HEAVY Music Interviews

Interview by Kris Peters After three decades of servitude to punk rock music, American miscreants Hot Water Music could be forgiven for phoning in new albums, but despite their reputation for flouting the rules, even these seasoned veterans still feel as if they have a point or two to prove. Returning to acclaimed producer and hardcore legend Brian McTernan - who worked with the band on 2001’s A F...

Interview by Kris Peters Charity events are always special on the music calendar, with a plethora of worthy causes benefitting from the generosity and respect shown by many a band and punter. But when they are organised by people who have been afflected personally by the very condition they are drawing attention to, it becomes that bit more special. Beyond The Darkness is one such event. Organised...

Interview by Kris Peters With the quantity and quality of new music being released by the minute in the modern world of metal many bands - often unfortunately - fall by the wayside before even being heard, lost in the current goldfish market of disposable music and assets. These days, you can either simply put your music out there and hope some algorithm elevates it beyond the masses, or you can t...

Interview by Kris Peters Melbourne rockers The Dreadful Tides emphatically announced their arrival on the Australian music scene in 2021 with their infectious and rock as all fuck debut single Crazy. The song was like the meeting of two sonic forces that exploded with raw guitars, meaty solos and the kind of swagger that left rock music while the Rolling Stones were still in their nappies. Blessed...

Interview by Kris Peters Fresh off the road from a tour with Tapestry and AM/PM, Adelaide emo alt-rock five-piece Wolf & Chain find themselves already consumed by producing more content so that the current wave of hype the band has generated does not go to waste. The band needn't worry too much, because after the success of their catchy and infectious recent single Not Giving Up it is highly u...

Interview by Kris Peters Tasmanian entertainment machine Luca Brasi are headed to this side of the ocean next month to celebrate their latest album The World Don't Owe You Anything with a tour of the same name. It is an extensive tour by Australian standards, taking in Canberra, Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sydney and Newcastle but if past tours and reputation are anything to...

Interview by Kris Peters The struggle most bands find these days is keeping together a stable line-up to help them grow both musically and professionally. A variety of obstacles face most bands currently doing the rounds, with member retention being the common ailment of bands on a global scale. Brisbane metal outfit Engraved are no exception. Since relocating from Sydney last year, Engraved have...

Interview by Kris Peters While the annual APRA Music Awards have always celebrated the abundance of talent coursing through the Australian musical landscape, the focus has always been on the more mainstream artists and side of the industry. Hard rock and heavy metal have long been touted for inclusion, but for varying reasons have never quite made it onto the big stage for Australia's most prestig...

Interview by Kris Peters Hailing from the quiet town of Taree on the New South Wales Central Coast, emerging metal outfit Diamond Construct are anything but. Brash, loud, and in your face with no respite, Diamond Construct are a hurricane of musical intensity that is only just starting to gather real force. Since dropping their self-titled debut album around the turn of the decade, Diamond Constru...

Interview by Kris Peters For almost three decades now, Sum 41 have acted as a connecting force between pop punk and heavy metal. People who generally hate anything other than pure metal or pure punk found themselves intrigued by the musical amalgamations unleashed by the Canadian outfit, genuinely conflicted by their own elitist attitude and unexpected attraction to the band's music. To say Sum 41...

Interview by Karly Jewell Rapidly rising US rock outfit Crossbone Skully have yet to even release their debut album, yet still have managed to generate a vibe and feel seldom afforded to fresh bands, no matter their genre. But when the founding member and main man is none other than Tommy Henriksen (guitarist and musical director for Alice Cooper’s band and member of Hollywood Vampires) you can so...

Interview by Kris Peters It's been five long years since US rock sensations Greta Van Fleet have toured Australia, but the band have announced they are returning for a string of shows across this country and New Zealand this August with a promise to make up for lost time. Greta Van Fleet have taken the world by storm following the breakthrough success of their 2017 EP From The Fires, which won the...

Interview by Kris Peters Topping their last self-titled album was always going to be difficult for Californian metalcore outfit The Ghost Inside after it was named one of Loudwire's Best Rock and Metal Albums of 2020. The accolade was richly deserved for a band who have been through more lows than most, but despite sometimes insurmountable odds have always let their music do the talking. Merging m...

Interview by Kris Peters For the last decade and a half the name Flaming Wrekage has been synonymous with hard, thrashy and brutal Australian music. Since forming in Sydney in 2009 the band have raised the bar for touring and commitment in this country, constantly throwing themselves at the mercy of the metal Gods in countless trips around this country and beyond. Not content to live on past glory...

Interview by Kris Peters Tumbleweed have been a mainstay on the Australian music scene for over three decades, having lasted through a plethora of music cycles, phases and periods of revolution. Throughout all they have steadfastly stayed true to their music, refusing to conform nor bow to the powers that be, instead rightfully deciding to forge their own path in music and thus create their own id...

Interview by Kris Peters On the surface, Swedish outfit Quantum can be best categorised as a progressive metal band, but as you start to peel back the layers a deeper, more eclectic personality emerges. Blending elements from various genres, including prog rock, metal, late romantic era classical music, and jazz, Quantum's music output transcends just prog, diving into a more all-encompassing soni...

Interview by Kris Peters At thirty-three years young, doom/death metal outfit My Dying Bride still bite with the ferocity of a stallion, with a kick twice as ferocious. While many would be slowing down entering this stage of their careers, My Dying Bride give the impression they are only just getting started. Which is a frightfully sensational prospect. With their 15th album A Mortal Binding set f...

Interview by Kris Peters Australian self-proclaimed metal diva Billie-Jade is counting down the days until the release of her debut EP XI:XI, an album both raw and unapologetically honest full of attitude and spunk while still maintaining an air of vulnerability. After releasing her first single Horror Haus not long after electing to perform as a solo artist back in 2016, Billie-Jade has hardened...

Interview by Kris Peters After the disappointment at having to postpone their debut Australian tour in 2023, US death metal outfit Jungle Rot have stuck true to their promise of making it out here as soon as possible with the news they managed to find suitable dates with German black metal pioneers Rotting Christ this May. While Rotting Christ will be celebrating 35 years of servitude to the Metal...

Interview by Kris Peters NSW industrial punk project Schkeuditzer Kreuz are premiering their new single Ratchet via HEAVY this Monday, capitalising on the momentum built from previous releases Joy and Second Life. All three tracks are taken from Schkeuditzer Kreuz's album No Life Left, which came out in the last part of 2023, with Ratchet being the most diverse and eclectic representation of an al...

Interview by Kris Peters With a cross pollination of varying metal genres including sludge, death, gloom, black metal and hardcore, UK heavy outfit Conjurer are one of the few modern metal bands to walk that balancing tightrope of styles without imposing too much in any direction. Their willingness to experiment and push themselves outside of their usual comfort zones has seen the band traverse ne...

Interview by Kris Peters U.S progressive metal outfit Exodus Rising have been making a stir on the music scene following the release of last year's debut album The Book Of Life. Armed largely with a DYI approach and a firm desire to take their music to a global audience, Exodus Rising first grabbed the attention of HEAVY just prior to the release of The Book Of Life, and we have been listening wit...

Interview by Kris Peters Iconic Canadian rock outfit The Tea Party have been mesmerizing fans around the world with their innovative music and captivating live shows for over three decades now. While their musical output has always been in a league of its own, it is on the live stage that The Tea Party have excelled, delivering knockout performances every time they grace the stage and transfixing...

Interview by Kris Peters Five Finger Death Punch have never been a band to shy away from musical experimentation and collaborating with artists outside of their comfort zone and chosen genre. Over the years they have recorded songs with everyone from Rob Halford to Brian May to Kenny Wayne Shepherd, each time taking themselves out of their safety net and into the musical psyche of bands and artist...

Interview by Kris Peters Corey Glover has long been recognised as one of the finest vocalists of the modern era thanks to his role as frontman for Living Colour. It would be both easy and understandable for the singer to remain in the comforting confines of Living Colour, where his vocal prowess will always be beyond reproach, but Glover has never been one to rest on his laurels. Teaming up with g...