YOU ME AT SIX Start Final Australian Tour This Week - 20 Years Of Rock With JOSH FRANCESCHI

In today's modern, sanitised music world, far too many bands are reluctant to state their beliefs and opinions for the sole fact that they could possibly offend someone. It is a fair point in principle, but has been taken too far in most instances, forcing musicians to temper their thoughts somewhat in an attempt to appeal to as wide a potential market as they can.So it is refreshing that some bands out there continue to speak out for their beliefs and use their music as a weapon of choice in bringing such things to the attention of others.Naarm based outfit Chasing Ghosts are one of those bands.Fronted by proud Thungutti Country Indigenous songwriter Jimmy Kyle, Chasing Ghosts have consistently spread their viewpoints and history by verse, in the process providing a voice for many who have not - or could not - speak through their own.After releasing their critically acclaimed EP Homelands in 2021, Chasing Ghosts have remained relatively quiet since, quietly working their way through fresh material and another assault on the Australian music scene. That arrived recently with the single Amnesia Everybody, a song that shines the spotlight on the ignorance of Australia’s historic treatment of its First Peoples.With a three date tour in October and more new music in the works Jimmy sat down with HEAVY to discuss the new single and more."Great," he enthused when asked about the early response to Amnesia Everybody. "I think it's overwhelmingly good and has reinvigorated the fan base after a couple of years since our previous release Homelands which did really well. This ones taken a little bit longer moving between record labels because sometimes that can take a little longer than we'd like. We've been waiting for about 12 months to release this stuff, which has given us an opportunity to write for a future record in the interim, but it's relieving and satisfying to be able to share this with people now."In the full interview, Jimmy discussed their new single Amnesia Everybody and shared that the song has a high energy, polished sound, which is a departure from their previous lo-fi style. He mentioned that they have embraced contemporary recording techniques, which has resulted in a more luxurious sound. He also highlighted the need for awareness and understanding of Australia's history, particularly regarding race relations and the treatment of Aboriginal people.Jimmy also discussed his experiences as an Aboriginal man and how his background influences his songwriting. He emphasized the importance of speaking truth to power and criticized the glorification of historical figures who committed atrocities against Aboriginal people. He also expressed his desire for a more honest and mature approach to Australia's history and its impact on the country's identity.We discussed the upcoming cycle Chasing Ghost's new album, which will be more energetic and a return to their punk rock roots. Jimmy discussed the evolution of the band's music project from acoustic folk to full-on punk rock, with the aim to challenge themselves to write something broader and bigger. Additionally, we talked about Chasing Ghost's upcoming tour, which Jimmy described as a fun, rowdy experience with opportunities for sing-alongs and head banging. The tour is set to start in Brisbane on October 10th, followed by Sydney and MelbourneBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

25 Sep 202430min

Seldom does a band come along that can genuinely lay claim to being groundbreaking in terms of musical disparity. Sure, many are labelled as such, but how many have actually pushed their music to its limits and beyond and still emerged triumphant?Not many.While not claiming to be revolutionary themselves, Melbourne noise merchants Ocean Grove definitely qualify in terms of freedom of expression and mashing of genres that have no right being mentioned in the same breath, let alone side by side on an album release.Ever since unleashing their 2017 debut album The Rhapsody Tapes, Ocean Grove have effortlessly combined nu metal, metalcore, grunge, rock, punk and rap sensibilities in such an orderly fashion that scribes saw fit to label their music in a completely new category that best sums up each influence and musical note that forms the bands sound.That term is Odd World music and has stuck sufficiently for Ocean Grove to embrace the term themselves, to the point of naming their upcoming, November 22 album Oddworld. It is both a reflection of the band's eclectic sound and an ownership of the phrase, emphatically capturing Ocean Grove in all of their experimental glory.In short, ODDWORLD is exactly as its title suggests: beautifully chaotic, sonically kaleidoscopic and wholeheartedly one-of-a-kind.HEAVY sat down recently with frontman Dale Tanner to explore Oddworld on a deeper level."I'm feeling very, very excited," he enthused when asked how he felt about the impending release of album number four. "It's probably… this is the most excited about anything I've put out into the world, alongside my brothers. I sat down last night and gave the album a listen myself to get a refresh on things, and I thought this feels big and (is) a definitive moment in Ocean Grove's career, and I just want to soak that in a little bit after not having listened to it for a bit. I heard it a million times working on it in the studio and gave it that space to now revisit it and think 'holy fuck, this has some power to it'. I really think it's our best work. It's Ocean Grove operating on all cylinders and there's something there for everyone. It's taking all that was great about everything that we've done up to this point and fusing it with this new-found, child like excitement for the future. Just putting that stamp of this is certified Ocean Grove, and you'd better be here for it."In the full interview, Dale dives deeper into Oddworld musically, how they returned to their roots somewhat for the album, maintaining a flow and consistency despite covering so many genres, the creative process for Ocean Grove, choosing singles to represent Oddworld, finding the balance between styles, how their sound has evolved over the years, their upcoming run of shows and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

24 Sep 202423min

When Italian metal outfit Wind Rose swept onto the music world in 2009 it is fair to say that the landscape of metal changed forever.Playing a hybrid of power metal crossed with folk metal, it soon became apparent that Wind Rose weren't just another band looking to make a name for themselves.The wanted to be the one and only name on your lips and would use force if necessary!Their music was quickly dubbed Dwarf Metal - for reasons known only to those who came up with it - but Wind Rose have run with that description, incorporating dwarves and fantasy into their albums and music, taking listeners on a dark and wondrous journey with each passing release.Which is set to continue when their new album Trollslayer is unleashed on October 4.A powerful, epic, and captivating sonic journey through a land brought to life courtesy of Wind Rose's mischievous imaginations, Trollslayer marks yet another chapter in the continuing saga of good versus evil - with a few dwarves thrown in for good measure.HEAVY caught up with vocalist Francesco Cavalieri to find out more."Trollslayer… for the ones that already know our music style is a mix between Wintersaga and Warfront," he explained when describing what to expect from the new album. "Why? Because Warfront - our previous album - didn't have any party songs and also the main characteristic of the album was to be more solid and more epic but no party songs. No light sounding. So it was different from the previous album of Wind Rose. Now we've got back the keys of the dwarf metal, and we made a new dwarf metal album, more in the style of Wintersaga but with a new vision and more experience. We created a more complete album."In the full interview, Francesco talks more about Trollslayer and what to expect, the singles released and how they represent the album as a whole, what things they focussed on with Trollslayer, the instrumental track Of Ice & Blood that opens the album, the term dwarf metal and where it comes from, capturing the live feel and sound on a recording, their high energy live shows, the upcoming tour with Powerwolf and Hammerfall and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

23 Sep 202419min

Metal bands seem to get better with age. There are, of course, exceptions, but as a whole it seems metal grows old disgracefully much better than any other genre of music. Facts are facts…So it is with Swedish progressive titans Opeth who stand on the cusp of releasing their 14th studio album The Last Will And Testament on October 11.Three decades in the masters of metal have - according to those in the know - recorded one of their darkest and heaviest albums ever as well as being the most fearlessly progressive. It is also the first out-and-out concept album of their career, recounting the reading of one recently deceased man’s will to an audience of his surviving family members. Sonically, The Last Will And Testament is an all-inclusive and in depth journey brimming with haunting melodrama, shocking revelations and riveting composition set in the 1920s when the world was engulfed in war and inner turmoil. It is a sonic masterpiece of epic story telling and claustrophobic musical landscapes that takes you deep into the twisted imaginings of songwriter/ frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt and peels back even more layers of what makes Opeth tick as a band.HEAVY caught up with guitarist Fredrik Akesson to find out more."It's exciting times to see how the album's gonna be received," he smiled. "We do a lot of interviews right now and so far it seems like people really dig it. Of course, we have released two tracks, Paragraph 1 and Paragraph 3 and the reception is quite overwhelming, which makes us happy. The first criteria is we do an album that we feel 100% happy with, and in this case we do."We ask him to dive deeper into The Last Will And Testament musically."It kind of resembles the old Opeth and the more proggier Opeth," he measured, "in a more restless, compressed direction and also a step forward. The songs are slightly shorter, but they have more ingredients than ever. A little bit like modern day society, even though the theme of the album takes place in the 1920s, which is apparently quite some time ago (laughs). If you listen to Blackwater Park, certain sections are dwelled upon quite long, and that's different with this album. There's quite a lot of action, it's an action packed album. In a historical way, there is a big pod of the Opeth sound. You have the yin and yang thing, you have the really heavy section, and then you have something more melancholy like a big, beautiful ish type of forresty sounds."In the full interview, Fredrik described the album as a mix of old and newer styles, with shorter songs but more ingredients. He also mentioned that the album is darker and heavier than previous ones, but also beautiful at times. He explained that the album's direction was not pre-planned, but rather developed as they worked on it.Fredrik explained that the concept idea was present from the beginning of the writing process, but the story was crystallized a few weeks before they went into the studio. He emphasized that this album had more depth and thought put into it compared to their previous concept albums. HEAVY praised the use of atmospherics and moods in the album, and asked about the difficulty of creating emotions through music.Fredrik also explained that frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt brought back his death metal growls for the new album, a side of Opeth's music that makes a welcome return plus more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

22 Sep 202413min

Interview by Angela CroudaceRonnie Simmons talks about his new release with the Red Back Spiders and stories from his time with Rose Tattoo and beyond.We sat down with Ronnie Simmons, guitarist from Rose Tattoo, to talk about the latest release from his band, Ronnie Simmons and the Redback Spiders. The single Alone With You was released in true rockstar fashion atop a boat in the middle of Sydney Harbour! But if you thought a tiny bit of bone-chilling 40km winds would mess everything up, you’d be very wrong. Ronnie talks about everything from tour stories featuring Richie Ramone to his adoration for fellow bandmate Angry Anderson. Ronnie also gives some solid advice to aspiring musicians.Ronnie has toured with an array of artists that he grew up listening to that influenced the sound of Ronnie Simmons and the Redback Spiders: “I’m very fortunate that my resume now reflects my record collection, like the Ramones, Rose Tattoo, Faster Pussycat: they were all really big influences for me when I was starting out.”Check out the full interview below.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

22 Sep 202428min

Sludge metal experimentalists Sugar Horse have always been a band that pushes the boundaries when it comes to music.Since their 2021 debut album The Live Long After, Sugar Horse have been constantly evolving, searching for their definitive sound without placing too much emphasis on finding it. To them music is the reward and the less restrictions placed upon its creation the more natural and satisfying it will be.The band are on the cusp of releasing their second album, The Grand Scheme Of Things, which sees Sugar Horse edging closer towards their ultimate goal without jeopardising their addictive quirkiness and scope of production.HEAVY caught up with vocalist Ashley Tubbs to find out more."It's been a long time coming," he stressed. "The release campaign has been long, and we recorded it quite a while ago now. I'm itching to finally have it out in the world, so folks can hear it, and it's not just me listening to it by myself (laughs)."We ask Ash to tell us more about The Grand Scheme Of Things musically."Our previous releases have been pretty extended, between six and nine minutes long," he offered, "so we thought we'd try and move in a different direction for this record. So all of the songs are more… pop structure… so there's lots of verses and lots of choruses and everything tends to be under the five-minute mark. Most of our stuff… we plan stuff out from a songwriting challenge perspective, so the challenge is fun for us. Shortening - with music as slow as we play it - you get to (laughs) verse two and five minutes have already passed, so it was a big challenge to condense all of that into a four and a half minute song."In the full interview, Ash highlighted the band's shift from their traditional extended space rock style to a more concise pop structure, addressing the challenges of creating shorter songs and the editing process they underwent to refine their music. The conversation then turned to Sugar Horse's evolving music career, particularly their collaboration with various artists on the EP Waterloo Teeth, where he shared insights into his experimental approach to songwriting, drawing inspiration from diverse sources and visualizing concepts before crafting them into music. The meeting concluded with Ash expressing optimism and a clear sense of direction for his future projects, indicating potential for continued artistic growth.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

22 Sep 202419min

After fourteen years of metal in the Australian music scene, d-beat hardcore outfit Dark Horse feel they are only now just starting to hit their straps.Three albums deep, Dark Horse recently brought in a new bass player, in the process reinvigorating the line-up and providing greater impetus for the future. As well as nearing completion on a split 7" with Canberra based Blight Worms, Dark horse are also preparing to decimate the fifth annual Metal In The Mountains, to be held on November 30.To be held in the Beechworth Historic District and also featuring Sordid Ordeal, Mammon's Throne, Munitions, The Krugers and more, Metal In The Mountains promises to be even better this year with a talented line-up and ample space to make as much noise as possible.HEAVY caught up with vocalist Dennis and bass player Dale to talk more."I haven't been," Dennis replied when asked about Metal In The Mountains, "but know quite a few friends that have played there with their bands, and they said it's an excellent festival with very good organisation and lovely crowds. So I can't wait to actually go somewhere where we haven't been."We ask what punters can expect live from Dark Horse."It's the same Dark Horse energy," Dale began. "It's funny, I was a big fan of the band before I joined, and Dark Horse is one of the most consistent bands, rip your face off every time. It's 30 minutes of intense energy, riffs, and in your face and off your face."In the full interview, we discussed Dark Horse's sound and style, with Dale mentioning that they have found a formula over the years, which involves going fast, heavy, and being in-your-face. We also discussed songs to listen to in order to prepare for the live performance and Dale's background in playing in bands for 30 years. Dale shared that they were working on a 7-inch split with Canberra-based band Blight Worms, which they recorded in a single day. They also mentioned plans for a full-length album next year. In terms of live performances, Dale confirmed upcoming shows in Sydney, Melbourne, Erskineville, and Dulwich Hill plus more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

19 Sep 202413min

Interview by Angela CroudaceIt is hard to believe that the current line-up of the Hard-Ons (Blackie, Murray, Ray and Tim) have been together long enough to be putting out album number three, but it has to be true, because they are!I Like You A Lot Getting Older - which is out on October 4 - follows 2021's ARIA top 5 debuting I'm Sorry Sir, That Riff's Been Taken and last year's Top 30 debuting Ripper '23 and coincides with the band's 40th Anniversary Australian Tour PLUS the premiere of a new feature length documentary, The Most Australian Band Ever.These Aussie punk legends show no signs of slowing down. While I Like You A Lot Getting Older is undeniably a pop album, Blackie humorously labels it “Pop for old farts.” It’s the kind of pop that embodies the Hard-Ons' signature style - not the Taylor Swift variety as he made clear!Despite having so much going on, guitarist Peter Black (Blackie) found time to speak with HEAVY's newest contributor Angela Croudace.We start by asking if he can actually get his head around the fact the Hard-Ons are about to celebrate 40 years as a band."I'm that old?", he laughed, "Excellent. No, I can't believe it. When I actually stop to think about it - which I never do. I never stop and I never think. Those two things, what are they? But when I do stop to think about it, it's kind of like, far out, that's a long bloody time."Angela brings up the new doco, The Most Australian Band Ever."I don't know anything about it," Blackie laughed. "We're not making it. I call him Johnno, but Jonathan Sequeira is making it and he made the phenomenal doco on Radio Birdman, which I loved and have seen four times. So when he approached us and said I'd like to make a doco we all said shit yeah. The dude that made the Birdman doco, for sure. So I'll see it when you see it. If you wanna go see it, and I'm sure in his hands it's gonna be quite fun."Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

19 Sep 202424min