Challenging The Gods With RYAN KIRBY From FIT FOR A KING

Interview by Kris PetersPrequels and such talk are usually reserved for the film industry. The blockbuster before the blockbuster, if you will, but in all honesty has it ever really worked?I could drag out a myriad of examples and create all sorts of conjecture here, but at the end of the day you have to admit it is not a word commonly used in the music industry.But then again From Ashes To New are not your run of the mill common band.Since breaking through with their debut album Day One in 2016, the US rock outfit has gone on to amass four Top 10 singles, over 600 million all-time streams and more than 75 million video views to date. So when they announce their intent to make a prequel to an already successful concept album then who cares to stop and argue the semantics of contrasting industries?From Ashes To New are far from a safe band.By weaving hard rock, hip hop, electronic and alternative music into a tapestry of sonic enlightenment FATN have set themselves distinctly apart from an ever clustering swarm of by-the-numbers rock outfits that class experimentation as deciding on which degree of seperation they are feeling on any given day.And so enters the fray an album titled Blackout which acts as a conceptual prequel to Day One, encapsulating the trivialities and nuances of a pre-apocalyptic world that was glimpsed through realistic eyes during the 2020 pandemic during which the album was written.With the release date of July 28 looming, HEAVY sat down with vocalist Danny Case to venture down the rabbit hole that has consumed his thoughts during the making of Blackout."We've been comparing it a lot...," he measured, "...it's a quote, unquote prequel to our debut album Day One. When we were writing the record it was early 2021 when the lockdowns were just starting to end - for us at least - and touring still hadn't come back but we were writing. It was in your face every day. One of the first songs we worked on was Armageddon because it seemed like every day was the end of the world. That was the song that came about early on and we were like, hey, we have our very first record day One. The art on it has a kid on a planet looking back on the old planet as it is falling apart. So why don't we take this record and make it where the kid is on that old planet before he leaves for the new planet. Another thing we were trying to do was capture the same kind of heaviness that the first album had. We wanted to take a step back and look at what do we really wanna do? What do the fans really want from this band? And we found that we really enjoy writing heavy music and that was what put this band on the map. It also tied in with the music we were making in that it was kind of like an apocalyptic record almost."In the full interview Danny talks more about the musical side of the album, writing to a concept, the singles released and how they represent the album, the concept in greater detail, how FATN has changed since he joined the band, the different styles that make up their music and how they successfully integrate them together, future plans and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

27 Juli 202316min

Interview by Kris PetersIt's been a big year and even bigger last few weeks for East Gippsland alternative rock outfit Outloved.As well as recently releasing the single Tourniquet - which features Ocean Sleeper vocalists Karl Spiessl and Ionei Heckenberg - Outloved also supported Windwaker and Caskets, announced EP launch shows in Sydney and Melbourne and are also preparing to drop their EP Drowner.Blending heavy rock, pop punk and metalcore, Outloved refuse to sit neatly into any one genre, instead choosing to express themselves according to their own values.HEAVY caught up with vocalist Jaydon Colvinto find out more, starting with the new single Tourniquet."It's a mix of metalcore plus bringing a bit of pop/punk into it, in a way," he offered. "We haven't really written a song with low tuned guitars before and that song was originally meant to be a filler song on an EP and it ended up being a case of let's make it a single. As we started pulling it together I thought this could do with a feature and Ionei, who sings in Ocean Sleeper, is our producer as well and I co-write with him quite a lot. I said do you and Karl wanna jump on it and he said that would be sick. They were happy to jump on it and pull the track together in the end, which was awesome."In the full interview, Jaydon talks more about Tourniquet, what Karl and Ionei brought to the song, what it's like collaborating with other artists, how Tourniquet differs musically to previous single Never The One, the upcoming EP and what to expect, what they take out of playing bigger support shows, their album launch shows and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

25 Juli 202312min

Interview by Erin EddyMelodic metal outfit Caskets are in Australia for the very first time, something they’re still pinching themselves over.“When we got here, I wasn’t expecting anyone to really know who we were,” says vocalist Matt Flood, “so the fact that most of the crowd at every show has been singing back to us, it’s been pretty crazy.”It’s been a steady rise to success for the boys from Leeds, who have amassed a loyal following since their inception in 2018.They are touring the country with Windwaker on their Love In The Dark tour, but have managed to sneak in two headliner shows while they are out here, the first of which happened last Saturday, July 23 at The Workers Club in Melbourne, the second taking place in Wollongong on July 25.HEAVY was privileged to be invited into the green room at The Workers Club before the show, to spend some time chatting with Matt and drummer James about the wild ride that Caskets are on.“We never thought we’d get to this stage.” James told HEAVY. “Constant disbelief.”As well as touring Australia for the first time, Caskets have just released a string of singles from their forthcoming second full-length album. Reflections is set to be released on August 11.The band’s songs feature strong messages surrounding mental health and personal struggles.Caskets fans call themselves the Lost Souls, which is the title of the band’s first album. The online community of fans has been cultivated by the band themselves and has become a space where, through the power of music, no one has to feel alone.“We want to be the outlet for kids that we needed when we were kids,” Matt expresses, “So many people look to music as an outlet for so many things in their life. It’s important that they’re heard and that we take what we’ve been through in our lives into this job so that they can witness that we’ve been through what they’re going through and that there’s a better way out.”Listen to the full interview to hear more about the band’s passion for portraying their messages with conviction, and going to bed with blocks of cheese.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

25 Juli 202331min

Interview by Coco Le Sex Bomb, Come with us now on a journey through a whimsical world of comedy as actor and photographer Dave Brown unveils over twenty years of iconic memories from the global phenomenon that is The Mighty Boosh when he brings Behind the Boosh to Australia this August. Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the pilot that started it all Brown brings a truckload of never-before-seen photos documenting the entire wild ride. HEAVY had the pleasure of chatting with the enigmatic Brown about the exclusive event to get a glimpse into all of the weird and wonderful things that happen when you document, “file” and compile over 20 years of friendship, laughter and goofing around. We contemplate the love and life of The Mighty Boosh all these years later and reflect on the inception of characters like Bollo The Gorilla, Black Frost, Australian zookeeper Joey Moose and Naan Bread. Brown is one of those people that you instantly feel like you have known for a lifetime and in a way, to the fans like you and I, he is. He will be speaking at both Melbourne and Sydney shows for the lucky ones that take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime experience.Behind The Boosh showcases Brown's extensive photographic archive, carefully curated to present a collection of his personal favourites. These captivating images span over 20 years, capturing poignant moments from early live gigs, behind-the-scenes glimpses during TV show filming, and the electric energy of their global tours. Through Brown's lens, viewers gain an intimate insight into the lives and characters of The Mighty Boosh creative collective, providing a visual narrative unlike any other. “The love The Mighty Boosh still has to this day is comparable to legendary acts such as Monty Python and continues to draw in people of all ages. It was such a bonus to have a great photographer who was part of the show, Dave never missed anything! “I almost find it difficult to look at them because it takes me back immediately to that time, and because Dave was always taking photos, the snaps are genuine; they’re not posed,” said creator Noel Fielding. Listen to the full interview to get a rare insight into the mechanisms and brains trust of one of the world's funniest and most creative comic talents.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

25 Juli 202328min

Interview by Kris Peters Much has changed with Michigan metalcore outfit We Came As Romans since their last visit to Australian shores seven years ago.The band were thrown into turmoil - both personally and musically - following the tragic loss of co-vocalist and keyboardist Kyle Pavone in 2018. The invariable questions of continuing in the wake of a personal loss of this magnitude took some time to digest, but the decision was made to honour Pavone's memory by not only continuing his musical legacy in the band, but also by pouring their grief and feelings into what would become We Came As Romans' fifth studio album Darkbloom. A sonic portrait of finding light in the darkness, Darkbloom harnessed the sum of all that came before while also thrusting the band into an unknown future full of renewed hope.The album was a resounding success and a fitting tribute to love and loss that has seen We Came As Romans channel their pain into the very thing that brought them together in the first place.The music.We Came As Romans hit Australia for a run of four shows from late next month, with lead vocalist Dave Stephens joining HEAVY from the road in the US to share his excitement."We're on tour right now, so I guess I'll just throw my suitcase on the plane and be good to go," he laughed. "We're ready and excited. We love touring Australia."We ask Stephens what Australian fans can expect from the band after a prolonged absence."We'll be playing a bunch of new stuff," he promised. "We've got a long set, so we will throw in some old ones along the way and some classics. It's been a long time since we've been to Australia, so we will make sure we play a bit of everything."In the full interview we discuss the obvious changes in the band since their last tour, honouring Kyle through music, the overwhelming reception to Darkbloom and how it impacted the band, a new era of music for We Came As Romans, bringing Invent Animate with them for their first Australian tour, the early days of We Came As Romans, how their vision has changed over the years and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

25 Juli 20237min

Interview by Kris PetersBrisbane based international masters of metal Gangs Of Old Ladies are about as underground and DIY as you could get in the modern age of mass consumption.Making noise out of a top secret gateway to Hell somewhere in the Sunshine State, Gangs Of Old Ladies are as mysterious as they are brutal. They are a musical force unto themselves that has somehow managed to conjure support from some of the heaviest hitters in the international metal scene, with artists from Chuck Billy (Testament) to Dani Filth to Gary Holt (Exodus) lending their talents and wizardry.Such is the bands allure they had also welcomed former Soilwork guitarist David Andersson into their inner sanctum at a time in his life where friendship and loyalty meant more than anything presented by music.Andersson's fate became entwined with that of the band - which he joined before his passing last year - and now, finally, some of Andersson's last ever and most soul satisfying work is ready to be shared with the world.Death Magic Volume One is a neatly woven package of three tracks that starts with the odd yet haunting intro Avresa Fran Stockholm. One of the last pieces of music penned by Andersson before his death, the track celebrates both memorial and rebirth, featuring the newly founded skills of main guitarist and songwriter Simon Unknowne. The intro also features a hauntingly beautiful Swedish goodbye spoken by David's own sister Emma Andersson, with a video shot by David's dear friend Morgan Schrantz.Released in memory of and to pay honour to their fallen brother, Death Magic Volume One is Gangs Of Old Ladies' way of sharing some of Andersson's future spark as well as acting as a coping mechanism for a life tragically cut short. Frontman Jekyll Jones and guitarist/songwriter Simon Unknowne sat down with HEAVY to convey their message of metal."I think it's the best work we've ever done," Jones fired without hesitation. "That's basically because Simon wrote the whole thing, engineered the entire thing, mixed the entire thing and made it what it is."While Death Magic Volume One is dedicated to the memory of Andersson, it also serves as a blistering sonic representation of a band that could have easily imploded after such internal devestation but instead chose to rebel."The first track Avresa Fran Stockholm - which is Swedish for Departure From Stockholm - is... in David's final months he was in hospital in Stockholm," Jones began. "He hated Stockholm (laughs), and we would video chat every second or third day for hours and hours on end. We were very close. I would actually take the phone down while we were on video messenger and we would watch the sunrise together. I knew everything that was going on with him personally and Soilwork. We were working on music in the background and it was meant to be some other stuff and then David passed and we call it the A.D effect - After David effect. It was almost like he passed his magic onto us, and Simon just gave us these tracks that were not only a lot more sophisticated than anything else we've ever done, but all of a sudden there was violins and cellos and double bass and there was symphonic resonance in there. It was like how did you do this? And that's where the title comes from as well. We got this inspiration, and the girls in the band came on board when David was still with us. He was very much a fan of Luna Black's voice and loves Zoskia's ideas. It turned out that after we lost him it was almost the right recipe - even to the point that one of his other projects was with a French lady - and she makes videos. She was the one who made the video clip for Avresa and we are also very good friends with David's Mum and his Sister and it's actually his sister's voice that you hear at the end of the song. It was... for them, they think it's a beautiful thing to have something that is of David's but at the same time not taking the limelight away from him."In the full interview we run through each of the three tracks individually as Gangs Of Old Ladies explain their meaning in greater detail, get more of an understanding of where David's head was at musically during his time with the band, some last memories which will act as motivation for those left behind, other exciting things happening with the band, their reputation as one of Australia's most unusual extreme acts and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

22 Juli 202321min

Interview by Kris PetersWestern Australian death/thrash outfit Remission have been busy of late, releasing a string of singles in the lead up to their new album Impermanence which is out now.Detailing themes of personal challenge, redemption and hope based on personal, philosophical viewpoints and classical mythology, Impermanence is a coming of age album of sorts for Remission who have been on a steady ascent since their birth in 2015.Guitarist/vocalist Jacson joined HEAVY earlier this week to discuss the album in greater detail."Everything's pretty much full steam ahead for us at the moment, which is the best way to be," he enthused early on in the chat."A lot of the lyrics that I write come from a personal point of view," he continued. "I've had a lot of personal struggles over the years and I find music is a really good outlet for those things. With the themes such as the mythological themes I have kind of used as a metaphor to tell a story. Rather than being blunt about the subject matter of very personal things I like to try and weave what I'm wanting to say into a story that centres around that kind of thing. A lot of this album is about getting through hard points of your life and becoming stronger from it. I found that very cathartic to write about and have an outlet for. Some of the songs on this album call for that more emotional side of things."In the full interview Jacson discusses the singles released from the album, the musical side of Impermanence in greater detail, what lessons the band earned from their debut album that they took into this one, how the two albums differ musically, the cover image and what it represents, upcoming shows and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

21 Juli 20239min

Interview by Kyra-Jade CoombsEbolagoldfish are a 3-piece self-confessed ‘Past-Punk’ band out of Sydney. Heavy had a chat with Gavan McDougall their bassist and after establishing that HEAVY Mag wasn’t indeed a fat joke, we got onto talking about how Ebolagoldfish came to be, their newest single, Powers and what’s coming up for the band.I had to know right away how they ended up calling themselves Ebolagoldfish. True to Aussie ‘culture’ I was informed that the name came from the McDougall brother’s father basically calling them idiots when trying to find something, like car keys for example. “What’s that? A bowl of goldfish?” pointing at the ‘lost’ keys, which evolved into ‘Ebolagoldfish’. Turns out the world doesn’t have a sense of humour, which resulted in people reaching out the band on what to do with the goldfish to help someone with Ebola. Look out, we are going places as a society people…Now if you haven’t watched the film clip that accompanies their newest single Powers you need to check it out. It’s my sense of humour to a tee and had me cracking up from the get-go. It perfectly nods to the old school/ horrifically dubbed movies and has the boys running around the rolling hills of New South Wales in their white coveralls chasing rainbows. The song itself is catchy as fuck and has been on high rotation at my place, I really can’t wait to hear more.The conversation somehow turned to the fact that I knocked my front tooth out. For those of you that don’t know, Gavan and his twin Andy are the younger brothers of Linsday from Frenzal Rhomb. As it turns out I interviewed Linsday a few weeks ago, and he had to have his ‘2 cents’ about my goddamn tooth asking if I got it fixed. I said I was during tax time and Gavan quickly clapped back with “I hope the gap ain’t too big”. Gotta this thick skin in this industry, haha! This lot really did fall from the same tree. I would imagine Christmas time at the McDougall’s would be a fucking scream!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

21 Juli 202320min