Noise Levels zine – issue 9 – Precious Rest / Toe to Toe et al

The Noise Levels Zine #9 (August 2026) has in-depth interviews with Sydney hardcore pioneers Toe to Toe and Newcastle melodic hardcore band Latest God, alongside a feature on Concrete Kids and a reflection piece by none other than Rocky Road Records co-owner Melonie Bayl-Smith! The issue also includes local gig photography, underground music recommendations, scene commentary, independent advertising and original graphics that reflect the creativity of Australia’s contemporary DIY community. Produced with the spirit of classic photocopied fanzines but presented in full colour, the issue celebrates the people keeping local music alive, from musicians and promoters to artists, venues and record labels. Check out the website at noiselevelsau.blogspot.com and the new Noise Levels Substack!

About Noise Levels: Noise Levels is an archival project that aims to collect and preserve Sydney alternative music (with a focus on Western Sydney/Blue Mountains and surrounds) from the late 1980s to 2000s for everyone to revisit and enjoy.

Created by Luke Bortolo, the project was started with ‘a desire to document the many great bands who had thrived in the Penrith/Blue Mountains scene in the 90’s and 00’s.’ In doing this, he ‘began to realise how interconnected a lot of these bands were’ and soon was exploring the histories of bands across Sydney and into regional scenes such as Hornsby, Wollongong, Campbelltown, Fairfield, and Greater Western Sydney.