HEAVY Music Interviews

Opening for any major international touring band is a daunting task, but when you face the prospect of opening for two heavyweights of the metal scene in Sylosis and Angelmaker, that task becomes almost impossible. But don't mention that to rising Australian metalcore outfit Lune, who will be doing just that when the Australian tour kicks off in Perth on February 11. Not that they won't agree with...

Fresh off a relentless touring schedule across the United States and Europe, HED PE are ready to conquer Australia once again and, for the first time since 2018, New Zealand. HED P.E. has been a cornerstone in the rock and metal scene, captivating audiences with their unique blend of rock, punk, rasta, gangsta rap, and soul. Many bands three decades into their career would be happy to tread the bo...

Interview by Nev Pearce (Everblack Podcast) Mayhem’s 40th Anniversary show promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for fans, offering a powerful setlist that spans their groundbreaking career - from the raw intensity of their debut album Deathcrush to their latest sonic explorations. This concert will honor the band’s four-decade legacy of musical innovation, boundary-pushing performances,...

Brisbane metal legends Dreamkillers could be forgiven for resting on past accomplishments and spending the remainder of their career playing songs that are known and loved by many without placing themselves at the mercy of the metal Gods by continuing to write and release new music. Since bursting onto the Brisbane music scene in the early 1990s and revolutionising Australian metal with their debu...

Texan metalcore outfit Memphis May Fire decimated Australian fans almost a decade ago when they toured through the country as special guests to Parkway Drive in 2015. Known for their unassailable live shows, MMF have an uncanny ability to connect with their audience on an otherworldly plane, turning band and audience into one living, breathing, circle pit dancing organism that refuses to yield. Th...

Interview by Angela Croudace Project Ultimate Satan, the brutal death metal band from Canberra, has been shaking up the metal scene with their unique blend of symphonic elements and raw aggression. The band's latest album, The Opus Satanas, released under their label, StudioDecay, is a testament to the band's resilience and innovation, as it has undergone a tumultuous yet creative journey. We sat...

Interview by Angela Croudace HEAVY caught up with Gabriel Blake from The Murder Capital to chat about their latest album, Blindness, their exciting upcoming Australian and New Zealand tour, and the band's incredible journey so far. When asked about the themes of Blindness, Gabriel explained, "The album is about love, being Irish, and dealing with the blindsiding aspects of life. It touches on thin...

Interview by Angela Croudace No matter how much everything changes in culture and the world at large, heavy metal endures. It empowers. It engages. It engenders strength. It outlasts fads.  Since forming in Gothenburg, Sweden and releasing their debut album Glory To The Brave in 1997, Swedish power metal titans HammerFall have stormed the gates of heavy music’s pantheon and waved the genre’s flag...

Wheatus have been here that many times they would almost be classed as Australians. After a whirlwind 2024 that saw the band Down Under twice, once in February for acoustic shows with Art from Everclear and again with Wheatus in April for the Pandemonium Festival, frontman Brendan B Brown has become a beloved fixture in the Aussie music scene. The Wheatus sets at Pandemonium were one of the stando...

From little things, big things grow. At least in fairytales. But sometimes life imitates those storylines, as is the case with Gold Coast metal outfit Righteous Death. Conceived in Lismore in 2020 as the brainchild of local musician Jackson Marshall, Righteous Death started life as a one man project with Marshall writing and playing all instruments. A debut album, Rituals, followed, featuring voca...

The metal Gods work in mysterious ways. In early 2021, fate brought Chloe Trujillo and Mark Dalbeth together at the Global Green Charity Event in LA's Troubadour. Bonding over their shared passion for music, they decided to collaborate after connecting online. Their brainchild, Lightning Strikes Twice, garnered strong feedback, fuelling their excitement for future projects .The pairs debut EP, HEA...

As the saying goes, one person's loss is another person's gain. So while there were many disappointed when CKY pulled out of their Australian tour with Alien Ant Farm, there was also plenty more elated when their replacement was named in quick succession. It's not often a tour is strengthened by late adjustments, but from the moment Drowning Pool were named to fill the void, what was previously st...

The Koala Tavern in Capalaba will host the inaugural Rock Is Not Dead Festival on February 1, 2025. Self-funded and put together by a group of Australian music lovers who aim to help nurture and promote the wealth of talent in our own backyard, Rock Is Not Dead will feature 8 of the hottest bands from around the country, each with their own unique flair and passion for music. Headliners Avalanche...

Western Australian black metal outfit Deadspace abide by the old school ethos that creating and releasing music is more of a personal journey to be shared with fans, rather than a commercial entity to appeal to the masses. They are a band who, you get the impression, truly make music for themselves first and foremost, enjoying the creative aspect of writing and recording music more so than the dis...

Hailing from Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, Bloody Ripper are a rock’n’roll band with a punk edge. The band have established themselves over the last decade playing in Melbourne’s finest pubs and dive bars including The Tote, Cherry Bar and The Last Chance Rock and Roll Bar. Following the wild video for the single Pints, Bloody Ripper are releasing their debut album I Hardly Know Her, out today. The...

Combining rock and metal with country music is a brave move. Fans of each genre individually are parochial in their love of music and unlikely to take to any bastardisation with any other form of sonic entertainment. It takes a person with confidence and conviction to even attempt such a marriage, but when done right even the staunchest of purists can do nothing except sit back, listen, and enjoy....

Interview by Angela Croudace After 15 years in the game, Polar's frontman Adam "Woody" Woodford could have easily walked away when the band hit a rough patch. But instead of throwing in the towel, he rebuilt the band with a fresh line-up and a renewed sense of purpose. The result? Five Arrows is their boldest and most experimental album to date. Polar's journey has been anything but easy. After me...

Interview by Angela Croudace Niclas Engelin, guitarist of Swedish melodic death metal band The Halo Effect, spoke to HEAVY about the band's journey and their new album March of the Unheard. Engelin shared insights into the album-making process, the band's evolution, and the importance of positive energy in their music. Regarding the new album, Engelin revealed that March of the Unheard consists en...

Interview by Angela Croudace For over a decade Carbon Black have been steadily making their mark in the Australian groove metal scene. With a reputation for hard-hitting, groove-laden riffs and an undeniable stage presence, the Wollongong-based band has persevered through line-up changes, tough times, and the ever-evolving music industry. Lead vocalist Jon Hurley reflects on the band's journey, th...

If the rebellious youth of society had a queen back in the mid to late 80's you can bet your life that queen would have been a seemingly shy young lady from Violet Town called Ella Hooper. Coupling her struggles of being brought up in a small country town with the almost overwhelming burdens that life as a teenager can throw at you, Hooper and brother Jesse formed a band called Killing Heidi and i...

American rock outfit L7 are just as relevant today as they were when they formed back in 1985.  Never ones to shy away from confrontation or back down from their beliefs, L7 have survived hiatuses, member changes and the changing tide of opinion to emerge even stronger than before. Despite the constant state of turmoil that has managed to afflict daily life, L7 have endured, harnessing that anger...

US rock outfit Sleeping With Sirens have made their career on a combination of honesty, music and humour. The band rose to fame early on with their song If I'm James Dean, You're Audrey Hepburn, the lead single from their debut album With Ears to See and Eyes to Hear, which was released in 2010. Their second album, Let's Cheers to This, was released in 2011 and became a breakout for the band, than...

While safety first is becoming an increasingly mundane and almost conformist part of the global music scene, there are bands out there who refuse to yield, preferring to allow their natural creativity dictate the terms of music rather than cater to the whims of the masses. Sydney music machine Reliqa are one of the bands. Despite their relative youth in the cogs of the unforgiving music scene, Rel...

When thrash legends Slayer called it a day last year, it left a gaping hole in guitarist Kerry King's musical psyche that was impossible to fill. After conquering the world of metal for four decades as part of the legendary outfit, King suddenly found himself cut off from the world he knew and helped create. It was to become a pivotal moment in King's career, who knew with every fibre of his being...

The Living End are one of the few bands ever to successfully negotiate the chasm between punk rock sensibilities and mainstream success without losing their integrity. Their 1997 EP Prisoner Of Society/Second Solution quickly became the barometer for musical uprising amongst the youth of the world, catapulting the band into the spotlight, from which they have never strayed far. Last year saw The L...