HEAVY Music Interviews

Interview by Kris Peters Since the Australian Women in Music Awards (AWMA) inception in 2018 almost 2000 individuals have been recognised with a nomination, with 1946 nominations from 2018 to 2024. Designed to provide an outlet to celebrate and reward women in the Australian music industry, AWMA has become a vital platform for recognising the vast contributions of First Nations and culturally dive...

As with every other year, anticipation surrounding the first line-up announcement for Good Things 2025 was almost at a fever pitch. Social media experts and promoter wannabe’s all shared their projected line-ups, but most were well off the mark. Good Things is possibly one of the hardest festival line ups armchair critics get to sink their teeth into, with the diversity and seemingly flippant mash...

Punk rock has seen many bands proudly fly the flag for its roots, ideologies and defiant attitude, but few would argue that one of the best and most influential punk bands ever is the Dead Kennedys. Since 1978, the band have flown in the face of almost anything with even a slight breeze, along the way releasing a multitude of songs that have shaped a generation, including Holiday in Cambodia, Cali...

When Melbourne noise machine and champion for the underdog Blood Duster called time in early December 2017, the Australian music scene lost one of the greats. Not just in terms of music, but, more importantly, in terms of old school ethos. The punk mentality of fuck you and whatever you rode in on that had by then thankfully settled into the heavier side of music. The band were an enigma. They cur...

Rock stars at the age of 16, Finnish warriors The Rasmus have weathered the inevitable trappings of early success to morph into one of the world's leading rock outfits. Known for their musically dark atmospheres, The Rasmus have also managed to connect on a deeper level with a plethora of music lovers who can relate to the band's genuine feelings of despair. Once labelled as outcasts, or 'weirdos'...

By Angela Croudace German melodic death-doom outfit Nailed to Obscurity have just released their highly anticipated new album, Generation of the Void. For frontman Raimund Ennenga, the record represents the band’s boldest and most diverse work yet. Following the critical success of Black Frost, the group set out to explore wider sonic territory. “We wanted the next one to be more diverse, more dyn...

Two decades into their career, Ohio metalcore outfit The Devil Wears Prada are still intent on exploring their sonic boundaries. Despite - as most bands do - having a core, recognisable brand of music, The Devil Wears Prada remain unrestrained by the confines of expectation, preferring to allow their creativity to dictate the direction of their music rather than expectation. This has never been as...

Soulfly have long been a force unto themselves, spearheading the movement of groove metal over twelve previous albums, integrating tribal elements into metal with a passion and genuineness that is as undeniable as it is brutal. Proudly wearing his Brazilian heritage as a badge of honour, frontman Max Cavalera has overseen Soulfly since its inception, consistently raising the sonic bar with every n...

Melbourne-based crust-death outfit KÜNTSQUÄD (pronounced Kountskard) announced themselves with their self-titled 2022 debut album, selling out multiple pressings and ushering in a new era of extreme style Australian music. It was an album laced with brutality and unflinching honesty that was as much a declaration of war as it was a statement of intent. Fast-forward three years and KÜNTSQUÄD return...

It's hard to believe that a band who have dominated the global metal landscape for more than 35 years would be about to embark on their first ever Australian tour. Hard to believe, but also true in the case of England’s most disconsolate export, pioneers and kings of doom metal, MY DYING BRIDE. Well known for haunting atmospheres and sorrowful tones whilst balancing uniquely heavy, desolate riffs...

Formed from the ashes that has become COVID, Melbourne hard rock outfit XCALIBRE had the benefit of time on their side from the outset. Time to hone their craft. Time to practice. Time to plan. All of which proved fruitful when XCALIBRE hit the ground running, earning themselves slots alongside acts such as Van Halen, Aerosmith, Drowning Pool, Karnivool, and The Amity Affliction, among others. The...

No matter what genre of music you listen to, if you had an ear to the radio in 1995, then you would have heard a track by Skunkhour called Up To Our Necks In It. A raw, jazzy and ultimately uplifting tune, Up To Our Necks In It opens with melancholic instrumentation before swelling into a swooning and soulful affair, embracing rapped spoken-word vocal verses balanced alongside soaring melodies and...

Interview by Angela Croudace Australian heavy outfit Arkangel are charging into a bold new chapter with their latest single, Haunting My Dreams, set for release on September 5. The track marks a defining moment for the band, not only in sound but in ambition, and features a powerful collaboration with electro-driven artist Misstiq. For vocalist Jake Harrop, the collaboration was a dream realised....

As with every other year, anticipation surrounding the first line-up announcement for Good Things 2025 was almost at a fever pitch. Social media experts and promoter wannabe’s all shared their projected line-ups, but most were well off the mark. Good Things is possibly one of the hardest festival line-ups armchair critics get to sink their teeth into, with the diversity and seemingly flippant mash...

Interview by Angela Croudace One of the most in-demand rising rock bands on the planet, Canadian post-rock act, Cleopatrick, will tour Australia for the first time ever this September, playing three shows only in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. The tour follows the release of their bold and introspective second record FAKE MOON, a sonic journey blending lo-fi grit with expansive production and raw...

Interview by Angela Croudace Finnish powerhouse Battle Beast is set to unleash their seventh studio album, Steelbound, on October 17, and frontwoman Noora Louhimo says the record is their most empowering yet. Known for fusing classic heavy metal with symphonic flourishes, 80s-inspired rock, and soaring synths, the band continues to evolve while staying true to their mission of uplifting fans throu...

It's been 8 long years, but ILL NIÑO, the trailblazing Latin-influenced metal band that redefined heavy music, is set to return for a blistering run of shows across Australia. Known primarily for their explosive live shows and genre-defining fusion of Latin-infused metal, Ill Nino have been in the headlines more recently following the departure of vocalist Marcos Leal and who would replace him. Wh...

For the past four years, Adelaide blackened death groove outfit Sons Of Erebus have noisily gone about their business, smoothing off the edges of a rough exterior to uncover the gemstone beneath. Despite the inevitable teething problems faced by most bands, Sons Of Erebus have racked up the miles, playing a string of festivals across Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales while fine-tuning their...

Being a band from Newcastle has meant massive expectations ever since the Screaming Jets exploded onto the scene in 1989. What was already an uphill battle establishing yourselves from outside the capital cities overnight became even more daunting with little brother always fighting to escape the shadow of one of Australia's finest ever musical exports. While admittedly difficult, it is not imposs...

It is more than a myth that forging a career from the Western side of Australia poses many more challenges than other music hubs around Australia. The isolation, costs of travel, reduced market, and subsequent lessening of opportunities faced are definitely quite difficult to overcome. Difficult? Yes. Impossible? No.  Perth alt-rockers Late 90s are living proof. Drawing influence from the likes of...

Melbourne-based musician Envy Marshall is an artist who doesn't care for trends or fashions or being the 'next big thing'. Her musical journey is more selfish, in a way, in that she creates music that means something to her first and foremost. But when that music is rooted in life experiences and self-worth, it suddenly becomes accessible to the masses. Or at least those who believe that you are t...

After building momentum and a solid, loyal fan base following the release of two EPs - The Wound, The Blade (2022) and Shadow Dancer (2023) - Melbourne metal outfit ATLVS went strangely quiet, going over two years with an eerie radio silence. While such a period of inactivity, especially in the modern age of music, would be an almost certain death knell for emerging bands, the absence seemed to do...

With the world becoming increasingly sanitised and regulated, it is refreshing to see and hear a band that still adheres to the old school ethos where fun was the order of the day and everything said and played is meant to be taken with a grain of salt. Which is exactly what you get from Melbourne hard rock outfit Ablaze, who wear their hearts proudly on their sleeves and their sleeves proudly on...

The term supergroup is bandied around too often these days when a group of talented musicians from established bands try something together. It creates almost unrealistic expectations among fans of the respective members' bands, who are more often than not left disappointed due to the logical fact that this 'supergroup' is only one quarter or less of the band they are widely known for. Which is wh...

When it comes to cursed vocalists, US rock outfit Adema must have stood at the head of the queue. Since their inception in 2000, the band have seen four vocalists come and go - most at times where the band was starting to gain traction, which upset flow and momentum and ultimately held the band back from the musical heights they should have reached. After yet another forced vocalist change when Ry...