Musical Chairs With JACK & DYLAN From DEAD POET SOCIETY

Emerging from the shadows of a music world left in turmoil, Brisbane blackened death metal outfit Black Lava have wasted little time in establishing themselves on the national radar.Comprising members and former members of known acts such as Hadal Maw and Ne Obliviscaris, Black Lava have remained relatively quiet in the lead up to their debut album Soul Furnace which strikes today, preferring to let their music rather than their profile dictate terms.With a sound deeply rooted in old school sensibilities that embrace groove-laden melodies and progressive elements, Black Lava have created a uniquely crushing and brutally heavy foundation that transcends labels and instead concentrates on the one thing that seemingly gets forgotten about too often in the modern industry.The music.Founding member and drummer Dan Presland sat down with HEAVY on the eve of unleashing Soul Furnace to bring us up to speed.*NOTE: INTERVIEW WAS CONDUCTED PRIOR TO THE ALBUM RELEASE SO WHEN DAN AND HEAVY TALK OF IT BEING OUT TOMORROW IT IS ACTUALLY NOW!!!*"I guess I am more known for extreme metal, progressive metal releases over the last 15 years so this is something different for me," he began. "It's more of a rock n roll, old school vibe and it's been quite a different process to get it all put together. It was very much a capture the moment rush, rush, rush to get it done to meet the deadline sort of thing, but I'm actually very happy with the end result. Typically speaking I'm normally calculated and planned out with the releases I do so this one is a bit more rock n roll but I really enjoyed the process."Prior to dropping the album Black Lava released the singles Northern Dawn, Eye Of The Moon and the title track, with Presland agreeing those three songs are a good sonic representation of Soul Furnace as a whole."I definitely think so," he nodded. "All three have different soundscapes going on. There's some more upbeat stuff on Northern Dawn and some blasty stuff in there, and the other two are a bit more rock n roll with a bit of mood, so I definitely think those three are a good representation of the whole record."In the full interview, Dan talks more about Soul Furnace, what types of things Black Lava considered going into their debut album, finding the balance between old school influence and modern music trends, the compact running time of Soul Furnace which comes in at a tick over half an hour, the nature of the fantasy themed lyrics, forming during COVID and how that impacted the bands formation and development, their double launch show at the Bendigo Hotel in December and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

25 Marras 202211min

Australian metal outfit Thornhill proved their musical confidence and diversity earlier this year with the release of their sophomore album Heroine, an album that defied the traditional safety first approach of second albums and instead veered into new sonic territory for the band.Where debut album The Dark Pool touched fans with its mix of crushing riffage and atmospheric metalcore, Heroine saw Thornhill flexing their skills in the alternative and rock worlds, referencing a tapestry of sounds from the likes of Smashing Pumpkins and Red Hot Chili Peppers, to Silverchair and Deftones. In two weeks fans will get the opportunity to hear some of that new album live when Thornhill jumps aboard the Good Things Festival train, with stops in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.HEAVY caught up with frontman Jacob Charlton to get more information."I'm really keen dude," he enthused. "It's a big, big honour for us for sure. I can't wait to play. It's reminiscent of Soundwave and that's the first festival I had ever gone to, I think I was only 13 or 14 and it was a big deal for me so I'm really keen."With Good Things taking in three states over consecutive days it almost becomes a war of attrition for the bands performing on the entire run, with Charlton admitting it almost becomes like hard work."It's definitely gonna be full on doing back to back to back," he smiled, "especially with my hay fever at the moment being outside the whole time is gonna kill me. Sometimes it's good because you get in the rhythm of it and shake the fear off a little bit. It will be fun."In the full interview, Jacob talks more about what we can expect from Thornhill's shows, the high number of Australian bands on bill and what that means for Australian music as a whole, the response to Heroine and if the fans appreciated Thornhill's experimentation, writing a cohesive set list that allows the band to perform music from both releases, plans for the festive season and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

25 Marras 20228min

Organisers of this years Good Things Festival have managed to find a way to open the showcase event up to an even larger percentage of Australian bands.Rather than select the final band to play on each of the three line-ups themselves, organisers instead threw that challenge over to fans who first voted on line to narrow the potential candidates down before pitting the best supported bands against each other in a play off to decide who walked away with chocolates.Emerging Brisbane progressive metal outfit Citadel were one of the many bands to have been enriched by the experience, with frontman Russell Miller joining HEAVY to share the love, unfortunately on the back of their narrow defeat at the hands of Apate the previous evening in the Brisbane heats. Rather than dwell on the negatives we instead ask Miller how the experience enriched his band."It was really cool," he offered, still obviously a little deflated by the nights events. "Even just being able to play last night with the line-up of Apate, Bad Neighbour and us was sick, just being able to play with two bands that we admire, two bands that have hustled and grinded their way to success. Both play very different music, really good music, so it was a lot of fun. We made a lot of new friends as well. It was good to be back at The Brightside. It's been a few years since I played there."In the full interview Russell explains the mentality of going into competitions like this where you are essentially competing against your friends in a situation where the victor gains a massive step forward in their careers, finding the balance between taking it seriously and having fun, structuring a set list to give yourself the best chance of progressing, who he would have liked to play alongside at Good Things, their recent debut album Decompose and the early reception, the themes of death and sorrow that permeate through the release, focussing on the music rather than the genre, future plans and more."Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

24 Marras 202217min

Early in their career Sydney rock outfit Chasing Lana managed to tap into that sweet spot of music that enabled them to appeal to a wide variety of music lovers.By embracing their heavier elements but balancing them with equal parts accessible rock, the band burst out of the blocks largely on the back of their uncompromising live show that dripped with raw energy and old school mentality.2016 debut EP Suffocate/Medicate showed glimpses of the boundless talent at their disposal, but it was the arrival of Chasing Lana's debut album The Fight in 2019 that demanded attention.So much so that before the band had even shed their metaphorical baby teeth they had forced their way onto support slots with international heavyweights acts P.O.D, Trapt, Theory Of A Deadman and Saliva.As to be expected for a band whose live sets are a major factor in their appeal, Chasing Lana stagnated somewhat during the COVID period. While the passion and fire still raged strong the growing demise of a world at war with the elements surrounding them stifled Chasing Lana's creativity and dragged them back to a pack from which they had led for the better part of half a decade.But, in true Aussie fashion, you can't keep a good band down with Chasing Lana finally regaining their voice and harnessing it into their new single Breaking Free which will be released on November 25.A product of its environment, Breaking Free also marks the next phase of Chasing Lana's musical development, with a harder edge and driving underbelly hinting at a more heavy handed approach to future music.Frontman Dave Cutting sat down with HEAVY to discuss Breaking Free and its harder exterior. "It's a lot different than what we usually release," he nodded. "We changed producers - we're working with Zak Knight from Earthtide Studios - to get something different. We thought we would try one track with him and the whole experience was mind blowing. It was a lot different to what we are used to and I feel that's what we really needed. It was good, man. I can't wait for everyone to hear it. It's definitely a different Lana sound to what everyone is used to, that's for sure."As Chasing Lana's first new music since The Fight, Cutting agrees that Breaking Free is somewhat of a statement musically, sonically announcing that Chasing Lana have returned bigger, stronger, and better than ever before."It's been three years," he sighed, "almost three years since we have actually released anything. We released The Fight in 2019 and did a bunch of shows for that but because of the whole COVID thing - like everyone - we just got into a whole bubble and did nothing. I wrote a few songs, but nothing too much to actually do anything. It was hard to motivate everyone in the band, including myself. Once all of that died down and everything started to re-open it was time to do something, and do something fresh."In the full interview, Dave discusses the heavier direction in greater detail, outlines the subject matter of Breaking Free, whether it is part of a bigger album picture, the modern dilemma of albums versus EP's, Chasing Lana's recent show at Frankies Pizza and the hole that venues closing will leave in the Sydney music scene, his recent catch up with manager Mark Dalbeth and what came out of those discussions, Chasing Lana's immediate future and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

23 Marras 202213min

In my entire concert going life I don't think I have ever been to a show where I didn't know one song from either the support band or the headlining act and still thoroughly enjoyed it.But, as is the case, there is always an exception to the rule which for me came in the form of the recent IDLES Brisbane concert with Melbourne punk brats Pinch Points opening the night.I had never heard of these guys before, which is yet another reason why people should ALWAYS try and make it for the full line-up of bands no matter what the event.Because you just never know what you might discover.Pinch Points grabbed me from the outset, with their unashamedly Australian approach to their music and structure making them instant stars in my eyes.They were young, brash, confident and respectful of their surroundings - despite the fact they were playing to a capacity crowd at one of Brisbanes largest indoor venues.Such was the strength of their 45 minute set, I felt compelled to track Pinch Points down for a chat - if only to congratulate them on a job well done.I was lucky enough to corner three quarters of the band in drummer Isabella Orsini, bass player Acacia Coates and guitarist Jordan Oakley, all of whom also lend vocals to the musical output that nestles somewhere between punk, rock and rockabilly with enough individual swagger to elevate their music into a plethora of contrasting genres that somehow manage to gel.Not wanting to heap too much praise on the young band too early in the conversation, we start by pointing out the bleedingly obvious fact of how great a live unit British legends IDLES are."They were phenominal," Orsini agreed. "They had another level to their performance that I haven't seen in such a long time, especially having a band from overseas coming to Australia to play a run of shows. It's really cool to see.""It was awesome," Oakley affirmed. "Everybody was loving it. It was so cool to see the passion in the crowd every night, you could see that they were a very special band.""I think we were all inspired by getting to watch them seven times in a row," Coates added, laughing.In the full interview, Pinch Points talk more about the run of shows, what sorts of things they learn as a young band from playing with established overseas artists, their use of Australian colloquialism in their music and where it comes from, having four members in the band capable of singing, how they work out vocal parts in the writing and recording process, the reception to this years album Process, how it was a musical leap forward for the band, their blending of genres and how they make it work, future plans and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

23 Marras 202214min

Who would have thought an album dedicated to Migloo the White Whale would be the catalyst for a chain of events that has seen Melbourne rock/punk outfit Dune Rats sweep all before them in 2022.Since releasing their latest album the impossibly difficult to say out loud Real Rare Whale earlier this year Dune Rats have toured relentlessly, suddenly and unforgivably becoming the darlings of Australian music.They have recorded a classic song by The Angels - with both Rick and John Brewster appearing, played to 1000's of punters in one night, won the Bangalow Billy Cart Derby and been nominated for Best Hard Rock/Metal album at this years ARIA Awards.Not bad for a bunch of self confessed larrikins who don't even take spelling their own name seriously.This weeks release of album single Space Cadet and it's hilariously poignant film clip have ushered in the next chapter of Dune Rats quest for world domination, which early next year sees the battle lines drawn on a 45 date run encompassing the U.S.A, Canada, U.K and Europe.HEAVY tracked down frontman Danny Beus for a chat before his shining star becomes so bright that he no longer needs to bore himself with the trivialities of media promotion.We start by asking him about the latest single Space Cadet."It's one of those ones where it started off - like any one of our songs - the idea in general started off like when you're a kid and you wanna do a million things, but you either don't have the talent to do those things or really process what it takes to do them," he recounted. "Then the crushing realisation of your Mum and Dad telling you to go wash the fucken dishes up kind of brings you back down to reality (laughs). It started off as this joke between us when we were writing that someone has to go and do the dishes and it would be like 'go away, I'm trying to write a rock song here' but you've gotta do the dishes first mate and it all tied into that. That's where the genesis of the song started, and then like any of them we fleshed it out and did some good nah nah's and gave it a few ooh's and then, bang, it was a finished song. It was one of those ones where our producer liked the overall vibe of the song as well."In the full interview Danny talks about the film clip to Space Cadet and sheds some truth on the cash bonanza the band received from winning, the reception to Real Rare Whale, the downright nasty reasons behind naming the album as such, being nominated for the ARIA's, how their acceptance speech might go should they win, the cover of Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again for Triple J, having the Brewster brothers play on the track, the Dune Rats upcoming shows to round out the year, next years massive overseas tour, keeping it fun on the road and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

23 Marras 202213min

While most metalheads are loath to admit it, the correlation between EDM and heavy metal is often closer than you think.While being two completely contrasting styles of music, metal and EDM follow similar trajectories sonically in certain aspects, as evident by the amount of collaborations between the genres over the years.One of the main protagonists in this field is The Crystal Method - these days largely the baby of Scott Kirkland - who have released songs with artists such as Filter, John Garcia (Kyuss), Wes Borland (Limp Bizkit) Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine) and Scott Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots).Now, for the first time since performing at 2007's Big Day Out, The Crystal Method are poised to return to Australia for a run of dates starting in Sydney on December 9.Kirkland sat down with HEAVY earlier this week to discuss the tour and how EDM and metal make unlikely bedfellows."Definitely a lot of pent up energy will be released," he smiled. "I've been looking forward to this tour - I think we initially had this one booked for June of 2020, and of course we all know what happened from that point on - and then it continued to happen. We kept pushing it, and pushing it so I'm just so excited to finally be able to come back out there and hang out with the kind people of Australia. It's the perfect timing for everybody to get back out and have a good time and I've got a lot of pent up energy that I'm ready to exercise. I'm looking forward to performing and seeing the beautiful country."In the full interview, Scotty talks more about what we can expect from the shows, the mixing of metal and EDM and how he makes it work, how the genres co-exist in the music world, his collaborations with the above mentioned artists and how they came about, having Iggy Pop on his latest album and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

22 Marras 202212min

Gaupa is a Swedish band described as “progressive stoner rock with doom, folk andpsychedelic rock influences”. At first that’s a lot to digest, however once you sit down andlisten to their music and really take it in, it all comes together. Heavy got to chance tointerview lead singer Emma Näslund and guitarist Daniel Nygren to chat about their newalbum ‘MYRIAD’ which was released recently on the 18 th of November.After making sure I got the pronunciation of “MYRIAD” correct – we got stuck into talkingabout their new album and what has led them to this chapter of their journey. I was curiousto know how they started and what influences are at play behind their music, and I reallyappreciated their creativity and openness answering my questions. Often I found myselfthinking, “Shit, I’m glad I asked that. What an amazing/ unexpected answer”.It's been a slow burner starting out for Gaupa. Covid did the Covid thing and cancelledshows left right and centre, making it near on impossible to play for anyone. I’m excited tosee what happens with the realise of their new album and the chance to perform for fans.When questioned about where they want to see Gaupa going in the future, their answerwas simply, “We just want everyone in the band to be happy and have lots of fun while wecreate together”. That response made me immediately want to see these guys succeed.Gaupa strike me as a very organic and creative band that isn’t doing it for anyone else butthemselves. I always appreciate that approach because that’s when you get the best musicthat’s straight from the heart and not accommodating what you ‘think’ people want.‘MYRIAD’ is best turned up full blast so you can really enjoy Emma’s beautiful and hauntingvocals, perfectly accompanied by the band to create a whole experience for you. Its veryemotion driven music and these sweet Swede’s sure know how to write a song and rock thefuck out. If you like your stoner rock with a touch of doom and psychedelic rock – thisalbum is for you, sink your teeth into ‘MYRIAD’.Gaupa have plans to tour Europe in May 2023 for any of our readers over that side of theworld, get out there and support them! Hopefully that means they will get the chance tocome to Australia soon and bring their music to our shores for us to enjoy.Have a listen to the interview in its’ entirety below. There is plenty of laughs and some greatstories told. I have to say that I really enjoyed getting to know Emma and Daniel, wemanaged to cover heaps of interesting topics. I certainly learnt a lot about the world ofGaupa.Now it’s your turn to have a peek inside, enjoy!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

22 Marras 202219min