Pulling Out The Big Guns With SEBASTIAN BACH

Interview by Kris Peters Despite the plethora of modern advances when it comes to recording music, there is still no hiding when it comes to taking the show on the road. Reputations are made and lost when a band hits the stage, with no technical wizardry or smokescreens able to elevate a below-par performance. Canadian technical death metal outfit Archspire are one band who have nothing to fear in that department. They are heralded with having “a supremely tight live performance, where impressive speeds come grinding to a halt, and in even less time twist and contort into complex passages rife with beautiful harmonies, juxtaposed against insidious melodies.” Even SOUNDS impressive, right? Australian fans soon get the chance to judge for themselves when Archspire hit this country for a run of shows starting in Brisbane on October 11. Supported by Ingested and Werewolves, this promises to be a brutal offering of all things metal where all cards are on the table and folding is not an option. HEAVY spoke with guitarist Dean Lamb ahead of the tour. “The tour is under a month away, and we are very, very excited,” he beamed. “We haven’t packed yet, but what we did recently was we just got back from a tour in Europe, so we were there doing festivals. At this point, at the time of this recording, I think we’ve been home for three weeks nearly, and we leave soon to go to Japan and Australia immediately afterwards. And the craziest thing is that our vocalist is also getting married in Australia at the end of the tour, so we have a nutso trip coming up. (laughs) The last time we were in Australia was 2018 supporting Psycroptic, who are our bros, we absolutely love those dudes. It’s really cool that we get to go back and headline. It’s pretty amazing. Coming from a band who… we play such a niche style of music and to be able to go halfway across the world and actually headline shows somewhere and have people care in any way… it makes us very, very excited. And Australian fans are some of the best we’ve ever met.” In the full interview, Dean talks more about what to expect from the shows, what has changed with the band since their last visit in 2018, playing live while having to deliver their brand of technical death metal, having Ingested and Werewolves as touring partners, the musical climate that gave birth to Archspire, their early vision and how it has changed since, new music and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

30 Sep 202314min

Photo credit: Just Ignore The Camera PhotographyInterview by Kris PetersBundaberg metal outfit Ineffigy have made a handful of treks to the big smoke of Brisbane and left a sonic trail of destruction each time.With a unique and easily digestible blending of a multitude of genres, coupled with an entertaining and dynamic live performance, Ineffigy are one of those bands you just know will make a large dent on the national music scene if given the chance.And the first of those chances comes on October 14 when the band opens Lighthouse Rock Festival in their hometown, which is headlined by The Screaming Jets, Baby Animals and The Living End. The feat is even more impressive when you take into account Ineffigy won their spot via a battle of bands hosted by Triple M – a radio stage not known for favouring heavier bands of any capacity.It is just reward for the boys who also spearhead Bundaberg’s East Coast Alternative, a dedicated group of musicians striving to build the music scene in the region by hosting touring bands, providing access to recorded live music and more.This Saturday night Ineffigy play at Metal United World Wide at Bundaberg’s Sugarland Tavern, kickstarting a busy period for the band who have also recently released a live album, Live At The OBT.HEAVY caught up with bass player Tobias, guitarist Jess and vocalist Joey to find out more.“It’s been awesome,” Joey started, speaking about their recent win at the Battle Of The Bands. “We get to play with The Living End, and I’m a massive, massive Living End fan.”We broach the subject of a heavy band taking out top honours at a Triple M competition, with all three smiling at the thought.“It shocked us just as much as it shocked everybody else, don’t worry,” Joey laughed. “We usually just go into those things because they’re a heap of fun and exposes us to a different crowd of people. It opens us up to the more stable local base of music fans, but no, we didn’t expect to win it. If you go back and watch it we were just as stunned as everybody else.”“When they said our name I didn’t even hear it,” smiled Tobias. “I was just standing there, and they’re saying ‘come forward’, and I was like, what for? Did we win?”In the full interview, the boys talk more about winning the Battle Of The Bands, who they are most looking forward to sharing the stage with at Lighthouse Rocks, if they are nervous about playing, what they hope to take out of the opportunity, having their music and an interview featured on Triple M, the three song recording component of the prize and what they plan to record with it, their recent live album, East Coast Alternative and what they hope to achieve as part of it, the Bundaberg metal scene, tonight’s Metal United World Wide show and more.Unfortunately, our chat was cut short by Brisbane's fickle weather, but for more information on the band and upcoming events visit https://www.facebook.com/InEffigyOfficialBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

29 Sep 202316min

Interview by Kris PetersBrisbane metalcore outfit Revoid stood to attention with the release last year of their debut EP Sleepless Still.After proving their credentials on that release, expectations for follow-up music were high, and the band didn’t disappoint with the single Burn With Me which was released in June of this year.But the true test of their mettle came with the recent showcasing of their latest single Blood Petals, a dynamic ballad that laid bare a different side to Revoid and exposed their softer side in a delicately constructed show of faith.Featuring dual vocals from frontman Dale Dudeson and Inertia’s Julian Latouche, Blood Petals bridges the gap between Sleepless Still and more incoming music next year, with Dudeson joining HEAVY to discuss Blood Petals and more.“Honestly, it’s been really good,” he enthused at the early reception to Blood Petals. “It’s been really positive considering it’s so… we’ve always been an emotion, pretty serious sort of band, but this is a little bit further out of our wheelhouse than normal and everyone’s just loving it, thank God (laughs).”We press Dudeson on the decision to release something mellower than fans are used to and the thought process behind it.“Revoid have always been about the versatility and stuff, we like a lot of everything,” he replied. “We all come from different backgrounds and different tastes, and we want to build that into what we write, so this is just something we all relate to; something we’ve all gone through once upon a time. Whether it be loss of a friend, partner, family, anything like that. I guess we just wanted to do something to convey our own feelings and put everyone else in a bit of a feely mood and see how it goes.”In the full interview, Dale talks more about the musical side of Blood Petals, how the collaboration with Julian came about, steps taken to ensure both vocal parts were impactful, whether the last two songs are part of an album cycle, how the new material differs to music from Sleepless Still, supporting Dayseeker and what it meant to them as a band, their upcoming headlining run of shows, why they chose to take The Motion Below and Ghost Complex with them and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

29 Sep 202312min

Interview by Kris PetersExperimenting within a musical genre is nothing new.It has been done - to varying degrees of success - for countless years, spawning new genres and sub genres even where they are not wanted.But to fully immerse yourself in that craft within a defined genre is a brave move in the modern era where often bands and their music can get lost in a convoluted mess.Norwegian metalcore unit ATENA are one such band. A band who have pushed themselves musically with each release and shown an unflinching propensity to tread where others may fear.Following their previous critically acclaimed album Drowning Regret & Lungs Filled with Water, ATENA could have quite easily rehashed that winning formula with their follow up Subway Anthem (released Friday, September 29) but instead the band have taken their minds even further down the rabbit hole in search of a defining sound.Vocalist Jacob Skogli sat down with HEAVY to take us with them."I feel great," he smiled when asked how the band is feeling about the album release. "We spent a lot of time on it and people have been responding well so far, so it's a relief."When asked to describe what ATENA was striving for musically Skogli opens up a bit more."I guess it depends on what you've heard of us before," he measured. "But in general, it's a modern metalcore sound - which sounds cliche - but there's maybe more cinematic elements. We tried to expand on what we've done before. I could give you all the band cliches of the heaviness being heavier and the melodies being more melodic (laughs). There's some of that, there's more electronics. We have been using them for years - we've always had electronics in our sound - but we have expanded on that as well so we feel like we've done a lot."In the full interview, Jacob runs us through the singles released and which best represent the overall sound of Subway Anthem, the pressures of follow up Drowning Regret & Lungs Filled with Water and their desire to expand on the sound of that album, musical growth, painting a sonic landscape with music, where their sound originated, getting the balance of genres right in the writing and recording process, future plans and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

29 Sep 202317min

Interview by Kris PetersFrench metalcore outfit Resolve are one of the new breed of metal bands that dares to be different.Since setting the world on fire with their debut single Exposed in 2017, Resolve quickly found themselves supporting bands such as Architects, Every Time I Die and While She Sleeps, enhancing their reputation in the process and forging their way into the ears and hearts of metal lovers globally.Last week Resolve dropped Human, the follow up to their highly successful debut album Between Me And The Machine which came out in 2021.It is a beast of an album that reinforces the band's early promise and gives glimpses into what can only be an even more promising future.Drummer Nathan Mariat joined HEAVY to discuss more."It's been mixed with good feedback," he measured when asked how the album has been received early on. "Some people like the fact that we tried to explore different genres and origins musically. Also, some people will find what makes them happy in the album but maybe only in a few songs. At the end of the day that's the only thing that matters. If we release songs you like whether you like the entire album or not, if you're happy with some of the songs we wrote it means we did our job."We ask him to dive deeper into Human musically."We were trying to... it's really hard to explain," he began. "We're trying to speak to as much people as we can with our music, which is how it has always been since the beginning. We have always listened to many different styles of music and we really wanted to implement that in the music we make. This album is no different. We're just trying to cover as many styles that we like while retaining a heavy sound. I wouldn't say metal sound, because that's not the main idea of the album. It's not a metal album. It's a heavy band album trying to showcase everything we can do while still showing everyone how heavy we can be, but also how soft we can be. It's the most sincere music we wrote since we started this band."In the full interview, Nathan talks more about the musical side of Human, how the singles released represent the entire album, having hip hop/trap artists ten56 and Paleface Swiss guest on the album and why, where their eclectic style comes from, the themes behind Human, how it differs to their debut album Between Me And The Machine, how much experimenting the band has left in them and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

25 Sep 202320min

Interview by Kris PetersAlthough K.K. Downing and Tim 'Ripper' Owens only spent what amounts to a fleeting moment together as part of Judas Priest (they actually played on two albums together, Jugulator and Demolition) they still formed an integral part of one of the most loved and influential metal bands in history.While Downing spent some time in hibernation after leaving Judas Priest, Owens set about forging a music career in his own right, forming a solo project as well as performing with Spirits of Fire, the Three Tremors and A New Revenge.He still traverses the globe in various incarnations paying respect to Judas Priest and other bands, his distinctive voice ensuring his reputation continues to grow as a musician in his own right.Earlier this decade Downing and Owens reunited under the monicker KK's Priest, harnessing the DNA from that period of time and infusing it with a modern sensibility that spills over just enough to give their sound a fresher sonic platform while still having its roots in old school metal.The success of KK's Priest's debut album Sermons Of The Sinner meant it was always a matter of when, not if the band would release the follow up, with the next step in KK's Priest's evolution starting on September 29 with the release of The Sinner Rides Again.Owens sat down with HEAVY to bring us up to speed.We start by asking what feelings and emotions he goes through in the lead up to a new album release."I've done it so much now," he measured. "It used to be really exciting, and then you start releasing so many records like I do that it loses a little bit. But this one is back to being exciting again. This is two records in a row I've released. You and I talked about my solo EP Return To Death Row, so that was an exciting one, and I've got back to back exciting records. I'm really excited about this KK's Priest release because Sinner Rides Again is just a great record so I cannot wait to get this one out."As Owens said, he has released a large number of albums with various projects over the years, but we ask him if there is more pressure on this one just by virtue of the fact it is with himself and K.K. Downing in the band."I think so," he nodded. "It is for me because I want it to be... usually all of the pressure is totally on me and you want it to be good because it's your own but I want this to be successful and good for Ken. It means a lot to him. He's worked really hard at it and so I want it to be great and I want to be on the top of my game. It just adds a little bit more pressure to it."In the full interview, Ripper talks about the singles released and how they reflect the whole album, the other members of KK's Priest and what they bring to the table, how this album differs musically to the debut, keeping old school metal influences in his music, how the album process has changed from when Downing and himself were in Judas Priest to now, the chemistry between both of them, their upcoming run of shows and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

20 Sep 202310min

Interview by Kyra-Jade Coombs and Kris PetersKickAss Festival successfully completed its second year last weekend with a bumper show at Kenilworth Showgrounds that emphatically proved rock music is alive, well and thriving.Held over two days with local acts appearing alongside established bands such as James Reyne, Kingswood, Dragon and the Choirboys, KickAss Festival did just that and more with thousands of music lovers taking advantage of the camping facilities on offer to spend the weekend in rock paradise.HEAVY was granted exclusive media access to backstage interviews on the Saturday, and we managed to corner Kingswood, Choirboys and Lecia Louise for some up close and personal time.Today Kyra-Jade Coombs and Kris Peters catch up with Choirboys vocalist Mark Gable for an entertaining chat not long before the boys hit the stage.*Please note, this was recorded live so the audio might be a little unclear at times*Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

20 Sep 202336min

Interview by Kris PetersBrazilian thrash outfit Nervosa are preparing to enter the next phase of their already successful career when they release new album Jailbreak onto the world on September 29.Jailbreak marks a decisive new beginning for the band, being the first album to welcome guitarist and founding member Prika Amaral to the mantle as lead vocalist, as well as premiering the new line-up completed by the immensely talented and well experienced Michaela Naydenova on drums, Hel Pyre on bass and Helena Kotina on guitars.Unrelenting and sonically vicious, Nervosa have decimated crowds the world over on four previous albums, but are set to spread their brutality even further with Jailbreak.Amaral joined HEAVY to discuss the album."I'm feeling super excited," she smiled. "We have been working for this new album since 2021 - so four months after we released Perpetual Chaos we started working for this new album - and for me it's the biggest step in my career because it's the first time that I have been singer (laughs). I can't describe how excited I am to show everyone what I was working very hard on."We ask Amaral to dive deeper into the musical side of Jailbreak."I think this album is super revolutionary," she measured, "because we have the second guitar right now. It was something that we had in the beginning, but we never recorded any albums with two guitars. So it's a big change in Nervosa life, and also me talking personally being a singer was a huge challenge in a very short time and period. I gave my best. I had a lot of fun. It was a very experimental album in some ways, but at the same time was the most fun composing this new album. We have a lot of diversity, and a different style of metal. Everything combined with thrash. We have thrash and death metal together. We have traditional heavy metal with thrash metal. We have punk with thrash metal and we have some melodic death metal, melodic thrash metal, and a bit, in one song, maybe death metal. We put everything together in a mixer (laughs)."In the full interview, Prika talks about following on from the success of previous album Perpetual Chaos, her role as singer and how easy the transition was, why she elected to assume the role, the new band members and what they bring to Nervosa's sound, the wicked cover image, special guests Gary Holt and Lena Scissorhands and what they brought to the album, the "new era" of Nervosa, touring plans, playing on 70000TONS Of Metal and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

20 Sep 202313min