I always hate to see Aussie bands fall, from Superheist to I Killed The Prom Queen but never has it hurt so much as when I heard the news that Antikeptic were calling it a day.

Nearly 1000 shows, spanning over a 10 year career with 2 albums and their newest release EP Monuments, the Melbourne rockers have decided it’s time to say Goodbye and Goodnight.

I remember the first time I heard Antiskeptic. I was sitting in Italian class in year 7 when the drummer in my band passes me a slightly worn earbud and whispers “these guys are from Melbourne”.

“Do you remember that day?
I said I loved you but now everything has changed
Thought you were off on holidays
Yeah, but I saw you in town laughing with what’s his name”,

The catchy guitar riffs, the intensly crafter bass hooks, the thunderous beats and the amazing vocals drew me in and at the end of that song I was left changed.

The next day I went down to the local music store, and much to my surprise they had a copy of Antiskeptics first outing “Memoirs of a Common Man” and I remember going home and spending the whole night in my room just listening to what I thought at the time was Australia’s finest talents. A week later I bought my first guitar and started learning my very first Antiskeptic song.

A few years passed by, I didn’t have the internet, so I couldn’t really stay in touch with the band’s outings, but at that same music store I found a copy of the newly release Aurora. Inviting me to a selection of breathtaking tracks, it was a slight change of direction, one that I didn’t understand right away, but slowly grew on me and slowly became my favourite album.

The band constantly toured, taking along with them some of Australia’s biggest acts before they were really known, such as I Killed The Prom Queen and Gyroscope, yet it always seemed that Antiskeptic were always just glossed over and forgotten about.

The band dissapeared for quite a long while, playing the odd show here or there and promising us a third album. Instead we were treated to the Monuments EP featuring the blistering track “Dancing On The Inside”, the affective “Helleujah” and the rockable “Hello Halo”. The boys were back in form

The fans were expecting the album to come out, but 2007 passed by with no release, and now the boys have handed in their resignation, effective from September 21th 2008.

Three major releases, all life changing, all amazing, and a backlisting of live favourites, Antiskeptic are truly Australia’s Music Treasure, and it hurts me to say goodbye.

I picked up my first guitar because of Antiskeptic, I started my first band because of Antiskeptic, my band is now playing shows because of Antiskeptic, and my goal was to one day support my heroes Antiskeptic. Unfortunately all dreams cannot come true my friends.

All I can say is, Goodbye and Goodnight to Australia’s brightest shining stars.