Challenging The Gods With RYAN KIRBY From FIT FOR A KING

Heathenspawn return with their latest slab of blackened melodic death metal, The Ravenous Earth, a crushing track that dives into dark themes and envisions a world where humanity has brought about its own extinction. Obsessed with conflict and distracted by trivialities, mankind clings to the illusion of permanence. But when the end comes, it will come for us all, and the Earth will bury our legacy beneath roots, soil, and stone, as it has done with every empire before us.To capture this vision, Heathenspawn teamed up once again with long-time producer Matt Clarke (To The Grave), with mastering handled by none other than Dan Swanö (Edge of Sanity, Bloodbath). The track also features a guest performance from a friend of the band, Kevin Smits, whose ferocious vocals amplify the track's dark themes and intent.The artwork for The Ravenous Earth was created by legendary punk musician and artist Alex CF, whose evocative painting of a skeletal king consumed by nature mirrors the track’s themes of decay and inevitability. The band describe his work as the perfect visual embodiment of the song’s essence, and are honoured to feature his art alongside their music.The Ravenous Earth is Heathenspawn at their most uncompromising, a brutal yet thought-provoking statement about the fate of humanity and the enduring power of the natural world, but to get to the real meat of potatoes of the track, HEAVY sat down with vocalist Jim to dive deeper."The theme of the song is essentially about a vision of the world after humans are gone," he explained. "Every organism that's ever lived here is extinct now; it's a biological and geological reality. We think we're going to be here forever as a species, so humans conduct themselves in an arrogant way, where we think that evolution has ended with us. It's about that vision. The song is about the ravenous earth. The idea of it comes from the Earth consuming humanity and all human artefacts, so societies, buildings, and everything that we think is really important, ultimately, the Earth doesn't care about."In the full interview, Jim talks more about how the single marks a shift towards a darker and more aggressive sound, influenced by Swedish melodic death metal, and critiques human arrogance through its concept of a post-human world.The accompanying music video enhances these themes with visuals of ruins and live performances. As a standalone release, The Ravenous Earth aims to reintroduce the band and their new singer, while also developing new material for an album expected next year. That work promises to be more aggressive and varied than their previous work, with recent live shows in Newcastle and Sydney indicating a favourable reception to this new direction.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

9 Okt 19min

It's not often you get a second chance in life, especially in the music industry, where success - sustained or fleeting - is anything but a given. But that is precisely what has happened for US rock outfit Yellowcard, who return on October 10 with their new album Better Days.After forming in Jacksonville, Florida in 1997, Yellowcard became one of the most influential bands in the 2000’s alternative rock scene. Known for blending high-energy pop punk with a signature violin twist, their 2003 breakthrough Ocean Avenue is certified Platinum, with the title track now certified two times Platinum.Despite this early success - or perhaps because of it - Yellowcard disbanded ten years later, making emotional goodbyes to fans all around the world with a farewell tour. It seemed as though the band's decade of dominance would remain at just that, until Yellowcard reunited in 2022 with a fresh outlook and armed with lessons learnt the first time around.Fans and the music scene in general embraced the band's music once more, affirming Yellowcard's decision to return from premature band retirement and solidifying their resolve to make their next album also their best. After signing with Better Noise Music, Yellowcard confirmed the addition of Blink 182's Travis Barker to produce the new material, which he was so impressed with, he also stepped behind the kit to play on the whole album.The result is everything you ever loved about Yellowcard, boosted by musical output from a band that sounds like they have come to terms with their musical status and, more importantly, have rediscovered their zest for life and music.HEAVY recently sat down with frontman Ryan Key, who battled the effects of a cold to talk about the continued rise of Yellowcard. We start with a subtle attempt at humour by asking how he is feeling about the imminent release of the new album and wish him Better Days ahead because of it."It already has, mate," he smiled. "It already has. It's not even out yet, and we're already having the best chapter of this band's career. I think we're right in the middle of it right now. So the fact that the album isn't even out yet and so many amazing things have already happened for us around it and with it, it's pretty mind-blowing."We continue down that line, asking if the feelings and expectations surrounding the new release are different this time around."It feels…," he measured. "We have made a lot of music in our career. We've made a lot of records, and we've written a lot of songs. In 2008, we stepped away from the band - not in the same way that we did in 2016-17 - but in 08 there was this feeling of uncertainty in terms of what was going to come next. We had gone up the first side of the mountain extremely fast. We went from practising in whatever garage we could find to being at the Video Music Awards in two and a half years. It was really rapid. And so we came down the backside of that mountain equally as fast, and we didn't really know what was next."In the full interview, Ryan talks more about the first stage of Yellowcard's career, including the highs and lows. He opened up about the problems the band faced with being part of the industry cog and how it left them disheartened at a time where they should have been riding the crest of a wave.He went deeper into the musical side of Better Days, how it is an improvement on anything they have ever done before, and how it represents Yellowcard in 2025. Ryan also detailed how Travis Barker came on board as producer and what difference it made to the finished product. He told us his feelings on working with Barker and how he came to be their studio drummer, signing with Better Noise Music, reaching Number One on the charts after 22 years and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

9 Okt 25min

There have been select few bands that have truly shaped the course of history. For heavy metal, it would have to be bands like Black Sabbath and Judas Priest, but when it comes to rock and roll, only Elvis Presley springs directly to mind. But there was another band of the same era that many believe were a more accurate representation of the term - or what would become the term - rock music. A band who combined elements of blues, R&B, and rock into a sound that has inspired generations. A band who are mostly still very much alive today, and who are currently en route to Australia for a run of shows dubbed The Final Curtain Australian Tour, which starts on October 23.If you guessed The Animals, then you guessed right.A major part of the musical British Invasion of the 1960s, The Animals produced a string of hits that still resonate today, including We Gotta Get Out Of This Place, Boom Boom, Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood, It’s My Life and the band's iconic multi-million selling, and Number One worldwide hit, House of The Rising Sun. Universally known and loved and influential to generations of music lovers, The Animals have an affinity for Australia, with original drummer John Steel once saying, “Australia has always felt like a second home for us."HEAVY recently sat down with Steel to talk about the tour and the enduring legacy of The Animals."We're looking forward to it," he enthused of the tour. "People keep telling me it's the final tour, but I think it's still such a good band. I enjoy playing with them, and I'm playing as well as I ever did in my life so let's wait and see. But for now, this is the final tour. At my age now, I can only think one year ahead at a time anyway, so maybe this will be the last one. We'll see what happens (laughs)."Talk turns to the multitude of hits The Animals have had over the years and their place in musical history."There's not one song in our repertoire that I've ever thought that is not good enough," he replied. "I've always felt we've got a great bunch of songs, and it's not always the same ones every night. Obviously, we play the big hit singles every night, but we've got a good selection of A-sides, B-sides, and album tracks. So it's a pick and mix, but it keeps it fresh."In the full interview, John talks more about the tour and what to expect, having to alter their live show in keeping with ageing, the extensive run of shows and playing in out of the way places, his memories of The Animals first tour of Australia and his love of our red wine. We also talked about The Angels cover of We Gotta Get Out Of This Place, the early days of The Animals, what he hopes to leave as their music legacy and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

6 Okt 12min

Switzerland isn't known for its nu metal/metalcore bands, with thrash bands such as Coroner or extreme acts Celtic Frost more prominent. But all that changed in 2018 when Chaoseum, a newcomer to the scene, announced their arrival with their debut album First Step To Hell. The album took the musical landscape by surprise, in the process helping Chaoseum secure a US tour supporting Soulfly, and things just snowballed from there.Following a steady, yet upward trajectory, Chaoseum refined their sound on albums such as Second Life (2020) - which also welcomed new vocalist CK Smile - and The Third Eye (2022), constructing their music in such a way to incorporate more cinematic elements and soundscapes that have now become part of the band's signature sound. That evolution continued on their most recent album, Life 4 Sale, which was released this year on September 19. HEAVY recently sat down with CK Smile to find out more."This album has a completely different story," he measured, deliberating over speaking English, "more than the previous album, because I had to compose it completely alone. On the previous album, we were two composers, the ex-guitar player and I. When he quit the band, we had to find new members, and they had to learn every song from the previous album. It was huge work because we had to do some tours and many, many gigs so they didn't have time to form the composition, so I decided to do it alone. It's different, because I grew up in a nu metal era from 90s and early 2000s, and you can hear on this album it's a little bit simpler, but that's what I like. Plus, the lyrics are different too, because in the previous album, I was mixing part of a true story, mixing with something from my imagination for something more epic. This one is more real. More personal, and so that meant that it was hard for me to write that because I'm talking a lot about my past, and I have many episodes from my past that were very complicated to live. For some things, it's still a little bit complicated, but I deal with it."In the full interview, CK talks more about the writing and creative process for Life 4 Sale and how it impacted the finished result. He spoke about the darker nature on the previous album, The Third Eye and if that flowed onto this record, plus opening up more in his lyrics and how doing so was a difficult process.He spoke about the emotions and atmosphere present in Chaoseum's music and how difficult those features are to integrate into music, how Chaoseum have expanded their sound since he joined the band, how much growth the band have left in them musically and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

6 Okt 18min

Maryborough rock outfit Ruination warmed music lovers up in 2022, offering a tasty appetiser with the EP Whispers. More of a demo release to showcase their potential, Whispers served up an eclectic take on the standard fare of alternative metal, entwining soft soundscapes with a melodic, yet hard-edged exterior that showcases the best of the early days of the alt-rock genre with enough modern sensibilities to appeal across the board.Despite their relative distance from a capital music hub, Ruination have continually accepted and performed gigs wherever the wind has swept them, refining their sound on the live circuit, just the way the great Aussie bands of the late 80s and 90s did. With their reputation growing and their sound developing more with each show, Ruination headed to King Street Studios to record their debut album, ultimately deciding to represent the entirety of the band by re-recording the tracks on Whispers and adding a handful of new tracks to complement the recording.The result is the impressive Everything Eventually, which is slated for release on October 10, with frontman Luke Karolak revealing: "This album deals with loss, heartbreak, redemption, and soul searching. It is not just eleven songs; it is eleven statements!"HEAVY sat down earlier this week with the three members - Luke Karolak (guitar/vocals), Brady Weber (bass), and Josh Brooks (drums) - to find out more."We wanted to make something that we would listen to as fans, as well as everybody else," Karolak replied when asked to describe the album. "Something that we'd enjoy playing, just doing our own thing and putting up a flag and hoping that people will catch on. As an album, it's 11 pretty solid songs. We've been playing them live for a little bit, so they're pretty well fleshed out ideas."We bring up the above statement where Karolak refers to Everything Eventually as "eleven statements" and ask if that is correct."Yeah, that's absolutely correct, man," he nodded. "100% best way to describe them. Obviously, with everything, we learn from our masters, so to speak. But as a band we're a pretty raw, organic, straight down the line, no frills band, and they are statements. That's the best way I can sum that up."In the full interview, Ruination talked more about the musical side to Everything Eventually, talking us through the different sonic structures throughout and how they all tie together. They spoke of the decision to re-record older songs and mix them with newer material, and how that is a better representation of where Ruination is at this stage of their career.We spoke about the cover art and how it relates to the album, the things they thought about going into their debut album, the difficulties faced in being a band outside of a capital city and ways to overcome that, their upcoming album launch show and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

3 Okt 19min

There aren't many true old school Aussie rockers left these days, but the ones who are remember the 1980s with fond memories. For all of the household names to come out of that time, such as AC/DC, INXS, Cold Chisel, there were just as many, if not more, that were at least equally as talented. Bands like Buster Brown spring immediately to mind, but there's also another who may have faded from the minds of even those fortunate to have lived those times. Not because of their relevance to Australian music, but just because of Father Time and their relative inactivity.And that band is Heaven.Just one of many bands forming in and around the turn of the decade, Heaven were always a class above most others, a combination of talent and good representation seeing them earn the right to do a national support tour of Australia with Iron Maiden after just one album. The inevitable growth from an experience like that took Heaven to the U.S, where they would record their second and most popular album, Where Eagles Fear To Tread, an album which featured guest spots by an unnamed Ronnie James Dio, Lita Ford and Glenn Hughes.During their time abroad, Heaven supported many more leading bands of the era, from Black Sabbath to Judas Priest to KISS to Motley Crue, but following the 1985 release of Knockin' On Heaven's Door, the band returned to Australia, lasting just one more tour before the tolls of the last 5 years proved too much and the band went their separate ways. A couple of fleeting attempts at getting the gang back together followed over the ensuing years, with no bad blood between the band enabling them to get together when timing and schedules aligned. The loss of frontman Allan Fryer to cancer in 2015 seemed to permanently shelve plans of a fairytale reunion, until the seeds began to grow around the same time as COVID enveloped the world. Not to be deterred, bass player and founding member Laurie Marlow persevered in his quest, ultimately reassembling Heaven in what seems for all intents and purposes to be a fully fledged crack at restoring them to their former place amongst this country's elite rock acts. HEAVY sat down with Laurie for an in-depth chat about the past, present and future of Heaven, starting with the formation of the band."I'd been a musician around Adelaide for a number of years and decided that if I was going to get anywhere and move forward with things, I had to move somewhere like Melbourne or Sydney, so I picked Sydney," Laurie recalled. "When I got here, I just started looking around for players. And one guy... I lived around the corner from him, actually... and I used to go and see this band play, and that was a band called Swanee, which was Jimmy Barnes' brother. I struck up a friendship with the guitar player, Kelly, and I used to take him to gigs, because I had a car and he didn't. We just started talking about things, and he said that he wasn't happy staying with what he was doing, and he wanted to move into something different. And I said, well mate, what's your interest? And he said, I love this band Van Halen that's just hit the scene in the last couple of years. I said so do I, why don't you come and join me, and we'll put a band together. So that was the first step in the evolution of Heaven."In the full interview, Laurie provided a comprehensive overview of Heaven's history, detailing the band's formation in 1980 and their evolution from performing as Fat Lip to adopting the name Heaven. We spoke about them getting signed and making the transition to the U.S., and how their music progressed from there.Laurie talked about some of the bands Heaven has toured with and some of the memories of those times, noting how important being from Australia was in the early days in America. He reflected on Heaven's second album, Where Angels Fear To Tread and the contributions from notable artists like Ronnie James Dio, Lita Ford and Glenn Hughes, as well as the funny tale about how they came to be on the album.He recounted the initial break-up of Heaven and the subsequent flirtations with regrouping, including a tale about how the Australian version of Heaven lost their name to an assembled American version spearheaded by Fryer. He shared details of the current reunion and plans to record new music, explaining how it might differ slightly from older material due to inevitable modernisation. Laurie also discussed the band's two upcoming Sydney shows, including one where they will pay homage to Black Sabbath and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

3 Okt 49min

Canadian musician Cory Marks has succeeded where many others have failed - or weren't even game enough to try - by managing to bring elements of rock and metal into his country-oriented music and, more importantly, make it accessible to all sides of the musical fence. It is a musical amalgamation that by every letter of the law should not work, but somehow Marks not only makes it work. He makes it breathe.Whether by design or by plain old-fashioned luck, Marks has made the transition even easier over the course of his career by enlisting the talents of some of hard rock and metal's biggest names with Sully Erna (Godsmack), Mick Mars (Motley Crue) and DL (Bad Wolves) providing notable guest appearances across Marks' three existing albums. By having these names attached to his music, Marks has managed to form a gateway between genres that has flowed through into his whole catalogue of music, to the point that on his latest album, Sorry For Nothing Volume 2, Marks dispenses with guest musicians and delivers 11 original songs of his own volition.And it still works.HEAVY caught up with Marks on the eve of the October 3 release of Sorry For Nothing Volume 2."It's crazy to think that this is my second album in less than a year," he smiled. "Volume 1 came out in December 2024, and this is all music that I love, and I'm very proud of and excited to finally have out into the world. I'm excited, and I think it's a perfect blend of country rock and hard rock."We ask if Volume 2 is a continuation of Volume 1 or if it is more of the same."I would say it's a continuation," he said after a moment's thought. "I think there's some really great country stuff on there. Again, it might be a biased opinion, of course, but there's some heavier stuff like what you've heard so far already, with songs like Hangman and Are You With Me?. And there's some different stuff on there, too, with a song like Someone I Hate, which you even hear some metal screams in there. I'm maybe channelling my Phil Anselmo or my Chester a little bit (laughs), which is different for me on the record and even that style of song."In the full interview, Cory talks more about the songs on Sorry For Nothing Volume 2, the singles released and how they represent the album as a whole, plus the reasons why he chose to put all of the songs with guest artists on Volume 1.He spoke about the blending of genres and how he makes them fit together on an album, as well as the moment when he first had the thought of blending country, metal and rock. Cory told a great story of how that idea became reality and set him off on the path he is on today. We spoke about his upcoming tour with Sevendust as well as the possibility of an Australian tour and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

2 Okt 30min

Music is always a transitional thing. Be it mind, body, or sonically, there is always room for growth and expansion.Gold Coast-based rock artist Ollie Twohill is discovering that now, almost two decades into his professional music journey. For the majority of his time performing, Twohill has been a solo artist, enjoying the freedom of creativity and the pressures of handling everything yourself. His most recent single, Crisis, accentuated that belief, with Twohill writing, composing and playing all instruments as well as singing. The song itself is a fine effort - made all the more special by the fact he was responsible for all facets - but after a recent flirtation with playing with a full band on stage, Twohill feels now is the right time to expand on his sound and music by assembling a band from which to launch his music.HEAVY sat down for a chat recently with Twohill to discuss the new single and life moving forward. We start by asking how people are responding to Crisis."So far, reception has been insane," he smiled. "People are really getting behind the track, which is awesome to see, especially since the context of the song is quite an angry song. I feel like there's a lot of turmoil in the world, and I feel like a lot of people can get behind it. So yeah, it's great so far."We ask him about playing and writing everything himself on Crisis."It has been a passion project of mine," he measured, "it's been a bit of a dream to have a song where I played every instrument, and it just felt like the most natural fit to step into that realm."In the full interview, Ollie talked more about his latest single Crisis, which aims to inspire unity during global challenges. Ollie detailed his songwriting process, starting with guitar progressions, and described the difficulties he faced in composing and performing all instruments for the track, which he views as a passion project. He shared his journey as a solo artist before forming a band after relocating to the Gold Coast, discussing the balance between solo and band performances, noting the creative freedom of solo work and the challenges of being overshadowed by full bands. He also introduced his upcoming EP, Calamity, with Crisis as a pivotal piece that reflects a new alt-rock direction for him and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

1 Okt 10min