Callous

Australian Christian metalcore band Callous was started by Phil Gibson (Drums, Vocals), Craig Holland (Bass, Vocals) and Chris Burton (Guitar) in 1995. Phil had just left Mortification and was looking to do something a bit more hardcore and a bit less metal. Craig was at that time playing with Pet Earwig a local Melbourne punk band and Chris had recently moved down from Lismore, where he had been involved with Metal band Sanhedrin, to join Melbourne Doom Metal band Paramaecium. With this line up they recorded three songs for a Rowe Productions compilation called 'the extreme truth' which had worldwide distribution, two of these songs where also picked up and published on a U.S. compilation from Rugged Records called Hard and Heavy from Down Under. Not long after this Chris left the band to spend more time working on Paramaecium (or maybe he just wasn't hardcore enough). The next step in their evolution was discovering Nick and Ben Tse who had recently moved to Australia from Hong Kong to study. Coming from a pop punk background they helped the music to evolve as Nick played guitar, Ben bass and Craig moved to second guitar. At this point all members of the band where fully dedicated to it's evangelical Christian and Straightedge values and beliefs. With this lineup Callous played many shows in the local, all ages and pub, hardcore and punk scene in Melbourne with such bands as Mindsnare, Embodiment 12:14, Seraphs Coal, Ultimatum, Thinktank, Force Fed Nine, Ceasefire, Mortification, No Grace and many others. In 1997 Callous recorded their first full length album entitled 'In The Memory Of' one of the first full length metalcore albums to be produced in Australia.

Songs of this album where chosen for inclusion in the compilation albums Pick of the Litter Vol. 2 (an album produced by HM magazine (America) showcasing the best independent bands of the year) and another U.S. hardcore compilation Blessed be this Killing. Not Long after this recording Craig moved to America to live at the Jesus People Commune in Chicago, where he eventually joined the band Ballydowse (punk/world music/not really sure) got married and lived happily ever after. He was replaced by Lincoln Bowen who was also at the time Guitarist for Christian Metal band Mortification. Callous continued to play shows in Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales including festivals like Blackstump and Forest Edge. Nick and Ben eventually left Australia and were replaced in the band by Sam -Rusty- Crocket (from 99% fat) on bass and Brad Marden (from Gauge) on second Guitar. This line up continues to the present day, with Phil (now Curlis-Gibson, due to getting married) the only original, and sadly only straightedge, member. There have been a number of unreleased recordings over the years but a full set of new material means they are ready to do a new full length album sometime in the not too distant future. Callous/Three Times Fire is and always has been a band made up of fully committed evangelical Christians whose beliefs are very much part of their lifestyle and music. Having done practically nothing through 2003 and 2004 Callous have finally got it together changed their name to Three Times Fire and are back ready to share with the world their heavy, powerful and emotive blend of Metal and Hardcore.