BARONESS Talk DARK MOFO, Creative Evolution And The Power of Mystery

With the world, and, more importantly, their attention spans, getting smaller almost by the day, it has become increasingly important for bands to maintain a high standard of productivity.Gone are the days where a band would put out an album, tour on the back of it for the next two years, spend 12 to 18 months writing and recording the next one before repeating the cycle. Most people - even hardcore fans - would have like;y moved on to another band or another fad long before the first half of the touring cycle was completed.In the modern age it's pretty basic in the sense that if you aren't offering the musical landscape something fresh and new every six months or so, then you may as well become a DJ.Knowing this, Melbourne-based rock outfit Sordid Ordeal have wasted little time following up on last year's debut album When I Left Town, releasing the first single from the next album just eight months later.Tigress is the first sonic introduction to Sordid Ordeal's second album Nothing Was The Same Again - which is the companion piece to When I Left Town and will be unleashed early next year.So diverse with their sound, the term Stout Rock has been coined just to try to simplify things for the fans, but there is little need to simplify things for Sordid Ordeal any more than they already are.What you see is what you get. And hear.A refreshing breath of flippant fresh air in an increasingly sanitised music industry, Sordid Ordeal refuse to yield, playing music for the enjoyment rather than potential adulation. Their sound is an amalgamation of folkish story-telling and ballads with blistering, mangy rock and epic anthems. They weld together the abrasive and heavy with the gentle & intimate, creating an incendiary mix of subversion and hedonism.See. Stout Rock.With several live appearances in the bands near future, including a headline spot at Metal In The Mountains in Beechworth on November 30 alongside DarkHorse, Mammon's Throne, Munitions and more, frontman Laurence, guitarist Jake and bass player Joe sat down with HEAVY for an entertaining chat about anything and everything.We start things off in the relatively safe place of talking about the new single Tigress."The song is about a woman who breaks out of the expectations of conservative rule in Australia and decides to move to the city and live her own life," Laurence explained. "She left Wagga in the 80s - it is a woman I know, but I can't elaborate too much more on the details - but it was a direct inspiration. I drew a lot of comparison to what my journey was like. Although it wasn't that of a woman growing up in a country with quite a problem with misogyny and chauvinism, my personal journey was breaking out of a militantly religious family and going to the city to find myself. Although there's different versions of the message, the result is very much the same. That song falling out of me was quite an easy one to write. As for the video… not everybody gets a band full of so many good-looking roosters, so I think I just wanted to feature everyone in our video clip. The last two video clips with the previous line-up I wanted the next clip I was gonna record - although there's gonna be a narrative aspect to it which is where the burlesque dancer comes into it - first and foremost just putting the current line-up of the band in there. I just wanted people to see this is what it is now. This is how much better it is. Look at the beard on that man over there and how good it is (laughs). There was actually a bit of a conundrum in deciding how to portray the narrative of the character that I created for this, Alistrina, because you wanna portray that liberation, that breaking out of the mould in an exciting way but if you did it in a business corporate sense, there's not a lot to that. I think it was a matter of trying to find something that represented it in a dignified way."Listen/watch the full interview to get a full rundown on what Sordid Ordeal have been doing, what they should be doing, and what they plan to be doing.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

5 Loka 202446min

Few people in music command as much respect as Jerry Cantrell.Initially courtesy of his work with Alice In Chains through to his solo material, Cantrell has inspired generations of musicians and guitarists, being massively influential in shaping the very fabric of modern rock music. Over his career, he has released six studio albums with Alice in Chains, three solo full-lengths, had his music featured in films from Cameron Crowe, Judd Apatow and Ben Stiller and made cameos in Deadwood and Jerry Maguire.Like I say, the full package.Cantrell returns with his new album I Want Blood, out on October 18, featuring contributions from bass heavyweights Duff McKagan (Guns N’Roses) and Robert Trujillo (Metallica), drummers Gil Sharone (Team Sleep, Stolen Babies) and Mike Bordin (Faith No More), and backing vocals from Lola Colette and Greg Puciato (Better Lovers, ex-Dillinger Escape Plan).Not that he needs big names as guest artists to entice people to his music, it's more a case of because he can.Cantrell spared some time for a chat with HEAVY a couple of weeks out from the release date to talk more about I Want Blood. We start by asking how he is feeling about the new release."Yeah, you know, it's the last couple of days of it being kind of semi-secret," he replied. "We've got a couple of songs that have been out already. Vilified, the first single and also Afterglow, so we've got a couple out there that have been living in the world and people have been responding to, and we've been playing them in the sets too. We did a couple of months on the road with Bush a couple of weeks ago, and it's that last little bit where it hasn't quite left the nest, you know what I mean? So it's still got that kind of special feel to it. And when it gets launched, then it's not just mine anymore. It's anybody's who wants to make a relationship with it."We press on the musical nature of I Want Blood."I never really sit down and start a record with some sort of intent in mind of like what kind of record I'm going to make," he replied. "Luckily, I've made a lot of different rock and acoustic stuff in my career, so there's a lot of places you can go. You just want to follow where the music takes you naturally. And on this one, it seemed like I wanted to go heavy."In the full interview, we spoke more about the album's musical direction and Cantrell's confidence in the project. We discussed the significance of the album cover, the notable guest musicians involved, and the unique spoken word version available on vinyl. Cantrell provided insights into the creative process and the collaborative nature of the album, emphasizing a special approach to presenting the lyrics to fans, plus more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

5 Loka 202419min

Living in regional areas puts you behind the eight-ball somewhat when it comes to promoting your music. For a start, the population is drastically less than the capital areas, which presents a plethora of associated problems starting with a target audience.It takes a combination of talent, persistence, planning and vision to just get your toes wet, which is exactly what Mackay metal outfit Same Pains possess plenty of.Despite being a band for a short amount of time, their collective experience has seen the members share the stage with noted Australian acts such as Northlane, Polaris, Alpha Wolf and Ocean Grove. Earlier this year the band played two showcase gigs at BigSound and this weekend perform at Rhythm & Reef Festival in their hometown, which will be headlined by Bliss N Eso - not exactly from the metal realm but still one of the big fish when it comes to Australian music.But all of that will be superseded today when Same Pains release their first collection of music in the form Closure: An Aggregate, with guitarist Ben Burrows joining HEAVY to outline things in greater detail.We outlined their promotional strategies and release schedule, with Ben reflecting on the band's unique approach of releasing singles prior to the full collection. The title Closure was explored, with Ben explaining it signifies the end of a chapter and the start of a new journey, while also touching on the band's musical evolution and diverse influences.The conversation also addressed the challenges and opportunities within regional music scenes, drawing from their experiences in Mackay and Cairns. Ben shared his efforts to organize local shows and the importance of community engagement, as well as their upcoming performance at the Rhythm & Reef Festival. He expressed hopes for greater exposure for heavy acts in regional areas and discussed future plans for shows in Brisbane and Sydney, as well as the potential release of another EP next June, plus more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

4 Loka 202417min

English punk/metal hybrid Rolo Tomassi have arrived in Australia for their smash and run of shows as part of sleepmakeswaves' Love Of Cartography Tour, which also features Japanese math rock outfit Lite who make their debut Australian performances.Rolo Tomassi return after an absence of eight years, with the pandemic repeatedly putting paid to the band's efforts to make it back sooner.With the first show of the tour completed in Perth last night, HEAVY thought it pertinent to spend some time with keys player/vocalist James Spence to get a feel for what to expect and their relationship with sleepmakeswaves."So we were supposed to tour with them in 2020, and that didn't happen because of the global pandemic," he explained. "I think since then, there's been a willingness to make something happen again. I met them earlier this year at a festival in Europe and got to hang out, and we got on immediately. You could tell they would be nice people to spend time with and a good band to play shows with. There's definitely something in our sounds that compliment each other, and it fits together in a cohesive way without being the same thing."Listen/watch the full interview for more, including what it's like having a sibling in the same band and about what has changed sonically and technologically for Rolo Tomassi since they were in Australia last.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

3 Loka 202416min

Volume Dealer is a new venture started by Dan McDougall and his brother Ando - better known for their roles in Frankenbok and Dreadnaught respectively - which is an online show featuring live music and interviews with the best live bands Melbourne has to offer.While on the surface not an entirely new idea, it is the approach behind Volume Dealer, and, more importantly, the people behind Volume Dealer that makes it quite possibly one of the most exciting and rewarding musical ventures to hit the market for a considerable time.The basic premise is this: Dan records a live set in his studio, asks the band some questions interview style, edits the music and narrative together and publishes the finished product. But that is only scratching the surface of what Volume Dealer offers. Participating bands walk away with high-quality, live footage of them playing in a live setting, footage that can be used for invaluable exposure and promotion.Many bands in the modern age can't afford to outlay money on classy production or studio time, and inevitably lack the polish to keep up with the multitude of bands racing in similar directions. Not through lack of vision or dearth of talent, but because they simply don't have the tools or means at their disposal to guide them on their musical journey.The final footage is kept by the bands but also uploaded to social media and the Volume Dealer website, in effect offering instant high quality promotional tools that could - and quite often are - the difference between success and failure.Dan has also worked in optional extras to each package, with one idea to do up an exclusive, limited, one time only line of merchandise for each band that performs, lasting only for the duration of their three to four-week rotation before the next band's performance and interviews are completed ready for publication.Dan also offers a competitive, high quality range of merchandise for sale to the general public, adding to the complete musical flavour of the whole project.With the first episode being released earlier today with Melbourne three-piece Scarnon, Volume Dealer have struck their first blow at revitalising the local music industry, with much broader plans and vision moving forward.HEAVY sat down with Dan McDougall to find out more."Volume Dealer is a new online show that we've just started with live music and interviews," he began. "With, at this stage anyway, Melbourne's finest live bands. We're hoping to take it Australia-wide and have international bands at some stage, but for the time being we'll just focus on Melbourne bands."Although an in depth project with many moving parts, we ask Dan to simplify what Volume Dealer offers."We're going to get bands in to the studio, film them and record them live," he explained, "for anywhere between five and seven songs and then after the live sets done I'll then sit down with one of the members and interview them for a little bit. Then we just take all that footage and compile it into an episode and at this stage the format is we do a song and then a little bit of interview and then a song and a little bit of interview and so on. We had our first episode come out today, and I'm really happy with how it's all turned out. The point of the show is to be a promotional vehicle not only for the bands but for us as well, to showcase what we all do and hopefully make a bit of money in the process."In the full interview, Dan elaborated on the show's format, which includes filming live performances and conducting interviews with band members, and expressed his excitement about the positive reception it has garnered. This project has been a long-standing aspiration for Dan, reflecting his deep passion for capturing the essence of live music and providing a platform for local talent.The conversation highlighted the technical challenges Dan faces in achieving high-quality audio while maintaining the authenticity of live performances. He emphasized the importance of minimizing bleed and preserving spontaneity in the studio environment. As the project progresses, Dan said he is pleased with the advancements made in addressing these technical issues, which are crucial for delivering a polished yet genuine representation of the bands' performances. The involvement of Dan's brother, Ando, in filming and communication was also discussed, with plans for his role to expand as the project evolves.We explored the promotional aspects of Volume Dealer, including the intention to offer high-quality audio and visual recordings to bands at no cost, with the option for bands to purchase the recordings and also discussed leveraging social media for cross-promotion and creating a dedicated website and YouTube channel to showcase the content. Additionally, Dan shared plans for limited edition merchandise tied to each episode, drawing on his experience in merchandising to enhance the bands' revenue opportunities plus more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

2 Loka 202435min

Punk rock mainstays Unwritten Law should have been given Australian citizenship by now.Since first hitting our shores in 1996 the band have only toured the US more times, solidifying the love affair that has one so far as to Unwritten Law having one of their members live in this country full time.Best known and loved as part of the Warped Tour Festivals, Unwritten Law have struck the perfect blending of punk and hardcore, almost making the form of music an art form.And so it is Unwritten Law are returning to Australia once more, playing at Hotter Than Hell Festival dates as well as a select number of headlining gigs. Is Australia ready? We should be, but if there's one thing Unwritten Law have instilled in us over the years, it is to never expect anything from them.The band's resident Aussie, guitarist Scotty McLaughlin joined HEAVY to talk more."This is the shortest tour we've done in ten years," he laughed. "Usually we do a month here, but this is the quickest little thing we've done in a long time."We mention the Hotter Than Hell line up and the fact it almost has a Warped Tour kind of vibe about it."It does," he nodded. "I was looking up old tour posters from the 90s, and it's the same bands for the most part (laughs). It does have that old feel to it."In the full interview Scotty talks more about Hotter Than Hell, playing with other bands like Regurgitator, Less Than Jake, Jebediah, and The Bennies, playing their Black album in full and problems that come with doing something like that, their own headlining shows and how they will be different to the festival shows, what to expect from Unwritten Law live and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

1 Loka 202410min

Brisbane indie punk outfit Semantics have splashed their name across the national music scene in the space of seven short years, traversing the country with acts such as Luca Brasi, Violent Soho, Sly Withers and The Menzingers while managing to drop their debut LP Paint Me Blue in the midst of it all, garnering a loyal and passionate global fanbase to boot.To prove they are no flash in the pan, Semantics recently unleashed their sophomore album I Feel It All At Once, producing their most cohesive and definitive work to date. Across its eleven tracks, I Feel It All At Once encapsulates a broad emotional spectrum; snapshots of life’s experiences, journeying themes of grief, love, yearning and ultimately, acceptance. Semantics are a band who have proven in the past that they are unafraid to explore darker themes and subject matter, but even then, they displayed a talent for doing it in a way that felt healthy and cathartic.Vocalist/guitarist Callum joined HEAVY to go more in depth."I'm so excited," he enthused a couple of days out from the album's September 27 release date. "We've been sitting on these songs for a few months now and waiting to put them out and see what everyone thinks. (Musically) we were aiming to encapsulate everything we love about rock and guitar music. We wanted to pay tribute to all of their styles and artists that have influenced us and play from the heart and make songs that we believe in. Write about content and subject matter that is important to us or relevant to our lives, but is also - we hope - translatable and accessible to everyone else."In the full interview, Callum explained how the album represents a new chapter for the band, with a greater focus on production and songwriting effort, and is a tribute to the styles and artists that have influenced them. We discussed Semantics' upcoming album tour, which will start on the Gold Coast on October 13 and end in Brisbane on November 6, with Callum describing their live shows as loud and energetic, with a positive atmosphere.We also spoke about the album title and how it differs to their first release, plus more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

1 Loka 202412min

There is a general vibe surrounding the upcoming fifth album from Frozen Crown, called War Hearts, that suggests the Italian power metal outfit are truly at ease with themselves and their music.Not only is War Hearts the band's first for Napalm Records, but it also ushers in 18-year-old guitar prodigy Alessia Lanzone and marks the first time Frozen Crown have released an album featuring all of the band members together on the one recording.It shapes as a career defining album for the group, pushing their trademark elements to new levels of complexity without forgetting the characteristic catchy hooks that have punctuated their earlier work.With War Hearts just weeks away from being released on October 18, vocalist Jade sat down with HEAVY to go through things in greater detail."For us this album is very important, because it's the first we are releasing with Napalm Records," Jade began, "and the first as a six piece band."We ask her to talk about the musical side of War Hearts in greater detail."War Hearts is a fresh start for us," she explained, "because new label, new guitar player. But on the same side it's a very Frozen Crown album. We really wanted to be loyal to our sound, to our style. So you will find something Frozen Crown, but more powerful. Adding a third guitar has been a blast for us, especially from the live point of view. We really wanted to take the same amount of layers of guitars we have on the album. We are not fans of sequencing and backing tracks, so we wanted to be true. Working with a third guitar player has been a great enrichment for us. Alessia has been a breath of fresh air, and having the third guitar gave us the chance to enrich the arrangements."In the full interview, Jade discussed the evolution of War Hearts, blending power metal, speed metal, and traditional heavy metal and keeping it cohesive, having all band members record an album for the first time and what it brought to the overall sound, how War Hearts pays homage to their influences such as Children of Bodom, in what ways Frozen Crown's sound has changed from their debut album The Fallen King to War Hearts, how Alessia came to be in the band and how she completes the line-up, their upcoming tour with Kamelot and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

30 Syys 202412min