Challenging The Gods With RYAN KIRBY From FIT FOR A KING

Interview by Kris PetersThirty years is a long time in the music industry, and as such these milestones should always be celebrated. And what better way to do that than by bringing the band over to Australia, which is exactly what Irish rockers Ash plan to do this March.Not only that, New Zealand has also been included in the party, with Ash playing a run of shows across both countries dubbed the Teenage Wildlife Tour.Bass player Mark Hamilton joined HEAVY earlier this week to talk about the tour and 30 years of rocking out."It's kind of flown by," he laughed. "When you think it's 30 years... it seems so long. We did a big anniversary show in Belfast just before Christmas where we had a bunch of guests up and it was a wild milestone to hit. I guess when you're in a band and doing it all the time you really don't think about how long you've been doing it, because you're always looking forward. You're always looking at the next tour or the next album or whatever's on the horizon. You don't spend a lot of time looking back. It was kind of nice to do that almost greaest hits album (Teenage Wildlife) and go out and tour it. And coming to New Zealand, Australia and Japan, we had always intended for that to be part of the tour a couple of years ago but then there was the pandemic, so we're almost playing catch up to do it now."In the full interview, Mark talks more about what to expect from the tour, keeping things fresh after three decades, keeping your mind and body fit, the early days of Ash and where they fit in, the changing faces of music over the years, future plans and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

1 Mar 202312min

Interview by Kris PetersThese days the music industry is a beast unto itself.While the music is, and always will be the cornerstone of a bands success, it is also the way you spread and promote your music that has a large bearing on your career.Which is why younger bands such as New York punk/pop outfit Against The Current have that edge moving forwards. Because they are a band who can truly embrace the changing face of music.Staring life performing covers on YouTube, Against The Current started forging their own career little by little, until when, in 2017, the band collaborated with Riot Games and released their breakthrough single Legends Never Die as an exclusive track for the 2017 League Of Legends World Champion game.That one song launched Against The Current into the stratosphere of music and led to them performing alongside bands like Fall Out Boy, All Time Low and Good Charlotte as well as appearing at festivals like Reading and Leeds and the Warped tour.Now, Australian audiences get the chance to witness this young, emerging band first hand with the announcement of a run of shows this September.HEAVY sat down with Chrissy Costanza (vocals), Dan Gow (guitar), and Will Ferri (drums) to discuss the tour and plenty of other things."We're the surprise, right!" Chrissy exclaimed. "We haven't been there in so long at this point the fact we're showing up is a surprise (laughs), but we're very excited to come back. Probably playing a tonne of music that we haven't played live in Australia before because it has been so long - which is part of the fun part - and hopefully by that time playing some new music that is new to Against The Current as well."In the full interview we talk tour stuff like having Monday's off, the name of the tour and where it comes from, new music and what it is sounding like, what to expect from the shows, switching to being independant artists, the beginning of the band with YouTube and how the members used that to promote their own music, working with Riot Games and the impact it had on the band, growing as a band in the public spotlight and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

27 Feb 202313min

Interview by Kris PetersFor the first time in 13 years US post hardcore outfit Saosin are packing their bags and making the trek to Australia for an epic run of shows that will also be the first time since forever Aussie fans will get the chance to see the band with original vocalist Anthony Green back out the front.These will also be the bands first ever headlining shows in this country in what promises to be a massive trip down memory lane, playing tracks from their 2006 self titled debut all the way through to current material and everything in between.HEAVY sat down with guitarist Beau Burchell to find out more."I think I will be just as surprised as you are," he teased straight off the bat. "That's kind of how our shows go. We rehearse and we learn the songs to the best of our ability and then we play and if Anthony says 'we're playing this one next' we just gotta stay on our toes. The only thing I can probably guarantee is that you will see me cheesing real hard on stage (laughs). Probably shedding a few tears of joy, but it's just crazy, man. We don't really get to do this super often. I wouldn't say that we're a full time band. Both Chris (Sorenson, bass) and I have our own careers outside of the band. Anthony obviously has a very successful career on his own. Phil has his career with As I Lay Dying, so when we get together it's something pretty special and unique for us and rare when it happens. So when we do get together it's just this explosion of emotion and excitement that happens. I think the only thing I can really guarantee is if you're in the front row, or at least in the first ten rows, you'll see me cheesing real hard. Maybe I might fall over out of happiness (laughs). I don't know."In the full interview, Beau talks more about what to expect from Saosin, what has changed with the band since their last visit in 2010, bringing ALT as supports, the early days of the band, losing Anthony as singer after the first EP, welcoming him back into the band ten years later, new music and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

27 Feb 202318min

Interview by Erin EddyAs the emo kids of the 2000’s have exited their 20’s and are now in their 30’s (and some sailing into their 40’s) there’s a wave of nostalgia surfacing. Just as nu-metal has resurfaced and is being embraced with fondness, so is the emo and pop-punk genres.Story Of The Year kicked onto the scene in 2003. Like many bands from the aforementioned genres, while they may not be at the forefront of the collective minds of the music industry, they never actually faded away and those fans, the now-thirty-somethings I referred to in the first paragraph, are proudly reminding their parents “it wasn’t a phase.” Story Of The Year have continued kicking and in fact, they are about to release their sixth studio album, Tear Me To Pieces.Capitalising on the nostalgia wave, the band’s most recent single is titled 2005, and it is a musical walk down memory lane, as vocalist Dan Marsarla sings about the days when Story Of The Year had really found their stride within the scene.“The energy of this style of music is really back again, and it’s just a great time to be doing what we’re doing.” Dan says. “Not that I ever thought we were an ‘emo’ band, or that that was a thing, twenty years ago; that’s not even what anybody called this kind of stuff, but it’s all settled in to like, okay, all this together is this thing, and now we all appreciate it for the same reasons, ‘cause we grew up on it.”The music video for 2005 is a compilation of footage of the band from throughout the years, further solidifying that reflection on days gone by. But it’s not all about looking backwards and remembering the good old days, Story Of The Year are very much actively pressing forward, with a solid new album proving they’re around for the long haul and can still produce relevant and well written music.“We recorded with a guy named Colin Brittain, who’s a great producer, and it was just magical in the studio working with him. It was a really good vibe, we came up with a lot of cool stuff and it’s got a lot of youthful Story Of The Year energy, but a lot of progression as well.” Dan says of the recording process for Tear Me To Pieces.The band is also on it’s way out to Australia in March as part of the Knotfest circuit, and will be doing three sideshows as an added bonus.Listen to HEAVY’s interview with Dan to hear more about what to expect from the new album and their upcoming live shows.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

27 Feb 202317min

Interview by Kris PetersDon't be confused by the title. Australian extreme metal outfit To The Graves new album Director's Cuts is far from a collection of one mans trash from the cutting room floor. Probably as far removed as you could possibly get.Following the release of their 2019 debut album Global Warning To The Grave have become a band in demand - both here and abroad.Along the way the band has secured themselves room on the same stages as heavyweights Parkway Drive, Polaris, Cattle Decapitation, Thy Art Is Murder, Vulvodynia and Alpha Wolf, but with Director's Cuts look set to rightfully claim their very own patch of turf.Their music is tough, brutal and uncompromising, which is beautifully offset by a universal support of the underdog and contempt of those who disrespect their own environment and all those who share it.In effect, To The Grave are a band with a message and an agenda, but without the preaching and self righteous sensibilities that accompany most people who fight for a cause.Instead To The Grave let their music do their talking - and fighting - and with Director's Cuts the message is clear.Put up, or shut up. On all levels.Vocalist Dane Evans sat down with HEAVY during the week to discuss the album and other things close to the bands heart."I'm stoked about the album," he offered, a smile covering his face. "I used to get really nervous around this time when releasing stuff. But I guess there's so many hands in the pot now making everything as stress free as possible, and I realised a lot of that (nerves) was just the stress of doing it myself. What did I fuck up? That sort of thing. Lately the last couple of records have come together nicely in the last few weeks when everything would usually turn to shit if it was me handling it (laughs). I get really excited now around this time and sit on my hands and go fuck, what do I do now? I'm doing all the media and stuff and there's still a few sleeps to kill. It almost feels like Christmas when you're a kid (laughs)."Director's Cuts has been called the heaviest material yet released by those who have heard advance copies, so we press Evans on just how musically heavy the album is."I guess the boys all love their heavy shit so that had to be the biggest pillar," he measured. "Try to do things that are ... how do I put this... deathcore itself is blending hardcore and death metal and shit like that so we're trying to do that with as many other influences as possible that also keeps people engaged and interested. There's a lot of - and it might sound weird - but hip hop influences and stuff goes into at least what I do and I know it has rubbed off on the boys a bit trying to make room for that. There's not necassarily rap parts on the album or anything like that, but just studying the way they do vocals and whether they map things out, I try to a bit of that. Whereas the music, we just keep it as claustrophobically heavy as possible and then do what we can to make it interesting. Maybe that's just our brains getting fried enough and coming up with dumb shit (laughs)."In the full interview, Dane talks more about the songs on Director's Cuts, the underlying heaviness of the album, music as a weapon and how effective it can be, working hooks and melodies into extreme metal, their recent European tour, upcoming Australian shows and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

23 Feb 202318min

Interview by Kris PetersRarely does a band so early in their career deliver music with such confidence and surety as mustered by Melbourne metal newcomers Heavensgate.Since arriving on the scene only last year Heavensgate have rapidly laid the foundations for their debut EP And All I Loved, I Loved Alone, which will be released on February 24, with two blistering singles Chemical Heaven and Shemoveslikethunder that emphatically announced the arrival of a new wave of Australian metal unrestrained by the burdens of expectation and unfazed by the notion of simply towing the musical line.Heavensgate also recently signed with Australian label Greyscale Records, in a move that should see the band further press their international claims.Bass player Aki and guitarist David sat down with HEAVY earlier this week to talk us through their debut EP."We're feeling really good," David smiled. "It's been a long time coming. We've been quietly working away in the background for 18 months so we are very excited to have it coming out."Eighteen months is a considerable amount of time to develop and record an album, especially in the modern age, with the band conceding that they were occassionally hampered by factors outside of their control."There was a whole bunch of stuff happened with setbacks," David continued, "with COVID being one of them. For some videos we couldn't get people interstate. We were working on the music as well for a long time and making sure we had the absolute best quality of music that we could. Every track on the EP is a real labour of love and we're proud of every single one. We wanted to make sure there's no filler material.""I would say the time period that we spent in COVID was a slight blessing in disguise," Aki chimed in. "We had a lot of time to dedicate to reworking and revising everything to make sure we didn't slip up anywhere. So for us we feel like we have put out 100% the best product possible."In the full interview, Aki and David talk more about the musical component of the EP, the singles released and how they reflect the overall feel of the EP, exploring issues related to mental health in their music and the importance of shining importance on the subject, getting a foothold in the music industry in the face of more competition than ever before, signing to Greyscale Records and what it means to the band, upcoming shows and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

23 Feb 202312min

Interview by Kris PetersAustralian melodic death metal machine Be'Lakor began to reach an international audience following the release of their third studio album Of Breath & Bone in 2012.It is an album the band themselves admit "helped us to grow and find new audiences as a band" and one which laid the platform for a global assault that continues to gain traction to this day.A worldwide success which garnered rave reviews from both fans and critics alike, Of Breath & Bone remains a turning point of Be'Lakor's career and will now be officially commemorated with a one off special performance at Max Watts in Melbourne on February 24 to celebrate its 10th anniversary.Be'Lakor - for the first and probably last time ever - will pay homage to the album by playing it in its entirety, mixing popular tracks such as Abeyance, In Parting and Remnants with some of the other lesser known tracks that combined to create something special.Keyboard player Steven Merry joined HEAVY to talk more about the show."It was gonna be November last year, which would have been officially ten years since the album came out," he began, "but then we had to move it to February this year which technically means it's a slightly late birthday for it. I can't believe ten years have gone by since the album came out."Be'Lakor will be playing Of Breath & Bone from start to finish, with Merry smiling at the thought."It's the only time we've done it and we won't be doing it again," he laughed, "so I think it does make it a pretty special gig in that way that it's definitely a one off thing."In the full interview, Steven talks about what to expect from the show, what sorts of things the album opened up for the band when it came out, playing songs they may have never played live before, if it has stood the test of time musically, which tracks have grown on him over the years, the other bands playing and why they were chosen and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

22 Feb 20239min

Interview by Kris PetersThere might be a number of bands from the glory period of the 1980s still doing the rounds, but not many as prolific or consistent as Stryper.From humble beginnings and despite always being a band that lives between two worlds, Stryper have endured through every musical and societal challenge thrown at them.And, more importantly, emerged triumphant.Following the success of their most recent album The Final Battle, Stryper are poised to return to Australia for the first time since 2018 with three of the original members still forming the nucleus of one of the greatest rock bands the world has seen.The band are also celebrating their 40th anniversary, with frontman and founding member Michael Sweet happily joining HEAVY to chat about the tour and the illustrious career of the rebellious Christian rockers."We're always blessed that we can still perform and do what we love to do, year after year" he began. "We're pushing our 40th anniversary... it's crazy."We press Sweet on what special delights Stryper has for Australian fans this time around."We're doing a long set," he enthused. "I think it's 21 songs. We're trying to squeeze as many songs into that set that everybody wants to hear from the beginning to now - that's the tricky part. We came as a trio in 2018 and I came as a solo guy in 2019 and then the pandemic obviously, it hasn't been that long but it feels like a really long time since we've been. So we're just excited to come and we can't wait to see everybody."With so many songs to choose from Sweet admits it's getting more difficult with each new album to compile a set list to appeal across the board."It really is," he nodded. "It's like one of those things where it's getting to the point where we need to pull a Bruce Springsteen (laughs) and play for three hours. God bless him for doing that, but man. Bruce, his style of writing, his style of singing is a little easier to pull off for three hours than our style of writing and singing. It's a lot of high register belting stuff and it's not easy on the voice."In the full interview, Michael talks more about what to expect from Stryper's live show, lasting 40 years in the music industry, the musical climate that gave birth to Stryper, where they fit in, working through musical trends, Stryper's impact on the music scene, what he hopes to leave as their musical legacy and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

22 Feb 202315min