Ahead Of The Chase With JONO HAWKEY And JACK VAN VILET From BLOOM

Interview by Kris PetersAustralian extreme progressive outfit Ne Obliviscaris have endured a nightmare run of misfortunes in the lead up to their new opus Exul, which is out now.Drum tracking for the album was laid down in March 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee, but, unlike many who made it home before the world shut down, Ne Obliviscaris' guitarist Benjamin Baret and bass player Martino Garattoni weren't so lucky.Originally due to fly home straight after tracking, the pair were instead forced to remain in America indefinitely until things cleared enough for their safe passage home.What should have been a swift follow up to the critically acclaimed 2017 album Urn instead dragged on for more than two more years and saw members of the band all deal with personal loss, relationship problems and other life events that, when coupled with the frustrations of constant delays with the album, almost cast an untenable wedge within the band that threatened to possibly force a premature end to proceedings.Thankfully, as they say, time heals all wounds and with Exul finally ready for mass consumption vocalist XEN sat down for a chat with HEAVY to go through a tumultuous last couple of years."It will be a great relief (when the album comes out)," he sighed. "The last few years have been quite difficult - as everyone else has been through. There was a couple of times throughout the last few years where we didn't know whether or not the album would make it. There was a lot of pauses, a lot of frustrations and I think it's been a great relief to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It's been a long time coming and I think people will be able to tell the amount of effort and patience and frustrations that were channelled into this album and hopefully people will be able to appreciate it. It will be a cathartic moment for everyone to be able to listen to this for us."In the full interview, XEN talks about Exul musically, the contrasting emotions throughout and how the band measured the scale of that, the darker core to Exul and where it comes from, writing the opposing vocal lines between himself and Tim Charles, how close the band came to breaking up, the almost theatrical nature to the music and how difficult that is to create, how this album differs to Urn, the band's 20 year anniversary and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

24 Mar 202323min

Interview by Kris PetersOne of the most powerful and humbling things about being a part of the global metal family is the bonds that are forged through music.Not only the out and out friendships and life changing moments, but also the subtle nuances that often go unnoticed by all except the parties directly involved.It can be a smile, a glance, a guttural scream to the face, even a wayward elbow in the mosh pit but no matter the genesis of the act the outcome is always the same.We are one, we are many, and we are united in music as in life.While every band starts out this way to an extent the trivialities and triumphs of everyday life can often skew these ideals but while physical connections may fade no one can ever take the one thing away that matters to the core.The music.Which is why many people are often left shattered and disillusioned when their favourite bands retires or makes it to the inevitable next level that elevates them beyond the reach of early fans. Music is life and life is music.Not just for metalheads, but for every person who has been touched in some way by any form of music.That may explain moments of mass hysteria when one of The Beatles appeared at a window, or when Ozzy Osbourne peered over the top of his microphone and lovingly told everyone within earshot to fuck off.Perhaps one of the more magjical components of music is its universal acceptance and maniacal obsession.Many will still remember where they were when Lemmy died or the day Cliff Williams left this realm while others around him suffered barely a scratch. It's like you have lost one of your own and unfortunately that feeling never gets easier to bear.On a less global - but still highly relevant - scale, the Brisbane, Queensland and Australian music community will mourn as one when Brisbane masters of groove and metal Massic play their last show together at The Zoo in Brisbane on Friday, March 24. The fact the band are still active to plan their exit is testament to the courage and strength of vocalist Simon Russell-White whose well publicised heart failure a mere 18 months ago almost brought a premature ending to everything. The fact he got to reunite with his Massic brothers on stage and continue to play and record is a blessing from the Metal Gods themselves and now Massic get the chance to go out on their terms.At their choosing.At their own triumphant farewell.People unfamiliar with the band might be wondering what I am waffling on about, but if you have ever heard, seen, or been welcomed into the all encompassing arms which all five band members extend willingly then you know the score.HEAVY had the honour of sitting down with Simon and bass player Rashid for what could well be Massic's final interview and despite the sense of sorrow hanging in the air we still managed to throw together a decent yarn befitting of the indelible mark the Brisbane outfit has made on the music scene.Massic has also hand picked a stellar supporting cast for their farewell, with Flaming Wreckage, The Black Swamp and From Crisis To Collapse granted the priviilege of sharing the stage with them for the final time, with Simon admitting the process of asking which band to play on the night was difficult to say the least."We were really lucky in the fact that when we got together and decided we were going to do this, which bands did we want to play with us," Simon measured. "There was a fairly decent list in our heads at least, and, like I have said previously, there was no real order. We just had three bands that we wanted to ask first and they all said yes (laughs)."As long as the list of bands was in their heads, the actual number who would have gladly offered their services to play the show was probably double."There was a weighing up there of bands we had played with recently," Rashid offered. "We kind of wanted to reach back over the entire career of Massic and bands that we have played really memorable shows with and maybe haven't had a chance to play with over the last few months to a year.""The Black Swamp we actually did our first album launch with," Simon continued, "so they were a special mention. Flaming Wreckage we met in Sydney for our first - and ultimately only - East Coast tour. We played a couple of shows with them and those boys in general are incredible. From Crisis To Collapse, they're our guys. We played 36 Crazyfists with them and a lockdown show and formed bonds with too. There's other bands that I made a point of not mentioning because they know who they are, but were obvious choices but half of those guys are coming to the show anyway. We were lucky. The first three we wanted to ask, in no particular order, said yes otherwise it was going to be a case of let's go down the line. As Rashid said, some bands that we played recently with a lot we decided let's just catalogue out.""Like Si says, they will probably be in the crowd anyway,"Rashid took over, "which also means they will probably be on stage with us as well anyway (laughs)."In the full interview, Simon and Rashid run us through the plans for Friday's show, hint at some special surprises, talk about the bond they share with their fans and the power of music, recall some of their memorable moments with the band, discuss both albums Redshift and Cognisant and which they feel is better, the main reasons behind the decision to call it a day, regrets, joys, guest performers on the night, the emotions involved and how they plan to deal with them, unfinished business and more.On behalf of everyone who loves metal boys, thanks for enriching our lives musically and personally.It's been an honour, and a pleasure.There are surprisingly still a few tickets left for Friday nights show so if you haven't booked yourself in yet, grab your tickets now from www.oztix.com.auBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

21 Mar 202339min

Interview by Kris PetersTasmanian self proclaimed thrash royalty Coward Punch are certainly a force unto themselves.Cloaked in only the most expensive bank robber style ski masks with accents that sound like a cross between deep Southern drawl and the seedier side of The Bronx, Coward Punch are what can only be described as a musical enigma, and, if you believe the hype from the band themselves, these guys are either the most awesome thing to happen to metal and music in general or the most dangerous.You decide.One thing that can't be denied is their infectious approach to their craft coupled with an aloof and often crass sense of humour that revolves around the finer things in life like beer.And more beer.Not that you would expect anything less from a band that named their first EP Greatest Hits without even a hint of irony and subsequently followed that up with Coward Punch The World.It only seems fitting then that the thrash machine approached HEAVY to release their latest track - a quirky acoustic love ballad by the name of The Bottle Never Dies.HEAVY sat down for a riotous chat with three of the four band members - guitar/vocals Senator Terry, guitarist Uncle Marty and drummer Mr Torpedo with bass player Redskin off saving the world one schooner at a time.We soon threw the script out the window and allowed ourselves to get swept up into the magical world of Coward Punch and their uniquely flippant view of the world through grog coloured glasses."For this one... we're known across the globe for our thrash metal," Senator Terry explained. "We play fast and we kick ass and we thought, you know what? We can tango with the rest of them so we are gonna release a new single called The Bottle Never Dies and enter that pop realm, you know. Make that mega bucks like Metallica did with their Black album. This song's got it all, man. It's got beautiful guitars, acoustic guitars mixed in. It's got beautiful solos from Uncle Marty. It's just beautiful. I've already got reviews from Billboard and Grammy nominations and everything, man. We can't wait to put it out there and let the masses experience Coward Punch."In the full interview, Coward Punch reveal why a thrash band is releasing a love song, the strangely comforting film clip, hiring a homeless person to play the lead role, their comical approach and how it permeates through their music, hiding behind a beanie and what arm of the law they are running from, being the greatest thrash band in the world and how they cope with the burden, touring Australia and plans to come back, their musical journey so far and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

21 Mar 202313min

Interview by Kris PetersThe demise of festivals such as Soundwave not only robbed music lovers of opportunities to witness large scale international festivals, but it also created a reduced capacity for touring this side of the world for many bands who based Australian tours around such events.One of those bands that suffered through lack of opportunity is American rock outfit He Is Legend who have not managed to make it back to our shores since their appearance at Soundwave 2015.Recognising this prolonged absence, He Is Legend have finally made good on their promise to return and will travel to the land Down Under this May for a run of shows with Gold Coast noise masters Hammers.Lead vocalist Schuylar Croom and drummer Jesse Shelley sat down for a chat with HEAVY to outline their plans."We're coming and playing songs off the last twenty years," Shelley began. "We're trying to cover our whole discography and give everybody a show they'll be really stoked to see. We don't get down there often, and obviously we're promoting a new record and we're excited about that and we're gonna be delivering that, but we're just coming down to try and give any He Is Legend fan that has been waiting for us to get there the show they want."Eight years is a long time in music so we question the boys as to what has changed with the band since their last visit."We've put out three albums or more," Croom smiled. "Lots has changed. The world ended, then it came back and we put out an album and now we're able to leave our houses again so we're gonna come to Australia!"In the full interview, the boys talk more about their live show and what to expect, having Hammers as support and why they were chosen, the disparity in the band's sound and where it comes from, the early days of He Is Legend, finding success and touring at a young age, how their sound has changed over the years and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

21 Mar 202312min

Interview by Kris PetersLegendary US rockers Winger have been relatively quiet since their last album Better Day's Comin in 2014.When it came out it had fans the world over salivating in anticipation, heralding a new era of rock as only a band of the ilk of Winger can provide.While proving the band were still a musical force to be reckoned with, that album also marked a period of relative inactivity that seemed to drag ever so closer to potentially being the closing chapter of a stellar career. But although fans bemoaned the lack of new material frontman Kip Winger and the rest of the band held firm in their convictions, working towards the day when the time was right to step back into the fold on a more permanent basis.That time is thankfully now, with Winger announcing their seventh studio album - the appropriately named Seven - will be released on May 5.And to top it all off the band then released the chunky as hell lead single Proud Desperado hinting at possibly a slightly heavier direction while still retaining the lifeblood that has served the band for over 35 years.Not only that, Winger have also announced an extensive run of tours in support of the album, one of which could possibly lead them back to Australia later this year.HEAVY caught up with the incredibly talented and affable Kip Winger earlier today to get more information."The album is very definitely aimed at a combination of the first album and the third album Pull, with a little bit of what came after that," he offered. "We went for the inspiration of the first album and the depth of songwriting on the third album and tried to find a happy balance in that. The album features all of the original members including Paul Taylor and each member is playing on every single song, so it's the ultimate recipe of all things Winger. There's 12 songs on it, all of which we're happy with. I was insistent on there being no filler. There's a lot of really good playing... I'm not really a player myself any more. I worked on the singing very hard, but there's a lot of great guitar playing, a lot of great drumming, a lot of things that you might expect from our band and like I say, it encapsulates the full what you might expect from a Winger album but trying to set a higher bar."In the full interview Kip talks us through Seven on a deeper musical level, the opening track and single Proud Desperado and why it was chosen to kick off the album, the beefy guitars, producing the album himself and seperating himself musically, how much the landscape of rock has changed since the band started, their upcoming shows with Steel Panther and why it is an ideal touring partnership, Australian tour plans and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

21 Mar 20238min

Interview by Kris PetersMelbourne metal outfit Void Of Vision earlier this year released the closing chapter to their Chronicles EP trilogy, Chronicles III: Underworld.It was a series of releases that exposed the band like never before, traversing genres from heavy to industrial to something more ambient, showcasing a newer side to the band that was a perfect reflection of the continued growth undertaken by Void Of Vision.After a recent run of shows with Polaris for their tenth anniversary, Void Of Vision fans thought this weekends appearance at Knotfest Australia was going to be the pinnacle of the bands performing year, but plans have changed yet again with the announcement of Unify Off The Record 2023, a travelling, revolving musical showcase that takes in areas away from the usual capital cities.Featuring Northlane, Thy Art Is Murder, Thornhill, Make Them Suffer, Teenage Joans, In Hearts Wake, Alpha Wolf, Ocean Grove, Yours Truly, Redhook and more, Unify Off The Record is a majestic celebration of Australian music, with Void Of Vision making two appearances at Mackay and Hobart.Vocalist Jack Bergin joined HEAVY earlier this week to talk about what has already been a stellar year for the band."I think it's cool how they've given every state something special too," he enthused of Unify Off The Record. "You get bragging rights being in a certain city all of a sudden (laughs), which is... it's nice that they have split it up and it's something very different to Unify in general. It's a bit irreplaceable, just the whole general Unify Gathering Festival but this is a nice little gap filler for them. We're stoked to be a part of it, because there's some awesome places. We've never even been to Mackay before! And we have only recently set off a great rapport with Tasmania so we're excited to be going back to Hobart. The Odeon is a beautiful venue. We're all excited."In the full interview, Jack talks more about Unify Off The Record, the importance of having a festival made up of predominantly Australian bands, what it means for the future of Aussie music, Knotfest and what fans can expect, their new live show and how it is shaping up, other developments in the Void Of Vision camp and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

20 Mar 202310min

Interview by Kris PetersIn a short amount of time Melbourne rock outfit Coolabah Kings have managed to use the power of music to entrench themselves musically in the hearts and ears of an Australian public yearning for more fun in their music.Since announcing their arrival with the 2021 single Spineless, Coolabah Kings have sprinkled their infectious DNA through their debut EP Killing Time, highlighting a plethora of influences over a musical package that generates more hype with each passing release.Now the trio are at it again, this time with the impending release of their infectious new single Stay Dangerous which is out on March 23.Guitarist Harry Anderson sat down with HEAVY to draw us deeper into the world occupied by Coolabah Kings."It's just a scrappy little number," he shrugged of the track. "We're a no frills rock band (laughs). It's about growing older and losing touch with mates who are a little bit too wild, and even though you love them you can't really stick around them too long. You can't see them sticking around in your life so you push away from them and they stay dangerous and you stay safe."In the full interview, Harry talks more about Stay Dangerous and what to expect, filming the video at Taste Police HQ, the guest appearance by Tommy Dynamite and what he brings to the track, if the single is stand alone or part of a bigger album picture, how Coolabah Kings have changed musically since Spineless to now, the single launch at Bar Open on March 31, future plans and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

20 Mar 20238min

Words and interview by Erin EddyThe Go Set are veterans of the Aussie music scene with a career spanning 20 years and the infusion of traditional Celtic folk music weaved into their sound not only sets them apart but helps them reach a wider audience than the average punk rock band.Their high-energy live performances can be enjoyed at pubs and clubs, but they have also been known to inject a healthy dose of rock and roll into the line-up of a folk festival or two during their time, too.It's only fitting that a band which features mandolin, bagpipes and tin whistle releases its new album on Saint Patrick’s Day.The Warriors Beneath Us is the eighth studio album by the band. Writing and recording an album through the pandemic was a blessing in disguise for The Go Set.“The one advantage that we had is the massive luxury of time,” Justin Keenan (vocals, guitar) explains. "The breathing space that was created by having to tackle songwriting remotely gave them the ability to really refine the songs, and showed them what they were capable of doing themselves, rather than spending time on the clock in a recording studio."“What we realised is that we got really, really good at making recordings without ever being in the same spot,” he continued, “as frustrating as it was at the time, our pre-production process was significantly more thorough. Now I know moving forward that we’ll certainly get through the writing phase and pre-production phase without actually even bothering to get together.”While distance played a part in a productive way for songwriting, being unable to play live was something Justin said he really missed.“We took it for granted. We were playing so much,” he says, “We were sitting on a bus in Europe for over a month, every day we were playing; You kind of just take it for granted that you’re going to be able to do this forever or until you’re sick of it and don’t want to do it anymore. But when someone takes it away and says not only can you not play music, but you can’t hang out together anymore either, no wonder a lot of artists’ mental health went through the floor.”The Go Set are celebrating the release of their new record with a spate of tour dates all over the country beginning from March 31.Justin spent time talking with HEAVY about writing music during lockdowns, the changes he’s seen in the music industry over the last 20 years and his eagerness to get back out doing what he loves most – performing. Listen to the interview in full here and be sure to check out thegoset.com for a list of the band’s tour dates.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

20 Mar 202333min