More Rock Waiter Please With GAVIN HANSEN From THE POOR

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

The Black Dahlia Murder were a band in limbo following the tragic passing of frontman and co-founder Trevor Strnad in 2022. Torn between allowing that event to force a premature end to their career or carrying on in their fallen brother’s charismatic spirit, there was no right or wrong choice.It was simply a matter of what emotional toll either decision would take.After an understandable period of grief and reflection co-founder Brian Eschbach, bassist Max Lavelle, drummer Alan Cassidy, and producer/guitarist Brandon Ellis were unanimous in their desire to continue, with Eschbach making the transition from guitarist to vocalist and former guitarist Ryan Knight recalled to assume guitar duties.It was very much a case of baby steps from there, with the future anything but known. But what was known was the remaining members of The Black Dahlia Murder found the resolve to continue, debuting with the new line-up in Detroit that October.It was a performance which solidified the bond between the bandmates and, fuelled by the passion and acceptance from their loyal fanbase, The Black Dahlia Murder slowly set about rebuilding their lives, due, in part, to the efforts put into writing for album number ten.That album is now finished and ready to celebrate the next chapter of The Black Dahlia Murder, with Servitude set for release on September 27. Preceded by the singles Aftermath and Mammoth's Hand, Servitude has been universally lauded by those who have been privy to an advance listen, labelled by some as a graceful return to form and by others as a ruthlessly ripping masterclass in death metal dynamics.One thing you can be sure of is The Black Dahlia Murder have returned to satiate our every sonic desire, with Knight joining HEAVY to discuss the new album and more."Good," he smiled when asked how he was feeling about the release. "We've been living with this thing for almost a year, and as the time ticks down, it feels like an eternity. We're ready for this thing to come out and really think everyone's gonna enjoy it."Twelve months is a long time to sit on unreleased material, allowing for second thoughts or revisions on already constructed work - should you be that way inclined mentally. We ask Knight if he is the sort of person who finishes an album then puts it to bed, or if having it sit there in a holding pattern was an annoyance."I feel like this time - at least on my end - I feel pretty solid about it," he measured. "I feel like for me with every record… I never give anything I do… I would never score it and say 'it's 100% score'. But this one I'm pretty happy with. No regrets for me."Ryan also discussed The Black Dahlia Murder's upcoming album Servitude in more depth, and how it showcases the influence of new band members and a diverse range of musical styles. He also talked about the significance of the singles Mammoth's Hand and Aftermath, which blend the band's classic sound with experimental elements. Ryan reflected on the band's evolution over the years and the balance between maintaining their core sound while incorporating new influences.We also talked about his reintegration into the band and Brian's transition from guitar to vocals, discussing the challenges of adapting to new roles and sounds. The positive crowd reaction from fans and the band's decision to continue after the loss of Trevor were also highlighted, along with their upcoming U.S. and Canadian tours.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

19 Sep 202415min

One of the beautiful things about music is its ability to transcend boundaries and expectations. Nothing can be taken for granted or thought of as a given, with each individual piece of music a different sonic representation of the people who wrote and played it.But sometimes things can surprise you out of the blue - especially collaborations - where bands from seemingly opposing sides of the musical fence combine to create something truly epic.Two bands that would generally never be considered as bedfellows - I Prevail and All Time Low - recently did just that, uniting for the just released track Hate This Song which sees both bands venture outside of their comfort zones to create something special irrespective of which band and/or genre you prefer.Hate This Song combines All Time Low's effervescent, three-chord charm and knack for melody with I Prevail's duelling vocals and riffy snarl. Essentially, Hate This Song is a modern breakup track that highlights how music is the universal love language with which we communicate.With I Prevail currently in the country as part of Parkway Drive's 20th Anniversary Tour, frontman Eric Vanlerberghe joined HEAVY to discuss both the tour and the new song, starting by asking him about the unlikely union with All Time Low."I think that was the plan and the magic of it," he smiled. "In between this last record, and before we start working on our new stuff, we had some opportunities to work with other bands, one of them being All Time Low. Our manager hit us up a while back and said 'hey, we got an email and request to do a collab with All Time Low' and it was like okay, sick, let's do the track. They sent the track over, and it's pretty much what you hear, except Brian wasn't singing the verse and the bridge was this instrumental thing. After hearing it a couple of times and listening to it and trying to get our heads around it, I knew that chorus… that chorus is a banger. It's a 10 out of 10 chorus. So we said yes, let's do it, now what do we do? Do they just want us to sing the parts they already wrote? After some talking back and forth with them, they said no, we want you to write something to it. Just take out whatever you want and put whatever you want in. So we had Brian sing the second verse and tweak some stuff up, then with the bridge we thought if they came to us, I'm sure they don't just want our poppy, melodic side. If they really wanted us, maybe they wanted to hear some riffage and our take on modern metal. So we banged our heads against the wall for a few hours and wrote this bridge part and made this abrupt left turn in the song and find a way to throw it back to the chorus. After a couple of days working on it, they were actually in our hometown of Detroit playing a show a couple of weeks later, so I ended up going to the show and getting to show them in person, and it was like, fair warning, it's pretty different. I played it for them, and they all were like, oh my God, this is sick, this is so sick. So we went back and tweaked it a little bit and here's the song. It was fun. It was a fun writing challenge to be able to really write outside the box of what typically I Prevail is. The same with our last collab with Halestorm, it was just a new tool for us to write stuff that's not typically I Prevail. Maybe it won't fit the record, but maybe we learned something on that journey. Or maybe we have a song now to feature a collab with a totally different artist. It was a lot of fun and a great experience."In the full interview Eric talks more about the unlikely marriage between I Prevail and All Time Low, how difficult it was to merge the two style and genres, their next album and how far advanced it is, the tour with Parkway Drive and how much it means to the band, how the shows will differ to when they were here last as part of Good Things last year and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

19 Sep 202419min

In just five years, Mo's Desert Clubhouse in Burleigh Heads has established itself as a leader player in the Australian music industry, providing a venue that caters to all genres of music played by bands of all levels. But it has become more than that for so many people, providing a comfortable and accessible live music outlet that has as much of a famly feel as it does a live music house.Mo's recently took out their third Live Music Venue Of The Year award at the Gold Coast Music Awards, in doing so earning themselves a place in immortality when inducted into the Hall Of Fame.To celebrate the past, present, and future, Mo's Desert Clubhouse will be hosting a special fifth birthday party at the venue on Sunday, October 6 with 8 bands playing plus games, prizes, food and a hot tub!HEAVY sat down with the man behind Mo's, Christian Tryhorn, to discuss the birthday party and more.We engaged in a detailed discussion about the planning of Mo's Desert Clubhouse's fifth birthday celebration, focusing on the event's band line-up, the inclusion of a hot tub, and the desired atmosphere to appeal to regular attendees. Christian highlighted the importance of securing tickets early due to expected high demand, while also celebrating their recent accolades, including the Gold Coast Live Music Venue of the Year Award and induction into the Hall of Fame, which underscore Mo's commitment to musicians and creating a safe environment. The conversation delved into the venue's origins, tracing its evolution from a personal space inspired by experiences at Burning Man to a significant live music venue in Australia, and reflected on the professionalism developed over the years.Christian also addressed the challenges faced by the music industry in the post-COVID era, including impacts on ticket sales and changing alcohol consumption trends among younger audiences, while promoting the Beats Cartel project aimed at supporting touring bands and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

17 Sep 202413min

Tacoma, Washington’s outfit Enumclaw released their second album Home In Another Life late last month, taking another musical step forward in their short, but promising career.Home in Another Life is the natural expansion of the high-octane rock foundation Enumclaw built with their widely-praised 2022 debut album Save The Baby, coming across as louder, faster and more confronting than their debut while also enjoying the subtle nuances of music that make it resonate on so many levels.HEAVY sat down with vocalist Aramis Johnson earlier today to discuss the album in greater detail, starting with the early reception for Home In Another Life."Really good," he smiled. "I feel like… I'm not really on the internet any more, so I don't know what people are saying on line, but in real life it's been really cool. I ran into a couple of people all over town who I don't know personally and who are saying that they really like it so that means something, right?"We ask about the album musically."We were pretty much just trying to do something that was a lot more direct," he measured, "and not over-produced. We did it in four days; we did the drums in one day, then spent two days doing guitars and bass and a day doing vocals. We were trying to… not completely replicate the Steve Albini sound… but that was definitely our North star. Big drums, well recorded guitars and the sound of the band in the room and not doing too much studio magic."In the full interview Aramis discussed the musical nature of Home In Another Life in greater detail, the singles released and how they paint a sonic picture, how it is a natural expansion of their 2022 debut album Save The Baby, the title and how it connects everything, what has changed with Enumclaw between albums, finding your musical identity and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

17 Sep 202411min

Immersing themselves in the rich tapestry of Nordic culture, groundbreaking collective Heilung are a musical force unlike any other.Entwining theatrical rituals with mesmerizing sonic undertones, Heilung have quickly powered to the upper echelon of global performers with a look and sound difficult to describe and even more difficult to behold.But try turning away from it.Utilising a unique fusion of ancient traditions and modern innovation, Heilung effectively immerse audiences into a realm of primal energy and mysticism, invoking the spirits of ancestors through haunting vocals and featuring authentic traditional instrumentation that ranges from rattles and ritual bells to human bones and throat singing.Australian and New Zealand audiences got their first taste early last year with sold out shows in Sydney and Melbourne, but this October and November people in every capital city will get the opportunity to be swept up into the visually destructive world in which Heilung is lord and master.HEAVY sat down with the three central band members Kai, Maria and Christopher to venture beyond the black curtain."It's really epic to be invited back for such a cool round trip," Maria began. "We're excited to see more of the country. We had a wonderful time in Sydney and Melbourne last time, and it felt like we came home in many ways. Some of our listeners knew us well enough to sing along to the tracks, and it was amazing to feel the energy."In the full interview, we discussed Heilung's current European tour and their excitement for the upcoming Australian tour, reminiscing about the warm reception and meaningful experiences from their previous visits, particularly their interactions with the Aboriginal community. They highlighted their strong connection with Australian audiences, noting their quick return within 18 months. The conversation shifted to the immersive and transformative nature of Heilung's performances, which are rooted in pre-Christian rituals and aim to create unique experiences influenced by venue and audience energy.The band elaborated on the spiritual and unscripted essence of their shows, detailing their initial journey from a studio poetry project to live performances, and the balance they strive to maintain between ancient traditions and modern innovations. They emphasized the physical and emotional demands of their performances, which necessitate a schedule of performing every second day, and the significance of using ancient instruments to forge a connection to humanity's roots, plus more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

16 Sep 202415min

Melbourne metal outfit Void Of Vision have flown the flag for Australian music for over a decade; the quintessential underdog that remains humble and unassuming despite having more than enough heart to claim whatever patch of turf they, in the minds of most observers, deserved.Rather than restricting themselves and overstaying the musical welcome they built from their debut EP, 2014's Broken//Bones through to 2016's Children of Chrome, 2017's Disturbia, 2019's Hyperdaze and the amalgamated CHRONICLES series in 2023, Void Of Vision approached each new sonic cycle with the mindset of bettering themselves and their sound in the best and easiest way possible.By letting it come naturally.Each release saw the band morph into varying degrees of their growing musical psyche, refusing to allow their insatiable search for self-respect and musical growth to be harnessed in any way, shape or form.Respected by their peers and adored by an ever expanding legion of fans, Void Of Vision became an entity unto themselves with an air of invincibility around them that was inspiring and infectious. Until they almost lost vocalist Jack Bergin in early 2022 to what was later diagnosed as a "glitch" in his head.The normally outgoing and accessible frontman was forced into becoming an involuntary recluse after returning to hospital in April 2023 suffering intense headaches before being rushed into surgery for a life-saving procedure that forced him into confronting his own mortality and coming to terms with the now very real fact that tomorrow may not be as assured as he once took it for granted to be.As he has done his entire life, Bergin again turned to music, but this time it was with a different outlook on life that manifested itself through songwriting for a body of work that eventually became the genesis for Void Of Vision's new album What I'll Leave Behind that is due for release on September 20.A swirling maelstrom of massive riffs, abrasive edges and sonic bursts of intensity, What I'll Leave Behind is the product of a multitude of fear, sorrow and regret coupled with a renewed appreciation for life that could only come from the perspective of someone who has looked death in the eye but refused to accept it.HEAVY recently sat down with Bergin to discuss a tumultuous past few years and the music that recounts it."I had my first nocturnal seizure," he explained when we ask him about the initial circumstances that saw him wake up in the back of an ambulance, terrified and unsure of how he had got there. "It's basically an unavoidable moment where you are asleep in the dead of the night and your brain will just - basically due to my AVM which is constricting my blood flow - and leads to a… I can't remember the actual name of the type of seizure, but it led to me waking up in the back of an ambulance. I was very lucky to have my partner at the time there, and she was calling the ambulance before we knew it. But it was very weird because for the first time in my life that was a moment that I have zero recollection of. You can have your moments when you are on a night out, and you get drunk, but this was just completely different. It's complete blackout, with no clue of what happened or how it happened. I just went to sleep and woke up in an ambulance, and that was a really wild experience. It's the first instance of what happened. I went to the doctors, and they started beginning the plan to get rid of this AVM in the back of my brain and begin the process for radiotherapy."In the full interview, Jack opens up about the rest of the journey that nearly claimed his life, confronting the illness, how he harnessed those fears into the process of turning it into music for the new album, removing himself from the public eye in order to recover and hating every minute of it, creating an anterior persona dubbed the Angel Of Darkness to mentally adjust to the changes, how the ongoing support from his bandmates and fans in general helped him regain focus, the continued musical growth of Void Of Vision, their upcoming run of shows with Parkway Drive and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

12 Sep 202420min