Taking It To The Streets With JAYANT BHADULA From BLOODYWOOD

Interview by Kris PetersAustralian metal outfit Sienna Skies are set to finally shake the lingering shadows of COVID once and for all when they hit the road in the next two weeks for a run of four dates with US heavyweight act Of Mice & Men and their long-time mates and touring companions Dream On Dreamer.After a prolonged absence from the stage, Sienna Skies are setting themselves for an all-out sonic assault when they open the highly anticipated tour in Adelaide on February 23, desperate to blow off the cobwebs and even more excited to be performing a collection of new songs live for the very first time.Despite the setbacks Sienna Skies suffered as a direct result of the pandemic, they elected to take their time in getting back into the daily grind of the music industry, choosing instead to put the finishing touches on an EP that was created in the midst of adversity. They have released a steady succession of singles taken from that EP, which will be out on March 8, each of which showcases a more vulnerable side of the band while still retaining the dynamic foundations upon which their sound has always been built.HEAVY caught up with bass player Joshua Wade to find out more."We're really excited to be a part of it and the opportunity," he smiled when I mentioned the tour. "I can't wait to get back out there on the road."We ask Wade if the nerves have set in yet."The nerves are catching up with us at the moment because it's been so long since we've played live due to COVID and everything," he replied. "We had an extra long break over COVID writing material so to actually be coming back and playing some shows in some big rooms with some friends… yeah it is starting to catch up on us a bit. But we are looking forward to it. It's been a long time, and we can't wait to do what we do."In terms of time on the road this isn't a massive tour with only four dates, but the pressures of returning to the stage coupled with the expectations that come with supporting a major international band would still be difficult to suppress."Every show is different," Wade measured. "Every market's different and every tour is different. We have known Dream On Dreamer ever since they started being a band, and we were bands coming up together in the same scene. When it comes to Of Mice & Men, we have both known of them in passing before, but never played with them, although we have seen them at other shows and festivals abroad. Vibe wise I think it's going to be stellar. Everyone is going to be stoked and have a great time. Everyone online looks like they are super keen for the shows so that helps with the nerves, knowing it's going to be a super comfortable environment. But to answer your question, there's not really much else to do except just get up there and do what we've always done (laughs). As I said before it's been a while so we are just super excited and can't wait to get our hands on our instruments in front of people and do it again."In the full interview, Joshua talks more about the feelings Sienna Skies will be going through before hitting the stage, being chosen - along with Dream On Dreamer - by the band themselves to support the tour, the fact two Australian bands have been chosen as national supports and the benefits of that to the local music scene, their mindset going into each show and how they approach their set, writing set lists that play to the band's strengths while also hopefully appealing to Of Mice & Men's crowd, the new songs they will be playing live as well as the upcoming EP, what to expect sonically from the release, their EP launch shows later this year and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

8 Feb 202415min

Interview by Kris PetersIf there's one thing that shits me more than the constant need for music to be labeled and/or categorised, it's when people feel a weird and unnecessary compulsion to try and classify music even further by bringing religion into it.I can almost hear you screaming 'that's what you just did' back at me, but I have a reason. To stop anyone else from getting in first, so let's clear the monkey in the room straight up.Exodus Rising are a Christian Metal band. And I only tell you this because during our interview, many references - both musically and spiritually - were made to their faith, which has little to no bearing on the actual musical output of this gifted US metal outfit.Yes, they believe in God. No, you don't have to, and no, they aren't trying to make you.True story.So let's appreciate Exodus Rising for what they are. A great new progressive rock/metal band who have released their awesome and eclectic debut album, The Book Of Life, which is available from the band's website.As part of the release cycle, Exodus Rising are premiering the second album single, Blazing Love, via HEAVY at 10 am on February 9 and what a masterful slab of music it is.To find out more about their music and just where Exodus Rising sprung from, HEAVY sat down with the whole band (minus the drummer) for an enlightening and uplifting chat about life, music, and…. religion."I love the song," offered bass player NY Charlie, talking about Blazing Love. "When Chris (Zapa, keyboards) and I had the idea of making this song, it was a whole adventure. It was a last-minute thing. Actually, this song was the last song that we recorded on the album. The last song from the 16 tracks that we have on the album. Chris and I were having a conversation and said 'hey, how about doing Songs Of Solomen and let's make a progressive, cool ballad' and that was the last, spur-of-the-moment thing and I think it took us three days to put together. That song is special to our hearts. I love the way that JSlate sings it. It has a special meaning about this incredible love between a man and a woman, as powerful as God's love for us."In the full interview, the band talks more about Blazing Love and what it's about, why they wanted to release it to celebrate Valentine's Day, how the song challenges convention for the band, writing about what you know and love, a history of Exodus Rising, the stigma attached to Christian Metal bands and why and how it is nonsensical to think in those terms, the full album and what to expect, following your own path musically and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

8 Feb 202423min

Interview by Kyra-Jade Coombs**Apologies in advance, the audio gets a little scratchy going in and out of reception**Atreyu, where do I start here? I assume everyone loves them as much as I do, but for those of you who aren’t familiar with these legends they’ve been around fast approaching 30 years and have well and truly carved their spot in the metalcore space. In 2023 alone, they released two Eps and a full-length album, which is where vocalist Brandon Saller and I started the chat. Releasing that much music in a short amount of time appeases the modern consumer who is waiting for the next best thing to grab their attention.I wanted to find out what their album The Beautiful Dark of Life meant to Brandon, and it turned out to be a career-changing album. Not only did it change the way the band writes together, but it changed the way they communicate and share what’s going on in their lives. You need to remember that it’s only just becoming socially acceptable for men to express their feelings on any level, and I’m grateful to see a band on Atreyu’s level leading the way. “We are just people. You guys can do this shit too”. When talking about turning 30 as a band, I wondered what advice Brandon had received or wished he had received. Funnily enough, he replied by saying no one really took them under their wing and had more of a “Na, na fuck you guys” attitude about them. The most important takeaway was to love what you do. When you stop loving what you do, the magic stops.There are so many killer albums from these guys and I needed to know what era Brandon would travel back to experience and all over again. #1 - The Curse (2004). The reason being he wanted to go back to the start to experience that ‘first time feeling’ all over again… have a bird’s eye view of that era.#2 - Lead Sails Paper Anchor (2007), my personal favourite! This album was polarising in how it was received, “Half of our fans wanted to murder us and half were on board”. It was also a major turning point in Saller’s career, feeling he was put on a pedestal for this album and had a big creative reach.In 2008 Atreyu/Avenged Sevenfold/Bullet for My Valentine had a massive Australian tour and by all accounts it was an absolute madhouse. I needed to hear the scoop from the horse’s mouth, and all the carnage and mayhem you would imagine going down did exactly that. From Jimmy ‘The Rev’ Sullivan singing opera at 7am in the morning to the ‘Terrible Twins’ Johnny Christ and Jimmy (Avenged Sevenfold) redecorating hotel rooms, there are some hilarious stories. You will just have to listen for all the details.There is a lot we cover in this interview that any Atreyu fan will enjoy. He was an absolute trooper to talk to. Words from Brandon himself, Australia is their favourite place to tour, so get your asses to one of their shows and make sure they continue to come back for years to come!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

8 Feb 202424min

Interview by Kris PetersFor 15 years now, Swedish metal trailblazers Amaranthe have been pushing the boundaries of music with a unique blending of melodic metal, electronic rock, razor-sharp pop and hard rock that many traditionalists - to their disbelief - have found impossible to resist.It is a coming together of music and genres that defies the regular status quo of such opposing forces, but time and time again over a growing number of albums Amaranthe have emerged triumphant. And that is only set to reap the spoils of adulation once more with the arrival of their new album, The Catalyst, on February 23.Already being touted by those with advance listens as the most powerful and complete album of Amaranthe's career, The Catalyst is set to emphatically stamp Amaranthe as rulers of their domain, and with good reason.HEAVY caught up with drummer Morten Løwe Sørensen to find out more."We're very proud of this album," he began. "It's been a lot of work. Not very hard work, (smiles) but a lot of work. It was a rewarding and super creative process for all of us. We're a heavy, heavy band at the moment and it's a great album. People seem to already like it, which is positive."We ask what this period is like, with the album finished and just waiting for a release date."It's been a while," he agreed. "On the date, it's almost one year since I recorded the drums. Of course, there's always something that you could have changed or done in a different way, but that's usually something that happens when we start playing the songs live. Certain things will just happen - at least for me as a drummer - I have a little bit more freedom and maybe change a few things here and there. It might happen organically throughout a tour, and you think 'ah, it should have been like this' and small changes might start happening. It doesn't mean that it should have been like that, but certain things sometimes work better live than on an album. I'm super happy about the production and everybody's playing… I love the album."In the full interview, Morten talks about the musical side of The Catalyst and what they were going for, the singles released and how they represent the album, blending styles together and how they make it work, new members, resisting the temptation to recycle the successful formula of their previous album Manifest, touring plans and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

7 Feb 202416min

Interview by Kris PetersWhile many international bands - and rightfully so - cite distance and money as two major hurdles towards touring this great country of ours, there are some who throw caution to the wind and depart for these fair shores.Then there are those who love Australia so much that they return, but even then those bands generally leave at least a two-year gap between tours so as not to overstay their welcome.But not so Spanish thrash metal outfit Angelus Apatrida, who are returning to this country later this month for a run of nine shows, despite barely 12 months passing since their last visit.In what is a smart move, Angelus Apatrida are intent on capitalising on the momentum gained on that first tour, striking while the iron is hot to promote their new record Aftermath.Lead vocalist/guitarist Guillermo Izquierdo joined HEAVY to tell us more."We're just finishing a few details with visas and all that stuff," he replied when asked if they are packed and ready to go. "We're still on tour here in Spain, so we will go there with all of the energy."It's a massive run of shows, a long way from home, so we ask how the band prepares mentally and physically for the challenge."When you arrive to a new country, like Australia, which is so far physically you have to prepare," he continued. "You have to plan one day to rest and all that stuff, but I think mentally we always leave it to the last minute. When we go to the venue already… or before the venue, we can go to a bar and get a beer. I think that's one of the first things that we are going to do when we get off in Australia is get a great cold beer (laughs)."In the full interview, Guillermo talks more about the tour and what to expect, why they are coming back so soon after the last tour, how these shows will differ, the new album Aftermath and how it has been received, how much of that new material they will be playing, touring with Hidden Intent and why they chose that band as national support, playing at Churches Of Steel VI, researching local bands before a show and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

3 Feb 20249min

Interview by Kris Peters,Often bands that are referred to as 'ahead of their time' are lumped into the basket simply because people can't understand their musical vision and/or output.But when that term is used on a band 10 years or more after their inception, the plot thickens just a little. With the benefit and time and hindsight, today's WTF musical outfit can eventually be classed as innovative and groundbreaking, it's really all down to perception.There are, however, exceptions to the rule. Bands that were truly of a different sonic sphere to others at the time and remain that way many years later.Bands such as Led Zeppelin and Rage Against The Machine spring to mind, but one possibly above all others is an outfit by the name of Mr. Bungle.Formed by three friends still in high school - Trey Spruance, Trevor Dunn and Mike Patton - Mr. Bungle defied convention from the outset, blending sounds and genres like rarely heard before and creating a genre of music as unclassifiable to this day as it was back in 1985.Over three albums and four demos, Mr. Bungle maintained their experimental stance of creating music, building an underground following that swelled even more when Patton joined Faith No More in 1988.But, as generally happens when such creative forces are exposed for a prolonged period of time, Mr. Bungle found themselves at a crossroads approaching the turn of the century and parted ways, with each member moving on to other projects. Bungle became one of those bands where people spoke with reverence of actually seeing them play live, most hoping for, but never believing a reunion would one day come to pass.In 2020 fans around the world rejoiced as rumblings morphed into reality and Mr. Bungle were ready to once more assume their place at the head of the class. Only there was to be changes in personnel. And not just any new members, either.Anthrax's Scott Ian joined the original trio on guitar while Dave Lombardo (Slayer) assumed duties behind the drum kit and a supergroup of sorts was (re) born.Rather than write new material with the five new creative minds, Mr. Bungle started things off the way they always had - on their own terms - by re-recording and releasing their debut EP The Raging Wrath Of The Easter Bunny. It was a bold and unexpected move that emphatically declared Bungle were still unwilling to follow convention, and the resulting success of the release ensured live shows would follow.Which has invariably led Mr. Bungle back to this side of the world, where they will be kicking off a run of shows in Auckland on March 3 before heading to Australia for five capital city shows.HEAVY caught up with guitarist Trey Spruance earlier today to find out more."It's great," he smiled when asked how he felt about returning to Australia. "Let's see… for Mr. Bungle, this is our third time… but I think it's our first time playing in New Zealand, so that will be new territory for us. Right before that we'll be in Japan, but Australia has always been a stronghold for Mr. Bungle fandom, so it's great to be able to come back with this band. I've been back with other bands since then, and I was never sure that Mr. Bungle would make it back. It's very cool that we're able to do it."We press Trey on what fans can expect from the shows."They have never heard this part of the band," he offered. "Well, they have through the internet, but they have never experienced this live. The death metal assault. It's full-on fucking speed metal. A really crazy, fast show (laughs). It's nothing like we did before. If they are expecting a whole bunch of genre shifting… I would say that's not going to happen, but we do actually play a bunch of cover songs. You're not gonna go and see a death metal band and see what Mr. Bungle does with the death metal experience, that's for sure."In the full interview, Trey talks more about the shows, what the band expects from their crowds, how different their current live show is from what people would have seen on previous visits, bringing the Melvins as support and why, the formation of Mr. Bungle and their early vision, where their sound came from initially, the writing process that sees himself, Trevor Dunn and Mike Patton make music together, their self-titled debut album and how they approached it, their musical journey over that album and follow up's Disco Volante and California, their parting in 2000 and if he was satisfied with Mr. Bungle's achievements to that point, reforming 20 years later with Scott Ian and Dave Lombardo, re-recording The Raging Wrath Of The Easter Bunny instead of writing new music, what he feels Mr. Bungle has contributed to the music scene and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

2 Feb 202419min

Interview by Kris PetersIt's been a massive six months for British rock/metal frontrunners Asking Alexandria, starting with the release of their latest album, Where Do We Go From Here? and culminating with an upcoming appearance in Australia as part of Knotfest 2024, which also sees Pantera, Halestorm, Lamb Of God, Disturbed and more visit these shores.In between, the band dropped the highly successful Dark Void EP to coincide with Blue Monday, further accentuating their cause and support for mental health and related illnesses.HEAVY recently caught up with bass player Sam Bettley to go over these highlights and more."It's been a long time," he stressed. "It's been a long time since we've been there, so we're excited to get back."We run through the line-up and ask if there's any bands that Asking Alexandria haven't played with before."Honestly… no, I think we've played with pretty much everybody on this line-up," he laughed. "We were lucky enough to do a lot of the festivals in this last European run we did. On the off dates of the festivals we played with Disturbed, and those guys were awesome. What an amazing band and incredible to see live. Pantera… I mean, that was just a whole thing, you know. That was a huge party. Lamb of God - honestly, one of my favourite bands growing up, and my good friend Art is their drummer now, which is crazy because we toured with Art for years when he was in Winds Of Plague, so it's really cool. It's gonna be huge. There's gonna be a lot of friends and a lot of familiar faces. A couple of people we've not played with… nah, honestly. I've got it in front of me and everybody, really. I'm excited."In the full interview, Sam talks more about travelling and playing these festivals, the backstage environment, catching up with friends on the road, what to expect from Asking Alexandria's set, what they expect from their crowds, the sideshows and what to expect, Dark Void and the reason behind releasing it, future plans and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

1 Feb 202415min

Interview by Kris PetersAndorran metal outfit Persefone are a band unto themselves.With a sound that can be loosely described as progressive rock meets melodic death metal, Persefone have forged their name crafted in their sonic diversity.2024, and in particular the band's new EP Lingua Ignota - set for release on February 2 - ushers in a new era for the band, with vocal duties being assumed by Daniel Rodriguez Flys. His DNA is all over the new EP, which features five songs covering the entire spectrum of Persefone's music, with subtle nods at their future. Drummer Bobby joined HEAVY to talk more about the EP and Persefone's future."Man, I just want to release the new music," he smiled. "We've been working so much into this new release lately that I just want to release it and people to start listening to it. We finished the recording in August, so it's been a while now. And since we are about to go on tour in ten days, I really want people to listen to the new songs before that because we are playing the whole EP live and I want them to at least know the songs a little bit."In the full interview, Bobby talks more about the EP and what they were going for musically, describes the band's sonic structure, introduces their new vocalist and what he brings to the band, runs through each of the five EP tracks individually and explains where they fit in with the recording, how Lingua Ignota differs musically to previous release metanoia, what's next for the band and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

1 Feb 202413min