than an underground act.
“We didn’t expect anything huge. I remember wondering how many people could really get into this progressive, extreme violin metal stuff,” Charles recalls. But just a week after the album’s release, they were approached by Season Of Mist, a prominent record label, offering them a deal. “We’d spent nine years trying to get anywhere and now we had a deal for three albums,” Charles says.
Their international success was further solidified with the release of Citadel in 2014, but funding their first overseas tours remained a challenge. Instead of relying on traditional means, they made a groundbreaking decision to launch a crowdfunding campaign to finance their tour.
The goal was set at $40,000 AUD (around £23,000 at the time), and within just 38 hours, the band surpassed that target, ultimately raising $86,000 AUD. This success allowed Ne Obliviscaris to travel to Asia, Europe, the UK, and North America, expanding their reach and gaining new fans along the way.
Their innovative approach didn’t stop there. In 2016, the band launched a Patreon account, offering fans early access to music, exclusive merchandise, and tickets. This platform was still new to the music world, and Ne Obliviscaris was the first band to use it as a primary source of income, allowing each band member to earn a full-time wage and focus solely on their music.
“We were the first band in the world to use that as a way of making a living,” says Charles. Despite concerns about potential backlash, the band found tremendous support from their fans. “It was the industry more so than the fans where the backlash came from,” Charles notes, adding that their fans’ responses were overwhelmingly positive.
Reflecting on the success of their crowdfunding efforts and their Patreon initiative, Charles expressed gratitude for the opportunities that have come their way. “With each record, more opportunities get offered to us. It’s been really gratifying after that first decade where we didn’t really get anywhere.”
Campbell shares a similar sentiment, pointing out that many new listeners are unaware of the band’s earlier struggles. “A lot of people that are new listeners to us only think that we’ve been around for 10 years because of that. They don’t realise we’d done 10 years of hard work before the first album.”
Ne Obliviscaris’s journey from an underground band to industry innovators demonstrates the power of community support and the willingness to take risks in the modern music landscape. Their groundbreaking use of crowdfunding and Patreon has not only ensured their success but also paved the way for other bands looking to make a living outside traditional industry structures.
