Heavy Music Magazine Issue #2

aussie tour diary: truth corroded  a u s t r a l i a’ s p u r e s t h e av y m u s i c m a g a z i n e 

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parkway drive  baroness henry rollins karnivool overkill  dragonforce

+ metal rewind + industry insight + strings & skins + dotted lines + fuggenweirdsh!t ISSUE 2 $9.95 inc.gst ISSN 1839-5546

HEAVY02 Cover.indd 1

oz underground

➤ dead cIty ruINS ➤ NaberuS ➤ adrIft for dayS ➤ lookINg glaSS ➤ burIed IN veroNa ➤ exerthur

plus great subscription prizes to be won every issue!

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welcome to issue 02

Lamb Of God’s master of ceremonies, Randy Blythe photo by carbie www.carbiewarbie.com

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issue 02

contents

published Quarterly in 2012

• features •

10 sOuNDWAVe 2012

We catch up with seven of the best Soundwave acts from this year’s grand tour, including Meshuggah, The Smoking Hearts, Vinnie Paul’s Hellyeah, Watain, Biohazard, Kveletak and the cod metal king Devin Townsend.

24 OVerkill

Veterans Overkill return in ‘the Electric Age’ with their first release in thirty years.

28 mAx cAVAlerA

Experienced member of the metal scene, Max Cavalera reveals pressure can be positive when juggling his current projects Soulfly and the Cavalera Conspiracy.

priNteD & prODuceD iN AustrAliA

30 DrAgONfOrce

Shred-tastic power metallers, Dragonforce are mixing it up a little with a new member and fresh plan of attack.

32 Oz uNDergrOuND

HEAVY magazine brings into the spotlight six of Australia’s most prominent underground heavy bands.

24 overkill

46 chicks thAt rOck

Arch Enemy’s Angela Gossow and Aussie Mares Rafaeleda chat about being chicks that rock!

28 max cavalera

54 tOur DiAries

Tour diaries from great Aussie bands Truth Corroded (in Europe) and Karnivool (in India).

60 metAl reWiND

30 dragonforc

e

Travel back to the ’80s with purveyors of Aussie thrash, Hobbs’ Angel of Death.

66 gleN sOBel

Alice Cooper’s drummer shares secrets of a successful session muso.

50 parkway driv

e

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culprits editor & publisher Olivia Reppas research manager Steve Murphy art director Craig Fryers publishing consultant Effie Dimitropoulos 186Red Pty Ltd copy editor Sheri Tantawy assistant copy editor Kimberley Croxford sub editors Christian Doherty Jay Clair Alexis Beadman editorial assistant Julianne Pimenta distribution Gordon & Gotch printing Whirlwind Print (Printed in Australia) specialist contributors Dito Godwin – Engineering Drew Dedman – Bass Peter Hodgson – Guitar Rob Brens – Drums

shadows fall vocalist, brian fair photo by Sven hentSchel

don’t just reAd this mAg

listen to it!

Got a smartphone? by that i mean an iphone or an android? if so, this magazine you’re holding is about to come alive with HEAVY music! but first you’ll need a Qr code reader, and we recommend you download the Free Digimarc Discover app from itunes, or wherever else you can get your hands on it. by simply holding your smartphone about 6-10cm above a Qr code (ie. that lego nightmare looking thing above) you can instantly access songs (and/or videos) on that same band you’ve just been reading about. pretty cool, eh!? it’s a whole new magazine reading experience. enjoy!

contributors this issue Adam Agius Amanda Mason Anthony Moore Damo Musclecar Jeff Schenck Jon Stockman Mark Lennard Mitch Booth Matt Young Nicole Makin-Doherty Nicole Yakimov Rod Whitfield Vix Vile advertising enquiries sales@heavymag.com.au +61 (0)402 856 632

welcome to the second issue of heAVY

W

elcome back! Wow, what a response we’ve had for issue one. The feedback has been amazing and we are ecstatic that we could deliver. There’s nothing better than receiving emails of gratitude from our readers emphasising how much they loved HEAVY. This publication is only the beginning of what the HEAVY brand has to offer!

Our first launch party at The Corner Hotel was a huge success, with around 600 punters; the place was pumping – supporting our local scene; the scene HEAVY is here to focus on. Keep on supporting live music as you do! Flick over to the Oz Underground section to read about this year’s hottest and heaviest Australian artists.

We are excited to bring you issue two for your reading and listening pleasure. Scan over the QR codes and listen to what you’re reading about. We feature a big Soundwave wrap up – this year’s festival was unbelievable! I love Soundwave for its diversity – enough heavy music to please everyone.

We recognise that this industry can be complex and chaotic. We have chosen to focus on the business of music; interviews with music professionals working behind the scenes, discovering what it takes to make it; tech geek-spec speak and more.

‘Chick That Rocks’ is Angela Gossow of Arch Enemy, who represents the new breed of the modern metal chick. Women of metal today are fronting reputable bands, coaching musos, managing tours, setting up lighting rigs or are behind the mixing desk. Making their mark in heavy music. We celebrate one of

metal’s most reputable frontwomen in this issue.

Also welcoming Jon Stockman to our crew sharing his experience touring with Karnivool in India, and Yeti – the bearded Bok; answering all your pressing questions.

A huge thanks to Soundwave and Roadrunner Records for all their support from the beginning. Thank you to Riot Entertainment, Century Media, Heathen Skulls, High Voltage Touring, Shock Records, Soundworks Touring, Two Fish Out Of Water, Rare Records, Mike Stevens, and of course 186Red for all the guidance a girl could ask for. Thanks to our advertisers, bands and their affiliated companies.

Before I sign off I’d like to express my gratitude and love to my amazing team at HEAVY for the hard work and sheer devotion they have put into this publication – it’s the never ending support, passion and drive that has made this dream a reality.

Words can’t express…

That’s all for now folks, keep it HEAVY! – Olivia Reppas

heavy music magazine is Published by MLM Media Pty Ltd PO Box 1313 Lalor VIC 3075 ACN 151 654 330 Cover photo supplied by Arch Enemy The opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Publisher MLM Media Pty Ltd or Editor. All statements made, although based on information believed to be reliable and accurate, cannot be guaranteed and no fault or liability can be accepted for any error or omission. All material published in this magazine are subject to copyright provisions and cannot be reproduced, in part or whole, without the written permission of the Publisher. All rights reserved.

Olivia reppas phOtO by lep beljac makeup by lanie phelps

is this you?

because we’re a generous lot here at heavy we love to give away prizes to our loyal-readers-to-be. so if this is you, or if you know this girl, please do her a favour and tell her to get in touch with us to collect her prize! valid til 30/6/12

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shreds

views, news & reviews

top 50 Air MAyheM

The HEAVY 50 began as a small idea in an effort to recognise Aussie heavy music acts, and has turned into a little gem. The criteria: The track must have been released in 2011 from an Australian-based band and fit into the ‘heavy’ music category. The process: We held a nomination process in February whereby the general public and bands could nominate a song through Facebook. We received a surprising 230+ nominations. The next step was to set up a voting page where people could submit one vote per person. The result: After one week of voting we received just over a thousand votes from a great mix of people located around Australia and even some from overseas. So I present to you, the HEAVY 50…

No.

Artist

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

ne obliviscaris And Plague Flowers the Kaleidoscope our last enemy 10,000 Headless Horses voyager The Meaning of I naberus The Fallen Katabasis Avernus the Scarlets Bombshell Chainsaw Hookers Texas is Hell bronson Cuts to the Bone Hemina The Boy is Dead october Rage Wayside Aaagh bats Cheap C**t bloodKlot Impaled by the Reaper Syndrome Stand Tall lomera Hail the Storm 180 Proof Intoxication new Skinn Inside dead Star Renegade The Serpent Hatchet dawn Dark Symmetry bloodKlot Flamethrower Massacre Reapers Riddle Fall Away As Silence breaks Wrath will be Delivered Misery dilation Prisms Hybrid nightmares Emperor Quiet Child Darwin the devil Rides out Watch it Burn Heaven the Axe Enemy not like Horse Root or Fight engine three Seven Have it All divine Ascension Answers Khariot Cerebral Continuum berserkerfoX The Monopoly the veil The Light that Burns Hybrid nightmares Ashes of an Astral Winter King Parrot Epileptic Butcher Frankenbok Dine in Hell Sydonia Ocean of Storms AraPacis End of the Line elysian Mans Design Chaos divine One Door darker Half End of the Line Motionless Me L.E.D Skinwalkers Dawn not like Horse Dipping Bird diprosus Slow Poison Death luthor Cold Death not like Horse The Wash Inhailed Four Walls of Hell bury the Fallen Hoedowns and Throwdowns destroy She Said Game Over truth Corroded Knives of the Betrayed

Song

I don’t belIeve in superstition or bad luck, but even to me it seems a little creepy to put the face of murdered norwegian black metal pioneer and founder of Mayhem, Øystein Aarseth aka euronymous, on the tail of a plane, but it looks like that’s what the people of norway want. norwegian, a low cost airline in norway, is celebrating its 10th anniversary by inviting people to vote on a face they’d like to see adorn the tail fin of a boeing 737. norwegian calls the faces on the tails of their planes ‘tail heroe’ and these heroes are norwegians that have ‘broken the boundaries and challenged the established order.’

You can’t say that euronymous doesn’t fit that description and you can’t say it wouldn’t be awesome to have a metal icon’s face on a plane, but after all the rumours surrounding euronymous, you can’t say it’s not just a little bit weird. legend has it that after his band mate Per ‘dead’ ohlin committed

Dear HEAVY, I remember back in 1989 sitting at Ringwood train station and either being bored shitless or coming off some good mushies and I glanced over at the news stand and thought I might go and buy a magazine before the train got there.

I thought it would be the usual crappy mags you know Dolly, Cosmo, Woman’s Day mixed in with the tits-and-ass mags but something in the corner stuffed behind the latest edition of boring crap monthly caught my eye. It was so out of place that I asked the bloke behind the jump to tell me if it was for real or not.

You could have put ten playboy bunnies in front of me and I would still have only seen those words that were jumping off the cover like thunder hits the sky on a dark night and those words that had me jumping in my jocks were HOT METAL MAGAZINE Australia’s Loudest Magazine.

Now for something to get someone that excited you’re probably thinking that I lived in an igloo and it was my first day in civilisation but back in the late ’80s there was no real voice for your average banger and we were really outcasts to be honest.

Metal was considered the tool of the devil and if you had long hair and tatts you were a drug addicted devil worshipping jobless bum.

The local metal scene was virtually non existent, the Cathouse had only just started in the back room of the Palace

suicide, before calling the police, euronymous went and bought a camera to take photos of Per’s corpse. there are also rumours that he made a stew from Per’s brains and that he made pieces of Per’s skull into necklaces and gave them to musicians he deemed worthy of the receipt of such a rare and special necklace. In 1993 varg vikernes of burzum stabbed euronymous to death, claiming that euronymous had planned to torture him and video tape it. varg was convicted for the murder of euronymous and, in black metal style, for burning down some churches.

At the time of writing this, euronymous was leading the poll ahead of a deceased soldier and some church guy. the final scores are set to be released 11 April, 2012. I can’t help but wonder, if euronymous wins, will varg, who was released on parole in 2009, ever fly aboard the euronymous plane?

– Amanda Mason in St Kilda on a Friday Night. Kiss and Twisted Sister were considered too glam, Bon Jovi were too poofy and Metallica were hated because they continued to soldier on despite the untimely death of Cliff Burton.

Fast forward to 2012 and metal is an accepted part of most societies,kids with more metal in them than a Holden Commodore wear t-shirts with bands on them that released their last album ten years before they were born. Yet the constant debate still rages about what is true metal,what is glam and why isn’t the newest Aussie heavy music magazine solely focusing on Aussie bands that while some are good most will have flopped when they should have flipped long before the second issue hits the stands. Ahhh metal, in 31 years I’ve seen some good bands and some shit ones but I’ve never left a metal/heavy rock gig after not having a good time and that’s what heavy music is all about, expressing yourself and not giving a f**k while you do it.

So to you guys and girls working your asses off to get your little mag off the ground, keep your heads down and bums up and never mind the knockers, in our day we would have knocked them out – these days you have a ‘block’ button (haha).

I look forward to getting into new bands and catching up on some old ones.

Never, never stop rockin’.

– Glenn Collis

Wanna get something off ya chest? Have something you’d like to share with our readers?

Then get to it and email: liv@heavymag.com.au

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moore O F T H I S A N d T H AT with Anthony Moore

Melbourne lAunch A full house words Rod Whitfield photos Michael Weinhardt An AbSolutelY sensational night at Melbourne’s Corner Hotel for the official HeAvY magazine launch party. they (that is, the band called ‘they’) kicked off the evening with Crystal Ignite’s bellusira (featured in our first issue) on the main stage, followed by dive Into Ruin serving up out some surf rock-inspired heaviness. decimatus then assaulted the senses with their primal but high-octane thrash and groove metal. tight as a fist and with excellent stage presence, these guys delivered telling blow after telling blow to an audience hungry for more. dead City Ruins provided a nice contrast to the all out thrash assault of decimatus. they belted out their glammy cock rock with real balls, plenty of attitude and a strong sense of ‘boogie’ as well. back to the main stage and American basketball singlets were the order of the day as bronson took the stage and their highly energetic set got fists a-pumpin’.

Highlight of the evening’s proceedings for this reviewer was the mighty Circles. High level musicianship, incredible sound, big stage presence and a

close to ideal balance of heaviness and accessibility.

Rounding out the evening was 6 Ft Hick from Queensland. their style is thrashy, garagey rock‘n’roll, the point of difference coming from the fact they have two singers delivering with venom and going ape-shit up front.

An epic introduction to Australia’s newest and purest heavy music magazine! H Bellusira

Melbourne murder-fuzz band Mammoth Mammoth are putting the finishing touches on their next release, due out in July. It’s set to kick arse with Blood Duster’s Jason PC at the helm from his Goat Sound Studio.

US label, Magnetic Eye Records, already have some great releases out including Ironweed’s LP Your World of Tomorrow on some amazing and crazy limited coloured vinyl. Also check out Carcinogenic Corpse’s Panspermia.

Claymation are hitting the studio in May to record their follow up to the Dolphin Key, and Mexico’s premier stoner band, Akuma, will be dropping their debut Magnetic in August.

decimatus dead City Ruins

Perth blood rockers Chainsaw Hookers’ latest clip ‘Never Sleep Again’ showcases their blend of throat-crunching, raspy vocals and heavy punk-fuelled guitars.

These guys have been going from strength to strength, playing killer shows supporting the likes of OFF!, the Misfits and the Exploited. Their self-titled debut full-length is out now.

Bro Fidelity Records’ next physical release is set to drop in September, and will be a three-way split vinyl release featuring the USA’s WaterWays (Mario Lalli, Gary Arce, Abby Travis, Tony Tornay), Sons of Alpha Centauri (UK) and Australia’s Hotel Wrecking City Traders. They’ll also put out a digital release in June for Daggers Mid Flight (members HWCT and Spider Goat Canyon).

Six Ft Hick

Austrian heavy band Solrize, have just released their full-length MANO CORNUTA. Recorded in the stunningly beautiful Banning, California at Scott Reeder’s (Kyuss, The Obsessed, Goatsnake) studio, the Sanctuary, this release is stirring up one hell of a buzz already.

RECOMMENdATIONS NEW RELEASE: Black Rainbow’s LP SUPERMOTHAFUZZALICIOUS (2012) and lead single clip ‘Behind The Line’. This Italian heavy psych/stoner outfit have been blowing away minds and stages with this release. Fuzzalicious!

HEAVY editor Olivia Reppas and the Bronson boys doing much deserved shout-outs to both crew and punters.

CLASSIC: Rollerball’s Lost in Space EP (1999). Speaking of fuzz, there can never be too much! Setting the pace for the band and cementing them an early following, Rollerball’s debut is full of spaced-out tracks and heavy grooves that really do make you feel like you’re ‘lost in space.’

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shreds

views, news & reviews

A Helping Hand

The music industry can be tough It’s proved to be highly demanding, physically, emotionally and financially –especially on the road.

Previously, there has been little support available for industry professionals, who are often perceived to be enjoying the highlife. But, thankfully, there are now organisations out there ready to lend a helping hand.

Entertainment Assist is a charitable organisation launched in August 2011 and run predominantly by music and entertainment industry professionals who understand the challenges faced by others in the industry. The organisation aims to provide assistance, crisis support and education to the entertainment industry, as well as supplying financial planning advice, medical and welfare services, support for drug and alcohol addiction, industry-based educational programs, mentoring, and financial aid.

Entertainment Assist provides financial assistance to entertainment industry personnel who’ve fallen on hard times, however its primary goal is to offer educational means to prevent such crisis situations arising. In conjunction with the National Support Services Directory, Entertainment Assist facilitates regular professional development programs aimed at educating industry personnel on common problem areas, such as financial management, superannuation, healthy living, contract negotiation and management.

The organisation also recognises mental health as a problem area that is currently receiving little attention. It’s not uncommon for performers and support staff, especially those

on tour, to suffer feelings of depression, loneliness and isolation often exacerbated by long periods remote from family and friends, exhaustion associated with gruelling touring schedules, and the affect of drug and alcohol abuse. It is strongly focused on preventing both mental and physical health issues commonly suffered by those in the entertainment industry by raising awareness, and teaching industry folk how to spot the signs of depression or mental illness.

Entertainment Assist is in the early stages of implementing a program whereby certain entertainment industry professionals, such as tour managers who have a lot of contact with touring performers and support staff, can participate in educational sessions on how to identify signs of depression. They also plan to lobby to have mental health issues addressed by the government, and included in occupational health and safety legislation. In the meantime, Entertainment Assist have produced the National Support Services Directory wallet card, which lists contact numbers for various support services and crisis hotlines and has been widely distributed to entertainment industry personnel, along with the message, ‘it’s okay to ask for help.’

The music industry isn’t all glitz, glamour and riches – it’s hard work and unfortunately some fall prey to its pressures.

To support Entertainment Assist, and enable them to provide a helping hand to those in the entertainment industry, please visit entertainmentassist. org.au to make a tax deductible donation.

– Amanda Mason

“It’s not uncommon for performers and support staff to suffer feelings of depression, loneliness and isolation.”

Rare Breed Records Present

Australian tour

Dead Of Winter Festival Brisbane plus sideshows July 2012

www.darklightcorporation.com

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HEAVY02 p009ad DragonForce.indd 9

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soundwave 2012 review

soundwa v all hail the giants of HEAVY What’s become the mother of all Australian festivals rolled round once again. From Biohazard’s tight riffs to Steel Panther’s tight pants, we were there for the ride. photos Sven Hentschel, Davey Rintala and Carbie (www.carbiewarbie.com)

Mastodon

soundwave slayers!

Meshuggah

photo by davey rintala

Trivium

photo by Sven Hentschel

My first scheduled band of the day Times Of Grace were next up and Jesse, Adam and the boys (including Killswitch Engage’s Joel on guitar) didn’t disappoint. Playing a selection of tracks from their debut album Hymn of a Broken Man, front man Jesse Leach (now returned and much welcomed original KSE vocalist) impressed with his much loved vocal style, spurning the small but obviously devoted crowd to sing along with nearly every word.

Basically sprinting from one stage to the other (due to more cattle herding fences) I prepared for the mighty Gojira. Easily one of the most anticipated bands of the day, they emerged with an intro of toms, bass and feedback to much appreciation. With a mix of tracks spanning new and old releases, the French

photo by Sven Hentschel

Mark Lennard

metallers played a crushing set of crowd favourites, proving to all that they are more than worthy of the hype and would be more than welcomed back next week let alone months from now.

The first of my ‘nostalgia’ bands were next and surprisingly, Biohazard brought their A-game!

Original culprits Billy, Danny and Bobby (joined by ex-bassist/ vocalist Evan Seinfeld look-a-like Scott) ripped through a set of classics that had an interesting cross section of onlookers banging their heads and moshing to their metal/ hardcore crossover style.

I have been a big fan of Mastodon since the amazing Remission album yet inexplicably their latest, The Hunter, flew under my radar. Their set consisted of mostly tracks from this album which rendered me unable to decipher the tracks as they passed me by. Mastodon is an amazing band, but I couldn’t help feeling left out for not knowing the new material.

My own fault maybe?

Hatebreed f**king slayed. There is no truer way to explain it. Hands down one of the days highlights, Jamey Jasta worked the crowd like The Wiggles in a daycare centre; every chorus, every crowd ‘challenge’ brought even more enthusiastic chaos (including maybe

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a heavy rock banquet Kimberley Croxford

One of the most diverse Soundwave lineups yet, saw thousands of punters from all aspects of alternative music flocking to the showgrounds – sharing a sense of affinity and palpable excitement. Arriving in time to catch California’s Unwritten Law, I was met with a modest performance by the melodic punk rockers, who – despite thoroughly pleas-

photo by Sven Hentschel

the biggest circle pit of the day).

A short wait later, NY HC punk/ crossover legends Cro-Mags took the stage before a small but very respectful crowd. Featuring energetic original vocalist John Joseph, the band blazed through a selection of tracks that more or less spanned their rather disjointed career. The mutual respect from both fans and side of stage tour partners was obvious as the nostalgia poured from the speakers. h

Coal Chamber

photo by Sven Hentschel

a ve

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soundwave 2012 review

ing a crowd happy to indulge in nostalgia by singing along to much-loved numbers from their teenage years – were suited to the earlier slot.

Next, I rushed to catch, for the second time this week, metalcore act Underoath. Few bands match Underoath’s live intensity, which was extremely evident as the band catapulted around the stage – fronted by the performer that is Spencer Chamberlain – who frequently sunk to the ground to deliver soaring cleans and his trademark screams. Primed for more punk rock bliss, I hastened to Stage One for a band I’d anticipated to be highlight of my festival experience, veterans Bad Religion.

Beginning to a large but rather sedate crowd, the renowned rockers delivered a mix of tracks from seminal albums such as their 1981 debut How Could Hell Be Any Worse? and Suffer. Frontman Greg Graffin communicated his intelligent, politically aware lyrics with such conviction he appeared to be composing them on the spot rather than reciting material written 15 to 30 years earlier, and although Graffin’s performance lacked similar conviction, this was

compensated for by the excessive and ever-present charisma of bassist Jay Bentley. Just as things were starting to kick off – an audience member’s shirt being successfully ripped to shreds – disaster struck.

An incensed and disappointed crowd protested as the band were forced to exit the stage after it threatened to fall down upon them when a roof support was observed to be jutting precariously out over the crowd.

Immediately commanding the stage, Strung Out didn’t disappoint as frontman Jason Cruz made it abundantly clear he was in his domain, and a charismatic bassist traversed the stage and leaned into an ecstatic audience who were busy crowd surfing to favourites such as Bring Out Your Dead. The action continued when veterans Cro-Mags took the stage.

Nothing excites me more than hardcore punk, and the stalwarts delivered just that, exceedingly well, cultivating their own frantic crowd. Driven by antagonism, and copious amounts of testosterone (John Joesph’s hand frequently falling to his crutch) Cro-Mags stormed through their set of amalgamated hardcore and thrash.

photo by carbie

photo by davey rintala

Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society

photo by davey rintala

Gojira

Mastodon

Then, it seemed as if half the world had gathered to witness System of a Down’s headline show. The magnitude of this year’s capacity Soundwave festival was suddenly apparent as a gigantic audience gathered to sing along to System’s epic performance, providing an almost overwhelming sight. H

mind-blowing!

Christian Doherty

I arrived at Soundwave in Melbourne just in time to see the hilarious Steel Panther ripping through songs off their two albums to a very full and appreciative crowd.

Next up was the mighty Meshuggah who decimated the entire crowd with their crushing polyrhythmic madness. These guys were the tightest band of the day by far and had a lot of people making their way down to see what these guys could do. A very appreciative crowd greeted them and saw them rip through some classics as well as a new song off the upcoming album which was very well received.

For a change of pace I wandered over to catch the stoner legends Cathedral complete a set full of hits to a crowd who knew they were watching the band wind up their

Lamb Of God photo by Sven Hentschel

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System Of A Down photo by carbie

photo by davey rintala photo by davey rintala

Machine Head

Chimaira

photo by davey rintala

career in style. These guys didn’t miss a beat as they finished their 20-plus year career in style. Tight drumming, solid riffs and well arranged songs was a nice way to warm up the crowd for what was to come up next.

The Dillinger Escape Plan is a band very few haven’t heard of, but maybe not everyone knows what they are in for when they step onto the stage. I have not witnessed such mayhem and energy by a band ever until this day. The guys were absolutely unrelenting as they tore the place a new one. Jumping off three metre speakers, hanging upside down off rigging, falling off wheelie bins onto concrete (not on purpose) was just some of the destructive and violent stage moves by the band in between ripping through their intense mathcore opuses. I’m still reeling from the performance as I write this.

One of my personal favourites of the festival was Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society. As a long-time fan of the Wylde man, I anticipated his set all day and was not disappointed.

Although I thought the guitar solo went on for a little too long, the set was full of all the classic tunes and amazing guitar acrobatics that only Zakk can deliver. Minimal talking left more time for no bullshit, hard hitting tunes that these guys have perfected. I was pleased that I was finally able to see one of my guitar heroes tearing up the stage and showing guitar players everywhere how it’s done. H

photo by shadowzone photography

Slipknot

manson sideshow

words Melanie Tipping

Having been a big fan of Marilyn Manson since the early days, I have followed the highs and lows of the band for the past 18 years and I was holding out hope that the ‘antichrist’ would re-emerge in true form this year, in anticipation of his new album, Born Villain.

Arriving Down Under with his Hey Cruel World Tour and an opportunity to show he still has what it takes to be the number one shock rocker of my generation.

I held hope, with open ears, as the Enmore Theatre (Sydney) audience let out a huge cheer as the lights went down, on the smoke filled stage full of dark red lighting, a huge black curtain dropped down to reveal the band of four, opening with Antichrist Superstar. This time much rawer and less staged than the days of the raised antichrist symbol podium, once suited up with perfect make up and tearing up bibles, Manson himself revealing himself tonight, much bigger, older and under-dressed.

Having said that, he still managed to rock each song to the best of his ability and engaged the fans with full energy for the first few songs. Unfortunately though, he seemed to find it difficult to keep up with them after halftime, it seemed like the 11 song set list was too tiring for him and his lack of stamina was showing. The band seemed unengaged with him and the crowd, it felt like Manson was trying to hold the fort with the crowd interaction but it was too much to do on his own in his current state. With only a few songs to go, he takes a much needed breather, gets the crowd’s attention by asking if they would “like to have an open mic poetry night?” The audience is not quite sure how to respond. He goes onto mumble “the whole world is against me.” He tells the crowd to be “quiet quiet quiet quiet, until we get really loud when I say something really anti, and you go oow… and I go oww and you go oww…” The crowd is still perplexed. He stops and says “we like real music right motherf**kers!? Real music!

No? Do you like real music or just f**king stupid music? You know because I hate my own music, I can’t tell who’s trying to f*k with me… Let’s start over…” Suddenly he screams “I don’t believe in no things that don’t believe in me, and now it’s your turn to see what I hate about me!”

He closed with the predictable crowd pleaser, Beautiful People. The crowd left expecting a longer set than Soundwave, it was a bit of a let down although it seemed he was trying his best, giving as much as his body and intoxicated mind would allow.

It was possibly not the best decision to tour at this point in his career. n e w r e l e as e

‘No Reflection’ @Official website From Born Villain

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soundwave

meshuggah No strangers to our sunburnt shores, Meshuggah made another welcomed return touring with this year’s mammoth Soundwave Festival. We relax, unwind and talk shop with guitarist Marten Hagstrom in a Swedish-inspired sauna. words Rod Whitfield

“F

ive retarded Swedish guys, acting like idiots and trying to play weird, f**ked-up music!”

This is how guitarist Marten Hagstrom describes what Aussie punters will have experienced witnessing Meshuggah live at the Soundwave Festival, or will be treated to when they return for their own tour on their next album cycle.

Their next and seventh album, a beast known as Koloss, was unleashed in late March. It’s an appropriate title for a Meshuggah album, as it promises more of the grinding, pulsating, complex extreme metal that they are so well known for.

“Koloss is actually Swedish for colossus,” Hagstrom explains, “and it’s got

kind of a dual meaning. We were thinking about tying the name into some lyrics or something, but we thought it was a good time to name the album what it meant to us, emotionally. It sounds pretty immense, it’s a very heavy and dense album – both production wise and in the way the songs were written – and it’s always a real beast for us to make an album; it always feels like we are dragging around something really huge... so it’s always like a colossus to finish. Not in a bad way, but it’s just like an immense project, so that’s why we felt it was a good thing [to name the album accordingly].”

From that we can only guess that Hagstrom and the band are very happy with the results that have come of their long and arduous labours.

“It’s sitting with me really good,” he

enthuses, “It always takes a while to digest, to really know what you think about what you’ve done. The turmoil of recording an album always affects you when you come out on the other side. But I would say we’re really happy with the result, it sounds spectacular, and it’s a more organic and sinister album than we’ve done in a long time.”

Mehsuggah are a band that pride themselves on doing something just a little different each time, without reinventing their own wheel to any great extent – and by all accounts this is very much the case again.

“Judging by the response from people we’ve been playing it to, because that’s always the best measure, we’ve kind of taken a step towards where we’ve always wanted to be. We’re a bit less obvious

photo by Sven Hentschel

interview

with stuff. It’s still a technical album, and it’s still got a lot of intricate stuff and weird shit going on, but it’s a little bit less obvious on the first listen. It’s more like a band grooving away.”

And in true Meshuggah style, the writing and recording process was not a brief, easy affair – it always tends to take a reasonably large chunk out of the band member’s lives – although it must be said that this time the process was an interrupted one.

“It took a year and a half!” Hagstrom discloses, without a hint of understatement, “But, that said, when the first couple of riffs were written, I finished half a song, and then we didn’t work on anything for the album; no writing, no nothing, for maybe six months – because we were out doing the festival tours in Europe. So, it was an album that was on and off more than the previous ones, and that’s been a good thing because it’s been allowed to mature a little bit more.”

So was this delayed, staggered process a conscious thing on the band’s part, or was that just the way it worked out at

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The Smoking Hearts photo by Sven Hentschel

Throw them in the deep end, and without a doubt London boys The Smoking Hearts will swim. words Kimberely Croxford

the currently in vogue ‘djent’ movement, and credits them as the seminal band of that scene, stating that virtually everything flowed from the Swedish maestros. Hagstrom is aware of the extent of their reach in the metal world, but in typical Swedish fashion is quite modest about it.

“It’s quite gratifying,” he says, “I know Tesseract, because we’ve toured with them. They’re a good band. I guess there are different degrees to which people feel they are inspired by stuff. There’s probably a bunch of djent bands that couldn’t care for Meshuggah at all. But that’s not the point; the point is that when you’ve made a difference to people who are creative, that’s got to be a good thing.”

“At the end of the day,” he concludes, “all of those things, whether we’re inspiring people, or whether we’re important, or whether we’re super, or if we suck arse [chuckles], that’s not up to us to decide, and it’s not something we think about. Because if we did, and that stuff started becoming important to us, I think we’d lose it straight away.

Everything we’re doing, and the identity we’ve forged, all that would get lost.” H

I’ve read that you guys only discovered you were booked on the Soundwave bill when you decided to glance at the lineup. How does that happen?

SB: Bad communication [laughs].

BM: We saw the rumours about it, but we didn’t get an offer so we assumed it was just rumours. Then one day me and Calvin [bass] were in his kitchen and we got an email which was the Soundwave announcement, the second one, and we we’re like, ‘Oh, Your Demise are on it, that’s awesome. I Am The Avalanche are on it, excellent – wait does that say The Smoking Hearts? We immediately googled it to see if there was an Australian Smoking Hearts, but it was us.

Your new album Victory! seems a lot more hardcore influenced then the more punky/rock focus of your debut Pride of Nowhere. How did this change of direction evolve?

SB: This new record, it’s goes in lots of directions, in some ways it’s more hardcore. The first album’s cool and that, but you could say that it sounds like the same songs 12 times, and you’d be forgiven for that. We were conscious of that and we wanted to make an album that was a lot more

You’ve played with some big names like The Misfits and Skid Row. Did you then feel more confident meeting other bands at Soundwave?

BM: Yesterday was one of my biggest fan-boy moments ever. It was one of Thursday’s last shows, and I started talking to Jeff their singer and I was like ‘can I get on stage with you guys?’

And I got to jump onstage and do a song with Thursday, and I’ve been buzzing since. And we harassed Vinnie Paul. Normally you try to play it cool, but it was like ‘that’s Vinnie Paul man, I’ve got to say something.’

Have you ever experienced the classic ‘support band prank?’

BM: We played a show with The Plight and halfway through our set they stormed the stage naked.

SB: That was like ‘oh, man I don’t know where to look…’ [laughs].

photo by davey rintala

the time?

“A little bit of both,” admits Hagstrom, “because we started out writing it with the intention of doing it the way we usually do. But then it dawned on us that we weren’t going to have time to do that. So, then we had to start thinking about how we were going to go about scheduling this. We realised that it might actually be a good thing... and judging by the way it feels right now, that was a really good decision.”

It’s been a long road for the seminal Swedish masters, 2012 marking their 25-year anniversary as a band, with Hagstrom’s tenure reaching the twodecade mark. However, to him it only seems like a small fraction of the time.

“No it’s been like six months!” he laughs, “it depends, sometimes it really does feel like we’re just starting out. It still feels fresh, and it feels like we’re starting to scratch the surface of the potential that we might have. But when you really start to look at it, and look at what we’ve done, and when people say to you ‘well back in ’98 I remember when you guys did this and that,’ I realise that man, we’re old.”

Amos Williams, the bass guitarist from the UK band Tesseract recognises Meshuggah as one of the bands at the forefront of

One of the gutsiest up-and-coming acts in the hardcore scene, the hardcore punk/rock’n’roll act won over a discerning crowd at their Soundwave sideshow at the Hi-Fi Bar in Melbourne. HEAVY caught up with frontman Ben Mills and guitarist Simon Barker to talk about their first trip Down Under.

diverse and just have a lot more going on basically, and I think we did that.

The hardcore ethos of unity, friendship and working hard are themes I noticed on your album...

BM: Yeah. It might sound cheesy but that’s what hardcore is about, integrity and unity, and I think we’ve got a lot of that, especially as a band.

And with all our friends, we’ve built a team. Anyone that’s part of The Smoking Hearts, whether it be the 3Wise guys, our management or our booking agents, they’re all part of the family now. I think people just feel compelled to be a part of it, because we all want to have a good time and get somewhere together and look out for each other.

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soundwave interview

hellyeah

words Kimberley Croxford

photo by davey rintala

photo by davey rintala

photo by Sven Hentschel

W

e are so often advised that the secret to succeeding in almost all of life’s endeavours is balance, a skill that renowned metal drummer Vinnie Paul has got down pat.

The former Pantera and Damageplan legend is enjoying his current project Hellyeah as they prepare to release their third record, and whether it’s the band’s incredible natural chemistry or its stellar lineup of experienced musicians hailing from Mudvayne, Pantera, Damageplan and Nothingface that’s garnered Hellyeah such a positive reception, Vinnie attributes Hellyeah’s success at least partially to the balance they’ve achieved musically, commitment wise, and most importantly, between band members.

Towards the end of Pantera’s career, the band was wrought with conflict, and Vinnie asserts that going into Hellyeah he was determined to circumvent a similar situation.

“I said to myself ‘if I’m going to get back into this it’s got to be for the right reasons, and it’s got to be fun.’ I didn’t want to have to be in the situation when there’s headbutting all the time, but with this band, I think everybody understood that from the start and it’s all been good... Everybody in the band had total respect for each other [from the beginning], and there were no egos involved at all.”

Vinnie describes the band’s songwriting process as totally collaborative, and that hard work is always paralleled with a decent dose of fun.

“It’s really loose. First of all we start off by drinking a case of beer,” he laughs, “then, we start with a guitar riff that Greg [Tribbett, Mudvayne] has or Tom [Maxwell, Nothingface (disbanded)] has, or a drum part that I have. We’ll sit down in a room and we’ll just start jamming man, and next thing you know we’ve got a song.”

Hellyeah’s apparently laid-back approach to song writing is facilitated by the hard yards its members endured earlier in their careers. Before the horrific tragedy that claimed the life of Vinnie’s brother Dimebag Darrel’s life [Pantera, Damageplan] when a deluded fan began shooting at the stage, together the brothers had dedicated their lives to learning their instruments ‘inside out’ – allowing Vinnie to enjoy that case of beer nowadays, assured of his skills.

“You get to a point where you think that you’ve pretty much accomplished your instrument... It’s been that way for me for a long time... “Me and Dime, [for] twelve to fourteen hours a day – all we did is practice.

That’s how you learn your skills; that’s how you get to where you want to be. You have to put in the time, and I think today a lot of musicians don’t do that. They just pick up an instrument and go, ‘oh I’ve learned how to play three chords, let’s write a song and be in a band’... I think that might be the difference between a lot of newer bands, and bands that have been around for a while.”

These days, it’s producing unique drum parts that consumes the majority of Vinnie’s time.

“I want to create memorable parts... I like to have parts that people can air drum to, parts that people will remember, so when the song comes on they go, ‘oh I love this part on the drums.’”

Aside from the band’s healthy dynamics,

another thing that distinguishes Hellyeah from their peers and Vinnie’s previous bands is the eclectic range of musical styles that infiltrate their music.

“I love the diversity, the ability to play a song like Betterman or Hell of a Time,” explains Vinnie, referring to the softer, more rock-influenced numbers on the band’s previous releases, “those kinds of songs I could have never done in any of my previous bands, and neither could the other guys. That’s what I really like about Hellyeah, and it’s one of the things that lured me in the first place – the ability to do more than just metal, but now we’re back to the metal,” he laughs, admitting the band’s forthcoming album exists in a heavier realm.

“It definitely has melody,” he elaborates regarding the new record, “But at the same time it’s very heavy – probably what people expected from Hellyeah in the first place...

It’s just right down the middle, metal start to finish. It hits you in the face.”

But Vinnie assures fans that the band’s diversity won’t be compromised.

“It’s one of the things that I really, really like about what we’re doing with Hellyeah; that we’re capable of doing many styles and many forms of music.”

Another reason Hellyeah took off was the sheer amount of persistence on behalf of its founders. Despite beginning when Tom Maxwell [Nothingface] and Chad Gray [Mudvayne] planned to collaborate while on tour together in 2000, the project didn’t have a chance to eventuate until 2006. Still determined to see what they could create, Vinnie was called upon to drum. At first reluctant, the tragedy of his brother’s death leaving him unsure as to whether he’d continue with music, it was the persistence of the other members that finally coaxed him into attending that first jam session.

“I was still trying to figure out where I was going, and what I was going to be doing with my life, [so] I said ‘hey, I’m pretty shattered, we’ll see what happens.’”

But what Vinnie stumbled upon from that very first meeting turned out to be too good to refuse.

“We all came down and we really, really liked each other... None of us even knew if it was going to be a band until we had started playing music together, and I think that’s what convinced all of us. We were able to write some really killer songs, we had great chemistry, and we just fit together. It just felt right.”

Since then, Hellyeah has become Vinnie’s main priority, the group’s unique chemistry convincing him they’d have broached success even without their reputations acquired from previous projects.

“I love it just like I did any other band [I’ve been involved in]. It’s my total focus. I definitely have a huge passion for it. I did some amazing things with Pantera, I did some amazing things with Damageplan, and now we’re writing the legacy for Hellyeah…

Mudvayne and those guys have decided to put that on hold for a while and really focus on writing our stuff. I see us having a very long future.”

Hellyeah continued to forge their legacy down under at the Soundwave Festival; something the band were highly anticipating.

“It’s what we’re all about, the music, the fans and the circle of energy that we create between us. We give it out, they give it back, it goes back and forth; it’s all positive energy.” H

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O

ne of the stand-out bands in the black metal scene, Watain’s music is complex guitar layering, amazing raw vocals, and sounds spilling forth through the gates of the underworld.

Having just returned from their tour Wolves Amongst Sheep, which included dates on the Soundwave Festival, bassist and vocalist Erik Danielsson talks to HEAVY about what inspires the band, winning the Swedish ‘Grammis’ award, and the entity Watain has become.

A black metal band winning the Swedish equivalent of a Grammy for ‘best hard rock release’ in 2011 for their album Lawless Darkness may appear strange and unusual, but Danielsson believes there’s simple explanation as to why Watain was selected for the award.

“This Grammy nonsense – of course it’s weird – but at the same time, I think it’s about time that people acknowledged rock music on a larger scale. [Rock] doesn’t always have to be only a plastic, socially adapted form of art, I think there’s far too much of that going on and people are getting a bit tired of it. People want go back to that initial force that was there from the beginning – dangerous, overpassionate and real. [Black metal] has a big spiritual focus as well, just like rock music had in the beginning… I think people are looking for that, they are growing tired of the plastic culture and want to acknowledge that there are in fact bands still around today that do it the real way, with serious and damming intent.”

Danielsson refutes the idea that Watain’s ‘Grammis’ signifies a rise in popularity of the black metal genre.

“I don’t necessarily see it as a result of the popularity of black metal, because as I don’t see that many black metal bands going all over the world touring. But I think we – after 13 years – are able to go pretty much anywhere and do a proper show.”

Over the band’s 13 years, Danielsson says Watain has become its own unit, its members indebted to and inspired by the band itself.

“Watain exists because we feel the need to express ourselves, and we express ourselves [through] Watain. It’s a primal urge for us, I would say, to express these things and the inspiration [to do so] – it’s always been there… I always think creatively, [but] artistry always gets more intricate and actually harder over the years.

At the same time, [we’re always becoming] more and more inspired, because Watain sort of feeds from itself. It’s just always there, it’s an inspiration [in itself]… I think we’ve sort of let Watain grow on its own into something that ‘is’. [It’s] actually an entire world on its own by now, [and] that’s the kind of thing I expect from a band doing this kind of music, because it demands thinking outside of the box.

That’s what was behind black metal in the beginning, and that’s something it needs in order to survive... It needs a revolution of thinking… that can be expressed in music, lyrics, and on the graphical side as well.

For me it is a limitless form of art, and we intend to show that.”

Whether it’s in the form of leather bound satanic bible/tomb that packages

the special addition of Lawless Darkness, or the band’s recognisable pitchfork symbol that adorns the majority of their designs, Watain are never short of means of expressing themselves.

“The pitchfork that you refer to is actually a symbol that is a ‘Crux tridentis,’ which means the cross with three teeth. It’s a symbol we’ve been using for many years now,” Danielsson explains the logo, “It’s kind of our ‘swastika’ [laughs] to put it in a non-politically correct way… but it has nothing to do with the swastika or politics or anything whatsoever – what I mean to say is that it is our main symbol. It is the symbol that sums up our beliefs and it refers to a lot of things… firstly it represents all the three core members of Watain resting on top of the inverted cross… We’re actually working on a movie about Watain, which will be out in April 2012. In that movie there will be in depth explanations of a lot of the symbols that we use, and why we use them… They have great meaning to us,” he elaborates.

As far as Watain’s prospective plans, Danielsson says fans can expect new material, in a multitude of forms, in the near future.

“We have a bunch of different stuff lined up – ‘in the pipeline’ as we say in the music business – but I don’t personally like the idea of releasing stuff all the time and having an abundance of releases out.

I’d rather keep them for special dates or special circumstances and release them as it feels right… Right now I think we have about three or four things that are pretty much finished with recording and graphics which are due sometime in the future.

There’s still a lot more to come.” H

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photo by davey rintala

words Blake Blood photo Cameron Edney (Wicked Pix)

photo by caMERON EDNEY (WICKED PIX)

watain

10/4/12 9:32:12 AM

soundwave interview

biohazard words Kimberley Croxford

M

odest pioneers, renowned for their distinctive amalgamation of genres – deriving influence from hardcore punk, hip hop and metal – Biohazard regard maintaining integrity as paramount when it comes to producing music.

“We would rather be the band that says ‘screw you, we’re not going to do it your way,’ we’ll do our own thing, and risk losing whatever ‘they’ told us we were going to lose; because we don’t like being told what to do, first of all. Second of all, our philosophy behind writing music is that we should embrace all influences, and let them all come through,” asserts guitarist Bobby Hambel.

Hambel says the veterans never foresaw their music creating a landmark for other acts to venture beyond the confines of genre, or perceived themselves as doing anything out of the ordinary.

“We didn’t think there was anything pioneering about it. We were just doing what came naturally... We kept our naive, innocent, child like enthusiasm with us throughout the whole thing, because when we were kids we didn’t care if it was a different genre, we just knew we liked it.

I was listening to my Black Sabbath records while I was also listening to the Sugarhill Gang – the beginning stages of hip hop – and listening to Jimmy Hendrix and Led Zeppelin at the same time, and it was all normal. There was no pressure. It wasn’t until we started playing music that people would try pigeonholing us.”

Undoubtedly, Biohazard’s uninhibited attitude towards creating music is a contributing factor to the band’s longevity, helping them sustain a 25-year career.

“We’re all pretty proud of how we approach music... We’re blessed with the opportunity to keep playing, and if we brought some of those blessings on ourselves by believing in ourselves, then that’s a good thing.”

Biohazard have endured tumultuous lineup changes, a revolving door of members often leaving behind lingering remorse or regret. Absent from the band himself for twelve years, departing

following the tour cycle of seminal album State of the World Address, Hambel admits this was one reason that inspired the band to reunite with its original members in 2008.

“For me [the choice] was personal, because I really wanted to right any wrongs that had happened, and I wanted to basically, for my own self, change the way that I left off in the history books. Then, when I spoke to the guys in the band, they all felt the same thing; that we all needed to do this so that all the hard work we did, and everything we’d been through in two decades, would mean something in the end. We all wanted to give it the respect it deserved, and change the way that the history books will have written how Biohazard ended up. The only way we had the power to do that was to get back together and do it again... There were a

“The whole festival vibe is something Biohazard’s always embraced. We’ve always loved being on the big stages.”

lot of feelings of injustice or grief that we wanted to set straight and make right.

It really meant a lot to all of us, we’re all humbled to the band as its own entity.”

Hambel attributes these bumps in the road encountered in the past to the naivety of a young band catapulted into unfamiliar territory.

“The band had seen a lot of success very quickly, and it put a lot of pressure on us.

It really affected our ability to maintain that ‘just four friends jamming out in a band and loving what we do’ attitude – a lot of other elements started getting in the way. Nobody showed us any rule books, instructions sheets or blueprints on how to deal with what we were experiencing...

We were really young and we didn’t see a lot of things coming.”

Hambel advises up-and-coming acts to maintain humility, and remain wary of the insincerity that often comes hand in hand with success.

“People will all of a sudden seem to be interested in you, because something good is going on. They’ll tell you all kinds of great stuff about yourself, how much they admire you and want to work with

you – and they’ll offer themselves to you or try to work a deal out with you. You have to remember that a lot of times these people are just talking, and they’re not really looking out for your best interests.

You have to realise that there is a dark side to all of it. If you weren’t in a band that’s functioning, out working and trying to earn money... then a lot of people that tell you that you’re so great wouldn’t even look at you twice. I know this for a fact, because I was on a major label, but when I left Biohazard these people disappeared overnight. It was like when you walk into a dark house, and you turn on the light and see a bunch of roaches and insects all run away – scurry. That’s like what happened as soon as I left the band, all the roaches ran away. All these people just turned their backs... It was a real shock to my system to see just how phony, fake and shallow all the relationships around me at the time really were.”

Retrospectively, Hambel laments a lack of guidance in the early days influencing his decisions.

“I wish I’d had people telling me what not to do. It’s more important than learning all the things you should do,” he laughs.

The band’s newly released record, aptly titled Reborn in Defiance, signifies the unity and strength of a legendary band reincarnated – and ready to take the world by storm.

“There’s a lot of reasons why people split up, whether it’s a relationship, a family, a marriage or a business – sometimes people split up. [But] then if they find their way back – it’s better than ever.”

Hambel gladly observes that the band’s original chemistry onstage remains unchanged.

“When you’re playing with your eyes closed and you know what the other guy’s going to do, because you’re so tight with them, that’s when you start to become your own live force... The first gig that I did [reunited with the band] was actually with Korn in Australia. No rehearsals whatsoever, I just jumped onstage with the band. I hadn’t played with them in over a decade, but that was it.”

Armed with new frontman Scott Roberts, Biohazard recently tore through Australia on the Soundwave bill, which strangely marked the band’s first festival appearance down under despite their abundant festival experience around the globe.

“The whole festival vibe is something Biohazard’s always embraced. We’ve always loved being on the big stages.” H

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10/4/12 9:32:14 AM

KVELERTAK interview Adam Agius

R

ecently Norwegian newcomers Kvelertak (translated as ‘chokehold’) grabbed Aussie audiences by the throat with their unique amalgamation of rock’n’roll, metal and hardcore after the release of their self-titled debut secured them a spot at Soundwave Festival. We spoke to vocalist Erlend Hjelvika about their whirlwind international success.

the music and the catchy hooks, just like any band.

The album is super diverse. If you had to, how would you classify you band’s sound?

That’s really hard for us to pin point, so we just call ourselves a rock band at the end of the day – that’s like the easiest way out.

I guess we don’t really think about genres and stuff like that anymore. We just try and do our own thing.

It’s great to see a debut album received so well. How has it been for the band since its release?

We’ve done a bunch of tours and played a lot of shows. Last year we found out that we’d done 181 shows – and that’s a lot – and [then] it’s probably been 300 since we released the album. It’s been great, we’ve been having fun all the time and time has gone by really fast.

You’re traveling the world on your very first album, what countries have been a highlight for you?

I love it when I get to go places I’ve never been, so Europe is starting to get a little boring [now], even though the shows are great. I love the German crowds, and they’re pretty crazy, but I love it when we play the US. Our first tour [over there] was with Vallarta and Zoroaster, and the second one was with Skeletonwitch and Zoroaster; both from the east coast and west coast, and it was a great experience.

Which influences do you believe have inspired Kvelertak’s music?

I’m probably the wrong guy to answer that

“Iron Maiden do it, so it must be good for something…”

question because our guitarist Bjarte Lund Rolland writes all the songs and I just write lyrics. But, a good way to tell what he’s influenced by is travelling in his car. He has everything from Yes and Marvin Gaye to Fleetwood Mac playing – it’s a pretty weird and diverse lot of music he listens to, and I guess he just takes the best parts of the music that he likes and rubs it through the Kverlertak filter. There’s supposed to be a Beach Boys reference in one of the songs, but I don’t remember where it is [laughs].

You guys combine supercharged rock’n’roll with just about everything from black metal to hardcore. If I was to compare you to a Norwegian band it would be Turbonegro...

Yes, well Turbonegro were on the list when we were impressionable youngsters, and were a big influence in high school. It probably doesn’t help that I’m fat and hairy-

NEW

chested like Hank [Von Helvete]! [laughs].

You sing in Norwegian. Is it something you will continue to do, and do many other Scandinavian bands sing in their native tongue?

For me it’s just simple. It’s more natural and comfortable for me to sing in the Norwegian language than it is in English.

I sort of feel like an actor if I’m singing in English, and I never thought that anybody outside of Norway would even hear our music, at least not when we started out.

So, I just keep doing it regardless, and it’s cool to see that people like it and get into it even if they’re not able to sing along [laughs]. It’s like when we were playing in France, there were a couple of guys up the front who seemed to be singing along to every word, and I can’t vouch that they did, but it’s like even Norwegians can’t understand what I’m singing. It’s all about

Your lineup has three-guitarists. How did that come about, has it been a problem at all, and is it difficult to record?

We used to have just two guitarists in the beginning, but our guitarist Bjarte, the one who writes all the songs, was into the idea of having three guitarists. The idea was that we would be able to carry some of the dual harmonies while the rhythm guitars were playing all the way through the song... it sounded great in the rehearsal room, so we just kept using it. And Iron Maiden do it, so it must be good for something!

What are your future recording plans now that you’ve release the debut?

People keep asking if we feel any pressure, but I really don’t... With the songs we have so far, I think [the next release] is going to be better than the last one at least... I am really looking forward to practicing the new songs, and we intended to record around the end of summer; at least that’s the plan now. Hopefully, we’ll have it out by the end of the year or really early next year. We feel more confident [about the next one], as the first one was the first time we ever recorded, so now we feel like we have a bit of experience. H

EP

available now

at iTunes, Amazon MP3 and www.ourlastenemy.bigcartel.com

ON TOUR MARCH-MAY 2012 SAT 28 April - REVOLVER UPSTAIRS MELBOURNE

THU 29 March - BEER GARDEN GOLD COAST FRI 30 March - THE HI FI BAR BRISBANE THU 26 April - THE LOFT WARNAMBOOL A/A FRI 27 April - COMMUNITY HALL SHEPPARTON A/A

SAT 5 May - TBA WOLLONGONG FRI 11 May - THE WALL SYDNEY SAT 19 May - CAVERN CLUB ADELAIDE SAT 26 May - THE BASEMENT CANBERRA

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19 HEAVY02 p010-19 Soundwave.indd 19

10/4/12 9:32:17 AM

soundwave interview

20 HEAVY02 p020-22 Devin Townsend.indd 20

9/4/12 10:53:32 PM

devin townsend The axe-wielding master man is back where he belongs, on stage delivering another mammoth production– enter the Epicloud era.

words Damo Musclecar photos Wessel de Groot

D

evin Townsend is a name synonymous with the world of heavy metal. Being the front man for the chaotic Strapping Young Lad, singing with Steve Vai, playing guitar for The Wildhearts, collaborating with Jason Newsted, and fronting his own solo projects for the last 16 years. Townsend has managed to churn out around 20 albums in his career. Refusing to stop there, Devin is about to unleash his next project on the world; the much anticipated Epicloud. Calling from his home, a dazed and possibly overworked Devin is on the line and ready to talk humour, his fans, and of course, his coffee-crazed mascot, ‘Ziltoid the Omniscient.’

So, err… what exactly is Ziltoid?

Ziltoid’s kind of become a mascot for the Devin Townsend Project and me in general so wherever I go, there’s a good chance Ziltoid’s going to be with me. I think it’s a really rewarding way, at least so far, to diffuse a lot of the bullshit that comes along with doing this. When I was younger, I remember thinking ‘whoever gets to play big shows, it’s always about them’. Now I’m in a position where I’m starting to play big shows, I realise what the job is; you’re like a ring leader for a lot of people enjoying themselves.

So having Ziltoid as a part of that, it allows me to make it fun in a way that is a little left of centre. To have a mascot that’s just an asshole, it was like ‘great!’ Having him to bounce things off allows me to learn more about the art of playing these types of shows, because really it’s about entertaining people. It’s not about glorifying yourself, or any of that shit. While I’m on stage, I want to learn how to really make people happy. Ziltoid’s just a part of that, so there’s a good chance he’s gonna be with me for the rest of my life.”

You have this reputation of being this funny guy, and it’s great we are seeing that a lot more now, because it wasn’t that obvious in your previous band Strapping Young Lad. When Strapping Young Lad started, I remember I was including some of those humorous things, but it just got knocked out of that band really quickly. We ended up becoming a pretty typical heavy metal band in terms of the public’s perception of what we [did], except for some of the banter on stage had a humorous element, because that’s the kind of performer that I find myself to be. To be overtly campy or silly, it kept becoming increasingly less cool to do. I think that Ziltoid was very liberating for me

because it allowed me to play those types of sounds that I was becoming uncomfortable with playing in Strapping, without humour it was just really dark. It just became a dark statement that I was the frontman for, and I’m not cut-out to be this type of dude. It’s not my trip, it’s like I was becoming something that I’m not and allowing it to happen. Somebody asked me the other day what I think about black metal and I said ‘I think it’s great, unless you’re doing it for the wrong reasons.’ I think music with an intention that’s pure is great, regardless of whether or not I like or agree with it. I mean, I don’t agree with being mean to people, not to say that’s what black metal’s about, but there’s some types of music that I love but I can’t get behind what their statement is. That’s just ‘different strokes for different folks.’ It’s not a judgment call. But for me to do music that is incredibly dark, and then to go out there and pretend I’m an incredibly dark person when I’m not, it doesn’t fit. It doesn’t mean that I don’t like dark music, so it’s just like ‘well, how do I make this work? Let’s just make it part sci-fi, like make it part Star Wars’. You can illustrate your story with anything you want, or make it as dark as you want, and it’s not gonna be like ‘that guy is trying to make a statement about religion or politics,’ none of which I have got a f**king clue about. I’m not on a crusade, let me tell you that. I’m here to write music and entertain people.”

You spoke of light music. One of the most impressive albums in your catalogue is the acoustic album Ghost. To see you go from one extreme to the other, it’s like we all knew you had that album inside of you and we were just waiting for it to come out.

I agree, and I think that Epicloud is like that in a way as well. I’ve always been afraid of putting across that commercial side of what I do – because I have gained this reputation of being ‘underground’ or ‘extreme’ or ‘complicated’ – the songs that I’ve been writing since Ocean Machine like Life or Christeen or Stagnant, those sorts of things, I’ve always had to kind of sheepishly make excuses for. In the same way that Ghost was something that had people say, ‘obviously that’s always been in him’, I think that Epicloud is even more so. When people hear it they’re gonna be saying ‘oh shit, there’s also that part of him; the cheese-ball element of him that’s been there since the beginning.’ I like the idea of playing really heavy music that’s super epic. Like Meat Loaf epic. Like power-ballad epic with big, heavy guitars. I love that shit, but anytime I’ve mentioned doing it, typically in the past there’s always been these screams of ‘sell out!’ I didn’t want to be viewed as not being ‘the cool guy’ who’s not able to

21 HEAVY02 p020-22 Devin Townsend.indd 21

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soundwave

c h ec k h im ou t

www.hevydevy.com official website

discography

interview

1996 Punky Brüster – Cooked on Phonics 1997 Ocean Machine: Biomech 1998 Infinity Christeen + 4 Demos 2000 Ass-Sordid Demos Official Bootleg Physicist 2001 Terria 2003 Accelerated Evolution 2004 Ass-Sordid Demos II Devlab 2006 Synchestra The Hummer 2007 Ziltoid The Omniscient 2009 Ki Addicted 2011 Deconstruction 2011 Ghost

hang out with the underground bands, because it made me feel validated as a musician or whatever. After Ghost and Deconstruction I was like ‘just do it! Go for it! It’s not gonna be the last thing you do, and I guarantee that once it’s out of your system you’re not going to want to do it next.’ I think you’ll feel the same way about Epicloud as you felt with Ghost.

Something that has added to your longevity is your connection with the fans – you wait around after shows and sign things and have photos taken with your fans. Not many bands would go to the lengths you do.

My family, we travel from a blue collar working environment. My dad, and my dad’s dad, and my dad’s, dad’s dad; we’re a working family. I’ve got a ton of cousins that live up in the north of Canada, and most of my family has specific thoughts [about] music just being a cop-out in terms of a real job. So, I think for me, as much as that has been frustrating for me to hear people say that about something that is a difficult job – don’t get me wrong, making music is not a walk in the park as some people think it is – it’s a f**king awesome job and I can’t believe that I’ve managed to continue to do it. The reason why I’ve been able to continue to do it is 50% me, and 50% the audience. Without the audience I can’t do shit, and I truly do appreciate it. I think that to not include that connection to people is kind of rude, because what I think it ends up stating in a kind of silent way is ‘I’m better than you’.

I’m really stoked to be able to do this for a living, because I love doing it, and I can’t do it without you [the fans].

I want to keep doing it, so give me an opportunity and I’ll try not to be an ass about it, and maybe we can all have a good time.

We witnessed that on your last tour here, where you not only spent around three hours playing an intimate acoustic show, but you hung about afterwards signing things and answering questions. That’s admirable.

Thanks man, that’s really nice. To be honest with you, it seems kind of weird that other people don’t do it. I don’t understand the rationale for not doing it. I mean, there are some times when I don’t want to do it, there are some times when I am just done, but it means a lot to people to be able to relate to music. I think the only thing I get afraid of is that if people think the reason I am sticking around is because I get off on being a martyr or something, because it’s really not about that. I think I’ve got a certain level of empathy that allows me to write music effectively, but that empathy also extends to feeling like an asshole if someone’s gone out of their way to meet you and you can’t make the time. I really think that’s what it comes down to, so when other people don’t do it, I just wonder sometimes what their motivation is.” H

“I’ve always been afraId of puttIng across that commercIal sIde of what I do…”

22 HEAVY02 p020-22 Devin Townsend.indd 22

9/4/12 10:53:35 PM

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HEAVY02 p023ads.indd 23

10/4/12 9:27:07 AM

latest release

heavyfeature

The elecTric Age by

Overkill

Nuclear Blast/riot!

review Damo Musclecar Whenever I hear about the big four of thrash, I am always surprised that Overkill were not included in this little clique.

Because there’s one thing you can always be guaranteed of when it comes to an Overkill release – they stay true to their thrash metal sound.

Forming back in 1981, Overkill has chalked up 17 studio albums in their illustrious career, and The Electric Age is some of the band’s best work to date. Following on from 2010’s ass-kicking Ironbound, The Electric Age opens right where Ironbound left off with the epic Come and Get It. There are no signs of slowing down either, as you’re dealt a fullforce thrash attack jam-packed with incredible drumming, DD Verni’s signature bass sound, an abundance of shredding solos and galloping guitars, rounded out with Bobby ‘Blitz’ Ellsworth’s unmistakable vocals. It’s a mix of the old brought forward by the sounds of the new – flawless, tight production complimenting the energy and hunger of Overkill of the ’80s.

The album’s first single, Electric Rattlesnake, is everything you would need or want from Overkill; great slam-dancing rhythms and a stellar vocal performance.

From the get-go right through to the album’s closer each song features Overkill’s signature chanting choruses and ferocious rhythms, completed by the melodic guitar lines that have always seem them stand out from the pack.

The Electric Age is without a doubt Overkill’s finest, and if you have ever been a fan of heavy metal music, you will dive head first into this gem and enjoy every single minute. th e s ta Nd out

‘electric rattlesnake’ @itunes

overkill Thrash legends Overkill talk to HEAVY about why – even after 17 albums – their appreciation for punk rock still shines through. words Damo Musclecar photo Courtesy of Nuclear Blast/Riot!

R

egarded as one of the best voices in ‘80s thrash, Bobby ‘Bliz’ Ellsworth has been fronting Overkill since 1981. Now, over 30 years later, the band has delivered one of their strongest albums to date.

The Electric Age is Overkill’s 17th album, and with rave reviews, is sure to become one of the best releases of 2012.

“It seems to be getting that type of a feeling from all the press I’ve been doing,” acknowledges Ellsworth, “it’s power-packed, and produced and mixed very well. I’m still trying to get my head around it, as it’s still kind of new to me in the way it sits amongst all the others, but I do know that we wouldn’t have left the studio unless we got the results we wanted and I think The Electric Age has achieved those results.”

One listen to The Electric Age will reveal one standout characteristic – the old school thrash metal style that the band are renowned for is still there.

“We’ve always known where we’ve come from; there hasn’t been an identity crisis here. It is what it is, when it comes to what this band is about, but I do think that every year there have to be those characteristics or nuances that will change to make it contemporary, because I really think the goal from record to record, if there is one, is to have value in the day as opposed to living in the past… So, sure it is good old thrash, but again it has to have value in 2012. It can be rooted in 1990, but its value has to stand up today.”

In today’s digital age, the band and label are working faster. Ellsworth is well aware that fans these days are living in a rapid society, and the waiting game is not one they like to play.

“It’s funny because as soon as they get it, it’s out.

We delivered it to Nuclear Blast in Europe on the 17th January and we delivered it to the USA on the 15th and I was like doing interviews for it on the 21st. I was shaking my head thinking ‘f**k, my throat’s still sore!’ It’s like there was no time to get the whole thing together with regard to interviews and delivery. That’s why I said early on that I couldn’t get my head around the record yet because it’s really fresh, it’s really new; they wanted to move with it immediately.”

With the recent increase in vinyl sales, fans are now becoming collectors more than ever, and Ellsworth seems quite content with Nuclear Blast’s packaging and formats for The Electric Age. “Yeah they’re going to do some coloured green vinyl.

They’re going to do some special packaging too, with a

light up skull on the top of it and all sorts of bells and whistles. For us, all that stuff is great because it’s good to have it with someone who gives a shit about the record, and obviously they do.”

Australians saw the band visit in 2010, for the first time in the lengthy career, and Ellsworth still seems surprised that they finally got to cross the sea and play for their Australian fans.

“I didn’t think it was gonna happen. We’d always tried, and there have been offers on the table in the past, but it just never materialised. Partly, Nuclear Blast get something and they put it out all over the place, and you know it’s out there and that’s really the idea. If you didn’t

24 HEAVY02 p024-25 Overkill.indd 24

9/4/12 7:17:58 PM

“the goal from record to record, is to have value in the day as opposed to living in the past…” know Ironbound existed, you lived in a cave, and that should be the same way it’s going to happen with The Electric Age. So we got our first chance to come down there. I remember I dove into the audience in Melbourne during the last song, and I actually knocked some girl out with my kneecap.

They picked her up and brought her backstage and I’m sitting there, I’m kneeled down looking at her and she comes to and we’re holding ice on her head and I said, ‘are you okay?” and she goes, ‘Do you have a beer?’” Ellsworth laughs.

Tracking back three decades, Ellsworth admits that Overkill initially originated as a cover band.

“I’ve known D.D. since ’81. That’s [back] when we were a cover band. We met through a newspaper wanted ad. He had an ad in there with a drummer, and I had an ad in with a guitarist – in a local music mag for Jersey that still exists called The Aquarian. I think we’re going to be on the cover of it for The Electric Age – it’s funny how we met through that magazine 31 years ago.”

Hang on a minute there, Bobby. Did you say Overkill were a cover band?

“We were doing punk covers and new wave British heavy metal. We’d roll something out from Venom, or we’d do some Motorhead or some Saxon, and we’d do some American bands like Riot. Then we’d roll out three punk covers; something from the Sex Pistols, or the Heartbreakers. The Dead Boys we liked. I always saw us as the bastard child of both genres. There’s a certain energy in Overkill that’s always kind of been punky.”

Punk rock has definitely played a huge part in the birth of Overkill’s sound, obvious on their cover of Sub Human’s [Canadian band] anthem, F**k You! “We were doing that as a cover all the way back when we were a cover band. There’s a record we did called Coverkill which has some pretty obscure covers on there; some Pistols and Dead Boys and the Ramones’ ‘I’m Against It.’ We loved doing a lot of Ramones stuff, back then.”

Overkill playing the Ramones?

“Well, we have always thought that the Ramones were our band. When I was a kid,

you’d go down to St Marks Place and you’d dress in leather jackets, Converse and ripped jeans to emulate the Ramones, because you might see them. And you did sometimes on what was called 8th Street, over in the East Village in St Marks; the rock’n’roll streets down there. They were still very visible; they were a band with such street credibility that they spent a lot of time on the streets. We always loved the fact that they were New Yorkers. They’re absolutely unique and their uniqueness is just untouched. There’s no one that has come close to matching that sound, and why would you even try? It’s become unmatchable.”

And what better way to learn about the world of music than with the brothers Ramones.

“You can’t say The Electric Age is a punk record; it’s nowhere near it, but there’s a lively bounce to it that comes across – a certain kind of power, a certain kind of energy, and I’ve always thought that that was our X factor. I would always say that we have a certain energy that other ones don’t have, and [the punk scene] is where we’ve got it from. Then the new wave of British heavy metal came in, and we loved those guitar tones, but we always took two genres with us, and I think that’s where the Overkill originality is.”

Overkill’s punk rock influences are not only evident in their high-energy live performance, but also the tongue-in-cheek lyrics that Bobby is known for. “There’s sarcasm that follows through with the lyrics. We don’t talk about what’s evil and what’s not evil; the word may come in occasionally but we’re not the authority on that. We have more of a street credibility as opposed to anything else, and I think that’s part of the reason that we’re still around. I hear it in songs like ‘Wish You Were Dead’ or the song ‘Goodnight’ – and to some degree I hear it on the song ‘Electric Rattlesnake’ – I hear these punky influences that run through it like a thread.”

Hearing The Electric Age, one thing you notice is the strength and power of Ellsworth’s voice.

After 30 years of singing, one has to ask just how he manages to keep it going.

“It’s a great enigma, I suppose. I don’t really understand it either. I know that I don’t worry about it, that’s one thing. I don’t know how it works, but I don’t want to really question it because sometimes when you start pulling something apart, you f**k it up. It’s worked this far, and I’ve never had to cancel a show for my voice.

Over this amount of time, I think that’s pretty incredible… I think it still has power, and I think the vocals on Ironbound and The Electric Age are some of the best vocals I’ve done in 15 years.”

With The Electric Age unleashed on the world and the band in full swing to take the show on the road, will a return to Australia be on the cards?

“We’re pushing for it. We have some more Asian/Pacific Rim offers, and if we can get that to happen, we can add Australia. If we can do Malaysia, China, Indonesia – Thailand is opening up and Japan always likes the metal – if we can do that kind of a tour then we can hop right over and see you people again too. That would be awesome. I would hope by the end of the year.”

We are waiting, Bobby. H

25 HEAVY02 p024-25 Overkill.indd 25

9/4/12 7:18:00 PM

latest release

heavyfeature

TorTure by

Cannibal Corpse

Metal Blade records

review Christian Doherty These death metal veterans have done it again. After 23 years, on album number 12, they just seem to be getting tighter and tighter. A band like Cannibal Corpse isn’t going to stop the death metal onslaught anytime soon, but they refuse to become stagnant within this genre. Constantly reinventing themselves, and striving to improve their sound and themselves as musicians and artists, their songwriting and structure has been on the improve since day one, and that should be wholeheartedly applauded.

The less educated listener may find it difficult to recognise this progress, but if you listen intently and frequently to their albums, then you will pick up a lot more than you would on just a casual listen.

If you are a long-time fan of Cannibal Corpse, then do yourselves a favour and try Torture for yourself. Great songwriting, more vile lyrics, more insane riffing, more slamming grooves, better tones and most importantly, great death metal. th e s ta nd out

‘encased in Concrete’ @youtube

Cannibal Corpse

HEAVY caught up with lead axe-man Pat O’Brien for a chat about album no. 12!

words Christian Doherty photo Courtesy of Metal Blade Records

K

ings of brutality, Cannibal Corpse have done it again. Already garnering a positive reception from fans, the release of the new album Torture will see these guys making their long-awaited return to Australia.

How does your writing process typically evolve for each album? Do you get ideas on the road, or do you wait until you get home before you start working on new material?

I get ideas on the road and I get ideas at home.

I think it works a little bit differently for each of us.

I have a tendency to play a lot more guitar on the road, because there’s just absolutely nothing to do during the day... so I tend to play a lot.

Cannibal Corpse have worked with producer Erik Rutan (also lead man for band Hate Eternal) for your last three albums. Do you see this working relationship continuing?

Possibly; we just finished this album, so we’ll see what the future brings. I wouldn’t be surprised if we worked with him again, it just seems easy. We’ll it’s not easy, it’s hard work – but he knows what we want, and he’s got a really good ear for what we want. Plus, everything he’s done for us has worked out really well.

Of all the guitar brands out there, why have you formed such a bond with BC Rich?

I wanted to play a flying V [and] at the time Gibson, when I was with [my previous band] Nevermore,

rejected me. They said they didn’t want anything to do with me [laughs]. And then the Nevermore thing fell apart and I wound up working with Cannibal Corpse. I just wanted somebody to put out a flying V that I liked, and BC Rich did. They were putting out the Kerry King V’s and I thought they were cool and there was no real reason to change. I do have a good relationship with them. I think they make a bad ass flying V, and that’s why I’m still with them.

Rob [Barret] and yourself have achieved a crushing tone that gets better with every release. Does the modified Metal Zone you use come into play in the studio or is it all amplifiers?

We did use that in the studio, the modified Keeley Metal Zone. They just have a tendency to sound a little thicker than the stock version. I don’t know why.

You know his mod is bypassed, so it’s working like a regular Metal Zone, but for some reason they just sound a little thicker. And then we used a really old Triple Rectifier that I have. It’s probably one of the first ones ever made. Then, we used this Marshall cab with vintage 30s that Erik just got put in. We tried different things and different speakers, but we always wound up going back to the Triple Rectifier.

The last few Cannibal Corpse albums have incorporated odd meters and weirdly timed polyrhythm – particularly on the drums. Was this a band decision or has Paul [Mazurkiewicz] just wanted to change the way he approached the drums?

Paul has really stepped up his game on this album.

He’s been practising a lot, and playing to a metro-

26 HEAVY02 p026-27 Cannibal+Primal.indd 26

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listen now

‘Bad Guys Wear Black’ @YouTube From Primal Fear’s new album Unbreakable

nome. He’s been doing a lot of different things. I think we’re just growing as musicians, and we’re just starting to be able to write stuff like that. Every album we do we try and improve song writing. For this album we just tried to make it as interesting as possible.

Who inspires you, personally, as far as writing music is concerned?

That would have to come back to the days of Black Sabbath. They are still the band I always go back to – they still sound great.

I have so many influences but I would have to say Tony Iommi [Black Sabbath]. I’m such a big fan of his style.

What are the touring plans for the new album?

Well we’re getting ready to go out on a secondary market US tour, which is the smaller cities. Then we go back over to Europe for some festivals and some other shows. Then we do the US again for a major market tour – the Summer Slaughter tour – for some big shows in bigger cities. That’s with a bunch of different bands, Between the Buried and Me, Job for a Cowboy, The Faceless, Goatwhore and Exhumed, so that should be a good one. Then I believe we’re going to be doing an Australian tour.

Axe wielding aside, you are an avid gun enthusiast. Has this interest in firearms been instilled in you from a young age?

When I was growing up I would go shooting a lot with my dad. We would always go shooting just because I lived in Kentucky.

Then it just kind of grew from there. It’s probably one of my main hobbies. I don’t consider playing guitar a hobby anymore!

Do you still get the chance to go out and shoot?

I just went out and shot yesterday, actually.

I get out as much as I can when I’m home.

I’ll go down to the range and fire off some rounds. It’s good stress relief. H

Primal Fear have recently released their ninth studio album Unbreakable, once again produced by band bassist, Mat Sinner. words Christian Doherty photo Courtesy of Frontiers Records/Riot Entertainment

F

ounder and vocalist Ralf Scheepers confirms that this internal process that sees the band retain responsibility for the production of material is one that still ensures the best results for the German power metal veterans.

“Mat has been producing for many, many years, so he’s very experienced. We are all also hoping to produce the records together now, but at the end of the day there has to be someone who is responsible for the finished product, and that’s Mat. Sometimes too many cooks spoil the brew, so we let him take care of the end result.”

While production is yet to become a joint effort, Scheepers says songwriting has long been a collaborative process.

“We are all songwriters... we have played so much live together over the last few years, and I guess we’ve just gotten used to working with each other. We just seem to know what each other are think thinking and going to do when we get together, so it’s just great.”

Primal Fear originated after an audition for legends Judas Priest to replace Rob Halford was unsuccessful for Scheepers, but he says he wouldn’t trade the unanimity he has found with Primal Fear for another chance in Priest.

“Maybe I’d be unhappy now,” Scheeper laughs, “I mean, first of all

they are big shoes to fill and ‘Ripper’ [Tim Owens] did a great job, and he is such a nice guy as well.

It seemed obvious that Rob would want to return one day, which has happened. At the time I was really down about it, of course, but then I had the chance to do Primal Fear which I’m just so happy about at the moment.”

And who wouldn’t be happy, considering the positive reception that Unbreakable has already earned.

“It’s been amazing. We’ve heard that the record was charting in Germany at the highest position ever for us, and then it’s charted in Finland, Sweden and in Austria as well. It’s great to have such a great reaction, and it’s a big reward for all the hard work we put in.”

Scheepers says this time around the band opted to keep it simple, a risk that’s evidently paid off.

“We’ve experimented with various sounds and styles over the years, and it’s been fun, but for this album we wanted to just strip it back instrumentwise. But also up the tempos a little bit as well.”

As far as touring is concerned to support the release, Australia is on Primal Fear’s list of destinations.

“We have this [European] tour starting at the end of March and finishing at the end of April, the Metal Nation tour. And then we are talking about going to South America, North America, maybe Japan again, and maybe Australia, of course. We just have to wait for our agency to make the right deals with the promot promoters. We actually have a contact down there [in Australia] now and our agent is going to sort something out. The people in Australia are hungry metal heads, and we are hungry to get over there. It’s just a matter of time before that happens.” H

photo courtesy of Bc rich guitars

Pat and his bC rich JR V Icon

PRIMAL FEAR

27 HEAVY02 p026-27 Cannibal+Primal.indd 27

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heavylegend

“I freaked out! I just lost It. It was the fIrst tIme I’ve told her I was not capable…”

28 HEAVY02 p028-29 Max Cavalera.indd 28

9/4/12 6:34:18 PM

Metal icon, loving husband and Brazilian dictator…

words Rod Whitfield photo Kane Hibberd

A

fter more than a quarter of a century making some of the heaviest and influential metal music ever heard as a main member of seminal Brazilian band Sepultura, the main member of long-standing act Soulfly, contributor to major projects such as Nailbomb, The Cavalera Conspiracy (with his brother Igor), and Dave Grohl’s ‘Probot’ band, and collaborator with what could be deemed a who’s who of heavy (and non-heavy) music personalities, from Slipknot’s Corey Taylor to Faith No More’s Mike Patton to John Lennon’s son Sean – Cavalera has pretty much seen and done it all in heavy music. A ridiculously prolific musician over the last 25-plus years, Cavalera has released ten albums with Sepultura between 1985 and 1996, two albums with Nailbomb, two with Cavalera Conspiracy – and he recently released his eighth album with Soulfly. HEAVY caught up with him in his hotel the day after his Melbourne performance at the Big Day Out. “[The Aussie tour’s] going great, man,” he enthuses, “we’re having fun, playing shows, organising circle pits.

Marco’s been joking, saying we’re going to try a triangle pit one of these days!” he laughs.

Coming over here so often, Cavalera may almost need to apply for dual-citizenship.

“Yeah, I’m coming more and more,” he says, “it took a long time to come here, and finally we came here in 1992, and came back in ’94. Then, we were supposed to headline Big Day Out but we broke up and it never happened. Then I came back with Soulfy, did the ’99 Big Day Out which was great. Then we came back with Hatebreed and Megadeth for Gigantour, and then more.

I love Australia, it’s a great place!”

The man releases so much music, and yet quality is never sacrificed. It’s a case of quality and quantity for him, and the new Soulfly album ‘Enslaved’ is absolutely no exception.

“This album was done under enormous pressure,” he recalls, “I was sitting at home one day, just like any other day, watching TV. It was my time off, I [wasn’t] touring, just chilling, you know? And my wife (who is also his manager) drops the bomb – ‘in two weeks you’re in the studio. I’ve got you booked. I’ve got the producer coming from New England, Zuess. He’s going to be here in two weeks, and you’re going to make your new record in two weeks time.’ I freaked out! I just lost it. It was the first time I’ve told her I was not capable; ‘it won’t be ready in two weeks.’ But I was wrong, I was. Because she put so much pressure on me, I had to deliver the goods.”

Cavalera now perceives pressure as a positive, motivating force in regards to composing music.

“When I’m lazy, when I’m comfortable, I’m not so good... it’s better when I don’t have the time, and I’m not totally in control. It’s panic driven, but it’s good”.

Max simply had to get himself up from in front of the box and work his arse off all day. “[I worked] non-stop, until one in the morning – two in the morning... writing, coming up with all kinds of riffs I thought would be good enough for the record.

And then the rest was up to the lineup to help me make this a record. It’s a really good lineup, there’s Marc [Rizzo] who’s been a really solid guitar player since 2004. Then there are the new guys, Tony on bass, who’s a very professional, very solid bass player.

And David Kinkade on drums, he plays extreme metal, death metal. I really created the record after jamming with David. It gave me an idea of how I could take the music of Soulfly to the next level, and I think Enslaved does take Soulfly to the next level, of extremity.”

There are now two permanent projects in Cavalera’s musical career, both of which he treats very seriously.

While both are still very much steeped towards the brutal sounds of extreme metal, punk and hardcore – he likes to keep both separate and give them their own definitive identity.

“I still continue that,” he agrees concerning Soulfly’s exploration of world-music influences, “even with the new record, we still have stuff like Plata O Plomo where Marc’s doing amazing flamenco stuff.

There are ambient endings to the songs, and I worked really closely with Zuess to get a really full sound and big effects. So it’s still the case with Soulfly, it’s still special when it comes to sonic stuff.

It’s still pretty different from Cavalera which is much more brutal and to the point – more metal.”

Cavalera says there’s no secret to the prolific nature of his writing, it just flows out of him. And there’s also no magical formula as to which riff he writes for which band. “When I write, I’m just writing,” he explains, “I’m like a writing machine, just shitting riffs! My wife says ‘just go shit some riffs!’ Later when I listen back, I make a decision. Like, ‘this one will go good with Igor, and this one will go good with Soulfly.’” As far as whether the other band members of either band get a say in the matter, Cavalera laughingly admits it’s almost always his decision. “It’s kind of a dictatorial thing, ‘these are my riffs, you better like ‘em, or you can shut up!” H

cavalera discography (non-sepultura)

Max Cavalera

Point Blank (1994)

Soulfly (1998)

Primitive (2000)

3 (2002)

Prophecy (2004)

Dark Ages (2005)

Conquer (2008)

Omen (2010)

Enslaved (2012)

Inflikted (2008)

Blunt Force Trauma (2011)

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heavyfeature

wat c h n o w

The Making of The Power Within @YouTube

DRAGONFORCE words Rod Whitfield photo Courtesy of Soundwave

B

ritish band DragonForce have gained a reputation over the last decade plus of being one of the most extreme power metal acts on the planet. Even the names of their albums bespeak of what you’re going to get within their grooves, Ultra Beatdown, Inhuman Rampage and Sonic Firestorm.

Their brand new album is titled The Power Within. Does this name foretell of a new

With their shred-tastic take on power metal, DragonForce seemingly has one overriding goal: to play fast! and more introspective DragonForce? Are they slowing down and mellowing out as they grow older? Lead guitar player and main man Herman Li prefers to think of it as being a little more varied, and assures their hardcore fans that they are not losing their shred, just throwing a few more elements into the mix than they usually do.

“It’s definitely more diverse and more dynamic,” Herman describes, “I guess compared to the last album, where every song was fast and long, and we threw everything into it. This time we’ve been able to put some more stuff into it, we’ve got some mid-tempo songs, we’ve got some

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“they love to see us shred and play fast songs like we usually do, but also something different … to show that we can definitely do more than that.” classic DragonForce style songs, everything in between those, and we’ve even got some faster songs. So we’re really putting some identity into each different song, to spread out what we can do. There’s even an acoustic song! No-one will expect that from us.”

So do you think that this will cause a little dissatisfaction from your long time fans, especially the acoustic track? “From what I’ve gathered, the fans, they love to see us shred and play fast songs like we usually do, but also something different,” he responds, “to show that we can definitely do more than that. And from what I can tell, from some of the new songs that we’ve played live before we finished the album, the fans are very happy to hear that.”

And Herman is pretty sure that this is going to be their approach on their future albums as well, start bringing different elements in without trying to alienate their current fans. It’s a fine line some bands walk at times, especially

when they have such a well established sound and style and hardcore fans who expect them to keep putting out the same album as their favourite one. But Herman is confident they can pull it off. “(The next album) can go anywhere I guess!” he laughs, “but the dynamics on this album, it was definitely the approach we took, and probably the next one, we definitely also want to show different things that we can do. But I don’t think we’ll ever go into some sort of weird experimental time, where it doesn’t sound like us any more. It’ll definitely be DragonForce, guitar, metal, heavy, fast melodic stuff, and we’ll see how we can take it further in different directions.”

It’s been four years in between drinks for DragonForce, easily the longest time between albums since their debut in 2003. One of the main reasons for the delay was the change over in vocalists, long time frontman ZP Theart left the band in 2010 after 11 years, to be replaced by the new man Marc Hudson. Apparently the new guy was a little green, and took some time to fully come into his own in the band.

“Of course it took time to find a new singer, and integrate Marc into the band,” he recalls, “and we had kind of a learning process because he’s definitely a newcomer to the whole thing, he wasn’t in any professional bands. It took some time for us to work with each other, understand each other, and make him understand how everything works, being in a professional band.

“But it turned out really well, the album sounds great,” Herman enthuses, “it was a learning process for both of us. The previous singer, every time we wrote a song he would go and record (his vocals) at another studio.

Marc recorded every single word with us, we really worked together on the lyrics, the music, how they all go together.

And it shows on the album, the time we spent on the songwriting, to make sure everything was well put together.”

Aussie DragonForce fans were very disappointed when the band announced they had to pull out of this year’s Soundwave Festival. But in news that will be music to DragonForce fans ears nationwide, Herman is very confident that they will be back Down Under, and sooner rather than later.

“Unfortunately we had to cancel (our appearance on) the Soundwave Festival,” he states with regret, “because we didn’t finish the album on time. When we finish an album, we need three months to release it, minimum. We finished the album in January, we thought we were going to finish in October. But straight away we started planning the tour so hopefully we’ll be in Australia in July!”

Aussie power metal fans rejoice. H

giveaways win cool stuff

Post a snap of YOU and HEAVY in a loving embrace onto our Facebook page for your chance to win your choice of either Frankenbok’s brutal new album The End of All You Know and matching t-shirt – OR – new Melbourne label Blown Music’s first release featuring great rock tracks from My Left Boot, Seedy Jeezus, The Dukes Of Deliciousness and APEisAPE. It comes in two versions, an offset printed or a hand screened foldout sleeve in the style of a 7-inch. Both include the CD on a paper craft record player! Get to it! www.facebook.com/heavymag

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9/4/12 6:45:37 PM

latest release

Dead City Ruins words Rod Whitfield photo ShadowZone Photography

midnight killer by

Dead City ruins

independent

review Christian Doherty The sleazy rock’n’roll style may have been perfected by bands in the 70’s and 80’s; but Dead City Ruins have this sound down-pat today. Yet rather than sound dated to those decades, Midnight Killer sounds as current as any rock album out now. These guys know how to write and construct a song better than most, and realise the importance of having strong songs rather than just a big sound. All of the guys are proficient at their crafts and pull together for this album to make eight songs of catchy, heavy, melodic and even mellow rock goodness. If you dig rock in any form, this album has something for you. c h ec k em out

Promo video @youtube

Hard Rock Melbourne, VIC myspace.com/lookingglassoz

There’s a saying ThaT ‘if you want something done, you gotta do it yourself.’ Dead City ruins are a testament to this old adage, moving to Melbourne from the uK to make a name for themselves on the local circuit, they are about to launch an almighty assault on the overseas market for the second time, this time supporting the likes of Mastodon, gojira and Wolfmother. rod Whitfield talks to frontman Jake Wiffen and lead guitarist Tommy Cain about what it was like touring europe in a shitty rust bucket van with little money in their pocket and big dreams on the horizon. “originally myself and Mick [Quee, bass] met in London,” Jake begins, “we started things over there with a couple of english guys and played around for about eighteen months. We got into some trouble for trashing a pub but we’d prefer not to talk about that story too much, because it got pretty hectic and we had to leave London. When Mick and i flew home the english guys weren’t interested in coming to australia. i’m originally from Wollongong, Mick’s from Melbourne– i’ve always wanted to move to Melbourne so Mick convinced me to come down here – it all went from there.”

The band have already made a major foray into europe last year, and plans for 2012 look to be even bigger. “it’s pretty crazy,” Jake admits, regarding what’s coming up for them in the next twelve months. “since we started the band, i’ve been saying to the boys ‘we have to get good and get over to europe because in australia all the cities are too far…’ Last year we said ‘f**k it’, booked a couple of

dates and went over for three months with our gear. We only had 15 dates confirmed, but we bought a van and just went door to door. We ended up playing 50 shows.”

“There are dates booked for June and July,” he continues, “we’re supporting Mastodon and Wolfmother in rome. We are also playing a festival in italy called The rock in summer, and one in Belgium called the roadkill festival. Last tour [in england] we played six weeks and we only had six days off, so this year we will be spending three weeks in england, add on a week in france, a couple of dates in germany, some dates in switzerland and extra dates in italy, and Belgium.” on their last tour the band’s accommodation consisted of camping out in tents in the forest, but this time around they’re confident the tour will cater to creature comforts. “hopefully this tour we’ll have a place to crash, at least,” Jake laughs, “not to mention our tour vehicle was the most un-roadworthy piece of shit you’ve ever seen in your life,” Tommy pipes in; “it had a foot thick of rust, from the bottom up. it was a nine seat, shit-wheeled death machine!”

“We’re going spend some money on a tour van that’s actually roadworthy this time,” Jake proposes.

“We’re really trying for the u.s. now too,” Tommy interjects, “we want to play a few shows there but we will definitely have another album out by the end of the year.”

Jake picks up the story, “We’re working extremely hard to get onto the big festival circuit in europe. We want a complete tour” “When the new record comes out,” Jake continues, “we’re just going to keep touring and keeping ramming our music in people’s faces.”

Keep an eye out for Dead City ruins before they head off on triumphant tours to dominate offshore. H

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10/4/12 6:06:35 PM

Looking Glass Hard Rock Canberra, ACT myspace.com/lookingglassoz

soMeTiMes you geT ThaT feeLing when something is just right. it might be that first kiss with a new partner, a business conversation, or a juicy steak grilled to perfection – but regardless of what it is – it procures the same revelation. you just know it’s right. heaVy’s own adam agius gets that feeling every time he sees Looking glass, Canberra’s premier 3-piece heavy act. “as players, i guess all of us in Looking glass are always trying to find new and better parts to play for each tune. i find having a canvas to paint our own parts on, rather than recreating the same thing and just going through the motions, is much more exciting. There is always a feeling on stage of not quite knowing how things are going to go, which adds to the spontaneity and fun of playing live,” bass player Lachlan Paine says on the band’s mind blowing live performances.

The band’s new disc Looking Glass III, aimed to capture these performances the best it can. it not only maintains the band’s distinct sound but has a doomier feel to it and a few new dimensions. a totally bloody amazing effort from a three-piece, Looking Glass III is even more organic than the band’s previous efforts, and when asked what went down differently in the studio this time round, Paine says it had a lot to do with allocating the time to thoroughly assess their songwriting process. “our whole approach from the start was to take things at our own pace, which gave us more time to digest each step, make changes or scrap anything if we weren’t totally convinced it was right. our last two

recordings were recorded and mixed over the space of five days, which didn’t give us much time to experiment in the studio. Being a band who improvises quite a bit, locking something in by making a recording of it seems a bit unnatural for us. each time we play a tune live, it is different in some way. song structures always evolve. spending a year working on the new album helped the tunes ‘settle’ enough for it to reflect our live shows a bit more. Live shows always having been our strength.”

The group’s subtle use of keyboards on Looking Glass III is explained when Paine reveals he’s a huge rush fan. The use of keyboards came about very naturally, divulges Paine, the added bonus time enabling them to experiment in the studio. Taking on the responsibility himself, Paine bought a new foot keyboard, similar to geddy Lee’s and alex Lifeson’s [rush] set ups, enabling him to play the keyboard live without employing another member – something the band look forward to experimenting with. on the subject of distribution and touring, Looking glass have been expanding their touring circuit slowly as demand has increased, careful not to rush it, and opting to do shows in new cities when the timing felt right. Paine has been to europe lately, and has been able to compare the shows of local bands such as Witchcraft, sleep and Church of Misery to the shows of aussie bands. reporting that the foreign scene is much the same as here, Paine says the band are making inquiries into getting over there with Looking Glass III. opting this time to distribute the disc themselves through such websites as Bandcamp has given the band direct insight into where the demand lies – and it’s no surprise that the demand for Looking glass is growing. not only are their recorded efforts fantastic, but Looking glass in concert is beyond amazing. H

latest release

words Adam Agius photo Lachlan Paine

looking glass iii by

looking Glass

independent

review Adam Agius Organic, flowing, flavoursome, groove ridden; just a few words to describe this stoner fuel metal masterpiece. Rarely will you find a band that can move from riff to riff as smooth as Looking Glass. Amazing guitars, with a bass and drum section as tight as a government charity handout, Looking Glass III is a sure listener from go to woe.

Metal played from the heart with its basis in blues and rock, this is how metal used to sound and now it’s how metal should sound. Self released you really have to hear it to believe it. The only thing better than buying this album is going to a Looking Glass show as well. ch e ck e m o u t

‘acid tongue’ @youtube

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10/4/12 6:06:39 PM

latest release

Naberus words Jay Clair photo Ted Jarvis

the fallen by

Naberus

Groove Metal Melbourne, VIC facebook.com/naberusband

indepedent

review Christian Doherty Having heard people talking about this new band on the Melbourne metal scene, I was keen to check ’em out. Although there are only three tracks on the EP, they are a great representation of Naberus’ sound. Amazing guitar tone, crystal clear drums, rumbling bass and powerful metal vocals that also go into ‘clean’ territory for some really catchy chorus sections are all over this bad boy. And these guitarists can really play. They construct great melodies and solos that put a lot of the new ‘shred’ kids to shame. th e s ta nd out

‘the Fallen’ @reverbnation

in The MiDsT of reCorDing their first fulllength, naberus are set to take australia by storm.

The Melbourne melodic groove metal outfit are an impressive unit, having already released two solid ePs with only a couple of years under their belt. forming after the demise of a previous band, naberus are on the road to creating something special, and have been gaining a solid and loyal fan base off the back of their most recent eP, The Fallen.

While the 4-piece list their strongest influences as Machine head, in flames and Trivium, there are also elements of hardcore – and even a bit of hip-hop – laced throughout their songs. Lead guitarist Dan ralph says, “as long as there’s groove or melody, then someone in the band probably listens to it.” having struggled to find reliable, committed musicians in the past, naberus are currently enjoying their strongest line-up to date, and have been earning themselves a reputation as hard-working band – harbouring an ‘if we don’t do it, who will?’ attitude that’s evident right through to their live performance – full of gusto, energy and, of course, groove.

“as long as there’s groove or melody, then someone in the band listens to it.”

Like many australian bands, naberus’ greatest obstacle when it comes to spreading their music around the nation in its purest form (performed live) is transporting their gear from a to B. Priding themselves on their technical sound, the band are quite fussy when it comes to hiring backline – something that usually isn’t an option, given the gear they use. as far as live shows are concerned, naberus recently had the opportunity to open the espy’s gershwin room stage at sonic forge festival, something they list as a major achievement of theirs. allowing them to play alongside local metal heavyweights, and in front of people that usually wouldn’t check out the band, sonic forge was a great experience. now – their three-track eP The Fallen already having solidified their sound – the next step for naberus is finishing off their album, and getting back to visit parts of australia they love. Their upcoming tour will see them return to Tasmania, and head up to the Canberra metal scene. a unit with great vision and sound, akin to other up-and-coming bands such as orpheus, eye of the enemy and Decimatus, naberus have the capacity to contribute strength to the Melbourne heavy music scene. if more bands valued working together and supporting each other like these guys, greater things could happen. unfortunately, at the moment such bands are a minority, so do yourself a favour and check out naberus. With your support, bands like this could – and should – garner more recognition among heavy music fans. H

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10/4/12 6:06:42 PM

latest release

Adrift For Days words Mitch Booth photo Tenzenmen Doom Sydney, NSW facebook.com/adriftfordays

The Lunar Maria, a 70+ minute debut from Sydney’s Adrift For Days, is an album like no other. It’s a hypnotising blend of crushing doom, blissful noise, psychedelic blues and so much more. It surpasses just being music, reaching more towards an ethereal experience. They’re one of those bands that have that little something extra (as the seemingly unanimous positive reviews show), which isn’t quite as surprising after hearing guitarist Lachlan R. Dale explain how the band came about.

“A few of us used to play in a grindcore band together. It was basically just a chaotic, frenetic mess of everything violent and dissonant we were able to do musically at that point in our lives. I poured so much of my emotion into it. It seemed to match the confusion and anger I felt during that period – particularly learning about the West’s hypocritical inaction in recent cases of genocide and ethnic cleansing (the Rwandan genocide in particular). I was trying to reconcile all this bullshit I’d been fed growing up about religion, morality and balance in the world with the bare facts of genocide and the Holocaust – and, of course, the apparent inability of religious and political leaders to strongly condemn these atrocities, let alone provide any kind of real material help. That, of course, led to anger.”

As Dale grew older, he slipped out of that phase and readjusted his philosophy and his expectations of humanity. This transition was reflected musically, as he moved away from the raging grindcore, towards

the more introspective sound of drone music – Earth, Neurosis, Electric Wizard and the like.

“We began writing songs that clearly were not grindcore – and songs that obviously wouldn’t work in our current drums, guitars and vocals format. It was about that time that our drummer Steve and I headed out to the Hunter Valley for a week. We got ‘loose’ and jammed on everything slow, heavy, detuned, sludgy and droning. From there our fate was sealed: we were going to form a doom band.”

Dale discloses that his influences in Adrift For Days (as well as his other music projects) aren’t entirely musical, but also what he reads, the life experiences he has – and the list goes on. The main riffs of Along the Moon River were written in a prolonged dark period for him, the track acting as one way to channel negativity, “I have no idea how I would have ended up if I didn’t have that outlet.”

That passion comes through in the music.

It’s clearly audible, and it’s perhaps the key factor that sets Adrift For Days apart from so many others. But of course, Dale’s not the only one in the band. Vocalist Mick Kaslik is an absolute powerhouse, alternating from huge growls to soulful cleans with ease, and even introducing a ‘drone flute’ to their sound. Ultimately though, the whole band simply work together perfectly as one. Each musician values modesty, never taking the spotlight away from their collective sound.

The band have spent the last ten months working on the follow-up to the Lunar Maria, titled Come Midnight and due for release in August. This new release, as opposed to their debut, was really written as a whole band, and Dale says they’re happy that they have established the concepts that they feel are important as a collective. H

the lunar maria by

Adrift For Days

independent

review Mitch Booth Adrift For Days really jumped into the deep end with their debut release; clocking in at 71 minutes with only seven songs (one being a 45 second interlude). The Lunar Maria is a journey through everything dark, doomy and fuzzy. It moves from monstrous, crushing riffs down to subtle (later) Earth-esque droning with natural ease, fronted by a perfectly balanced combination of growls, deep clean vocals, unrestrained yells and occasional whispers. The musicianship is flawless, the tracks are ridiculously well organised, and whole package sounds organic and full of emotion. It’s one of those albums that sucks you in and, all of a sudden, is over. free download

The Lunar Maria @BandCamp

“From there our fate was sealed: we were going to form a doom band…”

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10/4/12 6:06:45 PM

UNFD reCorDs Buried in Verona recently signed to UNFD Records. UNFD is an evolution of now defunct Boomtown Records and Staple MGMT. They have become one of the leading heavy labels in Australia. Boasting a roster of bands, which could be considered the elite of the hard/ metal core bands of Australia.

The roster of bands includes: The Amity Affliction Deez Nuts Dream on Dreamer The Getaway Plan House Vs Hurricane Buried in Berona I Killed the Prom Queen Northlane Break Even The Bride UNFD’s goal is not to become just another faceless organisation, they want to grow an organic community and culture within their team, artists and consumers. UNFD’s mantra is that by being open, taking ego out of the equation and creating a meaningful relationship between the people that create, facilitate and consume the music, there will be a mutual respect that will benefit everyone. c h ec k em out

‘Hangin’ Hoes by their toes’ @reverbnation

Buried In Verona words Jay Clair photo Courtesy of UNFD Records Metal Core Sydney, NSW facebook.com/thenotoriousbiv

haVing hearD of BiV, but not yet given them the time of day, it was the track ‘hangin’ hoes by Their Toes’ that twisted my arm and forced me to lend an ear. While listening to their second album Saturday night Sever, i was smashed in the face. it’s no secret that i love a good breakdown and these blokes have the right ingredients to put together the kind of breakdown that drives peaceable gentlemen (like myself) to punch stuffed teddy bears in the guts. after all, i needed a scapegoat. nothing punches Jay Clair in the face and gets away with it!

The same debate often rages amongst the heavy music world, is it metal or hardcore? My attitude is clear – who cares? all i know, is that Buried in Verona have clearly worked hard to create something special, and it’s apparent, after their recent signing to the unfD records which hosts other local heavyweights such as The amity affliction, Deez nuts, northlane and Dream on Dreamer, that there’s a reason this band has a solid and loyal fan base.

Currently in the midst of laying down their third release notorious, BiV have once again decided to head over to sweden to work with fredrik nordstrom. acknowledging this release will be very different to those previous, the band are adamant that this time

they won’t be writing an album that fits into any one genre. instead, they’re writing something that they would all love to hear. it will be very interesting to hear what they come up with, and all will be revealed June this year.

Buried in Verona, like many bands, have seen band members come and go. of recent times Mick, Katongo and scott each made their departure in mid 2011.

There are a lot of reasons why the change of line-up came about, but none as simple as, it was time. The bands states that, “there are no hard feelings, this is just something both us and them had to do. and we are only stronger for it.”

Continuing to fight through adversity, battle through tours without money, sleep in cars, and discover the line between dirty and unwearable underpants, it’s great to see the Buried in Verona push on with a determined and ambitious attitude. so, what’s happening on the touring front? Well off the back of notorious, the band plans to extensively tour australia before heading over to uK/europe. having travelled there once before to be very well received – the band was dumbfounded by the amount of people coming to their shows and chanting the lyrics. it’s quite apparent their music is getting out there, to the point where they’re receiving requests to tour both north american and asia. fingers crossed these previously unattempted international legs will eventuate; it can only prove beneficial for the greater body of unrecognised australian heavy music. H

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10/4/12 6:06:50 PM

latest release

Exerthur words & photo Mark Lennard Death Metal Adelaide, SA facebook.com/Exerthur

Adelaide is responsible for contributing to Australia’s roster for some of the country’s heaviest bands. In 2011, the city of churches spawned a fierce and hungry beast and the townsfolk revered it as Exerthur. This band of young metal worshippers sought to pummel their way into the hearts and eardrums of Adelaide’s metal scene with their hybrid brand of brutal metal. Devoted to metal’s past and present, Exerthur came wielding an arsenal of original tracks melding elements of Gojira, Death and much more, cementing their in name in the minds of the hungry punters of the Australia’s dirty South.

Within months, the four-piece had chalked up shows with some of Adelaide’s finest, announcing their arrival with crushing and impressively passionate performances. Sporting a rare, two-pronged vocal/guitar attack, consisting of Karl Drabsch and Mark Burgess, a towering bass player that is Brendan Buss, and the solid beats of drummer Santhosh Jayasundera, Adelaide saw Exerthur as a refreshing and confident addition to the scene.

With young and eager ears open to a broad range of

“their lyrics question mankind’s propensity for self-destruction…” influences, the band first approached their song writing with Drabsch and Burgess offering the basics to be fleshed out individually and brought back to the band room. More recently, with new material being prepared for an end of year recording, the band has concentrated on writing as a band effort – which has produced some of their strongest material to date. Lyrically, Exerthur explore far deeper than the ‘relationship plus break up equals hate’ monotony that many bands their age rely on. Delving into topics well beyond their years, their lyrics question mankind’s propensity for self-destruction and the evils within our genetic structure that lay dormant (or destructively thrive) in us all.

As far as promotion is concerned, Exerthur have been busy with early recordings of tracks to make available on Triple J Unearthed that admirably showcase where the band have been in 2011 (two of the tracks can also be found on Reverbnation), and effectively allude to what lies ahead. A determined focus on touring Australia and preparing a debut album in 2013 will undoubtedly see Exerthur become tighter as 2012 wears on, as a band of brothers and musically, as they carry the torch for the Adelaide, Australia, and metal. H

Path of the Enslaved by

Exerthur

independent

review Mark Lennard Head to reverbnation.com/ Exerthur where you can download two tracks entitled Path of the Enslaved and Debris of Dishonour. Both tracks are indicative of the hybrid style of death metal that Exerthur wield, melding their love of bands like Death, Cannibal Corpse and Gojira to produce a sound that is as equally brutal as it is intricate. Having destroyed, erased and improved on all past recorded material, these are the only two surviving tracks that are available online so snap ‘em up and prepare for the impending debut album. ch e ck e m o u t

‘Path of the Enslaved’ @Reverbnation

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heavy surveillance

Wardom

words Adam Agius

House of Thumbs words Rob Brens

“House of what?” A somewhat outlandish band name tends to pique one’s curiosity, and I can assure you, in the case of this Melbourne based 5-piece, you’ll be glad you made the effort.

House Of Thumbs combines elements of two Australian metal bands, Five Star Prison Cell and Damaged, delivering a hell of a lot of raw aggression and some of the finest polyrhythmic thrash Australia has to offer. Layered over the top of this organised chaos are the schizophrenic vocal stylings of Linden Audino, divulging the story of the ‘Thumb Cutter.’ “The what?” Alright, beyond House Of Thumbs’ music there is also a concept, involving a serial killer known as the Thumb Cutter. First prize to whoever guesses what he does.

According to the band, the story of the Thumb Cutter is a metaphor for ‘release through release,’ or ‘doing what you want, when you want, because you want.’ The story itself was born in 2007, when members of defunct bands Isolar, Leechseed and Rogue Trader banded together to create a considerably harder, better, faster and more violent experience – and those fortunate enough to have survived House Of Thumbs’ live shows will attest to the success of their pursuit.

Speaking of release, the band’s first full length Crossing the Rubicon, a follow up

“…delivering a hell of a lot of raw aggression and some of the finest polyrhythmic thrash Australia has to offer.”

to their debut EP Strangle Fiction, has had people turning their heads and losing their thumbs since 2010. The frantic drum assault of Tom Rossell does well to keep up with the intensity delivered by guitarists Jake Mormile and Nick Lord. Jake and Nick complement each other excellently, neither attempting to outshine the other, and no lead work wankery is favoured over melody. Bassist Nick Rackham is the glue here, providing a rock solid bottom end that allows Tom to play out more.

The Bungalow Demos released on House Of Thumbs’ social networking websites foreshadows a development of the band’s sound in the future. Ditching some of the chug in favour of even faster and heavier riffage.

I look forward to the next chapter in the chronicle of the ‘Thumb Cutter.’ H

The 1980s were a great time for metal.

Thrash was born, and from that a whole swag-full of extreme metal split off. Black, death, speed – the ’80s gave birth to it all. So, when I heard that some true Aussie metal legends had formed a group to pay tribute to the raw sounds of the ’80s, I was truly excited.

Joel Green of Armoured Angel, and Tony Kirk of Canberra’s Exceed found themselves with similar musical ideas. When Green laid down some vocals for Kirk’s riffs, the collaboration spawned something brilliant – and Wardom was born.

With both members admittedly huge Venom fans, but also digging Motorhead, Celtic Frost, early Slayer, Kreator, Destruction, Accept, Manowar and many more – you can imagine what to expect from Wardom. This is true heavy metal played to perfection, so it’s no surprise Wardom has made roads into the European market.

Wardom has an arrangement with Metal Supremacy in Germany. Andrea Schmidt runs the label and according to Green, they have a fantastic working relationship.

“We did a five-track EP in 2009 with Metal Supremacy, and it has been an absolute pleasure to work with Andrea. She has good distro through Europe and the US.” International interest also included being offered a European tour at events like the Danish Metal Magic festival.

So why not tour Australia?

“To be honest,” admits Green, “Tony and I have played in Australia many times; we have no real desire to do it again. It requires a lot of work to put a live band together, and I don’t know if I could be arsed when very few people would be interested anyway. We originally said we would never gig, but then the Europe thing became possible and thought it would be a good experience. Now, Europe has been cancelled (due to family reasons), so we will just have to see if there is any interest once the album comes out.”

However, lately on the Aussie circuit there’s been a great resurgence of ’80s thrash from bands like Hellbringer, Desecrator and Assaulter.

“I am really digging a lot of young bands harking back to the early ’80s stuff. There was something about that era that is timeless. Live they are something else, too. The bands I like take elements of that period and blend it into the now. The Oz bands of today and over the last several years have been the best ever.”

So there you go folks, great metal never dies – it just resurges. Check out Wardom and some of the great bands mentioned, you will be glad you did. H

c h ec k em ou t

‘Shura’ @YouTube

c h ec k em ou t

‘I Am the Wolf’ @Reverbnation

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find more new bands at

www.heavymag.com.au

Summonus

From the filthiest, darkest corners of Sydney emerges Summonus. Behind them, dragged kicking and screaming is their heaving, sludge-laden 8-track album of low end riffage and gravel-gargled vocals dubbed Zeichen Der Hexe (Mark of the Witch). With killer artwork by Glenno Smith (glennoart.com) and a well experienced pedigree of members (Persecution, Murder & The Blasting Process to name a few) who’ve played a range of styles, I wasn’t sure what to expect, and got the unexpected anyway!

Jason PC (Blood Duster) of Goatsound in Melbourne mastered the 2009 Summonus EP and did the mixing and mastering for Zeichen. Summonus churn out Sabbath inspired slabs of doom/ crust, mostly paced around the ground speed of a stoned mammoth but occasionally rocking out to mix things up.

Best played at extreme volume for the full effect (and also ideal for freaking out the neighbours). The heaviness of tracks Novacula, Embodiment, Burning Times and Black Lagoon will test your speakers and violently shake your knee caps.

Having shared the stage with a number of touring overseas acts including the mighty Mastodon, Acid King, Black Cobra, Monarch (France), Zeni Geva (Japan) Summonus have obviously made their mark on punters and tour organisers alike.

If you need a hit of toxic-sludgeencrusted-doom then check out Summonus live. Hit up the merch desk and pick up the blasphemous Zeichen Der Hexe, but make sure to keep your soul in check ‘cause your cash might not be enough! c h e ck em out

‘Burning Times’ @Bandcamp

The F1-Elevens words Damo Musclecar

Recording their debut EP over just three days in a mate’s garage, one could assume that the result would be one of two things – sloppy, raw and unprofessional, or a rough as guts, kick-ass classic. Undoubtedly the latter, the F1-Eleven’s five-track EP aptly titled Get F**ked epitomises vocalist and guitarist, Shane McMahon’s ethos centered on capturing the live environment.

“If you record it in a garage, it should sound like it was recorded in a garage.”

I never knew garages could sound so great…

The EP rips straight into ball-tearing track, Cannonball, a tune that runs all over Turbonegro territory, packed with an anthem chorus, a driving drum beat, killer riffs and hot licks. Tracks like Southport Watchouse and Go Torana are quick rock numbers in the vein of the Hookers, while The Way It Was Meant To Be is a slower number that will bring back shades of early Hellacopters. The band close out the EP with a respectful cover of Motorhead’s Ace Of Spades – their ode to the forefathers of the music we now know as MotorPunk. And why not?

F1-Eleven hail from the Gold Coast, a tourism mecca that seems more appealing to fans of the clubbing circuit than a breeding pen for rock pigs.

“It’s a funny place anyway,” admits Shane, “it’s not exactly rock central, and you don’t

want to play too much because it’s all the same crew and they’ll get sick of your shit. I like playing in Brisbane, there’s more going on up there, but it’s kind of weird for us too, being from the Coast. The punk rock guys don’t like us because we don’t have the right hair, the rock ‘n’ roll guys don’t seem to get it cause we play so flat out, and we’re not heavy enough for the metal heads. There is always that 1% that love it though, they must be f**ked up, socially retarded outcasts or something, just like me.”

The F1-Elevens may not fit a particular mold but those who see them live become fans instantly. Their ferocious style of rock‘n’roll and lust for getting onstage and kicking out the jams will see them around for the long haul.

So where to from here? Shane reveals that the band’s main focus for 2012 is to record a new album, followed by extensive touring around Australia.

If you have the chance to see a live show by these cats, do it. You won’t be disappointed.

These guys are the bastard child of Zeke and Motorhead; a full throttle powerhouse of fast songs and wailing guitar solos, punching you hard in the face with a sound that’s loud, fast and thrashin’ – there’s chaos round every corner. Lemmy would be proud. H c h ec k em ou t

‘Cannonball’ @Myspace

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pinups

The Queen of Poster Art Undeniably the queen of poster art, New Yorker Tara McPherson has made a name for herself over the last decade… words Olivia Reppas images Courtesy of Tara Mcpherson

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highly successful artist in her own right, Tara excels in a number of artistic fields, including artwork for rock posters and comic books, fine art and as production assistant on Matt Groening’s Futurama. Coffee in hand, Tara tells HEAVY how she combines her love for heavy music and art, and of how it all began.

An avid heavy music lover from an early age, attesting she always liked ‘heavier music’ than all her friends, Tara says that although the scene at the time was male dominated, it made it all the more fun to go and ‘represent’ the minority.

When she graduated from college she began promoting her first ‘good band,’ creating gig posters, and in her own words, ‘crappy little flyers.’ The Knitting Factory – a music venue in Brooklyn – continued to want posters made, generating demand for Tara’s artwork and kick-starting her career.

When asked what it’s like to incorporate her love for music in her art, combining her two loves, Tara responds excitedly, “I love it, especially when you love the band, you’ve got to make it rad – and the pressure is on. I used to try and illustrate the band name and title, but now I much prefer to go with the vibe and energy of the music. I want it to be iconic, eye catching and striking, simple, beautiful and complex at the same time.”

So are there any bands Tara loves but hasn’t yet had the opportunity to do a poster for?

“Tonnes of bands – Baroness and Slayer... I know the Slayer manager, it’s the same manager of Mastodon, [so] it’s really just about making it happen.”

Moving away from the typical skull and cross bone imagery, Tara incorporates femininity into her art, (see her High on Fire and Mastodon posters) showcasing pastel colours, and beautiful images of women with a dark side.

“You have to be honest with your own aesthetics as an artist. Maybe it’s the balance – that is sweet and creepy, soft but hard – it balances it out. I think about what are people going to want to own and put up in their homes. I don’t want a fat ugly dude ripping a skull hanging in my living room, but an image of an elegant but scary-looking woman that has a beauty to it, people will want to look at that for a very long time. I think ‘would I want to have that living in my living room?’” H

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Photo by Patrick Ullaeus

Angela Gossow

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wat c h n o w

‘Sound of Madness’ @YouTube

shinedown American rockers shine, and celebrate a decade together, with their finest moment yet. To say singer Brent Smith is happy with it is an understatement. words Rod Whitfield photo Courtesy of Roadrunner Records Australia

2

012 marks the decade anniversary as a band for American rock act Shinedown, and in celebration they have recently released their fourth album Amaryllis. It’s a lush and varied piece of work, with massive, ‘wave your mobile phone in the air’ ballads to tough, balls-out rockers, and just about everything in between. Deep and thoughtful frontman Brent Smith couldn’t be any happier with how the record has turned out, and he spoke of it in glowing terms from his home in Los Angeles on the eve of their mammoth world tour in support of its release.

“We spent all of 2011 working on Amaryllis,” he begins, “and it is a 44 minute and 14 second emotional roller coaster ride. For us it was quite a fearless album to make, not only with the songwriting, but with the musicianship of everyone.

It was everyone, all four of us as individuals really pushing ourselves harder than anything we’ve ever done.

“The biggest thing for us with this record is that it’s a fearless record. We’d like to consider ourselves visionaries and original. And everything we set out to do on Amaryllis we accomplished, so we hope the world hears it as we did.”

The variation and dynamics inherent in the album are a joy to behold, and a rarity in the often bland world of mainstream American rock, and Brent agrees whole heartedly. He also spoke of some strange synergies that occurred during the recording process.

“Absolutely,” he concurs, “it’s a fierce record.

There are ballads, there are mid tempos, and it’s sequenced in a way that, it is an album. It’s not meant to be listened to in a way where you go ‘I gotta skip to track three, and skip to track six, then I might go to track ten, then I’ll go back to track four.’

“It became a concept record without being conceptual, which sounds really odd,” he explains, “It’s funny because we wrote 33 songs for the record, then 33 became 21, then we nailed it down to 17. Then ultimately the 12 that you hear on Amaryllis, those songs raised their hands. It was quite significant actually, because when we went into the recording studio, after we’d demo’d all those songs. The order in which we recorded each song boiled down to exactly how the album is sequenced. So it all happened for a reason.”

The album’s title is actually a type of flower, which may not seem the manliest subject to name a rock album after, but it is an extremely tough, hardy flower that survives in the harshest of conditions, and this tied in perfectly with the album’s theme.

“The reason we named it Amaryllis is that it is a flower that grows in the desert,” he states, “it’s kind of a symbolism of the entire record, it’s all about destiny. It’s a flower that grows in a part of the world where, there’s not really much of an explanation as to how it grows at the time of year it does, because it’s so hot. There’s no vegetation around it, and that’s the symbolism behind it, through so many obstacles and through adversity this beautiful flower rises. And that’s what the album is about, it’s about overcoming any obstacle.”

“Amaryllis symbolises the fact that you should grow every day, as a person” he continues, “and learn, and you should show your true colours to the world. Let your amaryllis bloom.”

And so is that symbolism of overcoming hardship and adversity autobiographical for you as a person, or the band, or both? “I would say for both,” he responds, “we’re four guys that found each other and that comes back to the destiny aspect of the record. The band itself has gone through evolutions, but we finally fit. We were meant to be with one another, and we found each other.”

With such an amazing new album in tow, the question on Aussie Shinedown fans’ lips is of course will we be seeing the band Down Under in the coming 12 months or so. Brent is very confident they will bring the Amaryllis tour to our beautiful country in the not too distant future, so fans can breathe easy.

“We’re not booked right now for this year,” he says, “but I do know we’re putting things together for January/February of next year. We’d love to get something going this year, but I can’t promise it.

But I do know we’ll be there next year.” H

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arch enemy

angela gossow One of the most prominent female figures in heavy metal, Angela Gossow takes HEAVY on a journey into her past at the tender age of 14 – back to where it all began. words Olivia Reppas photos Patrick Ullaeus

M

any moons ago, before the burst of the dot com bubble, there was the trusty radio, a device which transmitted news and music across the airwaves, town to town, country to country. It is through this gadget a blondehaired, blue-eyed German babe’s mental receptors were wired to the dark and bludgeoning sounds of Death, Pestilience, Entombed – the core of the heavy metal genre – and she was changed forever.

Has metal always been an influence for you?

I didn’t get introduced to metal until I was 14 – 15 years old; my parents listened to rock and pop music. I found a station one night on the radio, because back then, that was the only device you could hear new music on.

There was no internet, so we listened to radio a lot, and I found a metal station and got hooked... I liked Queen out of my fathers’ collection, and the Rolling Stones; I guess they were the first ones in that genre, but then I went straight to Death, Pestilence, Entombed and Morbid Angel (laughs).

I think my mental set up is just made for metal.

There’s this kid, he’s ten-years-old and he’s autistic, [and] the doctors told him he has certain receptors in his brain for metal; he’s a huge metal fan. A part of his brain is very ‘active’ when he listens to metal, so he’s got a ‘thing’ for metal. It’s interesting. I think I have this too; there must be a part of your brain. For some people it works, for some it doesn’t, the receptors get ‘ticked on’ and make you feel happy… [laughs].

There must have been a bit of a divide in society when the metal receptors were given out…

[Laughs] Definitely, some people get really happy on techno, I get extremely aggressive, so I don’t know…

Reggae makes me totally aggressive, and I don’t think it’s supposed to [laughs].

Who were the women that influenced you, growing up?

I was raised [as an] equal to my brothers. My mum never said, ‘you are a girl, you shouldn’t do certain things.’

It never occurred to me, the difference between men and women, so I never really looked for a female influence. My dad didn’t have any Lita Ford or Patti Smith albums…or whoever was out there at that time... I discovered these women later. I just wanted to be like Chuck Schuldiner from Death [laughs].

I never really wanted to be a guy or anything; I was always comfortable being me. I just didn’t think there was much of a difference, except for that one little thing between our legs. [That’s] the only difference [laughs].

You did for the first time what was dominated by men for so long and have blown us away with your raw power. It is truly amazing. What were people’s reactions when you first started singing the death metal growls/screams?

Thanks for all the credit... I wasn’t really aware of what I was doing. I joined my first death metal band when I was 15, and I just started singing because I thought this was singing. The guys in those bands I liked were singing that way, and I just tried to emulate that vocal sound. My mum said this was a ‘phase’, but you don’t listen to your mum anyway.

She didn’t like it, which was a bonus at that age [laughs]. I was hanging with the metal heads, I was in the band; and the funny thing was that this band was just guys, but they didn’t think it was odd that there was a girl singing. They just thought ‘she can do it, let’s have her as a vocalist.’ We were in the underground; there was no YouTube and Myspace, or Facebook, [it] was 1991, so it just stayed within a small circle. We did a lot of gig trading with other bands, that’s when I noticed Rock Hard and Metal Hammer magazines in Germany, but they came out monthly. That was our only source of information about new bands. I noticed there were not many girls in bands, and [it was] then I noticed that’s when people were reacting to my gender when we started playing shows. They were saying, ‘oh, that’s a chick.’

I was a bit perplexed... I thought ‘why would you think a chick can’t do it? Women can scream!’ [laughs]. I noticed around 16-17 that this was something unique. I didn’t do this on a big scale back then.

The big surge came when I joined Arch Enemy, that’s when it really exploded… that was 10 years later.

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“if you are too sexual on stage you will become a target for sexual remarks and most young women can’t handle that very well…”

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c h ec k HER out

Angela’s vocal advice website

photo by andrea gurau

photo by john raptis

So you worked hard and made an impression…

I just kept at it, I have good endurance. That’s what most bands get killed by; they just can’t keep it up long enough. Most bands play the circuit, play shitty shows for ten years, and then they suddenly get discovered; it just takes that long. Nowadays, everybody thinks they can be a star because they’ve uploaded their band profile on Myspace and they’ve had 20,000 hits on their song, but that doesn’t mean anything…I feel like a dinosaur talking about this, but I’m not. I’m not that old… the last 15 years have just changed so much [laughs].

What advice would you give to women who don’t know where to start and how to get there?

Firstly, you have to learn a few of the vocal techniques and have a basic knowledge. It’s enough to go to a vocal coach who sings in a normal style; you don’t need to find somebody who growls. The best breathing techniques you [can] actually get from opera vocals, because they have to work with the diaphragm a lot [and] they need to hold very long notes. They do something very tough with the vocal chords too, they go from ‘belting’ to ‘head voice,’ and this is very challenging. It’s all about breath support. It’s like any type of instrument you want to pick up and learn, [you’ve got] to get the techniques right. Then you join a band or find a way to practice every day, like you have to do with anything you want to be good at. If you find a band, rehearse for a long time and play together before you release an album or put your songs on Myspace.

That’s the danger with the internet these days, people release things that are premature and that stops labels from becoming interested because it just doesn’t sound good. It’s good to play together for at least a year or two before you start putting anything out there. Same goes for live shows, go out as soon as you feel confident, but not before, because there’s nothing worse than putting yourself on stage and being insecure about your band or your music, because you become a target, especially as a woman. You are naked on stage even if you wear clothes [laughs].

Do you need to be that much better as a woman to be taken as an equal?

Not anymore, that pressure is off because there are a lot of female bands out there, the acceptance is quite wide, but you have to be good. You’ve got to know what you are doing; you can’t lose your voice on stage…you just have to be good, like everybody really. I think you have to be careful with your sexuality, at least in the beginning, because if you are too sexual you will become a target for sexual remarks and most young women can’t handle that very well. You position yourself in the band in a certain way, you might regret that later when you want to be taken seriously as a musician if there’s a whole bunch of half naked pictures of you out there on the internet, that can get in the way, so you have to think about how you want to come across...

What about bands that have women fronting them, can you name one of your favourites?

I like a couple of very classic metal bands. I think Hailstone’s got a fantastic voice; she’s killing everybody out there. I also like The Agonist, Elisa and I are very good friends and catch up on a weekly basis. I think she has great potential and real vision. There’s one more important female singer I also love like a (very tall) sister, Floor Jansen!

Were your abilities ever questioned? Were you supported and encouraged at that time when you were taking the leap into that world?

Back then, in 1991, nobody had to have any abilities; you just made noise and it was cool right? But when I joined Arch Enemy, when you get under the horizon of the scene, and you play in a league where people are critical, of course I had my fair share of ‘I don’t think she can pull through’, ‘she’s just a gimmick’, – I had all of that. All you need to do is just stick with it, and here I am, still around ten years later. I have now been in the band longer than the previous singer; the only thing that can stop us now is a plane crash really [laughs]. What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger… so they’ve all gone very very quiet now. Hmmm [giggles].

Yes, well success is the best revenge…

[Laughs] Yes it is. That’s true. H

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synthetic breed

MARES REFALAEDA words Kimberley Croxford main photo ShadowZone Photography

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fter an epiphany left her determined to pursue music, 22 year old Mares Refalaeda (aka ‘M’) gambled, on relocating to Melbourne and won when she was recruited as the new vocalist for Australian djent/extreme metal heavyweights, Synthetic Breed.

“I did the whole ‘midnight train going anywhere’ thing and came down to Melbourne, because I figured if I was going to find something to do musically anywhere in Australia it’s Melbourne.”

Over coffee in her new Melbourne home, Mares discloses that heavy music has always moved her.

“Of all bands, I started out with AC/DC,” she laughs jovially, her smile as bright as the red of her hair, “[But] I was always looking for the next thing that made me go ‘ooh, that’s dark, ooh that’s tough.’ I’m attracted to the aggression and the raw emotion that comes with [heavy music]. Even when you listen to albums that have been studio produced and polished within an inch of their life, you can still hear anger and passion.”

Just as heavy music serves to excite Mares; it has also provided solace.

“I think [it’s the same] with any musician, they never really had a super easy run – especially throughout school and their teenage years. It’s not a stereotype; it’s more of a fact. There was nothing better than when I was walking between classes just putting my headphones on and turning something up really loud so I didn’t have to be a part of the outside world. When the headphones were on, I was in my inner sanctum.”

M’s cultivated her vocal style independently. When asked how she acquired the knowledge to grow as an extreme vocalist, she admits laughingly, “Google images. I had a couple of

years of clean training... [But] since then I’ve been developing my own technique... If I felt discomfort I’d stop and try and get the same sound using different techniques. People actually have two sets of vocal chords. With the screaming I use one set, and with cleans I use the other.”

Attempting to share these skills with a friend, M. stumbled across the chance to audition for Synthetic Breed.

“A female friend of mine, who I was teaching to do extreme vocals, was going to be trying out for [Synthetic Breed] originally, and eventually she said ‘look, you’re way better at this than me, I’m not going to be able to do it in the way that the band’s going to want.”

Prior to the audition, the band were under false pretences about M, communicating solely by email.

“Because I always sign off with Mares or M, they initially thought that I was a guy – I made no allusion to the fact that I was female. I thought if I’m going to do it then I should be able to do it regardless of my gender. When they called me to let me know they wanted me to come in for an audition, the drummer Daniel kind of went, ‘oh,’” she laughs.

M replaced previous vocalist Callan Hughes in time to tour for the latest album Perpetual M o t i o n Machine, and learning the band’s set was originally co n f ro n t i n g for M. “I’ve got a much deeper voice than him [Hughes], which is kind of funny considering the gender difference. Also there are a lot of polyrhythmic sections going on at once.

It was kind of like, ‘wow, there’s no such thing as 4/4 [timing].’”

With little touring experience, the tour itself presented M’s greatest challenge – one

photo by mitch osborne

A small town girl hailing from Wagga Wagga NSW, Mares Refalaeda has been shocking the unaware and stomping on the unconvinced around the country with her epic, technical meld of guttural screams and melodious cleans.

she overcame swiftly and entirely. Older fans of the band begrudged the news of a female singer joining Synthetic Breed’s lineup, but M quickly quashed any uncertainty on tour.

“There was this guy that posted a not-sopleasant Facebook comment, and I recognised him [at a show]. Afterwards,” M begins, dissolving into laughter, “I was in a bit of a sassy mood, and I approached him and asked if that was okay by his standards. He looked very, very, sheepish and bought me a couple of drinks.”

“Any scepticism I’ve received – it’s all been ironed out now,” she says, confidently, “With the release of our digital EP Zero Degrees Freedom, [to be released May 5, 2012] people are really going to be able to get a good idea of what we’re about.”

Not only has M proved herself as capable, she may just be the ingredient the band has been missing since the beginning of their career.

Synthetic Breed have previously experienced a four-year intermission between their last two full-lengths, and have only ventured interstate once back in 2006 due to a chaotic history of lineup changes; but M affirms that band dynamics are now stable and that big things can be expected from Synthetic Breed in the near future.

“The wheels are very much in motion at the moment... I wouldn’t be surprised if we end up touring internationally towards the end of the year.” H

listen now

‘Resilience’ @YouTube www.facebook.com/syntheticbreed

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heavyfeature

PARKWAY DRIVE

We’re good listeners at HEAVY, so when Luke Kilpatrick became sentimental one sunny, lazy afternoon, eyes scanning the surf over serene Byron Bay, we made sure one of our own was there to lend an ear.

words Christian Doherty photo Adam Elmakias

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n a short hiatus since their last major tour, Kilpatrick says Parkway have enjoyed some rare downtime over summer.

“I spent Christmas and New Years in Bali with my girlfriend, and the rest of the guys just came home... Since then we’ve all just been chilling.”

Kilpatrick says the break has revitalised the band, and facilitated the beginning of the writing process for their next record.

“We’re a bit too lazy to [write] on the road,” Kilpatrick laughs, “Lately we’ve been doing it at Jeff’s [Ling, guitar] house. He’s got a little studio with Pro Tools, and an electronic drum kit – it’s a lot quieter and easier,” Kipatrick discloses, “[Pro Tools] is a bit better to write on these days, rather than bashing it out loud and annoying the whole neighbourhood... It’s a different way of doing things, and I’d probably prefer to get in and bash it out [in the rehearsal room], but it has been working just as well this way, and Jeff gets to f**k around with the songs a bit more, since he’s a bit of a guitar nut.”

Parkway now have their upcoming Sick Summer tour to look forward to, where they’ll be hitting some regional towns.

“I know for sure that Warrnambool is going to be massive. I have friends down there and they are hanging to get Parkway down. We’ve done a few regional tours in the past few years or so, but this time we’re playing in some places we’ve never been to like Mildura and we’re doing a few coastal towns too, so we’re stoked because we can take our boards and get some waves.”

Renowned for their crushing guitar tone, Kilpatrick says Parkway took their time developing their distinctive guitar sound.

“We were definitely chasing it for a while, and f**king around with different brands. Then we got the Peavey 5150 and kind of just stuck with that live. In the studio, obviously you can try as many different amps as you want and f**k

around until your heart’s content. A good clean tone is something we haven’t really delved into yet, but probably will a bit more in the future.”

Surrounded by the surf and sand, it may have made more sense if the Byron boys produced chilled-out acoustic tunes, but Kilpatrick says heavy music won them over from an early age.

“Back when we were younger, teenagers, we probably had a bit of angst or whatever, and heavy music kind of psyched us up. But we all listen to different stuff, you know, some more laid-back stuff. Writing wise we’ve just been doing [heavy music] for so long that it’s just what we do.”

One thing the Byron Bay lifestyle has influenced is the band’s stage attire. Often opting for thongs as if they’d wandered straight off of the beach, Parkway proudly donned their flip flops at shows – until it became impractical.

“I got to the point where I was starting to get really bad shin splints. I would do like thirty shows in a row in thongs, trying to jump around like a dickhead.

I got to the point where I had to start

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listen now

‘Wreckage’ @iTunes From Parkway Drive’s album Deep Blue

wearing shoes. But I always wear thongs onstage whenever I can, and I’m barely ever in shoes in everyday life. I hate them,” Kilpatrick laughs.

One thing that’s sure to have sparked many a fan’s curiosity is how Kilpatrick obtained the nickname, ‘pig.’

“Jeff reckons he made it up with his mates.

But, we used give this chick shit all the time, and one day me and my mate rocked up to school; he had his eyebrow pierced and I had my nose pierced, and the chick started calling me ‘pig’ because I had my nose pierced and apparently looked like a pig [laughs]. It just stuck with me through my whole life; I’m nearly 30 now, and I still get called ‘pig.’”

So how much longer will it take Pig and the guys to put out some new Parkway material for fans to get their hooves on?

“Well, we’re going to do the Sick Summer tour and then head over to Europe to finish the

“Back when we were younger, teenagers, we proBaBly had a Bit of angst or whatever, and heavy music kind of psyched us up…” cycle of the [Deep Blue] record over there, and then go in and do the new record. At the end of this year we’ll begin the touring cycle for the new record.”

Pig reveals that the new release will be recorded with a brand new producer, despite the band being pleased with Joe Barresi’s efforts on Deep Blue.

“We took a whole new approach with Deep Blue, and I think it worked. We want to try something different again to what we’ve already done. It will still be done in the States, which sucks because we have to live over there for six weeks while we record the album. But hopefully we’ve made the right decision, and this guy gets the best out of us.” H

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heavyfeature

baroness Complex, progressive, organic, poetic are just a few words one could use to describe the American heavy rock quartet that is Baroness. HEAVY’s Kimberley Croxford talks to vocalist, guitarist and visual artist John Baizley about their sound, their forthcoming release and his debut solo adventure.

words Kimberley Croxford photos Lou Walters

A

lways attentive to the quality of the music they make, Baroness stepped off the road for the past year in order to create an album that transcends previous releases.

“This kind of process was a little more streamlined, and a little more focused,” Baizley relates, “Normally in the past I’ve started a song with a guitar… but this was more trying to find the melody in a song first.

I wrote the vocal

parts first and let the music follow, or [it was] something that happened a bit more simultaneously – that’s something we’ve been waiting and wanting to do for a really long time.”

Years of relentless touring facilitated the growth of each member of the band, and Baroness have been curious as to what they could achieve as more experienced musicians.

“When we started out, we really had no idea

how to write a song, and I think that frankly we got lucky a lot, and we were able to smooth over some rough edges in the song writing by playing a lot of different stuff.”

Despite presenting a cohesive package musically, lyrically and visually with each of their releases, Baizley discloses that this process begins without any preconceptions to inhibit Baroness’ initial songwriting process.

“I think it’s a mistake to put your idea out there first and then try to write music to fit that idea.

We tend to write a little bit more from the gut, and then go back and analyse what we’ve written.

If you start playing something that doesn’t fit that theme or that notion you’ve got for the song, you stop whatever you’re doing and start over.

Whatever you had been playing could have been a perfectly fine idea, it just didn’t fit the theme.

We don’t need to make sure that everything fits a concept, we just need to make sure that it feels good, and if there’s something thematically going on then that’s something that fits our band.”

“You have to take Your stuff out there, put it up on the stage in front of a couple of hundred people – and theY’re Your bullshit detector.”

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latest release

the blue record by

baroness

relapse records

review Craig Fryers

above: Peter adams (left) and John baizley shake the espy’s foundations during their 2010 aussie tour with Metallica.

But Baroness have injected some discipline into this natural process this time around.

“This is really the first time ever we’ve had a rehearsal regiment. When we were writing and touring the Blue Record, we never practised. We’d get together and go hard for a few days, and then go on tour, and during those few days of rehearsal time is when we’d start putting songs together. Now, this past year, we’d come together regularly and schedule practises, even though there was no imminent touring happening.”

The decision to implement a strict rehearsal routine originated when the band recognised room for improvement in their songwriting, now desiring to write more timeless material that will endure years of touring.

“At the end of the two years we spent on tour, it was really obvious to us that we weren’t saying as much as we could be saying; we felt a little one dimensional.

The whole point this time is to write and then play it a bunch of times to make sure we like it, make sure we’re comfortable playing it for years and years because, frankly, some of the stuff that we wrote when we were young has become very disinteresting for us to play.

That’s something that’s really sad for me, putting a song to rest. When we were putting this record together we were really paying a lot of attention to that, making sure that the music could grow in the future.”

Baizley is confident the new album is a refined representation of a band at their best, but he’s eager to gauge the reaction from fans back out on the road.

“The new material is going to be great for us to play, I know that much. But as far as how people will receive it, that’s a different matter. You have to take your stuff out there, put it up on the stage in front of a couple of hundred people – and they’re your bullshit detector.”

Along with honing his songwriting skills and processes within the band, Baizley recently stepped outside his comfort zone and embarked on his first ever solo tour with good friend Scott Kelly [Neurosis] to New Zealand and Australia; marking the first time Baizley has ventured out without Baroness at his side.

“I’ve spent a decade living with those guys on the road. So much of what I do on tour is predicated by the fact that they’re there and there’s that communal thing happening.”

But Baizley was excited to test his own abilities, exposed and in a more intimate environment.

“I didn’t expect a whole lot out of myself, but I do feel like it was a different sort of chopping block to be up on.

There’s a different sort of scrutiny and there’s a level of exposure, a sort of personal exposure, that’s intrinsic to that kind of performance that I’ve never been comfortable with.”

Baizley admits he has always produced solo material, and the unique experience of performing solo was something he had always intended to explore.

“I’ve always been with the band. I feel like one of the things that happens when you play in a full band is that you can mask some of your personality by blending it with everybody else’s. You’re writing music that’s drenched in metaphors and there’s volume and a huge amount of notes and sound happening all at once – you can cover up something you’re not comfortable with in that, but in the solo situation there was nothing to cover that sort of thing up with.” H

Following their first full-length album release in 2007, The Red Album, Baroness stuck with the colour themed title releasing The Blue Record in 2009, and then consequently touring it solidly for the next two years.

This is Hard Rock. In other words, it’s hard rock drumming, as opposed to kick-centric metal drumming, but riffs galore nonetheless. It’s tough, sludgy and drenched with testosterone. The tones are organic and warm and recorded with that natural live sound, as if you might hear the sweat fly if you listen closely enough, in constrast to the digital sterility common on so many recordings these days.

Their compositions are refreshingly unique ranging from complex barrages (The Sweetest Curse, Jake Leg), epic instrumentals (Ogeechee Hymnal, Bullhead’s Lament) to atmospheric acoustic tracks such as Steel That Sleeps the Eye and Blackpowder Orchard.

In this sense it kinda reminds me of an early Led Zeppelin record; a journey, a necromantic crusade on horseback.

t h e s tan d o u t

‘a Horse Called Golgotha’ @itunes

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TourDiary

TRUTH CORRODED

Sounds of Extreme European Tour 2012 Sharing the stage with legendary bands, stage diving and suspected as terrorists… all in a day’s work for a harddrinking touring band.

words Greg Shaw live photos Frank Streit and Christian Baeriswyl

S

eptember 2011 saw the release of the new Truth Corroded album Worship the Bled in Europe through Ultimate Records.

To promote the album the band were offered the awesome opportunity to support three legendary death metal bands – Krisiun (Brazil), Malevolent Creation (U.S) and Vital Remains (U.S) on the Sounds of Extreme Tour of Europe, and bassist Greg Shaw provides us with a tour diary…

January 23-26

Arrived in the Czech Republic and spent a few days in the city of Prague. Surprisingly, even before we started drinking, we saw a two-headed teenage Siamese twin girl! After an excessive amount of one-litre beers and roasted pork, we hit up the absinthe. Prague was killer, but the tour [itself] started in Poland, so we collected our wheels and set off to Bielsko-Biala for the first show.

January 27-31

We arrived at the venue and met Krisiun, who were awesome dudes (and f**kin’ huge!) and later met Bret Hoffman from the legendary Malevolent Creation. The first two Malevolent albums Ten Commandments and Retribution are huge influences on TC, and their set was to be mainly songs from those two albums.

The venue was near capacity by the time we took the stage. Nerve-wracking is an understatement, but the reaction was cool and we were relieved by the end of the show – from here on it would be onward and upward. Vital Remains took the stage to a crazed capacity crowd. You would have to be a brave man to get in the pit, filled with some brutal skinheads who were out to destroy!

Next show was in Kosice, Slovakia. We were over the nerves and set to kill, and judging by the crowd’s reaction, we showed it. [It] got even better the next night in the Czech Republic, with both shows attracting huge turn outs.

Next we headed West to Jena in Germany.

Germany is renowned as the capital of metal, and deservedly so. Every possible style and era of metal was represented by the great

crowd, and it was good to hang with them afterward. Next was Rostock – and it was f**kin’ cold – but had a strong turn out.

A 12-hour drive to Switzerland loomed, but before we left, the road crew (Kuba, Vac, and tour manager Darek) rewarded our hard work with a bottle of vodka that warmed us up for a long icy road trip.

February 3-5

We spent a couple of days chilling in Zurich, Switzerland before heading to the small town of Le Locle. The show was also very small, and the venue staff resembled a cross between Adam and the Ants and Marilyn Manson.

So far the catering on the tour had been awesome, but what was served here was akin to the worst kind of prison food, cooked by a chef who looked like a bra-less, transexual Danny De Vito.

Next up was a killer festival lineup in Dietikon, with a huge turnout and featuring Kruisiun, Malevolent Creation, Vital Remains, Psycroptic, Origin and Leng Tche.

It was great to catch up with Joe and Dave from Psycroptic, who had two fill-ins on vocals and bass, Zdenek (Godless Truth) and the mighty Joe Payne (Nile/Divine Heresy). We opened the festival and decided it was time to get loose and enjoy the event – jager, bourbon and crates of beer were consumed with Malevolent Creation’s Phil [guitars], Cookie [bass], and Gus [drums] joining our party. Next stop was an awesome show in Trier, Germany.

February 6-11

We had a much needed day off in Munich, as the next seven shows were in a straight run without breaks. We headed out to the Hoffbrauhaus German beer hall renowned

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listen now

‘Knives of the Betrayed’ @YouTube From Truth Corroded’s album Worship The Bled

for Oktoberfest. We sank vast amounts of one-litre steins of German beer, and ate vast amounts of roasted pork, sausage wurst and sauerkraut. The Munich show was cool, and Malevolent Creation played an incredible set, as did Krisiun – however a stage diver stopped the encore after face planting so hard that they stopped mid-song to ensure he was okay.

The next night we played in Darmstadt at a venue – in a forest! Surprisingly, it was the best German show we had played so far, the crowd was awesome with lots of head-banging and support. It was Bret Hoffman from Malevolent Creation’s birthday, so I decided to show him how to celebrate in true Truth Corroded form… with endless jager bombs! An awesome night with both Bret and Phil from Malevolent, and after the show all the bands got together to celebrate.

Ah, Holland… where’s the bong dude?!

We arrived at the venue in Alkmaar, entered the band room and were straight away enveloped in a cloud of weed smoke – mostly from Krisiun. The show didn’t have as strong a turn out as the other shows, but the crowd still went ballistic for Krisiun and Vital Remains.

Next stop was an awesome town called Groningen, and a killer venue called Vera that had featured some awesome bands from all genres and eras such as Radiohead, Sonic Youth and Soundgarden, Refused – and countless metal bands. The show was awesome, with a loud and supportive crowd that all raised the horns during Crown the Apocalypse, which was really cool. An awesome night that ended with me getting stoned, becoming lost, and wandering in circles trying to find our hotel for an hour or two.

Our last show in Holland was in Rotterdam.

There was a huge after show party which almost ended up with Malevolent Creation

playing a show at the Hells Angels club house.

Horns up to Jason and Tristan (merch/TC roadies) for being the last men standing following the party.

February 12-15

Vosselaar, Belgium was cool with a good turn out. Immediately afterwards we had to drive to Calais in France, sleep for just under three hours, then cross to England by the Euro Tunnel to drive on to Manchester. It was hard going, but despite a lack of sleep, we were ready to destroy by the time we took the stage in front of a very supportive crowd. After the show we went out with Bret Hoffman, Brian [lead guitar] and Scott [vocals] of Vital Remains.

Lots of jager bombs and vodka followed and surprisingly, disco dancing!

Next stop London. We did the tourist sites and hit the infamous Crobar in Soho for loads of cheap bourbon and a juke box that covered every genre of metal you could name, leading to rowdy sing-a-longs. The next day we went to see Buckingham Palace and Westminster, however while we were checking out the sights, a police van pulled up and out climbed about a dozen officers who took each of us aside

individually and let us know that we had been under CCTV surveillance, identifying us as terrorist suspects! We were treated to the good cop/bad cop routine before our identity checks came up clear and we were allowed to go.

The show in London was at the renowned Underworld. The venue was close to sold-out, but was still only filling by the time we took to the stage. None the less, the reception was incredible, with a big shout out for an encore.

Manchester and London were great, and we look forward to returning. Next stop was back over the channel to Paris, France.

February 16-18

The journey back to France was long and Paris traffic is road rage hell – so we only arrived at the venue just before our sound check. The venue filled really early, and we had a sizable crowd by the time we got onstage. Even though we are not at all known over there, the French crowd was right up front for our set and showed great support.

The last two shows were in Bad Oeynhausen and Essen in Germany. The German shows had all been great, so it would be a perfect way to end the tour. Bad Oeynhausen had a really big but tough crowd, with the exception of a young crew who moshed-out from the start. It was our last night to party with the bands, as they had an early departure scheduled for Essen, so after load out the road crew (Kuba and Vac) downed two bottles of vodka with us in record time (maybe five minutes?) to celebrate before we left the tour. We then had a huge night with the bands – getting goodbye photos, exchanging emails and drinking everything in sight.

The friendship we had developed with the bands and road crew was immense, so we were down that there was only one more show left.

Essen was an important show – not only because it was our last show of the tour, but there was going to be a major label and press presence at the show, so the pressure was on.

The show was the biggest turn out for the tour so far. It was incredible, the best of the tour; we received a great response from the crowd and could not have hoped for a more perfect exit.

Each of the bands gave us a huge shout out as we celebrated side of stage with some of us stage diving during the Krisiun set. It was the best night of the tour; and the perfect end to a perfect tour. H

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TourDiary

KARNIVOOL DO M Bassist Jon Stockman from Australia’s Karnivool provides an insight on Indian popular music, driving etiquette, and delicious snacks, as he recounts his eyeopening experience touring in the country. words Jon Stockman photos Courtesy of Fidelity Corporation Artist Management

I

n the middle of December last year, when we made our way to India to headline the Mood Indigo festival in Mumbai, we truly had no idea what to expect. The only things we knew about Mumbai was that it was the beating bosom of the Bollywood film industry, and that Sachan Tendulkar lived there. A lot of touring bands have had a brush with India, whether it’s actually playing a show there, or coming painfully

close only to have the whole thing disappear in a puffadum of smoke. Before December, we were in the latter category, having being stifled at the eleventh hour by the promoters of a similar festival the year before. Other bands I know have met similar fates, where their plans suddenly turned to shit not more than three weeks before they were set to go. In fact, the more I think about it, I’m sure I’ve only ever heard stories that end in frustration and failure. Perhaps this was why we all felt so uneasy. Having finally dodged the first bullet, we had no way of knowing what to expect to from thereon.

Karnivool aren’t novices at touring internationally by any means, and I think we all feel pretty fortunate. No two countries are alike, and we find little commonality on our travels. The only common thread tying all of the international territories together is often the nauseating familiarity of popular music, which reigns supreme in all of them, painted with the same toilet brush in a world of ever-declining dignity and respect. I wish that every time I dipped my ear in the musical stream being broadcast through a car stereo I didn’t have to watch out for

cookie-cutter shaped turds floating by – they’re difficult to get out of your ear canal. International mainstream material today seems to serve to beat all depth out of the conscious mind, pounding it flatter the longer you listen to it. At best it’s the aural littering of corporate ‘poppets,’ but somehow it still manages to get labelled as music, and is allowed to continue to poison the minds of a global dominant power: 14 year old reality-tvloving female demographic.

India, however, was nothing like this. There are only a handful of popular music styles embraced by India, as far as I could perceive. Bollywood music was at the top.

Sure, it still reeks of the same shit as what I’ve been describing, but with a healthy seasoning of spices, and some real f**king instruments as well.

I reckon that if you’re going to champion soulless music that sticks to the brain in the same way that shit clings to a blanket, at least give it your own unique flavour, not the shared miasma of global stench being quaffed up by fools in every other part of the world. And they do. While most countries have forsaken any kind of cultural addition in the recipe for shit singles, for fear of weakening the mixture – shamelessly leave nothing unique about themselves except their accents and the occasional colloquial lyric – traditional Indian music is still alive and kicking.

Unique to almost everywhere else in the world, in the music market of India, Britney Spears is struggling to get a hit, and not even Kylie can get a gig. In fact, seemingly the only two types of western music embraced by Indians are techno music and metal. The main reason for this is that they really suffer the least from the language barrier while enjoying these genres, but it’s also the complexity of these styles that appeal to the meticulous and calculating minds of Indian people. Therein lies the reason why so much of the popular English speaking music farting through our radios does not fan the fires of India’s collective interest, but pungently puts them out.

Metal is huge in India, which makes the fact that it’s so hard to organise shows there all the more frustrating. I asked a lot of questions as to why metal is so popular – I asked people running

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wat c h n o w

‘Set Fire to a Hive’ @YouTube Live in Mumbai, India

O MUMBAI the event, the label we were licensed to, and even punters at the show – and they all seemed to say that what is undeniable about the genre is it’s uncompromising expression of raw energy that any listener can engage with, regardless of whether language or lyric are understood.

When we first landed in the country, I realised when I got off the plane that I’d never been to another country where there was a complete lack of familiarity with anything that I’d experienced before. It’s a second world country, there are slums on the side of the road, cows walking around everywhere, and nearly no middle class at all – just a huge gap between the rich and poor. I’ve never really been to any part of Asia – aside from airports – so it was all the more new and unchartered from my perspective. Our sound guy, Luke mentioned how common ‘took-tooks’ [vehicles] were throughout Asia when I spotted one, however, the sticker on the back that read, ‘stop tuberculosis – don’t spit,’ was apparently unique to India. When we asked the driver if he knew where our hotel was, his answer, which followed shortly after a large phlegmy projectile jettisoned from his mouth onto the tyre, seemed just as ironic in hindsight; ‘I can drive you there.’

What followed seemed to be anything but driving. There’s a huge difference between driving and operating the mechanics of a vehicle. Turning the wheel and changing gears is not driving, driving is being part of the traffic and engaging in the road rules so as to minimise damage to yourself and others. I suddenly found myself in what appeared to be a sea of self-serving, driver-less, and not to mention lawless, motorists swarming like angry ants with tiger-balmed testicles burning at the rear through endless, thickening traffic. Horns blasted in quadraphonic sound, ever so slightly varied in pitch as to give a stereoscopic sonic image of an angry monotone choir of Chewbaccas bearing down on our humble taxi, minus the throat roll. Cars sped past and in front of us, albeit in many other directions; never parallel to the line markings on the road, which I had presumed were there to polarise the flow of traffic into one of two logical directions. India’s own interpretation of these line markings seemed to take creative license to levels beyond any kind of reason, as I wondered the entire time, ‘why am I not dead yet?’ However no one had caused a single accident and, despite the

Ian Kenny struggled with the smog…

horns, there’d been no visible signs of road rage.

In the five days I was there, I only saw two examples of what I’d constitute as road rage. My experience of Perth peak-hour, which involved about a tenth of the volume of cars as I was experiencing in India, was that it clogged more easily and for longer – with road rage to boot. Outside of Perth, Paris is one of the worst driving environments, because you only get let in when you have adequately insulted the prick in the lane next to you. Oh, and don’t forget New York; New York is a waking f**king nightmare for a green Aussie driving in another country for the first time. Try driving in a city that has nearly as many people living in it as the whole country of Australia, for a start, then on the opposite side of the road as you try to stay out of the way of other motorists who want to move at a speed 5mph faster than whatever speed you are doing in front of them – at all times. Truth was, Indians were just following less rules. For a start, the horn was not being used as an audible equivalent to the finger as it is done here. Everybody is constantly tailgating each other, and for this reason, no-one uses their rear view mirrors, although they occasionally glance at their side mirrors before pulling out into traffic moving 60kmh faster than they are. They actually can’t afford to take their eyes off the cars in front of them for a second, or they will crash into them when they next suddenly stop. That’s what the horns are for. They let you know that there are cars in the areas you can’t actually look at. Three very simple rules and that’s all. Luke put it more succinctly in two rules: “If you’re a big f**ker, punch [the horn].

If you’re not, get out of the way of the big f**kers before they punch it, then follow.”

The point is I eventually discovered that they actually do drive, and it was startlingly refreshing in many ways, for it truly redefined my sense of order.

This reflected the whole experience – whether it was seeing building extensions being held up by nothing more than bundles of tree branches, curing my beard in a BBQ plate of smoking food, or plugging a sitar into Hos’s [Mark Hosking, guitar] wah-wah pedal, everything was new. Plus Drew [Goddard, guitar] finally got the WiFi on his laptop fixed by the in-house IT crew on call at the hotel we stayed at. If an Indian IT team can’t fix it, I’m not sure if even Chuck Norris can. By the way, dosas [savoury South Indian pancakes] are the shit. H

“It’s a second world country, there are slums on the side of the road, cows walking around everywhere, and nearly no middle class at all – just a huge gap between the rich and poor…”

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heavylegend

heavy FACTS Vital signs Born: February 13, 1961 Name: Henry Lawrence Garfield Place: Washington DC, USA

henry ro l Perpetually compelled to try his hand at everything that inspires him, Henry Rollins has become an inspiration himself, by epitomising the philosophy ‘make the most of what you’ve got.’

Bands State of Alert (1980-1981) Black Flag (1981-1986) Rollins Band (1987-2003 )

Fun fact In the 1980s, Henry Rollins produced an album of acoustic songs for the convicted murderer Charles Manson titled Completion. The record was supposed to be released by SST Records, but the project was later canceled due to the label receiving death threats for working with Manson. Only five test presses of Completion were pressed, two of which remain in Rollins’ possession.

Oz connection Rollins is credited as mixer and producer on the 1995 album by Australian band Mark of Cain titled Ill at Ease.

words Kimberley Croxford photo Courtesy of Two Fish Out of Water

T

he reputable Rollins first made his mark as the notoriously renowned frontman of seminal hardcore punk act Black Flag, and then as the eccentric vocalist of Rollins Band. Since, he has become an entrepreneur of countless other mediums, simply by grasping opportunities with both (rather large) hands. A witty spoken word artist, employing his outspoken nature to debate political and social issues in front of audiences across the world (impressing Australians with his recent tour The Long March), Rollins has also become a prolific writer, publisher, actor, photographer and motivational speaker – despite his modesty preventing him from owning any one of these titles. When asked how he summons the confidence to attempt each diverse endeavour, Rollins quickly refutes the notion that he possesses any.

“I don’t have any confidence,” he scoffs, “I have complete clarity concerning where I come from...

I come from minimum wage work, I come from nothing – so what do I have to lose? I just follow my interest, because I know what I have to go back to and I’m not all that interested in that. I just start swinging, and try and get the home run. The worst thing I’ll ever face is humiliation... so what? You just walk it off. So, for the last 30 years... I’ve just been going for it.”

A motivating force for Rollins was to establish a future for himself post Black Flag.

“I left music because there was, in my opinion, nothing more I could do with it. So, rather than spend time going sideways in parody and character, I said, ‘well, I’ll just stop it’...

I still probably have something left to offer, but if I’m not 100 percent into it, then I’m kind of lying, and I don’t want to be that guy... I see my ex-band mates go ‘it’s the 25th anniversary of ‘this’ album, we’re going to go play it,’ – really? I’d rather be braver, crazier and more innovative than, ‘we’re going to take a summer and play 20 year old music so you can finally pay me what you owe me,’ – which is kind of where that’s at.

‘When we wrote these songs, you spat on us and 35 of you showed up. Now when we do these songs we can play third bill at the Reading festival and get 100,000 Euros, thank you very much,’ It’s not for me to judge, but you couldn’t pay me enough to do six months on the road with Black Flag... What I’ve done in my life is work really hard; frighteningly hard, to have another option.”

A relentless globe trotter, Rollins possesses a persistent hunger for travel and experience, rarely allowing himself to settle in one place.

“I visit up to 25 countries a year – wilfully and on purpose... I’m not able to be unaware, that’s not a luxury I let myself enjoy. I make sure I’m in these places so my antenna remains sharp. I wilfully push myself in to a high metabolism, accomplishment and achievement rate... not because I think that I’m some super guy, I know that I’m a lazy slob. If I don’t push myself, I will sleep late; I’ll sleep until two in the afternoon... At night, I only start getting tired around 6am, that’s when it occurs to me that it’s time to sleep. After you’ve wrestled the demon of the night to the ground and stomped on its head during the early morning hours, that’s when you keel over onto a mattress – that to me is ideal – but I have staff that come in at 9am when I’m off the road. I try and live on the road as much as possible, out of a backpack, on a tour bus, or in a hotel. Even if I don’t want to, I know it’s better for me, and it’s how I remain aware of the world.

“Curiosity and anger are my two main motivators.

I want to know, and therefore I go. And I’m mad – not at you – it’s not like I’m drinking myself into a stupor or wanting to hit anybody – but I’m angry at how the world is sometimes, how cheap it can be, how some people get the short end of things, which is not fair.

I live in [America], where quite often your government is in conflict with another country’s government and you’re told, ‘oh, be afraid.’ You know what? I’m sorry, I just won’t be afraid... I will not live under a rock. [The travelling] kicks my ass, it’s hard and it’s not cheap, but this is the way I think it should be done. And what else is there to do but all you can?”

Each one of Rollins’ undertakings are centred

“I’m not goIng to be provocatIve for the sake of shockIng people... that’s IdIotIc. but, I’m not goIng through thIs lIfe quIetly.”

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o llins on self expression – something that Rollins values highly.

“It’s what you’ve got to give and so it’s a big deal for me. I like to go about it in an articulate way, but I’m not looking to get overlooked... I don’t want you to pass me by, I want you to stop and listen. I’m not going to say something to make you stop, by saying something I don’t believe; I’m not going to be provocative for the sake of shocking people... that’s idiotic. But, I’m not going through this life quietly.”

The pinnacle of Rollins’ methods of expressing himself and communicating his opinions are his spoken word shows, performances he is constantly and rigorously refining.

“It’s the same as dealing with the school bully.

Instead of being confident, I’d rather be well prepared.

I go onstage and it kind of sounds like, ‘wow, he’s just coming up with this stuff,’ – are you kidding?! That stuff is so drilled into the front of my brain... As Keith Richards once said, ‘if you want to be really loose, you’ve got to be really tight.’ I go into over-preparation mode [before a show]... I’ll literally walk around by myself and say my ideas out loud, so I can hear my voice say them and I make my edits in the air. I’ll just pick a street and I’ll just walk down it and talk. People think I must have an invisible Bluetooth stuck in my ear, but I’m just talking to myself... I’ll say something and go, ‘no, change the sentence, make it faster, make it clearer.’ Preparation is [the] key. Nietzsche says ‘the victor does not believe in chance.’”

Despite experiencing a difficult childhood and youth, Rollins believes in taking a stand and combating life’s hardships – and has advocated against drug use for the majority of his life.

“Don’t get high and spin out,” he advises young people, who may be faced with similar struggles as he remembers.

“Don’t destroy yourself. Don’t do nothing; always be doing something positive. You can’t let anything stop you, you just can’t. It’s not easy to do, but that’s the deal. No matter how bad it gets, you can get through it... Your mind is the weapon. Never do anything to dull it.” H

listen now

‘Nothing Can Go Wrong’ @iTunes Spoken word release

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metalrewind

wat c h n o w

‘Jack The Ripper (live at Wacken 2004)’ @YouTube

hobbs angel of death

In an age where live music was at its prime, long before the pokie invasion. When stone-wash denim, leather vests and unkempt hair reigned supreme. From the murky midst of inner city Melbourne was born one of Australia’s first eurothrash inspired acts – Hobbs Angel of Death.

M

eeting Peter Hobbs was an experience to say the least. Walking into his factory in Braeside, Victoria, I instantly felt I was inside a ‘lair’ of metal. With a classic pickup in the drive way, and what looked like the gates of Hell adorning the back wall – this was sure to be an interesting chat.

Possessing a great sense of humour, and a love for the world of horror which he later describes as being one of his main lyrical influences, Hobbs showed me around and, pointing to the big screen TV, continued to inform me that, “this is where we review all the killings.”

Sinking into the interview, Hobbs attests that heavy music scene back in the ’80s was thriving. He goes on to reminisce about a plethora of venues that have come and gone, before the disease that is the pokies saw live music scene capitulate many of them.

“There were venues lining the main streets of the inner city suburbs. Live music was at its prime, before the evil Tabaret took over these venues.”

Back then, Hobbs was working diligently on promoting his band, Tyrus and collected quite the following around town. You can see his passion when he describes leaving it all on the line and giving his all during performances.

“I used to let my head go full ball. I used to bleed and vomit back then, and the crowd new this c**t was serious.”

It seemed that Australia was still finding its feet regarding acceptance and tolerance, and was still a very conservative nation in the ’80s. Hobbs recalls feeling like an outcast, and was often referred to as ‘the anti-Christ’ and a blasphemer. Bands around that time were not really pushing the boundaries, and Tyrus began changing the mold by delivering a new level of darkness to metal. Hobbs proudly classified his music as ‘virgin metal’ – “untouched metal that wasn’t f**ked by anybody.”

With a hunger and a passion for his music that is still recognisable in his eyes today, he desired for his music to be heard and appreciated, not just in Australia but all over the world – and the first step was taking it to Europe. Unfortunately, the other members of Tyrus were not as passionate and willing to take the risks that Hobbs was, so this brought about the end of the band. Determined to keep

Hobbs in action (April 2012) at HEAVY’s ‘Unholy Good Friday’ show at Melbourne’s Bendigo Hotel.

photo by john raptis

words Jay Clair

up momentum, Hobbs recruited members of Nothing Scared, Karl Lean [bass], Sham Littleman [drums] and Mark Woolley [guitar], and the first Angel of Death demo was recorded.

The demo aided the band’s promotional tour of England, and Hobbs ensured he wagged it under the nose of as many record compacompa nies as he could. With the aim of proving that Australia’s metal was just as good as any around the world, Hobbs’ persistence eventually garnered Hobbs’ Angel of Death a great amount of interest.

“I thought, ‘I’ve just traveled 13,000 f **kin’ miles, you’re listening to me!’”

Inspired by the interinter est he’d attracted, Hobbs decided to return to Australia in the hope of getting a few more tracks ready and put together a second demo.

Karl and Sham who played on the first demo were concentrat concentrat-

ing on Nothing Sacred at the time, so he recruited the services of Darren McMaster-Smith on drums and Steve Scott on bass to record demo number two. This was turning point for Hobbs’ Angel of Death, and the band realised that all that was required was five more tracks and an album would be on the cards. Their debut was then recorded in Germany, and produced by Harris Johns (Helloween, Coroner, Kreator, Sodom) under Steamhammer Records.

Hobbs remembers the album as well-received, gaining the band recognition from the Australian heavy music community. He acknowledges proudly that, at the time, the two bands that really stood out in Australian thrash metal were Mortal Sin, and Hobbs’ Angel of Death.

Hobbs’ greatest challenge during the early stages of his career was maintaining momentum despite seemingly endless lineup changes; it seemed to be the common theme throughout our discussion. Just when it seemed the band was on brink of taking it to the next level, the moment of opportunity seemed to pass. With this in mind, it’s not surprising that it took seven years for his next release Inheritance to see the light of day, and unfortunately, it didn’t see the same success as the debut.

A straight talker who values staying true to himself, Hobbs is grateful for the opportunities he’s had. His influence, too, is evident, with names like Phil Anselmo (Pantera) and Angela Gossow (Arch Enemy) citing him as an inspirational figure.

Now, we can look forward to hearing this seminal artist live once again. With shows booked around the eastern states of Australia, and touring plans to UK and Europe in the works [including Headbanger’s Open Air], it seems that Hobbs’ Angel of Death are well and truly on their way back. H

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unveiling the wicked A connoisseur of All things hard rock and heavy, Damo Musclecar reminisces about a memorable experience 25 years ago in a dodgy record store down south in Adelaide. thongs, wife beater and denim adorned his 12 year old pre-pubescent body, hair disheveled in the period’s latest trend (the mullet) he was filing through shelves of endless vinyl when he came across a record cover that had stirred the sleeping monsters within. it was Keel’s Lay Down The Law with an image that held true to its title.

Around 1987, when i was just starting to get into the whole buying records and listening to metal thing, i was shopping in this old store in Adelaide called Andromeda. i was 12 at the time, flicking through records, when i came across this band, Keel. i was awe-struck. here i was, an innocent child, suddenly exposed to some full-on boob grabbing on the album’s cover. i quickly put the record back, just in case anyone saw me and thought i was a pervert if i stared too long. this pre-pubescent boy had just received a taste of sleaze. i forgot all about that album until sometime in october, 2011 when i waltzed into Disc union in Japan and went through their bargain bins. low and behold, there it was in all its glory, Keels’ 1984 magnum opus was in mint condition and had my name all over it.

Do i dare take the plunge and spend hard-earned yen on this hot piece of wax and delve inside, reliving that pre-adolescent moment of 24 years ago? i happily justified the ‘hefty’ price of 100 yen (Aus$1.17) and purchased the album, quite content with my new addition to my catalogue of historic metal albums. returning to Australia with this gem, after staring at the cover for a good five minutes (making up for lost time… it had been 24 years, after all), i took the record out and turned the volume up. side one, here i come…

My introduction to Keel was a cheap sample of what i guess was supposed be a thunder storm before rockin’ out with opener thunder and lightning.

Vocalist ron Keel wails and screams

like no tomorrow while the ball tearin’, ass-kickin’ riffs and solos deliver the goods on this high-speed thrasher. the album’s title track spins next and there ain’t no better way to show you who’s boss than, yes, another ron Keel scream. the chanting ‘lay Down the law’ will have you wearing a studded arm band, ruler in hand as microphone, screaming at your neighbours through the walls. the song speed Demon goes full-throttle into a wailing solo thrashattack from guitarists Marc ferrari and Bryan Jay. this song is one of the best on the album. now, like every other ‘80s hard rockin’ metal record that had members with big hair, Keel also thought it would be in their best interests to tackle the arduous task of including a ballad on their album. Princess of illusion is no Quicksand Jesus, nor is it home sweet home. it’s just plain bad. the following track though, Born ready, is rockin’ indeed. so rockin’ in fact that i don’t know how i was born ready for the metal and might of this album. side two starts with Metal generation. i haven’t even played the song and i can see where this is going. they attempt to venture into ballad territory again with ‘til hell freezes over,’ but i guess after about 90 seconds they realised that idea sucked and started rockin’ out, Keel style. ‘tonight You’re Mine’ is a double-kickin’ quickie with terrible lyrics, possibly the worst on the album. they close out the album with a cover of the rolling stones’ ‘let’s spend the night together.’

Lay Down The Law would definitely suit any fan of glam, thrash, headbangin’ metal. it’s got it all! Buy this album, buy a bullet belt and put on your best red leather pants (don’t act like you don’t own a pair) ‘cos this is Keel! some Keel trivia that you can use on your mates the next time you’re at the cathouse: this was the only Keel album drummer Bobby Marks played on (i blame the red scarf). oh, and guitarist Marc ferrari’s first cousin is none other than the greatest actress on earth, Jennifer connelly. true story.

– Damo Musclecar

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metalluminati

e m a i l m e ta l l u m i n at i n o w

jeff@metalluminati.com

with Jeff Schenck

Do it yourself

With record labels offering bands less in advances and support, and the fall of physical distribution market share (sales), it’s even more important to be resourceful as an artist – and embrace DIY.

W

hether you are on one side of the piracy debate or the other, piracy is here to stay. It’s time to be creative and innovative, and hustle to find new markets and revenue streams. Remember: innovation always wins. Are you still holding on to that 8-track?

The great thing about innovation is the entrepreneurial spirit it brings out – and ‘doing it yourself’ has become much more achievable with the resources now available. Not to mention, with people ready to screw artists in every corner of the industry, it’s important to learn every aspect of the business, so here are a few tips to help you DIY.

RECORDING

The cost of going to a major studio is, well, outrageous! This used to be one of the gates the record industry used to guard.

Bands couldn’t get by if they weren’t ‘signed,’ because the costs of renting a studio started around $500 per day, right through to well over $5000 per day. These days, it’s realistic to save up as a band and record in a decent

studio or home studio without a label – and own all your music.

Most artists know how to use Pro Tools or similar software, and if you do go to a professional studio, learn everything you can from the experience so you can DIY next time.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are probably the most important tools that you can have. Consider your band a media start-up company. This means every site needs to be the same color and design of the new album artwork.

Each time you have a new release, you change all of your sites to match. When your fans come to visit your site, they will need to be instantly impressed. If you maintain professionalism and a strong visual aesthetic across your websites, they will be.

Be sure to vlog (video blog) all the behind the scenes, recording sessions, touring, and mayhem involved in your band – your fans want to see this shit. Find a person or friend that can really

polish up the videos for YouTube (again – professionalism is important). Don’t put up grainy video or shots of gigs with three people in the crowd. YouTube gets roughly 379 million music views a month – that is three times all other music sites (iTunes, Spotify, Emusic, etc.) combined.

DISTRIBUTION

Tunecore and 101Distribution will get your album to every major site out there, and guess what?

It is cheap ($50), and you get to keep 70% of digital sales. That’s way better than the 1-5% a label would have given you to pay back your advance. You should also set up a Bandcamp site and offer some of your material for free – yes free. The great thing about Bandcamp is that you can get emails and locations from the people that download your album which allows you to reach more potential fans that will buy merchandise, come to shows, and visit your websites. Companies pay a lot of money to get this sort of market research.

MERCHANDISE

You will always get a better return on merch and physical CDs selling them on tour, however, you will want to reach a global market with sites like Big Cartel and Zazzle outside of touring. Big Cartel will require you to stock the product yourself, while you will only need to supply the artwork for Zazzle. This means you can have your logo on all sorts of products without any initial investment – and they ship globally.

Think outside the box. A local band had on offer USBs – and

JEFF SCHENCk Jeff is a musician, contributor, musician rights advocate, sales director, and the founder of The Metalluminati, a global organization for helping musicians utilise the latest technologies and cutting edge marketing to become more independent in the global market.

“It’s tIme to be creatIve and InnovatIve, and hustle to fInd new markets and revenue streams.” they literally sold out at their show. You can put photos, videos, music, and all sorts of cool stuff on a USB – and the blogger that just saw you play now has everything they need to write a rave review.

TOURING

Play shows, play more shows, and then play more shows. Welcome to the new industry where touring and merchandise are equally important sources of revenue as physical record sales, if not more so (John Kevill of Warbringer recently joked that the band was merely a traveling T-shirt crew that got to play music along the way). Finding a good booking agent can be worth the costs.

Just make sure they are legit and getting you results.

FINALLY…

Be resourceful, and don’t let the initial costs involved in DIY freak you out (it isn’t that much really). Every new business must come up with some start-up capital. The difference between DIY, rather than taking the label route, is that you own all your material, and the ROI (return on investment) percentage is much higher! H

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industry insight

email dito godwin now

dito@heavymag.com.au

engineering

Dito Godwin

regular expert columnist What’s the difference between a plate mic and a beta 52?

Why do some vocalists prefer Senheisser over Shure? How do you choose an effects unit to achieve a certain sound and what can you do to ensure that you achieve a distinct sound to set you apart from the rest of the hum-drum? Multi-platinum award winning record producer and musician, Dito Godwin, lays the drop on all of your umming and aahing over studio practice with his invaluable knowledge on production techniques.

His career flourished and he found himself in Los Angeles producing and promoting some of the biggest acts in music including: Ace Frehley, Peter Criss, Great White, Jani Lane of Warrant, Tim Bogert (Beck, Bogert & Appice), bassist Dave Spitz (White Lion, Black Sabbath) Drummer Kevin Valentine (Kiss, Cinderella), Mike Stone (Queensryche, Speed X) Rolan Bolan (son of rock legend Marc Bolan of T Rex), and the North American promotion of Mötley Crüe’s Too Fast For Love.

Dito will be a regular contributor here at HEAVY, sharing his experience and knowledge in sound engineering, including helpful hints and information for HEAVY readers, so be sure to take notes!

I

’ll cut to the chase (as they say in Hollywood); the essence of every good recording has three key elements – a top performance, great sounding instruments and the ‘mix.’ A great mix is like a great cake, you can have all the best ingredients, but if they’re not put together correctly, the cake will suck. This issue, I’ll be taking you through the steps I use to ensure the mix comes out just right.

The first thing I do is to make a quick monitor mix the second I’m done tracking. A monitor mix will capture all the excitement of the tracks, as everything I did in the recording is fresh in my head.

I will also use this mix as a point of reference for the real mix.

This monitor mix is what I call a fader’s up mix. Use basically no effects, little to no EQ – just get the tracks to the point where you can hear everything and have all tracks panned where you want.

Sometimes, you might not mix your project right after it’s been recorded and in some cases the person who recorded the tracks might not be the person who mixes.

Since in rock music the drums are the foundation of a recording, I start there. First the tracks are ‘cleaned,’ meaning all unnecessary sounds are deleted i.e. drum sounds that are picked up by tom drum mics when the toms aren’t being played etc. People often ask me the best way to get a room sounding good for drums – no problem.

Have the drummer play while walking around the room, until you find that sweet spot where the drums sound great, and put up a microphone. The trick to a great drum sound is to have a good kit that is properly tuned. If you can’t tune them, find somebody who can, and make sure the heads aren’t too old. If the drummer had a loud click track in his (or her) headphones, make sure there’s no click bleed.

Secrets to achieving that perfect live sound.

When mixing I work with the bass next, because drums and bass are the rhythm section and in rock music they must sound solid and united. If you record bass with a live rig [amp], you should record the bass directly as well, and then combine the sounds.

As far as guitars go, lots of people like to stack to get that big, thick sound, which is fine, however where and how they are panned make all the difference. If all guitars are panned hard left and right, they tend to sound like one guitar. So, when mixing, pay close attention the stereo image of the instruments.

I try to record keyboard parts in the midi world, so I can change sounds at any time. As a mix evolves, it’s nice to have the freedom to change it. You can do the same thing with guitars, if you record a direct track and re-amp during the mix to change the sound.

The vocals are the most important part of a successful recording; after all they’re what sell the song.

Go to the radio and listen, you will notice that most hit songs have put the vocals right out in front of the mix. That doesn’t mean the vocals should be over the top, but place them up front, for sure. When I mix vocals I use a number of effects: reverb (short and long), delay compression – the kitchen sink if it sounds good – but all of that should ultimately produce one cohesive sound.

Lastly, go back to that monitor mix you did at the beginning and see if you have lost any excitement or feel you captured right after the recording. There have been numerous records released off that first monitor mix and they have become hits.

If any readers have questions, drop me an email, I would love to hear from you. I’ll be back, so keep reading HEAVY! H

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an insight into booking gigs

Chris Maric interview Nicole Yakimov

F

or those out there who don’t know Riot Entertainment, can you tell me a bit about what it is and what it does?

Riot Entertainment is basically one giant metal label. We distribute and look after the majority of the big metal labels for Australia. Nuclear Blast, Metal Blade, Relapse, Season Of Mist, Indie, Frontiers, Peaceville, Victory and more plus artists like Zakk WYlde’s Black Label Society, Wednesday 13, Hellyeah, Ace Frehley and many more are signed direct to the Riot label for Australia. Our local roster kicks ass too, with Mortal Sin, Psycroptic, Segression, Melody Black, Lord, The Poor, Our Last Enemy and a bunch more.

I look after all the press and publicity for our bands – that includes arranging interviews like the ones you read in HEAVY. I liaise between the band, the management and the magazine to get it done.

I also put together the weekly Riot Act newsletter, service the new albums to media outlets for review, and we make sure that the albums are in the stores on time so you can buy them.

What was your start in the music industry, and how did you end up in the role as National Promotions Manager for Riot?

I’ve been around music as long as I can remember.

From being the sound guy at high school to today, it’s been one continual rise. I guess it started properly after uni when I got a job as a publicist for Channel Ten. There was a show called The House of Hits that I looked after, and it was hosted by Molly Meldrum and Leah McLeod. I got to meet many of the record label reps and bands when they came to the studio for the show. I was keen to move into music [and] finally I got a break at Sony Music where I dove in the deep end as a promotions manager and artist representative, which basically meant I took rock stars to radio stations and TV shows all day every day. It was the most intense work load of my life, often hitting 100 hours a week. After Sony I went to Universal Music to do pretty much the same stuff. I asked my buddy Rod Yates to introduce me to Riot boss John Howarth and we’ve been mates ever since.

After Universal, I moved over to EMI before finally having enough of the endless craziness. I ran away to Europe for a bit, and when I came back I started doing stuff for Riot and I’ve been doing it since.

Riot Entertainment’s Chris Maric chats about the industry behind the scenes.

Is balancing home and family with Riot Act a challenge for you and your family?

It can be. I’m lucky that both my wife and I work from home. I can work anywhere I can get wi-fi. I’m forever checking my email as I deal with people all over the world. When I wake up, the US is still online so I’m dealing with them until about 1pm. At about 6pm Europe gets up and then the UK soon after, so I can be talking with band managers and labels until two in the morning. On the other hand, if I feel like going to the shops or take my daughter to the park after school I can. There’s no 9am-5pm office routine around here.

Any tips on how to do it successfully?

Organisation! Without it your life will fall apart in minutes. You really have to know your shit and where it is at all times. I’m a big fan of Navy Seals and the way those guys operate under pressure and their motto ‘you don’t have to like it, you just have to do it.’ That scheduling has to be done otherwise the phoners don’t get done, the media don’t promote the tour and then no one knows about it. It can all hinge on you doing your job and everyone else doing theirs. You can do a lot in an hour if you stay focused!

Can you give our readers and the future generation wanting to be involved in the heavy music scene any advice?

It’s always funny to look back on photos with bands and see your younger self and think ‘I wonder what I would’ve said to Lars as a 34-year-old jaded old bastard instead of a 25 year old fan boy?’ I also wish more of the younger fans would know and appreciate their musical heritage. Metal-core might go back to Kill Switch Engage, but what made them tick? And what made those bands tick? When I was a young Hot Metal reading kid, if a band I loved said they grew up on something, then I would check that band out too, and they’d often blow my mind. Treat other bands how you want to be treated, go to local gigs, support your scene, and buy actual CDs or band products. It costs a lot in both time and money (and effort) to keep the whole machine rolling along. But never forget that it’s just rock‘n’f**king roll. We ain’t curing cancer here!

To finish off, can you name an Aussie band you think our readers should check out?

Ouroboros have probably been my favourite local band of the last few years – devastatingly brutal live and one of the finest tech death metal CDs I’ve ever heard! Just need to get them an international deal! H

How can my band book gigs? what venues should I contact? what things should I consider when putting together a line up? with so many more questions coming my way from young up-andcoming bands, fresh-eyed promoters, booking agents and fellow industry personnel (often under established), I have decided to share my experience with you to give you some more insight. when I booked my very first show, I was thrown in the deep end; “Here’s a venue, and a date two weeks from now. book a lineup, promote it and run the show.” ah... yeah right! where do you start?

Firstly, I didn’t even really know many bands in the heavy scene. So I rang a friend, who rang a friend and I slowly started putting together a database.

Every band I got a contact for, I kept. all new and doe-eyed, I found myself faced with challenging issues I had not yet considered: we w need a sound guy – where do I get one of those? who is your door person? – um... one of my friends?

The support band needs to share the backline – what the hell is a backline? oh man, a band pulled out! – what do I do?

Panic mode set in pretty quickly, but I persevered. asking a lot of questions really helped, I found my new peers eager to assist and I used my common sense. I also researched a lot and built up a contact list. Eventually I stumbled through the show and found a love for behind the scenes music industry work.

Recently, while studying to teach music business, I had to give a presentation and chose to do a workshop on how to book a performance. while designing my teaching tools, I asked myself, ‘what would young nicole have killed to know before booking her first show?’ The answer is easy: acquire contacts of other venues and bands to have on file, phone numbers for sound and lighting techs, details on stage plots and backlines, contacts for merchandise suppliers, media contacts, promoters’ details – I saved everything!

I eventually refined my processes, designed my own worksheets, networked and added to my databases.

So now, I’m going to pass on some of my hard earned knowledge to you, to save you some of the stress and headaches...

HEaV aVy aV Vy is offering readers templates for free download to help up-and-coming promoters, bookers, managers, and young bands to get their processes right from w checklists, the beginning. worksheets, tips, and more, are available via the QR code below. So head to the website, and use and abuse the things I wish people had passed on to me. Happy headbanging!

– Nicole MakinDoherty

Nicole is the driving force behind the Kiss Or Kill management company. She has been involved in the promotions and management side of the industry for most of the last decade.

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industry insight drums

Glen Sobel

Meet Glen Sobel. If you haven’t already, that is.

Currently occupying the drum stool behind the legendary Alice Cooper.

words Rob Brens photos Antoine Moussy

photo by amped photography

C

urrently peparing to embark on another tour alongside Iron Maiden in June – Sobel has also found himself backing guitar greats such as Paul Gilbert, Tony Macalpine and Jennifer Batten.

When asked what separates the wheat from the chaff in an environment such as LA, packed with such a large amount of musicians, Sobel says that while talent is important, other things come into play in a competitive industry.

“There are a lot of technically gifted musicians in LA but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be good at playing with others, making music, and bringing the right kind of energy and feel

to the table. With drummers, if you want to work, the more styles you play the better. I see a lot of students, like at the music school where I teach and their tastes aren’t very broad. That’s not going to open up a lot of opportunities for work. Also networking skills are essential,

the more friends you have, the more you’ll work. Some people are good at that, ingratiating themselves into circles of players. Some aren’t and they wonder why they don’t get gigs. There are a lot of auditions that happen where maybe the most technically qualified guy doesn’t get the gig; it goes to someone who has familiarity with the players. Also, it’s LA, so they’ve got to look the part a lot of the time. It’s a very image oriented place, for better or worse. There are a lot of great players, but there are other skills involved.”

Sobel asserts that preparation is paramount when breaking into the music scene, and swears by charting out drum parts when learning a large set in a small time frame, or impressing potential collaborators.

“Sometimes people hate having to work in new drummers or guitarists. It’s a hassle and it costs money. If you come in thoroughly prepared, knowing everything perfectly – which to me has a lot to do with reading music and making cheat sheets – if you’re the guy that comes in with everything and needs minimal feedback on how to play the songs, that’s going to go a long way. It’ll establish you a reputation, little by little.”

Sobel says when faced with an audition, meticulous preparation is required both to get the gig, and diffuse tension.

“There’s always going to be some amount of scepticism, that’s why I want to get to the playing; to play that first song and show them that I’ve respected their material and done the homework. This happened last year on an Italian gig with a guy named Vasco Rossi. He’s the biggest rock star in Italy and I got called to sub on his tour with three days notice as his drummer Matt Laug had an injury and there was this producer I had done one session for way back. He called me out of the blue and said ‘hey can you fill in on this Italian gig? It’s this big rock star in Italy.’ I had to get busy charting songs. It was a 26-song set, and I was up for two days straight. I was determined to show up knowing everything, not just three quarters of every-

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“if you’re the guy that comes in with everything and needs minimal feedback on how to play the songs, that’s going to go a long way…” thing, but literally everything.

I flew in and I could tell they were tense because this whole tour had been booked, five weeks worth, all sold-out, and Vasco, being an icon of the Italian people, couldn’t cancel.

I played through the first two songs and afterward everyone applauded. Not because I had chops, but because I’d listened, learned and did the homework, so they knew everything was going to be okay. I wanted to show them they had made the right choice. There are guys who’ve gotten on some big gigs and have blown it because they didn’t do the work.”

Sobel says he’s always tried to contribute ‘110%’ throughout his career and approach even the smallest of opportunities with the same diligence.

“I would still [prepare] if I was doing a free favour for a friend… [I’ll still] chart it out and learn it perfectly, because that leads to other work. When you come in and kick-ass for people, they remember that and call you back when there’s a paying session… I’d rather be working than not and if it’s a cool person, then I’d help them out. You’ve got to make those sacrifices to do well. “[Take] every little gig seriously… You’ve got to go the extra mile all the time, not just where it seems like it’s going to be beneficial immediately to you.” Giving his all at each and every of his endeavours ultimately led Sobel to securing his position as drummer for Alice Cooper’s live band.

“Tommy Henrikson is in [Alice’s] live band; he’s one of the guitar players. He’s been a producer for the past 15 years, and I used to play in a band with him. He would call me for sessions for just about everything he did, I was his go-to

guy. He was co-producing an Alice session last year. The guy who was producing was Bob Ezrin – who produced a lot of Alice’s classics. He’s got quite a track record [Pink Floyd’s The Wall, Peter Gabriel, Kiss], so I had to be totally over-prepared for this session. [That] led to my name being brought up when they decided to change the live band [lineup]… They pulled me up on YouTube and [Alice] said, ‘okay, that’s the guy.’”

Sobel advocates the importance of maintaining an accessible online profile as an artist, as well as a physical presence in the music scene.

“If your name gets brought up, people might look you up on Youtube. They want to see what you’ve done and hear you play. You’ve got to network online just as much as in person. Wait till you’re ready, online is going to give you the harshest feedback, [because] that’s when you put yourself out there and get judged by the world and there’s going to be haters. If you don’t have haters you’re not doing it right. But, you want to have the majority of people love your stuff, not just like it, but love it. There’s so much out there right now and the hardest thing is being seen and heard by the masses.”

Leaving off with one last piece of wisdom for aspiring musicians, Sobel recommends jumping in head first.

“Get obsessed with [music], it should be fun. Broaden your tastes, and learn the history of your instrument. If you’re going to be an expert on music, you’ve got to learn a lot of songs and bond with other musicians really well. Even just having conversations with other musicians about favourite records [is important].” H

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strings & skins guitar

Djentlemen, start your riffing! peter hoDgson takes you through the MetaL reaLM oF the Djent

T

he progressive metal sub genre of djent is not an entirely new phenomenon.

It’s seeds were sewn by Meshuggah in the early noughties, but for many fans the reigning kings of the genre are Periphery. Sure, Meshuggah are still cranking out kick-ass low, low riffs, as anyone who caught them at Soundwave or their sideshows with Devin Townsend will attest, but for me, Meshuggah make ‘Meshuggah music’ rather than djent. Bands like Periphery, Animals as Leaders, Tesseract and Textures are at the forefront of current ‘post-giving-it-aproper-name’ djent. So, this lesson will look at some ways to tap into that particular strain of the genre.

Firstly, the key to the djent sound is, obviously enough, the djent sound! The genre’s name is an onomatopoeia based on the sound of a guitar playing heavy palmmuted notes. Let’s start with the guitar.

Djent is very dependent on extended range guitars – baritone six-strings, seven-strings, eightstrings, and beyond. There seems to be a pretty even split between players who use active pickups in their guitars, and those who use passives.

Meshuggah’s sound, for instance, is based on the Lundgren M8 passive humbucker, and Periphery’s Misha Mansoor uses a variety of pickups including models by Bare Knuckle and DiMarzio. My personal favourite pickup, the DiMarzio Crunch Lab, is finding its way onto quite a lot of djent players’ custom guitars, because it’s high in output but still quite defined and fat, with good midrange presence. But active pick-

“Djent is very DepenDent on extenDeD range guitars – baritone six-strings, seven-strings, eightstrings, anD beyonD…”

ups like EMG’s 707 and 808 and Seymour Duncan’s Blackouts are also capable of great djent tones.

Many djent players prefer longerscale instruments. The general consensus is that for tight low-string notes, scale lengths of around 27-inches from bridge to nut are preferable, and the longer the better.

Ibanez’s RGD line is 26.5”, and it’s a great place to start if you find extra-

long scales like the 29.4” of Ibanez’s new Meshuggah M8M model a bit hard to deal with. Many djent players use dropped tunings – that is, tunings which are configured so you can play power chords across two strings with a single finger.

Might I suggest Drop C (CGCFAD) or Drop A (AGCFAD) for six-string guitars. For seven-string, try Drop A (AEADGBE), which gives you the full

high range of a seven-string guitar but with a little more grunt, going all the way down to A. And many djent players favour fixed-bridge guitars rather than those with whammy bars, at least for rhythm work.

Most djent players prefer digital modeling over physical amps. I use a Line 6 POD HD300 for my djent activities, while many players prefer the Fractal Audio Systems AxeFX II.

buDDy bLaze seven-string prototype Buddy Blaze is a legend in the guitar world. y’know dimebag darrell’s ‘dean From hell’ guitar? it was Buddy who modded that axe with its Floyd rose and distinctive look before giving it to dime. the Kramer nightswan signature model for Vivian Campbell? that model started life as a Buddy Blaze shredder. throw in tech work for the likes of nine inch nails and great white among many more, and Buddy has earned a rightful place in metal and hard rock guitar history.

Buddy has been making killer rock and metal guitars for years now and a seven-string version has been high on fans’ wish lists. Buddy’s very first seven-string prototype was displayed at the naMM show in anaheim, California this January. the guitar’s outline is similar to Blaze’s K2 model, although if i had to liken it to any other model it would be a washburn n4 nuno Bettencourt signature. the guitar is built from a premium poplar body (the same wood found on ernie Ball Music Man’s steve Morse model), finished in an almost sparkly metallic blue. the forearm contour curves off along the edge of the body, rather than terminating in a straight line like other brands. the tummy contour on the back is a little shallower than normal but very comfortable. the neck is made of deliciously flamey maple with an ebony fretboard and a hockey stick neck. the fretboard inlays are very intricately crafted heptagons which progress diagonally across the neck, starting on the bass side at the first fret and ending in a pair at the 24th. the work here is stellar, and it’s a great touch which adds some bling to the look. the neck joint is a blocky affair which slants off towards the treble side.

the electronics consist of a single volume control, a three-way pickup selector switch, and a diMarzio Crunch lab 7 and liquifire 7 pickup set. the other prototype shown at naMM had diMarzio Blaze pickups the model designed for steve Vai’s ibanez universe - but Buddy also has dMt Blazebucker 7-string pickups ready to go, with beefy-sounding alnico 8 magnets. Keen eyes will note that the area around the original Floyd rose 7 bridge is not back-routed, yet you can still bend the pitch up by a goodly amount - about five semitones on the g string. this is because Buddy pitches the neck back (in this case by somewhere around 2 degrees) which improves playing comfort and allows you to set the bridge higher, meaning you don’t have to remove a big chunk of tone-giving wood around the bridge. tonally, this guitar is fat and articulate. the Crunch lab and liquiFire are dream theater guitarist John Petrucci’s signature pickups, and they definitely have a Black Clouds & silver linings vibe. the Crunch lab is warm yet defined and the liquiFire is great for noodly, hi-def ultra speed licks. this guitar is great for metal and djent and amazing for hard rock and shred.

Buddy hand-shaped the neck according to feel - he says he’s never been satisfied with any other seven-string necks he’s tried - and it’s incredibly comfortable. there’s enough of a curve to support the hand, but the treble side edge of the back of the neck doesn’t cut into the fingers like many other seven-string necks do. and while many brands like to shave down the neck joint for more comfortable upper fret access, the Blaze’s angled joint gives you all the tonal benefits of a full block joint while angling your hand perfectly and unobtrusively to hit those highest frets with absolute ease.

– Peter Hodgson

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Peter Hodgson is a journalist and guitarist from Melbourne. Check out his music at reverbnation.com/peterhodgson

Start with a very tight noise gate to chop down on extraneous noise on stop-start riffs, and peg that into a hugely high-gain amp model such as one based on a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier, Diesel Herbert or similar.

Use a Tube Screamer type overdrive to push it even further. If your FX unit will let you move the noise gate around within a patch, experiment with different placements such as between the overdrive and the amp model, or after the amp model.

Then, quite importantly indeed, as briefly mentioned last issue in my article about beginners’ metal guitar, the djent sound is easier to achieve when you use certain equalizer settings. Try using a graphic EQ to cut the bass below 200Hk, boost 800hz to emphasize the body of the note, and increase 1.6Khz to really bring out the pick attack.

Let’s look at some musical examples. These are written in Drop A seven-string tuning, but you can easily use them for six-string guitar in any drop tuning you’d prefer.

Figure 1 is a djent-style riff I came up with. Since djent has roots in progressive metal, which has roots in progressive rock, which has roots in fusion, which has roots in jazz – this riff has no particular tonal centre. It starts on a C# chord but it moves around in all sorts of ways.

There’s no particular ‘djent scale’ in the way that we think of the Minor Pentatonic scale as a ‘blues scale’ or harmonic minor as neoclassical rock. Although a working knowledge of music theory is always a great help, you’ll get a lot of value out of really learning your intervals more than any particular scale. Once you can identify exactly how far apart any two notes are, you’ll be able to mentally zoom right in and figure

the school of metal

A Beginnner’s Guide to Metal Guitar by Peter hodgson

out where the music wants to go next.

By some crazy coincidence, a song I wrote years ago called ‘Just One Thing’ has a rather djent-y, syncopated section. Syncopation is a pretty complicated topic, but we can sum it up for the purposes of this lesson as ‘playing notes on beats where you don’t expect them.’ This riff is actually in simple 4/4 time

www.kissorkillonline.com Kiss or Kill - Management - Bookings - Tours - P.R - Promotion - And much more

at 84bpm, but it sounds like some bizarre, odd time signature, simply because there are rhythmic stabs happening where you don’t expect them and holes of silence where you don’t expect them. It creates a pretty jarring effect the first few times you hear it, but if you mentally strip each bar down to 16th notes and follow the rhythmic information in the sheet music, you’ll figure out where

the stabs and rests occur.

This is only the tip of the iceberg in getting into djent guitar style, but it’s as good a place to start as any. The most important thing is to experiment. I have a feeling that djent could go on to be a really important, forceful development in heavy music, as long as innovative players keep taking it in interesting new directions. H

An online variety metal show on YouTube which features band interviews, video clips & more.

You can check it out at www.facebook.com/metalmattshow or watch the episodes at www.themetalmattshow.com.au

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strings & skins bass

The Great Bass Frontmen A short bAss history lesson with Drew DeDmAn

B

Lemmy, from Motörhead

photo by steffi loos

ass players who sing or singers who play bass? Either way, it’s a rare combination in music.

Traditionally the bass player has all too often been seen as just that ‘extra guitarist’ plucking away in the shadows while the spotlight shines on lead-singers, leadguitarists, lead-everythings, drummers and superstar managers. This is not a bad thing, the bass player knows his/her role – they provide thunder and rumble to the wall of sound that is metal. So, who are these bass-playing front men who have stepped out from the shadows and into the spotlight? Let’s take a look.

Our story begins back in the early ’70s – and an honourable mention goes to Burke Shelley lead singer/ bassist with UK hard rock band Budgie, a band that was a huge influence on the whole NWOBHM (aka, New Wave of British Heavy Metal) movement and are well known to the modern generation due to Metallica covering two of their classic songs Breadfan and Crash Course in Brain Surgery.

Around the same time bassist Phil Lynott was fronting Thin Lizzy, and throughout the ’70s released a string of albums and singles that are considered some of hard rock’s greatest anthems. Across the Atlantic Geddy Lee fronted progressive-rock group Rush, his high-ranged vocals and wide range of skilful bass techniques have putting him in almost every bass-playing best of list for the past 30 years.

But no bass player/singer from the ’70s more widely known than Ian Kilmister, (aka Lemmy) from Motörhead. His gravelly vocals and distorted over-driven bass tones are instantly recognisable – Lemmy is one of the true legends of heavy music.

In the late ’70s and early ’80s bands got a lot darker, heavier and a faster.

Thrash and speed metal became the norm, and satanic themes became very popular. Two bands from the early ’80s, both fronted by bass players, created the foundations of this new sound, Chronos from Venom

Chronos, from Venom photo by Christian misje

(UK) and Tom Araya from Slayer (USA). Venom were so influential that the entire genre of black metal was named after their second album, and Slayer’s Reign In Blood is quite possibly one of the most important metal albums of all time (if you don’t

Jeff Walker, from Carcass photo by tim tronCkoe

own a copy of Reign In Blood I suggest you immediately put down this magazine, go buy it, put it on at full volume, then continue reading). From Germany there was Tom Angelripper, frontman of Sodom who inspired a whole generation of

“his grAvelly vocAls AnD DistorteD over-Driven bAss tones Are instAntly recognisAble – lemmy is one of the true legenDs of heAvy music.”

European thrash metal. Jeff Walker fronted Carcass, a band that was extremely important to the foundations of extreme metal and the entire early ’90s Grindcore movement.

Deicide were also fronted by their bass player, Glenn Benton.

Two bass players come to mind when thinking of iconic front men.

These days they are often ridiculed, as are many greats from the hair metal days, but legends nonetheless.

Kip Winger [Winger] had the look, the chops and a powerful rock voice.

Unfortunately, due to grunge emerging and the demise of arena rock in the early ’90s, Winger never gained the global success they should have probably had. The next guy, although known as a guitarist/singer as well, did play bass on the classic albums – Blackie Lawless from WASP. No frontman ruled the metal stage like Blackie back in the day, if you haven’t heard or watched him before, check out any of the footage of WASP from the ’80s, his howling vocals and anthemic choruses will get your head-banging and goats pumping.

As for recent times, the bass player/singer combo has not been as common. Troy Sanders from Mastodon is worth a mention, although the vocal responsibilities are shared within the band.

In Australia, there are two basswielding front men that immediately spring to mind – Steve Rowe from Mortification and former student of mine Mark Palfreyman from Alarum.

Mortification has been an important part of the Christian metal movement for the past 20 years. Alarum, although not as big as they should probably be, are slowly re-writing the rulebook when it comes to complex and technical music. If you ever feel like you need a challenge with your bass playing and musicality, I recommend you transcribe and learn some of their albums. Keep tissues on hand; some of that odd-timing is just frightening to learn.

Hit these guys up on YouTube.

Who knows you may be the next frontman bass player? H

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Troy Sanders fronting Atlanta’s metal giants, Mastodon. photo by olivia reppas

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strings & skins drums

Metal Marathon

rob brens pulls out the metal drumming toolbox

W

elcome back folks. Last issue we took an iron to some of those troublesome creases that can simultaneously plague multiple aspects of our playing. Now we can start getting down to the nitty gritty. What follows is part one of what could be considered your toolbox of metal basics. While this can be carried over multiple sub-genres of metal, it could simply be used as a routine to maintain speed, power and endurance. I’ve put this together as one workout, which can be played from start to finish for a real sweat fest. But as with anything, you can

take it apart, make any alterations you like to suit your style, or even just pick a couple of exercises out.

A lot of these exercises are classics, variations on classics, and some are beasts of my own creation.

There will be suggestions along the way for each phase to make the exercises easier if need be.

All foot patterns will be leading with the right foot, meaning that the right foot will always land on the beat. If you’re unfamiliar with reading music, just get on youtube.

There are tonnes of tutorials on the subject, and it’s a great skill to have. Especially when it comes to seeing how all the parts of a groove

lock together. Part one focuses primarily on the building of basic control, speed and endurance.

1. The Warm up

This is all about just getting those muscles moving. I tend to favour something co-ordination based that way I’m killing two birds with one stone rather than just sitting there hitting a pad with one hand for a minute.

We start by playing 16th notes with the feet in single strokes, with the hands doing the same, starting on the right hand, and holding for eight bars. Continue the same foot

pattern, but now change to double strokes with the hands. After this, switch to paradiddles and then switch to single strokes starting on your left hand.

Repeat using double strokes and paradiddles. Now, repeat the entire process you just did with your hands, only with double strokes on the feet. Repeat once more but with paradiddles on the feet. For less experienced players, some of these combinations could be challenging, so your warm up might consist of choosing one combination (for example, right hand paradiddles with double strokes on the feet, pictured

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wat c h n o w

Watch rob demonstrate these exercises @heavymag.com.au

right) and working on that for ten minutes or so. Whether you can complete the warm up or just focus on one pattern, it’s just about moving your hands and feet. We’re not aiming for speed.

metal marathon (part one)

A Beginnner’s Guide to Metal Drumming by Rob Brens

2. SubdiviSion pyramid

This will challenge your control over changing feels with the feet.

It’s excellent for developing your stops and starts. This is another one where your hands and feet will be playing in unison. As you can see, you start by playing eight bars of eighth notes, then moving up to triplets and so on. This contains some more advanced groupings, and for beginners even triplets might need to be developed separately. Start with the groupings that you’re comfortable with and develop others separately.

When you reach 32nd notes, hold that for twice as long and then work your way back down.

You can repeat the process, but repeating each grouping for four bars, then two, then one, and if you’re game, half bars then one beat at a time.

3. individual hand and fooT Speed

This one is all about raw speed, not much in the way of brain power here. Start with just the right hand, playing constant 16th notes, for 16 bars, while playing single strokes with your feet. This will keep everything locked in and keep your feet warm too. Swap to your left hand and repeat. Repeat the process with just the right foot playing 16ths and the hands playing single strokes and so on.

I usually repeat this at four different tempos, the first one being at a medium pace and the last one being at my maximum.

4. SprinTS

This is all about finding your maximum and hitting it with everything. It still has a coordination element, which helps keep everything locked in, in a timekeeping context.

As you can see it works each hand individually, then both feet as single strokes, and then a rest.

Repeat the phrase four times, then add an extra bar to each part so you’ll be playing two groups of four in your right hand and so on. I’d go to a maximum of eight

groups per part. This isn’t so much endurance based as it is about raw speed, so for those higher tempos, you’ll be able to at least play in bursts. This will increase your threshold over time.

I’d recommend including a bit of a warm down after this. Just a bit of slow noodling around the kit to cool off. When running

through this workout, always remember the principles we discussed in issue one in regards to relaxing and posture, etc. Listen to your body. Pushing yourself is a good thing but overdoing it is certainly possible. Nothing wrong with sweating it out and feeling the burn, but I’d recommend taking a break and slowing things

down if you’re feeling actual pain anywhere. This isn’t The Biggest Loser, we’re just trying to get through a set of metal without passing out and adding more guitar solos between songs than we already need so you can rest.

Next issue we’ll focus on putting this stuff to use! In the meantime, have fun! H

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Dotted Lines with Amanda Mason, Dwyer & Co. Solicitors

Management Agreements A

band manager may be appointed by a band to perform any number of a wide variety of duties, including handling business and financial affairs, promo, marketing and PR, arranging tours, sourcing gigs, obtaining record or publishing deals.

A management agreement sets out the manager’s responsibilities, along with the rules that govern the relationship between the band and the manager.

As a manager may be given a great deal of responsibility and control over the band’s affairs, which often includes entering into agreements on the band’s behalf and accessing its bank account, it is important that the manager’s roles and responsibilities are clearly defined in an agreement to ensure that there’s no confusion, disagreement or overstepping of boundaries later down the track. Any band that already has a manager, but not a management agreement, should ask their manager to provide one. Most good managers and management companies will have a standard agreement that they provide to their clients.

If they don’t, the band should have one prepared by a lawyer as soon as possible. What should a management agreement cover?

 Parties This section lists the details of the band and the manager. The manager’s details should include either an ABN or ACN. You can find additional details about the manager’s company online, such as if they are a proprietary limited company and if that company is in liquidation, by performing a free search on the ASIC National Names Index (search.asic.gov.au/gns001. html). Or, if they are an individual with an ABN, or have a registered business name etc., search the ABN register (abr.business.gov.au/).

You want to ensure your manager is running a legitimate business and that the business isn’t in any sort of legal or financial trouble. Your lawyer will also have access to databases that can provide a more detailed look at companies. Managers in NSW also require a license, and the NSW Government Industrial Relations Department have a list of license holders available online.

 Key person clause Sometimes agreements with management companies, as opposed to an individual manager, have a clause that allows you to terminate the agreement if your manager leaves the company.

You want a clause like this if you’re only signing with the management company because you want to work with a particular manager.  Territory Territory is the geographical area in which the manager will act for you.

If the manager only has the experience and contacts required to properly manage you in Australia, then the territory should only be stated as Australia. Often, a management agreement will have an exclusivity clause, which means you can only appoint one manager in the territory.

However, provided that your management agreement doesn’t preclude it, you can appoint different managers in different territories that have the skills and contacts to represent you in those areas.

 Term Term is the period of time that the managerial agreement will be effective for. Usually, the term will be a set number of years – commonly three to five years – with an option to extend the contract once the initial term has been completed (from then on the contract will continue thereafter on a month to month basis until either party terminates it). The reason the initial term is so lengthy is because it takes a while for a band to build up its reputation and to start making money.

A manager will not usually accept a shorter term because, as they’re paid a percentage of the band’s income, it means they’re putting in a lot of work for no money at the beginning and then if the band make it big after a year and the contract has ended, some other manager may come in and reap the rewards of the first manager’s hard work.  Probationary period It’s a good idea to include a probationary period in a management agreement. This allows either party to terminate the agreement after the set probationary period if things aren’t working out.

 Payment This is referred to as remuneration and sets out how the manager will be paid. Usually the manager will receive a percentage of the band’s income (generally 15-20%) which means that if you have a five piece band, the manager may take a greater share than each member. Then, you have to think about whether the manager’s percentage is based on net or gross income. Gross income is all income, and net income is the gross income minus expenses. Some managers may want their commission taken from gross income, but nowadays it is more common, and more reasonable, for it to be taken from net income.

If their commission is taken from gross income, you want to ensure that the agreement lists exclusions, which are expenses deducted from gross earnings, such as recording costs, fees paid to booking agents, the cost of sound and lighting engineers, etc. so that the manager’s cut isn’t taken before these things are paid.

 Managerial responsibilities The functions performed by the manager can vary greatly depending on the needs of the band and the skills of the manager. Sometimes other industry professionals, such as booking agents, will be appointed, or the band will perform some of the duties themselves, such as merchandising, which will reduce the duties of the manager. Whatever functions you decide the manager will have, they need to be clearly outlined in the agreement.  Manager’s authority The contract should state what the manager is authorised to do on the band’s behalf. For example, the manager may collect money owed to the band, pay debts owed by the band, audit royalty statements, enter into agreements for the band, purchase things with the band’s money etc.

If the manager is allowed to purchase things for the band, the agreement should require the band’s consent for any purchases over a certain amount.

It is very important that the manager’s powers are specifically stated in this clause, because such a great deal of trust is placed in them.

 Banking & accounting This clause should outline the arrangements and procedures for banking and accounting such as how funds are accessed, if multiple signatories are required on the bank account and if an independent accountant will be appointed.

Appointing an accountant is a good idea because it helps to ensure that everything is above board and can alleviate any trust issues between the band and the manager.  Termination This clause should provide reasons the contract can be ended and the procedure to follow if this is necessary. Termination can occur in various ways and for various reasons, but it’s unlikely that it can be terminated without the agreement being breached or the term expiring. The manager may also receive remuneration after termination. The rationale behind this is that the income you generate after the termination can be accounted to work performed by the manager prior to the termination. It is common for the manager to receive a percentage of future income that decreases on a sliding scale each year for a few years, after which it reduces to zero – for example 10% for the first year, 7.5% for the second year, 5% for the third year and then 0% thereafter. If the agreement provides for remuneration post-termination, the manager shouldn’t receive their full commission percentage after termination, nor should they be remunerated for longer than three years posttermination.

Unfortunately, shonky or unreasonable management deals are not uncommon, so any band entering into a management agreement needs to be both cautious and diligent.

If you think you’ve been offered a bad deal, your lawyer will most likely be able to negotiate a better situation for you and make amendments to the contract to ensure it’s legally sound. If you think you’ve got a good agreement, you should still have your lawyer check over it, just to make sure that it’s not full of – to quote the title of a great Frankenbok EP – Loopholes and Great Excuses. h

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Piracy: Not Just Parrots & Swords P words Kimberley Croxford

roviding punters convenient, unlimited exposure to artists internationally – with no financial disadvantage – there’s no denying illegal downloading can tantalise the music lover who, essentially, isn’t a millionaire. But are you, the music lover, murdering the art form you so fondly regard?

Reinventing the music industry to accommodate the digital age – particularly concerning the issue of piracy now that unauthorised downloading has provided such an effective vehicle – has become a prominent topic of debate. Accentuated by contention surrounding international initiatives to address the issue, concern has been rising for the music industry.

Music Industry Piracy Investigations (MIPI) spokesperson, Vanessa Hutley says that illegal downloading causes artists significant disadvantage.

“Fewer artists are being invested in, because there’s less return on investment.”

Ms Hutley envisions dire consequences for the Australian music scene if preventative action isn’t taken.

“In Spain, having high speed broadband and no legislation in place has had a devastating effect on their local artists. Spain used to have a very vibrant music industry. Then, in 2010 the Spanish top 50 didn’t feature one new local act.”

World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Director General Francis Gurry says it’s crucial that policy changes are initiated to adapt to modernity in order to prevent online piracy escalating.

“Copyright needs to evolve to current technological realities, or risk becoming irrelevant.”

WIPO’s Senior Legal Counsellor Victor Vazquez says effective change is a difficult prospect.

“The challenge is to maintain a balance between the availability of cultural works at affordable prices while assuring financial support for creators and performers... There’s no magical answer.”

Ms Hutley (MIPI) believes that

measures taken in Australia to deter people from illegal downloading should be modelled on initiatives already obtaining results elsewhere on the globe.

“The French government has introduced a law which requires internet service providers (ISPs) to issue notices to their subscribers who are found to have engaged in unauthorised downloading. There are a series of warning notices that go out to people and if they don’t stop that matter is then referred for further investigation. A study done that shows the effect these laws have had, found that there was a 25% increase in iTunes album sales.”

Ms Hutley proposes that similar structures should be imposed in Australia.

“Strong evidence can be sent to ISPs saying, ‘This IP address has been engaging in illegal activity’.

We would suggest starting with an education notice... [but] at a certain number of notices sanctions such as slowing your internet downloading speed will be put in place. These sorts of activities ISPs already presently do if you exceed your cap in a month.”

But the Australian Digital Alliance (ADA) Executive Officer Ellen Broad protests enforcement orientated solutions and suggests that improving the quality of legal sources of content is a more appropriate plan of action.

“In Australia, the problems associated with unauthorised downloading are [due to] a combination of financial factors, and consumers’ inability to locate content, [Australian] consumers have expressed real frustration towards the discrepancy in pricing, the territorial delays and sometimes the unavailability of musical content on iTunes. This leads people down the path of unauthorised peer file sharing. I don’t think it’s true that consumers want everything for free.”

While the negative effects of illegal downloading are evident, an elusive advantage also exists – what bands are losing in revenue, the internet is providing in exposure.

Mr Vazquez says in the long-term, this may stimulate the industry to evolve in an alternate direction.

“The internet has provided an opportunity for authors to gain more exposure... This could potentially lead to a change to the shape of the industry, where there would be more emphasis on the revenues generated by concerts.”

Melbourne hardcore punk act Take Your Own’s frontman Matthew McCarthy perceives this advantage facilitated by the internet in relation to exposure, but is emphatic that it wouldn’t be realistic for Australian artists to replace record sales with touring.

“In Australia you’ve only got eight states and roughly twenty major cities to visit... [And] not every major town is going to have a market for your band. Playing shows isn’t always the cheapest exercise... You can’t illegally download petrol, plane tickets, accommodation or better equipment.”

Australian extreme metal band Synthetic Breed’s vocalist Mares ‘M’ Refalaeda concedes the internet is invaluable when it comes to exposure.

“If I wanted to listen to some obscure post-neo-classical symphonic black metal band from Russia, it’d be really easy to find that material online.”

But M is also disheartened by the repercussions of this publicity.

“If you embrace it and use it to your advantage it can be a very good thing. But you do need to have bands like Metallica, who sued Napster [wired.com/politics/law/ news/2000/04/35670]. You need to have pioneers like that who really do put their foot down and go – you can’t do this anymore, you’re stealing money out of our pockets.”

Ms Hutley (MIPI) is adamant that replacing album sales for a touring lifestyle isn’t a sustainable solution.

“The beauty of the digital age is that you can become an international band – but it doesn’t mean that you’re able to tour internationally. If someone is taking your songs in another country because there isn’t any protection, you’re still not being rewarded for your creative endeavour.”

Ms Hutley says international initiatives like the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) are an

essential ‘piece of the puzzle’ when it comes to protecting Australian artists’ creative content in other jurisdictions.

But Ms Broad (ADA) says ACTA is a fundamentally flawed, maximalist solution that fails to suitably consider the interests of consumers.

“Consumers are never consulted on these issues and consumers are the overwhelming majority of those who stand to be affected by overly restrictive copyright laws. But ACTA isn’t the end point for these international enforcement discussions.

[TPP] Leaked text from the current Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement includes things like criminal liability for consumers copying CDs to give to friends.”

Ms Broad asserts that a flexible system maintaining consumers’ rights to personally reproduce material is essential.

“If we can’t record content to our iPads, tablets, mobile phones, [and] laptops – it’s going to stifle technology in Australia.”

So if recent global attempts to manage piracy aren’t the most ethical solutions, what should be done?

Mr Vazquez (WIPO) says positive frameworks are beginning to be established.

“Music labels can negotiate a license deal with an internet service provider, and subscribers can download music by virtue of paying a monthly fee to the service provider.

Advertisement-financed business models are also being developed, thanks to new technologies such as YouTube’s ‘Content ID’ system. This not only generates revenue for the rights holder through advertisement, but access to music remains free for the user who can increase his or her musical knowledge and broaden his or her musical horizons.”

Matt (Take You Own) resolves that piracy is ultimately a matter of integrity.

“Most people will not part with their hard-earned money unless they are impressed by something – so you are going to have to give a little as an artist... [But] hopefully, if someone has illegally downloaded a band’s album, and loved it, they will buy other albums they have released.” H

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shrapnel

shards of metal

stealth fridge

Unless you’re living in a hotel, having a fridge within an arm’s length of your bed will generally give off the impression that you’re either a lazy alcoholic, or that you’re quite accustomed to the odd midnight snack (imagine Fat Bastard from Austin Powers eating greasy turkey drumsticks) – both of which are potential mood killers if you’re lucky enough to be entertaining a caller.

Now, thanks to Marshall, you can store all the Dom Pérignon and leftover KFC in a fridge that looks like a Marshall amp – and your companion will be none the wiser.

Plus, just like your partner’s level of enthusiasm when they see your sweet amp, the volume knob goes up to 11.

When Tama make a toilet that looks like a bass drum, and Jim Dunlop fits a McDonald’s into a wah pedal, life will be complete.

– Amanda Mason

Ask Yeti from FRANKENBOK all of life’s hard questions. Should you dump that loser, dole-bludging boyfriend? Who would win in a fight between Rollins and Danzig? What’s the best way to care for azaleas? Go to facebook.com/AskTheYeti or scan above code.

Rory Beech: Why is it that Classic Rock FM (91.5) continually play top 40 crap that has been bashed to death by other radio stations?

Yeti: An inside source at 91.5 informed me that they have changed their target demographic to female Baby Boomers, “Just like your Mum.” I then replied, “my Mum listens to Metallica, so no more Sade please.”

Saskia Beattie: Dear Yeti, XFM just named their all time top 10 ladies of rock. Please can you explain to me why Janis Joplin and Shirley Manson are not on this list, but Florence f**king Welch is at number one? It is causing me great levels of rage at present... Much obliged as always.

Yeti: I’d be more concerned about Debbie Harry being #5. Florence has never exposed her Machine on stage.

Kate Williamson: Is a picture worth a thousand words?

Yeti: Only if you want to name the more than 1000 individually hand-painted people in FRANKENBOK’s album cover artwork for The End of All You Know. And if you do that, then you should really find another hobby, because that is just f**ked.

Alexis ‘Lexie’ Jane: Why did I just throw up? Will I throw up again anytime soon or is it safe to go back to bed?

Yeti: You threw up because you got up too early after a big night on the piss. Drink a shitload of water, throw that back up, then go back to bed and sleep. If it happens again, harden the f**k up.

are not capable of absorbing the whole universe. Geelong on the other hand, only sucks when your band plays there the night after Parkway Drive.

Steve West: When being chased down the street by hordes of adoring women, do you run in fast motion like Benny Hill?

Yeti: No, slow motion like in ‘Chariots of Fire.’

Mary Mercury: Does your milkshake bring all the boys to the yard?

Yeti: No, but a fridge full of beer usually does the job.

Malcolm George: Why are you called the Yeti? And why do harbour trolls like you?

Yeti: Because I was not born, I emerged from the native rainforests of the Kinglake Ranges. And harbour trolls like me because of my fondness for alcohol and loud mouthed morons.

Layne Anderson: Is bass guitar important?

Yeti: Bass guitar is important if you’re a bass player. I first started out playing in bands as a bass player, and back then it was very important to me. Then I started playing guitar and realised that guitar is way more important than bass.

Warwick Wazza Adams: The meaning of life is..?

Yeti: Beers, beards and metal.

Janet Lane: Is there life after death?

Buy it here. Iron Maiden’s Live After Death.

Gilly Bean: Does Geelong suck as much as a black hole?

Yeti: Black holes have a strong suction force and they may only suck up what crosses their event horizons, and, therefore,

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Heavy Reading our 10 best books on metal words Vix Vile

which rockstars have been arrested, this book has it all and then some. My personal favourite: Dee Snyder’s best quotes from the ‘porn rock’ hearings of 1985. No excuses; go and get this book.

W

e are in a digital world that is fast becoming ruled by ‘e’s and ‘i’s. Amazon Kindle’s e-book and Apple’s iPad are replacing the traditional way we educate and entertain ourselves with literature. The recommendations listed below are more than likely now available on these formats, in a no fuss, compact, clutter free platform – but in my opinion, nothing beats looking over to your overstuffed bookshelf at the black glistening spines lining the shelves, pulling out a hard-cover or paperback book, flicking through the crispy pages and getting lost in the words and pictures you hold in your hands.

There is nothing greater than metal – and what better way to laze on a Sunday with these tomes dedicated to all things metal. HEAVY has devised a list of ten books all serious metal-heads should read at least once. Sometimes it’s not all about your cd and vinyl collection...

1. THE top 500 metal songs of all time

by Martin Popoff

Do you want to be taken seriously as a knowledgeable metal-head? Then you need this book by Martin Popoff. The Canadian writer has written a staggering 37 books on the genre, so it’s safe to say he’s become an authority on the subject. He’s done everything from biographies on Judas Priest, Dio and Thin Lizzy, but nothing beats his Collectors Guide series and his Top 500 books. Meticulously researched and with Popoff’s own ratings, you’ll either applaud his opinions or want to scream at him – but isn’t that part of the fun of being a metal-head?

5. Swedish Death Metal

by Daniel Ekeroth

3. THE Definitive Guide to Heavy Metal

by Garry Sharpe Young (foreword by Rob Halford)

You could say the late Garry Sharpe Young was the British version of Popoff. He took his Rockdetector website and turned a lot of what you could find on the site into published books. If you want to learn practically everything there is to know about heavy metal, then his Definitive Guide is a must for your book shelf. This book has it all. It’s broken down into genres, with every detail you need to know about your favourite band– country of origin, influences, discographies etc. The book includes over 270 bands, every genre known to metal, rare photos and – what really sets this book apart from other reference books – rock journalist Sharpe-Young’s insight and interviews.

2. Lords of Chaos

4. The Official Heavy Metal Book of Lists

We’ve all heard about the crazy antics of the Norwegian black metal scene in the early nineties – the church burnings and band members murdering each other. Well Lords of Chaos puts all that into perspective and taps into what it was like growing up as an oppressed teen in the late eighties in the dank, cold environment of Norway. First published in 1998, a revised, updated edition was released in 2003, with an additional 50 pages.

What’s a list of top metal books without a book about well, metal lists! This gem of a book provides hours of useless, entertaining trivia. Impress your metal friends when you can name all of Alice Cooper’s snakes’ names. I bet you didn’t know the names of Spinal Tap’s dead drummers? The lists range from the ridiculous to the fascinating – with over 130 lists and contributions from the likes of members of Motörhead, Guns ‘N’ Roses and Led Zeppelin, and even air guitar champions. With lists as far-fetched as band names about ...Ass, to

The Bloody Rise of Satanic Metal Underground

by Michael Moynihan and Didrik Søderlind

by Eric Danville (foreword by Lemmy)

(pun intended) of the metal world to share their favourite cooking secrets. There’s 101 recipes from 32 countries. What better way to get a true taste of metal?

8. Heavy Metal Thunder

Kick Ass Cover Art from Kick Ass Albums

by James Sherry and Neil Aldis

Could it be that the origins of Swedish death metal, which stemmed from the brutality of the Floridian scene in the States, helped shape the black metal scene for Sweden’s neighbours in Norway? Ekeroths is another writer that knows his stuff better than anyone – because he was there from the beginning. The book delves into the two scenes that came out of Sweden, from the melodic sounds of the Gothenburg scene to the rawer Stockholm scene. Hundreds of photos accompany this in depth history of one of the most influential genres of metal.

They say not to judge a book by its cover, but to a metal-head, album covers help define and separate us from the commoners. One thing all metal-heads are proud of is their collection of vinyls and CDs. This book chronicles from the beginning, in the form of Black Sabbath’s first album cover which started it all, right through to present day. Sit back and browse for hours at some of the most colourful and historic album artwork and enjoy visual history of 100s of the most famous metal covers ever.

With insights of what inspired the covers and the bands, from the gory, to the gross, get your hands on the special section devoted to the art of Derek Riggs whose cover art for Iron Maiden helped establish Eddie as the seventh member of the band.

6. THE DIRT

by Garry Sharpe-Young

Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band

by Mötley Crüe and Neil Strauss There’s no denying that Mötley Crüe knew how to live with excess. Their decadent life of debauchery has become the stuff of legend. Hundreds of biographies have been written about bands and rockstars over the years, but none quite like The Dirt. Writer Neil Strauss takes a back seat and lets each member give you their own perspective on all their infamous escapades chapter by chapter, with extra clarification coming from roadies, managers, ex-girlfriends and wives – and all who experienced a crazy front seat ride in the world of all things Crüe. Read the book before Hollywood go and ruin it with a movie.

7. Hellbent For Cooking The Heavy Metal Cookbook

by Annick Giroux

That’s right. Forget playing your air guitar in front of the mirror. You want to pretend you’re a rock star? Then cook like one.

This is no tongue-in-cheek book, either.

Annick has gathered some of the cream

9. A-Z of THRASH metal Another from Sharpe-Young’s Rockdetector series, this book provides a detailed history on one of metal’s most ridiculed styles that we metal-heads know helped influence so many of the other genres. Would death and black metal ever have formed if it wasn’t for the pioneers of thrash? It covers everything from obscure bands to the gods of the scene, in all its ferocious glory. In its early days no one would ever have believed the genre would go on to create the most famous and criticised bands of this scene, Metallica – bringing the word of metal to the masses. A must read history into one of metal’s most important genres.

10. The Heavy Metal Fun Time Activity Book

by Aye Jay (foreword by Andrew WK)

This is the colouring book you wish you had as a child. And it’s got it all. Join the dots to Dimebag’s goatee, play heavy metal Sudoku, get lost in the Ozzy maze, and word search metal pioneers and colour in pictures (Danzig in pink anyone?). How many words can you make out of Yngwie Malmsteen? H

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waxing lyrical

Disentomb

sunken Chambers of nephilim words Christian Doherty

I

n the last issue of Waxing Lyrical, I caught up with Embryonic Devourment vocalist Austin Spence to discuss the inspiration behind 2010’s Vivid Interpretations of the Void.

He gave some amazing insights into the creative process of the much unappreciated art of the death metal vocalist and lyricist and some very controversial subject matter.

In keeping with the similar theme of nephilim, pre-Atlantean ancient history and all possibility, I decided to see if I could track down Jordan Philp from Brisbane’s death metal monsters Disentomb for a chat regarding the lyrics on their crushing debut album Sunken Chambers of Nephilim.

“It was great. Sunken Chambers of Nephilim was the first album the members of Disentomb had ever written, so it was an exciting process where we were able to channel a lot of our interests and influences into it.”

If you read through the lyrics you can see the subject of the ancients and almost a hint of ‘a religious commentary’ littered throughout.

Upon the mountain of Golgotha Masticating on the Divine His apostles mourn beneath me

Speaking in tongues I ravage the torso Of Jesus of Nazareth “The idea of using biblical stories or references but changing them slightly in a ‘what if?’ sort of way has always been of great interest to me. Tom Joice [bass] and I have a collection of books that analyse and discuss biblical stories such as Revelations XVIII. These were the foundations for a lot of our lyrics and where ideas for songs derived from. I attended a Catholic school from a very young age, so I’ve always had knowledge and interest in the background of The Holy Bible.”

Ancient curses enforced upon the earth Seeking only to desecrate holy messengers Dismemberment of the followers of light and purity Liquidation of the Royal Family That bow to the crown of thorns Demonic upheaval leads to the suffering And death of the angelic Purity severed by the antediluvian One thing I had to ask was whether it is purely a non-biased commentary on religion, or Jordan’s own beliefs.

“Well, I’m an Atheist, so I don’t hold any personal belief in the reality behind any biblical texts. What I am more interested in, however, is the story within these texts and how altering certain aspects can make it a lot more evil or re-write the ending.”

A sacrifice presented one marked for burial In this subterranean chamber his screams will serenade Lowered into the pit The soil begins to consume Echoes spread through the architecture of the tomb Generally you develop an interest in subject matter like this when you’re a child and it is a part of your upbringing, and Jordan was no different. “Attending a Catholic

school from the age of five definitely would have been the starting point in my interest in these texts.”

One has to wonder where the stories and inspiration will come from in the future. Will the guys continue in the same vein? What will the follow up album be like?

“An extension of Sunken Chambers of Nephilim. Album two is already shaping up to be a lot darker, both lyrically and musically. The writing process is taking a lot longer than the debut, but it’s proving to be the best option. The material we’re writing for the next release kills anything off Sunken Chambers, and we can confidently say this album will destroy.”

I for one am truly chomping at the bit to get my hands and ears on the guys’ next release. H

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Poster designs from $75 T-shirt designs from $150 Album designs from $300 Website designs from $600 Email us now for a quote

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Our Last Enemy vs Hatchet Dawn

Matt Heywood from Our Last Enemy goes head to head with Howsie Noise from Hatchet Dawn Hatchet Dawn

Our Last Enemy

Who or what would be our last enemy?

Death, otherwise personified with names such as The Grim Reaper, Angel of Death, The Angel of Light and Dark or Malach HaMavet and/or Bob Carr.

What are the ideas and concepts that Our Last Enemy presents within its craft?

The idea behind Our Last Enemy is polar opposites, Positive & Negative, Light & Dark, Chaos & Structure. The name ‘Our Last Enemy’ itself has opposing ideas behind it, one being the dark side of ‘Dark and Death’ etc, but also a positive side, as live everyday to its fullest and enjoy it, because it’s here to be lived.

The band’s sound highlights many styles of heavy music, what essential elements make up an Our Last Enemy song?

We have 101 ways of putting a song together, but one essential

element would be that initial idea and trying to stay true to that original idea... then the vibe everyone gets from that initial idea and where they think the song should go, then its all about piecing it together like a puzzle.

Another element would be ex-girlfriends.

What are the plans for the next 12 months? Recording?

Touring?

We’ve just finished recording our new E.P ‘Wolves of Perigord’ which is available now on iTunes, our online store and at shows, and we plan to tour for a big chunk of the year, then we’ll be looking at heading back overseas and working on our next full length release.

Most memorable live show to date and why?

When we supported Fozzy in Sydney, purely for the fact that I split my head open on my bass and it bled like a motherf**ker.

If you could be on the same bill with any four bands in the world, who would they be?

Down, Rammstein, ICP & Rob Zombie.

Any members currently have an STI? We have a serious toxic infection from being born onto this planet of yours that transmits a sexual energy from our toxic rock groove naturally. Only downside is it’s hard to impress porn stars when your spunk is green goo.

What has been your most memorable moment or show so far whilst being in a band?

A moment that has stood out to was getting our album REBIRTH back from being mixed by Neil Kernon over in Chicago and listening, thinking, realising the vision I had for Hatchet Dawn 4 years ago is now alive. Not giving up and staying flexible towards keeping my heart on that goal touched me inside, a divine moment.

What does the next six months hold in store for Hatchet Dawn?

We have our eyes, wallets and genitals pointed towards going overseas and stretch the touring legs to take our music and art beyond Australian shores and continue to push our new album Rebirth up the nostrils of the dark and mysterious creatures we cross in our path as we take over your planet.

What are your favourite Aussie dark and heavy bands?

Melody Black, Bugdust, The Mercy Kills, Voltera & Fireballs!

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hi-rotation album reviews

Global Flatline

tHUnDaaaaaH!

Portal oF i

Century Media

WeeMptyrooMs

independent

by

tHe inHeriteD rePression by

Psycroptic

nuClear Blast/riot!

Technical Death Metal hobart, TAs www.psycroptic.com

review Mark lennard To sAY The Inherited Repression was one of the most anticipated oz metal releases leading into early 2012 would be an understatement. not just in Australia either with Tasmania’s psycroptic being a well known entity in many foreign metal circles thanks to tireless touring and being signed to nuclear Blast, one of the world’s best known and respected metal labels. so in case you were wondering, be assured that album number five, the follow up to the much acclaimed (Ob) Servant (2008), was well worth the wait.

Brothers Joe (guitars) and Dave haley (drums) are again in fine form with an absolute ass-kicking lesson in how to wield your weapon of choice. Joe’s trademark riffing is fast, chugging and technical with a surprisingly big dose of groove this time around. Dave is a legend among our fine oz metal drummers and, as expected, he doesn’t disappoint. The extended time taken to refine the nine tracks on offer mean the connection between beats and riffs is sublime. cameron’s bass sits perfectly among the tight rhythms and Jason’s vocals are fierce and delivered with venom. each track is different and memorable in its own way, with Joe’s riffing being a major reason for it. his mixing talents are also on

display and his work here is impeccable. everything has its own space and in particular the guitars which aren’t overdone and seem recorded with a single-live-guitarist situation in mind. There are obviously overdubs but these are never to the point where the song would suffer without more than one guitar when played live.

The openess given to the material is finely calculated also with the guys choosing not to cram a thousand notes into every riff.

This gives the punters not only the jaw-dropping technicality they have come to expect, but ‘moshable’ passages to brutalise to. psycroptic have achieved an almost ‘natural’ progression on The Inherited Represson without sacrificing their roots or alienating the fan base they have worked so relentlessly to build. fresh from a 20+ date european tour – with fellow fret board gymnasts origin and grind masters leng Tch’e (that included neurotic Deathfest) – psycroptic have kicked off 2012 in a big way with a vicious yet progressive new album under their belts and an eager metal world wanting to hear it live. When 2012 starts to wrap up and the top ten list votes are counted, i have no doubt The Inherited Repression will not just appear in many a highlight list, it might even top some.

Aborted

by

Dead

by

Ne Obliviscaris

Death Metal Waregem, Belgium

sludge punk Melbourne, Vic

progressive Black Metal Melbourne, Vic

www.goremageddon.be

http://deadsounds.com

facebook.com/neobliviscarisBand

review Matt Young

review Anthony Moore

review rod Whitfield

BruTAl for The sAke of brutality, hell yes! Belgian death metal overlords Aborted provide a blistering exercise in gore/grind/tech on their seventh full-length offering Global Flatline. certainly not for the faint hearted, this effort is sure to please the most dedicated of death metal fans. it’s true to their previous endeavors, by providing the sickest and most visceral tales of the uncouth, unwashed and vulgar. song titles like of scabs and Boils, our father, Who Art of feces, and Vermicular, obscene, obese might induce a chortle here and there, yet when the bludgeoning riffs rip through your speakers all laughter is inhibited. This is some of the most competent death metal in today’s modern age. Vocalist sven de caluwé showcases a brilliant range, varying between deep gutturals, high-pitched screams, and cleaner moments. precision and technicality from relatively new drummer 21 year old ken Bedene exceeds expectations. he is an absolute machine and quite possibly the future of modern metal drumming.

Manic, complex riffing and intricate, tasteful solos are in abundance exuding a world-class sound, care of producer Jacon hansen (Volbeat, pestilence, hatesphere).

Global Flatline cannot be faulted and if it’s the best in brutal, grim and grotesque that you’re after, fret not, you’re in good hands.

This MelBourne TWo-piece are really like no other band you’ve ever seen or heard. straight up, balls in your back pocket ferocity and groove and non-stop energy, making an impact that some bands with five members can’t match – their live shows secured them a reputation from the very beginning.

DeAD’s relentless touring schedule has given them the opportunity to polish their sound, and it comes across in THUNDAAAAAH! The record opens with the complete sense disabling You Just lost My Appetite. This is a great introduction to the rest of the album – a battlefield of explosive bass and limb annihilating drums. sludge, punk, doom – wherever you think it sits – it’s different, and ball-tearingly beautiful.

Jace’s bass style jumps around from single notes, to chords, to anger-driven, flat-out, full-hand smacking. Jem’s drums must (lovingly) hate him – he doesn’t just hit the skins, he jumps up out of his seat and belts them on the way down. This is punked-up brutality at its best, and should only be heard loud. limited to only 200 copies on 180-gram vinyl, all the sleeves and inserts are hand screened.

THUNDAAAAAH! truly is a unique release in every way.

This is An AlBuM i would have loved to spend a lot more time with. it is way too much to take in in just a few listens. firstly, the album is in its raw arithmetical form. There are but seven tracks on this album, little more than an ep for most bands. But wait… the album clocks in at a marathon 71 minutes. That makes a pretty simple equation, the songs average over ten minutes each.

Apparently this album was eight years in the making. There is so much going on here it’s hard to know where to start. The underlying vibe is that of intense progressive death metal. The heavy moments are earth shaking, with blistering double kick drumming and riffery creating precision mayhem for metalheads to thrash out to. The vocals howl in blood-curdling death metal fashion, and regularly stray into more screechy, black metal territory.

There are also dynamics galore, with the brutality scaling back to wonderful melodic moments on a regular basis. check out the outtro of the truly epic album closer of petrichor Weaves Black noise for proof. The melodic vocals provide a beautiful counterpoint for the full frontal assault of the main vocal, well exemplified by album opener Tapestry of the starless Abstract. And the unexpected ambience created by the violins and acoustic guitars is a joy to behold.

To say Portal of I is ambitious is significantly understating the grandiose nature of this record. This is a work that simply must be experienced to be believed.

the stand out

th e sta n d ou t

th e sta n d ou t

t h e s tan d o u t

‘The Throne of Kings’ @youTube

‘Origin of Disease’ @iTunes

‘Prick Rodeo’ @WeEmptyRooms

‘And Plague Flowers the Kaleidoscope’ @4shared

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incUrso

anHeDonia

GilDeD aGe

Fossil FUel blUes

octanic

relapse reCords

nightMare reCords

CapitalgaMes

666 reCords

independent

by

Spawn of Possession

by

Teramaze

by

Night Hag

by

Mother Mars

by

Octanic

Death Metal kalmar, sweden

progressive Metal Geelong, Vic

Black Metal Adelaide, sA

fuzz rock sydney, nsW

industrial Metal Adelaide, sA

myspace.com/spawnofpossession

www.teramaze.com.au

www.nighthag.tumblr.com

http://mothermars.bandcamp.com

facebook.com/octanic

review christian Doherty

review rod Whitfield

review Mitch Booth

review Anthony Moore

review Mark lennard

iT’s Been six lonG YeArs since spawn of possession’s last album was released. When you listen to Incurso, it’s easy to see why. one of the world’s premier technical death metal bands, their new album was certainly going to take things to new heights. if you aren’t familiar with the onslaught of the genre then this will most likely go straight over your head. however, if you are well versed in it, you will devour every filthy bit of this release. it takes quite a few listens to get your head around this album, so be prepared to give it appropriate attention. Music like this is never going to be ‘catchy’ on the first listen, and does require a lot of your time and energy to fully appreciate the aural battering.

Anyone who gets into the heaviest of death metal, go check out the lyrics and subject matter of Incurso for sometimes surprising, intelligent and thought-provoking storytelling.

Make sure you know what you are getting into when you pick this album up – pure, brutal technical, death metal. not for the faint hearted.

These guys have been through various line-up changes over the years but seem to have a seriously solid base for the future. hopefully it doesn’t take 6 years for another release from these guys, although with the complexity of the song writing process it very could take that long. i’m not complaining...

TerAMAze hAVe Been around a long time, but boy are they getting their act together if this album is anything to go by. if you’re not overly familiar with these guys right now, you soon will be.

Technical/progressive thrash may be the best way to describe this band, and they do it ridiculously well. This is more world-class Aussie metal. These guys can seriously shred and the overall musicianship is absolutely top-notch. The production is sharp, clear and powerful; it’s obvious that much care and attention has been given to bringing out each and every nuance, and ensuring that all notes are audible – a serious task when there are so many notes flying around.

And soaring above it all is the highly convincing vocals of singer Brett rerekura, who sounds like a cross between sebastian Bach and James laBrie (Dream Theater). he nails the screams and the melodic cleans with equal aplomb, and more than holds his own amidst the instrumental shreddery.

The songs are varied, dynamic, catchy, and full of nuclear strength grooves (check out Black circles). it’s this combination of blinding skill and songwriting nous that makes Anhedonia yet another memorable Australian metal release.

Special note: This album is dedicated to their former drummer Julian Percy, who died of a rare heart problem during the recording. He was an exceptional drummer, musician and person. RIP.

While BAnDs like space Bong, Mournful congregation and Virgin Black have rendered the city of Adelaide synonymous with doom metal, in my mind at least, night hag are dominating the complete opposite end of the metal spectrum.

Gilded Age, their third release – if you include their first demo – is an assault on the senses in the best possible way. The opening few tracks are a blistering attack of noisy black metal-meets-punkhardcore, each hovering around the two-minute mark. They’re as raw as it comes, complete with vocals that will send shivers down your spine. The aforementioned doom genre comes to play on track Tooth and hand providing a welcome drop in pace, but certainly not in darkness. After the first eight tracks pass in just twenty minutes, Golden Age is the perfect finale; encompassing night hag’s entire sound in just under ten minutes. it’s a dark and twisted journey that contrasts well with the blatant, straightforward nature of the shorter tracks.

Where night hag really succeeds is their talent for variation. not only is Gilded Age one of the darkest, most authentically aggressive and utterly consistent releases to come out of Australia, it’s surprisingly multi-dimensional.

The balance of styles and pace is near perfect, resulting in a release that flies by in no time – and there’s simply not a dull moment to be had.

There’s so Much fuzz on this release it makes every ‘70s pornstar look like they’ve got a Brazilian. even a chainsaw would fail to cut through it.

The opening 6:20 opus delivers a head-banging intro, a pounding rhythm section, wah’d up guitar, and yes, fuzz. You could curl up in there and hibernate quite comfortably throughout the winter months.

The second track is mesmerising, a much more cruisy, stoned-up interlude. far from typical, it melts much deeper into your psyche.

There’s way more than enough for any stoner, fuzz or psych fan to lose themselves in, and the mix is perfect.

The seemingly improvised track, prelude, really drew me in. it was the acid-induced-coma content, featuring tripped-out echoes, phasing guitars and colourful psychedelica, which really blew me away.

Throughout Fossil Fuel Blues, Mother Mars have drawn from the ‘70s through to today’s typical fuzz-laden psychedelic bands, but they’re not a carbon copy. Their predecessors would be equally as blown away as the average punter.

The sydney 3-piece psych/stoner outfit have been playing since 2006 and until now have somehow managed to slip under my radar.

Do yourself a favour, discover them; and on the day you buy Fossil Fuel Blues, get the largest, loudest amp and most kick-arse speakers you can find, and drown in Mothers Mars’ syrupy fuzz.

The ADelAiDe heAVY Music scene is a varied, ever evolving musical mutation. Bands come and go, some venture where others fear to tread both musically and geographically, and some strive to create something that is all encompassing. octanic have done this by taking their time with their sophomore release, carefully considering the artwork, themes and arrangements in an effort to top their well received two disc ep Industry (2008). live strings (care of the Adelaide uni choral society) and a sense of melody that capably peppers the varied metal crunch are clear highlights of octanic’s latest endeavour.

Whether it’s straight up heavy metal, melodic death, nods to nWoAhM or the overtly epic, octanic have many bases covered – and with six members the creativity pool must be overflowing. recorded and mixed at Adelaide’s Deep Blue studios, and mastered by Jens Bogren (opeth, Amon Amarth and Devin Townsend) the sound is heavy and clear, with the strings and keyboards playing a major role while not overwhelming the metal. Vocals deviate from growls to the melodic (none more so than the emotive ‘solus’) and the guitars leap from heavy backing to leading the way. octanic have definitely stamped their name on the Adelaide scene since 2007, playing shows and organising events which is the backbone of any scene. This debut album has a been a long time coming for fans, a labour of love for the band and a big step towards a bright future.

t h e s ta nd out

the stand out

th e sta n d ou t

th e sta n d ou t

Ch e Ck e M o u t

‘Where Angels Go Demons Follow’ @SoundCloud

‘Anhedonia’ @Nightmare Records

‘Mongrel’ @Tumblr

‘Ride Like The Wind’ @bandCamp

New Album Sample @Reverbnation

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so, why the weird Band name?

less cheese more meat Who doesn’t love a heavy cover of a non-heavy song? I certainly do, which was why it was so hard to narrow this list down to 20. Many of these aural delights are available for download on iTunes. If not, you can find them on YouTube for your viewing pleasure.

If you have ever been in a band and understand the arduous task of choosing a band name, you will definitely enjoy this. This issue – it’s purely crazy band names and the story behind them.

1. All the things she sAid

ChAinsAw hookers

3. oops!... i did it AgAin

The name Chainsaw Hookers was taken from the title of the 1988 Fred Olen Ray horror film Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers.

Their songs are loosely based around horror movies most people haven’t seen – and wouldn’t want to see – so the name is quite fitting.

had just written a Death country musical called Country Style Livers so the redneck themes were flowing fast at that point.

They’ve had it for 17 years now and it’s still going strong.

niColAs CAge fighter

In the early stages when they didn’t have a name, Nicolas Cage Fighter were all watching Con Air one night. Someone mentioned how much of a bad-ass Nicolas Cage is. Guitarist Justin Ellis started saying how he wanted to fight Nicolas Cage. So they started joking about as a band name, thought it sounded cool, and decided to go with it.

They take their music seriously, but a fun band name helps them stand out.

Boris the BlAde

“We are all fans of the movie Snatch.

‘Boris the Blade’ is a character in the film. Our bass player, Coby said it at practice as a joke, we told a few of our friends and they liked it – and then it just stuck!”

six ft hiCk

The band started scrawling potential names on the back of a note pad when they first started jamming. Their first show was offered a little sooner than expected so they went for the name on the bottom of the list. Ben and Geoff

orIgInal arTIsT

The Berserker

2. don’t CAll Me BABy Frankenbok

Children of Bodom

4. AlejAndro Helia

5. sweet dreAMs Marilyn Manson

t.a.T.u.

Madison avenue Britney spears lady gaga eurythmics

6. MilkshAke

AAAgh! CoBrAs!

The origin of this wacky band name is actually as blatantly obvious as it sounds. It’s a hilarious quote from Homer Simpson, which he yells during his ‘night terrors.’ The reason why they chose this name is pretty simple. It’s practically impossible in this day and age for anybody to not recognise the iconic and sociologically significant television show known as the Simpsons. Plus, it includes a randomness and hilarity, which is what the band is all about.

song covered

Goodnight Nurse

7. suiCidAl MAniAC Hatebreed

8. like A prAyer H20

fAt guy weArs MystiC wolf suit

There are two theories behind the origins of this name. Theory #1: They originally had a different name and had ordered shirts to sell at shows. Instead of receiving the shirts they ordered, they accidentally sent them a batch of XXXL mystic wolf shirts due to a mix up at the shirt manufacturers. So they just rolled with it. Theory #2: Their singer came into their second jam and said “I’ve got the name for the band - Fat Guy Wears Mystic Wolf Shirt”. They all agreed it was awesome and that was it.

i AM duCkeye

Brother Sam [Haycroft] says this name came from brother Matt’s early childhood when ‘duckeye’ was babbled at pretty much anything and everything that caught his attention. Some years later they figured it would be a great name for their deadly serious death metal band, unbeknownst to them, however, it is latin for ‘hairy forehead vagina’.

MAMMoth MAMMoth

This band was purely after one thing – they wanted a name that was big, hairy, sweaty and horny.

– Jay Clair

9. MAd world Evergreen Terrace

10. devil woMAn Cradle of Filth

11. lArger thAn life Paragon

Kelis suicidal Tendencies Madonna Tears for Fears cliff richard Backstreet Boys

12. these Boots Are MAde for wAlkin’ Megadeth

13. eleAnor rigBy Realm

14. BeAt it

Ten Masked Men

15. relAx Atrocity

16. send Me An Angel Zeromancer

17. lAnd of Confusion Disturbed

18. giMMe, giMMe, giMMe Yngwie Malmsteen

19. CAt sCrAtCh fever Pantera

20. CArs

Fear Factory

nancy sinatra The Beatles

Michael Jackson Frankie goes to Hollywood real life genesis aBBa Ted nugent gary numan

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