Guitars, Riffs, And A Little Bit Of Aussie Heat: RICK SCHNEIDER On Polaris And Knotfest

Todd Hansen is one of those rare breed of musicians that is just plain nice.Almost too nice.Known, loved and respected for bashing the skins with bands like Headkase, The Berzerker, F.U.C and King Parrot, it is his contributions to things outside of and closely related to music that makes him not only a great skinsman but also a champion bloke.In his spare time Todd also teaches drums, lends his chops as a session drummer, travels the world doing what he loves, produces an entertaining podcast called Drumwell and generally spreads and shares his passion with all those who come within earshot of him. No ego. No judgement. No stress.But it is his work with charity organisations that is perhaps closest to his heart. Most recently Todd ran the gruelling Bridge To Brisbane race to raise money and awareness, but now is he about to lay himself bare - literally - like never before as he prepares to go under the blade to raise money for Support Act in a selfless show of faith that possibly rivals even that of the great Samson.Yep, on Saturday, August 17, Todd Hansen is saying goodbye to his safety blanket of the past 24 years as he gets his infamous dreadlocks removed from his body in an act of defiance that shall forever be referred to as Toddy's Dreadlock Chop. But don't take it from us, let Todd tell you in his own words."After 24 years, it’s time to lighten my head and chop off the dreads," he said. "And what better reason to raise some funds for the great work Support Act do for the people working within the Australian music industry? I’ll be losing the locks at 2.00pm AEST on Saturday 17th August, live-streaming at www.facebook.com/toddhansenofficial.I would like to raise $2424, to represent 24 years of my dreadlocks being cut off in 2024. All donations are greatly appreciated, and will help Support Act continue to provide their services to music industry workers in crisis."Check out the full interview for all of the gruesome details.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

11 Aug 202418min

Interview by Kris PetersMortality changed the landscape of Australian heavy metal when they burst onto the local scene back in 1992.Powered by an aggressive blending of thrash, death and groove metal, the band quickly established themselves as not just a musical force, but also a devastating and brutal live act that bludgeoned every aural sense possible. The world was theirs for the taking, with their 1997 album Structure gaining universal acclaim and paving the way for international dominance.But, unfortunately, just six months later Mortality went on hiatus, unsure if or when they would return to the fold.After a one-off sold-out show at the Empire Hotel, the band returned to the darkness once more, leaving a multitude of fans and lovers of metal in general demanding - but not necessarily receiving - more.While COVID ravaged the planet, it also provided the catalyst for a rebirth of Mortality and, as whispers slowly gave way to thunder, it became evident that the Metal Gods had intervened and renewed the spark in the Sydney metal outfit.2024 is the official return of Mortality, with the band set to play a leading role in Necrosonic Festival at Brisbane's Mansfield Tavern on August 31 alongside Psycroptic, Crypt, Lo!, Misery, Bulletbelt and more.HEAVY caught up with bass player Luke Ford to find out more. We start by asking if the nerves have kicked in for Necrosonic yet."We're ready," he shot back. "We've been rehearsing for close to a year, so it's good to get out of our room (laughs) and actually see people respond to what it is that we're doing. You never really know. We thought it was good. We thought we were doing well. But until you get in front of a crowd, and you've got all the usual elements that can impact it, you don't really know. Everyone's been doing music a long time and played in various bands over the years, so it was good when we did play last week to get the reaction that we were hoping for. Not really apprehensive, more just ready to destroy, to be honest."In the full interview, Luke talks more about Necrosonic Festival and the importance such gigs have on the Australian music scene, what bands he is looking forward to catching up with, the early days of Mortality, where their sound came from, their attitude towards self-promotion and getting their name out there, the changing landscape of music that saw them shift tides leading into the 1997 album Structure, their disbandment 6 months after that album and what led to the decision, the decision to reform Mortality and how it came about, writing new music, their first live show back last weekend, future plans and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

10 Aug 202417min

Interview by Kyra-Jade CoombsSydney trio Yours Truly stamped themselves on the Australian music landscape with their impressive 2020 album Self Care, which was nominated for an ARIA for Best Hard Rock or Heavy album.Rather than rest on their laurels, the band attacked their craft with even more intent, spending 2023 touring Europe alongside You Me At Six, ticking off their first-ever UK headline shows, supporting Against The Current in North America and touring Australia nationally with Neck Deep.Yours Truly kicked off 2024 with an appearance at THPS25 in Brisbane, celebrating 25 years of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater with Tony Hawk himself in attendance, as well as embarking on their entirely sold-out Call My Name Tour across Australia in March. The band will also return overseas later this year, appearing at Reading and Leeds Festival in the UK this August alongside headliners Blink-182, Fred Again, Lana Del Rey, Liam Gallagher and many more.It is a fitting reward for a band who have championed the cause of Australian music at every opportunity, with their new album, TOXIC (out August 16), set to propel the band and their music to even greater heights.HEAVY caught up with vocalist Mikaila Delgado and guitarist Teddie Winder-Haron to venture inside the new album and the band's future plans."Nervous, and excited," Teddie smiled when asked how they were feeling about the impending release of Toxic. "Mostly excited. We've been hanging out a bunch prepping for all the shows we've got coming up and practicing a lot, so I think just being around each other is hyping each other up. Still a little bit nervous, but I guess that's part of it."HEAVY asks about the selection process for album singles."Call My Name we chose just because we loved it, so much," Mikaila began. "It was actually finished before we tracked the album. It was the first song we tracked for the record and everyone was like wait and see what other songs we get from the album when it is finished - because a song can change - and we got to a point where we thought this song is still gonna be good, let's just put it out. I think Sour was the same. When we wrote it, we were like, this is gonna be a single. I guess it's just having that gut feeling."Watch/listen to the full interview for more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

9 Aug 202411min

Interview by Kyra-Jade CoombsIn my opinion, The Living End are a staple in the Australian music scene. They have graciously given us 8 albums and if you break them down over the years, you find hit after hit. Their debut album (self-titled) is one of those albums you can play start to finish and happily immerse yourself right into their music and feel nothing but pure joy.HEAVY took the chance to have a chat with singer/ guitar player Chris Cheney to see what’s new in the world of The Living End…From the 15-17 of August The Living End are playing the sold-out Mundi Mundi Bash in Broken Hill with a few other huge names like Baby Animals (my absolute favourite!), James Reyne, Jon Stevens, Ian Moss, Daryl Braithwaite and Diesel to name a few. The fact that it has sold out in outback Broken Hill is amazing news for a health check of our Australian music industry. We are slowly getting back on track.Chris immediately laughed, saying it’s surreal that although he grew up listening to most of these guys; he never thought he would see the day where he could call them mates and share the stage with them. A far cry from starting out and playing the front bar of the Epsy!Fans would be happy to hear that they are chipping away at creating their 9th album, and it’s said to be ‘the most aggressive album’ they have put together in years. If you jump onto The Living End social media, you can see a few behind the scenes shots that look like a bunch of fun.I must admit, I was absolutely stoked to be able to interview Chris. I had 1000 questions to ask him and could honestly chat for hours. We covered lots of cool shit like playing in Australia’s golden days of the Big Day Out tours, getting rotation Triple J and appearing on Recovery – Channel [V] to having that telepathic connections with his band mates, giving way to improve jams that can either be a trainwreck or magic, in his words! You’ll get a glimpse into his creative space, where he’s got a set-up to appease any creative mood. An area for producing music, painting and even a bar. What more could you want, really?Being someone who’s so passionate about music, I wondered what band or album Chris would give his younger self, or bring to his attention earlier if he could go back in time. To my surprise, he said early Cold Chisel… I guess I just assumed that would have been a staple. Yet of course being someone who grew up smashing the shredders of the world like Eddie Van Halen then going onto 50s music, Aussie pub rock wasn’t the path they were on, nor wanted to. Which is interesting to think about the full circle moment from starting out as a young band being told to ‘play Aussie rock’ to being put on the huge bills with the original Australian pub rock music pioneers and staying true to who they are.Chris is a very humble guy and genuinely - so stoked to have reached the status that they have today with The Living End. He is the kind of person you want as a role model for young musicians and says there’s a space for every type of music, which sings true to his kind nature. The Living End boys still have “a lot of fuel in the tank” and thankfully aren’t showing signs of slowing down!If you were lucky enough to secure a ticket to the Mundi Mundi Bash then get out there and have the time of your life! And if you didn’t then that will teach you not to sleep on a good thing!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

9 Aug 202419min

Interview by Kyra-Jade CoombsWhile She Sleeps are absolutely killing it lately. They’ve just gone on a huge run of summer festivals in the UK & EU to some of the biggest crowds they’ve ever played in front of. If you check out the videos on their socials or YouTube, they are HUGE. HEAVY had the chance to have a chat with their lead singer Loz about how it’s been to experience something like that and exactly how you prepare yourself mentally to talk out on stage. The answer is of course, you guys! Feeling the energy from the crowd before going out on stage being almost intoxicating and carries you out.It’s Australia’s turn to host these legends this September on their Self Hell tour alongside Stick To Your Guns, Ocean Sleeper & Boundaries. They are playing all major cities, so be sure to check out Ticketmaster and get your tickets or visit www.destroyalllines.comWhen asked about what he is most looking to while visiting Australia Loz of course said “DROP BEARS!!”, our lil’ terrifying Aussie icons. All jokes aside, he explained that Australia bears many similarities to where he is from and feels like a second home. We show lots of appreciation for bands who decide to fly across the world just to come play for us. And it shows.Self Hell is the newest album released by While She Sleeps, and this particular album was set out to ‘ruffle some feathers’, going against the grain of what the band would traditionally sound like. The film clip that accompanies the self-titled song Self Hell is excellent. It makes you feel like you have a look into their world and who they are outside of music. Loz explained the video’s purpose beautifully, although you’ll have to have a listen to hear all about that.We went on to talk about having some amazing friends in the music industry like Oli Sykes of Bring Me The Horizon and Alex Taylor of Malevolence to feature on songs and what’s in stall for their live shows. Lastly, we touched on what it takes to successfully nurture being in a band for so long… with the same line-up all these years I might add. This is virtually unheard of these days. The short answer was being able to compromise, share the world load, and work to each other’s strengths. Advice that you could apply to most things in life.It was super refreshing to have someone (Loz) who is genuinely a lovely guy, so passionate and willing to have a good yarn about all thing’s music. I have even more respect for While She Sleeps and can’t wait to watch their show next month. Watch/listen to the full interview to venture inside the world of While She Sleeps.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

9 Aug 202413min

Interview by Kris PetersTwentieth-anniversary milestones are generally accepted as being more a celebration of the past leading into a future of unknowns than a stepping stone on the path to greater success.The old adage that you have paid your dues after two decades, coupled with the sense of personal achievement in staving off Father Time - albeit temporarily - can be enough to subconsciously force an artist into premature retirement, content with past achievements and notoriety gained.But not so German metal leaders Powerwolf who have plunged into their twentieth year with one thought on their mind.Continued worldwide domination.That drops soon in the form of the band's latest album Wake Up The Wicked (July 26), the highly anticipated successor to the extremely successful previous studio album, Call Of The Wild (2021). Not content to rest on their laurels, Powerwolf have looked to elevate their music to yet another plane, showcasing a different facet of their deft musical and technical skills on album number ten.HEAVY had the honour of spending some time with guitarist Matthew Greywolf to find out more."Absolutely," he affirmed without hesitation when we asked if he was excited about the impending release. "This is an album we wrote when we came back from the US tour, and we tried to deliver this atmosphere, this energy, this power to the album. When we started with the songwriting, the first song we wrote was Bless 'em With the Blade, and for us, it was a little bit like what are we doing here? Do we creating a monster or something like that (laughs). We had this feeling of this is an album full of madness, and this existed for the whole songwriting process and into the recording process. I dunno… I never had that feeling before. I mean, we had this pandemic situation where we wrote Call Of The Wild, and this situation was more feeling like now or never. We can only write new songs because we weren't able to play live. In this case, we had the power from the live appearances."In the full interview, Greywolf discusses the music side of Wake Up The Wicked, how it showcases different facets of Powerwolf's sound, how it differs musically from Call Of The Wild, the temptation to rehash an albums winning formula for the next release, the single 1589 and its amazing music video, using Joost Van Den Brock as producer and what he brings to the band's sound, if fresh sounding music gets easier or harder to come up with the more you write, their upcoming tour and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

25 Juli 202420min

Interview by Kris PetersAustralian melodic death outfit Immorium have laid the groundwork and put in the hard yards since forming in 2011.The very fact they are from one of this country's most isolated music playgrounds almost puts them behind the eightball from the start, but as the saying goes, build it and they will come.And come they have.Over two previous albums and one EP, Immorium have established themselves as one of the leading lights of progressive and melodic death metal this country has to offer. Not afraid to wear their hearts on their sleeves, the band emanates an emotional rawness via skyscraper harmonies and enormous musical roller coasters that are further encapsulated in their lyrics.But now, with album number three, shit gets real and Immorium have stepped up to the plate with Rose Water Black, which wil be unleashed on July 21. Cited as the band's 'most adventurous and intimate release to date', Rose Water Black promises to finally break the shackles and cast Immorium further into the great unknown.HEAVY sat down with vocalist Dave Smith to find out more.Dave discussed the upcoming release of Rose Water Black, expressing both excitement and nervousness about its reception. He delved into the personal and emotional inspirations behind each song on the album, revealing that the tracks are deeply rooted in his own experiences, including his battle with a lung disease during COVID and the loss of his brother. The discussion also touched on the band's musical evolution, highlighting influences from other bands and the fusion of progressive and melodic death metal in their music. Additionally, Dave spoke about Immorium's upcoming Australian tour, where he shared details about the tour dates and locations and promised a mix of new and old songs in their live performances.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

21 Juli 202417min

Interview by Kris PetersUK metal outfit Orange Goblin are a band who has had to work hard for everything they have. Bloody hard.Formed in 1995 and born into a musical landscape already dominated by bands such as Black Sabbath, Trouble, Saint Vitus, The Obsessed, Pentagram, Cathedral, Danzig, Monster Magnet and Kyuss, Orange Goblin spent many of their formative years deflecting criticism of their sound, defiant in the knowledge that while a sum of their many influences, they were also a force unto themselves.Combining elements of hard rock, stoner rock, doom metal and more, comparisons to the legendary bands listed above were bound to be prominent, but over the course of nine previous albums Orange Goblin have left their indelible mark across the music world, in the process gaining the respect and level of acceptance they so rightfully deserve.That growth and progression promises to continue on Orange Goblin's upcoming album Science, Not Fiction, which will be unleashed on July 19. Blending the aforementioned genres with some outside of the box, Science, Not Fiction is an aggressive, adrenaline-fuelled sonic journey of a band with one eye on the past but the focus firmly on the future.HEAVY caught up with founding member and vocalist Ben Ward to find out more."This one's different," he measured. "Obviously, it's our first album for Peaceville Records and the whole campaign has been far more hands on than we've ever had before. In the past we might have just delivered the record to the label and said right, you get on with that, but with this record the label have been really proactive and enthusiastic in getting us to be involved in the marketing. It's been a really strong campaign. There's been three singles released so far and all had videos for them. We've got another video and single coming just prior to the release. We're doing some album launch shows here in London and Leeds in the UK and we've got a summer of festivals lined up to promote it. It's all go at the moment. We're definitely not sitting back and letting it happen. We're all very proactive."In the full interview, Ben discussed Orange Goblin's upcoming album release more, including the musical influences, proactive marketing campaign, and impact of a new band member. He provided insights into the album concept, highlighting the significance of science, spirituality, and religion. The discussion also touched on the balance between imitation and inspiration in creating an album, with Ben emphasizing the band's commitment to creating music that is interesting to them and their belief in the importance of honesty in their music.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

19 Juli 202417min