Smashing It Out Of The Park With BABYBEARD

Interview by Kris PetersAt some stage of a band's career when they have released enough hit songs to justify such a collection, the traditional Greatest Hits package almost becomes a necessity.What should be seen as a celebration of a successful career is too often viewed more as a commercialised assortment of songs that have already generated a substantial amount of money, but, also as is often the case, the bands themselves have little or no say in the process or release.Not that anyone is accusing Canadian rock outfit Finger Eleven of jumping on the gravy train.Far from it.These guys have earned their stripes and the imminent release of their overdue Greatest Hits album on June 17 also serves as a homage to some of the bands personal covers and Finger Eleven's first new music in seven years, Together Right.Featuring a previously unreleased cover of Pink Floyd's Welcome To The Machine (a live fan favourite) as well as their version of wrestler Kane's entrance song Slow Chemical, Finger Eleven seem to have all bases covered with a collection of 12 tracks including Paralyzer, One Thing, Fallin' On and Living In A Dream.Frontman Scott Anderson sat down with HEAVY to run over the idea."I think we've talked about it for long enough," he smiled. "We hit the right moment to say can we agree on these songs, and do we have enough for a Greatest Hits? Can we do this? Alright, let's do it. James got the artwork together and the ball started rolling, and I'm excited to say we finally pulled the trigger on it."In the full interview Scott talks about the song selection process for the album, the new single Together Right and how it reflects Finger Eleven in 2023, the Pink Floyd cover and why it made the cut, the early days of the band and the musical climate that gave them life, their early name Rainbow Butt Monkeys and WTF, how their music has changed over the years, new music plans and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

18 Touko 202314min

Interview by Kris PetersCanberra based noise merchants St Sinner are farewelling one chapter of their musical identity while simultaneously ushering in a new, more important era with the recent release of their song Alone Together.After going through a stagnating period in and around the COVID period with the release of three tracks Mr Prime Minister, Dead For The Weekend and We're All Going To Hell, St Sinner have been busy refining and honing their existing punk, metal, hard rock and dark pop sound into something more sinister and demanding.Rory and Sam sat down with HEAVY to fill in the blanks."Pretty good," Rory replied when asked about the early reception afforded Alone Together. "We haven't released anything in a year and a bit, so all of the traction that we had from the last release is just fucken gone so the reception it has got... anything would have been good. I'm just happy that there's even two people listening to it (laughs)."With the modern musical landscape being driven by low attention spans bands that don't release regular content are generally left floundering, a point which we raise to the boys."It's a weird thing," Rory agreed. "So this song was the last of a cycle - because our band has been through line-up change after line-up change after line-up change. This is the last song of a cycle that we've been going through since 2020, and in a way it was like starting again but at the end of a phase, which is interesting. Everyone's got ADHD now, including me. If a band that I'm listening to isn't putting out music at least once every two to six months I forget who they are."In the full interview, Rory and Sam talk more about Alone Together including the play on words in the title, closing one chapter of the band's existence and opening another, how they plan to transition musically, what direction they are heading, the cocktail of influences in their music and how it came about and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

5 Touko 202311min

Interview by Kris PetersWhen the enigmatic and universally loved frontman of LA industrial/heavy outfit Static X passed away in 2014 many thought that was the end for the band as well.Wayne Static WAS Static X - just by virtue of the name alone - and to try and find anyone to replicate his on stage intensity was thought to be futile.The band who had given the world the groundbreaking album Wisconsin Death Trip and the industrial alt-rock hybrid Evil Disco, shaking metal from its stagnant state and redefining what can be done with heavy music, was rudderless and without the emotional capability to continue. Wayne's passing - after long periods of unrest within the band - seemed to be the final debilitating factor in the future longevity of Static X but behind the scenes the three founding members of Static X, Tony Campos, Koichi Fukuda and Ken Jay were scouring the musical landscape for someone who could not only fill Waynes shoes musically, but would also be accepted by their fanatically loyal fanbase.In 2019 the trio recruited a still unidentified mask wearing enigma as vocalist who went by the name Xer0 and despite initial skepticism and often downright hostility from some members of the public, Static X have been reborn as both a live and recording unit and will arrive in Australia for three shows starting in Melbourne on May 19 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Wisconsin Death Trip.Sensational live footage of their US tour has leaked on social media which justifies the current hype surrounding Static X, with the show as much a visual spectacle as it is aural, complete with a stunning new outfit for Xer0.Bass player Tony Campos joined HEAVY recently to discuss the tour and a host of other things relating to Static X, starting with how much of Wisconsin Death Trip they will be playing as part of the anniversary celebrations."We will be playing... I won't say most of it," he offered, "but we'll be playing a lot of cuts off that album."Campos has been quoted as saying that as well as playing songs from that album and Machine, Static X are also going to throw in "a couple of nice surprises" so, not being ones to like surprises, we asked him if he would share the knowledge."It depends on who the surprise is coming from," he laughed. "If you want a clue check out any of the interviews from the last couple of shows that we've been doing here in the States to get an idea."Static X will also be celebrating the life and legacy - as they do with every show - of Wayne Static, which although gives the fans an inside glimpse into the mechanisms of the band with Wayne out front, would also be emotionally draining on the surviving members night after night."Being together with my friends that were there with me in the beginning and having that comaraderie with those guys keeps the vibe positive," he measured. "It keeps it focussed on all the good things we achieved together."In the full interview Tony talks more about what to expect from the shows, how different it is having Xer0 out the front to when Wayne was there, losing Wayne and the decision to move on without him, initial negative feedback from fans and how it affected the band, the new stage show and what it entails, the early days of Static X and where they fit in, creating their sound and introducing it to a new audience, at what stage of the bands life did he personally feel they were onto something good, how they made their last two albums Project: Regeneration Volumes 1 and 2 after Wayne's passing, future new music with Xer0 at the helm and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

4 Touko 202314min

Interview by Kris PetersEvery now and then we at HEAVY get an album come across our desk that screams at you to listen and take notice.Something out of the blue that not only looks like it could be fresh and daring, but also sounds like it.When the new album from Indya called Leather N Lace came through there was something about it that made it stand apart from the rest. I'm still not sure whether it was the eclectic nature of the bands influences - Madonna, Enigma, Van Halen, Pat Benatar, The Prodigy, Marilyn Manson, Bring Me the Horizon and Def Leppard - or the promise of a wild rock and roll fantasy ride, but whatever it was it has made me more inclined to listen to my gut feeling in the future.With Leather N Lace coming out on May 6, HEAVY caught up with irrespressible vocalist Laudez Rose to find out more."I'm really excited," she gushed when asked about the album. "I'm so excited about the album launch - which is in a music store called HMV. The music shop is quite small, but we fit in (laughs). We've got about 70 people coming to watch and it's on the day of the coronation, so we thought that it would be dead but obviously not (laughs)."We ask for more information about Leather N Lace musically."I started the album a year ago and it's taken me this long because obviously I've had to do the album while working at the same time, and I've had to juggle a lot of things," Rose offered. "Everyone's busy, it's like trying to herd a load of cats trying to fit everything in. Basically, I've been inspired by quite a few artists - Madonna, because I was a massive fan of her when I was growing up, and Lady Gaga, No Doubt, Bring Me The Horizon, Hendrix, Van Halen... and it's funny because every song you hear is totally different on my album, but you can hear all these inspirations coming through. Every song is completely different and nothing is the same."In the full interview, Laudez talks more about the album and it's myriad of influences, musical experimentation and how far to push it, the singles released and how they represent the album, difficulty in choosing singles when everything is so sonically different, her vocal range and how to temper it throughout the recording, attending the Britain School for Performing Arts and Technology and what she carried from there into her music, the pitfalls of being an independent artist and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

4 Touko 202317min

Interview by Kris PetersPerth is a long way from the action when it comes to music, so you can be sure when you hear of an artist making waves from that side of the country that they have something special.Which is precisely the case with alternative singer/songwriter RinRin who delivers a sound and music in the ilk of Paramore, BabyMetal and Avril Lavigne.After being one of the standout performers at Brisbane's BigSound Festival in 2022, RinRin return to the East Coast of Australia in May for three shows with Inferiority Complex and Live Like Animals.Dubbed the Protagonist Tour, the shows take in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane and to find out more about the growing star that is RinRin HEAVY caught up with the vocalist and namesake for the band."We've been having rehearsals every Sunday for six weeks now," she began. "We recently had band coaching as well and I'm excited to show everyone my new moves."We ask RinRin to run us through a typical live show from the band."A lot of headbanging, that's for sure," she smiled. "A lot of fun, boppy songs with breakdowns and cool solos. A little bit of story time and lots of fun."Listen to the full interview to find out more about RinRin and what to expect from the Protagonist Tour.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

3 Touko 20237min

Interview by Kris PetersWhen it comes to musical brutality they don't come more hardcore than Melbourne outfit Nicolas Cage Fighter.Rather than surround themselves with more comforting bands and music, Nicolas Cage Fighter are currently on tour with bands of the same ilk, with Western Australian 'death kill machine' Xenobiotic and 'savage death metal maniacs' Zeolite joining them for all or part of the current Hate From Pain Australian tour.Following the release of the album The Bones That Grew From Pain, Nicolas Cage Fighter have made it a personal mission to get in the ears and faces of as many people as possible and the ferocious and entertaining nature of their live performances has seen this mission already labelled a resounding success.After decimating Fremantle and Perth last weekend the metal juggernaut continues onto South East Queensland this weekend before heading to Woolongong, Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne with frontman Nicholas Moriarty joining HEAVY earlier tonight to tell us more."They were in smaller venues, so they were actually more intimate," he said of the first round of shows completed last weekend. "It was real good. For the Freo show we weren't really too sure what to expect, purely because the venue that we locked in can be a little bit hit and miss from what we understand with turnouts and crowds, but it was real good. There was a decent amount of people that showed up in a real in your face, up front kind of venue. We were getting a lot of energy off the crowd and you could see everybody instead of being blinded by the light (laughs). It was mad. Then the Perth show afterwards was in an even smaller room and a crazy amount of movement and involvement from the crowd. We got to meet up with some guys from awesome bands. A heap of really good bands. It was a good little warm up. The first run of new shows with our new bass player Conner as well, and he crushed it. We're feeling real good."In the full interview Nicholas talks more about the tour and what to expect from the shows, having so many brutal bands on the bill, preparing for a run of shows knowing how physical they will be, last years album The Bones That Grew From Pain and how it has been received, new material and what direction it is taking, future plans and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

2 Touko 202312min

Interview by Kris PetersMelbourne heavy psychedelic metal outfit Khan are riding high on the back of their new album Creatures which came out back in February of this year.After having their momentum stalled - as with the rest of the world - during the pandemic, Khan rushed straight back out on the road as soon as they were able, quickly completing a 22 date tour that saw them reconnect with their fans and helped them rediscover a new passion for music.The band has almost completed another Australian tour to promote Creatures, which this weekend sees them appear at the Nowhere Festival at Brisbane's Mansfield Tavern alongside Frankenbok, Dreamkillers, Vulgarite and more before finishing the run with an album launch in their hometown of Melbourne at the Howler on June 3.Guitarist Josh Bills joined HEAVY to talk about this weekend's show and tales of life on the road."It's a pretty killer lineup," he nodded when asked about Nowhere Festival. "I don't know many of the bands, but I had a listen through and very excited to see a lot of it live."We ask what fans can expect from Khan at the show."Songs from each of the albums," he offered. "We've unfortunately changed tunings (laughs) quite a lot throughout our music, so we have to try and put a set together that doesn't change too much and make it work. It's a bit of a hassle, but keeps it interesting."In the full interview Josh talks more about Khan's live show, the tour so far and how it's been going, three songs people should listen to by way of introduction to the band, their upcoming album launch show, the reception to latest album Creatures, why and how it is their "heaviest, darkest and most dynamic album to date", if they will continue down that path for future music, plans to tour Europe and the UK and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

2 Touko 202311min

Interview by Kris PetersEight years may seem like a long time between albums, but when you consider the whole world was basically segregated and shut down for two years of that it puts things a little more in perspective.And besides, don't they say good things are worth waiting for?Well they are right! Especially in the case of cult Swedish industrial metal outfit Deathstars who release their new album Everything Destroys You on Friday, May 5.While it may have been eight years since their last creation, Deathstars have lost none of their swagger or adrenaline, pumping out a collection of songs that epitomises their rebellious nature and spirit with another eight years experience.Bass player Skinny joined HEAVY to chat about the album."For us this album just feels like the perfect continuation of maybe the previous albums like Termination Bliss or Night Electric Night, rather than the latest album The Perfect Cult," he expressed. "It's more outgoing, I would say and more of a party album. It got just where we wanted it to go."We ask how he is feeling about the album, especially after such a long period away."It feels great," he smiled. "It's been a while. We usually have about five years in between albums, but this time we stretched it for eight years (laughs). In the end for us what matters is that we're happy about the album. We could have released it before the pandemic, but then we wouldn't be as happy with the songs. So we decided okay, we'll wait a little bit, and then we had the pandemic and w got some extra free time to work on the songs even more. That turned out great, I think."In the full interview, Skinny tells us about the album musically and what they were going for, experimenting with music and how that fits in to the creative process, the singles released and how they represent the new album, how the band is approaching this part of their career after such a layoff, the early days of the band and where Deathstars fit in, winning the Golden Gods Award for Best Newcomer and how it influenced their career, what's next for Deathstars and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

2 Touko 202311min