For years, Plini has occupied a strange and rare space in heavy music: technically astonishing without ever disappearing into cold virtuosity. Now, following the release of his new album An Unnameable Desire, the Australian progressive guitar architect is bringing his most ambitious live production yet across the country this August, joined by UK math-rock favourites Delta Sleep alongside rising heavy acts Cenobia and Nightdive.
Launching in Brisbane on August 6 before heading through Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, the An Unnameable Desire tour arrives while Plini is already deep into an international run supporting the album. It’s a record that widens his already expansive sound palette, balancing intricate prog-metal mechanics with moments that feel almost weightless.
That balance has become central to Plini’s appeal. Ever since Steve Vai famously described 2016’s Handmade Cities as “one of the finest, forward thinking” modern instrumental rock records, Plini’s profile has steadily expanded beyond prog circles. Tours alongside Animals as Leaders, Sleep Token, Periphery and TesseracT have only reinforced how singular his music feels live: less like a conventional metal show and more like watching impossible architecture being assembled in real time.
Support across the run only deepens the appeal. Delta Sleep return to Australia after building a devoted following through albums like Twin Galaxies and Blue Garden, bringing their knotty rhythms and melodic catharsis back down under. Meanwhile Sydney’s Cenobia continues her rapid ascent through the alternative metal underground, pairing masked aesthetics with emotionally loaded heaviness that has already generated millions of streams online. Opening Australian dates are local newcomers Nightdive, whose debut EP In Quiet Rooms channels the polished, expansive prog-metal lineage that Plini himself helped define.
For an artist operating entirely independently, Plini’s rise remains remarkable. Instrumental music rarely commands rooms this size, let alone inspires audiences to treat guitar compositions with the same emotional investment usually reserved for vocal-driven acts.
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