Adding FROTH To The FURY With JAKE STEINHAUSER From POLARIS

Interview by Kris PetersCorey Glover has long been recognised as one of the finest vocalists of the modern era thanks to his role as frontman for Living Colour. It would be both easy and understandable for the singer to remain in the comforting confines of Living Colour, where his vocal prowess will always be beyond reproach, but Glover has never been one to rest on his laurels.Teaming up with guitarist Mike Orlando from Adrenaline Mob, Glover has started a fresh, vibrant project called Sonic Universe that allows him to display his chops in a different environment, with different musicians, to no less overall effect.If the two lead singles I Am and Higher are anything to go by, Sonic Universe sees Glover step into more hard rock territory, with both songs an extension of his work with Living Colour without rewriting the rulebook to excess.With Sonic Universe's debut album It Is What It Is scheduled for release on May 10, HEAVY scored some Facetime with the legendary vocalist to chat about his new project and more."All these songs are pretty personal," he began. "This song Higher, for example, is Mike's ambition at making a metal Gospel tune, and he got the right people to do it, I guess (laughs)."We ask Glover to tell us more about Sonic Universe and how it came to be."Me and Mike met on a cruise, on the ShipRocked cruise, we were both stowaways on that," he laughed. "I saw Mike playing and his guitar playing was like 'Holy Shit, who is that dude?' I was like, I gotta meet this guy, so I met Mike, and it turns out we all have a bunch of mutual friends, and we know a bunch of people so it was like 'look, let's get together and do something at some point'. And that was just before the pandemic. Some time after that, we got together. I would go to his place and studio called Sonic Sound, and we just banged out a bunch of tunes over the course of two years."In the full interview, Corey discusses Sonic Universe in greater detail, runs through each track on It Is What It Is individually and tells us more about it, why they decided to introduce the world to Sonic Universe with the song I Am, the album from a musical perspective and what they were going for, touring plans and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

4 Apr 202414min

Interview by Kris PetersMelbourne industrial titans Witchgrinder released their highly anticipated third album, Nothing Stays Buried.Once more revolving around horror and the macabre, Nothing Stays Buried is a meaty slab of intent from the Australian outfit, furthering the promise shown on Witchgrinder's two earlier albums but magnifying it even further.Since the release of their debut album in 2013, Witchgrinder have systematically built up a loyal and growing fan base, scoring support slots to the likes of Ministry, Rob Zombie, Ghost, Wednesday 13, Powerman 5000, Sevendust and Drowning Pool before landing the covetted opening spot for Static X last year. The band have honed and refined their live show to reflect both their music and influences, creating an overwhelming sense of dread and foreboding that perfectly accentuates the sonic blast of agression elicited by their music.With Nothing Stays Buried unleashed on the public, frontman Travis Everett took the time to talk with HEAVY, discussing the album in greater detail."This album took a while to write," he measured. "Actually, the writing didn't take so long, what it was, is there was a large gap in between from the lat album due to line-up changes and covid. Witchgrinder had a nice touring line-up, but nothing put together where I felt comfortable writing and getting back in and doing the third album. Of course, I had a lot of stuff put away with riffs over the years, but I never started really structuring anything together. With this album I looked at what the previous two had done… I had time to talk to a lot of people who listened to Witchgrinder over the years - alot of new fans and a lot of old ones - and worked out what they liked best from the first album and the second album. What songs were their favourite and what weren't. We really sat - especially me and the guitarist Scott - we sat down and spoke about what style of song we wanted one to be. We'd pick one of the old ones off the album and say we kind of want it a bit like this, but we want this one rockier. We want this one more thrash metal. But we still wanted to keep the Witchgrinder sound."In the full interview, Travis talks more about the writing process for Nothing Stays Buried, the musical direction of the album, the band's upcoming tour plus he runs us through each track on Nothing Stays Buried in greater depth.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

28 Mar 202424min

Interview by Kris PetersAustralian blues/rock outfit Beasts Of Bourbon have been a mainstay of the Aussie music scene for over 40 years, blending a blues-infused swagger with sleazy rock and tonnes of attitude to create a musical aura that is as much about the musicians who make up the band as it is the music itself.Originally formed with James Baker on drums (ex-Hoodoo Gurus, The Scientists), Spencer P. Jones on guitar (The Johnnys), Tex Perkins on vocals (Dum Dums), Kim Salmon on guitar and Boris Sujdovic on bass guitar (both ex-The Scientists), the Beasts Of Bourbon went through several line-up changes over the years, with Tex Perkins and Jones being the only regular contributors.After disbanding in 1985 following their debut album The Axeman's Jazz it seemed the music of Beasts Of Bourbon would be lost into the channels of Australian history but they reformed just two years later and released a second album Sour Mash the following year.Several albums followed, culminating in 2007s Little Animals before Beasts Of Bourbon disbanded once more, seemingly for good.2013 saw a couple of select 30th anniversary shows before another slide into the unknown until 2019 when the band re-emerged under the shortened name of Beasts.After a new album Still Here came out in 2019 Beasts went back into slumber, resurfacing last year for 40th anniversary celebrations, with the response being so overwhelmingly positive that the band are on the cusp of undertaking a six-date nation tour with the intention of taking their music and legacy even further than the two shows last year allowed.HEAVY caught up with guitarist Kim Salmon to find out more."It has been a while, really, since we've done any touring in earnest with this band," he nodded. "It was just before the pandemic, so probably four years. We did a couple of shows last year with our original drummer James Baker, and we recorded that and we were so excited about that recording that we thought we'd take it out on the road. We're going to actually release some of this stuff. This is a beauty."We mention that HEAVY is a big fan of live albums, to which Salmon replied, "me too. There's been some good ones over the years. There's also been some less than good ones, but this one I think is… we were gonna call it… Tex and I were talking about it (laughs) and throwing titles around, and we thought how about The Best Live Album Ever Recorded or The Best Live Album Ever, but I had this thing… like there's Slade Alive and Kiss Alive, so I thought why not Beasts Alive? So we're putting that out through a French label called Beast Records. But that won't be out until September, I think. We've got a five track 12" that will only be available at the gig and that's some tracks taken from that recording."In the full interview, Kim talks more about the tour and what to expect, if he still enjoys touring after so much time on the road, the enduring success of Beasts and why, the rocky road to success, changing the band name from Beasts Of Bourbon to Beasts and why, their debut album The Axeman's Jazz and his thought of it 40 years later, future plans and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

28 Mar 202417min

Interview by Kris PetersSince their inception in 1991 US rock outfit Incubus have defied the laws and conventions of music by shading outside the lines and creating their own brand of sonic retribution.Their music was different and experimental, while still maintaining a rock-infused underbelly that provided a meaty backbone that stood tall through a myriad of musical disparities that combined to create the perfect sonic storm.With three consecutive albums that pushed the envelope further than ever before S.C.I.E.N.C.E. (1997), Make Yourself (1999) and Morning View (2001), Incubus and their music quickly gained global attention and transformed what was once a personal odyssey into more of a worldwide phenomenon.Such is the band's enduring legacy, they have re-recorded Morning View and will release it on May 10 with the title Morning View XXIII, but first they are making a long overdue return to Australia for a run of shows with fellow rockers Live this April.As well as five national co-headlining shows with Live, Incubus will also appear at the inaugural Lookout Festival, an outdoor event on some of the country's most iconic stages alongside Live, Birds Of Tokyo, Eskimo Joe and The Superjesus.HEAVY was fortunate enough to speak with Incubus frontman Brandon Boyd on the eve of the tour."I think this is probably the most extensive tour of Australia we will have done," he smiled. "I could be wrong about that, but I don't remember having played… I think it's eight or nine shows by itself, just in Australia. I'm excited."This will be Incubus' first trip to Australia since 2018, so we cheekily ask Boyd why the band has neglected us for so long."(laughs) Something happened in the world sometime after 2019 that made it so travelling was really tough," he replied. "I don't remember exactly what it was, but something happened that kept us off aeroplanes and stuff (laughs). We're sorry it's taken us so long, but we're really excited to make our way back, and we're thrilled to be able to do these shows with the band Live as well."On the subject of Live, we ask why they were chosen to be touring partners with Incubus on this run."This is something that honestly would not have occurred to me," he measured, "to put our bands together to do this. It came through other channels to potentially pair us up to tour, but when we heard about it being a possibility, all of us were very enthusiastic about the idea because Live was one of those bands when I was growing up that just had some bangers. They've got some tracks that are just killer, and I've actually never seen them play live, so it's pretty awesome to go on tour with a band that you enjoy, but you've never had the pleasure of seeing live. So this will be my introduction to them formally."In the full interview we discuss the tour in greater detail, Lookout Festival and playing with Australian bands, what has changed in the 6 years since Incubus last toured Australia, the different excitement he gets from playing outdoor festivals compared to indoor arenas, re-recording Morning View, how well the music from that album has stood the test of time, if and how crowds respond differently to the songs from that album two decades later and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

28 Mar 202414min

Following a recent successful tour of Australia with Northlane, metalcore legends ERRA are now readying for the release of their new album Cure, which is released on April 5.HEAVY spoke with the band just before their Brisbane show at Fortitude Music Hall.VIDEO WAS FILMED LIVE FROM SOUNDCHECK SO SOUND QUALITY MAY FLUCTUATEBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

28 Mar 202422min

Interview by Kris PetersMelbourne metalcore/deathcore/techdeath outfit Roswell DeathSquad have been making waves since the release of their debut album Welcome Home in January this year.Which isn't surprising given the pedigree of musicians within the band's ranks. Featuring past and present members of Festation, Harlott, Carthus, Mistress of Misery and Fear the Fallen, Roswell DeathSquad have not only the hunger to succeed but also the experience, which is an almost forgotten prerequisite for success in the modern age.After playing their first live show back in August last year, Roswell Deathsquad are hoping to convert even more fans on March 30 when they play a belated album launch show at the Workers Club in Melbourne.Vocalist Jarryd Rodger joined HEAVY to talk about the album and more."Pretty good," he replied when we asked how Welcome Home has been received. "A lot of feedback that we have had has been absolutely phenomenal. Whether it be old mate down the street or a few people overseas, everyone has been loving it. It hits the heavy mark, it hits the metalcore mark as well, so it gives everyone a bit of everything rather than getting stale which is what we aim for. It's been received a lot better than we anticipated, especially releasing it randomly at the start of the year. Our Spotify numbers are sitting at 2 to 3000 every month and for a new band that no-one really knows that's good."In the full interview, Jarryd talks more about Welcome Home, what they were going for musically with it, what things they focussed on going into album number one, the themes and points of interest, the members other bands and how much of each they bring to Roswell DeathSquad's sound, their blending of music and how it works, next week's album launch and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

23 Mar 202416min

Interview by Kris PetersCVLTFEST came to Brisbane’s Eaton’s Hill Hotel recently, bringing with it a tornado of hard rock and metal performed by some of this country’s headline bands as well as some that should one day attain that status themselves.But it wasn’t just a celebration of Australian music, with organisers Alpha Wolf assembling a strong volley of international acts from Japan – Crossfaith, Paledusk – New York – Emmure – and France – ten56. It was a coming together of music, cultures and music lovers under one magnificent roof in one afternoon/ evening.Not that HEAVY got to see much of the action unfolding on stage because we were hidden away on the first floor of the hotel, lying in wait for unsuspecting musicians to enter our line of sight so we could strap them to the casting couch and ask a few questions.Today we bring to you our chat with Kynan Groundwater from local band Diamond Construct.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

23 Mar 20247min

Interview by Kris PetersIt's hard to believe any international band could have been around long enough to earn legendary status yet not have toured this country before.Not that Australians feel entitled or big-headed and therefore expect such bands to tour here - quite the opposite. It's more because Australians generally need some form of tangible connection with a band or musician before being able to usher those words of adulation. So basically we need to have some form of sonic ownership, which, I guess, is a little entitled but let's not split hairs shall we?Because the point of this conversation is that legendary US metal/hardcore pioneers Cave In have finally locked in some dates Down Under, coming out with post metal outfit The Ocean and Danish label mates LLRR for a string of shows starting in June.A band considered by many to have been ahead of their time, Cave In were instrumental in introducing metalcore to the masses before exploring a plethora of musical avenues including psychedelic rock infused metal. With the band enjoying renewed success following the addition of Converge bassist Nate Newton to cover the tragic loss of Caleb Schofield in 2018, Cave In released Heavy Pendulum in 2022 which brought together the many and varied musical influences explored over their six previous albums and introduced the band to a fresh legion of fans that continues to grow to this day.HEAVY recently spoke with singer/guitarist Stephen Brodsky about their first ever trip to Australia, starting with why the band has neglected us for so long."That is a great question," he laughed. "It will be my second time over there. Another band that I play in called Old Man Gloom toured there with Converge about 10 years ago, but I do remember in my travels there definitely is some Cave In fans saying when are you gonna bring Cave In over, we've been waiting, and that was ten years ago (laughs). Sometimes it's just… especially with international tours for bands at our level to work out something where we're not just breaking even or eating it is hard. Those offers don't come our way very often, so we were able to work something out for this one, and we're all very stoked on all the logistics and the inner workings of the offer itself. It made sense, so we're finally doing it. The idea just had to marinate a little bit."In the full interview, Stephen talks more about their first tour and what they are expecting, what we can expect from them, coming with The Ocean and LLRR and why the three bands will work well together, the early days of Cave In and where they fit in, how they were ahead of their time, their debut album Until Your Heart Stops and if he is still happy with it, their musical tastes and how each influences the band's music, reforming after the death of Caleb and the difficulties associated with coming back, Heavy Pendulum and the way it covers the back catalogue of Cave In and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

23 Mar 202412min