YOU ME AT SIX Start Final Australian Tour This Week - 20 Years Of Rock With JOSH FRANCESCHI

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 Mai 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 Mai 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 Mai 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 Mai 20248min

Interview by Kris PetersCradle Of Filth are a band best experienced live.Their moody, atmospheric music - while still imposing and engaging on record - is elevated to another dimension when played out on stage and after an absence of far too long Australian fans will once again get the opportunity to marvel at the wonders of Dani Filth and his band of miscreants.After unleashing their first live album in aeons last year titled Trouble & Their Double Lives - some of which was recorded in Australia - Cradle Of Filth have been making up for lost time by touring on a global scale, with their sights now set firmly Down Under where Filth has promised the band will more than pay their debts of absence.They will be joined by Moldovan heavy outfit Infected Rain - led by the enigmatic and talented Lena Scissorhands - who will be making their debut trip to this country in a double-headed musical snake that promises to bite more than a pit full of adders.Cradle Of Filth mastermind and frontman Dani Filth joined HEAVY to discuss the tour and other things happening within the band."Yeah, pre-pandemic, wasn't it?" Filth questioned when we mentioned it's been a while between visits. "That would be the main crux of the reason, then (laughs)."We ask what has changed with the band between their last Australian run of shows to now."We've got a different line-up," he offered. "We've toured everywhere. We toured America during the pandemic, actually, right on the tail end. Aside from that, we have progressed with writing the new album. We've already done a track with Ed Sheeran as well, although that will probably be coming out on the special edition of the new album. I can't really talk much more about that with legalities and what have you. Our new album should be out… we should be dropping a new single actually, around the time of the Australian tour - maybe a little bit later - with the outlook for the album being dropping in March next year. That's almost finished, and we have just been super busy with the band. Lots of gigs. The album we started last July and the record company was like, why are you taking so long? And we were like, because we're on tour (laughs)."In the full interview, Dani talks more about their upcoming tour in Australia, their new album, and the challenges of balancing recording with touring. He revealed that the recording is expected to be finished by the beginning of June, with a focus on mixing and shooting videos in the Czech Republic.Dani also emphasized the distinctiveness of their new music and their willingness to push boundaries, while also expressing excitement for the upcoming shows and the support band, Infected Rain. The discussion also touched on the band's international composition and their collaboration with Ed Sheeran.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

2 Mai 202413min

Interview by Kris PetersIt's been six long years since TesseracT last toured Australia, but ask diehard fans of the band, and it would seem like much longer. But the good news for those fans and the music loving public in general, is the UK progressive rock outfit are locked and loaded and ready to return, with the tour kicking off in Brisbane on May 2.The technical metal maestros are pulling a double knockout blow, touring on the back of the band's fifth studio album, War Of Being, which was released in September last year.Guitarist James Monteith sat down for an enlightening chat with HEAVY to bring us up to date."A long time had passed," he agreed. "We have been able to work on and release our album that everyone is more happy with than any record we have had before. We've also tried to up our live game and not only focus on playing our instruments but making it a bit more of a show and more of a performance. We've added some theatrical elements and have basically - for the last six years - been trying to up our game to be an exciting rock band rather than a just a bunch of guys nerding out."In the full interview, James discussed the band's preparations for their World of Being tour, including their focus on improving their live performance and creating a seamless set list. He also shared details about their new album, War of Being, highlighting the band's approach to incorporating new elements while maintaining a nod to older progressive styles. The album's concept, a sci-fi story about internal conflict, was explained, as well as the strategic decision to release the title track as the lead single. The use of AI for creating the cover art was also discussed, with James justifying it as a tool to convey the artist's vision.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

29 Apr 202414min

Interview by Kris PetersAfter three decades of servitude to punk rock music, American miscreants Hot Water Music could be forgiven for phoning in new albums, but despite their reputation for flouting the rules, even these seasoned veterans still feel as if they have a point or two to prove.Returning to acclaimed producer and hardcore legend Brian McTernan - who worked with the band on 2001’s A Flight And A Crash, 2002’s Caution and 2004’s The New What Next, from a period thought by many to be the band's classic era - Hot Water Music have harnessed everything learnt over three decades and focussed on internal growth for their new album VOWS which is out May 10.Billed as both an anniversary album and a coming of age of sorts, VOWS is a reflection of the past, present and future of a band that refuse to grow up, grow old, or give in.Bass player Jason Black sat down with HEAVY to discuss the album and the band's history. We start by asking how he feels about the impending release so far into a decorated career."Definitely anxious and nervous," he mused. "If I don't give a shit we've made a bad record (laughs). It's a lot of… It always kind of changes. This is the first time we've put out two records so close together in a long time, so that's been pretty cool. Even then, the landscape of releasing albums is constantly changing. Not meaning to sound like a super Gen X here, but day-to-day different things need to be done, so there's that weird level of anxious that's in the new landscape of whatever we all do here. It wasn't the same as before. Before it was, like, I hope we get some good reviews and hopefully this store picks it up, and now it's a case of I hope it doesn't get buried five minutes after it comes out under a flood of other posts. It's so weird sometimes (laughs)."The press release calls VOWS Hot Water Music's most ambitious album to date, so we ask Black if he agrees."I think so," he measured. "I feel like we've definitely… yeah, I think it is. There's some stuff on here that we would not have made - I don't want to say we wouldn't have made on any other records, because it's not a quality issue - but I think there's some stylistic variance this time around. A little more so than usual for us. I think it only happened because of the specific songs working as well as they did."In the full interview, Jason talks more about the musical direction on VOWS, how it celebrates the band's 30 years in music, if it becomes easier or harder to come up with new material the more you write, reuniting with McTernal and how that contributed to the finished product, the guest artists on the album and why they were chosen, the early days of the band and where they fit in, keeping to their own path over thirty years, touring plans and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

28 Apr 202420min

Interview by Kris PetersCharity events are always special on the music calendar, with a plethora of worthy causes benefitting from the generosity and respect shown by many a band and punter. But when they are organised by people who have been afflected personally by the very condition they are drawing attention to, it becomes that bit more special.Beyond The Darkness is one such event.Organised by Jackie Green - who lost her husband to cancer in early 2022 - and her partner Dexx, Beyond The Darkness is in its second year after a successful first showcase event last year. While the concert aims to raise finances and awareness to benefit the GI Cancer Institute, it also shines light on illnesses and diseases of all kinds and the need for people in the community to ensure they keep abreast of potential dangers before it's too late.To be held at the Back Room, Annerley on September 14, Beyond The Darkness will be headlined by local metal stars Engraved, with Sentiment, Void Matter, Krave, InEffigy and more all donating their time to spread the message and love.Jackie and Dexx joined HEAVY recently to talk more about the event."On the 22nd of April 2022 my husband David died of oesophageal cancer," Jackie explained. "It just came on. He had a 13-month battle, and we tried everything and threw everything at it, and then he got a secondary cancer. Once most people get a secondary cancer, there's not much you can do. I lost him, and I really didn't know what I was gonna do. I suppose my whole world was turned upside down. We just floated the idea - we wanted to do something to really celebrate his first year anniversary - so I floated the idea on Facebook and said to people what do we think and Brian said let's put on a show. So it was born from there."We mention the importance of not just raising money to assist in research for such illnesses, but also heightening awareness that these illnesses can and do strike without discrimination."They don't matter who you are, what age you are," Jackie continued. "David was only 47, so I think part of the awareness is people in our age group - in that 40 to 50 age group - to not be complacent about things. If something is not right, go and get it checked out."In the full interview, we emphasized the importance of early ticket purchases for local events like Beyond The Darkness, the intricacies of planning a festival line-up, emphasizing the significance of band selection, cohesion, and stage presence plus the bands playing and the selection process. We also talked about the logistics of the benefit concert, addressing donation options and ticket sales, and promoting their show, Oz Fest with Dexx and Jackie O.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

28 Apr 202410min