Shifting Transmission With JJ McCANN

Interview by Kris PetersAfter three decades of servitude to punk rock music, American miscreants Hot Water Music could be forgiven for phoning in new albums, but despite their reputation for flouting the rules, even these seasoned veterans still feel as if they have a point or two to prove.Returning to acclaimed producer and hardcore legend Brian McTernan - who worked with the band on 2001’s A Flight And A Crash, 2002’s Caution and 2004’s The New What Next, from a period thought by many to be the band's classic era - Hot Water Music have harnessed everything learnt over three decades and focussed on internal growth for their new album VOWS which is out May 10.Billed as both an anniversary album and a coming of age of sorts, VOWS is a reflection of the past, present and future of a band that refuse to grow up, grow old, or give in.Bass player Jason Black sat down with HEAVY to discuss the album and the band's history. We start by asking how he feels about the impending release so far into a decorated career."Definitely anxious and nervous," he mused. "If I don't give a shit we've made a bad record (laughs). It's a lot of… It always kind of changes. This is the first time we've put out two records so close together in a long time, so that's been pretty cool. Even then, the landscape of releasing albums is constantly changing. Not meaning to sound like a super Gen X here, but day-to-day different things need to be done, so there's that weird level of anxious that's in the new landscape of whatever we all do here. It wasn't the same as before. Before it was, like, I hope we get some good reviews and hopefully this store picks it up, and now it's a case of I hope it doesn't get buried five minutes after it comes out under a flood of other posts. It's so weird sometimes (laughs)."The press release calls VOWS Hot Water Music's most ambitious album to date, so we ask Black if he agrees."I think so," he measured. "I feel like we've definitely… yeah, I think it is. There's some stuff on here that we would not have made - I don't want to say we wouldn't have made on any other records, because it's not a quality issue - but I think there's some stylistic variance this time around. A little more so than usual for us. I think it only happened because of the specific songs working as well as they did."In the full interview, Jason talks more about the musical direction on VOWS, how it celebrates the band's 30 years in music, if it becomes easier or harder to come up with new material the more you write, reuniting with McTernal and how that contributed to the finished product, the guest artists on the album and why they were chosen, the early days of the band and where they fit in, keeping to their own path over thirty years, touring plans and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

28 Huhti 202420min

Interview by Kris PetersCharity events are always special on the music calendar, with a plethora of worthy causes benefitting from the generosity and respect shown by many a band and punter. But when they are organised by people who have been afflected personally by the very condition they are drawing attention to, it becomes that bit more special.Beyond The Darkness is one such event.Organised by Jackie Green - who lost her husband to cancer in early 2022 - and her partner Dexx, Beyond The Darkness is in its second year after a successful first showcase event last year. While the concert aims to raise finances and awareness to benefit the GI Cancer Institute, it also shines light on illnesses and diseases of all kinds and the need for people in the community to ensure they keep abreast of potential dangers before it's too late.To be held at the Back Room, Annerley on September 14, Beyond The Darkness will be headlined by local metal stars Engraved, with Sentiment, Void Matter, Krave, InEffigy and more all donating their time to spread the message and love.Jackie and Dexx joined HEAVY recently to talk more about the event."On the 22nd of April 2022 my husband David died of oesophageal cancer," Jackie explained. "It just came on. He had a 13-month battle, and we tried everything and threw everything at it, and then he got a secondary cancer. Once most people get a secondary cancer, there's not much you can do. I lost him, and I really didn't know what I was gonna do. I suppose my whole world was turned upside down. We just floated the idea - we wanted to do something to really celebrate his first year anniversary - so I floated the idea on Facebook and said to people what do we think and Brian said let's put on a show. So it was born from there."We mention the importance of not just raising money to assist in research for such illnesses, but also heightening awareness that these illnesses can and do strike without discrimination."They don't matter who you are, what age you are," Jackie continued. "David was only 47, so I think part of the awareness is people in our age group - in that 40 to 50 age group - to not be complacent about things. If something is not right, go and get it checked out."In the full interview, we emphasized the importance of early ticket purchases for local events like Beyond The Darkness, the intricacies of planning a festival line-up, emphasizing the significance of band selection, cohesion, and stage presence plus the bands playing and the selection process. We also talked about the logistics of the benefit concert, addressing donation options and ticket sales, and promoting their show, Oz Fest with Dexx and Jackie O.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

28 Huhti 202410min

Interview by Kris PetersWith the quantity and quality of new music being released by the minute in the modern world of metal many bands - often unfortunately - fall by the wayside before even being heard, lost in the current goldfish market of disposable music and assets.These days, you can either simply put your music out there and hope some algorithm elevates it beyond the masses, or you can think outside the proverbial box and offer something extra to the market.Emerging Aussie black/death metal outfit Miruthan have followed the path of the latter, creating an entirely new sonic and visual plane from which to launch their musical vehicle. Not content to merely write and record music, Miruthan have plunged themselves - and subsequently their listeners - down the narrowing rabbit hole of perception and returned with a fresh, exciting backstory to go along with an assortment of plots and character-driven narrative that is embedded within their music.While the band is content for the moment to drip feed such pivotal snippets of information to the general public, they have provided a temporary sonic distraction by way of music with their debut EP Cult Of The Dead which will be unleashed this Friday, April 26.Four tracks of seething brutality, Cult Of The Dead provides the connection between the eight-pronged beast that it Miruthan and an unsuspecting - but hopefully ready - musical landscape that lovers of heavy music laced with theatrics have been craving.HEAVY recently caught up with songwriter/guitarist and Sprechgesang vocalist Nzambi Mapungu - also known as The Zombie God - to dive deeper into the unfolding mystery. We start by asking how he is feeling about setting Cult Of The Dead free into the world."I feel pretty confident," he answered. "It's funny the way this EP came around, actually, because I wrote a complete full-length album, and then I wanted something out sooner than it would take to record a full album. So I sat down and wrote a full EP after the album so we could release that first. What's funny is these songs are the new songs. The album was written first, but the way we write it is all in story form so everything kind of ties in together. Each song ties into the next song like a story. This is actually the prequel (laughs)."We point out it is a great idea because as a new band coming onto the scene you don't want to smash people with too much too soon."That was exactly the reasoning as well," he affirmed. "It was like let's not show our full cards straight up. Let's do the teaser and see what people think of it and go from there."In the full interview, HEAVY conducted a thorough track-by-track review of Cult of the Dead, discussing the band's unique approach to blending punk, blues, and metal elements in their music, as well as the significance of storytelling and atmospheric elements in their songwriting. We also discussed the band's folklore and its upcoming release, highlighting the storytelling aspect and the band's desire to engage fans in a deeper, interactive experience plus covered more of the themes and theatrics surrounding the world which the band has created for themselves.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

28 Huhti 202421min

Interview by Kris PetersMelbourne rockers The Dreadful Tides emphatically announced their arrival on the Australian music scene in 2021 with their infectious and rock as all fuck debut single Crazy.The song was like the meeting of two sonic forces that exploded with raw guitars, meaty solos and the kind of swagger that left rock music while the Rolling Stones were still in their nappies.Blessed with an upbringing of 70s and 80s old-school rock and metal, The Dreadful Tides wove those influences with a modern edge to create a hybrid rock and metal blast of sonic intensity that almost dares you not to take notice.The band have been steadily building since then, culminating in the release of their new single Fire In The Hole which takes everything already sprinkled in The Dreadful Tides' DNA and laces it with slabs of hard rock bordering on metal intensity to elevate their music to another level.Part of that intensity blast came through new vocalist Jimmy Black, whose recent inclusion to The Dreadful Tides has opened the chasm of opportunity even further and invited the Gods of metal into their realm.HEAVY caught up with guitarist Justin Strudwick and drummer Leland Hallett to find out more."It's actually really, really surprised us this time," Hallett offered when asked how Fire In The Hole has been received. "Everyone has just loved the track. The amount of messages we've got off people and the appreciation off so many different people. We also managed to get airplay in multiple countries already which is good for us. The reception has been phenomenal."We ask the boys to dive deeper into Fire In The Hole musically."It started off, in all honesty, as just a riff that we were messing around with," Strudwick replied. "We said we just need a cool opening track for gigs. Not even for recording purposes. Just for gigs. So me and Leland messed around with a few things, but the music has stayed pretty solid for that track the whole time. We actually had some different lyrics for it originally - except the chorus. The chorus was still the same, but when Jimmy came on board he had a different take on the song and changed the lyrics apart from the chorus, and we were just like, yep, that's it. That suits the music. We went into the studio to record that song and use it in our back pocket for if we need it, but once we heard it we thought we have to get this thing out."In the full interview, Justin and Leland discussed plans for their upcoming singles and the potential release of an EP. They provided details about the band's decision to introduce each track individually, highlighting their desire to give each song its own spotlight. They also delved into the band's musical growth, explaining how their writing process has evolved as they have become more familiar with each other and their producer. Additionally, they hinted at upcoming interstate shows starting in April, indicating an exciting future for the band.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

24 Huhti 202413min

Interview by Kris PetersFresh off the road from a tour with Tapestry and AM/PM, Adelaide emo alt-rock five-piece Wolf & Chain find themselves already consumed by producing more content so that the current wave of hype the band has generated does not go to waste.The band needn't worry too much, because after the success of their catchy and infectious recent single Not Giving Up it is highly unlikely anyone will be forgetting their name in the foreseeable future.Pulling from sounds found in the 2000s with My Chemical Romance, Panic! At The Disco and 30 Seconds To Mars, Not Giving Up is a quirky and fun slab of music, driven by typically personal subject matter that has become one of Wolf & Chain's trademarks.HEAVY sat down for a chat with vocalist Jack Cumes and guitarist Joe Butcher to find out what the next steps of this exciting young band will be.We start by asking how the recently completed run of dates with Tapestry went."Super cool," Cumes replied. "A bunch of people came out to see us, which is always great. Tapestry, those guys are super amazing live, so it was amazing just to see them and learn off them as well.Melbourne felt like a big step up from when we usually play. I think Melbourne can be a bit hit-and-miss for us. We've only played there a few times, but this last show we played, we had a great time. There was heaps of people, and it was a good wrap-up to the end of the tour as well."The tour was essentially to help promote the new single Not Giving Up, with Cumes happily relaying the new track was positively received live.."It went down well," he smiled. "We always have a good time playing it, and we worked really hard on that song. It was a bit of a process getting it to where it was, so I think whenever we play it live we feel pretty good. We're happy that it's had this journey."In the full interview, Wolf & Chain discussed the visual and conceptual inspiration behind their music, using werewolves as a metaphor and drawing inspiration from horror movies for their music video.They hinted at a larger project on the horizon and expressed a desire to push themselves to create something different for their next work. The band also emphasized the importance of working with different collaborators and expressed confidence in their progress towards finding their distinct sound.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

24 Huhti 202412min

Interview by Kris PetersTasmanian entertainment machine Luca Brasi are headed to this side of the ocean next month to celebrate their latest album The World Don't Owe You Anything with a tour of the same name.It is an extensive tour by Australian standards, taking in Canberra, Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sydney and Newcastle but if past tours and reputation are anything to go by we are in for a nationwide treat. Luca Brasi will be bringing the beautifully named Spanish Love Songs with them for the trek, promising nothing but a night of great music, laughs and good old-fashioned mateship.Frontman Tyler Richardson joined HEAVY to tell us more."Yeah man, it's nice to go and play places that don't get got to as much as they should," he smiled. "So it's nice to go back to those towns. We come from Tassie and quite often back in the day we didn't get all these tours, so it's nice to be able to go and play them."In the full interview, Tyler talks more about their upcoming tour with Spanish Love Songs, expressing excitement about playing in overlooked towns and the significance of returning to their origins in Tasmania. He emphasized the need to mentally and physically prepare for the extensive run of shows, highlighting the importance of maintaining gig fitness and being mindful of looking after yourself. Tyler also reflected on the band's journey in finding their musical identity and returning to creating music that resonates with them, despite the challenges of popularity and commercial success. He expressed his genuine excitement for live performances and his gratitude for the opportunity to be on tour, as well as their plans to start writing new songs and spending time with their friends from Spanish Love Songs.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

23 Huhti 20247min

Interview by Kris PetersThe struggle most bands find these days is keeping together a stable line-up to help them grow both musically and professionally.A variety of obstacles face most bands currently doing the rounds, with member retention being the common ailment of bands on a global scale.Brisbane metal outfit Engraved are no exception.Since relocating from Sydney last year, Engraved have been plagued with the age-old problem of members internally combusting, halting their forwarded momentum every time the band starts to make serious inroads in the national metal scene.But, hopefully, Engraved's run of bad luck and/or poor judgement is about to end, with today's announcement that Cairns product Panda is joining the noise maestros as vocalist.Each incarnation of Engraved has had promise but fallen by the wayside for one reason or another, but after chatting with the band recently it seems their luck might just be taking a turn for the better.HEAVY caught up with guitarists Dan and Cory, bass player Phil and new vocalist Panda for a chat about their upcoming appearance at Beyond The Darkness at The Back Room on September 14 and plenty more."It sounds like an excellent gig," Cory affirmed. "I am quite excited. The last Beyond The Darkness gig was actually my first with the band and was kind of like a trial by fire. I went out and very quickly all of our scepticisms and nerves disappeared, so I'm excited to come back out and smash it again.""This will be your anniversary with us, too," Phil added.In the full interview, the conversation shifted to personal updates, with Cory sharing news of his engagement. The band members introduced themselves and discussed their upcoming headlining show as part of Beyond The Darkness in greater detail, outlining the fact it is a benefit concert for the GI Cancer Institute. They also discussed their upcoming gigs, including Nowhere Festival at the Mansfield Tavern, and recent line-up changes within the band.The Engraved band members shared their journeys of joining the band and discussed their upcoming music releases. They expressed enthusiasm for the new material and assured fans that the essence of the band's original vision will be preserved while incorporating refined elements. The band members also touched on branding updates and new merchandise, with Dan taking the lead on these initiatives.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

23 Huhti 202416min

Interview by Kris PetersWhile the annual APRA Music Awards have always celebrated the abundance of talent coursing through the Australian musical landscape, the focus has always been on the more mainstream artists and side of the industry.Hard rock and heavy metal have long been touted for inclusion, but for varying reasons have never quite made it onto the big stage for Australia's most prestigious awards.Until now.The 2024 APRA Music Awards will, for the very first time, include a category which rewards and recognises this country's strong and growing stronger metal scene with the inclusion of the inaugural Most Performed Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Work category.The point could - and will - be argued that heavy music should have been included long before this, but in the overall scheme of things, the fact this category has been introduced is recognition and vindication of how much heavy music is progressing in our own backyard. It is just reward for a scene and genre that has never claimed to be for the masses, but through sheer weight of listening numbers has ensured long overdue acceptance in the public spotlight.Nominees for the category this year include Alpha Wolf, Polaris, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, The Amity Affliction and Parkway Drive, all bands who have played a significant role in the increased growth of heavy music both here and abroad.To celebrate this landmark event, HEAVY tracked down Winston McCall from Parkway Drive to discuss just what something like this means to Australian heavy music."It's sick," he smiled. "It's awesome that they have added that category. Awards are humbling in general. I'm really stoked for more recognition for our scene and community, full stop. Because right now it just seems like… it's honestly bigger than it's ever been. The more that we can do to push that forward and make people recognise it, the better for it. For us to get an award, sweet, I'm stoked the award exists with a bunch of really, really cool bands."As good as it is to have APRA finally recognise the heavy music community, their hand has been pushed somewhat by the continued expansion of artists within this genre. It is a sense of pride to everyone in the metal scene, and one not lost on the bigger fish like Parkway Drive."Yeah, 100%," McCall agreed. "And that's the way it works. At the base of that, the really cool thing is being involved in a scene where situations like that come about because of the community behind it. It's like an engaged scene of people. Everyone pays attention to everything that's going on. Everyone supports everything. Not every scene is doing as well as ours at this point in time. Post-COVID it's been difficult, but I look out there, and I see people who still care about this music that is their passion and still support it 110% and look at where it is now."In the full interview, Winston expressed pride in the Australian music scene and the community's support for the genre, discussed his upcoming attendance at the awards night and his lack of preparation for a potential speech. The conversation also included a lighthearted exchange about sending photos of outfits and the casual approach to the event.Winston also reflected on Parkway Drive's 20th-anniversary tour later this year, expressing gratitude for the band's journey and the community's support. He shared insights on the band's supports for the tour and discussed the challenges of managing the unexpected popularity. Additionally, Winston discussed the band's upcoming European festivals and Australian tour, hinting at new music in the works but expressing a preference to focus on the existing material during the tour.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

23 Huhti 202420min