Raw, Real & Gritty With LUKE GRUNTS From CLEOPATRICK

Interview by Kris PetersIt's been a massive six months for British rock/metal frontrunners Asking Alexandria, starting with the release of their latest album, Where Do We Go From Here? and culminating with an upcoming appearance in Australia as part of Knotfest 2024, which also sees Pantera, Halestorm, Lamb Of God, Disturbed and more visit these shores.In between, the band dropped the highly successful Dark Void EP to coincide with Blue Monday, further accentuating their cause and support for mental health and related illnesses.HEAVY recently caught up with bass player Sam Bettley to go over these highlights and more."It's been a long time," he stressed. "It's been a long time since we've been there, so we're excited to get back."We run through the line-up and ask if there's any bands that Asking Alexandria haven't played with before."Honestly… no, I think we've played with pretty much everybody on this line-up," he laughed. "We were lucky enough to do a lot of the festivals in this last European run we did. On the off dates of the festivals we played with Disturbed, and those guys were awesome. What an amazing band and incredible to see live. Pantera… I mean, that was just a whole thing, you know. That was a huge party. Lamb of God - honestly, one of my favourite bands growing up, and my good friend Art is their drummer now, which is crazy because we toured with Art for years when he was in Winds Of Plague, so it's really cool. It's gonna be huge. There's gonna be a lot of friends and a lot of familiar faces. A couple of people we've not played with… nah, honestly. I've got it in front of me and everybody, really. I'm excited."In the full interview, Sam talks more about travelling and playing these festivals, the backstage environment, catching up with friends on the road, what to expect from Asking Alexandria's set, what they expect from their crowds, the sideshows and what to expect, Dark Void and the reason behind releasing it, future plans and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

1 Helmi 202415min

Interview by Kris PetersAndorran metal outfit Persefone are a band unto themselves.With a sound that can be loosely described as progressive rock meets melodic death metal, Persefone have forged their name crafted in their sonic diversity.2024, and in particular the band's new EP Lingua Ignota - set for release on February 2 - ushers in a new era for the band, with vocal duties being assumed by Daniel Rodriguez Flys. His DNA is all over the new EP, which features five songs covering the entire spectrum of Persefone's music, with subtle nods at their future. Drummer Bobby joined HEAVY to talk more about the EP and Persefone's future."Man, I just want to release the new music," he smiled. "We've been working so much into this new release lately that I just want to release it and people to start listening to it. We finished the recording in August, so it's been a while now. And since we are about to go on tour in ten days, I really want people to listen to the new songs before that because we are playing the whole EP live and I want them to at least know the songs a little bit."In the full interview, Bobby talks more about the EP and what they were going for musically, describes the band's sonic structure, introduces their new vocalist and what he brings to the band, runs through each of the five EP tracks individually and explains where they fit in with the recording, how Lingua Ignota differs musically to previous release metanoia, what's next for the band and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

1 Helmi 202413min

Interview by Kris PetersSwedish metal heavyweights Katatonia are on the cusp of their first headlining tour of Australia in nearly a decade, which kicks off in Sydney on February 9.Over the course of thirty years and eleven studio albums, Katatonia have proved groundbreaking in their approach, constantly restructuring their sound to match their own personal music growth.Drummer Daniel Moilanen recently joined HEAVY to discuss the tour in greater detail."Pretty much," he replied when asked if the band were packed and ready to go. "We just came back from the first show of this year. We did Turkey, so I'm taking a day off or two and then getting back into it."We ask how he prepares mentally and physically for a run of dates like this so far from home."The first thing is loading up on sleep," he offered. "I know it doesn't really work like that, but getting sleep and rest and getting your vitamins in and your supplements. Even leaving home for a run of dates for a couple of weeks, even if you're not able to do your workouts or do your stretches on the road, you're going to have pretty crappy sleep all throughout. If you can prepare with all that at home, you'll be fine. I think that's what we all try to do, just unwind, prepare physically and mentally, and while we're out there the lack of sleep; the lack of healthy food doesn't really affect us as much. If we would live at home like we did on tour, I don't think we would survive because we are getting too old (laughs)."In the full interview, Daniel talks more about the tour and what to expect, what has changed with the band since their last Australian tour in 2016, his memories of that tour being the 'new guy', growing into his role, if he was a fan of the band before joining, last year's album Void Of Stars and how it has been received, how much of that they will be playing live, what's next for Katatonia and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

1 Helmi 202410min

Interview by Erin EddyThe last few years have been tough on the world at large, with people of all walks of life forced to find their own coping mechanisms to safely navigate increasingly treacherous waters.Musicians, long thought to be able to handle anything the world threw at them and turn it into cathartic verse, were amongst the hardest hit, with many bands failing to emerge intact.But others embraced their changing environment as best they could, harnessing their anger and frustration into their music - often the only thing they had left.Australian progressive rock outfit Caligula's Horse were one such band.Borne from the heartache and suffering of a world teetering on the verge of collapse, Caligula's Horse's sixth studio album Charcoal Grace is a sonic reminder of the frailties of mankind as well as the endurance in the face of adversity that often comes with despair.The music contained within Charcoal Grace is as diverse and eclectic as the circumstances that inspired it, combining raw rock power with immense and intense emotional fortitude.HEAVY caught up with Jim, Josh and Dale to find out more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

28 Tammi 202413min

Interview by Kris PetersAustralian metal outfit Dream On Dreamer were an international sensation in the early part of this decade, playing, amongst other things, 24 different countries and sharing the stage with bands such as Avenged Sevenfold, Pierce The Veil, Memphis May Fire, A Day To Remember and plenty more.With four chart-topping albums to their name, including the highly successful Loveless (2013), it seemed the world was there for Dream On Dreamer's taking.Until, seemingly out of the blue, the band announced that they would be parting ways after eleven years together in February 2020, citing the need to focus on their personal lives. It came as a shock to their fans far and wide, with the April 2020 album What If I Told You It Doesn't Get Better threatening to be the last we would hear of this promising band.In June 2023 fans received the news they had been hoping for when Dream On Dreamer announced they would be reforming for a national headlining tour which dutifully sold tickets by the bucketful and ensured Dream On Dreamer now had a reason to remain.That decision was vindicated later that year when Dream On Dreamer were announced - along with Sienna Skies - as national supports for Of Mice & Men on their 2024 Australian tour, reportedly hand-picked by the band themselves for the honour.Now, with only weeks remaining before the first show kicks off in Adelaide on February 23, HEAVY managed to track down guitarist Zach Britt to find out how the band is feeling about the upcoming tour and what they have planned for the near future."We're pretty pumped," he enthused about the tour. "It's been a while since we had a run on the field. We've been on the bench a little while and we're really excited. We're excited to get out there and stretch our legs again. It's always fun just hanging out, especially as we've gotten older and not toured non-stop all the time. It's really nice when we get to do it now, and we appreciate every time. Of Mice & Men are such heavy hitters… it's a privilege when you get to play with bands like that. I think the more we've grown up now, the more we appreciate these tours. There was a lot of tours that we didn't really take stock while we were there, and now I think back to a lot of them and think 'oh my God, I wish I was a little more present minded' (laughs). I think now we're just excited to make the most of it and get out there."In the full interview, Zach talks more about the tour and what is expected of Dream On Dreamer as a band, being personally selected for the Of Mice & Men shows and how that feels, having two Australian bands as supports and the flow on effects for Australian music, how he controls the nerves leading into shows of this magnitude, the band's fresh approach to playing and touring and how he thinks it will benefit them in the future, announcing the comeback last year and what changed to make the band try again, how it felt to be welcomed back with open arms by the fans, proving a point to themselves and others, new music, future plans and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

27 Tammi 202417min

Interview by Kris PetersAussie rock outfit Shotgun Mistress exploded out of the blocks with their debut self-titled album in 2021, showcasing an old-school approach to songwriting that saw them instantly branded amongst rising bands to keep an ear out for.Spawning a string of chart-topping singles such as No Friend Of Mine, Save Me From Myself, Glorious Machine, Collide and Bleed Me Out, it seemed Australian rock had finally found a fresh talent to proudly call their own.Following a highly successful 2023 which saw Shotgun Mistress complete sold-out national tours with Electric Mary and Palace Of The King, the boys decided to take stock and capitalise on their continued momentum with album number two, always considered the making or breaking of any band.With the new album Kings Of The Revolution in the can and planned for a June release, Shotgun Mistress have unveiled the first taste of what to expect with the hard-hitting single Jude Judas, just ahead of their national tour as part of GlamFest 2024 which also features Slaughter, Lynch Mob, H.E.A.T, Janet Gardner and plenty more.HEAVY sat down with frontman Glenn Patrick to dive deeper into Shotgun Mistress' new music and their exciting next few months."The track is the best single from the second album," Patrick declared about Jude Judas. "The first album is always going to test the waters and see what it's like and how we all work together as a band family and democracy, so the second album was a good chance to spread our wings knowing how everyone works. The recording process was ten times easier, and we all had a good time working together. It only took almost 40 years to find a band I actually get along with (laughs). The song itself is typical, the word Judas obviously biblical in the fact you've got a friend who took advantage of you in a situation. It pays homage to a mate of mine who has gone through a bit of shit, but he's on the up and up, so this goes out to him."We press Patrick as to why the band chose Jude Judas as the first single and representation of the new album."It was tough," he conceded. "There's a couple of really good standout ones. The second single, I absolutely love, which is going to be coming out shortly after this one. And even the third one is an amazing song, which we actually got Rusty from Electric Mary in to do some vocals. That's a really, really good track, and that one is called Mary Jane. It's a fitting name as well (laughs)."In the full interview, Glenn talks more about Jude Judas, the remainder of the album and what to expect, their goals going into the recording process and if they were achieved, the upcoming Glamfest tour and their part in it, the high number of Australian bands on the bill and how important that is for Australian music, Shotgun Mistress' live show and what to expect, what sorts of things they learned as a band touring with Aussie heavyweights like Electric Mary, their own headline tour later this year and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

27 Tammi 202417min

Interview by Kris PetersFollowing the release of last year's album Dreams And Lies, LA-based rock singer/songwriter John Demena found his career on an upward trajectory.With his music now circulating in the right circles - including album opener and single I The People making Loudwire's Weekly Wire Playlist as one of the Best 50 Rock & Metal Songs of the week it was released - Demena attacked his craft with renewed vigour.Opportunities began to open up, one of which was the chance to play at the legendary Viper Room in West Hollywood. And what better way to celebrate that landmark than recording your whole set? And what better than that?Re-releasing the album's successful single as a live cut.Which is exactly what Demena is doing on January 27 when the live version of I The People - recorded during that show at the Viper Room - is released.HEAVY spoke with Demena about the track and asked him to tell us a bit more about himself."I'm a rock artist out of Los Angeles," he explained. "I grew up in Spain, then moved here in 2008 around the recession and all that. I was playing in bands and doing sessions for other musicians and many different things. Then I started my recent project as a solo artist five years ago. The debut album came out last year. It's a full and diverse sonicsphere, all over the spectrum of rock. It goes in the hard rock sound, but sometimes it goes a little heavier, sometimes it can be a little more spacial and progressive."In the full interview John talks more about the project, the live version of I The People, what it was like playing and recording at the Viper Room, his previous release which was a cover of The Doors People Are Strange, putting his own spin on a classic song, future plans and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

23 Tammi 202413min

Interview by Kris PetersEvery city anywhere in the world has bands that are considered legendary within their geographical area, but might not be so recognised much further than the next border crossing.For Brisbane that band is Boondall Boys, a band featuring a gentleman that goes by the name of Macka who also happens to be in a universally legendary band, the Cosmic Psychos.The story of the Boondall Boys initial album pressing - if not a national legend it should be - is piss funny and punk as fuck (listen to the interview if you want to know more), which in a roundabout way brings us full circle to why we are even talking about Boondall Boys in the first place!Australian label Bargain Bin Records, created by Aussie band The Chats, recently re-released that 2007 album Hard Rubbish and to thank the band as well as celebrate the label's fifth birthday, Boondall Boys are hitting the road for selected dates with The Chats for a run of select shows this February.To find out more about everything, HEAVY tracked Macka down while he was resting in bed. We start by asking if it feels like he is cheating on the Cosmic Psychos by getting back into bed with his mistress."No, not at all," he smiled. "The record came about a long, long time ago and we just re-released it. It goes back to about 2006 I think when we wrote the songs. Then I joined the Psychos at about that time, from memory. I think it was recorded… you would go back 15 years sort of thing."In the full interview Macka gives us a history on Boondall Boys, recalls making Hard Rubbish and what sound they were going for, forming the band and what drove him back then, what to expect from their live shows, what happened with the initial pressing of 100 copies, potential new music and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

20 Tammi 20247min