The Australian management company behind Northlane and Make Them Suffer is launching a label platform for heavy and alternative artists in Australia and New Zealand, with Believe’s global distribution behind it.
Australian heavy bands have been taking over the world’s mosh pits for years. Now one of the teams behind them is getting a label of its own.
Global artist development company Believe has partnered with Immortal Music Group (IMG), the Australian management company founded by Chris O’Brien and Northlane guitarist Josh Smith, to launch a dedicated label platform for heavy and alternative music in Australia and New Zealand, The Music Network reported on Tuesday (Oct. 13). The label’s name hasn’t been announced yet.
The split is simple. Believe brings its global distribution infrastructure and international reach. IMG brings what it already does every day for its own roster: artist management and creative development for local heavy acts. Both sides describe it as an artist-first model.
“We’re excited to develop our partnership with Believe,” Smith said, adding that IMG wants to create “a compelling release option for heavy artists of any level.”
Mick Tarbuk, Believe’s country manager for Australia and New Zealand, put it this way: “We’re not simply providing distribution, we’re building something together.”
The two companies already know each other well. Believe has supported IMG since 2021, starting with Northlane’s independent releases. Believe also knows heavy music: it has owned a majority stake in German metal label Nuclear Blast since 2018.
IMG started life in 2019 as Open Door Management. O’Brien is also behind Destroy All Lines, the promoter of the Good Things festival. In October 2025, the company rebranded as Immortal Music Group and added In Hearts Wake and France’s Novelists. Today its roster includes Northlane, Make Them Suffer, In Hearts Wake, Windwaker, Novelists, Yours Truly and Belle Haven.
The first act named alongside the announcement is IMG’s latest signing, Sydney alt-heavy band Reliqa, who have already shared stages with BABYMETAL and Spiritbox. Their second album, High Risk Thoughts, is out Feb. 12, 2027, via Immortal Music Group/Nuclear Blast, and the new single “Serum” is out now. In February and March, they head to North America for their first tour there, supporting Northlane. Vocalist Monique Pym said IMG has managed the band “with such great care for nearly six years now.”
The deal fits a wider shift in the business: management companies that already know their artists best are becoming labels themselves, with a distributor handling the global side. For heavy bands that tour hard and release often, that kind of short chain between the people who manage them and the people who release their music can make all the difference.
Management, touring and now a label, all under one roof. Expect it to be loud.
Sources: The Music Network · The Music Network, 2025 rebrand · Everblack Media · Metal Insider
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