Raw, Real & Gritty With LUKE GRUNTS From CLEOPATRICK

Interview by Kris PetersCanadian metal outfit Striker are a band not known for taking the safe approach to music.While old school fans bemoan the fact they refuse to continually churn out albums of pure thrash metal, Striker understand the importance of allowing their musical growth to be reflected with each fresh body of work.This is never more evident than their upcoming studio album Ultrapower - out February 2 -, an assortment of influences and genres ranging from speed metal to hardcore to hair metal to deathcore to Steely Dan. It would have been understandable - possibly even expected - that Striker would rehash the winning formula that saw previous album Play To Win earn them a Juno Award, but rather than stick to what they knew would work, the band elected to instead allow the music to dictate its own course.The result is an eclectic but still unashamedly metal album, being touted in the press as "Striker's triumphant return to reality".HEAVY caught up with vocalist Dan Cleary earlier this week to find out more."I'm super pumped," he enthused. "I'm really excited to get it out. We recorded it… - I guess it was early last year, so February, March -. You sit on the album for a long time, and it's always nice to get it out and see how people are liking it. I still really like it. There's been albums that we've recorded and by the time it comes out you're sick of it, but I'm still digging this one. I think there's a lot of different types of songs, so it's never too boring."Sitting on an album for 12 months waiting to release it is a long time. Musical tastes and trends change significantly over the course of one year, so we ask Cleary if there were ever any stages where the band started to second guess the finished product or think they should make changes certain bits of it."You kind of always do that stuff, but I feel like after doing it seven times we know what to expect," he replied. "I think the first couple we did, we looked back and thought 'oh God, we should have gone and recorded in this studio' or 'we shouldn't have recorded that song' or that kind of thing. Even on this album, there's still grumbling from some people saying we should have put that more brutal song on there and that kind of thing, but that's always gonna happen."In the full interview, Dan talks more about the musical side of Ultrapower, anything they paid specific attention to on this album cycle, following on from Play To Win and if the success of that album caused extra pressure, the temptation to repeat the successful formula for this album, the singles released and how they represent Ultrapower, the different influences that went into the songs, pleasing fans with new material, if the band ever thought maybe they had too much variety on the album, future plans and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

20 Tammi 202416min

Interview by Kris PetersThe Butterfly Effect are possibly one of the greatest rock outfits to emerge from this country.Since releasing their self-titled EP in 2001 which led to their superb debut album Begins Here two years later, The Butterfly Effect have epitomised the Aussie battler in musical terms, often punching above their weight but invariably taking the points on a TKO every time.As with most bands, The Butterfly Effect have had their share of ups and downs but have always emerged triumphant with their integrity intact.Now, 20 years after the release of Begins Here - an album that spawned the singles One Second Of Insanity, Crave, Always and Beautiful Mine - the boys from Brisbane have decided to relive those early days of struggle and uncertainty by taking to the road to celebrate that groundbreaking album by playing it in full.What started as only a handful of shows soon swelled to double digits, with almost half sold out already - still two weeks out from the first show.HEAVY tracked down frontman Clint Boge earlier this week to discuss the tour and the album that started it all."They said we'd never make it mate, and we're here," he smiled. "Australian heavy music is alive and well and still going. You've got all of the bands that paved the way - trail blazed - back in the day, and can I just say I am super stoked to be a part of it 20 years on. I'm probably a little bit heavier, a little bit wiser with a few more grey hairs, but I'm still here."We mention the tour and press Boge on how excited the band is to hit the road and journey back to their musical roots every night."We're nervous. There's a sense of anxiousness around the group at the moment, and we're nervous," he admitted, "because we want it to be great. We haven't played some of these songs for 20 years. I think we played Without Wings in its demo format at the Hard Rock Cafe on the Gold Coast in 2001/2002 and that was the last time that thing got played. Overwhelmed got played in I think 2004 - that was the last time it got played - so we've had to relearn, rejig and duck, weave and dodge because the brain isn't as malleable as it was 20 years ago. The excitement is palpable around the group at the moment. Glen is coming up this evening, and I'm going in the studio tomorrow to do some touch ups for vocal stuff. We're doing a full band practice, it's all systems go. We're firing on all cylinders, which is great."In the full interview, Clint talks more about the tour, the fantastic response from fans, what we can expect from the gigs, playing Begins Here in full and any difficulties it presented, the planning stages for the album and what was discussed, his memories of making it, his initial thoughts on how good the material was, his personal favourite tracks on the album, if he thinks the songs have stood the test of time, how The Butterfly Effect have changed as a band since it was recorded, their latest album IV and how the fans reacted to it, future plans and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

18 Tammi 202423min

Interview by Kris PetersEven the biggest metal bands in the world can divide their fans when it comes to different eras of music.Even Iron Maiden.The band has had two main frontmen throughout their career - as in two that fans identify with the most -, Paul Di'Anno - who sung on the band's debut self-titled album and the follow-up Killers, and current vocalist Bruce Dickinson who has sung on thirteen studio albums.They are two different and unique lead singers and debate can and will rage on forever about who sounds the best, but the good news for Australian lovers of metal is that in the space of eight months we get the opportunity to hear both performing in their own right.Iron Maiden and Dickinson hit our shores in September for a run of shows, but, before that, the man who started it all, Paul Di'Anno plans to reacquaint audiences with those first two albums on a tour which is underway as we speak!Performing classics such as Running Free, Sanctuary, Wrathchild, Remember Tomorrow, Murders in the Rue Morgue and plenty more, Di'Anno - who has fronted a number of bands since leaving Maiden in 1981 but is only unleashing songs from those first two Maiden albums on this tour - has vowed to take us back to where it all began and reignite the flames of early heavy metal, Iron Maiden style.Despite health problems that nearly curtailed his career over the last couple of years, Di'Anno has fulfilled his promise to bring Australian fans the music that shaped a generation and has cast aside any lingering issues to deliver in style.HEAVY caught up with Di'Anno not long after he arrived in Australia ahead of his first show in Perth. We asked the great man what fans can expect from the shows."This is my first time back in 8 or 9 years now," he began, "because basically, I have been able to do fuck all. What we are doing is saying a big thank you and a farewell - not from touring - but from doing Iron Maiden stuff. This is a whole Maiden heavy show featuring songs from the first two albums, and it's been quite successful. I'm surprised. Because Iron Maiden can't play the fucken songs (laughs). Then next year we come out… coming out very soon is a Greatest Hits of mine with tracks from Battlezone and Killers and other bands I have been in. It's an album called The Book Of The Beast, and we have the movie coming out in a couple of months as well - it's like a Rockumentary we've been doing - once we've got all that stuff out I will go back into rehearsals to learn all the stuff of mine."In the full interview, Paul talks more about the show and what to expect, preparing mentally and physically for a run of shows so far from home, how his injuries have changed his approach to playing live, his early years singing with Iron Maiden, who he based his vocal style on, his reaction to leaving the band, how he has changed and grown musically over the years, what's next after this tour, his top three Commandments Of Metal and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

17 Tammi 202412min

Interview by Kris PetersSince first making their way to Australia in 2009 Orange County hardcore outfit Stick To Your Guns have almost made it their mission statement to return back as often as possible.Their music for some reason resonates well with Australian music lovers, and despite a five-year gap between visits, this time the band has vowed to make up for lost time when they hit our shores from January 24 for a run of shows.The tour will see Stick To Your Guns celebrate one of their most popular albums, Diamond, with the gang from California offering up the whole album live by way of thanks for sustained support.With the tour just over a week away, vocalist Jesse Barnett took some time out to speak to HEAVY about the tour and what coming to this country means to the band.We start by asking if he is all packed and ready to go."No," he laughed. "I pack light. I'm a light packer, so I'm not stressed about the packing. The travel stresses me out. I'm not a good plane guy. Flying scares me, so that 15 hour flight is a brutal one."We bring up the album Diamond and ask why the band chose that particular album to perform."We knew we always wanted to do a ten-year thing for that album specifically," he began. "I think in terms of our career or whatever term you wanna use, that was a pretty path-changing album that we put out. A lot of things started happening for us after that, and I think people started connecting with the band in a different way than they were before, maybe. So we wanted to make sure that we were able to celebrate that. I say it in every interview, but I want to reiterate the point that Stick To Your Guns never set out to do anything profound. We just wanted to speak our truths and do our thing as a band. It's not the band that creates a meaningful album. It's the receiver, the listener, who gives the albums any sort of meaning whatsoever. I just feel grateful that we have people from all over the world engage with this album."In the full interview Jesse talks more about the album Diamond, his memories of making it, what made it so special, the musical direction taken on that album and if it was planned, if he thinks the songs have stood the test of time, bringing SeeYouSpaceCowboy as supports and why, how Stick To Your Guns have changed since their first visit to Australia in 2009 and now, what we can expect from their shows, what they expect from us and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

13 Tammi 202411min

Interview by Kris PetersAs Australia prepares for a massive influx of international touring bands in the first three months of this new year, punters are becoming increasingly torn over which shows they will go to - borne purely out of financial reasons.While many upcoming events are struggling to sell as many tickets as they should or would like, one tour that has not been cast into the 'maybe' pile is the Klash Of The Titans Tour, which sees heavyweights In Flames and Kreator head Down Under for a string of shows in February.On their own each band is a formidable live unit, but when thrust together on one stage for a co-headlining tour, the promise of something special magnifies exponentially.With the tour only one month away, HEAVY caught up with In Flames drummer Tanner Wayne to find out what the band has planned for us. We start by asking if this will be In Flames' first live performances in 2024."Yes sir," he replied."And what a crazy one. Before we get to Australia we do Indonesia, Japan, China, Singapore, Bangkok, India… maybe I'm missing one… so it's gonna be where am I? I look at some weathers, and it's all over the place, so it's gonna be a journey for sure."We press Tanner as to what fans can expect from the shows."We've discussed playing a different set list than we have been," he offered, "so we're gonna pull some songs out from the first records as well as the newer ones. We're just gonna go out there and have a blast as we always do. We're excited to see the fans. I have never done a club tour with them in Australia and some of the parts of Asia, so I'm looking forward to seeing a literal representation of the work we did at the festivals. See who from the festivals as well as who already knew the band we are gonna bring out to these shows."In the full interview, Tanner talks about what the band expects from the crowds at their shows, playing with Kreator, the reception afforded recent album Foregone, how much of that they will be playing live, what he considers In Flames' contribution to metal music is, future plansBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

12 Tammi 202412min

Interview by Kris PetersLike a wrecking ball let off the chain, recently formed Brisbane metal outfit Awaken The Hate are set to steamroll the local metal scene when they release their debut single Monster In The Mirror this Friday.Coming together with a wealth of experience already in the metal scene, Awaken The Hate aren't here to merely make up the numbers.They are here to lead the pack.As the band's bio so beautifully puts it, "Awaken The Hate draws inspiration from the darker realms of the human psyche, exploring themes of societal decay, existential dread, and the unspoken fury that simmers beneath the surface. Their lyrics reflect the collective discontent of a generation, while their sonic onslaught leaves no soul untouched."And while we all know how easy it is to simply talk the talk, anyone who has seen one of only a handful of live shows from Awaken The Hate will testify just how solid talk can be when you have the fortitude to back it up.The Monster In The Mirror threatens to be merely an opening salvo from a band who have been brought up the old-school metal way and now ply their craft in the same manner. Fresh, original, brutal and uncompromising, Awaken The Hate promise to be a breath of fresh air on the metal scene, and after spending some time speaking with guitarist Steve Conley and vocalist Ben Rogers recently that seems to be only a formality."We're all of that element where groove metal - the Pantera's and that sort of 90s stuff - was where our bread and butter was," Rogers began. "I think what we've really found with Awaken The Hate is trying to modernise that a bit. Music to me has got groove. It makes you wanna move, and I like to think that there's also the melodies and the vox there have got a bit of a hook to it that makes you wanna sing along. That was our goal. I wanna play in front of people that wanna sing songs back to us and bang their heads hard."In the full interview, Benno and Steve talk more about the debut single, what it's about, finding emotion and expression through honesty in lyrics, why they chose this particular song to introduce Awaken The Hate to the world, how accurately this song represents the future direction of the band, the importance of nailing live shows, upcoming gigs, future plans and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

12 Tammi 202413min

Interview by Kris PetersIn little more than a decade, UK rock outfit Neck Deep have gone from a band rehearsing in a spare bedroom to one of the biggest rock bands on the planet, but you get the feeling despite that the boys still have their feet planted firmly on the ground.For verification of this you need look no further than their upcoming fifth self-titled album which was conceived, recorded, mixed and mastered in a warehouse not far from where things licked off some 12 years ago.Despite literally being offered the opportunity to record pretty much anywhere they wanted, using whoever they wanted, Neck Deep instead set out to deliver an album completely of their own volition which encompassed everything fans love about the band while harking back to the early days where blind ambition was the primary driving force.With the album due out on January 19, HEAVY sat down with frontman Ben Barlow to find out more.We start by asking Ben what this period is like, waiting for the album to be let loose on the public."It's a little nerve-wracking," he admitted, "in the sense that you finish a record, and you put it out to the world and then whatever people think of it is whatever people think of it. We always love what we do, and we always write for us, but it's kind of nerve-wracking thinking the thing you worked so hard on and the thing you poured your heart and soul into is going to be either loved or loather by people. But I think people are gonna love it. It's a little bit of a return to our roots in a lot of ways, and I think fans are gonna love that. We still managed to keep it fresh and have a new element and sound in there, maybe overall a little tighter and a little slicker, so…yeah. I'm not too nervous about it. We've got some big shows coming up that I'm more nervous about. It's weird these days how you put out a record to support touring, rather than the other way around. We've got our biggest headline show ever coming up in the UK, and that's my goal. I'm fully set on that. I wanna sell that out. I know people will love the record, and it will do well, and we're gonna have fun playing it, but to me, I wanna see 10,000 people screaming the words back at me. A few things to look forward to and a few things to be nervous about, but good nerves generally."In the full interview, Ben talks more about the album musically, the singles released so far and how they represent the whole album, how this is a return to roots for Neck Deep, how making the album in their own warehouse impacted the final result, why they decided to make this, their fifth album, self-titled and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

12 Tammi 202418min

Interview by Kris PetersQueensland metal outfit God Hunter have emerged from the ashes following an earlier enforced hiatus with one clear objective - to decimate the hearts and ears of as many of their fellow countrymen as they possibly can.Since re-emerging in 2022, God Hunter have released a succession of singles, each of which showcased yet another arsenal to their expanding metal bow.Blending metal styles from Southern to progressive to blackened to thrash and groove, God Hunter are redefining the parameters of labeling by steadfastly refusing to conform to one genre or be forced into a neat and tidy box.With today's release of their fourth single Evolver - lifted from forthcoming nine-track album Season Of The End - God Hunter show a more aggressive side to their nature, expanding their reach even further in the process.HEAVY sat down with guitarist Bradley Rohloff and drummer Kendal Brown to find out more."We're best described as a Southern, progressive, blackened, groove, thrash band," affirmed Rohloff."We've got a few things thrown in the mix," added Brown. "There's not one particular sound that we stick to exactly."We ask the boys to tell us more about Evolver musically."The original sound was…", Brown searched for the words."A never-ending build," Rohloff picked up."Yeah, a build that keeps building," Brown continued. "I had a bit of a riff that seemed to play over itself quite easily, so it was the idea of that atmosphere and build, build, build with a bomb drop right at the end."In the full interview, the boys talk more about the new single, the four songs released so far and how they differ musically, which one best represents their sound, their plan to release each album track individually before launching the physical full album, their influences andBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

9 Tammi 20249min