THE QUARANTINED: Overriding The Algorithms Of Life And Music

Interview by Kris PetersBlack Rheno seem to be on a bit of a tear at the moment. Last year, they toured the country with their own headline shows, packing out venues and even supported the mighty Pantera. Then, in November, they dropped their first single in a couple of years, Snake Will Rattle. Now, just a few months on, the guys are back with a stack of fresh tour dates, more new music, and video clips—and you know they’ll be raising hell on the road.Chopping Heads Wearing Fancy Threads is yet another slab of musical adrenaline from the Sydney trio, mixing sludge, punk and metal with enough attitude to appease even the harshest critic. Put basically, it's what Black Rheno do best, given voice by music.After a couple of years away from the daily grind that accompanies any new music, Black Rheno returned with force late last year with Snake Will Rattle. The track proved Black Rheno had lost none of their edge or quirkiness, returning them to the hearts and ears of an anxious fan base who were starting to count down the days.Now, with the release of Chopping Heads Wearing Fancy Threads, Black Rheno are about to head back out on the road to do what they do best, kicking off on March 2 in Perth and winding its way back to their hometown of Sydney. But if there's one thing surer than the Bombers losing a final, it's that once they start, Black Rheno find it hard to stop.HEAVY caught up with frontman Ryan Miller for all the goss."We've just been really busy and getting busier," he replied when we asked how things have been in the Black Rheno camp, "and loving it. We've got an album we recorded over in the States about a year ago, which we're sort of sitting on at the moment and waiting for the right time to release it. We just wanted to keep putting out music in the meantime and building the band and playing shows and giving ourselves excuses to go do stuff. I've got a studio, so we do a bunch of recordings ourselves. This single and the next couple and the last one we put out are all self produced by us, so we're just getting out and playing shows. Doing what we love."In the full interview, Ryan talks more about the new track Chopping Heads Wearing Fancy Threads which is being premiered via HEAVY on February 17, the musical side of the song and what to expect, keeping a sense of humour and respect within music, the album already recorded in the US and what is happening with it, new music coming out down the track, their upcoming single launch tour, getting back out on the road and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

13 Feb 20min

Interview by Kris PetersRising Brisbane metal outfit Engraved have awoken from their slumber and come out snarling with the release of their new single The Fallen. Described as a song that "amplifies everything Engraved fans love", The Fallen takes aim at toxic people in the music industry and their questionable motives.With a stable line-up finally in place, Engraved are looking to cement their place amongst the next generation of Australian metal acts, a goal started with last year's signing to XMusic and subsequent single NCB. The track emphatically announced Engraved as a band with a mission, ushering in new vocalist Panda with a devastating show of brutality that hinted at a fresh direction for the five-piece band.Now, Engraved further those claims with The Fallen, the second track lifted from the band's as yet untitled debut album which is slated for release in the back half of this year. And to celebrate, Engraved hit the road for an East Coast tour, starting at Ric's in Brisbane on February 14.Bass player Phillip Capewell sat down with HEAVY to tell us more."It's basically about toxicity within different scenes, especially the music scene," he explained. "You'll have something good going, but then you get a rat, basically, eating away at the scene and making it toxic."Musically, The Fallen is a step further into heavier territory for Engraved, with Capewell acknowledging the shift in momentum."The song was actually sitting in our demo folder," he began, "and just before Panda and Thiago joined the band, Dan said we need to go through the demo folder and get rid of… just archive it basically. That song came on and the start of it, I was just like, oh, 30/30/150 by Stone Sour straight up. I said let's do this one."In the full interview, Phil talks more about The Fallen and its musical direction, the soon-to-be-released music video, how The Fallen differs to previous single NCB, what part the songs play in a future album, how the sound of that will differ to their debut EP Unleashed, the benefits of finally having a stable line-up, upcoming shows and more.Pre-save/ check out The Fallen here: https://lnk.to/G8M6LQBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

13 Feb 17min

Interview by Kris PetersWowsers! Behold human pirates of the southern lands, ALESTORM have set their compass this way for their next expedition to the other side of the world to regale us all with their super infectious blend of modern folk and power metal. With their well-renowned A game PARTY prepped and packed, they’ll be stuffing the galley full of inflatable ducks, kilts, a hurdy-gurdy player, maybe even a shark, but most importantly, drums upon drums of beer and rum! Bring your mateys, bring your best drinking hat, bring your lungs and let’s fire up the biggest shindigs of 2025!!Joining them will be Nekrogoblikon, the self-proclaimed Goblin Metal warlords who are also getting their first taste of Australia. On paper, it seems a mismatch of epic proportions, but when the curtains draw open and the lights go down the only true victor will be music lovers in the crowd.HEAVY spent some time with Alestorm vocalist Chris Bowes to get more of a gauge on what to expect."It's absolute chaos," he smiled when asked what we can expect from Alestorm live. "It's a party. Everyone's gonna be drunk. Watch your head, there's gonna be a lot of crowd surfers - there always is. Oh my God, last night we were playing in France and there was a dude crowd-surfing with just a kilt. And I mean, just a kilt. He was otherwise totally naked. So of course he started crowd-surfing and the kilt was riding up, and he's got ass and balls tea bagging the entire audience as he goes (laughs). You would be sitting there watching the show then all of a sudden you feel these wet balls on your head, and you look up, and you get a face full of ass… And that was the whole show. I just kept watching these people get tea bagged. Hopefully that sort of behaviour won't happen, but anything's possible."In the full interview, Chris runs us through what has changed with Alestorm since they were last out here, explains the stage production and scale of the live set and what delights we will be getting, their reputation as a party band and living up to expectation, the response to last year's EP Voyage Of The Dead Mariner and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

12 Feb 11min

Interview by Kris PetersCalifornia based party starters Drain have had a love affair with Australia ever since making their debut visit as support to Comeback Kid in early 2023. So much so that the band has been here once a year since then, and is set to continue that trend when they hit our shores as part of New Bloom Festival with Balance & Composure from March 8.Not only that, the good time hardcore outfit have also announced a string of sideshows with One Step Closer, kicking off a couple of days earlier on the Sunshine Coast on March 6.Drain have quickly built a reputation based around their fun-tinged live performances, throwing the world of hardcore on its head by treating the music as an outlet for good times and frivolity rather than the pure state of aggression for which it has become known. With a recent album Living Proof to promote, plus a yearly obligation to fulfil, frontman Sammy Ciaramitaro joined HEAVY to fill in the blanks."It wasn't at first, it was just for fun," Sammy replied when we ask if Drain first started having fun with the crowds to combat the seriousness and aggression of hardcore music. "We lived by the beach and I said hey, I'll bring a boogie board to the show, it will be kinda sick. Eventually, at a certain point, we stopped, but other people would bring them in (laughs). It's still fun. But at a certain point with the pool noodles people actually hit the guitar strings so we can't play. I still have fun with it but now we just turn up. We're gonna bring the energy. We bring what we bring, you bring what you bring, and we're gonna collectively rock it out. Whatever that looks like. It might be a little different every day. It was just to have a good time. We did it for fun, but now what we like more than anything is stage dives and when people sing along. That's my favourite part."In the full interview Sammy talks more about what fans can expect from their shows, the importance of enjoying your music, One Step Closer and why they were chosen as supports, what he loves most about Australia, the early days of Drain, new music and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

10 Feb 12min

Interview by Kris PetersThe D4 are storming the East Coast — louder, wilder, and more combustible than ever! With the FIRST EVER VINYL pressing of sophomore album Out Of My Head dropping February 7, 2025, NZ’s finest punk n’ rollers will be hitting Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne in the company of some of Australia’s most beloved rockin’ outfits early 2025.The D4 are running hot from a riotous, untamed tour across their spiritual stomping ground of Japan, and are now primed to explode back onto the Australian stage.Rock'n'roll fans will be treated to their notorious and incendiary live show, replete with a reputation for amplifiers catching on fire and sweat dripping from the ceiling. Expect the powerhouse show to include the classics Rock'n'Roll Motherfucker, Sake Bomb, What I Want, Party, Come On!, Get Loose and Ladies Man amongst a high-octane set that will also include a slew of NEVER BEFORE HEARD MATERIAL!HEAVY caught up with vocalist/guitarist Jimmy Christmas to find out more."There's a lot of memory and effort and energy that went into that record," he recalled of Out Of My Head, "so it's nice to be able to revisit it. I think… we had a lot of people clamouring for it to be on vinyl over the years and there just hadn't been a time when the stars aligned, but now it seems to make a lot of sense. I was pleased to pick up the records just today."In the full interview, Jimmy expressed the band's excitement to come back to Australia for the first time in 20 years, what to expect from the shows, what has changed with The D4 in that period, the 20th anniversary of the album Out Of My Head, memories of making the album, if the songs have stood the test of time and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

10 Feb 8min

Interview by Kris PetersMany artists have written about their struggles with mental health, but how many have written songs that actually sound like a mental crisis? That notion was exactly what Martin Jackson from Confyde set out to do when writing the songs for his latest three-track EP A Cowards Stitches, which was released today.Written in the aftermath of a relationship break-up, Jackson found himself in unchartered waters, facing reality head-on after professional advice forced him to confront his inner demons and quantify them by bringing them screaming out of the shadows of his mind and into the harsh reality of light. It was a process which had the potential to be crippling, but given his love for and aptitude of music, Jackson elected to relay his thoughts and feelings through verse in an attempt to best deal with them.The result is a schizophrenic trio of songs, ranging from the twisted and sonically challenging title track to the brutally honest Once Broken and the reflective Hxppy Nxw Yxxr, three songs that delve into the mindset of a person whose personal struggles are slowly manifesting into a tangible entity that can be defeated.Jackson sat down with HEAVY to take us deeper."The writing process was about the same," he measured when asked if it was easier or harder to write songs that are deeply personal as opposed to general views. "At the end of the day, it still comes from a place of emotion, and things that I feel very strongly about. It's just this time it happens to affect me and my personal life. I think the process of recording and writing was easier. I was certainly a lot more freeform this time, even though Confyde's music is a bit more all over the place anyway, I always like to think there's strong hooks and it's still quite accessible when it needs to be. This time I kind of threw the rule book out a little bit."In the full interview, Martin takes us behind the reasons he decided to take a more personal route on this release, dealing with his struggles, writing them into songs and music and how that process has helped, whether it was easier or harder to write such personal songs and release them for public consumption, offers an in-depth analysis into each of the three songs individually, what he hopes others might take out of the EP and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

7 Feb 23min

Interview by Kris PetersSydney stoner, sludge, doom outfit Bifter have done their time playing the traps live and have set 2025 as the year to showcase their music to the world. April will see their conceptually based album First Impressions Of Hell unleashed on the world, and to kick start the album cycle the band have elected to share the band's lead single March Of The Imp as an appetiser before the main course.With soul crushing dual vocals atop a violent wall of guitar, bass and drums, Bifter's music isn't for the faint-hearted - nor is it meant to be. Instead, the band offers a sonic blast of sludge fuelled goodness with enough chops and changes to keep you guessing until the very end of each track.Drummer Gus Hart sat down with HEAVY to go into more detail."We're really happy with it," Gus enthused of March Of The Imp, "and we think it accentuates the album in general and the vibe we're going for. We've sort of come out hitting with one of our heavier tracks to start for the first single because we wanted to hit the ground running."We ask if the single is a good sonic representation of what to expect from First Impressions Of Hell."It is…," he measured, "but I also think the best thing about the album and about Bifter's sound in general is that we're pretty unique in that we weave a bit of a tapestry in between different genres. Especially within one song, we pride ourselves on doing some cool change ups. Whether it be old-school traditional doom riff breakdowns or utilizing our two vocals to give a sludgy edge to some of our breakdowns, whereas we've still got some fast stoner riffs in there as well. We pride ourselves on blending all that together and that's what you're gonna get in the album."In the full interview, Gus talks more about March Of The Imp, why it was chosen to represent the new album, the conceptual theme around the song and album, why the band has a four-day gap between releasing the single and the accompanying music video, upcoming shows and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

6 Feb 17min

Interview by Kris PetersForming in Melbourne, Florida, BODYSNATCHER deal in all things dark, furious and sonically threatening extreme music. Combining crushing breakdowns with eerie ambience, scathing riffs and grisly grooves, the band have become synonymous with “heavy,” invoking violence in every city they happen to visit, spawning mosh pits that leave nothing but craters in their wake. Proudly and loudly putting the "core" back in deathcore, BODYSNATCHER have graced stages supporting the likes of Chelsea Grin and Slaughter To Prevail, with the band also in command of multiple albums and EPs, including 2017's Death of Me, 2020's This Heavy Void, 2022's Bleed-Abide and Vile Conduct released in September 2024.And now, for the first time, Bodysnatcher are making their way to Australia, supporting good mates Lorna Shore on a run of shows that has already sold out. Which would be catastrophic for Bodysnatcher fans except for the fact the band has just announced three select headlining sideshows which will undoubtedly follow suit and sell out in quick time.HEAVY sat down for a chat with drummer Christopher Whiten to chat more."Very excited to see the sun," he laughed when we bring up the tour. "We've been in Europe for the last three weeks and it's been cloudy. Except for Spain. Spain was nice and sunny."Being their first time to Australia, we ask Chris if the band have done their homework on what to expect."I heard the crowds are awesome," he smiled. "I haven't heard any negative things, I guess, so we're stoked." HEAVY brings up the fact that the one thing we do know about Bodysnatcher is the propensity for action and insanity in their mosh pit, and ask if it's true."Yeah," he said quickly and decisively. "We definitely instigate it. We like that high energy. We like the aggressiveness in fans. We definitely ask for it quite a bit. The shows are just very, very intense with high energy. Constant telling people to get on stage and get off stage. At some of the Lorna dates, I'm sure there's gonna be barricaded venues so no-ones getting on stage (laughs)."In the full interview, Chris talks more about his expectations of Australia and what we should expect from them, their history with Lorna Shore, the excitement of already selling out every show, their headline shows and what different to expect, the early days of the band and where they fit in, recent album Vile Conduct and how it was received, future plans and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

4 Feb 10min