Still Packing A Punch With BEN ELY From REGURGITATOR

Interview by Kris PetersSince forming in High School in Scranton back in 2005, Pennsylvania rock outfit Tigers Jaw have ridden a steady trajectory through the ranks, culminating in the success of their most recent album, 2021s I Won't Care How You Remember Me.Brought up and fed on a diet of local DIY punk outfits, Tigers Jaw have gone through a number of line-up changes, with Ben Walsh being the only surviving original member, having played every instrument from drums to bass to guitar to singing with the band.Now, with a settled line-up and growing reputation, Tigers Jaw are set to land in Australia in the coming weeks for a supporting slot to Sly Withers on his upcoming Australian tour.Walsh sat down with HEAVY to discuss the details."There's lots to do to get ready for an international tour," he began. "I feel like mentally I'm almost there, and I'm just figuring out what to bring, because here right now it's very hot. We get there in Winter for this tour so I have to figure out what to pack (laughs)."Touring and playing is one thing, but a trip so far away from home is also a mentally draining commitment, so we press Walsh on how he prepares for that side of things."Early on in touring we were 18,19,20 years old and it was a lot easier to just pick up and leave and not really worry about it too much," he smiled. "As we get into our 30s there's more stability at home and it's a little bit tougher to make sure everything's in order. The mental preparation is a little more intense as we get older. There's just as much excitement, but there's just more responsibilities to get in order before we take off."In the full interview, Ben tells us what to expect from Tigers Jaw's shows, the two acoustic performances and how they will approach them, the history of Tigers Jaw and what the early days were like, when the band decided to get serious, how the DIY punk scene helped shape their future, how his vision for Tiger's Jaw has changed over the years, new material and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

1 Aug 202310min

Interview by Kris PetersIt's that time of year again ladies and metalheads, where the beer is plentiful and the music is bountiful, which can only mean one thing.Brewfest is here!Brewfest is fast becoming a landmark date on the Brisbane music scene as Brewhouse Productions cast off the shackles every August and stage for our listening pleasure an annual soiree of the highest calibre.Moving to a new venue each year, Brewfest this year settles on the Soapbox Brewery in Brisbane thisSaturday, August 5 for an afternoon/night of festivities that screams decadence from all angles.With an all-star lineup including Tetrament, Dirty Brew, We The Hollow, Ancient Remains, Slaves Of Dissonance and more, Brewfest 2023 promises to offer more bang for your musical buck than ever before.Organiser and guitarist from Dirty Brew, Mick Brew, joined HEAVY to tell us more."It's been a bit of an effort, that's for sure," he smiled, "pulling what's left of my hair out (laughs). I've done bigger festivals and they've come together a lot easier. This one's definitely been a lot of work, but I'm hoping it will pay off. There's a fair number of tickets sold so I'm really looking forward to the day. The brewery has actually done a special beverage for the day as well. We're doing a Rattlesnake Snakebite on tap."When it comes to putting together a lineup for a festival of this nature you can't begrudge the booker from playing favouritism in some instances."I put the bill together, so I hand pick bands that I like," Mick laughed. "I'm looking forward to seeing Tetrament. It's their first gig back with their new drummer so that should be good. We The Hollow are kicking goals at the moment, and they're always a good show. And the guys In Effigy from Bundaberg are a sight to behold. I'm looking forward to it all."In the full interview, Mick tells us more about what to expect on the day, runs us through the difficulties in playing and organising a festival, the yearly growth of Brewfest, expanding it even more next year, his New Years Bash at the Back Room, the upcoming Metal Festival in Gladstone and what it means to be part of it, Dirty Brew's live show and what to expect, Rattlesnake Snakebite and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

1 Aug 20239min

Interview by Kris PetersForming a new band after having previously been a part of an international success story is never an easy task. But when you take two former members of popular bands and place them together to start a new project then the chances of beginning with a completely clean slate are slim to non-existent.So it was when vocalist Jake E (ex-AMARANTHE) and guitarist Jesper Strömblad (ex-IN FLAMES), joined forces some seven years ago to create a separate musical entity in the form of Cyhra. After putting out two critically acclaimed albums - Letters To Myself and No Halos In Hell - Cyhra steadily became accepted as a band in their own right, helped by the melodic metal approach that distanced the members even further from their past. With their third album The Vertigo Trigger - already being touted as the band's darkest and most ambitious album to date - to be released on August 18, Cyhra finally look set to claim their full musical identity without the ever prominent shadow cast by days gone by. Jake sat down with HEAVY recently to discuss The Vertigo Trigger and the long path to supremacy. "We are ready to release our brand new album," he enthused, "and I can't wait to get it out there because it's been cooking for a year." "There's absolutely no anxiety lingering on," he continued when asked how nerve-wracking this period just before the album comes out can get. "We don't want it to completely flop (laughs). The problem nowadays is you cannot say that an album is flopping in a sense because you can release a fantastic album, but the problem is people just don't get it. They don't know that it has been released. They can't find it because it's a fucken jungle with releases these days. There's so many bands releasing at the same time and people are listening on platforms, and it's really hard for people to understand how well an album has progressed because you have Spotify and Deezer and blah blah blah, so there's all these different platforms all over the world. A band like Cyhra, we are pretty big in Japan for example, but the Japanese people don't even use Spotify, so when we go in and check how many people are listening to us in Japan, and it's only 48 and then the record label comes back two or three months later and says you pulled 10,000 for that album it's like… they are not listening to Spotify then (laughs). You are a little bit anxious about the reception from your fans, especially now where it's gone three or four years since we released the last album." In the full interview, Jake talks about the writing and recording process on The Vertigo Trigger, why it is their darkest and most ambitious album, self-producing the record and pros and cons of that, playing the whole album live in Japan before it has even been released, new guitarist Marcus Sunnesson and what he brings to the band, finding your own musical identity and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

31 Jul 202317min

Interview by Erin EddyUK heavyweights Sylosis are set to unleash their sixth studio album, A Sign Of Things To Come.HEAVY spoke with vocalist/guitarist Josh Middleton about the process behind this new record and what it means to be reconnecting with his musical roots.“The way we sound now is actually closer to how we started, but no one knows that,” Josh told HEAVY. “Everyone might hear what we’re doing as ‘new’ for us, but it’s actually a rediscovery of our roots, which are roots our fans don’t know we have ‘cause it pre-dates anything we’ve ever released.”Those roots include bands from the glory days of nu-metal, such as Korn and Slipknot. Josh cites these bands as his gateway into heavy music, when he was a mere 9 years of age.Josh has spent the past 6 years playing guitar for Architects, jumping in when former guitarist Tom Searle sadly lost his battle with cancer. Having only recently parted ways with them, Josh says that his time with Architects taught him to be a more collaborative musician.“When I joined (Architects) it was me writing all the guitar riffs,” explains Josh, “The first time (Dan) worked on the songs I had sent him, he chopped and changed things, and I was like, ‘oh this is really uncomfortable, no one’s done this with my music.”“Learning to let go of control, or even a clear vision of what I thought the song was and allowing it to take a different shape, that aspect has definitely helped,” Josh reflects of his growth as a songwriter.A Sign Of Things To Come sees the Sylosis frontman sharing the driver’s seat with producer Scott Atkins (Cradle Of Filth, Amon Amarth and Behemoth to name a few) and band manager Adam Foster. “Our manager was a big part in pushing us in loads of different ways, in terms of just reaching our potential and writing songs that were going to be memorable,” Josh discloses.Currently, there are three singles available from A Sign Of Things To Come; Deadwood, Poison For The Lost and the titular track, A Sign Of Things To Come.The release date for the record is September 8, through Nuclear Blast /Sharptone Records.Listen to the full interview with Josh now to hear from the horse’s mouth just what went into recording this album, as well as an insider scoop on upcoming tour plans!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

31 Jul 202326min

Interview by Kris PetersAs the name would suggest, Mr. Phlyzzz (pronounced Flyzzz) are not your average entertainment machine.More like an amalgamation of every musical genre that your Mother warned you about - and some she should have - Mr. Phylzzz is best described as a noise rock duo, but even that doesn't do their sound justice.Comprised of guitarist/vocalist Clinton Jacob and drummer Danny Sein, Mr. Phylzzz is a musical entity unto themselves, shedding every ounce of expectation and instead dousing the sonic flame with a devastating wall of noise that simply has to be heard to be understood.And heard it shall be in the form of their recently released album Fat Chance.An album the band has proclaimed is "definitely a bit different than the previous album, especially tonally" and their "most straight forward and focussed record yet", what Fat Chance is, is a breath of fresh air on a musical landscape that is becoming increasingly mundane and predictable. It is an unrelenting, dynamically charged assortment of tunes that challenges all music conventions and dares to experiment on a scale few bands these days even contemplate, let alone commit to recording.With Fat Chance landing on the HEAVY desk last week amid more than a couple of cries of WTF, when the opportunity to become better acquainted with the men behind the sonic trail of destruction came up we jumped at the chance."It's a lot heavier than what has gone in the past," Jacob offered. "It's a lot more of a straight forward record. We put that together at Electrical Audio in Chicago, Illinois, which is right down the road from our practice space. "We've been playing these songs live for a year coming off the last release Cancer Culture Club. That's enough time for me. I work really quick and Dan works really quick. We felt good about the songs - I'm not about fillers, I'm about killers - so it's a short record for a reason. I don't put fillers out. I just put what I believe in."Going back to the bands statement about being different from previous releases, we ask the boys in what way."On the last record Cancer Culture Club Clinton wrote all the tracks himself and produced them in his apartment," Sein replied. "That had a much more noisy, chaotic feel to it. He left things in, like his cat would be meowing in the room and he would leave that in the song. So it's got a different atmosphere to it. With Fat Chance it's a lot more straightforward. When you listen to it, it's kind of like how we play the songs live. Normally when we play there aren't really any chances to breathe in a sense because it's just Bam, Bam, Bam and in your face. It's short and sweet and it's got a big, huge drum sound. It's a lot more like... hi-fi. But we're using that beautiful studio space so there's fancy mikes, fancy equipment and all that."In the full interview, the boys talk more about the sound on Fat Chance, the more polished way it was recorded and what effect that had on the finished product, their creative process, the title and where it comes from, their perception of how many songs constitutes an album and how many for an LP, a history of the band, their sound and how it works, heading out on the road with The Melvins and Boris and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

31 Jul 202314min

Interview by Kris PetersWhen members of Soilwork, Arch Enemy and Mean Streak ventured outside of their comfort zone ten years ago and created The Night Flight Orchestra the seeds of something special were instantly sewn.By defying the "supergroup" handbook at the time, Björn Strid, David Andersson, Sharlee D'Angelo and Jonas Källsbäckbroke broke away completely from the sounds of their original bands and ushered in a new (albeit harking back to days of old) era of music that bears little if no resemblance to the style of music for which the respective members were known.Instead they created an 80s party band with the sole objective of making people dance.Despite the tongue in cheek nature of their music, The Night Flight Orchestra went about their business with a serious and level head, paying homage to a decade of musical fads and trends without actually mocking it.Which was a fine line to tread, but one which was carefully navigated with due caution and respect.Spawning hits like Domino, Lovers In The Rain, West Ruth Ave, Divinyls and This Time, TNFO have pushed the proverbial envelope in as many directions as it would turn, pumping out everything from hard rock to pop to disco infused ditties and love drenched ballads and everything in between.Despite the global success afforded each of their five albums, TNFO have somehow managed to steer clear of Australian shores for the duration of their existence, a blight on their social calendar that is soon to be rectified when the unruly gang of cavalirs touches down for three exclusive shows starting in Brisbane on August 3.Frontman Bjorn Strid cleared his schedule to explain the bands absence and what they plan to do to make it up to us."It's gonna be a hell of a dance party," he promised. "So go get your tickets now!"With the first show under one week away, we ask Strid if he has finished packing in preperation yet."I guess so, yeah," he laughed. "It feels like it was only a matter of weeks ago that we hit Australia with Soilwork but it was in November last year. Regardless, it's gonna be something completely different. I'm really grateful that we're able to come to Australia with The Night Flight Orchestra. We feel like the fan base has grown a lot in Australia so I had to poke Doug from Hardline Media to get us over there. We're definitely ready. We have a beautiful set list coming up for these three shows. It's going to be special."Not ones to take these things lying down, HEAVY presses Strip on why TNFO have neglected Australian fans for so long."Good question," he laughed. "We wanted to come in all those years so many times but it's... it had to grow a little bit but we've definitely felt that the last couple of years that a lot of people come up to you when you're in Australia with Soilwork and say 'hey when is Night Flight coming to Australia and bringing vinyls to the signing sessions so we noticed it's been growing a lot and now is definitely the time. I wish we did it five years ago, but at the same time it was worth waiting for I think."In the full interview Bjorn tells us what to expect from the shows, explains what Death To False A.O.R Australian Tour means, supporting KISS on their last ever Swedish shows, takes us back to the start of the band and where they fit in, his love affair with 80s music and where it comes from, continuing the saga laid out in Aeromantic and Aeromantic 2 and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

28 Jul 202312min

Interview by Kris PetersDepression and mental health are becoming an increasingly prevelant condition, especially in the modern age where sometimes just living can become a struggle.They are real problems with no definitive answer. Problems that could affect any one of us at any time.As much as money always helps in any situation, perhaps more importantly in these cases the vital factor is more awareness.Awareness that it can and does happen. Awareness that it is not your fault or something you should go through alone and awareness of the fact that sometimes it's okay to not be okay and the most important first step to helping yourself is communication and putting your troubles out there for the world to see, hear and help.One way to do this is by staging events - of any nature - but when music is your life and passion the default mechanism generally switches to live events. And, as we all know, musicians do it better than most.On September 16 the Mansfield Tavern in Brisbane will host Rock Beats Depression, featuring an eclectic assortment of local and interstate bands uniting for one common cause. Brisbane metal warriors Dreamkillers head the bill, with Black Whisky, Goatzilla, Gutterfire, Tailor Made Rejects, Krave and more coming together for a common cause.The day will raise not only awareness, but also funding for The Black Dog Institute, Beyond Blue and Headspace with tickets under $50 from Oztix.Each week HEAVY will be speaking with bands on the lineup about what being a part of Rock Beats Depression Means to them.Today we start things off chatting to Brisbane heavy/sludge/doom experimental outfit HIPPO and frontman Loki."Mental health awareness and helping is something that's pretty close to our heart, in the band and outside of it," he began. "The tattoo studio that I own does a lot of mental health stuff that helps people as well. As soon as I saw them advertising for the gig earlier on in the year I sent them an email I said I would love to be a part of that. It's definitely something we're all about and the struggles in life."Listen on to hear Loki discuss mor about Rock Beats Depression, the other bands on the line-up, what it means to him personally and professionally to contribute, personal brushes with both mental health and depression, a bit of history about HIPPO and what they plan to unleash on the day and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

27 Jul 202313min

Interview by Kris PetersPrequels and such talk are usually reserved for the film industry. The blockbuster before the blockbuster, if you will, but in all honesty has it ever really worked?I could drag out a myriad of examples and create all sorts of conjecture here, but at the end of the day you have to admit it is not a word commonly used in the music industry.But then again From Ashes To New are not your run of the mill common band.Since breaking through with their debut album Day One in 2016, the US rock outfit has gone on to amass four Top 10 singles, over 600 million all-time streams and more than 75 million video views to date. So when they announce their intent to make a prequel to an already successful concept album then who cares to stop and argue the semantics of contrasting industries?From Ashes To New are far from a safe band.By weaving hard rock, hip hop, electronic and alternative music into a tapestry of sonic enlightenment FATN have set themselves distinctly apart from an ever clustering swarm of by-the-numbers rock outfits that class experimentation as deciding on which degree of seperation they are feeling on any given day.And so enters the fray an album titled Blackout which acts as a conceptual prequel to Day One, encapsulating the trivialities and nuances of a pre-apocalyptic world that was glimpsed through realistic eyes during the 2020 pandemic during which the album was written.With the release date of July 28 looming, HEAVY sat down with vocalist Danny Case to venture down the rabbit hole that has consumed his thoughts during the making of Blackout."We've been comparing it a lot...," he measured, "...it's a quote, unquote prequel to our debut album Day One. When we were writing the record it was early 2021 when the lockdowns were just starting to end - for us at least - and touring still hadn't come back but we were writing. It was in your face every day. One of the first songs we worked on was Armageddon because it seemed like every day was the end of the world. That was the song that came about early on and we were like, hey, we have our very first record day One. The art on it has a kid on a planet looking back on the old planet as it is falling apart. So why don't we take this record and make it where the kid is on that old planet before he leaves for the new planet. Another thing we were trying to do was capture the same kind of heaviness that the first album had. We wanted to take a step back and look at what do we really wanna do? What do the fans really want from this band? And we found that we really enjoy writing heavy music and that was what put this band on the map. It also tied in with the music we were making in that it was kind of like an apocalyptic record almost."In the full interview Danny talks more about the musical side of the album, writing to a concept, the singles released and how they represent the album, the concept in greater detail, how FATN has changed since he joined the band, the different styles that make up their music and how they successfully integrate them together, future plans and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

27 Jul 202316min