Ramming The Point Home With JOHNI HOLIDAY From RUFF MAJIK

Interview by Kris PetersAfter playing together in high school, guitarist Luke Bentham and drummer Kyle Fisher decided to take on the world by forming The Dirty Nil in 2006. The following year, they won the Juno Award for Breakthrough Group of the Year, kickstarting a career that would see the Canadian band rise to prominence over four albums and setting the band on a collision course with destiny.That meeting of superpowers seems set to transpire with the release of The Dirty Nil's fifth studio album, The Lash, on July 25. Recorded in just over two weeks, The Lash sees The Dirty Nil tap into an urgency of evolution that has been simmering quietly below the surface but has finally set itself free.Thematically, The Lash trades the band's usual romantic optimism for a cathartic scream, tackling everything from music industry burnout to heartbreak in a body of work that has been described as Luke's therapy record by Fisher. Stripping back the glitz and glam, The Dirty Nil go full-throttle on what matters most: no frills, just ferocity and good times in abundance.Bentham recently sat down with HEAVY to tell us more."We are gearing up to release our fifth studio album, The Lash, which unequivocally, in my opinion, is our best album," he began. "And I really do mean that sincerely. I know you probably get a lot of people on here saying that through perhaps gritted teeth, but this one, we do feel very strongly about it, and so we're extremely proud to present it to the world."We mention the more stripped back, raw sound promised on the album."The recording process was much faster and more stripped back than what we've pretty much ever done before," Bentham nodded. "We did it in two weeks with our friend down the street. Traditionally, we've worked with a producer from Seattle, who's an incredible producer with a huge resume of incredible albums, but this time we just did it with our friend down the street. So it was a very different process that way. During the album cycle for the last album, there wasn't a huge break or anything, and I think (with this one) we were just really feeling confident as a band, and the material came together very naturally and easily. I think that's part of the reason why I have such positive feelings about it, is because it wasn't a struggle."In the full interview, Luke highlighted the emotional depth of the album, expressing a connection to the darker aspects of human experience through music, and noted the introduction of strings as a new element in their sound. He shared an anecdote about a visit to the Vatican that inspired his songwriting, particularly a bronze relief that influenced the album's themes, although their attempt to use the artwork for the cover was halted by a cease and desist from the Vatican. He also reflected on the band's growth since their debut, emphasizing their increased musical competence and willingness to experiment, while remaining optimistic about future creative endeavours and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

2 Juni 17min

Interview by Kris PetersEven after more than 30 years, KATATONIA continues to redefine the emotional spectrum of their genre, effortlessly shifting between haunting vulnerability and commanding artistry.With sonic landscapes that evoke dystopia, inner demons, purity, and beauty alike, the band's upcoming album Nightmares as Extensions Of The Waking State - out June 6 - stands as a testament to their enduring brilliance. It is another slab of melodic heaviness from the Swedish metal outfit, a journey into sonic bleakness that still manages to offer light and hope amid the chaos.HEAVY had a chat with bass player Niklas Sandin to find out more.Besides general album questions, we also ask Sandin if, after five albums now with Katatonia, he is starting to feel more comfortable with his role in the band."I think I'm that kind of person that, of course, I'm comfortable with the people in the band and everything and finding my place," he measured. "But as a musician, I don't think I will ever be totally comfortable. I think there's always something new to learn, and I'm always hard on myself, you know, keeping a high standard - hopefully a high standard (laughs). And so I'm always feeling that I want to push myself to be even better on the new album or make things more professional or improve on my live presence and stuff. I like to keep myself on my toes and not be too comfortable or put myself in the armchair and not evolve. That would be very, very boring and not good or fair for anyone. It's been over 15 years since I did the first live gig with Katatonia, so it would have been awkward if I didn't feel somewhat comfortable being in the band (laughs). It would have been 15 very long years."In the full interview, Niklas dove deeper into Nightmares as Extensions Of The Waking State musically, discussing the singles and how they reflect the overall dynamics of the album. We talked about how the album represents Katatonia moving forward, the awesome cover and what it depicts, the album title, and its significance, bringing in two new guitarists for the album cycle, the overall theme of the album and if it's a body of hope or despair and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

2 Juni 17min

Interview by Kris PetersFormed in early 2007 by high school friends Alex Hofmann, Scott Carstairs, Tommy Logan, Dan Wissinger, and Suliman Arghandiwal, US technical death metal outfit Fallujah is a vastly different beast in 2025. Guitarist Scott Carstairs is the only original member remaining, but over the years, he has quietly continued his search for the ultimate line-up, which may well have finally arrived for Fallujah's upcoming sixth album, Xenotaph.A sci-fi conceptual offering influenced by Frank Herbert’s Children of Dune novel, as well as other Dune stories and theatricals, Xenotaph also welcomes new members guitarist Sam Mooradian (INHALE EXISTENCE, SAM MOORADIAN) and drummer Kevin Alexander (DISEMBODIED TYRANT, BROUGHT BY PAIN) who join Carstairs and vocalist Kyle Schaefer on a sonic journey into oblivion as only Fallujah can navigate.HEAVY spoke with Mooradian earlier this week to dive deeper into Xenotaph."It's super dense with riffs and hooks and melodies and guitar solos," he offered when asked about the album. "We couldn't be prouder of it, and I cannot wait for everybody to hear it."We ask him to describe Xenotaph musically and what the band was going for this time around."We wanted to pay homage to all these albums that have eight songs on them, like these eight-track death metal records that we all love so much in the band," he explained. "So one record that comes to mind right off the bat is Epitaph from Necrophagist - and Akeldama from The Faceless is another. Man, those records just have a certain kind of vibe to them. They're fast, and there's no time to breathe. They come in, and they say what they need to say, and then they're out of there. I think we wanted to do our version of that, and we definitely wanted eight songs on this record, so that's what we did. And we also wanted it to feel dense like those other records that we loved. So there's a lot of riffs and a lot of twists and changes. It's just a very dense and diverse record that we're very happy with. We really enjoy that kind of music and stuff that keeps you interested and really honed in."In the full interview, Sam discusses the singles released so far and how they represent the album, the slightly new direction and how he thinks fans will respond, the creative process for himself and Kevin as the new members and how easy the transition was for them, having a number of writers in the band and the process of utilizing them all effectively, the science fiction concept and what it centres around, playing the songs live and slotting them into a set list and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

2 Juni 18min

Interview by Kris PetersBilled as an Indian folk metal outfit, Bloodywood are a band much more than that. They are an amalgamation of hard rock and metal, mixed with traditional Indian elements, who create a sound comfortingly similar but also fresh, new and exciting.While the folk metal element is there, labelling them as such is doing the band a disservice musically.Bloodywood first landed on the world's sonic radar with the single Ari Ari in 2018, a Punjabi folk song made famous in the early 2000s remix boom in India by hip-hop act Bombay Rockers. The band pushed it further with help from the gritty New Delhi-based conscious hip-hop artist/rapper Raoul Kerr, offering a cultural musical alternative to the mainstream acts that were dominating the charts.Since then, Bloodywood have taken the world by storm, with their debut album Rakshak solidifying the band's growing reputation.Bloodywood have been on the road pretty much ever since, performing to packed crowds and at major global festivals, including Lollapalooza India, Download Festival, Bloodstock (UK), Hellfest (France), Summer Breeze (Germany), Brutal Assault (Czechia), Fuji Rock (Japan) and American mainstays like Louder Than Life and Aftershock.Their sophomore album Nu Delhi came out on March 21 this year, marking a new landmark in the band's short history and proving emphatically that Bloodywood are more than just a metal band from India. They are now a world-class band in their own right.HEAVY spoke with vocalist Jayant Bhadula to get the rundown."Very, very well," he smiled when we asked how the album has been received. "In terms of numbers, it's doing very good, but in terms of people showing up for the shows and singing our lyrics back from the new album, it's a great thing to see. Honestly, as an artis,t the greatest level of validation I can see is when people are singing your lyrics for you, especially the ones that are not in the language as well."We ask what Bloodywood were going for musically on Nu Delhi."In terms of music, we tried to represent the sense of New Delhi where we come from," he mused. "It is a very realistic and metal city where we come from. If you give it love you will get love 100 times back but just like we say in the album, if you fuck around you won't be found and that is what we were trying to capture. That is why this album is more in your face rather than being as subtle as the last one."In the full interview we talked more about Nu Delhi, Bloodywood's collaboration with Babymetal and how it came about, the cultural dynamics present in their music, blending Eastern and Western cultures together musically and how difficult that is to do, how Nu Delhi differs musically from Rakshak, being labelled as a folk metal band and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

28 Maj 15min

Interview by Kris PetersPrivate Function are possibly Australia's best kept musical secret. Their infectious and highly contagious brand of punk metal is a step back into the days when music was fun and, while being abrasive, is also delivered with enough tongue firmly planted in cheek to keep them at bay from those who wish to sanitise the music scene.With album titles such as St. Anger, Whose Line Is It Anyway and 370HSSV 0773H already under their belt, the punk outfit recently unleashed ¯_(ツ)_/¯, an album that, despite being impossible to pronounce, is also impossible to resist. It is a typical slab of excellence from the band, complete with red herrings and the world's first microscopic album cover, and one which sees them embark on a national tour of Australia before heading overseas for a 35-date European tour.Never having had the pleasure of spending time with the band before, HEAVY was a little unsure of what to expect, but within 30 seconds of chatting with vocalist Chris Penney and guitarist Anthony Biancofiore we knew we were in familiar territory. We start by talking about the new album and its early reception."Great," Biancofiore smiled before Penney cut in."Everyone's loving it. It's good stuff.""I've been getting heaps of messages from people I don't even know saying they heard the album, and it's great," Biancofiore continued. "They like specific songs, so it's interesting."HEAVY asks if anyone has been able to pronounce the title yet, which was greeted by fiendish laughter from the pair."I don't care," Penney laughed. "It's not our problem.""That's for you to figure out," Biancofiore laughed over the top.We ask about the album musically and what Private Function were going for."It's kind of a different one," Penney measured, "because we wrote most of the songs in the studio. All of our previous albums, we've had the songs 100 % finished, and we'd knock them out in a weekend, but this one was a far more collaborative effort between all of us. We've all got pretty different styles of music we come from.""For sure," Biancofiore nodded in agreement. "There's room for all of it on this album. Even the songs that aren't your natural genre, there's a path for you to follow and have a moment in as well. There's a six-minute electronica song that's not really any of our forte's, but you listen to it, and you can hear everyone on it.""We've got sea shanties, we've got a sick 80s… It's like a KISS type thing…" Penney added."Like a glam rock song, it's all over the shop."In the full interview we talk more about the new album and the songs on it, the title and where and why they came up with it, starting the album with the heaviest song Animal, Chris' obsession with vegemite, their live show and what to expect, the microscopic cover and the thought process behind it, meat raffles, their cheeky sense of humour and pushing the envelope, the national tour including the final show at Thrashville, touring overseas and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

28 Maj 18min

Interview by Kris PetersMusic and video games are no strange bedfellows, with bands such as Motorhead, Judas Priest, Dragonforce and Iron Maiden, plus a stack of others having their music forever immortalised in the popular platform.But more often than not, the songs are written first, with executives from gaming companies sensing the potential for more money by adding the songs in at a later date or as a soundtrack. But what if there was a band that actually wrote and performed music that was an amalgamation of the two? A band that combined electronic rock with gaming culture and internet anthems?Such a thing exists in the form of The Living Tombstone, an LA electronic rock outfit with both feet firmly planted across all three, making them possibly one of the most powerful and influential bands in the world.The two founding members - Yoav Landau and Sam Haft are in the unique position of being both recording artists and influencers in gaming, and as such have their fingers on the metaphorical pulse of both realms, which can only translate to something special in the right hands. And if the last decade of success is anything to go by, then The Living Tombstone have certainly cracked that elusive crossover market.With their first album in six years, Rust, coming out this Friday, May 30 and an Australian tour looming in July, HEAVY sat down for an interesting chat with both gentlemen to see if we could pinch some pointers."The name itself is inherently inspired by bands that in and of itself are things you feel for, like as a concept," Landau explained, "Like Gorillaz, for example, is a great idea. The name comes up, and you don't just think about the music; you think about the entire visual. It is almost like a snapshot or an obsession over other bands that had this sort of name and idea and big opaque."We ask about the live show and bringing all of their musical elements to life during a performance."The band is very much in and of itself, with characters that are really big and out of this world," Landau answered first. "Gaming and media culture are very much about how much you feel for them and the things you're into, so we translate and try to connect it within our own world.""We try to have characters people can connect to that are visual and exciting to look at," Sam added. "Beyond just the experience of going and seeing a band play live, you're getting to see these characters perform live."In the full interview, we had a chat about shoey's and Australian fans' insatiable appetite for the homemade craze. Sam and Yoav discussed their creative process, highlighting the collaborative nature of their work and the integration of gaming into their music, which has become increasingly relevant in pop culture. They expressed excitement for their new album, Rust, and their commitment to delivering a mix of familiar and innovative elements to connect with fans emotionally.We spoke more about their live show We spoke more about their live show and what to expect, the song they had on the movie Five Nights At Freddy's, the early days of the band and how their vision has changed, integrating gaming with music and finding the balance in the creative stage and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

28 Maj 17min

Interview by Kris PetersThe global musical landscape shifted forever in 2001, with the release of Ill Nino's debut album, Revolution Revolución. It introduced the world to a fusion of metal and Latino-influenced brutality that gave birth to a new movement of metal that still exists in some form today.It was an experimental and daring album from a group of musicians from New Jersey who decided to combine their culture with their music and introduced the world to a band who give no quarter and have remained steadfast despite well publicized internal battles.It says much for the scope and vision of founding vocalist Dave Chavarrí, who has reassembled his dream numerous times over in search of the perfect formula. To showcase the new-look line up - and reportedly the best yet - the band are paying their first visit Down Under in eight years this September, intent on pummelling their Australian fans into musical submission.Chavarri joined HEAVY earlier this week to fill us in on the blanks."Wait until you see the new band and the new line-up," he declared straight off the bat. "We're going to fucking crush Australia, man. People ain't going to be ready for this shit right now."We ask Chavarri what has changed with Ill Nino in the eight years between visits."We have a new singer now," he replied. "We are going to release a new track and a new video and song next month, and it's from the new album that we're starting to record next week. The new album is fucking insane. It's the best thing that we've done since Revolution Revolución, I feel. And yeah, wait till you see the band live. We're in the best shape of our lives physically - the entire band - mentally and spiritually. We're firing all cylinders right now, and we just can't wait to come and fuck shit up."In the full interview, Dave spoke more about the new line-up and new song, Ill Nino's live show and what makes it so brutal, bringing Adema as touring partners, and his love for Australian crowds.He reflected on the band's evolution, influenced by his Latin music upbringing, and shared his commitment to Ill Nino despite past challenges, including member changes and conflicts. He noted recent reconciliations with former members Christian and Marcos, emphasizing a newfound positivity and supportive environment within the band. We spoke about what keeps driving him despite the setbacks, and his need to have the band and music in his life.We touched on the new material and what direction it will take, when it might come out and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

27 Maj 21min

Interview by Kris PetersAfter playing what the band describes themselves as the worst gig they have ever done in late 1998, popular Melbourne outfit Beanflipper decided to call it a day, leaving a massive hole in the Australian music scene.Since 1993, the five-piece had been terrorizing the local music scene, with their underbelly of punk, grindcore, noise, and death metal dragging the band kicking and screaming into the hearts and ears of those who stood in their path. They released three albums in that time, touring relentlessly and fearlessly, anchoring themselves in the blood-soaked altar of Australian grind and hardcore. They weren’t just part of the scene — they were the cursed heartbeat beneath it.After a brief flirtation with a second lease on life, Beanflipper faded into obscurity, but now, two decades since that last echo faded, the beast stirs once more. In 2025, to mark 30 years since Total Dysfunctional Collapse first howled into the void, Beanflipper returns — resurrected by the mad generosity of Kent Bartley and his invitation to play Necrosonic Festival 2025. It's not just a reunion. It's a reckoning.HEAVY spent some time with drummer Matti Harrod to fill in the blanks."It's actually been a lot easier than I thought, getting to know the songs, considering it's been 20 years," he smiled. "Now it's down to what I call the footy training side of it, where every week you've got to go into the rehearsal room and smash out two sets to get the fitness up. I mean, it's a bit like an endurance game, really."We ask if the approaching resurrection show is more nerve inducing or exciting, given it has been so long between drinks."Is it nervous? Is it relief? I know we're all really excited," he replied. "I've been quite humbled by the response that we've received. People are just so chuffed that we're back together again. When I first sort of sneakily announced it on my own Facebook, there were heaps of people going, what, are you bullshitting us?"In the full interview, Matti talks more about the upcoming show and how the band are going to approach it. We ask him what to expect from their live show and what surprises they have in store, as well as naming a couple of songs festival goers can listen to in order to know what to expect.The discussion also covered the band's history, including its origins in 1993 and the various line-up changes that shaped their sound. Matti reflected on the band's tumultuous past, particularly a disappointing final show in 1998, and noted the excitement surrounding their reunion, which coincides with the 30th anniversary of their first CD plus more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

23 Maj 17min