Raw, Real & Gritty With LUKE GRUNTS From CLEOPATRICK

Interview by Kris PetersPensylvanian melodic hardcore upstarts One Step Closer have certainly embraced the disposable culture of modern society, with a musical output bordering on an album or EP roughly every 12 months.While such a prolific extension of a band's creativity could often lend itself to varying degrees of quality, One Step Closer have consistently put out quality releases ever since their debut demo offering in 2016, all the way up to,and including, last years Songs For The Willow.Touted as the band's most anthemic and passionate work to date, new album All You Embrace - out May 17 - sees the metal outfit exploring outside of their comfort zone even more, embracing elements of hardcore, emo, '90s alternative and more into a sonic tapestry already rich with diversity.HEAVY caught up with vocalist Ryan Savitski to find out more."I'm honestly nervous and super excited as well," he enthused about the impending release of All You Embrace, "just because, you know, this is a big deal record for us. I feel like the second LP is always a little scary and I feel like we have been trying to do our best just to keep our nerves and keep everything pushing. We're super excited to finally put it out."We ask Ryan to tell us more about All You Embrace musically."Pretty much we were just trying to expand our sound from what it already has been," he shrugged. "We were trying to be a little bit more melodic and kind of push at least the stinging aspects of the band even more. I feel like we've always been more of a melodic band and more like… we're a melodic hardcore band so it's always been sick to push that more on every release that we've done, and on this one I think we were really just trying to be limitless and not hold ourselves back."In the full interview, Ryan talks more about the sonic direction of All You Embrace, the singles released and how they represent the whole album, , how the album shows One Step Closer's musical evolution from Songs For The Willow, being real to yourself and your music, the contrasting musical styles that go into their music and how it comes together, the early focus on EP's over albums, touring plans and more.Pre-orders: https://cvaushop.com.au/products/one-step-closer-all-you-embrace-pre-orderBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

8 Touko 202415min

Interview by Kris PetersFresh from a run of Australian shows with Ne Obliviscaris and Rivers Of Nihil last September, German based post metal outfit The Ocean are set to return this June for their first headlining dates in this country in almost a decade.The band left an indellible impression on concert-goers when they were here late last year and have promised to up the ante even more for this tour which starts in Brisbane on June 5.Bringing their biggest production yet, as well as legendary US hardcore pioneers Cave In for their first Aussie shows EVER and insanely heavy Danish label mates LLNN, The Ocean will be showcasing last years ninth album Holocene, said to be the bands most exploratory and varied release yet.Guitarist Robin Staps sat down with HEAVY to reveal more."We're looking forward to being back," he began. "We were only over there last September but we're stoked to come back with a full headline set this time and to present you guys our new record Holecene, which we haven't been touring with so far. We just played one track on the last tour so there's goign to be a lot of songs we haven't really played live on your precious continent before and we're stoked to do that.""I'm in the middle of tour preparations right now," he continued. "Inevitably you start dealing with a tour more than a couple of weeks in advance. There's a lot of logistics involved. We're also doing South East Asian dates before we get to Australia and just the whole luggage and merch shipping and transport situation is extremely complicated. So unfortunately right now it's quite mundane logistics stuff, but i'm very much looking forward to finally being over there and touring and playing shows. We love Australia, ity's always been great. This time I have a feeling we're actually going to be able to enjoy it (laughs). The last couple of times it was always super early morning flights so we just didn't sleep. I was like a zombie."In the full interview, Robin talks more about what to expect from The Ocean on the tour, how the shows will be different as headlining events, the extra production and what that means for the performance, what has changed with The Ocean siunce their last headline Aussie tour almost a decade ago, bringing Cave In over for the first time and how that band helped shaped The Ocean's sound, how Holocene was received by fans, the slightly different sound of that album and why they went in that direction, fitting songs with different structures into a set list and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

8 Touko 202416min

Interview by Kris PetersSebastian Bach has been a busy man since releasing his last solo album Give 'Em Hell back in 2014.He launched popular tours such as 18 And LIVE as well as celebratory 30th-anniversary jaunts in honour of Skid Row's self-titled album and Slave To The Grind, performing each classic in its entirety. Not to mention, he unveiled his acclaimed autobiography 18 And Life On SKID ROW.The man is revered the world over as the original vocalist of Skid Row, unleashing a number of long-standing hit singles such as 18 And Life, I Remember You, Youth Gone Wild, Slave To The Grind, Wasted Time and Monkey Business, in the process taking heavy metal into countless more homes and ears than ever before and leaving an indelible mark that could possibly never be surpassed.Now, 10 years since Give 'Em Hell, Bach returns with Child Within The Man, promising nothing but everything fans could expect and more. It is an epic album and a triumphant continuation of an important and influential career from a man with an astonishing vocal range and larger than life persona. A celebration of past glories and a hint at more to come.Put simply, it is Sebastian Bach at his irrepressible best, with enough swagger to plough through an iceberg and more than enough attitude to spark a global sonic riot.HEAVY had the pleasure of chatting with Sebastian recently about his welcome return. We start by quoting the press release that states Child Within The Man is Bach's most unapologetic and undeniable album yet, and ask if he agrees."Well, I think this album is different because it's the first solo record I have where I've got a full team of people helping me," he measured. "So they're keeping me really busy doing interviews, and yesterday I spent all day autographing album flats that you're going to be able to get in record stores - hopefully in Australia, I don't know. But I have like a whole international team of people that are helping me, so I think that makes it undeniable. The fact that they got me back on the radio here in America is insane to me because I didn't think… I didn't know that that was still possible. I always hoped it was, but you always get labelled an 80s or hair band, and you think that a programmer won't play somebody with that label, but I am happy to say that that does not apply to me, thank you very much (laughs). It just feels incredible to have a song playing on the radio in 2024. It feels astonishing."In the full interview, Sebastian discusses his new album Child Within The Man, sharing insights into the production process, the positive reception of the singles, and the involvement of a full team in its release. He also talked about the emotional inspiration behind his song Everybody Bleeds, delving into his experiences as a father and his profound concerns for the future of the planet for his children.Additionally, Bach passionately recounted the journey of discovering his late father's painting, which became the album cover, and reflected on his history of intense touring. The conversation also touched on the potential for a new video featuring Orianthi, the collaboration with guest musicians like John 5, Steve Stevens, and Orianthi, and the absence of a song titled Child Within The Man. Sebastian also expressed his deep connection with Australia and his desire to tour extensively, aiming to perform in smaller towns and cities across the country.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

8 Touko 202425min

Interview by Jimmy GlinsterVery rarely does HEAVY venture outside of our comfort zone and leave the music realm to speak to artists from other fields, such as comedy. The few times we have invariably resulted in many laughs and a fresh take on festivities, and this was most certainly the case recently when Jimmy Glinster took on his first serious (pardon the pun) interview when he sat down for a chat with the hilarious, and often in more trouble than the HEAVY staff, Australian comedian Isaac Butterfield.Known for pushing boundaries and challenging pretty much everything and anything he takes an interest in, Butterfield has a dark sense of comedy, honed through his YouTube channel but now extending to stand-up shows, podcasts and online content.Loved because of his unflinching and unapologetic approach to controversial topics and observations on everyday life, Butterfield gives no quarter - nor expects any - unleashing his razor-sharp wit and confronting humour from May 10 in Port Macquarie as he embarks on his Isaac Butterfield Regional Live Tour that takes him through 15 different cities before finishing on the Sunshine Coast on June 23.Jimmy didn't hold back with his questions - as expected - starting with asking Butterfield how he would like to be called."You can call me whatever you want, brother," he smiled. "It's all good. I know a lot of people have a lot of different pronouns and stuff… honestly, as long as it's she/her or he/him… the other ones, that's where you get me. I'll be polite… but calm the farm. When you live in a society where everything's pretty easy… that's when you start making up pronouns."Jimmy questions if the younger generation is taking advantage to an extent in the modern age of political correctness."I hate the younger generation," Butterfield shot back. "I'm a Millennial, so I understand that we were the downfall - or at least the start of it. But Gen Z is Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. That's Ground Zero. But, the Gen Alpha… they reckon it'll rebound, and it often does. It rebounds in our generations after, so hopefully that does happen, but I dunno man. It's a rough time. I've had a couple of employees over the years who have been Gen Z, and they are the worst people that have ever lived on this planet. They are worse than Hitler Youth."Listen to the full interview to dive deeper into the world of Isaac Butterfield, including what he classes himself as in respect to being an entertainer, accusations of him backtracking on certain subjects, the correlation between heavy metal and comedy, objectifying art forms such as music and comedy to fit agendas, his ghost hunting video, his new book and much more.Isaac Butterfield kicks off his 2024 World Tour in Australia!A lethal combination of razor-sharp wit and unapologetic humour, Isaac fearlessly delves into the realities of modern life. From hilarious observations on everyday absurdities to fearless takes on controversial topics, join Isaac for a night of forbidden comedy where no topic is off-limits and laughter is guaranteed.MEET AND GREET is Exclusive to VIP HOWLER HEAD Ticket Holders ONLY. This VIP package includes premium seating, a meet and greet with Isaac after the show and a photo opportunity. Special thanks to our sponsor, Howler Head, and Dana White.To ensure an immersive experience for all attendees, we request that NO FILMING or photography takes place during the show. Our team may capture moments from the performance for promotional purposes. By entering the venue, you agree to be filmed, and any resulting content may be distributed accordingly.This show is recommended for ages 15 and above. Unless house rules state otherwise, refunds will not be provided if entry is denied. This COMEDY show is not for the faint-hearted. If you're prone to complaining, this may not be the event for you. No refunds will be issued.Tickets from https://www.rabbitgroup.com/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

8 Touko 202420min

Interview by Kris PetersKaosphere burst onto the Gold Coast metal scene in 2015, bringing with them a wave of brutality seldom heard on the Glitter Strip.After slugging it out at local venues despite not playing a brand of music acceptable to the general population, Kaosphere steadily began building a fiercely loyal and ever-growing fan base that consumed the band's first musical offering in the form of Forsaking Shadows in 2017. As the Brisbane/Gold Coast heavy metal scene and community grew, so did Kaosphere, relishing the opportunities to spread their sonic tirade further at every opportunity. They quickly became the unofficial metal representatives of South East Queensland, and capitalised on that momentum with increasingly hostile live performances that represented their particular brand of heavy music.Last year saw Kaosphere break into more of a mainstream market with a support slot to touring LA glam metal band The Midnight Devils as well as a featured slot at Wallapalooza 2023 which also presented COG, Butterfingers and 28 Days.But it is here and now where Kaosphere are preparing to make their ultimate stand with the release on May 3 of their debut album In Scars We Trust. With three crushing singles already unleashed on the public, In Scars We Trust is shaping to be a pivotal release in the career of Kaosphere, with the whole band joining HEAVY on the eve of its release to run through it more, starting with how it feels to have the album finally coming out."Relieved," vocalist Ricci Dyer began. "Looking forward to it. It's been a lot of hard work gone into it, and now it's time to chill back and get to see the fruits of our labour.""It's been over two years in the making," added drummer Sam Phillips. "A lot of build-up and a lot of work."So far Kaosphere has released the singles Chainbreaker, May I and War Cry, so are those three tracks a good sonic representation of what to expect?"Sort of," Dyer measured. "These's still a lot of groovy tracks on the album, and they all have their differences. Obviously, our flavour is still there engrained in it, but there is a lot of difference in some of those songs.""I think that's mainly because we actually wrote the whole album itself as a whole pile of singles," bass player Leon Friis chimed in. "So we basically went into the studio and would write and record one song over one month or two months and then finish that and go to a new one, and we just worked our way through it like that. We occasionally went back and rerecorded a couple of the songs and spruced them up a bit more."In the full interview, the band members further discussed the album release and plans for showcasing gigs in Brisbane and Gold Coast. The team discussed the musical evolution showcased in their new album, In Scars We Trust, highlighting the diverse influences and dynamic nature of the songs. They also discussed the introduction of clean vocals and the positive reception of the new material during live performances.They also spoke around the release of the new single Bring Out The Dead and its music video, with the boys providing insights into the song's inspiration and the creative process behind the video. The team discussed their plans to release more singles as visualizers and create additional music videos for certain tracks from the album. The band delved into the symbolism behind the album cover art, which represents resilience and strength, and mentioned the special pressings with artwork for merchandise. The conversation revolved around Kaosphere's upcoming shows, with a focus on the diverse range of performances lined up, including a free entry show at Tribe Clubhouse, two shows with Melbourne death metal outfit Miruthan, a memorial show, and a festival at the Brightside.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

2 Touko 202423min

Interview by Kris PetersEskimo Joe are in the rare and elite class of Australian bands who could probably never make another album again, but still draw people to their shows based solely on the quality of material they have released thus far.Two songs in particular - Love Is A Drug and Black Fingernails, Red Wine - have etched Eskimo Joe into Australian music folklore, but their 27-year journey has seen many more highlights and relatable songs.The band built their reputation playing festivals such as Big Day Out and Splendour In The Grass, but of late have been playing nostalgia-type festivals featuring classic bands from the past few decades that are still going strong.The most recent of which was Lookout Festival which featured Incubus, Live, Eskimo Joe, The Superjesus and Birds Of Tokyo. It was a series of concerts that drew consistently high numbers and reaffirmed Eskimo Joe's standing amongst the country's elite live bands, despite having not released a full album since Wastelands in 2013.With the release of their first single since 99 Ways in 2021 - a nostalgic number called The First Time - Eskimo Joe are embarking on a new chapter of their careers and learning to embrace the very fabric of music that excited them nearly three decades ago.HEAVY caught up with bass guitar/keyboards/vocals Kav Temperley to find out more."This is certainly the first song we've put out post-COVID where we've actually played some shows in front of people and then recorded a song, which is a very different feeling," he said. "I think we've hit a real purple patch. Since we saw you at Sandstone Point, all of the shows that we have been playing have been these big, almost nostalgia fests. We've noticed that the gigs are filled with people who are in their early 20s to their 60s and 70s. They are people who would have been 5 or 6 when Black Fingernails, Red Wine first came out, and people who would have discovered us when we first put out Sweater. We've kind of hit this really interesting place where we're not cool or uncool anymore, we just occupy this Eskimo Joe shaped hole in the music industry, which is great. Putting out a new song has been wicked. Definitely the best pickup we've had at radio since 2010 I guess, but everyone is receiving it really well."In the full interview, Kav talks more about The First Time and its sonic direction, the film clip that traces the history of the band over the last 20-odd years, if it is a stand-alone track or part of something bigger, the shows with Live and Incubus, some things they have learnt about themselves and their bandmates over 20 plus years of touring, the just started National Acoustic Theatre Tour and what to expect, playing the more intimate shows and the higher level of fan interaction, future plans and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

2 Touko 202413min

Interview by Kris PetersHaving served the local music scene since the early 1990's Melbourne metal outfit Suiciety have truly been there and done that - twice - in the Australian music landscape.While never cracking the lucrative markets of acceptance, the band has always maintained a strong and loyal fanbase on the strength of early releases Deeper Vision through to their latest EP Reincarnated, which is out now.Despite band members being spread across the planet in the modern age, Suiciety still have that hunger and fire that only heavy punk rock-infused music can deliver, with lead vocalist Adam John Cooper sitting down earlier this week to chat about the new EP and history of the band.The chat covered a range of topics, including the potential promotional benefits of bringing a band to Melbourne and the significance of interviews in the music industry. The conversation also touched on the impact of personal connections and the role they play in the success of bands.Adam provided insights into the creative process and inspirations behind the tracks on the Reincarnated EP, highlighting the thematic elements of their music and running through the four songs track-by-track. He also shared information about RATFest, discussing the hand-picked line-up.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

2 Touko 202414min

Interview by Kris PetersDiscovered by Fred Durst from Limp Bizkit early on in their career, US rock outfit COLD found themselves ahead of the game almost before they even started.Following their self-titled debut album in 1998, COLD went on to release two now-classic albums in 13 Ways To Bleed and Year Of The Spider, striking gold with the singles Stupid Girl, Suffocate, No-One and Just Got Wicked and setting themselves on a path to rock immortality that has grown stronger by the year.COLD will make their first-ever tour of Australia in October with fellow rock royalty ORGY, celebrating 20 years of Year Of The Spider and bringing their greatest hits Down Under for a long overdue run of three select shows.Frontman Scooter Ward joined HEAVY to talk about the tour and longevity in the rock scene. We start by asking why the band have neglected us for nearly forty years."Honestly, it's been kind of hard to get over there," he smiled. "We were switched around on different labels, and we had always wanted to come, however, the powers that be want you to play in designated areas. So we had always wanted to be there, it just never turned around. Now we're more free to do what we want to do and we had the opportunity, so we took it."As mentioned, COLD will be celebrating 20 years of Year Of The Spider, so does that mean the band will be playing the album in its entirety?"I know we were going to talk to the ORGY guys about it," Ward nodded. "The thing about it is we've never played there before, and we have all this catalogue and music that people love from other records as well. So the hope would be to do Year of the Spider in its entirety and then do some extra songs as well for people. So that's the goal. We'll see how that works out."Playing albums in full generally poses a whole new set of difficulties, mainly because when an album is first recorded, there is generally little thought given to ever playing it front to back. We ask Ward if COLD would come across any such obstacles should they decide to replicate Year Of The Spider."Not really," he said. "Throughout the years of touring, we've replicated those songs many times on different tours and different settings. Initially, when the record was put out, we did a Year of The Spider Tour, and we played all the songs so yeah, we're familiar. The band's familiar with all the songs and you know, we have just done a Year of The Spider Tour here in the States (where) we did 58 shows. So yeah, we're very in tune with that record right now."There wouldn't be many places left in the world COLD haven't played in, but being their first trip to Australia will they be doing any research on what to expect or do they plan to discover as they go along?"We have some friends from Saliva that have played over there," he offered, "and they said there's little things that are different without tour buses and flying from show to show and things like that. It's just basically the production parts of it all that we are unfamiliar with, but we're kind of excited about that. It's kind of nice, you know, cramming everything in. I mean, we're doing three shows, and basically it's a five day trip. So it's a long weekend. We do three shows, fly from place to place and bust it out."The flip side to that is Australian fans won't know what to expect either."A COLD Show is like an emotional journey for people," he countered. "We take them to a place. When I wrote those songs, I was going through a hard time and they're all very honest songs. So I transport myself back into that place, and it translates to people that are watching the show, and it brings them… I try to bring them back to those moments when they needed that song to help them go through whatever they went through. Sometimes it becomes an over-emotional thing and the whole crowd sings all the songs with us and there's a lot of tears and a lot of joy. It's an experience when you come to a COLD show for sure."COLD are coming out with fellow first timers ORGY, who themselves are celebrating a significant milestone with their breakthrough album Candyass hitting the quarter of a century mark. Aside from the fact these two bands are both cut from the same cloth, we ask Ward why they make good touring partners."We toured with ORGY back in the day," he replied, "back in the early 2000s when both bands were doing very well. And we've been friends for a long time. We have been touring again since 2018 and Orgy had just started back. They did some smaller tours, but they're getting back into it. We joined up together to do this."COLD formed in Jacksonville, Florida back in 1986, born into a musical climate vastly different to that of today."We were kids in '86 when we started," Ward recalled. "The band was called Grundig at that point, and we were like a slow, grungy type of thing. The music was very slow and just heavy. We were trying to be like the Southern Black Sabbath kind of thing, but more Soundgarden who were doing it on the other side of the country. In Jacksonville, there was not really one type of music scene like there was in Seattle where everybody was in a grunge band. In Jacksonville, it was very diverse. We had Limp Bizkit, Shinedown, COLD and Puddle of Mud. A lot of the guys came from there. It was very diverse, with different kinds of sounds coming out of the place. Every band was a little different. It wasn't really a genre-based area."COLD's two biggest albums were the aforementioned 13 Ways To Bleed and Year Of The Spider, so we put Ward on the spot by asking him which is his personal favourite out of the two."That's a hard one, man," he smiled. "Over time it changes with me and different songs from different records and different emotions come up when I'm hearing those songs. They're both a pleasure to play now. So they're both kind of intertwined with each other in a way."COLD came in for criticism with their fourth album A Different Kind of Pain, with many feeling the album was more sombre and downbeat than anything they had put out before."Yeah, we got a lot of slack when that record first came out," he measured. "The narrative of that album was very personal. It was literally things that were happening with my sister and what was going on with my relationship, and it was definitely a sombre record. At the time, I knew it was different than the other records. That's the other thing about COLD. With every album that we make I don't try to make the same record. At the end of my life, I want my catalogue to be filled with a bunch of different styles of production, the sounds, all the things. There's a lot of bands that just keep making the same record over and over again, and that's a successful way to do a band. However, I'm going the opposite of that. I'm going to write whatever we want at whatever time we feel what we need to write."Tickets on sale now from www.thephoenix.auBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

2 Touko 20248min