The brief period of peace following Saddam's fall was short lived and the band's hopes dashed as their country fell into a bloody insurgency. From 2003-2006, Iraq plunged into turmoil. The members of Acrassicauda struggled to stay together and stay alive, always refusing to let their heavy metal dreams die. Their story echoes the unspoken hopes of an entire generation of young Iraqis.

The movie had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2007 but the story did not end there. Nearly three years after fleeing Iraq and becoming a band on the run, all four members of Acrassicauda have been successfully resettled to the United States and are currently residing in New Jersey.

To celebrate this film and all that it has accomplished, Melbourne International Arts Festival and VICE Films will be throwing a party after the screening paying homage to all things METAL!

Touring on the back of a new album will be the headliners Black Cobra (USA) with support from Ruins and DJ Manticle.

Black Cobra (USA)
Hailing from the City of love, San Francisco, Southern Lord recording duo BLACK COBRA have been delivering the goods since 2002, renowned for their super low-end sludge riffs, Black Cobra have created quite a name in the underground doom metal scene. Black Cobra's debut for new label Southern Lord, is released September 25th and will be available on the night.

Ruins (TASMANIA)

RUINS are a black metal band from Hobart, Tasmania. They blend an ominous dark-death metal dynamic amidst their powerful, menacing and melancholic, yet eerily seductive black metal style; with a venomous, and summoning vocal presence. The writing/recording nucleus of RUINS consists of guitarist/vocalist Alex Pope, formerly of the post-punk noise-rockers SEA SCOUTS; and drummer Dave Haley, currently also drumming with PSYCROPTIC and BLOOD DUSTER. They have recently supported Norwegian Black Metal Legends - SATYRICON and Switzerland's mighty - CELTIC FROST and U.S. band PIG DESTROYER.

+ DJ Manticle.