Prepare To Be Baptised With MARC LOPES From METAL CHURCH
Much has changed with Metal Church since their last visit to Australian shores. The most notable, and tragic of which being the loss of legendary frontman Mike Howe in 2021. Having pressed on to honour the memory of their former bandmate, Metal Church earlier this year released their first album with new vocalist Marc Lopes […]
Finding Your Feet With RYAN DALEY From WAYWARD KINGS
The music business can be an unforgiving mistress. Bands can – and do – give it everything they have, writing, recording and releasing high-quality material and developing an ever-growing fanbase yet still see minimal reward for effort. But when the planets align and the wheel starts turning in your favour it can be a beautiful […]
Backstage At GOOD THINGS 2023 With JAY From FRENZAL RHOMB
Frenzal Rhomb are as reliable as Grandma’s recipe for scones, and probably twice as durable. For more than 30 years now, Australia’s masters of punk and ska have gone about their business unchecked, churning out consistently high-quality albums with tongue more than firmly planted in cheek. The lyrics – while relatively easy to digest – […]
Backstage At GOOD THINGS 2023 With ORION From BEHEMOTH
For far too long, heavy metal on the heavier side of the spectrum has been overlooked at music festivals in this country. Even those that claim to be all about the metal generally stop short of having a bona fide, skull-shattering musical representative grace their stages. It happens that often that many have stopped even […]
Rising Darkness With BURIED SHALLOW
Seldom does a fresh band on the scene command instant respect by virtue of past exploits. Music, as with most things in life of value, is more than having the ability to shred on a guitar or crush with your vocal techniques. It requires a certain level of respect and humility that are almost impossible […]
THE LAST MARTYR Burn It All Down
Melbourne chaotic alt metal outfit The Last Martyr share angry new single Burn It Down. Targeting the tyrannical systems that control our society, Burn It Down is an aggressive outpour of emotional catharsis. “Burn It Down is about wishing we could press reset on the world and start again,” explains vocalist Monica Strut. “It touches upon the control of women’s bodies and the governing of other marginalised […]
GRAU Chat Abseits des Lichts
GRAU was founded in Saarbruecken (Germany) in 2014 by M. (guitars/vocals) and K. (bass/vocals). The band operated as three-piece at the beginning but later grew with different drummers and guitarists. The first release “Transzendenz” was recorded and released in 2016 which gained the band recognition in the local underground as well as gigs in Germany […]
Putting The Fun Back In Punk With FLETCHER From PENNYWISE
Punk royalty hits Australia next week when Californian punk legends Pennywise return to our shores as part of Good Things 2023. The lovable larrikins were only out here for a massive headlining run of shows last year, but such is the demand for their musical prowess and undeniable charm the good folk at Good Things […]
Let The Good Things Roll With ANDREAS KISSER From SEPULTURA
Good Things 2023 will be underway next week, with the annual music extravaganza kicking off next Friday, December 1 in Melbourne before hitting Sydney and Brisbane over the following two days. Every year the Good Things line-up manages to top itself, with this year’s show being no exception. Headlined by Fall Out Boy and Limp […]
Bringing The Noise Down Under With HANABIE
One of the best things about music festivals is the opportunity to discover your potential new favourite band, quite often lurking with intent on some smaller side stage with a rapidly growing crowd of inquisitive onlookers being the only indication from afar that they might indeed be worth a listen. Many people still point their […]
Putting Yourself Through Hell With AARAN & LOZ From While She Sleeps
While She Sleeps are just one of the many massive bands that are included in the lineup for this year’s Good Things Festival. As such they will be on Aussie soil as of November 30, kicking off their stint here with a headlining show in Melbourne. HEAVY had the pleasure of chatting with bassist Aaran […]
Tearing Down The System With TIM HENWOOD From PALACE OF THE KING
One thing that has always typified Australian music is the internal support system encouraged by those within it. Band members often share their talents amongst two, three, or sometimes four other bands, with his fellow bandmates offering words of encouragement and respect rather than bemoan the fact their guitarist, or their drummer is not exclusively […]
Life As A CHOIRBOY With MARK GABLE
One song can tell a dozen stories and stir even more memories, but there’s only so much that can be told in a four-minute window. The real stories, the ones that were happening while the public story was being written, generally remain in the hearts and minds of only those directly involved – and usually […]
Spinning Plates with GREG PUCIATO
As the saying goes ‘get busy living or get busy dying!’ This is certainly true for Greg Puciato, (the living part that is) multi instrumentalist and vocalist for Better Lovers, The Black Queen, Killer Be Killed, Jerry Cantrell’s Solo Band, his own Solo band and, of course, vocalist for the now very deceased Dillinger Escape […]
BINARY ORDER Say The Future Belongs To The Mad
Works on The Future Belongs To The Mad took place over the course of nine months, from December 2022 until August 2023, and was written, produced and performed by the mastermind Benjamin Blank. Containing twelve tracks of industrial metal, IDW and electronic cyberpunk inspired soundscapes, “The Future Belongs To The Mad” is a sprawling, epic, multi genre soundtrack to our […]
STEEL RHINO Talk In Rhino We Trust
“In Rhino We Trust” continues the identifiable STEEL RHINO’s sound that served the band so well and appealed to all people who love classic Hard Rock. The founder Mikael Rosengren stated: “We could not leave the fans with just one album, so we continued the saga of Steel Rhino. I think this album is more raw and […]
Time For Judgement Day With MAN MACHINE INDUSTRY
MMI is back with the second part of the trilogy of EP/Mini-albums to be released back-to-back with only a year, or less, apart. Following last years highly acclaimed “ESCHATON I. Reckoning Day”, The second EP is titled “ESCHATON II. Judgment Day” and is released by GMR Music. As on previous albums J. Bergman (J.B) have had some help […]
Beyond The Eclipse With BILLY GOULD
One of the most endearing aspects of music is its natural ability to connect on so many levels. For the music lover one song can have a profound effect on your mood or dictate your path to an extent, but on the flip side, from a musician’s perspective, music has so much more to offer. […]
Impending Doom With KURT DEIMER
There is so much music being released on an hourly basis in the modern age that sometimes it is necessary to hedge your bets and look into outside interests that could possibly align with your own in an attempt to combine forces. This is much easier said than done, especially considering that something like that […]
Closing The Circle With THOMAS VIKSTROM From THERION
What started as more of a way to fill in time during COVID before expanding its reach across three albums, the Leviathan trilogy set in motion in 2021 by Swedish symphonic metal legends Therion finally draws to a close on December 15 with the release of Leviathan III. It has been a spectacular sonic journey […]
Surving The Plague With TIMOTHY POPE From THE AMENTA
Australian extreme metal outfit The Amenta recently released a brutal album called Plague Of Locus, boasting an assortment of cover songs that have inspired the band and their music. The selection of bands paid homage to has a number of surprises amongst some expected tributes, ranging from local black metal bands like Nazxul and Lord […]
Drawing The Battle Lines With LACCA From 100 Years War
Main photo Zo Damage Article photos Richard Iskov The modern age of music is far more demanding than it was even ten years ago. To be able to give your band the best chance of success, often band members multitask with other roles within the music industry, trying to give themselves and their bandmates the […]
Finding Your Way With RACHEL TRAINOR From NIGHTEYES
The beauty of being a solo artist is the complete freedom of total creativity. While the burden can weigh too heavily on some performers, not so New Zealand-born and Melbourne-based multi-instrumentalist Rachel Trainor, who releases her debut album The Way Back Down under the name Nighteyes on November 10. “You really want it to be […]
Overcoming Adversity With GREG McMANUS From NAUGRIM
Since bursting onto the local metal scene in 2021 with their debut track Forever Know My Name, Blue Mountains based metalcore outfit Naugrim have wasted little in asserting their music, already sharing the stage with international acts such as Unearth and Darkest Hour as well as making a name for themselves at local festivals Canberra […]
Making Christmas Dark With TARJA
Generally when the festive season rolls around and talk turns to Christmas albums the general chill that runs down most metalheads spines would rival that of the North Pole. Far too often a purely commercial venture by smiling sonic assassins out to further enhance their global acceptability, the Christmas album tale has long been fraught […]
Spreading The Ashes With GREG WILKINSON From AUTOPSY
The common perception with iconic bands is that their musical output understandably slows the longer their careers go on. This could be for a variety of factors that are too many to mention, but no matter how many excuses there are, try telling legendary Californian death metal outfit Autopsy that they should be slowing down. […]
Embracing The Sunshine With FUMING MOUTH
Music has a way of providing comfort in a wide variety of ways. To the general music consumer, that comfort is a more personal enjoyment of the music, the lyrics, and the message, but the cathartic nature of music also extends to those making it. “I went from being able to work to having to […]
Sonic Projection With DEVIN TOWNSEND
Devin Townsend is one of the few musicians who globally needs no introduction. Whether it be for his work with Strapping Young Lad or the Devin Townsend Project or anywhere in between, the man is an enigma. A legend. And a true gentleman of the metal scene. Known for his boundless energy and creativity, Townsend […]
Destructive Patterns With BRENDAN DAVINE From VERONA LIGHTS
Verona Lights are out of Melbourne, Victoria, and have recently released their newest album, titled Minos. This is the second album vocalist Brendan Davine has appeared on, after joining the band to replace the original vocalist, but the first album Brendan feels like he has been able to flex full musical creativity. “On Adrestia, the […]
The Futility Of Existence With JOHNNY & RHYS From ESCARION
Harnessing the intensity and intent of a debut album can be difficult. Public expectations are noticeably higher for your second release and your existing fan base has likely also grown significantly. Many bands attempt to replicate the things that went right the first time around and end up forcing themselves into a sonic box of […]
Being Yourself With JOHN BOECKLIN From BAD WOLVES
Bad Wolves hit the jackpot with their 2021 album Dear Monsters, satisfying existing fans of the band with their output, while also drawing a new breed of followers to their music. It was a success in every way, which made their follow-up album Die About It – out now – all the more significant. Die […]
Music In Motion With TODD & DAN From F.U.C
It’s hard to believe that after 13 years Brisbane two-piece Environmental Nu Thrash outfit F.U.C (or, as they are known in the Andes, Forests Under Construction) are finally set to bust their cherry at Wallapalooza 2023. After hosting some of the finest bands this country has to offer from humble beginnings at the Wallaby Hotel […]
HEIRLOOM Decides It Is Time To Romanticize
HEIRLOOM is a metalcore band from Raleigh, North Carolina. Their debut EP “The Furthest Corners” was produced by Chris Davis of The Ghost Inside and Texas In July. In 2022, the band confirmed plans to record with multi-platinum selling producer Howard Benson (My Chemical Romance, Three Days Grace, Saosin, Of Mice & Men, Issues) at his acclaimed West Valley […]
CORROSIVE Feel The Wrath Of The Witch
With “Wrath Of The Witch”, the teutonic death metal force Corrosive presents its seventh and, at the same time, most unusual album. Instead of simply peeling first-class death metal riffs from their ribs year after year, the quintet surprises anno 2023 with a concept album, whose foundation stone was already laid on their 2019 album “Nourished by Blood” […]
The Healing Nature Of Music With NUR NH
After starting her career back in 1996, multilingual singer-songwriter Nur NH quickly set her sights on a global audience, signing with US label World Media Alliance in 2011 and enjoying success with her EP Real Story. She found herself on the cusp of something special, but then suddenly vanished from music in 2013, not re-emerging […]
Ripping It Up At WALLAPALOOZA With DAMO From 28 DAYS
What better way to celebrate your 13th birthday than to return to your spiritual home; the place where it all began? Which is exactly what Wallapalooza are doing this year when the festival returns to its birthplace at The Wallaby Hotel on November 4 for a music extravaganza unlike any seen on the local circuit […]
To WACKEN And Beyond With DEPRIVATION
Australian thrash outfit Deprivation have had a year to remember. Earlier this year the band edged out a strong heat of finalists to win the Australian Wacken Battle Of The Bands competition which had as its first place the opportunity to grace the stage at the prestigious Wacken 2023 in Germany. It was the crowning […]
Good Times And Music With PAUL MARTIN From DEVILSKIN
The annual Lagerfest traveling musical sideshow is legendary in this country for its combination of music and mayhem, with Lagerfest 2023 promising to continue that tradition. Joining hosts Lagerstein will be The Halo Effect, Beyond The Black and Devilskin, making this year’s run a truly international affair. “It’s been a challenging couple of years for […]
The Titans Are Coming With MILLE PETROZZA From KREATOR
After blind-siding the whole country last week with the announcement of Machine Head and Fear Factory heading Down Under early next year for a dream double header, Nuclear Blast Records have done it again, this time throwing In Flames and Kreator into the ring as a touring duo. Dubbed Klash Of The Titans, these two […]
No Need To Pump The Brakes With MACKA From COSMIC PSYCHOS
It’s not like they have ever needed an excuse for a party, but you can be rest assured when a legitimate reason rears its festive head that the Cosmic Psychos won’t fall over themselves complaining. After four decades of delivering their own brand of brutally honest punk rock humour, Cosmic Psychos have dared to allow […]
Flying The Red Flag With JEREMY LENZO From MAYDAY PARADE
In just over a week’s time Australia will fall victim to musical mayhem seldom witnessed in the modern sanitised age. With the wonders of technology taking much of the mystery and mystique out of the rock and roll lifestyle, fans are becoming increasingly receptive to fleeting brushes with fame and adulation and finally the music […]
The Art Of Revenge With MICHAEL LOMBARDI From THE RETALIATORS
The general rule of thumb when you hear about a movie having a heavy metal soundtrack is that the music can be expected to take a massive back seat to everything else happening around it. There have been only a few exceptions to the rule – Judgement Night and The Crow spring instantly to mind […]
Challenging Mortality With JAKE LADERMAN & STEVIE WILLIAMS From CLOWNS
Melbourne punk upstarts Clowns have epitomised the fun and frivolous side of Australian music since their inception in 2009. Their attitude towards music, coupled with almost legendary live performances, has seen Clowns rise quickly to prominence and notoriety, with their honest and raw appraisal of life through music connecting on a global scale. “I think […]
Sonic Explosions With DR. PARALLAX
Instrumental Brisbane progressive metal band Dr. Parallax certainly can’t ever be accused of rushing things when it comes to releasing music. I remember seeing the band in Cairns more than 20 years ago, so imagine my surprise when their debut EP Stick and String came across my desk last week. It is a release more […]
Embracing Your Fans With JOEY CAPE From LAGWAGON
Few punk bands around the world have had the same impact as legendary California outfit Lagwagon.Since 1989 the brash upstarts have released nine studio albums through Fat Wreck Chords and toured relentlessly all over the globe, each time stepping further out from the underground band status they have been tagged with. Such is the success […]
A Statement Of Intent With CAM From DIMENSIONIST
When a band sends you their press release which contains the line “Dimensionist explores the space that exists at the edge of heavy music” you know you are about to embark on a sonic journey that takes you away from the expected. As it is with new Brisbane progressive metal outfit Dimensionist, who released their […]
Balancing The Scales With MARCO PASTORINO From TEMPERANCE
Italian symphonic metal outfit Temperance have foregone convention with their new album Hermitage – Daruma’s Eyes Pt. 2. While many bands are basing their albums around conceptual themes and/or ideas, Temperance have decided to flesh that out even more with the addition of several characters and a narrator, each given life by guest artists. Arjen […]
The Power Of Belief With JOSH GROVE From DARK BELOW
After putting in the hard yards for the last six years, Columbia heavy rock outfit Dark Below are now finally starting to see the fruit of those efforts. Opening for the likes of Buckcherry, Saliva, Pop Evil, Smile Empty Soul, The Veer Union and more, Dark Below steadily released a procession of singles such as […]
Bright Lights, Big City With JAKE DAVIES From OF LIMBO
While the lure of bright light in the big city has always been the stuff of dreams and legends in the music industry, more often than not that pipe dream turns out to be just that. A dream. Not so for Aussie brothers Jake and Luke Davies who packed up and left their home country […]
GLORYHAMMER Bringing The Glory To Oz
Mighty warriors of the galaxy! GLORYHAMMER has returned from an epic quest, and they come bearing their new album, “Return To The Kingdom Of Fife”, beholding 10 tracks of nuclear-fueled high-velocity heroic power metal, the likes of which you’ve never heard in your life! Voyaging from beyond the edge of the universe and through multiple dimensions, GLORYHAMMER embark on […]
