Raw, Real & Gritty With LUKE GRUNTS From CLEOPATRICK

Interview by Kris PetersMelbourne rock outfit Shotgun Mistress arrived on the scene with a bullet following the 2021 release of their self-titled debut album that reinforced all known conceptions about the band, based purely on the high-octane suggestiveness of the name alone.Here was a band that bled rock and roll rather than one jumping on the back of an institution that oozes charm, strength and charisma. In the world of rock and hard rock such pretenders are generally found wanting before a round of shots can be fired in anger, but on the rare occasions that a band not only matches the sonic intensity of their album on the live arena but rather elevates the bar infinitely higher… well, you just know.Not that there were many doubters out there, but with Shotgun Mistress facing the prospect of following up a banger of an album with an even bigger banger - not an easy thing to do on a sophomore release - the lads from South of the border just rolled their sleeves up and did what they do best.Knock that shit right the fuck out of the park.Released just last Friday, album number two, Kings Of The Revolution is not merely just more of the same from Shotgun Mistress. It is a statement of intent laced with an air of almost arrogance that pushes the doors open even wider for what can only be an even more exciting future for the band.HEAVY sat down with frontman Glenn Patrick and drummer 'Diamond' Dave Lee direct from the freezing cold of Melbourne and on the night of release to gauge their enthusiasm."We're stoked," Glenn started to reply."We're fucken stoked," Dave corrected."It's been a long time coming," Glenn continued, "and we've had this album in our back pocket for a long time. Half the album was already written before the first one was even released. So it's definitely been a while, but it's good to finally…""Release it to the world," Dave finished.We ask the boys if Kings Of The Revolution is what fans would expect musically from the band."I'd like to think so," Glenn measured. "I'd like to think it's something that's pretty similar to what people would relate to. It's definitely a step-up for us as far as the writing ability. The first album was a bit of a tester to see how we worked together, so this one is something that came a lot easier.""A lot quicker," Dave added."The actual production of the tracks is good and there's definitely a lot of different… influences from this album compared to the first one," Glenn chimed in. "Things like early day Aerosmith and ZZ Top. There's a lot more variety in this one.""It sort of suits everybody, instead of just writing to the one content," Dave concluded.In the full interview the boys talk about the three singles released and how they represent the whole album, translating the live energy to recordings, the bold statement proclaimed by the album title, what songs to listen to by way as an introduction to Shotgun Mistress, their upcoming tour of Japan, hometown shows and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

15 Kesä 202417min

Interview by Kris PetersThe inaugural Necrosonic Festival to be held at Brisbane's Mansfield Tavern on August 31 is not your typical metal festival. This is a festival put together by people who have a genuine love of and interest in heavy metal music, not just a promotor out to exploit the scene in favour of a quick buck.As such, Necrosonic features a number of bands thought to be dead and buried, along with some heavyweights of the scene to celebrate metal the way it should be.Loud and proud.With a line-up of 30 bands including Crypt, Psycroptic, Lo!. Astrodeath, Bulletbelt, Mortality and more, HEAVY felt it only appropriate to interview a selection of these bands in the lead-up to Necrosonic, with our first chat with Aaron Tuck from black metal warriors Lumen Ad Mortem.We mention that it must be an honour of sorts being invited to play at the debut performance of what promises to be a long-running music festival."Yeah, definitely," he enthused. "There's a few bands there I haven't heard of before and when I checked them out they blew me away. One of them is Spire, really looking forward to seeing them, and of course Crypt, Psycroptic, Misery… It's an awesome line-up. It will definitely give our necks a workout watching the other bands."For the benefit of those who might not have seen Lumen Ad Mortem live before, we ask Tuck what to expect."We're playing mid-paced black metal," he measured, "with a lot of blast beats. Our music has orchestral sections, and then we've got a projection show we put behind us. Our singer Greg is a tall person who likes to scream in people's faces (laughs). He's got a lot of character. We just get up there and play the tunes as best we can and try to create an atmosphere of dark, gloom and evil."In the full interview, Aaron talks more about Necrosonic and what he is expecting, the state of metal festivals in Australia, the early days of the band and where they came from, their debut album Upon The Edge Of Darkness, future plans and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

14 Kesä 202411min

Interview by Kris PetersUS metal outfit Fire From The Gods consolidated their growing stature in October 2022 with the release of their third album, Soul Revolution.Featuring the singles SOS, Thousand Lifetimes, World So Cold and Soul Revolution, the album quickly became a fan favourite and propelled the band into a fresh legion of fans and supporters.Fans quickly demanded more, so Fire From The Gods have provided with Soul Revolution Deluxe - The Collabs, an extension of the original album featuring the tracks found on the first recording, plus four of the songs re-recorded with collaborations from Yung Mosh, Nate Vickers, Corey Glover and Jayden Panesso as well as a cover of Guerilla Radio by Rage Against The Machine.It portrays the four reworked songs in a different light with the use of guest artists and showcases a different musical side of the band.Vocalist AJ Channer joined HEAVY to dive deeper into the new album which will be released on June 14, starting with if he still feels the same excitement releasing a deluxe version of an album."You know what, I'm happy about this one because as I have told everyone it's about the family with this one," he explained. "It's about the homies and some really solid, close individuals for Fire From The Gods, so I'm really excited about this one. I am excited about the release. Typically, Fire From The Gods will release a record, then we'll do some reimagined version of it. We've done it since our first record, Narrative, and people are really excited about hearing the different version of the solo or a different take or reimagining of the record. But with this one, it's collabs. It's people that specifically are close to our hearts as brothers, as bands, as musicians. We hand-picked those that we wanted for this. I didn't wanna blow it up and get a massive name on it and spend a tonne of money going after Jonathan Davis or some big name to try and boost sales or anything. We really wanted to do it as some homies that we wanted to show love and some people that we know really respect our band and respect what we've got going on."In the full interview, AJ talks more about how fans embraced the original album version, how he measures success in the modern age, runs through each of the collaborations individually and offers more about the songs and why each person was asked to collaborate on it, the Rage Against The Machine cover and why it was chosen, the selection process for which songs appeared on the Deluxe version, touring plans and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

14 Kesä 202418min

Interview by Kris PetersReward for effort is not a phrase generally used in the music industry, with countless bands and musicians paying their dues thousands of times over and still not finding that elusive pathway to the next level. But occasionally you see the music Gods smiling down on one of their own by rewarding them with a more universal platform, in the process opening that band/artist up to a whole world of possibilities they may never have known existed.Melbourne rock/pop artist Karly Jewell has recently found herself in this welcome situation after years of pouring her heart and soul into music when she signed with emerging label XMusic. It's not so much the signing to a label that is significant here, it's more a case that someone in a position of influence in the music industry finally believes. Believes in her. Believes in her music. Believes in the future of Karly Jewell and her self-titled band.With a number of new songs already written and recorded, Jewell attracted the attention of XMusic with her upcoming single, Sad Girl, which will premiere via HEAVY this Friday, June 14. It is a catchy tune, with meaty hooks in the right places, and dripping with enough attitude to have disenfranchised teens come running in the direction of musical salvation.Jewell sat down with HEAVY to discuss the signing and new single."I am so excited," she beamed, "because I have been sitting on this song for months now. Since last year, I believe. Just knowing how it turned out was exciting, but being able to share it after waiting and waiting… I'm excited now I have a label behind me and heaps of cool stuff coming up - which we'll talk about later. Now's the right time to get this song out. I'm pleased I held onto it. And it's a cool song (laughs)."In the full interview, Karly talks more about Sad Girl musically and what it's about, the slightly different sonic direction to her previous releases, where it stands in the scheme of a possible future album release, signing to XMusic, what things that opens up to her and her band, new bass player Mick Jones and what he brings, their upcoming tour of Japan, future plans and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

13 Kesä 202412min

Interview by Kris PetersTen years ago, a then unknown Australian band called Kingswood laid solid claim to becoming a band you had to hear with the release of their stunning debut album, Microscopic Wars.Drenched in rhythm, carried by the band’s strong chemistry, bolstered by a confidence and swagger felt between songwriters Alex Laska and Fergus Linacre, MICROSCOPIC WARS heralded not just an exciting jump off point for the Melbourne group; for fans, it was the start of a journey with a band whose ambition would see them navigate a diverse range of music influences to follow.After six more studio albums, Kingswood are now a household name both here and abroad, but the band have never forgotten the album that gave them their start. And now, with that album celebrating its ten-year milestone, Kingswood are set to embark on a nationwide tour to celebrate by playing the album in full. Vocalist Fergus Linacre joined HEAVY recently to reveal the band's weird and wonderful plans to say happy birthday to Microscopic Wars."We've got a few special guests that are gonna come up and join us on stage," he teased. "We're taking a great band called The Delta Riggs with us for most of the tour, and over in WA we're gonna have Death By Denim come with us. Alex and I were talking, and he said to me yesterday when we were planning out who is gonna play what and what the parts are gonna be - because we've gotta relearn a lot of it. I've got to relearn how to play piano, which I never did in the first place (laughs). He said we're gonna give them… because we're so much more experienced - we're better singers, better performers, better players - he said we're gonna give the fans that love that album the best version of those songs that they've ever heard. Far better than when we played them back in the day, so it's exciting."In the full interview, Fergus discusses the tour in greater detail, what fans can expect from the show, playing the album in full and any problems that may pose, if the songs still resonate as strongly after ten years, the band's thought process going into Microscopic Wars, his memories of making it, recording in Nashville and how it impacted the album sonically, the temptation of reproducing that winning formula on future albums, diversifying your music while staying true to your fans and roots, how Kingswood's music has changed from their debut album to now, things they have learnt about themselves and their music over ten years and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

11 Kesä 202415min

Interview by Kris PetersThe Sweet have been a musical institution since the early 1970s after bursting onto the scene with their debut album Funny How Sweet Co-Co Can Be in 1971. Their Who-influenced hard rock style, supplemented by a striking use of high-pitched backing vocals, struck a chord with youth the world over, propelling them into a career which continues with much love, fervour and respect to this day.With a succession of hit singles, including Ballroom Blitz, Fox of the Run, Love is Like Oxygen, Wig Wam Bam, Blockbuster, Teenage Rampage, Hell Raiser, Action and countless others, The Sweet were always the darlings of the music scene in all incarnations of the word. They toured relentlessly and continually sold out larger venues, in the process building for themselves a musical legacy that will stand the test of time in comparison to most others.To put it simply, The Sweet have been, and remain an iconic force in the world of music with no signs of slowing down just yet.So it is with a touch of sadness that The Sweet soon hit Australia for what has been dubbed The Farewell Tour - Greatest Hits. To run us through what to expect and take us on a trip down memory lane, HEAVY sat down with guitarist/vocalist Andy Scott to get the full rundown."We're coming to Australia to tour in November," he began. "With me will be my singer, Paul Manzi, my bass player Lee Small, my drummer Adam Booth and our younger, genius, second guitar player/ keyboard player Tom Cory. Also, I've just been told yesterday, that it looks like we'll be going to Tassie and then finishing in Perth." We ask what fans can expect from The Sweet in 2024."We've been through many phases, as you would imagine with the difference in music styles," he explained. "Fifty-odd years of a catalogue with almost three hundred songs in it… try picking twenty from that (laughs). I think most of the set writes itself, and we're certainly going to do about a dozen of the hits. Then we're gonna fill it with things like Set Me Free and some of the heavy rock stuff. Because we've been releasing some stuff more recently, we'll probably chuck a couple of the new ones in. It depends how long and whether we've got supports on all of the dates. It depends how long we are going to be playing, so the set might change slightly. There'll be something for everybody, I can tell you that."In the full interview, Andy talks more about what to expect from The Sweet on the tour, the extra shows at Airlie Beach Music Festival and on Rock The Boat cruise, coming up with set lists to appease the fans, adapting to change over the years, memories of the band's first Australian tour in 1975 and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

11 Kesä 202413min

Interview by Kris PetersSometimes the best brand of heavy metal is the one that follows a straight line. While bands of the modern era generally tend to mix a plethora of styles and genres into each recording, there are still the die-hard old-school metalheads that subscribe to the old adage of if it ain't broke, don't try to fix it.Veteran MidWest thrash metal outfit Conquest are one of those bands.Over successive previous albums, Conquest have flown the flag high for old-school metal, with crushing guitars and blinding speed punctuating their material. So it comes as no surprise then that their latest album Paradox - out now - is cut from the same cloth.More of the same, if you will, only better.Vocalist/guitarist Derrick Brumley joined HEAVY to talk us through more, starting with the reaction to Paradox thus far."So far really good," he enthused. "I mean, we're pretty blessed on how much attention it's getting these days. It's awesome. When you're a musician, and you're an artist at it, you hope for the best. Expect the worst, but keep pushing for the best (laughs)."We ask him to go deeper into the musical side of Paradox."The record Paradox is 16 songs, one is a cover of The Man On The Silver Mountain," he began. "Dio and Richie Blackmore early on was a big inspiration for me, so I was really into that old stuff like that. That's how that song found its way on the record. Just something I always wanted to record and that kind of spawned the whole thing. And then for the other tracks, we had a bunch of tunes written for the record, but then COVID hit, and the original drummer had left the band for a little bit because he had major personal issues. He was out of the band, then Lee came in and filled in the next two years - I should say became a member of the band - and just killed it on the drums. He brought this thunder to the songs, so we put all these songs together and ended up with 16 tracks after writing with Lee. It just piled in, next one, next one, and it was really cool and a really diverse record. It's very old school with a little touch of new stuff here and there. I tried to keep the production raw. I don't like overproduced stuff."In the full interview, Derrick talked more about the songs on Paradox, keeping true to your influences, writing and recording in the studio, the obstacles the band had to overcome in order to finish the album, a bit of history about Conquest, their upcoming show with Burning Witches and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

11 Kesä 202412min

Interview by Kris PetersTheir 2022 album Pirates ushered in a new era for Austrian symphonic metal band Visions Of Atlantis, seeing the powerful metal outfit explore new lyrical territory in embracing the pirate theme. The album was a resounding success, paving the way for an expansion of the sonic universe of the Jolly Roger in even more emphatic terms.The pirates of VISIONS OF ATLANTIS are about to take listeners on their heaviest symphonic adventure yet with their new studio album, PIRATES II – ARMADA, set for release on July 5, 2024 via Napalm Records. A swashbuckling tale of menace on debauchery on the open seas, Pirates II - Armada is set to propel the band to even greater heights, reinforcing their growing status as rulers of the symphonic realm.One half of the male/female vocal dynamic, Meek, joined HEAVY to dive deeper into the tale of the seven seas."Visions Of Atlantis is a symphonic metal band that was born in Austria but has become international now," he began, "because I'm from Italy and Clementine - which is the female singer - she is from France. Basically, it started as an Austrian project, but now we consider ourselves a fully European band. Right now I would say that we are holding the crown of symphonic… of the old school, classic symphonic metal. With so many other bands heading away from the genre, it seems like we are getting lonely (laughs). We need more symphonic metal bands around. It feels like the trend has gone away, but we still stick to what we believe in. If you like symphonic metal, then we are the band for you."We ask how he is feeling about the impending release of Pirates II - Armada."Super, super excited," he smiled. "This has been the work of two years that is finally coming to life. In this moment we are super, super excited and looking forward to the feedback that we will receive. We put our heart and souls, as always, in preparing this new record and this is the hot moment and the hot months before the release. You don't really know. We write the music, we write what we feel. We write the emotions and put them down in songs and you never know what the feedback will be like. Now we are receiving the first ones from reviewers and interviewers, but at the end of the day the fans are the real judges and the ones who will tell the verdict about this entire thing (laughs)".In the full interview, Meek tells how this album relates to and follows on from Pirates, the musical composition of the album, the claims that this is Visions Of Atlantis' heaviest outing to date, how to get a heavy sound from symphonic music, his transition into the role as vocalist over three albums, his dynamic with Clementine and the writing process that unites the two voices, touring plans and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

11 Kesä 202419min