HEAVY Music Interviews

When you talk about the absolute Mount Rushmore of heavy metal, the conversation begins and ends with the Riff Lord himself, Tony Iommi. But when the master of doom decides to unleash a brand new sonic assault upon the world, he needs a voice that doesn't just cut through the smoke—it commands it. Enter Jorn Lande, the powerhouse Norwegian vocalist whose golden pipes have been channeling the spiri...

Gun Of Ishiki are here to make noise, challenge the system and remind us that punk can still stand for something. In this interview with HEAVY, the Brisbane punk outfit talk about the origins of their name, their musical influences, their politically charged approach to songwriting and why they believe bands should use their voices to inspire change. We also discuss their upcoming EP, their histor...

Interview by Ali Williams Swedish metallers TUNGSTEN have a busy October ahead, although releasing their fifth studio album and embarking on their first European headline tour is a pretty reasonable excuse for having very little spare time. Their latest offering, Ashes, arrived on October 9 through Perception, a division of Reigning Phoenix Music, coinciding with the band's biggest touring commitm...

If you like your music thick, volatile, and dripping with pure, unfiltered Aussie attitude, you need to stop what you're doing right now. We are sitting down with Ben Hosking, the powerhouse guitarist from Newcastle's own groove-metal wrecking ball, Where The Devil. If you haven't witnessed these boys live yet, you are seriously sleeping on one of the most punishing and exhilarating acts in the lo...

When you think of the ultimate chameleons in the global extreme music scene, one name consistently rises from the shadows to claim the crown: Mortiis. From his early days forging the fires of Norwegian black metal on bass for Emperor to completely reinventing himself as the grandfather of dungeon synth, Håvard Ellefsen has spent more than three decades refusing to play by anybody else’s rules. He’...

Interview by Ali Williams Long before Australian playlists started happily throwing funk, rock, hip hop, soul and heavy groove into the same digital bucket, SKUNKHOUR were already doing the hard, sweaty version of it onstage. No algorithm. No tidy marketing lane. Just real instruments, an MC, big rhythm, bigger nerve, and a refusal to flatten themselves into something easier to explain.  Now the b...

French collective Nouvelle Vague are set to return to Australia for three exclusive shows, bringing their unmistakable reimaginings of iconic new wave and post-punk classics back to local audiences. For singers Melanie Pain and Phoebe Kilde, the upcoming dates offer an opportunity to experience the band in a different setting, with intimate club performances promising a more rock ’n’ roll atmosphe...

Few bands manage to weaponise raw, unadulterated musical chaos quite like Germany’s Half Me. Bursting onto the heavy scene with a catastrophic blend of modern metalcore, nu-metal bounce, and visceral post-hardcore, the Hamburg five-piece have rapidly evolved into one of Europe’s most formidable sonic juggernauts. Following the massive success of their devastating debut Soma, the band has refused t...

Get your dancing shoes polished and your neck muscles thoroughly warmed up, because post-hardcore royalty is finally heading back down under! That’s right, heavy music lovers—the absolute icons of progressive, chaotic, and infectious math-rock-infused bliss, Dance Gavin Dance, are gearing up to storm Australian shores for what promises to be an unforgettable run of shows. For years, this band has...

The Australian heavy music landscape is littered with the carcasses of short-lived festivals, but every now and then, a beast rises from the underground with enough grit and staying power to change the game. Enter Hollowfest. Masterminded by the chaotic minds behind groove-metal juggernauts We The Hollow, this rogue gathering has evolved from a passionate local showcase into a mandatory calendar f...

There are few bands in the modern Australian rock landscape that capture the raw, bleeding pulse of human emotion quite like Melbourne’s indie-pop-punk heavyweights, Slowly Slowly. Led by frontman and master songwriter Ben Stewart, the band has carved out an untouchable reputation for turning vulnerabilities into massive, stadium-sized anthems. They don't just write hooks; they craft sonic confess...

When you talk about skate punk royalty, few bands hold a candle to Sweden’s finest musical exports, Millencolin. For over three decades, these absolute legends have been providing the ultimate high-octane soundtrack to our lives, blending lightning-fast riffs, infectious melodies, and a relentless sonic energy that simply refuses to age. Now, the boys are gearing up to cross the hemisphere once ag...

Every now and then, a band bursts onto the alternative landscape with such violent, genre-shattering momentum that they force you to sit up, put down your beer, and take notice. Ladies and gentlemen, meet unpeople. The fast-ascending UK four-piece has been absolutely tearing up the rulebook over the last year. They have systematically evolved from a fiercely buzzed-about underground secret into an...

G’day heavy music lovers, Kris Peters here for HEAVY Mag, and boy, do we have an absolute cracker of an interview for you today! If you call yourself a fan of the dark, melancholic, and crushingly heavy, then you better buckle up because the undisputed pioneers of gothic metal are finally making their long-awaited return down under. That’s right, the legendary Paradise Lost are bringing their gloo...

For Prayers, inspiration has never been something that can be forced. His latest Spanish-language EP, Oraciones, arrived almost by accident, after a session in his friend Alfonso’s Chicago kitchen turned into four songs written in a single day.“I captured lightning in a bottle with these four songs,” Prayers explains, describing the pressure-free process as his favourite way to create. What began...

Every now and then a band bursts out of the underground circuit with the kind of pure, unadulterated sonic swagger that leaves your jaw firmly pinned to the floor. If you haven't yet been introduced to the auditory demolition that is Los Angeles power trio Primitive Ring, then pack your bags, turn your speakers up to eleven, and prepare to have your ears left properly ringing. Born from a collecti...

Interview by Ali Williams Forty-five years into SHONEN KNIFE, Naoko Yamano can still describe the band in three words: “pop, fun and punk.” It is remarkably efficient for a group whose history stretches from Osaka’s early-’80s underground to major-label releases, international festivals and enough world touring to make airport carpet a recurring feature of adult life.  Australia has occupied a siz...

If there is one band that knows how to completely tear the roof off a venue and leave the crowd begging for mercy, it’s Virginia groove metal powerhouse Lamb of God. For over two decades, these absolute legends have been consistency personified, delivering some of the most punishing, riff-driven, and neck-snapping metal on the planet. Aussie heavy music fans are currently losing their collective m...

Interview by Ali Williams Interview by Ali Williams THE CRIBS are bringing ninth album Selling A Vibe to Australia this October, and Ryan Jarman is considerably happier about the shows than the long-haul flight. It will be their first national tour since 2018; the pandemic prevented an Australian visit for 2020’s Night Network. Ahead of the return, the guitarist and vocalist caught up with HEAVY t...

If you haven’t crossed paths with Melbourne’s premier unholy crusty death metal outfit Küntsquäd yet, then honestly, what the hell have you been doing with your life? Led by the ferocious, guitar-wielding frontwoman Paula VC Damnzal, this four-piece wrecking crew has been absolutely tearing the Australian heavy scene a new one with their toxic blend of blackened grime, extreme death metal, and cru...

Interview by Ali Williams KATATONIA return to Australia this October with Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State and crowds that can span several generations. The Australian run starts at Crowbar in Brisbane on October 7, with Atticus Chimps and PARHELION supporting. Released on June 6, 2025, the record is the thirteenth studio album from the Stockholm band whose music has expanded from deat...

If there is one undeniable certainty in the heavy metal universe, it is that when Sweden's premier Viking metal juggernauts Amon Amarth decide to unleash a new record, you drop everything, grab your drinking horn, and prepare your neck for an absolute beating. For over three decades, Amon Amarth has been the gold standard for sonic warfare, delivering monumental, slab-heavy melodic death metal tha...

Words and interview by Aysha Swanson On Sunday, October 11, Sunshine Coast hardcore outfit Human Condition will return to Nambour Bowls Club for the launch of their debut EP S.C.H.C., bringing TwoSeventy, No Harm, Blatant Saint, Asbestos and Doping Control to the stage. Best of all, the whole thing is free and all ages. For Human Condition, S.C.H.C. represents the end of a long wait. The band have...

Every now and then a band bursts out of the local circuit with the kind of sonic swagger that leaves your jaw firmly pinned to the venue floor. Three decades ago a bunch of Frankston graffiti artists did just that when they decided to mash punk rock, metal, and hip-hop together, creating a beautiful monster that would completely reshape the Australian alternative music scene. They didn't just play...

Interview by Ali Williams TAPE/OFF will be hitting the stages again bringing with them their beloved alt rock/groove punk sounds with them. Their first show for the year will be at Zed51 that effectively will kick off their tour. Drummer Branko Cosic caught up with HEAVY Magazine’s Ali Williams to chat about their return and their genuine excitement to be doing so. There’s a certain amusement in w...