Everything Has A Price With CK SMILE From CHAOSEUM

Interview by Kris PetersThe name Dave Lombardo is synonymous with thrash metal.Since co-founding legendary thrash outfit Slayer in 1981, Lombardo has been the barometer for metal drumming.He has been named by Rolling Stone in their list of 100 Greatest Drummers Of All Time, been dubbed The Godfather of double bass by Drummerworld, proclaimed The King by Modern Drummer... the list goes on.He has appeared on more than 100 studio albums/recordings, including live stints with Grip Inc., Fantômas, Suicidal Tendencies, Dead Cross, Mr. Bungle, The Misfits, DJ Spooky, John Zorn, Testament, and most recently creating the soulful duo Venamoris, with his wife Paula. His resume is unrivalled in the world of music as a whole, let alone his chosen profession as drummer.But despite the metal undertones and notoriety within his chosen genre, Lombardo is a true student of the arts, finding comfort in a plethora of genres and styles that transcend the perceived heart of metal.This passion is now laid bare for the world to see with the impending release of his solo album Rites Of Percussion, a self produced release featuring a large concert bass drum, a timpani, a grand piano, and a flock of shakers, maracas, Chinese and symphonic gongs, Native American drums, congas, timbales, bongos, batás, wood blocks, djembes, ibos, darbukas, octobans, cajóns, and cymbals. It is an album created to satiate his own musical desires and one which sees Lombardo exposed like never before.HEAVY had the pleasure of spending some time with the legendary drummer to dive deeper into his musical psyche."It feels a little surreal," he measured, "because I've wanted to release something like this for years and it finally came to fruition. I'm very proud and beyond happy at how well it's been received. I expected the typical metalheads complaining about one thing or another and I was already ready to answer those comments by saying 'well just wait five minutes, I'll be coming up with a new metal album real soon.' Or if you want to revert to Mr. Bungle or Dead Cross, those are a couple of bands that we've just released albums with. It's awesome, man. I love it. Maybe we'll do another one it's been such a great experience."Making an album where he himself is the only constant and where the quality and success of the material falls squarely on his shoulders is something Lombardo has experienced little of in his time as a musician. With Rites Of Percussion every note, every nuance is birthed by his own volition, meaning more thought and emphasis was required for every painstaking stage of the process."The music took the direction on its own," he offered. "I started creating the rhythms, then starting to layer sounds - because I worked by myself - and it started taking a life of its own. As the songs were developing I started seeing the vision a little clearer and it started becoming an actual entity. A body of work. It didn't sound to me... it wasn't developing like alien bits and pieces from different sessions. It became a cohesive body of work. It was really interesting and I had many moments during the recording process - many moments - that were like 'aha' moments, or epiphanies where it was like oh God, where did this come from? It was really cool and it set me up, I feel at this moment as I look back, it set me up to hopefully pursue number two and create a second Rites Of Percussion but it wouldn't sound the same. It would sound totally different because now from different elements - drums, sound designing - it was a really good learning experience to say the least."In the full interview, Dave talks more about the musical composition of Rites Of Passage, making it an album of just his work without guest appearances, how Mike Patton set the wheels in motion for this album 25 years ago, his album mantra of drums had to be drums and what it means, the different instruments and soundscapes on the album, his love of different genres of music, appeasing fans and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

14 Apr 202316min

Interview by Kris PetersFive years ago Australian metal outfit Nothing began an ambitious conceptually based series of chronological singles forming a story inspired by narcissistic relationships, old poetry and a love of storytelling.It was an ambitious and time consuming project that hit deep at the core of many personal issues and experiences and soon became a labour of passion dubbed Self Repair Manifesto.To date Nothing have released two previous instalments of the five part manifesto, with the third titled The Shroud out now on Spotify with the video to follow on April 20.Drummer/vocalist Craig Johnson sat down with HEAVY to go into greater detail about the series of songs which has now reached the half way point."This is the third single in the five part concept series Self Repair Manifesto," he affirmed, "and this song is about revealing deception and revealing evil intent. We wanted this song to be really aggressive, definitely our heaviest song of this series with a real black metal vibe to it. We wanted it to be a punch in the face and unbridled aggression that encapsulates the evil that we're describing."With each song adding more pieces to the puzzle, we press Johnson on where The Shroud leads us lyrically."The EP is essentially about surviving a toxic and narcissistic relationship and I think this song really delves into the antagonist and delves into the evil intentions behind the antagonist. Lifting the veil of perceived deception to reveal the true nature of the antagonist character. This being the middle of the EP we wanted it to have some aggression and drive it home. The other tracks have a bit more groove and progression but we wanted this to be an aggressive, fast paced song and I think we definitely achieved that."In the full interview, Craig runs us through the music video and how it relates, the process of bringing the Self Repair Manifesto to life, how personal it is to him, the final two chapters and when to expect them, new material, the single launch party at the Bendigo Hotel on April 28 and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

13 Apr 202311min

Interview by Kris PetersMelbourne based outfit Liar are an amalgamation of many styles of music, drawing from hardcore, emo rap, hip hop and metal but to categorise their music in any form at all would be an injustice to the band.After showcasing the many sides of their musical personality starting with their debut single Decline and working through Hysteria, Poison and Double Cup, Liar have intensified things even more with their latest single Mania.Created with the intention of expressing the pain of living with a depressed, suicidal internal monologue and how it affects one's relationships with those around them, Mania expands their musical surroundings to a staggering level, punctuated by the arrival of new vocalist Dylan.HEAVY sat down with bass player Con Davis, guitarist Mitch Rice and drummer Adam Spackman to find out more."The song Mania instrumentally is kind of a song where we tried to push the limits on a guitar and all sorts of crazy sounds and stuff that you'll hear," Davis explained. "Vocally, it's a song that I helped write based on past experiences and hoping to touch a few people that have had similar experiences."As mentioned, Mania musically draws from many different realms of the musical spectrum, which the band admits is a feature of their sound."The sound is predominantly a fusion of trap metal stuff," Rice offered, "but we have a lot of weird synth and electronic elements in there.""A lot of stuff has already been done," Spackman added, "so it's a matter of trying to do something new to stand out. I guess the other way to do that is to try combining different ideas."In the full interview, Liar go further into the lyrical component of Mania, the music video and what story it tells, showcasing their sound over multiple singles, new vocalist Dylan and what he brings to the bands sound, refining their sound as they grow as a band, upcoming shows and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

13 Apr 202313min

Interview by Kris PetersAside from bringing two megastars in The Smashing Pumpkins and Jane's Addiction to Australia, one of the best things about The World Is A Vampire Festival - which kicks off at the Eaton's Hill Hotel in Brisbane on April 15 before hitting the Sandstone Point Hotel the day after - is that a number of Australian bands have been invited along for the journey. While Amyl & The Sniffers, RedHook and Battlesnake will be joining the two headliners at most of the shows, each venue and city sees a local band given the opportunity to open the day.Over the coming weeks HEAVY will speak with each of those bands, starting today with Brisbane rock outfit PistonFist who have been given the honour of opening both Brisbane shows.Frontman Geoff O'Leary joined us for a chat about the chance to open for a musical extravaganza like this."We're stupid amounts of happy," he beamed. "A little bit humbled and extremely thankful that we've been put in this position. We're very lucky. There's shitloads of talent in Australia and Brisbane and for us to get picked is very humbling."We pose the question of whether, in even his wildest dreams, he would have thought PistonFist's name would be alongside bands of the ilk of The Smashing Pumpkins and Jane's Addiction."No," he laughed. "Easiest question I have answered in a long, long time. Absolutely not. It's a little bit mind boggling."In the full interview we talk about keeping nerves in check, coming up with a setlist, the other Aussie bands on the line-up and getting the chance to play with them, the wrestling side of the festival and how excited he is for that, who he would have represent PistonFist if the bands wrestled it out, who he would hate to have to wrestle from the headliners and the Aussie acts, last weekend's shows as part of Rockynats, putting down the guitar to focus on vocals and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

13 Apr 202311min

Interview by Kris PetersBrisbane rock machine Gutterfire! have wasted enough time lost to the forces of nature and other things conspiring against them and have declared 2023 to be the year of Chill, their debut album which might be a couple of years old now but has still not received the mileage it deserves.After having to delay the release due to the big C and its ensuing global lockdown, Gutterfire! painstakingly sat back, eager to unleash their monster on the world but growing increasingly concerned that the Gods of music may have overlooked them on their maiden voyage.The band need not have feared, for when Chill was finally unleashed the world was still not ready for its rumblings of hard rock infused stoner metal that was only matched by the sheer ferocity of their live performance.With Gutterfire recently embarking on a 21 date tour of the East Coast to give Chill one final push, HEAVY managed to nail down vocalist Photon Jon not long before the band boarded yet another plane to fly South for a few shows."It's been great," he enthused of the first few shows of the tour. "We sold out the first two and had a great time on the Gold Coast for the third one. We played with Dreamkillers at the first one, which was great because they are childhood heroes of ours, and great crowds. It was really nice the second night to see a sold out crowd of people we don't know, so it was all strangers who were there to see us which was nice. We must have gained some traction in our downtime (laughs)."This weekend Gutterfire! hit Sydney, Woollongong and Woy Woy before returning to South East Queensland and Northern NSW, then Victoria before heading to FNQ to finish up with Jon smiling when we point out the enormity of the run. We press him on how he prepares mentally and physically for such a long stretch."With great difficulty," he laughed. "We're all full time employed too, so we basically fly out every Thursday or Friday and fly back in Sunday or Monday every weekend until the end of May and work during the week as well. The journey to getting here has been a bit full on. We've been trying to plan a tour of this size for a few years, but obvious events stopped that from happening. We're just happy to finally get interstate and play to a whole bunch of places."In the full interview Jon runs us through the support bands and their selection criteria, a typical Gutterfire! live show, the reaction to Chill, what they were going for with the album, which songs best typify the band, album number two and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

13 Apr 202313min

Interview by Kris PetersTraversing the line between rock, punk and a hint of pop, Sydney outfit Hugs are definitely a young band on the rise.With an infectious attitude and even more infectious music, Hugs represent the new era of crossover rock in this country where the genre or stylistic direction isn't necessarily as important as the journey taken to get there.Following the recent release of their EP In Bones - which the band themselves have explained "what we tried to do on our EP was take the twinkly guitar sound of Midwest emo and put it in different musical contexts" - Hugs have set their sights on taking their music throughout Australia but first stopped in at HEAVY HQ to talk about the recent release."Everybody has been really positive about it," vocalist Sam enthused when asked about the early response to In Bones. "I've never really been involved in a band where we've worked so hard on crafting the songs and also recording them. Normally it's a pretty quick process. You go in, slam it down, and whatever comes is what it is but we spent a really long time crafting the sounds and the parts. Tom wrote these cool interlude bits to join the songs together and I am really stoked with the reception so far, and we continue to get.""I'm the same," guitarist Tom added. "Heaps of warm words, especially from friends and other bands. I was happy with how it has been received."In the full interview the boys run us through each track on the EP and it's meaning and musical composition, their sound and why it resonates across the board, finding the balance between musical styles, live shows, new music and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

13 Apr 202318min

Interview by Kris PetersNot only are The Angels an Australian music institution, they are also a band who, despite being around for more than four decades, show no sign of slowing down.Original guitarists Rick and John Brewster are the backbone of any musical incarnation featuring music from The Angels and are known as much for their natural ability and musicianship as they are for being part of one of this countries most successful and enduring rock outfits.Since Dave Gleeson took over vocal duties after the loss of Doc Neeson, The Angels have had to often work with and around the touring schedule of Gleeson's original band, The Screaming Jets, but in those moments of downtime Rick and John have steadfastly refused to lay down their guitars, instead continuing to tour and record in their own right.With Gleeson again away on duties, the brothers have now decided to revisit The Angels vast back catalogue and drag out some songs that have previously never or rarely been played live.Songs like Save Me, When The Time Comes, Dogs Are Talking, Moving On and City Out Of Control to name but a few have been given the kiss of life by Brewster Brothers Electric: Playing The Angels Rarities.Not only is the band - with fill in vocalist Nick Norton, Sam Brewster on bass and Mick Skelton on drums accompanying Rick and John - performing a select number of live shows, they have also released the EP Lives Of Grace featuring the tracks Night Attack, Lives Of Grace, Moving On and Small Price To Pay.HEAVY tracked down Rick Brewster to talk about the legacy and continued popularity of The Angels. We start by asking where he finds the drive and energy to keep pushing on with side projects where most people would be enjoying some down time."It's an opportunity to play some of the ... what would you call them ... we call them the rarities. When you think about songs like Dogs Are Talking or Eat City they are just songs we don't often play because there's not time in an Angels show. We've talked about doing rarities as a project with Dave but the thing is Dave is busy all the time. As soon as we finish an Angels tour he's out with The Screaming Jets. So we thought it's an opportunity, we've got this freak drummer Nick Norton who is also got a great voice and plays guitar and we thought let's put a band together, do The Angels rarities, get another drummer and put Nick out front."In the full interview we ask Rick how they even pick a set list of rarities that will appease fans, reinvigorating themselves by playing older tracks, having to re-learn the songs, the live show and what to expect, the new EP Lives Of Grace, the recent documentary movie The Angels: Kickin' Down The Door and what he thought of it, reflecting on their past achievements, upcoming shows, what's next when Dave comes back and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

13 Apr 20239min

Interview by Kris PetersSeldom do instrumental bands have either the longevity of success that Washington heavy outfit Animals As Leaders have managed.While many instrumental bands start off with a bang their fans generally drift in and out of the fold with many finding it increasingly difficult to fully relate to a band without a vocalist.Despite the obvious musical talent and precision needed to sustain a career in this field the simple fact remains that everyone secretly wants to be a lead singer and once they are denied that opportunity to live vicariously through whoever their chosen one becomes, then the interest wanes at an almost rapid pace.Animals As Leaders have bucked that trend, recently celebrating their fifth studio album Parrhesia without even a hint of falling from the publics grace.Their enthusiasm and musical excellence has been enough to carry the burden (according to some) of being without one main focal point on stage, and, if anything, have thrived because of it.With the band also announcing an Australian run of dates to support the album, HEAVY decided it was time to pick the brains of guitarist Javier Reyes and find out what they have in store for Aussie fans and how they prepare mentally for a run of dates so far away from home."It's just phone keys and wallet," he laughed, tapping his pockets one at a time as he ran through the checklist. "And passport, that's about it. Make sure you have enough strings and enough guitars and hope the turbulence isn't too bad."Providing the turbulence doesn't have a lingering effect on their health, we press Javier on what we can expect from the live shows."There's a bunch of new music that we'll be playing," he offered. "That will probably be the highlight. Other than that we just look older (smiles). I probably have more white hair than the last time I was there. It's not like we have any pyrotechnics, unfortunately, so the highlight will be the new material. Maybe we'll head bang a little harder..."In the full interview, Javier talks about the response to Parrhesia, the constantly evolving sonic landscape with each album, structuring a cohesive setlist with so experimental tracks, pushing the boundaries of music and how they know where to draw their line, their broad appeal across many genres and personalities and how that is achieved, creating emotion through music and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

8 Apr 202310min