Snakeheads’ debut is also its swan song—a record born of teenage friendship and finished as a tribute. James Roden and the late Pete Lusty first met at Belconnen High in Canberra, bonding over punk records before forming bands like The Smart, The Morticians, and The John Reed Club. Decades later, in 2016, they rekindled their partnership with weekly basement jams that slowly grew into Belconnen Highs. Their intent was simple, as Roden recalls: “We only wanted to play what we loved at 15 years old, with no pressure.”

Lusty’s death from lymphoma in 2020 left the project unfinished, but Roden carried it across the line with help from Wayne Connolly, Jay Whalley, and longtime friends. The result is an album that reminds you life is short and precious—because it kicks so hard, and because one of its creators isn’t here to hear it.

The 17 songs on Belconnen Highs channel the late ’70s punk sound Snakeheads so clearly loved, but without nostalgia dragging them down. Instead, this is raw, unhurried joy—full of riffs, hooks, and heart—capturing the sound of two lifers playing for no reason other than love. The energy is infectious, the production crisp yet loose, and every track comes armed with lines and melodies you’ll catch yourself humming long after the record ends.

It’s a rare combination: both life-affirming and bittersweet, a celebration and a farewell. Belconnen Highs is essential listening, the kind of album that makes you want to turn it up loud, tap your cap, and remember why you fell in love with music in the first place.

LP available via Cassell Records and Impressed Recordings. It’s not on Bandcamp, but if you want to stream it and are short for time, I suggest Shit I Don’t Have Time For and Dumb Enough as perfect gateways to Snakesheads sound.

Add to wantlist: Impressed