Bring Back The Kane release debut EP “Great Bully” - review

Psychedelic/progressive rock band Bring Back The Kane have launched their debut concept EP Great Bully. Bring Back The Kane refer to themselves on their Instagram page as “Freaky and froggy” - I’ll get back to you on my thoughts regarding those claims later in this review. 

Bring Back The Kane emerged from The Ponds in West Sydney, NSW with two prior singles under their belt, “Toad Breath” and “Able” from 2023 and 2024 respectively which the band has re-released and featured on their 2025 debut EP, Great Bully. 

Comprising Max Mollica on lead vocals, synth and bass guitar, Olli Hughes on drums and Alex Agamalis on backing vocals and guitar, this trio has been making waves in the Sydney heavy music scene, recently headlining Oxford Art Factory for their Great Bully EP release party, supported by fellow emerging Sydney bands Reddshift and Demolition Man. Great Bully was produced by Ben Worsey at Everland Studios. 

Track 1) Toad Breath 

The atmosphere in “Toad Breath” is intense and immersive, shooting up into a crescendo with a crash on the cymbal. I was left fascinated by the percussion and loved the use of shakers, what I believe were possibly djembe drums or something similar, as well as a standard drum kit. Alex shreds the guitar with a tone that sounds dark and dirty, yet clear and lively. The rhythm is super groovy to get down to, with unique dynamic timing placements and fantastic use of syncopation throughout the track. The guitar riffs are incredibly interesting and I appreciated the bass getting such a spotlight with Max’s sick bassline. I also really loved Olli’s use of crash cymbals throughout the track. 

A major point of interest for me to note here was that “Toad Breath” was super reminiscent of System Of A Down, so that’s definitely a point to consider for any SOAD fans who might be reading; Check out “Toad Breath”. You might absolutely love it. 

All in all, this track was super dynamic, engaging and it’s a great showcase of the band members’ cohesion together and individual talents. With my favourite lyric being “Snake the toads out, pest control”, I highly recommend this track to any enjoyers of psychedelic, experimental and/or progressive rock/metal as well as to any frogs, frog enjoyers, or toad seethers; This was made for you.

“Toad Breath” was originally released in 2023 but was re-released and featured on the Great Bully EP. A worthy bang of a start to the concept EP.

8/10

Track 2) Beat The Devil

This track kicks off with a really neat drum solo, followed by the guitars. The hefty, dark bass tone contrasts against the brightness of the electric guitar and its intricacy perfectly, blowing me away.  This is a fresh sound and the energy is animate. 

Again, Max’s lead vocals are super dynamic and technically impressive. Lyrically, the title of this song is self explanatory - This song is about beating up the devil and “crucify[ing the] demons within you” as the singer chants in the chorus. He continues, “Lock him up, and destroy the key, he’s bringing evil out of me.” 

I love the drum pattern in this song; the time signature is kooky cool and it is a pleasure to appreciate! In the breakdown we get an incredible guitar solo accompanied by Olli’s drumming before the song strips back to a funky, hot bass and drum duet with presumably a cowbell, building up again with everybody going all out again on each of their crafts. The instruments dip into one last chorus, with the vocals and guitar going completely hectic at the end. “Beat the devil out of you, kill the evil inside you.” 

“Beat The Devil” is for lovers of progressive rock, psychedelic soundscapes and old school rock. Very groovy and cohesive.

9/10

Track 3) Able

“Able” begins with a serene guitar solo reminiscent of good elevator music that leads into a jazzy, upbeat mirage. It whiplashes us from major to minor key, dissonating into a breakdown that completely shifts the tone of the song. Quickly the calm returns but dissipates into beautiful chaos even faster. “Sticks and stones blowing the breeze”. With a nifty interlude, the tone of the song rises back up again to its original melody, though I’m starting to get trust issues from the clever tonal ambiguity. The serenity continues, and I feel that tension releasing; Technically, the instrumentals are fantastically played and it is all around extremely pleasant to listen to. “Fight back, mend your spirit, it only grows as we adhere to it”

After a well arranged electric guitar line from Alex, the boys throw us back into the deep end. I’m not complaining though, and neither will you. “Able” is written to be masterfully deceiving. It’s safe to say that I haven’t heard a song that has kept me on the edge of my seat like this in a long time. When the breakdown kicks in one last time, it transitions into an intense battle between Olli on the drums and Alex’s guitar, ascending and descending and ascending back up again into an insane, yet clean finish. “Able” ends on an absolute high, perfectly transitioning into the final song of the EP. 

I’d highly recommend this song to dual enjoyers of upbeat, stripped back, mellow jazzy vibes and progressive metal. There is a nice psychedelic undertone in this track as well and a good use of syncopation. Until the last 45 seconds of beautiful mayhem, “Able” pans out as one of the lighter tracks on the EP, serving well as both a well timed breather and an outstanding stand-alone track.

“Able” was originally released in 2024 as a single, but has been re-released to feature on Great Bully - a brilliant decision on the band’s part, in my humble opinion. 

9/10

Track 4) Infernal Groove 

This high energy final track kicks off with Max Mollica’s gritty and soulful vocal performance. Though I felt the lyrics were unclear at times, I feel the quality of the composition of “Infernal Groove” certainly made up for it. I’d describe “Infernal Groove” as a funky rock ballad, focusing less on words and more on dynamic instrumentals. I really liked the way the boys came together for the vocal harmonies during the chorus here and Max’s vocals hit differently during the verses. So good. The song breaks up into different segments showcasing each of the main instruments; A technical 2 guitar jam, a slower, funkier yet thumping bassline and a good show off of the drums before all the instruments come together in unison gorgeously. The boys branch off into their own patterns on their respective instruments, sending it off with some more harmonies. The peak of the song reaches a high, transitioning into a serene, stripped back guitar part referencing the beginning of the previous track, “Able”. 

Signing off with “Infernal Groove” as the final track on Great Bully was a great choice from Bring Back The Kane, summarising the bold energy and diverse tonal ambiguity throughout this entire concept EP.

Enjoyers of classic rock, rock ballads, progressive rock and funky basslines will get a kick out of this final track.

8/10

Bring Back The Kane’s debut Great Bully is a fantastic psychedelic and progressive rock/metal EP, showcasing the talent possessed by the crew wonderfully. Bring Back The Kane very well knows how to blend unusual time signatures with polar opposite genres and heart-racing rock progressions, bringing something completely new and fresh to the table. 

Great Bully is a fantastic EP. Though I couldn’t find any further reference towards frogs after the toad anthem that was track 1 “Toad Breath”, I appreciated their enthusiasm towards the little guys on the band’s social media. I also love the froggy album cover - it reflects the concept well.

Is it wrong for me to wish that there was more reference to frogs throughout the other tracks? Or do I just enjoy frogs too much? 

Great Bully is a little bit freaky, a little bit froggy.

Toad talk aside, every song is a vastly unique, powerful stand-alone yet are all incredibly cohesive strung together, marking it as a solid concept EP. I felt that the bass and electric guitars were mixed particularly well. First-time listeners and lyrical connoisseurs may benefit from following along with the lyrics, especially in parts where they aren’t as audible

My top pick off of Great Bully has to be “Able” for its insane tonal ambiguity, keeping me on the edge of my seat and locked in for a full 3 minutes and 45 seconds. Everything about that track is quality.

If you’re from Sydney, don’t miss out on this local hidden gem! 

Great Bully is available now across all streaming platforms. [You can listen to the full concept EP on Spotify here.]

8.5/10