The Power Of Letting Go With ANA
In just under three years, Melbourne hard rock outfit ANA have laid themselves a strong platform from which to launch their music. Having already toured through Europe and Japan, ANA are now setting their sights on their home country, starting with a headlining slot at Rockdale Metal Festival in September.Merging the intensity of metal with sweeping orchestral arrangements, ANA have quickly found their niche, exploring the outlying areas of symphonic/power metal and integrating it with a harder edge that gives their music an edge all of its own.HEAVY sat down with the band earlier this week to discuss their rapid rise through the ranks. One of the topics of conversation was the cinematic orchestration prevalent in their music."When we were making the album - before we started going into the studio - Josh (Mak, lead guitar) pulled me aside and told me that Anna (Khristenko, vocals) likes to have strings in the songs," keyboard player Mark Shi explained. "But if I could have my way, I would love to have a lot of synths. So I took that into mind when we were writing the album and tried to come up with a good balance where we could have cinematic string lines along with synth sounds and synth sound design in the songs. It was a mix of everyone's ideas, and when we went into the studio, honestly, it was quite magical. I've never seen anything like that, writing a full album in two days. I think that the Japan tour helped us a lot because we knew what each other was thinking. Everything just came together in a very short amount of time, and it was perfect. We couldn't have asked for a better experience than this."In the full interview, the conversation touched on the band's excitement for their headline performance at the Rockdale Metal Festival and the positive reception of their recent European tour, particularly in Budapest. The band members noted cultural differences in audience behaviour, with a desire to explore international venues beyond Australia.The group reflected on their debut EP, The Art of Letting Go, and the collaborative writing process for their new album, which incorporates diverse musical influences, discussing the challenges of blending different genres while maintaining a cohesive sound. We discussed their musical direction, future tours and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.
21 Elo 16min
Making Noise With LUCY MAY From CLOSURE
Interview by Kris PetersSydney-based post hardcore four-piece Closure continue their impressive momentum in 2025 after the release of their long-anticipated debut EP, The Sweet Suffering, which is out now on all major streaming platforms. The record includes the previously released singles Hindsight, Glare, and A Cold Space Between, each showcasing the band’s evolution into a darker, heavier sonic identity. A deeply personal and hard-hitting project, The Sweet Suffering chronicles emotional resilience, anxiety, the art of letting go, and love. For Closure, this release is more than just a debut — it’s a defining moment and the beginning of a powerful new chapter.Riding the momentum of that release, Closure have recently been announced as part of the annual music extravaganza BigSound, which will again be held in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley from September 2 to 5. HEAVY caught up with Closure vocalist Lucy May to discuss BigSound and how Closure got to be there.We also asked her what Closure hopes to get out of the experience."I think just a new experience, definitely," she measured, "and hopefully meeting some people that we haven't had the opportunity to meet before. I feel like, being in a heavier band it's obviously a really tight-knit community, so I think meeting other people obviously… we're self-managed at the moment so we don't have a manager, so I think that would be really something that would be a massive thing if we could maybe connect with some people and have a conversation about that, but honestly just getting out there and supporting people."In the full interview, the discussion covered the musical evolution of Closure from pop punk to post-hardcore, including their debut EP The Sweet Suffering and the DIY production approach for their latest release. We also talked about upcoming performances, networking opportunities at music events, and the importance of strategic industry connections, while Lucy shared insights about their venue plans and plans for future releases and tours.We spoke about the stylistic changes within their music and how they plan to integrate new music into future setlists, the importance of BigSound to emerging Australian artists and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.
21 Elo 10min
Revitalised Spirit With KAT O From KTV
The music industry is a fickle one.Try as an artist may to strike that elusive winning formula, more often than not, it is timing, or luck, or a combination of both which will ultimately decide the course your musical journey takes. Bands can try unsuccessfully for years to crack the market, churning out quality material time and time again with little or no return.But then that one moment of magic can change it all. That chance encounter. The right planets aligning at exactly the right time. Which is precisely what happened for Melbourne-based punk/pop band KTV last year, when a simple acceptance to an offer made about putting one of their old singles on a compilation album paid immediate dividends.After originally forming in the late 1990s, KTV released two EPs, played a tonne of gigs and won music industry competitions at the time. They played shows with high-profile artists including Killing Heidi, Magic Dirt, Deborah Conway, Vika and Linda, and Kisschasy, amongst others. After numerous line-up changes, the band ran out of steam in 2001. Singer/songwriter/guitarist, Kat O went on to form Kathematics, who had a song featured in an American TV show, as well as many other bands.Fast-forward to 2025, and KTV are back in action with original member Philip Yarra on bass/vocals, who recently toured with UK Ska legends, Bad Manners and the drumming prowess of John Hastings. Armed with a back catalogue of original 90s-inspired pop/punk classics, as well as Kat’s new tunes, KTV are currently making a dent on the local live scene and are keen to get back in the studio to record. HEAVY caught up with Kat late last week to find out more.One of the things we spoke about was the early days of the band."It was around the time when Killing Heidi had their Reflector album out and was number one, they were the number one band in Australia," Kat recalled. "Back when bands were actually number one in Australia (laughs). Those were great days, because that unfortunately doesn't happen anymore. Anyway, we got to support them at the Prince of Wales, and that was a really huge show for us, plus we did gigs with Deborah Conway and Vika and Linda in front of thousands of people at the Arts Centre. There were some really, really big shows, and we played with some of our heroes as well. The scene was amazing back then."In the full interview, Kat reflects on the KTV's past successes, including supporting major acts and winning competitions. She expressed the excitement and nerves surrounding their recent first show back, highlighting the strong chemistry amongst the members.We discussed how a compilation CD featuring their demo track reignited interest in the band and addressed the challenges of reforming after a long break, including busy schedules and changes in the music industry. Kat discussed their plans for new music, which will blend nineties-inspired indie punk and grunge elements, while also revisiting older songs. KTV also announced upcoming gigs and encouraged fans to follow them on social media for updates, plus more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.
19 Elo 12min
TEMTRIS Embrace Consequences And Growth On Queen Of Crows
Interview by Angela Croudace*CONTENT WARNING - Swearing and Mention of Suicide/Self Harm*Australian heavy metal veterans Temtris return with their powerful eighth album, Queen of Crows, a record built around the theme of good and bad consequences. Vocalist Genevieve Rodda and guitarist Foxy explained that the concept was inspired by personal experiences and reflections on how life’s choices affect us and those around us.While their previous release, Chaos Divine, delved into a sci-fi dystopian world, Queen of Crows stays rooted in raw human struggles. Rodda described the writing process as emotionally charged, pointing to Scars of Betrayal, which confronts bullying and self-harm. Written about her own daughter’s struggles, it remains one of the band’s most personal songs to date.Musically, Temtris continue to evolve while remaining true to their heavy metal roots. “We try to push our boundaries every album,” Foxy noted of their collaborative writing approach. The record blends crushing riffs with Rodda’s soaring vocals, as heard in tracks like Carnival of Tears and closing epic The World Is Bleeding, a critique of greed and consumerism framed within powerful fanfare.Beyond the studio, Temtris take pride in delivering authentic, high-energy performances. At a time when many bands rely on backing tracks, they remain committed to live musicianship, valuing the thrill of pulling off challenging songs on stage.The band is preparing for a return to Europe in 2025 with festival dates already being locked in. There’s also talk of a long-awaited vinyl pressing of Queen of Crows. With honesty, passion, and resilience, Temtris prove that heavy metal’s heart still beats strongest when fueled by authenticity.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.
18 Elo 33min
Breaking The Internet With Strings: A Music Lesson From BERNTH & CHARLES BERTHOUD
Fresh off a wildly successful European tour, guitar virtuoso Bernth and bass wizard Charles Berthoud, undisputed masters of their instruments, have joined forces to bring their technical mastery, dynamic performances and jaw-dropping musicianship to Australia for 3 very special events.With over 4 million followers across their platforms, this will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for fans to witness the guitar and bass heroes emerge from the screen onto the stage to perform together live. This tour is an unmissable event for fans of virtuoso musicianship and those eager to experience the real-life chemistry between these YouTube giants. Whether you’re a follower of Bernth‘s intense technical guitar work or Charles Berthoud’s genre-bending bass lines, this is a must-see show for music lovers and aspiring musicians.HEAVY was fortunate enough to spend time with both of them to talk more."I also have a YouTube channel," Bernth replied after Charles introduced himself. "That's what we both have in common. It's where we kind of met virtually, and we started playing roughly two years ago, just some one-off shows, then decided to do our very first tour this year. We started out in Europe, and in a couple of weeks we will be in China, South Korea, and then finally in Australia to end the next leg of the tour."Talk turns to their popularity on YouTube and how their musical paths entwined initially."I filled a couple of guitars with water to see what that sounds like and drilled some holes into others," Bernth explained, highlighting some of the experiments he has performed online. "And those videos often went viral because it looks quite interesting if you see like a drill going inside an acoustic guitar. That led to people actually checking out the music I played with those instruments, and that finally led to people wanting to see those videos or songs performed live. And that's also how we met.""One of his crazy ideas was to pitch shift his guitar down into a bass register," Charles took over, "which then led a lot of people to leave comments saying you should do something with Charles Berthoud. Then Bernth uploaded a video that said, My Problem With Charles Berthoud and that was an interesting way to start the day. The first thing I saw in the morning was that someone has a problem with me (laughs)."In the full interview, Charles and Bernth shared insights on cultural nuances and audience interaction with their music, emphasizing the tour's unique blend of music, banter, and challenges to engage attendees. Bernth recounted his journey from being a session musician in Austria to gaining popularity on YouTube through viral guitar experiments, while Charles reflected on their initial collaboration, which was seamless due to their thoughtful song arrangements.The conversation highlighted the friendly rivalry between bass and guitar, with Charles humorously asserting the superiority of bass. They both expressed excitement about their upcoming shows, aiming to create an immersive experience that showcases their individual styles and collaborative spirit and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.
18 Elo 24min
Still Packing Sting In Your Tail With ULI JON ROTH
Interview by Kris PetersGerman guitarist Uli Jon Roth is renowned for his work with the Scorpions during their early, more experimental phase and for pioneering the neoclassical metal genre. He is also known for his innovative Sky Guitar design and his solo career exploring a unique blend of rock, classical, and philosophical themes.Roth joined the Scorpions during their formative years, contributing to albums like Fly to the Rainbow, In Trance, Virgin Killer, and Taken by Force, as well as the iconic live album Tokyo Tapes. These albums are all heralded in the history of Rock and Metal, with Tokyo Tapes being touted as one of the greatest live albums of all time, with Roth's guitar playing on those albums highly regarded for its precision and innovative style, influencing many later guitarists.Now, for the first time ever, Australian crowds get to witness the majesty of Uli Jon Roth when he hits this country for a run of three select dates this September. Uli will be performing a best of the SCORPIONS set, amongst other songs from his extraordinary catalogue, guaranteed to make up for lost time.Roth joined HEAVY earlier this week to find out more details. We start by asking why he has neglected Australian fans for so long."You know what, nobody asked us to come," he laughed. "So it's actually you, because we need an invitation if we want to play somewhere. I would have loved to come much sooner. Having said that, even the Scorpions - although they were so successful - even they found it difficult to get to Australia simply because of the logistics. When you tour America, you can do a month-long tour, and you have a big tour bus. You sleep at night, and then the next morning you're in Chicago, you know? I don't think that entire industry exists in Australia in the same way. You have to fly everything, and that makes it much more complicated to do a tour and more expensive."We bring up Roth's time with the Scorpions and ask how that period shaped the rest of his life and his musical career."I was only 18 when I joined," he recalled. "It very much shaped my life because it was my artistic apprenticeship and also learning the ropes in the music business. Learning how to do an album, how to write songs, all that came together in those five years. And we had a great time. You know, it was wonderful. I've got only good memories. It was just at the end, I started to write music that really didn't fit the framework anymore."In the full interview, Uli Jon Roth discussed his upcoming tour to Australia and Japan, with Uli explaining the tour logistics and musical direction for each leg. We explored Uli's history with the Scorpions and his decision to leave the band to pursue his own artistic vision through Electric Sun and classical compositions.We talked about why, after all these years, he is finally coming to Australia and what fans can expect. He discussed curating a set list to appease longtime followers, Tokyo Tapes and his thoughts on the live album, plus his other musical passions. The conversation concluded with a discussion of Uli's influence on other guitarists and his perspective on musical collaboration and learning.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.
18 Elo 17min
Three Cheers For Rock With BRIAN BUTCHER From THE HOME TEAM
Interview by Kris PetersThe Home Team are travelling to Australia for the second time - this time with Mayday Parade - for the Three Cheers For 20 Years tour, after crossing the ocean last May with Caskets (UK).The quartet have introduced stylings of R&B, pop and funk into their music in an effort to be true to their tastes while crafting their unique sound and return to play new songs for the first time off their latest album, The Crucible Of Life, and struck a chord on their debut visit, winning fans over more at each show.HEAVY caught up with frontman Brian Butcher to get the rundown on the upcoming tour, with the turnaround being that quick, we have to ask Butcher if he has even had time to unpack yet."(laughs) Oh, that trip was awesome," he smiled. "I remember it like it was yesterday. We all agreed that Australia is one of the best places on Earth, and when we got the offer to come back we were very excited, and it was an immediate yes."The Home Team are coming out with Jack's Mannequin as well as Mayday Parade, who are celebrating their 20th anniversary, so we ask Butcher if he has always been a fan of their music."I grew up listening to a lot more metal," he replied honestly. "A lot of heavy music. Mayday Parade was always on my radar, for sure, but I never dove into their albums until probably last year. And I can definitely see why they are as influential as they are. I also have a close friend who is a huge Mayday fan, so when I told him I was going on this tour, he was like, here is this album, and this album did this (laughs). They are very clearly extremely influential for great reason. For that, I have a lot of respect for them, and I'm very excited to meet them."In the full interview Brian talks more about his time in Australia and how the crowds reacted to them, going from being the least heavy band on tour to the heaviest, how their set will differ to last time, why he thinks they were chosen as supports, the reception for their recent album The Crucible Of Life and how much of it they will be playing live, their eclectic sound and why it works plus more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.
17 Elo 14min
Filling The Void With ALEX DEAN From ARCHITECTS
It's scary to think that British metalcore outfit Architects are just hitting their stride eleven albums in.Having completed two Summer runs with Metallica in the lead up to their latest masterpiece The Sky, The Earth & All Between, Architects took stock of their career to date and set out to make the definitive Architects release.“It wasn’t about just putting out another Architects record. It had to be the record—the one people talk about when they talk about our band,” frontman Sam Carter said at the time. Bandmate Dan Searle echoed this sentiment: “What we’re trying to say is that we had to make the quintessential Architects album—bringing together all our best qualities and everything we excel at.”Their last couple of albums - For Those That Wish To Exist and The Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit - had been about attempting the new. When those records performed well critically and commercially, that was their green light to pursue whatever they wanted to. So, they resolved to channel the lessons learned from innovation into making something that felt like the pinnacle of what Architects have long been evolving towards. And they achieved that emphatically with The Sky, The Earth & All Between winning over fans and critics around the world.Now, Australian fans get to experience that rebirth in the flesh with Architects headed this way for three select dates starting in Melbourne on December 11. Not only that, they will be bringing House Of Protection, who recently wowed crowds over here on a support run with Bad Omens, and emerging outfit President, who promise to balance the trifecta. HEAVY caught up with Architects bass player Alex Dean to get the full rundown."It's been a little while since we've been over, so yeah, we're really stoked to get back," he enthused. "We're having a lot of fun playing these tracks. It's always fun getting out and playing new records, but it feels really like people are engaging with the songs."Architects are a band who, despite having their core sound, have always been unafraid to experiment musically on each record. We ask Dean about that approach and how much musical growth he feels the band have left in them."We're always trying to push ourselves," he replied. "And I think as soon as - for a metalcore band with two guitars, bass, drums - as soon as you start adding electronic elements to it, the musical world is your oyster, because there's just so many things you can try. We've done records where we experiment a lot with orchestral sounds, and that might be something we revisit again. But we just try and do what's exciting for ourselves, really."In the full interview, Alex expressed excitement about returning to Australia after a couple of years and highlighted the positive reception of their new album, The Sky, The Earth and All Between. He elaborated on the band's evolution in sound, emphasizing their confidence in creating music driven by instinct rather than external influences. He mentioned their willingness to experiment with various musical elements, facilitated by advancements in technology.We spoke about what has changed with the band since they last toured Australia, what we can expect from their shows, and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.
17 Elo 13min
