Bringing The Thunder With JOE HOTTINGER From HALESTORM
Halestorm took the world by storm towards the end of 2022 with the release of their fifth studio album, Back From The Dead. A rock album in every sense of the word, Back From The Dead drew a fresh generation of fans to Halestorm’s side with its harder edge and attitude-stained delivery. That album saw […]
A Better Tomorrow With BRENDAN PRESTON & BENNY BONES From ALL THIS FILTH
In the modern age of short attention spans, it is refreshing to see some bands still operating by the tried and true laws of yesteryear when it comes to releasing music. With EP’s and singles all the rage, Perth metal outfit All This Filth elected to take their time with their recently released album Tomorrow […]
Arterial Spray With BILL STEER From CARCASS
Thanks to Nev Pearce from the Everblack Podcast For over three decades, the name Carcass has been synonymous with death metal. The band – who are credited for inventing gore/grind and creating the template for melodic death metal – have not ventured to this side of the world for a number of years but are […]
Up In Neon Lights With VILLE VALO
Finnish gothic rock legend Ville Valo is gearing up for an electrifying return to the Australian and New Zealand stages after a decade-long hiatus. With his debut solo album Neon Noir still reverberating through the music scene, Valo took some time to chat with HEAVY Mag about his latest ventures and the eagerly awaited tour. […]
Controlled Chaos With TOMI PERRAKOSKI From MAGNADUR
Making any kind of a splash in the ferociously brilliant wading pool that is Finnish metal is an arduous task, made even more so by the pedigree of bands gone before and the talent of those emerging. The metal scene has always been strong in that part of the world, and although there are a […]
One Final Hurrah With DENIZ TEK From RADIO BIRDMAN
Fifty years of servitude in any industry is a great achievement, but fifty years in the music industry is something special. In an industry that rewards only when you have something of value to offer, bands are churned through the machine at a rapid rate of knots. Yesterday’s heroes can quickly become tomorrow’s nobodies with […]
Clearing The Waters With SEB From DARK WATER
As much as music and finding success in the industry is largely about talent, the occasional bit of good fortune or right place right time ethos certainly helps. Melbourne synthwave outfit Dark Water discovered this last week when they were announced as national support for Ville Valo on his upcoming Australian shows. The call-up came […]
Chewing The Fat With PETE COOPER From THE PORKERS
25 years ago, an album by an Australian punk outfit started making ripples in the music scene that quickly turned into rips in the very fabric of music. It typified the Australian laconic sense of humour and general apathy towards anything even remotely resembling authority, and would go on to become a landmark in Australian […]
ORANGE GOBLIN Are Ready To Invade
Cut from the same beer-stained cloth as the greats, UK stoner rock metal act ORANGE GOBLIN are still riding high and leading the pack in ‘balls to the wall’ heavy metal thunder. Emerging amid the exhilarating melee of the mid-‘90s stoner rock and doom explosion, ORANGE GOBLIN immediately endeared themselves to a generation of metal fans by simply going […]
A Moment Of Realisation With EZEKIEL OX From MAMMAL
After taking a couple of years to fully find their feet again after a prolonged absence, Aussie funk/rock/metal dance machine Mammal are finally ready to unleash their second full-length album on the world with the release of The Penny Drop on March 6. After disbanding in the same year their debut album The Majority shocked […]
Building An Empire With DOM & NICK From SUFFER THE EVENUE
After laying a solid platform last year with their debut EP Vol 1: Superdead metal outfit Suffer The Evenue have spent the last 12 months planning and refining the follow-up to best showcase their musical prowess. By harvesting the essence from their first release, Suffer The Evenue felt more comfortable following their creative instincts on […]
Projecting Your Mortality With BRUCE DICKINSON
It’s been almost 20 years since Bruce Dickinson released his last solo album Tyranny Of Souls back in 2005, but the wait is almost over with the release of The Mandrake Project on March 1. Much has happened with Dickinson both professionally and personally between albums, and he pours the bulk of it out on […]
Chain Of Command With NICK MELISSOURGOS From SUICIDAL ANGELS
Greek metal masters of mayhem Suicidal Angels tomorrow release their eighth studio album Profane Prayer, reaffirming their growing stature as one of the leaders of the next phase of metal evolution. Since forming Suicidal Angels at just 16 years of age back in 2001, Nick Melissourgos (vocals, guitars) has overseen a changing of the guard […]
Tides Of Death With JASON EVANS From INGESTED
Manchester death metal outfit Ingested are the gift that keeps on giving. Since their 2020 album Where Only God May Tread, the three-piece masters of metal have released roughly one album per year, culminating in The Tide Of Death And Fractured Dreams which will be unleashed via Metal Blade Records on April 5. “I didn’t […]
Metal Electric With SCOTT KIRKLAND From THE CRYSTAL METHOD
Pioneers of Electronic Industrial Music, The Crystal Method, return to Australia from March 1 via Auckland on February 29 for a string of showstopping performances. Despite only 14 months elapsing since their last trip out here, such has been the demand for The Crystal Method to bring their music back that these new shows are […]
OF MICE & MEN Speak Of Their Return To Oz
It’s been a hot minute since Californian locals Of Mice & Men were last in Australia – six years to be precise, when they were among the line up for Download Festival in 2018. Excitingly, the four-piece juggernaut are here for a run of Aussie shows, with support from Melbourne’s Dream On Dreamer and Sydney’s […]
Travelling At Warp Speed With SAM TOTMAN From DRAGONFORCE
Dragonforce are undoubtedly one of the biggest bands in the world – or at least the most recognisable. Allowing their track Through The Fire And Flames to be used on Guitar Hero 3 proved a masterstroke for the band after the global success of that game – not to mention the fact how addictive it […]
Shut Up And Smile With BENJI WEBB From SKINDRED
UK reggae/metal/funk/rock outfit Skindred have successfully managed to combine a plethora of sounds, influences and genres together to create a completely fresh and vibrant sonic wave of destruction that on paper should not work but somehow does. Over eight albums the band has defied scrutiny, backlash and, at times, disdain for daring to be different, […]
Keeping It ‘Real Life’ With LUKE GOWER From COG
Interview by Simon Russell-White To be honest I thought The Vinyl Tour was a play on words, I thought to myself “Surely this isn’t the final tour for the almighty Cog?!’. Such thoughts are not only bad for oneself but more importantly for the reader/listener of this interview! But I can assure you, it’s time […]
Airing Your Dirty Laundry With BILLY JEANS From MEAN JEANS
One of the most enduring qualities of music – or punk music more specifically – is that as a listener or musician you don’t feel the obligation to grow up. Ever. It’s actually expected of you that your morals and beliefs will differ from the rest of society, and your outlook on life and sense […]
Taming The Psycho With REDHOOK
Sydney’s chameleons of rock, RedHook have been pretty quiet since the release of their debut album Postcards From A Living Hell in April last year. And who could blame them? 2023 was the year RedHook broke through from a band on the fringes of success to a bona fide international standard touring band, following high-profile […]
Taking Out The Garbage With RORY MCDONALD From VOODOO BLOO
Despite their relative youth, New Zealand alternate rock outfit Voodoo Bloo are no amateurs when it comes to music. Don’t let their baby faces or innocent looks fool you. When it comes to making the tough decisions that could ultimately make or break your career, these lads will invariably make the right one. Be it […]
The Moment Of Truth With FRANK TURNER
English punk/folk singer/songwriter Frank Turner is a man at peace with himself and his music. Not that he has had a sudden epiphany that washed over the daily trials and tribulations of everyday life, but more a peace borne out of contentment. Following his first UK#1 album FTHC in 2022, Turner made the bold decision […]
Down And Dirty With BENNY & JOSH From THE WHISKEYS
Music is a dish best served fermented. Too many bands these days – possibly because of the ease of recording in the modern era – throw music around with too much regularity, losing in substance what they gain in output. But it’s the smarter bands who sit back and master their craft before releasing music, […]
Ready To Rock With ATSUO MIZUNO From BORIS
Sometimes I feel Japanese bands don’t get the recognition they deserve. Sure, you could mount that same argument the world over, but after having toured Japan on close to ten occasions with different bands and seeing around 100 of the country’s emerging artists on the same line-ups I feel I am qualified to highlight Japanese […]
Leading The Way With BRUCE SOORD From THE PINEAPPLE THIEF
After sixteen albums and rising, you would think Bruce Soord from The Pineapple Thief would know pretty well what he is doing with himself and the band musically. Essentially a rock outfit, The Pineapple Thief have released a consistently steady stream of albums, amassing a staunch, loyal and growing fan base with each one. “I’ve […]
Finding Purpose With LAURENCE HEWSON From SORDID ORDEAL
Melbourne rock outfit Sordid Ordeal are the epitomical Aussie music act, if there ever was such a thing. Fronted by Laurence Hewson – who some might know by his stage name The Voice Of Flinders – Sordid Ordeal have been through the proverbial ringer and back but survived to tell the tale and then some! […]
The Healing Powers Of Time With JONNY DAVY From JOB FOR A COWBOY
In the modern age of music, it is important – almost vital – to maintain a steady output of music and engagement with your fans. People’s increasingly shorter attention spans, coupled with the sheer volume of new bands and music being released daily, combine to ensure bands that aren’t active, don’t survive. Pure and simple. […]
No Strings Attached With JANET GARDNER & JUSTIN JAMES
Janet Gardner is a name most hard rockers and metallers have etched into their black hearts. Since fronting legendary outfit Vixen, Gardner has epitomised the spirit of metal with her distinctive vocals, influencing generation after generation of music listeners and performers while always maintaining an approachable and down to Earth attitude. “We spent a lot […]
Sweating Bullets With CHASE MASON From GATECREEPER
Hailing from the deserts of Arizona, US death metal outfit Gatecreeper has set the heavy music world alight in their ten years as a band, combining old-school Swedish sounds with American hardcore sensibilities to create a fusion easily identifiable as their own. With a new album set for release this year, Gatecreeper have also signified […]
Bringing The Glam With JEFF BLANDO From SLAUGHTER
It’s hard to imagine that a band in its 35th year have never toured Australia. Especially when that band is in the ilk of legendary rockers Slaughter! But that’s precisely the case, with forces conspiring against the band over three and a half decades to keep them out of earshot. “We owe it to the […]
Stoking The Fires With DEZ FAFARA From COAL CHAMBER
When Dez Fafara announced that Coal Chamber was on indefinite hiatus in 2016, stating that the success of DevilDriver was taking precedence, the heavy metal community to a man fell under a thick wave of despair. Bridging the gap between metal and industrial groove with an impossibly infectious tempo, Coal Chamber helped revolutionise the sound […]
Answering The Call With JOSHUA WADE From SIENNA SKIES
Australian 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 […]
The Spirit Of Metal With EXODUS RISING
If 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 […]
A Collection Of Skulls With BRANDON SALLER From ATREYU
**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 […]
Building Blocks Of Mystique With MORTEN LOWE SORENSEN From AMARANTHE
For 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 […]
Expelling Your Demons With DEZ FAFARA From DEVILDRIVER
While most of us take music on face value and, although maybe appreciating the lyrical content and life experiences that are invested in the lyrics, the vast majority of people do not – or cannot – fathom the entire depth, meaning and personal anguish behind them. For over three decades Dez Fafara has been writing […]
Revitalised Spirit With CHAD GRAY From MUDVAYNE
Mudvayne are one of the most influential bands when it comes to the genre of music they helped to pioneer. When they dropped their debut album L.D 50 in the year 2000 it is fair to say the entire sonic landscape of heavy metal shifted irreversibly and the nu-metal movement that had until then just […]
Calm Before The Storm With GUILLERMO IZQUIERDO From ANGELUS APATRIDA
While 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 […]
The Sound Of Wrath With TREY SPRUANCE from MR. BUNGLE
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, […]
Filling The Void With SAM BETTLEY From ASKING ALEXANDRIA
It’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, […]
Diversity Through Music With PERSEFONE
Andorran 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 […]
Releasing The Pressure Valve With DANIEL MOILANEN From KATATONIA
Swedish metal heavyweights Katatonia are on the cusp of their first headlining tour of Australia in nearly a decade, which kicks off in Sydney on February 9. Over the course of thirty years and eleven studio albums, Katatonia have proved groundbreaking in their approach, constantly restructuring their sound to match their own personal music growth. […]
Triumph From Tragedy With CALIGULA’S HORSE
The last few years have been tough on the world at large, with people of all walks of life forced to find their own coping mechanisms to safely navigate increasingly treacherous waters. Musicians, long thought to be able to handle anything the world threw at them and turn it into cathartic verse, were amongst the […]
Baring Your Claws With ROBBIE From TIGER DRIVER
For the past few years, Melbourne heavy outfit Tiger Driver have paced themselves nicely, releasing a succession of singles to test the water and generate interest. But, entering 2024, the death metallers have decided to increase the tempo, first releasing the track Eternal on December 31 before following up earlier this week with the crushing […]
Dare To Dream With ZACH BRITT From DREAM ON DREAMER
Australian metal outfit Dream On Dreamer were an international sensation in the early part of this decade, playing, amongst other things, 24 different countries and sharing the stage with bands such as Avenged Sevenfold, Pierce The Veil, Memphis May Fire, A Day To Remember and plenty more. With four chart-topping albums to their name, including […]
Starting A Revolution With GLENN PATRICK From SHOTGUN MISTRESS
Aussie rock outfit Shotgun Mistress exploded out of the blocks with their debut self-titled album in 2021, showcasing an old-school approach to songwriting that saw them instantly branded amongst rising bands to keep an ear out for. Spawning a string of chart-topping singles such as No Friend Of Mine, Save Me From Myself, Glorious Machine, […]
Dare To Dream With JOHN DEMENA
Following the release of last year’s album Dreams And Lies, LA-based rock singer/songwriter John Demena found his career on an upward trajectory. With his music now circulating in the right circles – including album opener and single I The People making Loudwire‘s Weekly Wire Playlist as one of the Best 50 Rock & Metal Songs […]
Recycled Goods With MACKA From BOONDALL BOYS
Every city anywhere in the world has bands that are considered legendary within their geographical area, but might not be so recognised much further than the next border crossing. For Brisbane that band is Boondall Boys, a band featuring a gentleman that goes by the name of Macka who also happens to be in a […]
Ultimate Power With DAN CLEARY From STRIKER
Canadian metal outfit Striker are a band not known for taking the safe approach to music. While old school fans bemoan the fact they refuse to continually churn out albums of pure thrash metal, Striker understand the importance of allowing their musical growth to be reflected with each fresh body of work. “Our biggest reward […]
