_{Header Photo Credit: Tony Taylor}

After quietly dissolving at the end of 2023, much loved Melbourne post-hardcore act Alera have made a surprise comeback with new single ‘Killing For Something’.

The new track was just the tip of the iceberg of the moves that shocked the bands fans. It appears Alera have been under our nose all along, performing for the past year under the pseudonym Cruelty In The Constellations. At a show last Friday, the band revealed their true identity live on stage which marked their first official performance as Alera since 2023 and debuting the ‘Killing For Something’ live.

Alera have always been known for keeping people caught in mystery and intrigue, making their cryptic and quest driven debut back in 2021. Upon revealing their 2025 return, the band simultaneously dropped the music video on YouTube, leading curious fans to a cryptic mobile point-and-click game at keepitasecret.com, further expanding their signature lore-driven experience.

“‘Killing For Something’ is the first song I wrote after the band dissolved in 2023 and it pretty much sums up my complicated feelings about everything that was going on at that time. Writing this song helped me realise how much I care about my friends and how much Alera means to me,” explains frontman and main songwriter Hayden Oakley explains.

This return is proof the band has maintained their incredible sound. A real nod to that quintessential post-hardcore sound reminiscent of bands like Funeral For A Friend and Saosin, they have taken the inspiration and curated it into their own brand of modernised melodic heavy mastery.

We can’t wait to see what is next for Alera.