HEAVY Music Interviews

Interview by Kris Peters 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 debut single Artefacts Remain late last week. Promising a so...

Interview by Kris Peters 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 - but that mold was smashed completely last year with the release of The Retaliat...

Interview by Kris Peters 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 Lucassen (Ayreon) acts as...

Interview by Kris Peters 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 Halo, Tense and Hate Being Human, in the process capitalising...

Interview by Kris Peters 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 for the pursuit of musical salvation after relocating to Long Beach, California. Now, suddenly...

Interview by Kris Peters After starting out more as a studio project for vocalist/guitarist Dean Wittmann-Lamb, Melbourne rock machine The Revolation wasted little time in fleshing out to a fully-fledged live unit. Spurred on by the reception for his first three singles recorded by himself, Wittmann-Lamb soon cast his net wider, recruiting three like-minded musicians to carry The Revolation into t...

Interview by Kris Peters Sydney metalcore outfit Weightless have gone even heavier on their new single Perspectives. The song further accentuates the versatility of Weightless, dialing everything beyond the red following on from their previous two singles Counterfeit and Sabotage. Lyrically, Perspectives delves deep into the emotional complexities of Bipolar disorder, painting a vivid musical pict...

Interview by Coco Le Sex Bomb Osaka Punch are justifiably riding the crest of a musical wave at present. Their long-awaited album Mixed Ape has come out to rave reviews and the tour by the same name kicked off recently in Brisbane to a packed house at The Triffid. If you aren't familiar with Osaka Punch then no words could prepare you for the sonic beauty that awaits, but if you have already been...

Interview by Kris Peters You just have to read the description of Coffin Carousel's music in their press release to know their world is bound to be completely different to any other you would have likely stumbled upon in the past. "Coffin Carousel is your haunted chainsaw ride to an uncompromised dark metal horror textured musical experience." See? Now tell me you aren't even a little intrigued? W...

Interview by Kris Peters While the lure of the tropical lifestyle of the Whitsundays is something few people can resist, there is a potential downside to living in the tropics. Especially if you play in an original band with aspirations of taking your music to the masses. Case in point is Mackay rock outfit Systematic Machine who are on the cusp of dropping their new single Sunburn. Heavily influe...

Interview by Kris Peters Springfield rock outfit Staind are universally recognised for their 2001 smash hit balled It's Been A While. Unfortunately, many people in the hard rock and metal world wrote the band off because of the global success of that song, failing to care or acknowledge the fact that Staind came from much heavier pastures. Their early shows consisted of a sprinkling of originals p...

Interview by Kris Peters Just like Santa Claus, Gold Coast rock outfit Veal only come once a year. But it's highly unlikely they would fit down your chimney… After debuting at Wallapalooza in 2014 and making such a huge impact they have been invited back every year since, Veal have shunned the conventional path of music and stuck to their guns in staying faithful to their pledge to play only spora...

Interview by Kris Peters What better way to celebrate forty years of blood, sweat and beers in the music industry than to announce your final ever tour? While some may brush it off as a clever marketing strategy, those who have followed punk stalwarts NOFX for the duration of their career will know and understand the gravity of the situation, because when Fat Mike says something, you can pretty mu...

Over my decades as a metal / heavy music “journalist”, I think to myself that there is pretty much nothing else for me to cover or interview people about. But with every new year brings another first for me. And 2023 has been no exception! A lot of books on heavy / extreme music have been written and published over the years, of which I have many. But…I have never spoken to any of those books’ aut...

Interview by Kris Peters Swedish hard rock outfit Bonafide are set to drop their first new album in six years. Following the forward momentum generated by 2017's Flames, Bonafide decided the best approach was to take their time fleshing out their next slab of rock goodness, focussing on quality over quantity with Are You Listening?, which will be unleashed on October 27. Featuring all of the rock-...

Interview by Kris Peters Adelaide thrash outfit Hidden Intent are living proof that hard work and perseverance pay off. The boys have been one of the hardest touring and working bands in Australia for a long period of time and have seen the fruit of their labours rewarded recently by playing at both Wacken and Bloodstock 2023 in the last couple of months. Not content to rest on their laurels, Hidd...

Interview by Kyra-Jade Coombs Short Stack are one of those Aussie bands that you mention and unlock a core memory. Whether it be their ultra-catchy tunes or their time-stamped emo’ hair… you remember them. I was keen to catch up with frontman/ guitarist Shaun Diviney to see what’s been happening in the world of Short Stack and what they are looking forward to. Starting off this week, they are taki...

Interview by Kris Peters Melbourne metal outfit The Last Martyr have wasted little time entrenching their roots in the Australian music scene. After announcing their intentions in 2021 with the single Hindsight, the band have pressed the accelerator firmly to the floor in pursuit of musical integrity, touring relentlessly and securing spots alongside international heavyweights such as Dayseeker, T...

Interview by Kris Peters The modern generation of punk music lovers have been brought into a sanitised world where punk music is more about the music than the attitude. While not a fatal death blow to the genre - there are still punk bands killing it - gone are the days where punk bands would rather fight or wreak havoc than be respected by their peers. They have been replaced with an almost unive...

Interview by Kris Peters What should have been cause for a celebration for The Screaming Jets with this week's release of their latest album Professional Misconduct has been negated substantially by the recent passing of everyone's favourite bass player Paul Woseen. But, Paul would want us all to focus on the fantastic music that makes up the Jets tenth album, and what better way to do that than t...

Interview by Kyra-Jade Coombs Bloom are an Aussie band that I was pretty keen to have a chat with. As far as huge years go for bands, these guys have had an absolute pearler. From visualising their dream goals to ticking most of them off within 7 months, these guys really have gone from strength to strength. Becoming a part of Destroy All Lines, signing to Pure Noise Records and being put on the b...

Sweden's Katatonia are instantly indentifiable thanks wholly to the stunningly superb vocals of Jonas Renske. With over a dozen releases from their thirty (and counting) year career, the band has continually evolved. Maturing without ever losing site of who they are as artists and musicians, purposely they are fully focussed on delving into the darkness of a void we are all trapped within. Kataton...

Interview by Kris Peters Despite the plethora of modern advances when it comes to recording music, there is still no hiding when it comes to taking the show on the road. Reputations are made and lost when a band hits the stage, with no technical wizardry or smokescreens able to elevate a below-par performance. Canadian technical death metal outfit Archspire are one band who have nothing to fear in...

Photo credit: Just Ignore The Camera Photography Interview by Kris Peters Bundaberg metal outfit Ineffigy have made a handful of treks to the big smoke of Brisbane and left a sonic trail of destruction each time. With a unique and easily digestible blending of a multitude of genres, coupled with an entertaining and dynamic live performance, Ineffigy are one of those bands you just know will make a...

Interview by Kris Peters Brisbane metalcore outfit Revoid stood to attention with the release last year of their debut EP Sleepless Still. After proving their credentials on that release, expectations for follow-up music were high, and the band didn’t disappoint with the single Burn With Me which was released in June of this year. But the true test of their mettle came with the recent showcasing o...