Heavy Music Magazine Issue #3 by HEAVY Music Magazine

$9.95 inc.gst

otep

is a chick that rocks

maKe them suffer

siGn me to roadrunner aussie Band wins deal!

testament  Gwar  Kreator serj tanKian  fear factory

+ the tea party + rites of passage + industry insight + strings & skins plus Great suBscription prizes to Be won every issue! ISSUE 3 $9.95 inc.gst ISSN 1839-5546

oz underground

interview

gojira

the duplantier Brothers talK metal

➤ MHORGL ➤ NE OBLIVISCARIS ➤ THE AMENTA ➤ INFILTRAITOR ➤ ALARUM ➤ ENCIRCLING SEA ➤ BATEMAN ➤ BEYOND TERROR BEYOND GRACE

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issue 03

contents

published Quarterly in 2012

• features •

42 pantera

We celebrate Pantera’s influence and reflect on their legacy to mark the 20th anniversary of Vulgar Display of Power.

26 serJ tanKian

14 testaMent

30 OZ unDerGrOunD

With their new album Dark Roots of Earth Testament hit the big One Ohhh.

Thrash legends spare some time for a chat.

8 Fear FaCtOrY

The industrial metal pioneers talk about the hardships of being a robot.

printeD & prODuCeD in australia

24 KreatOr

System Of A Down’s Serj Tankian discusses his brand new solo album.

We scourer the country for the best under-exposed talent.

16 GOJira

46 ChiCKs that rOCK

Gojira talk songwriting, a new release and brotherly love.

LA’s Otep and our own Simone Dow from Voyager.

20 Gwar

60 rites OF passaGe

We infiltrate Slavepit Inc. and reveal what goes on behind the scenes.

Pantera

We bare some skin and check out some of the world’s best tattooists in action.

Gojira Gwar

culprits Editor & PublishEr Olivia Reppas manaGinG Editor Kimberley Croxford coPy Editor Sheri Tantawy art dirEctor Craig Fryers PublishinG consultant Effie Dimitropoulos 186Red Pty Ltd 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

the hard-ons photo by damo musclecar

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 r code reader, and we recommend you download the Free Digimarc Discover app from itunes, tunes, or wherever else you t can get your hands on it. by simply holding your smartphone about 6-10cm above a Qr r 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 Christian Doherty Damo Musclecar Daniel Maloney Fabio Marraccini Jay Clair Jeff Schenck Jon Stockman Julianne Pimenta Mark Lennard Mitch Booth Matt Young Olivia Reppas Sheri Tantawy Todd Hansen Rob Brens Rod Whitfield Vix Vile

welcome to the third issue of heAVY

ello our loyal HEAVY readers! And to anyone who’s new to the mag, welcome. While our wonderful editor Livvy has been jetting around Europe on tour with Dead City Ruins, I’ve been working with our fantastic HEAVY team to put together one hell of a third issue. We kid around with Steel Panther, pay tribute to legends Pantera, catch up with seminal thrashers Testament and industrial giants Fear Factory, expose what’s behind those costumes with the theatrical GWAR, talk worldly issues with SOAD’s Serj Tankain, rediscover The Tea Party, celebrate the new album by Egyptian heavyweights Nile, represent rocking chicks Otep and Simone Dow, and as always uncover the incredible talent of our local bands in our Oz Underground section. We’ll also set you up with the skills to dominate your instrument and survive in the business with Strings and Skins, Industry Insight, and Dotted Lines. Welcome to our new contributors Fabio Marraccini and Todd Hansen. To Soundwave, Roadrunner, Warner, Riot Entertainment, Century Media, Heathen Skulls, High Voltage Touring, Shock Records, Soundworks Touring, Rare Records, Deathproof PR, our advertisers, bands, and of course 186Red and the legendary Effie Dimitropoulos, we are sincerely thankful for your hard work and support. Thank you to our stellar HEAVY team, including our talented art director Craig Fryers who’s had the massive task of putting it all

together, Jay Clair for initiating HEAVY TV (watch this space!) and his overwhelming dedication and fantastic work behind the scenes, our sales manager Nicole MakinDoherty, and of course our writers who pour their time and passion into producing this magazine. Of recent times we’ve seen the closing of multiple live venues. We waved goodbye to the Arthouse, The East Brunswick Club, and Miss Libertine’s in Melbourne alone – and in the latest tragic news The Palace Theatre may soon follow. It’s now more important than ever get behind Australia’s music scene and the phenomenal bands it produces. Join us at our issue three launch party to enjoy more heavy madness and welcome back our incredible leader Olivia Reppas who began this whole darn thang. Thanks again for supporting HEAVY – let’s band together and nurture the talent we have right in front of us. Get gigging! – Kimberley Croxford

advErtisinG EnquiriEs sales@heavymag.com.au +61 (0)402 856 632 hEavy music maGazinE is Published by MLM Media Pty Ltd PO Box 1313 Lalor VIC 3075 ACN 151 654 330 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.

is this you?

because we’re a generous lot here at hEavy we love to give away prizes to our loyalreaders-to-be. so if this is you, or if you know this grizzly bloke, please do him a favour and tell him to get in touch with us to collect his prize! valid til 30/9/12

shreds

views, news & reviews

The Levitation Hex

Oz metal on the road Aussie grinders Captain Cleanoff will embark on a South East Asian tour in late July/early August passing through Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Borneo and Singapore. This is a precursor to their support slots in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne for grind legends Nasum on their 20th anniversary/farewell tour through Australia/NZ in mid August. Also appearing on the bill at the Nasum shows will be Oz technical death metal heavyweights Psycroptic. This will be their first Australian tour since the release of their highly acclaimed latest album The Inherited Repression. Deprivation (NSW) and 4ARM (VIC) will be embarking on an 18-date US jaunt dubbed the Zombie Apocalypse tour. Beginning and ending in California, the Oz thrashers will also be present in Texas, Las Vegas, Washington, New Mexico and Oregon throughout July along with US bands Casket For Cassandra, Prey For Sleep and Short Fuse. The Levitation Hex (ACT/VIC) and Alarum (VIC) will soon share more

Deprivation

than just members. They’ll be sharing dodgy airline food as they head off to tour Europe in October, kicking off in Baarlo, Holland for the three-day Prog Power Festival, held from 5-7 October, as progressive metallers from a range of countries will display their precision and prowess. Both bands will then blaze a trail through Belgium, France, Switzerland, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Italy and Holland again before heading home. Melbourne’s own industrial djenters Synthetic Breed are heading to Cologne in Germany to appear at the Euroblast 2012 festival that spans over October 19 to 21. The event also features the likes of Scar Symmetry, Jeff Loomis (Nevermore, Santuary), Tesseract, Vildjharta, Monuments and more. Bastardfest 2012 is again set to wreck ears and necks across all states of Australia in October and November. Check facebook.com/bastardfest for more details on dates, venues and lineups. – Mark Lennard

Cassette: The new vinyl? In an era when CD sales are on the decline and digital downloads are taking over the music industry, vinyl has continued to make a massive comeback. Though now, it seems there’s a new old format – the cassette tape. ‘Cassette culture’ originally sprang up in the ’70s, becoming prominent during the ’80s and into the ’90s until CDs took off and sales started to plummet. Cassettes have always continued on – especially with lo-fi musicians who refused to let go even after the scene started to decline out of the mainstream at the end of the ’90s – and there are still high profile musicians like Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth) that have always continued to release their music on cassette. The last few years, however, has seen a steady resurgence from all genres, reigniting the use of this low-cost and easy-to-make format. DIY labels are popping up more and more and are harnessing the personal attention to detail that a hand drawn cover or a limited edition sleeve can bring, as well as the old school charm of the cassette. In 2008, artist and musician Al Bjornaa set up his Canadian label Scotch Tapes. It focuses on limited edition, unique releases – mainly cassettes – although their catalogue also includes 7” vinyl, 8-tracks, and CDRs. Scotch uses plastic, fabric and wooden cases and buys both ‘new old stock’ and reuses tapes. Bjornaa likes that you can sometimes still hear the original music behind the new tracks on recycled tapes. To him, it adds a different element that makes each cassette unique. Sheriff, from Melbourne, have released their debut EP on both cassette and CD. Guitarist Tom Watson offers up the practical side of things. “We know quite a few people with older

cars and didn’t want these people to miss out on listening to our EP.” US doom band Fister have released a limited edition cassette box set of 100 – a testament to keeping the format unique and strong. Featuring a 25-minute song that ‘spans the history of violence throughout the age of mankind’ and stored in a screened 5.5” heavy card box, the translucent red cassette also comes with digital download and a silkscreened, 16-page art booklet printed with ink containing blood from the band members. Bassist and vocalist Kenny Snarzyk says releasing the cassette was done out of necessity, as well as a craving to connect with the past. “It was done mainly because the [25-minute] song is too long to put on one side of a record. I personally still buy tapes, it’s a nostalgia thing.” Snarzyk says the band also took into account the expenses associated with trying to release on other formats with larger runs and longer time constraints. “Tapes are a lot cheaper to release and sell than vinyl.” And what about the blood? “A lot of work went into it. We figured that we may as well shed a little blood as well. Plus, it seemed to fit with the theme of the song Violence.” So will we see cassettes one day becoming as collectable as vinyl? Will we be scouring secondhand stores and garage sales for that ever-illusive Holy Grail? While I can’t foresee ‘80s baby blue cassingles becoming a better investment than real estate, there are still some people that will part with some big dollars for a unique find. On eBay in May a Rammstein demo tape sold for the equivalent of AU$589. Interestingly, the title of the tape is Sehnsucht, German for ‘longing.’ – Anthony Moore

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intothevoid with Anthony Moore

SyDOnIA RELEASE

Featuring five new tracks, plus a DVD containing a video of previous hit Ocean of Storms and two mini documentaries, Sydonia unleash Waiting for Words that Don’t Exist (EP). After years of touring their last album (Given to Destroyers, 2006) with big notes such as Lamb of God, Korn, Slipknot and Stone Sour packing out their schedule, the EP sets the table for their forthcoming sophomore album. Hit up heavymag.com.au for a review and interview with frontman Dana Roskvist.

s y d o n i a w

’

HEAvy METAL FunDAMEnTALISMS THIS YEAR PRAGUE was home to the 4th annual global heavy metal conference, Heavy Metal Fundamentalisms: Music, Metal and Politics. The conference, held in May, was a three-day event aimed at examining the culture of heavy metal socially, politically and philosophically. It brought metal into the lofty realms of academia with topics like Nu Metal and the Politics of Postmodernity, Black Metal: Stone Vengeance and the Racial Politics of Heavy Metal, Viking Heritage: The Creation of a Personal and National Identity through History and Metal and Wolves in The Throne Room: Time, Autochthony and Transcendence in Contemporary (Post)-Black Metal. If you weren’t able to pop over to Prague for three days to attend the conference, don’t worry, because you can join the email discussion group at interdisciplinary.net/critical-issues/ethos/ music-metal-politics. – Amanda Mason

Idylls’ latest release Farewell All Joy, a blend of frenzied chaos, high-speed, grinding noise and technical precision is blowing minds. It’s available now as a digital download or on vinyl in three colours and out through Monolith and Tenzenmen. Based in Brisbane, Idylls are touring nationally throughout June and July. German psych rockers Black Space Riders have released their second LP. Thirteen incredible tracks featuring some of the strongest riffs, mind-bending psychedelics, and thundering grooves I’ve heard in a long time, Light Is The New Black is out now through BSR/ Brainstorm/Rough Trade. Everything New York’s White Hills are releasing is going nuts. Signed to Thrill Jockey Records, the band’s fuzzed-out guitars have garnered a massive following. Pick up their latest LP Frying On This Rock as well as Live At Roadburn (2011) to discover what all the hype is about. Instrumental space rock is alive and well in Russia thanks to vespero. Their fourth album, Subkraut: U-Boats Willkommen Hier, is a conceptual piece consisting of six instrumentals inspired by Russian futurism of the 20th Century. Out through R.A.I.G., its insanely over-the-top packaging cannot be explained in fewer than 100 words and needs to be seen to be believed. Hailing from Italy, stoner metal band Gandhi’s Gunn have just released their second album. With loads of stoner riffage and some really chunky fuzz, The Longer the Beard, the Harder the Sound is a solid release. A band to keep an eye on is Kaleidoscope. Three young guys from Gerringong (nSW), they have not long been touring with Tumbleweed and impressing every punter along the way. A mixture of pounding, almost tribal rhythms, furious guitars and helicopter dreads, they have a massive future.

RECOMMEnDATIOnS nEW RELEASE: Kadavar’s Creature of the Demon. Everything you love about old school Sabbath and more. It’s tracks like this that keep my head banging and a big smile on my face. Pick up a copy of their self-titled debut on vinyl from This Charming Man Records. CLASSIC: Seminal Melbourne band GOD have had their mini-album Rock Is Hell (1988) and record For Lovers Only (1989) re-released together on one LP through Z-Man Records. Their influence has been overwhelming, and this gatefold vinyl release is long overdue and extremely welcome.

heavyfeature

fear factory latest release

Forming well over two decades ago, Fear Factory is a name that needs no introduction. Despite many lineup changes, internal squabbles, lawsuits, hiatuses and all manner of other trials and tribulations, they remain highly influential and are treasured by the heavy music community. words Rod Whitfield

The IndusTrIalIsT by

Fear Factory

AFM RECORDS

It may sound obvious, but damn this sounds like a Fear Factory album. Everything you know and love about the band is present in droves – Dino Cazares’ precision riffing punching in unison with double kick, open choruses, the mechanical/industrial vibe, atmospherics/dynamics, the man vs machine lyrical concept, and of course singer Burton C Bell’s patented growling/melodic trade-off – the man’s pipes have lost none of their potency over the years. It’s calculated carnage, but what’s more The Industrialist is a consistently strong Fear Factory album. Over their lengthy and storied career, the band have fluctuated in quality somewhat, both from album to album and within given album. They can produce absolute gems, but they’ve been known to throw the odd track in here and there that has you scratching your head a little as well. This record bucks that trend – every track is intense, powerful, and catchy as hell. There are no weak links and it all comes together beautifully on the midalbum stomper Depraved Mind Murder, featuring arguably the best chorus these guys have ever written. The cynical may say that Bell and Cazares have stayed well within their comfort zone here and in a way they’d be right. But when you’ve defined virtually an entire subgenre with your sound, sometimes there’s no reason to change or experiment. th E StAnD Out

‘Depraved Mind Murder’ @itunes

oining a sound primarily based on guitar and kick drum syncopation and a mechanical vibe that’s been imitated ever since, Fear Factory are considered forefathers of industrial metal. Out of the ashes of a recent dispute over the use of the band’s name – and exactly who were in fact members of the band – original vocalist Burton C Bell and guitarist Dino Cazares emerged to carry the Fear Factory torch forward. Bell, and Cazares, who himself had a lengthy break from the band during the 2000s, recruited two of the best known hired guns of the metal scene, bassist Byron Stroud and drummer Gene Hoglan (both formerly in Strapping Young Lad), to produce the 2010’s comeback album Mechanize, leaving long-time bassist Christian Olde Wolbers and original drummer Ray Hererra behind. Now, with another new rhythm section after Hoglan’s departure, Bell and Cazares have unleashed the band’s eighth studio effort The Industrialist, another cracker

of an album with all of Fear Factory signatures present lyrically and atmospherically. “It’s classic Fear Factory, did you want it to sound like AC/DC?” quips Cazares, “A lot of journalists I’ve spoken to are saying that it falls somewhere between Demanufacture and Obsolete.” It may be somewhat controversial for a metal band to program every single drum track on an album, but that’s exactly what Fear Factory have done this time around. “We’ve done it on certain songs here and there, on a lot of different records, but this is the first time we’ve done in on a whole record. A good mate of mine, an Aussie by the name of John Sankey from a band called Devolved, helped me with the writing of all the drum programming for the album. I needed to have a drummer’s perspective because we didn’t have a drummer, and Sankey was the perfect guy to help me. He really understands me and understands the band.” Cazares asserts there were justifiable practical and philosophical reasons for the decision to program the drums.

LISTEN now

‘March to the Sea’ @YouTube From their new album Yellow and Green

“One of the reasons was obviously that we didn’t have a drummer,” he explains, “Two, even if we did have a drummer and he recorded on the album we would edit the drums to make it sound more like a machine anyway. That’s why it doesn’t really sound any different. The major editing – we’ve always been doing it from day one.” While it was disappointing having the ‘Atomic Clock’ Gene Hoglan leave the band, being one of the best metal drummers on the planet, Cazares acknowledges Hoglan is a man that can’t be tied down and the band have now secured a young, hungry new player to fill his massive shoes. “Gene Hoglan is a guy who is not in one band,” Cazares says, “he’s extremely talented, he’s a monster behind the kit, very professional – I can’t say anything bad about the guy. The only bad thing I can say is that he’s not in our band anymore. He’s got so much stuff on his plate – if you get him in your band, you’re lucky. [But] we’ve got a new kid on the block. His name is Mike Heller – he was in some smaller bands called Malignancy and System Divide. A couple of months ago we had a big drum audition in Los Angeles and he was the perfect guy.” The band have always used themes, storylines and concepts throughout their albums, the ‘man vs. machine’ motif having been almost ever present since 1992’s Soul of a New Machine. The Industrialist is no exception, although it offers a twist. “Over the years, Fear Factory’s been using a lot of concepts,” Cazares recalls, “Some of them have been more apparent than others, like Obsolete was a full-on story. But it’s always been through the eyes of the human, the perspective of the human, and how technology has helped or destroyed them. This time it’s from the perspective of the automaton, which is basically, for lack of better words, a robot. It’s a very well-made robot that looks like a human, thinks like a human, and acts like a human. In other words it learns and breathes and has memories like a human. Every robot has a shelf life – he’s fighting for his life and his kind.” The band have been regular visitors to our shores over the years, and Cazares is confident they’ll return on the current album cycle, possibly this year after their US and European commitments. “I’m hoping that late September we can go to Australia. We’ll see what happens, fingers crossed. If not, hopefully AJ from Soundwave will put us on the festival next year.” H

baroness HEAVY caught up with vocalist, guitarist and artist John Baizley about their highly anticipated release, Yellow and Green. words Damo Musclecar

triking stylistically and musically, Yellow and Green couldn’t have been written overnight, or even within a month. “From concept to finished package, it took about a year – it’s the longest we’ve ever spent on anything, but then again it’s not a typical release.” Typical it most definitely isn’t. Despite the devastating departure of long-time, founding member bassist Summer Welch earlier this year, the album by the Georgia fourpiece is impressive. With much more melodic edge to it, it’s bursting at the seams with incredible vocal and musical harmonies that go far beyond previous efforts. “I think everybody’s noticed that,” acknowledges Baizley, “In fact, we’ve already begun to take a little flack for it. But that’s fine. The flack’s going to be there one way or the other. I’d rather hear criticism that we’ve changed too much than that we’ve changed too little. That may sound a little bit backwards, but if someone said to me that we were putting out records which sounded like our others, that’d be the worst thing.” Flack? For challenging your abilities and progressing as a band? “It was just natural, to us it didn’t even feel that different. We feel we’ve got a better sense of what we’re writing, but the fire that drives us to do this is exactly the same. It’s what we’ve always wanted with this band. We always wanted each record to move forward from the last one, so that when we’re at the end of our career we can look back at our albums and say, ‘we’ve done all of this. We never had to settle for some status quo. We never figured

out the formula for success in terms of musical style.’ We want to always be challenging what we’ve done and questioning what we’ve done, even at the risk of upsetting some of the more conservative fans – even at the risk of making glaring mistakes. As long as we feel we’re right at the edge of our limits, that’s where we need to be.” When it came to promoting the album on the radio, the band’s label Relapse Records came across a small problem. “Here’s the thing about singles and releasing songs before your record’s out – for me, I don’t particularly care for it. I don’t think we’re a singles band, I think we’re a band that put out records that need to be listened to in their entirety,” asserts Baizley, “It’s antiquated and out of fashion, but we write our records like every song is supposed to be good, and when it was brought to my attention that we might be releasing singles and they said, ‘which ones should we release?’ I said ‘I don’t give a f**k. I don’t care about the radio. That’s not my concern, so pick any song you like – none of them are going to be an accurate picture of the record as a whole.’ The cover art and packaging of a Baroness album is equally as important as the music itself. Each record features Baizley’s distinctive art and is as visually arresting as it is musically. “When we first started writing the record, I had a meeting with the guys at the label and I could tell this record was going to be something of a priority for them because they said, ‘is there anything you want to do with the packaging?’ I didn’t have to think twice about it. I said, ‘yeah, I want to put out a book.’ I already knew it was going to be a double record, so I said I wanted to put out two CDs and bind it like a proper book. I wanted foil stamping and dust jackets in the book sleeves, 30 pages, etc. I assumed they would say ‘if you want this, then we won’t do that,’ but they let us do whatever we wanted. It was awesome to finally have a chance to just go nuts with it. At this point there are four different versions of the record – standard CD, standard LP, deluxe CD, and a deluxe LP – they all look unbelievable.” H

“It’s classic Fear Factory, did you want it to sound like AC/DC?” 09 HEAVY03 p08-9 Fear Factory+Baroness.indd 9

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coming2oz

STEEL PANTHER Excess is everything. Steel Panther’s ride at the top of the glam rock mountain has brought them many benefits – mostly in the form of debauched activities that make even Mötley Crüe’s legacy look a little tame in comparison. Satchel, the band’s shredding guitar virtuoso takes time out from world domination to speak with HEAVY about their upcoming tour of Australia, endorsement deals, and his dream of jamming on stage with White Lion’s Mike Tramp. interview Damo Musclecar live photos Davey Rintala Zebra-striped guitar, tick. Leopard print tights, tick. Nipples exposed, tick. Long hair and pouting lips, tick. Yep, Steel Panther are the real deal.

ou must feel pretty stoked and in demand knowing you’re coming back to Australia only seven months since your appearance at Soundwave. We totally can’t wait to go back. We had a great time with the Soundwave tour. We felt like we were well received by everybody. There were great crowds for us even though we went on at noon every day. There were a lot of girls that showed their boobs. It was awesome. You could tell you guys really connected with the audience. The fans really got it and caught on to what Steel panther were about. We did some headlining shows when we were there and the fans are awesome. They dig the music and there are so many hot chicks down in Australia too. You’re a modern day Poison… Yeah, except we haven’t got grey hairs… yet. And you’re not selling pet products like Bret Michaels is. Pet products? That’s pretty cool! I just signed a sixmonth contract with viagra. Do you guys have viagra down there? It gives you a powerful erection. It’s good stuff and they’re giving me all the free viagra that I can use. I tell you, it gets your dick super hard. We’re not beneath selling products – it’s just got to be the right kind of product. Lexxi [Foxx, bassist] just got a contract with Revlon which is eye-makeup and stuff, because he’s not getting any younger – he’s got crow’s feet now so he puts a lot of make-up on to cover up his wrinkles. Our drummer [Stix Sidinia] is endorsing a fat loss pill, which is pretty cool. You lose a lot of weight. I’m sure it’ll be a huge hit, like your latest album was. Speaking of which, you’ve been touring Balls Out for some time now, will we hear some new tunes at your Australian shows? We’re doing a lot of stuff off of our first two records, Feel the Steel and Balls Out, but by the time we come out there we might have some new material. I’ve been writing a lot actually and have a lot of really bitchin’ stuff – some of our best stuff is still inside my head trying to find its way out right now. I have to break down those barriers and get that great material out. You see, it takes a long time for me to

Whatever you do, don’t look directly into their eyes…

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wat c h n o w

Medley with Sebastian Bach @YouTube

teach Lexxi the bass lines, because he’s not a very good bass player.” He spends more time doing his hair than playing bass? Yeah he does, but he’s so good at hair and he looks so good that even when he makes mistakes or doesn’t play a bass line very well, I just look at him and think, ‘God he looks good, I’m going keep him in the band.’ And the thing with Lexxi is, with all the kinds of girls he brings to the show, we’re not going to risk losing that part of our audience. His mum has been involved with the band ever since he joined and she lets us stay at her house occasionally. To be honest, don’t tell anybody, but I used to fuck Lexxi’s mum. That’s totally between you and me and you can print that if you want but I haven’t told Lexxi that. I don’t think he knows. It’s cool, I won’t tell a soul. Now, you guys just finished up a tour of Europe and now you’re playing a show tonight? Yeah, we’re playing in Hollywood tonight. This will be our first time back in Hollywood in about a month.

You guys are well known for jamming with special guests on stage, do you have guests lined up for your upcoming shows? You never know, it’s Hollywood. There’s always the chance that somebody random will show up. Sebastian Bach has been coming down a lot lately. Believe it or not, President Obama showed up one night and we couldn’t get him on stage. He had a lot of secret service with him, I don’t know why. A lot of people come down to see us on Monday nights so there’s always that chance that somebody cool could show up, like Jimi Hendrix or George Washington. Is there anyone you haven’t had a chance to jam with yet that you want to get on stage? Yes! I was just in my car – I drive a Camaro – and I was cranking Iron Maiden and I was thinking to myself ‘how come I have never met anyone from Iron Maiden yet?’ I want to jam with someone from Iron Maiden. All the guys in Iron Maiden, I want them to come down. The last time we played in Hollywood, Vivian Campbell from Def Leppard got up and jammed and we did a bunch of Dio. It was awesome. We did Holy Diver and I think we did Rainbow In The Dark and it was killer, dude. He kicked ass. He’s a super great guitar player – he still plays great and he’s a cool dude.” When you come down in October you should try and get Mike Tramp from White Lion up on stage with you. I hear he lives in Melbourne now. Are you serious? Are you f**king kidding me? We’ll do Wait with him. I know all that shit. It’s awesome. I love that dude. If he’s at any show that we do, he can get up and we’ll do Wait with him. Dude. I am going to contact him and we’re going do Wait with him. It will be bitchin’! Everyone in the band likes their White Lion records. H

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discover more at

heavymag.com.au

When peacock rock reigned People will always be quick to tell you that the ’80s was a horrible time. Simply put, they’re wrong. Believe me, my friends – growing up in the ’80s was awesome. words Damo Musclecar

TV played music videos. There were tonnes of great record stores. Girls had big hair, guys had bigger hair and music was about good times and loads of fun. There was no Glee, no Jersey Shore and most importantly, people didn’t have a favourite Kardashian. By the time the ’90s rolled around, a certain Seattle band gained overnight popularity and my Poison records became ‘uncool.’ My Danger Danger album was no longer an appropriate soundtrack to hopping into the backseat where it’s always nice and dark, and worst of all, my bright red skin tight spandex pants, zebra print tank top and gangster hat were suddenly not appropriate gig attire. I was left feeling empty. Kurt Cobain had a lot to answer for. It wasn’t until Steel Panther churned out a tune called Death To All But Metal that people realised glam rock never actually went away. So if you’re new to this whole craze, let me, your new-found guide to all things awesome, take you through your next must-have music purchases. Grab a pen and start taking notes, because what follows is the essential guide to half a dozen glam rock records to ensure that your next party is most bitchin’.

Faster Pussycat

Faster Pussycat (1987, Elektra Records) This debut album is nothing but class the whole way through. And by class I mean a trash talkin,’ bathroom sex sleaze fest that is sure to have you bustin’ out the leather pants and raising hell at the seventh veil. Filled to the brim with hard rockin’ riffs and Taime

Downe’s unmistakable vocals, Faster Pussycat is one well-oiled piece of work. Any glam rocker from the ’80s will tell you how much you need this record. True story. Bonus info: three members wear hats on the back cover.

are there, but rock is where they roll best. If you don’t own this already, consider this your new favourite album. Bonus info: Jon Bon Jovi sings vocals on two tracks, because he’s versatile like that.

Poison

Look What the Cat Dragged In (1986, Capital) Looking back at the cover of Poison’s debut, I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to worry about being embarrassed if you were unsure who was hotter – Vixen, Lita Ford, or Poison. It’s okay, really – we all made that mistake – but it’s fine because the music here is the stuff rock’n’roll dreams are made of. There’s feel-good anthems of a better tomorrow, there’s sordid tales of phone sex, there’s wanting action, going to bed too late and waking up too soon, and of course, the ultimate ballad of the tough life of touring – hanging out with groupies, getting wasted, and still finding time to miss your girl back home. This album is pure adulterated perfection. To sum up, if you don’t own a copy of this you’re doing life wrong. Bonus info: there are three duck faces on the cover long before the duck face was ever deemed necessary by nightclubbing girls on Instagram.

Cinderella

Night Songs (1986, Mercury) Glam rock’s very own AC/DC. Fronted by the big-lipped Tom Keifer, Cinderella’s debut is a glam rock treat. With make-up packed on and hair teased, the band oozed sex appeal and ozone layer damage as they tore through killer tunes like Shake Me, Somebody Save Me, and Hell On Wheels. The token ballads

such an album exists. Before they enjoyed rockets, animals, and pouring sugar on themselves these English hard rockers dished out instant classics like Rock Rock ‘Til You Drop, Photograph, and Rock of Ages (not to be confused with a Tom Cruise film). This album was hugely successful and rightly so – it’s killer! Pyromania is filled with rock anthems as big as the stadiums they continue to fill across the globe. Bonus info: their drummer has one arm, but you knew that because everyone does.

Warrant

Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich (1988, CBS) If there’s one band Steel Panther have modeled themselves on, it’s Warrant. A band so openly sleazy, coining the term ‘cherry pie’ as a pseudonym for female genitalia, it’s no surprise they appear on this list. D.R.F.S.R. is an album filled with killer tunes, a couple of soppy ballads, and some insane guitar shredding, while Jani Lane’s vocals sing you a sweet sexual anthem in the form of So Damn Pretty (Should Be Against The Law). They seriously should make this album pre-requisite listening before being allowed entry to any Steel Panther show. Bonus info: Jani Lane married Bobbi Brown, because he was lucky like that.

Def Leppard

Pyromania (1983, Vertigo) Even today when I listen to this, almost 30 years since its release, I am still amazed that

Bon Jovi

Slippery When Wet (1986, Mercury) Quite an obvious inclusion, but the proof is in the pudding. There’s a reason that Jon and co. play more songs off of this album in their sets than they play off any other release – it simply kicks ass and the fans know it. Every song is a winner, the production rules, Richie Sambora’s guitar licks are hotter than hell, and who hasn’t made out to Never Say Goodbye at a blue light disco? Exactly. Bonus info: four members are waving their hands in the air like they just don’t care on the back cover. H

“my bright red skin tight spandex pants, zebra print tank top and gangster hat were suddenly not appropriate gig attire.” 13

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heavymilestone

testament Approaching double figures, with their tenth studio album nearing release, Testament’s Eric Peterson reflects on his career, the state of the world, and the band’s steadfast loyalty to the trash metal genre they helped establish. words Kimberley Croxford

ark Roots of Earth, the band’s tenth studio album, upholds a consistency Testament have always been proud of. “We’ve kept it pretty real from the first record. We’ve never really tripped out and said, ‘oh we need to do the rap thing,’ ‘we need to do the grunge thing.’ We’ve always kept the leather jackets on and worn them like armour.” Peterson says the milestone release simply represents a polished version of the same band who emerged in 1983. “When you put on a Testament record, it sounds like Testament. It’s just a better version of what we’re doing.” The only constant member of the band – besides perhaps long-time vocalist Chuck Billy – Peterson attributes the stability of Testament’s sound to his role as primary songwriter. “I’m the conductor. I’m not saying they couldn’t do it without me – it just wouldn’t be the same band. I have a lot of quality control, and I’m glad the other guys give me that title and trust me. [But] it’s a band – when I hear my demos, my first ideas, they’re very different to what the actual thing becomes.” While their quintessential style has endured on the new album, Testament have experimented in terms of production. “We wanted an organic sound like in the ’70s – like Rainbow Rising or the first Montrose record – just two guitars. Usually I do four tracks of guitar. You realise you’ve got unlimited tracks, so you saturate the record with all these sounds, but that’s not how you sound live.” Testament are what Peterson terms “the thinking man’s thrash.” Lyrically, Dark Roots of Earth sees the band continue to hypothesise about the social and political repercussions of world issues and the nature of humanity. But this time Peterson was astonished by the magnitude of current content there was to channel. “Things we’ve talked about in the past, like on The New Order (1988) – the Mayan calen-

told. There are countries in Europe that are way more into democracy than us, but it started in the ’40s and ’50s when people started thinking ‘wow, the American way is pretty cool.’ A lot of people have adopted it then forgotten where it came from. [And]

dar and the billboard for the end of the world in 2012 – it’s here,” he laughs, incredulous, “In the past we’d make up a fantasy version of things like, ‘let’s pretend there’s this military operation we’re going to go on,’ but now we’re seeing all this happen. Climate changes are happening before of eyes, it’s no longer like somebody doing some lecture on, ‘this is what’s going to happen to us if we don’t start blah, blah.’ You open the door and it’s happening.” The album’s provocatively titled True American Hate attracting particular curiosity, Peterson discloses the song is concerned with both the defense and scrutiny of the USA. “The USA, in a weird way, are the police of the world – and there’s good cops and bad cops. For the most part, I think the idea behind what we do is positive, but there’s always a rotten apple. We try to do a lot of good things in the world, and there are people burning flags. A lot of people have adopted the American way of living – democracy and freedom – and there are people in others countries who don’t understand that, don’t have those rights, don’t know what they’re talking about. They’re sitting there burning our flag saying we’re the devil – but it’s just a lot of unclear propaganda behind what they’re being

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“thEy’rE sitting thErE burning our flag saying wE’rE thE DEvil – but it’s just a lot of unclEar propaganDa bEhinD what thEy’rE bEing tolD.” we don’t like them anymore – we could do a whole tour with John Tempesta [ex-drums] if he wasn’t doing anything, because we love him. Just because someone’s not playing with us doesn’t mean we had a falling out, just maybe a better opportunity came along and Chuck and myself were like, ‘right on, man.’” After a trying time between 1999’s The Gathering and 2008’s The Formation of Damnation – wherein depleted members and Billy’s struggle with cancer nearly saw the curtains close for Testament, they’re back in full-force after reinstating original members and with renowned drummer Gene Hoglan on board. “We could have said ‘we’re done,’ but the metal gods said, ‘nope.’”

And will they become one of the rare groups to secure Hoglan permanently? “We’d like to. He’s kind of a hired gun in the sense that he does a lot of other things. Since he recorded Dark Roots I think he’s done another three records,” Peterson laughs. Peterson now foresees Testament continuing for some time to come. “I could do this for another ten years – I’ve got all the hair on my head. I’m so blessed – I get to do what I dreamed about as a kid. I was looking at my eight-grade yearbook and everybody wrote in there what they wanted to do when they were older. Mine was funny – I drew a picture of me in my KISS shirt. If I could go back and show myself what I was going to do, I think I’d be pretty excited.” H

latest release

I think when you’re at the top of anything, whether it’s success, military, money – anything – people are going to throw rocks at you and try bring you down, no matter what you do.” Over the band’s career spanning nearly thirty years, they’ve worked with a range of musicians and faced numerous lineup changes – contributing to the development of each member’s musicianship. For this reason among others, Peterson regards Skolnick’s 12-year absence from the band (not to mention the departure and return of a plethora of other members) as positive. “Alex got to go off and do his jazz thing… and now we’re not so much about ‘just being in Testament.’ When people leave it isn’t because

Dark roots of Earth by

testament

Nuclear Blast/riot!

review Mark Lennard This year sees the release of Testament’s tenth album Dark Roots of Earth. Peterson [guitar], Billy [vocals], Skolnick [guitar] and Christian [bass], along with master wood-shedder Gene Hoglan, bring the classic Testament sound to life once more with opener Rise Up, followed by Native Roots wielding a vicious thrash-stomping aggression. There are flashbacks to many points of Testament’s career throughout Dark Roots, including some lighter moments (Cold Embrace), and they even show Metallica how to do the thrash ‘rock out’ right on the title track. While The Formation of Damnation was a more than welcome return after an extended hiatus, Dark Roots of Earth is a mission statement of quality and longevity that few bands could muster. l i s t e N No w

‘More than Meets the eye’ @itunes

heavyfeature

gOjIRA words Rob Brens and Kimberley Croxford live photos Amped Photography

s the unstoppable Gojira begin to cement themselves as a world-wide progressive death metal act, a vast majority of fans might consider this long overdue. After making a tremendous impact on Australia for the first time in their 16-year history and with their fifth studio album L’Enfant Sauvage just released, one begins to reflect on what brought the band to this point. As they progress from album to album, some bands tend to either wind up repeating themselves or alienating their fans. But Gorjia have managed to maintain flawless consistency, retaining elements that define them as a band while continuing to keeps thing fresh. Duplainter says it’s all about keeping it organic and giving way to creativity. “First of all, to be honest, I don’t know why people like us,” he laughs modestly, “It all started with my brother and me. He was 12 years old, I was 16, we were jamming and we felt something was right. We just wanted to keep it effortless...

Vocalist Joe Duplantier was kind enough chat to HEAVY before sound check in their homeland of France and despite their excellent grasp of the English language, ‘downtime’ seems to be a term the band just doesn’t comprehend.

We go through a song, find an idea and when it speaks to the heart then we keep it. There’s no deep reflection behind a song, we don’t try to get it to do this or that. We don’t think, we just play.” But Duplantier emphasises that allowing their music to evolve naturally by no means indicates a lack of commitment. “It takes a lot of dedication. We make ourselves available for the music of Gojira. We’re just serv servants. There’s an energy that’s getting through us. It sounds mystical, but it’s how I feel about it.” Duplainter says the further the band explore their musical talents, the more they discover their capabilities and – while he’s hesitant to dub his band successful – Duplainter recognises the influence they’ve had on fans. “It seems the more we go, the more of the layers we get rid of and get closer to the core of what we

are. But I don’t really know about success. I think when people come see us there’s one thing they get and that’s that we’re completely submerged in the music and we’re completely honest. I think that’s the key.” Duplainter says Gojira have felt closest to success when recognised by other acts, relishing the chance to play larger shows with their peers such as this year’s massive Soundwave festival. “Metallica picked us for their tour, In Flames, Meshuggah etc. We have an excellent relationship with Meshuggah and we respect them so much for what they do. The fact that we connect with these people gives us a lot of confidence. We were so excited to get to Australia for the first time [on Soundwave], finally. We cannot wait to come back on a headline show, because we felt the crowd was so, uh, Australian? There’s

“I don’t thInk we changed the process or the way we work together sInce the begInnIng… we don’t really talk – we just stare at each other lIke manIacs and explode.”

Joe Duplantier fronting Gojira at Soundwave 2012.

something in Australia that’s so crazy. There’s this craziness in the air,” he laughs, “There’s this thing in Australia where people are very communicative and straight to the point and the crowd was just like that.” The new album boasts a maturity and musicality that suggests Gojira’s growth as songwriters. Duplainter say that while altering their writing process hasn’t influenced their development, their longevity has. “I don’t think we changed the process or the way we work together since the beginning. It really comes from my brother and me. We don’t really talk – we just stare at each other like maniacs and explode. This didn’t change, but the one thing that changed for sure is experience. After all this touring and playing in front of people, there’s an exchange – so we learn from the crowds [and] how they react.” The confidence gained from positive crowd reactions over the years has also liberated the band and stimulated them to integrate a more extensive range of influences. “It inspires us to make something a bit wider. It’s a bit like when you grow up physically, you see further and you start to see the horizon a little more. It seems like when we play now there’s this feeling we have that there’s so much we can do. We’re more relaxed and free in how we create.”

featuring

Ne Obliviscaris Melbourne

Sat Sep 8 – The Esplanade Hotel adelaide

Sat Oct 6 – Enigma Bar brisbane

Sat Oct 20 – Beetle Bar sydney

Sat Oct 27 – Annandale Hotel Perth

Sat Nov 10 – Civic Hotel For full line-ups and ticketing details go to:

www.welkinentertainment.com

l at e s t r e l e a s e

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heavymag.com.au Duplainter says that it’s been a long road these past sixteen years, describing a time when bands would form without even the notion of success materialising in their minds. “When we started there wasn’t any internet, Myspace, Facebook and all that. We just wanted to play for the sake of music – we just wanted to make songs. We weren’t even thinking about putting out an album or being a band, we were just jamming in the basement. When we started to think, ‘hey let’s record an album and sell it,’ it was a crazy idea. It seems like a lot of bands these days think about the hair cut, the kind of guitar they want, looking cool, what this band and that band is doing, being successful, creating a Facebook and YouTube views – and they lose the point. We come from a time where it was just music. When we decided to make an album no record company would sign us, so we decided to make our own record company with our own structure. We asked for money from our girlfriends, friends and family and produced our first record in a couple of days in a studio. We received our first album Terra Incognita in our kitchen. We had this huge box in our kitchen with albums, so we were like ‘okay, we have an album, what do we do now?’ We put the albums in stores – five albums here, ten albums there – then there would be trouble with my car when we were between cities. We were in trouble with money the whole time and even now, today, we’re still paying back people who lent us money from that time. We bought an old van and we were sleeping in it, between the drums and amps, travelling to cities to play where they’d put all the tables together and we’d jump on there and play like that. But each time we played, we would get so much energy from those five or ten people there it was a huge reward for each effort. It would’ve been such a disaster if people weren’t into it, but we were pushed by the enthusiasm of people.” H Jean-Michel Labadie

‘The Gift of Guilt’ @iTunes From their 2012 album L’Enfant Sauvage

Above: Gojira’s Joe Duplantier happily signs a brave fan’s tattooed thigh.

gojira want your skin Throughout their world tour Gojira have invited their fans to submit photos of their Gojira tattoos. The quality and iconic nature of their album art certainly deserves to be celebrated, but one could think some fans are perhaps too eager to show off their painted bits. At this year’s Soundwave a friend of mine was standing in the queue for the Gojira signing session. She had a special tattoo on her thigh to show the four French boys, her favourite band in the world. The nerves were rising the closer she got and with only a few people in front of her she made eye contact with Christian [Andreu, lead guitar] and shared a smile. It was about now she thought she’d better start rolling up her jeans, to expose her From Mars To Sirius whale tattoo – and that’s

when the trouble started. Gulp! Her jeans were too tight, she just couldn’t roll it up that far. What to do, what to do?! To add to the dilemma, she explains, “I was wearing a G-string… and I hadn’t shaved.” She got to the front of line of the line and was greeted with warm smiles. “Hi guys. I can’t believe I’m about to do this, I have a tattoo I would love you to sign, but I have to take my pants off!” As she unbuttoned her jeans, Joe [Duplantier, vocals/guitar] asks, “Err… are you getting undressed!?” “Ah yes, yes I am.” Down came the pants around her ankles and she propped her leg up on the signing table. “Any awkwardness was quickly washed away by the sight of my

tattoo. They all stood up, smiles on their faces and had a good look at it. Some of this is very blurry as the adrenaline was pumping. Joe actually said to me, ‘We are very honoured you would do this.’” “They all signed my leg and Mario [Duplantier, drums] took a photo of the tattoo and then asked if he could take a photo of me, on his own camera. My favourite band in the world took a photo of ME! I shook and hugged each one of them, telling them how awesome I think they are – with my pants still around my ankles. I then shuffled over to the side, pulled up my pants, put my left boot back on, and walked out without making eye contact with anyone else in the queue.” That was just a small portion of Bec’s awesome day at Soundwave. – Craig Fryers

A selection of tattoos on display from fans all over the world. See more at www.facebook.com/GojiraMusic

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heavyfeature

Gwar

To the uninitiated, GWAR may appear gross, vulgar, disturbing, obscene and downright utterly disgusting – all impressions the band would be proud of. To the faithful, GWAR are an incredible thrash band with 12 albums, a 28-year existence and a highly theatrical stage show where being drenched in fake blood abounds. words & photos Damo Musclecar

ave Brockie (aka Oderus Urungus) the band’s fearless leader and vocalist (with a cuttlefish for a… ahem… penis) and Matt Maguire (aka Sawborg Destructo) arch enemy of GWAR (with a saw for an arm, of course) give HEAVY an exclusive look behind the scenes at what exactly goes on inside ‘Slave Pit Inc.’ The mythos states eons ago GWAR were banished to the most insignificant planet in the universe (Earth) for their cosmic crimes of being too powerful and defiant. Or you could say the members all met at art school sometime in 1984. “VCU (Virginia Commonwealth University) is like the boheme magnet for the state. It’s a good art school and that’s how we all got together. My friend Hunter [Jackson] had built the core group of costumes for a movie he wanted to do called Scumdogs of the Universe and it was just taking forever to get it done. I was looking at all these old costumes and nothing was happening with them. I said ‘why don’t you let my band wear them one night?’ and we called the band Gwaaarrrgghhlllgh – the band wasn’t even called GWAR for the first two years.” With so many working to make the GWAR heavy metal circus happen, one would think too much input would possibly cause a conflict of ideas. “The reason we made GWAR the way we did is to mash all the types of art we were into one thing. There was music, cartoons – some people were more into the wrestling aspects – giants robots, gore movies, surrealist elements, and a f**ked up Monty Python sense of humour. We just mashed it all together. If you had an idea you drew it out and argued for it passionately and if people didn’t support it, you just did it anyway. Things were just decided by sheer force of will more than anything else.” A GWAR show is quite elaborate – there’s a stage that looks like a castle, four monsters playing music, slaves, celebrities, and GWAR’s arch enemies all delivering the most enjoyable metal show you will see in your life. The most important part of the GWAR show, besides the music, would be the band’s costumes and their onstage theatrics. Matt Maguire, when not trying to

When make-up just ain’t enough…

“We’ve killed so many people on stage – we’ve killed every president since GWAR have been around.” defeat GWAR under the guise of arch enemy, Sawbord Destructo, is the band’s art director, who, for the majority of the band’s history, has been involved with designing and building the band’s costumes, monsters and set designs. “It starts like everything else – you have the idea. What kind of monsters are going to attack us this time? Then you get into the practical aspects of it – can it fit on a stage? Can you put one guy in it or do there need to be two guys? Most of our stuff is made out of latex and we use a molding rubber because with GWAR, everything’s got to be super durable. We try to keep our production costs low by building stuff that lasts for years.” It all sounds so exhausting – you’d think putting on a show of this magnitude would take months, if not years, to build and complete. “We do monsters, set pieces, etc. and that usually takes about two to three months,” Maguire explains, “When we’re not touring, we’re at home working on the next phase of the next show. We’re a bit more elaborate than a movie set because we’re talking about effects that have to work every night. Most of it we’re trying to make it look like we’re killing something or ripping their head off every night. We’ve killed so many people on stage – we’ve killed every president since GWAR have been around. We’ve even dug presidents up that were dead. We’re equal opportunity killers, as we say. We kill everybody.” And all this senseless murder could only mean one thing, right? Blood! No GWAR show is complete without blood raining down on the audience from the stage. If you attend a show, chances are you’re going to get splattered. “We use about 340–380 litres which is just the stuff we spray out onto the crowd.

We also have blood bags that we use on ourselves that have a food thickener in it called Carrageenan and it makes it look more viscous.” Obviously, killing monsters and celebrities on stage would no doubt upset a few of the more mainstream concert-goers, even to the point where GWAR found themselves in court over onstage theatrics. “I got charged with ‘disseminating obscenity,’ which is actually a felony that they charge child pornographers with, for bending over a rubber priest and sodomising him,” Brockie recalls, “It was really just [prosecutors] wanting to f**k with a club that they wanted to shut down and we were a convenient excuse to do that. We ultimately plea-bargained the charges away, but there was enough inspiration there for us to come up with the plot for Phallus in Wonderland (1992), which was kind of our breakthrough piece. I think we were banned from playing any shows in North Carolina for five years or so. I love that kind of stuff though – you can’t buy that kind of publicity.” And publicity is one thing GWAR has been blessed with. In January of 1997 the band found themselves on an episode of the Jerry Springer show – the topic ‘Shock Rock.’ “Marilyn Manson was pretty big at the time, a lot of people were freaking out about him and they couldn’t get Manson on the show so they got GWAR. The kid they had on the program looked like a total Manson fan. He didn’t look like a GWAR fan at all – he had eye make-up on and a weird hairdo. That kid would probably have got his ass kicked at a GWAR show. It was

The band of Gwar are: Oderus Urungus (above), Balsac the Jaws of Death (below), Beefcake the Mighty (far left), and Jizmak Da Gusha (too ghastly to be depicted here).

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heavymag.com.au

gwar power Balsac the Jaws of Death (aka Mike Derks) is GWAR’s lead guitarist. He talks us through the equipment used to deliver GWAR’s powerful guitar sound. “I’ve been using Mesa Boogie amps since Scumdogs of the Universe (1990). I got the Triaxis when it first came out, it was pretty much the first programmable pre-amp anybody ever made. This year I’m running two completely independent full guitar rigs at once. I’m running the Mesa Boogie Triaxis into a Lexicon MPX-G2 and simultaneously running a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier rack mount – and that’s going through a Rocktron processor, so I have two different tones going simultaneously. Since there’s only one guitarist, they help fill it out. I use Vader cabinets as they made some custom cabinets for us that have GWAR’s logo on them. For guitars, I’m endorsed by Schecter – they’re actually making me a Balsac signature model for me.”

all set up. They tried a whole bunch of different shit to try and instigate drama that just wasn’t happening. The whole thing was faked. [His] mom was hanging out with us after the show drinking beers – it was all a bunch of bullshit. All those shows are like that. Reality shows, my ass.” After 26 years, GWAR finally made it to the shores of Australia as part of the No Sleep ‘Til festival. “We unfortunately didn’t get a chance to see much while we were there. We did creep around Melbourne a bunch in Chinatown. That was probably the most memorable experience – eating sea cucumber and a bunch of other weird stuff. I think we had crocodile as well, that was pretty good. We have to go back though because we left a very angry reptile there named Gor Gor – we left a whole set of suits there. In fact, Gor Gor is still there in storage because we were pretty sure we were going to go back. The plan is to wait until the new album’s out and then re-conquer foreign shores.” A new album? Having released Bloody Pit of Horror in 2010, the band were touring it extensively when on 3 November 2011 they were struck with a huge blow with the passing of guitarist Cory Smoot (aka Flattus Maximus) mid-tour. The cause of death was “a coronary artery thrombosis brought about by his preexisting coronary artery disease.” Oderus Urungus announced that they retired the character of Flattus Maximus out of respect for Smoot, and the band has continued as a four-piece with Balzac taking over all

“It’s like any other music festival that needs a theme. We try to make ours a little crazier, meatier, more disgusting and a little more spewy.” lead duties writing and recording a new album. “It’ll probably come out early next year. We’re putting the finishing touches on our new recording studio back at home. Now that we have that we don’t have to worry about time, we can take as long as we want. We’ve also got the huge GWAR-B-Q coming up this year. It’s a big outdoor music event that we’re doing in our hometown. It’s just us cooking some meat, getting some bands together and drinking some beer and we’re expanding that idea and just making a big party out of it. It’s like any other music festival that needs a theme. We try to make ours a little crazier, meatier, more disgusting and a little more spewy.” It seems there is no putting an end to GWAR’s wrath and their domination of heavy metal. So what’s next? What have these scumdogs left to do? “Right now me and a couple of the guys are working on doing a compendium of the entire GWAR mythos,” Maguire reveals, “a graphic novel of the whole thing so that it’s basically a handbook to GWAR.” Now that sounds like recommended reading. H

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Gwarâ&#x20AC;¦ the pointiest band on Earth.

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heavy legend

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The songs just started coming to me. It was very easy, the process. The muse was just pissing on me, you know?â&#x20AC;? 26 HEAVY03 p26-27 HL-Serj Tankian.indd 26

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listen now

‘Harakiri’ @Amazon From his new album Harakiri

One of the most recognisable voices in alternative metal, Serj Tankian is the epitome of burning the candle at both ends. words Rob Brens photo Amped Photography

ising to fame with the Grammy award-winning rock band System Of A Down, he has since gone on to produce solo work delving into jazz, orchestral and electronic music as well as musicals and films. Tankian’s most recent endeavours include touring with System Of A Down and making a return to the heavy genre with his latest solo effort Harakiri – not necessarily stopping one to do the other. “Balancing the two is hard. Balancing four projects, a film, and touring with three different entities is tough. [Actually], it’s not a matter of balance, it’s just running from one gig to another. There’s way too much going on, so you’re in the eye of the hurricane. You wake up every day and it’s like, “f**k me how long is it going to take before I break down?” he laughs. One only has to look at Tankian’s current schedule to realise he’s a man who thrives on keeping busy. “When I’m working I like to be thrilled by over-stimulation and working on different things, it keeps it exciting. I like jumping around. It gives you so many more colours to work with. The vulnerability of the symphony, like parts where it’s beautiful and mellow and sad, you can’t really portray that through a rock song. The powerful, guttural intention of a rock song, you can’t do that with a jazz song. It’s all just different forms of communication for me.” Those who’ve had concerns regarding whether Tankian still has that rock power within him will quickly have those fears laid to rest with Harakiri. But no one was expecting this less than Tankian himself. “I wasn’t planning on doing another rock record. I was chilling out in New Zealand in January 2011 and the first song that I wrote was Harakiri, because of those birds and fish dying around the world without any real scientific explanation. The songs just started coming to me. It was very easy, the process. The muse was just pissing on me, you know?” It’d be reasonable to assume this was something that was building up for some time, an accumulation of frustration only rock can let loose. “All the frustrations, the political things, social, philosophical things, the absurd things like reality TV – they just came out.” Consistent themes infiltrating Tankian’s music are politics and the state of the world. “The Armenian genocide is a personal thing for me as it’s my heritage, my grandfather being a survivor, so that’s

something I always work on. I did a video for an organisation yesterday called the Armenian National Committee of America, trying to get genocide resolutions passed through the US congress and what not, awareness mostly, so that’s something I do. Axis of Justice is something I work on with Tom [Morello, Rage Against the Machine] and we’re very involved with the occupy movement. The record, it’s a very philosophical, starting with the premise of the end of civilisation, talking about all these signs that are happening today as to where we’re going to be – our economic downturn, our inequity, our globalist abuse of capitalist inequities. I also keep a close eye on geopolitical events because it’s all interconnected. It’s like a story between different countries, like people and their relationships.” Having such a long, illustrious career in music, Tankian has managed to stay on top despite many changes in music and the industry itself. “The state of music is different from the state of the industry. There are way more listeners to music than we’ve ever had before and a lot more diverse listeners to different genres. I think that’s incredibly encouraging – ultimately we want more art out there because we see it as a vehicle for positive change. The state of the industry on the other hand is in decline, as we all know. This is based on piracy coupled with the inability of major labels to connect with each other and decipher what the next distribution model is going to be. They’re always one step behind because they’re like the oil industry. As long as there’s oil in the ground, they’re not going to spend any more on new technology.” So what does the future hold for Serj Tankian? One would think he’d strolled down every avenue. “I want to be doing a lot more scoring of video games and film, which I’ve started doing. I want to have a good number of films under my belt as a composer… I also want to write a book. The theme is the intersection of spirituality and justice and I’ve been putting skeletal chapters together for many years for one day when I’m not going 100 miles per hour, when I can sit down and just do it.“ Throwing himself into the deep end also seems to be another of Tankian’s character traits and fear doesn’t seem part of his vocabulary. He’s composed all parts to his solo records and this time around he’s taken on mixing duties. “One thing I’ve learned doing what I do, with other artists, film makers and many different people that I’ve worked with, is that if you want something accomplished really well, give it to someone who has hardly any time. If you find someone who has a lot of time it’ll never get done correctly. Find someone who has way too much going on but really has a passion for it. That’s the type of person I am. I just got an email for this video game so now I’ve got a video game to sort out before I go back on tour while I’m doing press for four records, a film and rehearsing with two bands. You find time when you love what you do.” H

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9/7/12 2:25:24 AM

heavy legends

KREATOR HEAVY talks with Kreator vocalist Mille Petrozza about album number 13, the highly impressive Phantom Antichrist. words Damo Musclecar

latest release

hrash metal has always been solidified by what has been termed the Big Four – Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer and Megadeth. Germany, however, had its own thrash metal counterparts with the likes of Sodom, Destruction, Tankard and, of course, Kreator. Mille Petrozza has been fronting the latter for almost 30 years and their latest album is possibly their finest. Boasting ten tracks of pure thrash metal, the first noticeable nuance is the sound – full, fresh, and lively. So what’s changed? “Basically we used vintage equipment for the recording and we recorded it almost the same way that we did Hordes Of Chaos – as a band in a room – almost like a live recording,” says Petrozza, “We kept the bass and the drums from that live recording and then went ahead and did the overdubs. It’s not really that important to us how we record things – it’s more what kind of equipment we use. Nowadays, you can pick from 50 years of recording technology and we take the best from each era. We combine the technology with the vintage equipment. For the rhythms we used Jackson guitars but for the leads we used Fenders and Gibson guitars to get those certain sounds. We recorded [Phantom Antichrist] both digitally and with tape. We used primarily tape on the early albums and now we’ve gone back to using tape. I think it makes a difference to record on certain equipment.” Gone are the days of a band just plugging in, turning up and going hell for leather, Kreator’s drive to make the best record possible is completed by their focus on strong songwriting. “First what you really need are the songs. You can record on tape and if it’s a good song it’s going to sound good, but if it’s a song that’s not working well you can use the best equipment and expensive recording

review Damo Musclecar

Phantom Antichrist by

Kreator

NUCLEAR BLAST/RIOT

There’s no denying Kreator’s place in the world of thrash metal. The German quartet have delivered 13 quality studio albums since 1985 and the band’s latest Phantom Antichrist is another, featuring perfectly executed riffs, intense drumming and Mille Petrozza’s unmistakable vocals. The main difference you’ll hear compared to the band’s earlier works is the epic dual-harmony guitar melodies. Sure, they’ve made appearances on previous releases, but

devices but it’s still going to be an average song. For us, the production starts in the rehearsal room. We go in there and make sure the dynamics of each individual song is right, the feel of the music is working well, and we can get our message across with the music. That’s the hardest part of the working process.” Fans of Kreator, both old and new, will notice one thing – this is not an album of all filler, no killer. Phantom Antichrist is 45 minutes of thrash metal bliss and writing an album of this quality must have taken time to perfect. “I started writing for this album at the beginning of 2011,” recalls Petrozza, “I went into a small demo studio to record some songs and ideas. I then met up with the band in May and from May until the end of December we rehearsed the songs. Then we booked the studio for the start of January 2012 where we stayed for two months. The whole process was almost a year.” The band’s commitment to analog doesn’t stop at the studio, Petrozza is a huge fan of vinyl records and instead of paying inflated eBay prices for the band’s earlier works, fans may be interested to know that Kreator are currently in the process of reissuing their catalogue with the whole deluxe treatment. “I am in touch with the people at Universal who own our older albums. We already have extended cover art for Endless Pain and Pleasure to Kill with photographs collected from that era and both albums have been re-mastered. It is happening, I just don’t know when exactly.” Deluxe reissues, a kick-arse new album, endless touring – the big question is, after three long years will we see Kreator back on Australian shores? “We have some Summer festivals to play this year first, so I think we will be there at the beginning of 2013 – probably around February or March.” Bring it on. Australia is waiting. H

incredible songwriting sets this album apart from the rest. These epic moments really give new life to the band’s material – maintaining that special something that continues to see Kreator stand out from other bands of their ilk. Phantom Antichrist is one of the best metal albums you will hear in 2012. th e s ta n d ou t

‘From Flood into Fire’ @iTunes

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9/7/12 2:38:26 AM

ozfeecher

wat c h n o w

‘Neverbloom’ @YouTube From their new album Neverbloom via Roadrunner

power & passion

MAKE THEM SUFFER Us Aussies can be proud that Perth band Make Them Suffer are the first ever act to be signed to Roadrunner Records via the label’s Sign Me to Roadrunner website initiative. words Rod Whitfield

fter discussions with the label, Make Them Suffer were put on the roster beside Slipknot, Opeth, Dream Theater, Rush, Megadeth and other veritable acts in the hard rock, alternative, and metal scenes – a massive coup for this young and hungry act from the wild west no doubt. Sign Me to Roadrunner is a site where bands worldwide can create a profile, upload songs and photos, be listened to and reviewed by punters, other bands, and hopefully eventually Roadrunner A&R people – a method that worked magic for the symphonic death metal act. Guitarist Craig Buckingham is both excited and humble about the signing. “Chris [Arias-Real, bass guitar] is kind of the main guy and I think he’s been talking to the A&R guys for about ten months,” he relates, “I think initially it was Firestarter, the distributors our EP was on – they must have put it on Roadrunner’s desk a while back – [and] then Chris signed us up to that ‘Sign Me To.’ I think ever since they must have just kept an eye on us. I don’t know what happened really, they must have just liked us,” he laughs. “A lot of people were saying ‘does anyone even get picked up off this site?’” he recalls, “a lot of

people were bagging on it, no one seemed to think anyone was getting picked up, but we did. I’m sure the label would like to pick someone up if they thought it would be good for them, it just seems to be a win-win situation. There are a lot of bands out there – I guess we just got lucky. It’s the most amazing feeling. As far as I know we’re the first.” In a case of unfortunate timing, despite being inarguably the biggest hard rock and metal label on the planet, Roadrunner recently announced

some major cutbacks and restructuring in their offices across the world – possibly more a sign of pretty sad and sorry music industry and harsh economic times than anything. It seems to have affected Europe more than anywhere else and Buckingham is not overly concerned as to how it may affect their band’s relationship with the label. “I’ve been asked by other people, ‘what’s going to happen with you?’” he explains, “and I was like ‘I dunno, what is going to happen with us? What’s going on?’ I didn’t even really hear about it until quite recently. So then I asked Chris and the rest of the band and he said, ‘we’ll be safe.’ I haven’t been all that worried about it actually. We haven’t seen much of it over here, everything seems to be charging forward full-force and Roadrunner have still been helping us out, promoting and distributing, and they’re doing really well with that. They said they’d look after us, and they have, so nothing to worry about.” Indeed, their debut album Neverbloom was recently released to widespread acclaim and much fanfare. It’s a blistering collection of crushing metal songs, skilfully combining elements of extreme death and black metal with the dark and moody ambience created by the orchestral/gothic elements of their sound – bringing to mind bands such as Fleshgod Apocalypse, Bleeding Through and Dimmu Borgir at their best. It’s also a big step up from their EP of 2010 Lord of Woe, which itself was an outstanding effort. A world-class extreme music release, worthy of the Roadrunner label, the band couldn’t be happier with both the way the album came out and the manner in which it’s been received. “We’ve had great feedback from it and we’re all really happy with it. It’s sounding awesome, and people seem to be digging it. With the opportunity to do an actual full album, we’ve been able to put in a lot more emotion into the writing – we’ve actually been able to express ourselves a lot more through a long player.” Now the band have major aspirations to get out, tour, and promote themselves beyond our shores. While their signing isn’t actually a international deal just yet, Buckingham is confident it may well be in the future, and that they’ll be heading abroad sooner rather than later. “I can’t wait to get out of Australia actually,” he enthuses, “I can’t wait to get out there and show everyone what we’re made of.” H

“a lot of people were bagging on it, no one seemed to think anyone was getting picked up, but we did…” 28 HEAVY03 p28-29 OF-MakeThemSuffer+HardOns.indd 28

9/7/12 2:22:31 AM

listen now

‘Don’t Wanna See You Cry’ @iTunes From their 1989 album Love is a Battlefield of Broken Hearts

THE HARD-ONS Recently, Hard-Ons’ guitarist and vocalist, Peter ‘Blackie’ Black was attacked by youths, leaving him with stitches and bruising of the brain. Benefit shows sprung up around the country, all proceeds going to Blackie. The kindness displayed was inspirational. Now, HEAVY pay tribute to the Hard-Ons legacy. words Damo Musclecar

uly, 1984. Hüsker Dü’s magnum opus Zen Arcade is released, Eddie Van Halen joins The Jacksons on stage in Texas, and three guys from Punchbowl walk into a bar, plug in their guitars and forever change the face of Australian punk rock. The Hard-On’s debut EP Surfin’ On My Face was released in 1985. Its four tracks of Beach Boys meets Ramones power pop punk was as infectious, sending the record racing up the independent charts to number two. Their next single The Girl in the Sweater caused quite a stir in Queensland – not because of the music, but because of bassist Ray Ahn’s controversial cover art. The record had to be sold in a brown paper bag, as a comical drawing of the band stabbing a naked woman with a bass guitar was too much for some to handle. “We had no idea Queensland was so f**ked,” recalls Ahn, “At the time I was listening to a lot of metal. I had album covers by Exciter, Manowar, etc. in mind. In the UK and Europe it was sold normally.” Consistent releases saw the band’s profile develop overseas, and Dickcheese (1988) opened doors for jaunts to Europe. They followed this with the incredible Love is a Battlefield of Wounded Hearts (1989), a 12-track, 30-minutes of sheer pop punk perfection. In 1990, they recorded and released Yummy! with first single, Where Did She Come From? attracting a significant amount of airplay. The album was the band’s first release on CD and remains their best-selling album to date. That same year, the band teamed up with Henry Rollins, heading into the studio to lay down two tracks – an incredible version of AC/DC’s Let There Be Rock, and an original tune entitled Carry Me Down. The EP with Rollins charted for almost four months, eight weeks of which it sat happily at number one. Things continued on the up and up with the godfathers of punk rock, the Ramones, requesting the Hard-Ons open for them on their 1991 Australian tour. More recordings followed with The Damned’s own Captain Sensible producing new tracks for a split EP titled Where The Wild Things Are with Sydney rockers, The Celibate Rifles. Sometime in 1994, the band whose motto had

been ‘on tour forever’ were finally going out to say goodbye, with sold-out shows across the country demonstrating fans didn’t want to see them go. They reformed in 1998, recording with Ed Kuepper [The Saints] and headed to Europe in support of a Best of CD (1999). In 2002 they released This Terrible Place and were welcomed with open arms by fans. Shortly after, long-time drummer and vocalist, Keish De Silva, announced his retirement. “We were relieved when he quit – his heart

and one for grindcore fans, respectively. Alfalfa Males Once Summer Is Done Conform Or Die (2010) was released with the help of the fans. The band set up a special edition package, where fans could pre-order the album for $30 and receive a copy of the album with their photo inside and a bonus DVD of interviews and studio footage. Now in 2012, the Hard-Ons have begun deluxe re-issues of their entire catalogue in a five-part series. Part one is available now and features studio offerings from years 1984-1987. The release is a 60-song, two-CD set, packaged in a multipanel digipak with a 36-page book of photos never before seen by the public, rounded out with extensive liner-notes. CD one contains Smell My Finger, Hot For Your Love Baby and the three 7” singles from this period, plus rare compilation tracks. CD two has live tracks, demos, cover versions, and The original Hard-Ons: Peter ‘Blackie’ Black, Keish De Silva and Ray Ahn

wasn’t in it anymore.” It wasn’t long before the band recruited Pete Kostic [Regurgitator, Front End Loader] to replace Keish, with Blackie taking over full-time vocal duties. The band wasted no time recording a new album Very Exciting (2002) then hit the road again, bringing Keish along for the ride to celebrate the band’s 21st anniversary. With Keish no longer a staple member, their sound changed dramatically to a mixed bag of the pop songs they were known for and extreme grindcore and punk. To please fans of both styles, the band returned to the studio in October 2005 to record not one but two new albums. Most People Are A Waste of Time and Most People Are Nicer Than Us ended up separate releases – one for pop

a house party tape from 1984. The booklet also features some rarities found at Ahn’s parent’s house – a series of comics chronicling, satirically, the band’s adventures. Never selling out and staying true to their vision, the band have always done things their way. They’ve toured all over the world countless times with the Ramones, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Butthole Surfers, Gang Green, The Buzzcocks, Bad Brains, The Muffs, and The Meat Puppets, to name a few. Rumour has it they even single-handedly managed to upset a member of Morbid Angel due to their playfulness with Satanic imagery – there aren’t too many bands who can proudly say that. Long live The Hard-Ons. H

latest release

Mhorgl HeresiarcH by

Mhorgl

Black Metal Perth, WA facebook.com/mhorgl

Sovereign recordS

words Vix Vile photo Dani Evans

Black metal purists aren’t just going to find the traditional style common of the genre when they listen to Mhorgl. What they’ll find is a kaleidoscope of sounds integrating all sub-sects of metal. This is demonstrated on the band’s 2011 12-track full-length Heresiarch. From the opening track, Inheriting the Mantle of Power, you’ll feel like you’ve been caught in a cyclone as every instrument thrusts at you with unstoppable ferocity. Moments of rock’n’roll bastardry are turned on their head – by the album’s end you’ll be left gasping for air.

Water can sometimes have traces of lead in it from our taps, but i think they’re putting other types of heavy metal in W Wa a’s a ’s water supply because only this can explain the ferocity of Perth’s black metal kings, mhorgl. Upon first listen, you’d think the band emerged from a wooded, black forest in the depths of norway. With influences like Dark t throne and Bathory, how on earth does this band hail from the bright blue beaches of W Wa a? a? they have all the face value ‘make-up’, so to speak, that t makes a true black metal band – buff bodies, leather spiked cuffs, bullet belts and leather vests to boot. But black metal stereotypes aside, mhorgl are the real deal. their name was derived from the word morgul, t Jrr t tolkien’s fictional elfish language meaning ‘black sorcerer’, and although t tolkien’s dark, magical connotations reflect imagery and atmosphere the band are trying to create, their only other link to t tolkien’s fantasy middle earth world is the name of the title track from their first demo, The Shadow of Morgoth released in 2006. in those early days, what started as a solo studio effort by bass player James campbell formed into a real band when vocalist sam moretta joined. Guitarist robert r thorpe, who had previously worked with campbell on t two other now defunct Perth bands, soon followed. the t

th e Sta nd out

‘Inheriting the Mantle of Power’ @itunes

three intended on becoming a recording band to see where it would go, but things changed when the band were asked to play live for a benefit gig in 2007. and a when you’re the reigning kings of Perth black metal, who else are you going to get to play drums but the reigning Prince of drumming in a australia, Louis rando. r r rando has played in practically every decent band to come out of Perth, from t the Furor and shrapnel, Pathogen, Psychonaut and malignant monster. he’s also recently become the live drummer for Dubai’s nervecell and regularly travels to singapore to play with impiety. Does this man ever sleep? careful of locking themselves into any particular themes, there’s no specific ideology that motivates the band, however the blueprints for what makes a black metal band, or any metal band for that matter, are there. themes of mythology, war, horror, and dark tones in t general penetrate their songwriting. m musically, they’re a tight machine – so much can happen in the blink of an eye in a mhorgl song that, left to another band’s devices, would sound like a mish-mashed mess. But mhorgl find a way with their ebbs and flows to blend it all together and create a truly unique sound. almost a groovy bass lines mixed in with crushing beats and speeding guitars – songs even have thrash moments at times – and moretta’s vocals can stand up against any veteran scandinavian. touring wise, the band have a loyal following in their t home city and regularly play at all the premier venues. they’ve been part of some of Perth’s most popular metal t festivals, from Your civic Duty to Bastardfest, and last year were asked on the Under the southern cross festival which took the band to s sydney and melbourne. With rando building a respected international profile, hoper fully this can roll over to the band getting more exposure and more tours on the east coast. so, if you notice a cold stream of brutality coming your way, be sure to not miss them. H

Ne Obliviscaris Progressive Black Metal Melbourne, VIC facebook.com/NeObliviscarisBand

words Rod Whitfield photo Courtesy of Welkin Entertainment Virtually everything about Melbourne metal act Ne Obliviscaris is epic. Even the name itself is a real tongue twister (they get ‘Ne-O’ for short). Describing the genre of metal they fall into isn’t easily done. The genre description required is significantly lengthier than most other bands, something along the lines of ‘progressive melodic extreme death/black metal with violin.’ As pretentious as that sounds, it’s necessary to do them justice. The band formed almost ten years ago and have had all sorts of trials and tribulations befall them threatening to derail their progress – their greatest adversity the much publicised visa problems and ultimate deportation of French lead guitarist Benjamin ‘Benji’ Baret. But the band and their circle of fans and friends certainly didn’t take this lying down and after almost a year and a half, appealing to dozens of industry people

to write references, and recruiting thousands of people from more than 60 countries across the world to sign a petition, they were able to secure his presence back in our country once again, much to their collective relief. With the band’s lineup complete again, they could finally release their long-awaited debut album. Portal of I was literally nine years in the making and was released in early May 2012. They say the greatest art comes out of struggle and this is definitely apparent when you experience this album. A collection of songs from a number of years, it’s 72 minutes long and it’s eclectic. It’s a work of incredible scope, a world-class metal release the Australian heavy music community can be proud of. In even further exciting news for the band, they’ve recently signed with Italian metal label Code666, home of such heavy acts as Ephel Duath, Rakoth, Negura Bunget and Void of Silence. The label has been around since the late nineties and should give Ne Obliviscaris the worldwide exposure they so richly deserve. The band are excited to be in the hands of a label is truly passionate and excited about their musical and artistic vision. Ne Obliviscaris will be touring across the country again in September/October, so make sure you catch this band live. H

“It’s a work of incredible scope, a world-class metal release the Australian heavy music community can be proud of…”

welkin entertainment Tim Charles is a busy man. Not only is he a principle member of one of Australia’s premier heavy music acts, he teaches violin full time, he has recently become a Dad for the first time, and he also runs his own booking and management company, Welkin Entertainment. Founded in 2007, Welkin naturally looks after Ne Obliviscaris, but Welkin’s roster also includes such luminaries of the Aussie scene as Be’lakor, Eye of the Enemy, Chaos Divine, Branch Arterial, Aeon of Horus and many more. “Basically, Welkin’s a touring company, booking agency, management company, record label and promotional service for bands,” Tim explains, “we represent about 15 bands at the moment, from prog, heavy rock to metal. We also do festivals like Sonic Forge, Progfest and things like that. Portal of I is released through my record label here in Australia. Obviously I’m heavily involved in the music industry, which is great because I know how everything works. Instead of relying on other people to help, I can do things myself. It just gives us a bit more control. It all keeps me busy. Sleep has been the thing that has suffered.”

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latest release

The Amenta cHokeHold (ep) by

the amenta

liStenable recordS

review Vix Vile Fans of industrial metal will lap up this new offering from Sydney’s The Amenta with the digital release of their latest EP, Chokehold. The EP features two new tracks including the title track, which highlights the band’s trademark raw mechanical sound, and a cover of industrial legends Godflesh’s, Christbait Rising, adding a sharper, edgier sound to the original 1989 classic. Vocalist Cain Cressal’s maniacal screams slice through the repetitive electric beats like a high-powered tool. The band finish off with two live tracks from their 2011 VO1D tour and a remix of the VO1D track. th e Sta nd out

‘Christbait rising’ @itunes

Industrial Black Metal Sydney, NSW facebook.com/theamenta

words Vix Vile photo Jess Mathews Photography the aMenta MeanS unDergrounD in egyptian and their apt lyrical themes of mythology, terror and philosophy compliment the black/death metal band’s aural explosion. their writing style can be described as abstract, swaying away from conventional or traditional metal, and (somehow) is meticulously constructed in a kind of reckless manner suitable to their chaos. the amenta have just completed their upcoming eP Chokehold, the band’s third eP since forming in baulkham hills back in the late ’90s and their second with Perth stalwart, vocalist Cain Cressall, who’s been singing with them since 2009. unlike other bands, the amenta don’t have the luxury of rehearsing and collaborating face-to-face on a daily basis, but fortunately they have the luxury of technology. With Cressall still in Perth and the remaining members all living in Sydney, rehearsals have to be done separately and vocals sent via correspondence. the amenta have proudly notched up some stellar touring miles in their time. they played alongside akercocke in 2007’s Festival of the Dead. they’ve supported behemoth also in 2007, and were asked to do the national support with them on the band’s second tour to our shores in 2010 along side Job For a

Cowboy. in fact, the band have such a great relationship with behemoth, lead singer nergal even appeared as a guest vocalist on the track Slave on their second full-length release back in 2008. in 2011 they also scored the much-coveted slot to support the mighty Morbid angel on their last tour down under. they’ve also had the enviable position of touring extensively overseas in 2009, firstly supporting Deicide alongside Vader, Samael, Devian and order of ennead across europe then onto north america and Canada later the same year for the Monsters of Death tour with Vader, Decrepit birth, Warbringer, and augury. a y you know you must be doing something right when you’re asked to play once more with Deicide – the band headed back to europe, in 2011 to join them again with hour of Penance and belphegor. back home, the band immediately threw themselves into pouring that live energy into Chokehold. VO1D, their 2011 free download eP and Chokehold, another digital download which will be available on the band’s website, shows how the band to blend their chaotic but controlled hybrid black metal and death metal with industrial tones. both ePs are experiments in their own way and allow the band to get out ideas that wouldn’t normally fit on a full-length amenta album. Chokehold includes godflesh cover Christ bait r rising that melds perfectly with the modernised, sludgy feel of other tracks. the five-track eP also includes a remix of the VO1D track from the aforementioned eP. in addition, this year will see the release of the band’s long-awaited third full-length Flesh is Heir, Cressall’s first opportunity to contribute lyrically. the lyrics and overall themes of the album revolve around two warring sides of the human psyche, the obliterate and the realist. the amenta plan is to embark on more national tours in the coming months, before hopefully heading back overseas. they’re fast becoming a band you want to keep your eye on. H

Melodic Death Metal Adelaide, SA facebook.com/infiltraitormetal

words Mark Lennard photo Angus Kiley South Australia never ceases to surprise with the range of genres covered and quality delivered by bands unleashed upon us from every corner of our ‘petrol stop’ town, Adelaide. From hardcore, to grindcore and thrash metal, to gothic symphonic death metal, Adelaide has spawned some of Australia’s most noted bands. When these bands reach out overseas for production and the like, labels take notice. A mere two years into their career, Infiltraitor did just that. Their first foray into recording – the five-track EP Shadows (2009) – saw the band send their hard work to the infamous Jonas Kjellgren (Scar Symmetry, Carnal Forge, Truth Corroded) at his Black Lounge studios in Sweden, where Scar Symmetry and many others have recorded some truly awesome albums. With an experienced sense of composition and subtle nods to both Scar Symmetry and Soilwork, the end product is a testament to what the band have achieved in just a short time. Since forming in 2007, Infiltraitor have impressed punters with a reputation for being a tight live band, boasting precision dual guitars, melodic keyboards, brutal death metal growls, clean metal harmonies and technically solid drum patterns. The band are pedigree (Kyle featured in Adelaide legends Embodiment 12:14 on guitar/vocals and has been a prolific music producer in his own studio) and an obvious cohesion between members combined with songwriting ability ensured the quality of Shadows.

latest release

Infiltraitor

Early praise was validated with the release of Void (2011). The tracks on Void were a huge step forward for the band in both brutality and progression, displaying maturity in the use of keyboards and work put to melodic vocal passages. Simply put – Void sounds like an international band you would expect to see on countless European summer festival lineups. Once again employing the handy work of Jonas Kjellgren, Void has an overall heavier mix than Shadows, with the drums booming, the guitars thicker, and the growls deeper. Jump to 2012 and Infiltraitor have begun a concentrated effort to top their previous releases by working on their live sound to ensure the songs crush as well live as they do on record. Click tracks and programmed backing audio to enhance the live experience have been employed as well as a necessary focus on pre-production for the next step – an impending full-length release. An awareness of never repeating themselves and the drive to consciously push the boundaries of their own creativity sees the band driven to experiment and expand. The guys hope to complete writing by the end of 2012, track early next year, and have the album completed in time to tour Australia, as support, by the latter half of 2013. In just five years, Infiltraitor have shared the stage with Misery Signals, Veil of Maya, My Children My Bride, For Today, The Amity Affliction, Blood Duster and Carpathian among others. Recently joining the Halo Music Group brings the promise of securing additions to this list and will help see the upcoming album receive the attention it deserves. Currently only playing significant shows until the writing/demoing process is finished, Infiltraitor must feel they are on the cusp of something big. H

“With an experienced sense of composition and subtle nods to both Scar Symmetry and Soilwork…”

void by

Infiltraitor

independent

review Mark Lennard Infiltraitor’s Shadows (2009) and Void (2011) EPs were both mixed and mastered by Jonas Kjellgren (Scar Symmetry/ ex-Carnal Forge) which, for first releases, shows an ambitious drive to aim high early. Shadows brandishes more of the melodic death metal formulas – which isn’t a criticism – Infiltraitor do it well. Audibly more brutal, Void displays a shift to the heavier and while boasting a greater focus on melodic choruses vocalist Kyle growls more viciously and the overall production is much fiercer.

t h e s tan d o u t

‘Void’ @YouTube

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latest release

Alarum natural causes by

alarum

WilloW tip recordS

review Christian Doherty Having last released the highly acclaimed Eventuality in 2004, it’s been a long time between drinks for Alarum. So, when the new album from the jazz-death monsters appeared on my desk I eagerly delved into it. The record is sublime, and there’s a laid-back feeling throughout the release, even during more intense songs such as Non-Linear Parallels. The drumming truly shines, superbly thought out and arranged. That, combined with frantic bass and haunting vocals complimenting guitar playing technically precise yet incredibly fluid, completes the layers of beauty that is Natural Causes. A band such as this requires a little more attention than others and it takes repeated listens to really soak in all the nuances and subtleties of their complex musical structures. Do yourself a favour and give this album the time and energy it requires. the Stand out

‘natural Causes’ @youtube

Technical Progressive Metal Melbourne, VIC facebook.com/pages/Alarum

words Christian Doherty photo Jake Lowe iF you ha haV e eVer been inVolV ol eD in the olV a australian heavy music scene for any length of time then chances are you know who a alarum are. in a league of their own in terms of sheer musicianship and virtuosity, a alarum is a australia’s answer to Floridian jazz death pioneers a atheist and founding fathers of death metal, Death. Spectacularly arranged song structures, complex chord progressions, and even some downright shredding is usually the order of the day for the band. they formed roughly 20 years ago and have since released some quality recordings including three full-length albums. it was the second album, 2004’s Eventuality that really began to garner attention from an international audience. as well as this, the sophomore saw alarum awarded with best australian a a band, best australian a album, best a australian bassist and best australian a Drummer at the 2005 Kerrang

a australian heavy Metal awards. a Since their inception they’ve shared the stage with some of the most highly regarded bands in the genre both here and overseas and are themselves highly respected. So, having released their latest album Natural Causes in october of last year, the band must have some big things planned? indeed they do. they’ve just released a video for their song non-linear Parallels and are to embark on a european tour later this year. having been relatively quiet on the live scene over the last couple of years due to recording and bringing in a new guitarist – who had to become familiar with the very challenging and complex material – they’ve slowly been getting back out on the stage this year. their live shows are a lesson in tight, solid musicianship, stage presence and power and are much more spectacle than mosh session. a all four members are incredibly proficient at their craft and unite to create a rollercoaster of epic songs. Mark Palfreyman is a machine on the six-string bass and vocals, his rhythms and shredding perfectly complementing rob r brens behind the kit who makes the most complex rhythms seem easy, yet never overplays. the band is completed by r ryan Williams and John Sanders on guitars who swap between rhythm and lead with such ease, show showcasing their individual playing. alarum have some great backing from record labels Willowtip (uSa S ), Quadrum (australia), Sa australia), and a hammerheart (europe) who give the band a chance to reach the audiences they deserve. later this year they’ll be working their way around australia so keep an eye out and get along for an amaza ing performance. H

latest release

Bateman Hardcore / Metal Melbourne, VIC facebook.com/batemansuck

words Kimberley Croxford photo Alex Smith Budding new boys on the block, Bateman are storming popular live venues in Melbourne’s club scene such as the Tote, the Bendigo, Pony, Bang and Next with their hard-hitting combination of hardcore, punk and metal. Forming in the very first week of 2010 when, after discussing the possibility for months, housemates, high school friends, and former band mates united to fulfill a shared New Year’s resolution – to form one hell of a band. Bringing together a wide range of influences spaning from Converge to Keith Urban, the band found common ground in their appreciation of acts such as Nirvana, The Bronx, The Chariot, Machine Head, Cancer Bats and Dillinger Escape Plan, resolving to represent their varied tastes in a mish-mashed amalgamation of genres they describe as ‘antisocial party noise rock.’ Still brand new, Bateman only lost their recording virginity in March this year when their debut fourtrack EP Ultra Violence was released, mixed by none other than The Bronx’s guitarist Joby J Ford. The EP packs a double punch, it’s aggression, energy

Ultra Violence (EP) by

Bateman

SLIPPERY SLOPE

review Kimberley Croxford

and inventiveness providing a brief but powerful tribute to the band’s existing talent and a preview into their yet to be discovered potential. A future release already in the works, Bateman first plan to release a video in support of Ultra Violence before knuckling down in an attempt to top this delicious taster with brand new material. Yet to venture into the beyond other than their regular appearances in Melbourne and one jaunt to NSW, Bateman have in their sight a more extensive exploration of Australia’s interstate scenes in the coming months and eventually an adventure overseas – opting not to tackle obvious locations such as the US initially and instead organising stops in more unique destinations such as Russia and Nova Scotia. Live, Bateman are a force to be reckoned with, throwing themselves into their performance and ensuring to include some witty banter and faux arrogant assertions to entertain, rile up, and challenge their audience as they catapult around the stage. Best experienced in a live environment, punters can expect a high-energy spectacle with plenty of crowd involvement, the destruction of instruments, sculling of audience members’ beers, precarious hanging off of ledges, injury, exposed breasts, fire extinguishers, and excessive bodily fluids. With an ever-present sense of humour, a down to earth philosophy, and a promising future – look out for Bateman. H

Bateman bring back the aggression that characterised hardcore’s roots. With the genre’s fast beats and guitar tones, mixed with enormous riffs evident of a strong heavy metal influence, this four-track EP is structurally creative full of build ups, harmonised guitar runs, and the occasional, well-executed, nonclichéd breakdown (Fangbanger, Scalpel/Sledgerhammer). Vocalist Garry Williams delivers traditional, spoken style hardcore punk vocals, regularly interchanged with scathing, ferocious screams. Whether it’s opener Fangbanger’s fast, thundering riffs, the discordance and chugging low-end guitars that define Like Clockwork and Scalpel/Sledgehammer, or the emotionally fraught, climactic Thievery, Ultra Violence leaves no room for fillers or slowing down. Raging, roaring and riffing, whether you’re a fan of hardcore or metal, if you like it hard and heavy Bateman’s debut release will make an impact. t h e s tan d o u t

‘Fangbanger’ @Bandcamp

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latest release

Encircling Sea Écru by

encircling sea

An Out RecORdings

review Mitch Booth Clocking in just shy of 40 minutes, and comprised of one long song, Encircling Sea’s second album isn’t for those who lack patience. For those that don’t, however, it’s extremely rewarding. After a gorgeous build up, the band launch into some harsh but thick black metal. The guitars and drums power onwards, with vocalist Rob Allen’s huge screams breaking through. Six minutes in, and the metal is over. The remaining half hour is a flow of beautiful, droning guitars with crushing, sludge climaxes. Écru is a journey. th e s tA nd Out

‘Écru’ @bandcamp

Ambient Black Metal / Doom Melbourne, VIC encirclingsea.wordpress.com

words Mitch Booth photo R King While there’s something special about an album that will grab you from the opening few seconds and keep you engaged until it fades to silence, there’s something extra special when that album is a single 40-minute song. encircling sea’s second and most recent album Écru is something different. Ferocious yet luscious black metal, not a single moment seems purposely dragged out. anybody in the melbourne noise/drone/doom scene is probably well aware of the band. guitarist Dase Beard has played in Worms of the earth, Dude mountain, Whitehorse, and now plays in the awesome clagg. Vocalist/guitarist rob allen was in the abandonment and Worms of the earth and effects man David coen might be familiar from Whitehorse and ivens. Drummer matt radford rounds out the lineup – no bassist required.

While Écru is a phenomenal release, the stage is where the band really shine. each musical extreme is pushed to its boundary. For now, however, they’re taking a bit of a break from the live scene to work on their third album. Unlike Écru and their debut I, their next effort will not be a single long track, but instead four. according to vocalist rob [allen], the lyrical theme dictates four distinct movements and as such it makes sense to have four songs. their recent shows have included some of this new material and it’s certainly sounding promising. allen claims the band have derived influence beyond just music. the greatest influence on their songwriting for the new release is a connection to the natural world and a richer life outside of the urban environment. Despite the new album coming out, and their recent better-late-than-never Facebook page appearing out of nowhere, don’t expect to see encircling sea on every local lineup. Due to personal lives, touring and shows they will now be even less common than before. But they’re hoping they’ll be able to do some runs around the eastern half of the country to celebrate the album, so make sure to take advantage of the opportunity and see one of the most breathtaking bands in the country. H

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Beyond Terror Beyond Grace Black Metal / Post Rock Sydney, NSW facebook.com/beyondterrorbeyondgrace

words Rob Brens photo Incandescant Photography the naDir rePreSentS an entity’s lowest point. the core theme behind beyond terror t beyond grace’s latest album – based around the lowest point of despair in human terms – the band looked to the Jonestown massacre, an incident involving the mass suicide of 909 people in a cult known as the Peoples temple led by Jim Jones. the band channeled the t feelings and notions conjured by the imagery of this incident while composing the music for Nadir, and while the lyrics aren’t directly related, the experiment’s aim was to capture a similar pathos. it’s not often a band’s attempt at genre blending actually succeeds to this extent, but on Nadir beyond t terror beyond grace have achieved the development of their own identity without dismissing their foundations in the grindcore scene. early black metal acts such as Mayhem and burzum have been drawn on, however, also deriving influence from post metal masters neurosis and doom/drone outfit Sunno))),

the band showcase an additional richness. one doesn’t have to spend a great deal of time with the music to quickly realise its intrinsic beauty and intelligence, something the layman would consider counter intuitive to grindcore, a style laden with raw brutality. beyond terror t beyond grace have been endeavouring to break this mould, citing bands such as Discordance a axis who also advocate that grindcore can express things other than how creative you can be with human entrails. While songwriting skills can be honed in the course of writing and recording, beyond terror t beyond grace’s extensive international touring also plays a huge part in shaping their sound. Nadir was half completed while the band toured the states in early 2011, throwing around ideas between shows and creating as much atmosphere and tension as possible on stage. this time it was the gauging of audience responses that helped craft the direction that ultimately became Nadir. now it’s back on road again for beyond terror t beyond grace as they begin playing around australia a in support of their new album, already working on their next record. if their progression as a band is anything to go by, beyond terror t beyond grace are set to form a league of their own. H

latest release

heavymag.com.au

nadir by

btbG

WilloW tip recordS

When I hear the term ‘grindcore’ I immediately think ‘ugly,’ to the delight of bands associated with the genre. Beyond Terror Beyond Grace typically find themselves lumped into this category due to their roots, but to continue to restrict them would be unfair. Each subsequent release demonstrates an effort to extend themselves beyond the genre and no one could deny Nadir is a success in this venture. Compared to earlier work, the band have done a superb job of genre blending. Opener Dusk hits you like a wave, reminiscent of the earlier forms of lo-fi black metal, but refusing to be pigeonholed it moves into atmospheric, groove-based territory. Expert dynamics and songwriting are consistent throughout the album. ‘Ugly’ isn’t something I’d deem Nadir and I’d urge anyone with a penchant for atmospherics to check it out. t h e S tan d o u t

‘Dusk’ @bandcamp

heavy surveillance

Arcadia

‘The world is not simple, and there’s no such thing as a perfect world.’ The message behind Arcadia’s lyrics about war, depression, substance abuse and confrontation – candidly reflecting the realities of our own world – directly contrasts with the definition of their name: ‘a region of simplicity and untouched quiet, a sort of utopia.’ Adelaide’s Arcadia have only been splitting eardrums for roughly five years, their brand of metal/hardcore drawing on influences as diverse as Metallica, Parkway Drive, All That Remains and Iron Maiden – to name only a few. The band entered Against the Grain Studios in 2009 to record EP From Ashes We Rise, a seventrack offering and a worthy introduction to Arcadia. The punters took notice and their show count mounted, seeing Arcadia take the stage with some of Adelaide’s finest and visiting Australian metal acts. Eager to maintain upward momentum, Arcadia devised the Worlds Collide split EP, a recording also featuring Melbourne’s Bury The Fallen who, boasting a similar sound and ethic, were also keen to showcase

Nihl

Nihl hail from Melbourne and were formed by brothers Gene (drums, percussion, synth) and George Kapla (vocals, guitar, piano). The brothers began numerous bands, attempting to write songs together before they could even play their instruments. In 2011, they united with friend Theo Miliaresis, sharing a mutual love for a variety of genres, a passion for writing music, and a creative vision. Never predetermining any specific style in regards to their writing, nihl produce something truly unique uninhibited by genre or arrangement restrictions – and whether it’s something really heavy or a slow electronic jam, it’s likely to have influenced nihl’s catalogue.

check em out

‘Fragile’ @YouTube new material both at home and interstate. Launching the CD in February/March 2012, both bands played a string of shows, including a tour of the east coast and performed in urban and rural venues in support of the EP – which turned out to be a stroke of promotional genius. The second half of 2012 will see Arcadia hard at work writing for a full-length recording to be undertaken later in the year. The offers are coming in for more interstate tours and the guys are more than willing to oblige, with interest building thanks to social media and previous visits to their friends in the east. There may be no such thing as a ‘perfect world,’ but thrashing out your hard work in front of those who appreciate it comes pretty damn close to perfect. – Mark Lennard

check em out

‘O’ @Facebook As a group, they cite artists such as Pink Floyd, Ulver, and Tool as inspirational. As a songwriter, George acknowledges his adoration of Tom Waits and PJ Harvey, appreciating the power and affective nature of their songwriting. On the verge of releasing their first album, Nihl are currently negotiating with local and international distributors to ensure the record reaches far and wide and makes its mark. Opting to withhold from touring until they’d developed their sound, the band chose to instead build their own studio and tackle recording first. Now, Nihl are excited to try their hand live, planning to tour behind the debut. – Kimberley Croxford and Christian Doherty

Witchgrinder Witchgrinder are trying something a little different to most of the metal bands floating around. They’re a remarkable live act and could be the band that brings dark industrial metal to life in Australia. Their music is catchy and inspired by the likes of Ministry and Rammstein – it sounds familiar but has its own Witchgrinder vibe. Since their inception they’ve been moving heaven and earth to get the Witchgrinder name out there. Playing soldout festivals such as Creepshow and Dead of Winter has solidified their place among a solid and loyal fan base. The release of their EP Through the Eyes of the Dead at a sold-out show at Melbourne’s Evelyn Hotel gained them plenty of airplay. They also released a film clip for Trioxin 2-4-5, a

The Mung

You’ll be hard pressed to find a band as utterly disgusting as The Mung anywhere in the country. Track titles like Beating Up Babies in Bondage and Fun With Fudge speak for themselves, really. But while these colourful track titles and the faeces-focused artwork might lead you to assume they are some bland grind band that focuses on a gimmick, it’s most definitely not the case. They’re as good at writing shockingly infectious riffs as they are at alliteration. The self-proclaimed southern gore slam band have two albums under their belt The Splatter Sessions and the more recent Showering in Shit. Combined, their discography comes to a whopping 31 minutes, with about half that samples that you probably won’t play too loud in public. Sandwiched in between said samples is the kind of grind/slam combination that will have you grooving along like it ain’t no thang. The riffs are absolutely monstrous and

c h ec k em o u t

‘Trioxin 2-4-5’ @YouTube

killer video that’ll delight any zombie fan. The idea for their next project, a remix EP, came off the back of experimenting with new programs and sample ideas for their forthcoming album. The remix EP highlights the industrial side of Witchgrinder, while the album (in the works) will be heading down a heavier path. While some lineup changes have set them back a little, Witchgrinder hope to release their album in December 2012 and complete a national tour for metal fans across the country. – Jay Clair

c h ec k em o u t

‘Pee on me Amputee’ @YouTube the pitch-shifting vocals have the perfect amount of gurgle. There’s also a clear leap in quality between the releases. Showering in Shit is just that bit more refined and varied. It’s still as dirty, ridiculously heavy and simply fun as its predecessor, but with added nuances to make it interesting. Assuming they continue along these lines, their next release will definitely be something to keep on your radar. And if you happen to live in Melbourne, or these guys head to wherever you are, grab a few beers and experience them live – expect fun. – Mitch Booth

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discover more at

heavymag.com.au

Aeon of Horus I love it when a band gets it right, and for Canberra’s Aeon of Horus that certainly is the case. They’ve had their fair share of line up changes in their six years, but live it’s obvious these bumps in the road haven’t diminished the quality of what they deliver. Aeon of Horus (AOH) have a technical prowess unmatched by many bands. Their smooth integration of modern death metal and progressive music lending influence from everyone from Cynic, Ihsahn, Steven Wilson, Animals as Leaders and Ulver. From their humble beginnings, their debut EP (2007) and full-length The Embodiment of Darkness and Light (2008) through to 2011’s manic Exile EP, there’s been a steady progression not only in terms of their recordings but with their smashing live performance. The band are all huge gear nerds, relishing the chance to experiment with new equipment and effects, new gear often inspiring an idea for material. Playing live to a click track really opened the door to the band’s experi-

Snake Sixx

It’s one thing to have an idea, but an entirely different thing to make a thought a reality. Renowned musician Leif ‘Snake’ Sixx has no problem turning one into the other. Sixx pondered his love for Australian music and birthed an idea – to put together a tribute album with Australia’s and the world’s top metal and hard rock musicians. Showcasing thirty-five artists playing classic Aussie rock, Sixx’s project aptly titled Itz All About the Riff is a tribute to rock and metal. With so many musicians playing on the album, how did Sixx decide who performed which song? “To be honest, I’ve been here for over 23 years and know everybody’s ‘thing.’ Picking Jonathan Devoy to do Angry in Nice Boys Don’t Play Rock’n’Roll, Scott from glam legends LA Guns to play on AC/DC’s Hell Ain’t A Bad Place To Be, and Steve Hughes and Leeno Dee on Don’t Change by INXS – it was natural.” Sixx and the rest of the musicians did a sterling job vamping up classic Aussie tunes like The Skyhook’s Horror Movie

mentation with different sounds, no longer having to worry about recreating a particular sound live with samples at their disposal. AOH live is an organic and ferocious experience and the average punter would not pick that they are playing to click – over time they’ve managed to streamline their live rig so it’s not too much of a headache. Now a three-piece, AOH sound more like an orchestra on some tracks and their energy is practically unmatched. AOH take pride in promoting themselves rather than leaving it to chance like many bands. Currently working on their new full-length album, they plan to hit the road soon. With interest growing both here and overseas it won’t be long till these guys are mixing it with the big names. – Adam Agius check em out

‘Symbiosis’ @YouTube

Far from being considered a new act amongst Melbourne’s burgeoning alternative rock/metal scene, those looking to be introduced to Engine Three Seven would do well to start with their live DVD Becoming Atmosphere. Recorded at Melbourne’s Evelyn Hotel in 2011, the 54-minute performance does a fantastic job of showcasing the four piece’s broad repertoire, which ranges from armwaving ballads and straightforward, punchy rock songs to progressive metal. But their identity is never lost – their focus is very groove oriented and this expert command of dynamics has afforded them the luxury of playing with rock bands such as Mammal and 28 Days, and progressive acts such as Sydonia and Sleep Parade. There are moments which demonstrate that they’re clearly not slouches technically, but these moments are few and far between which says a lot about their discipline and that their heart lies with songwriting as opposed to flagrantly displaying chops. The band pulls off a tight performance, but vocalist Casey Dean is the star of the show here. Footage ranging from documentary-

style hand-held cameras to multiple, professionally filmed angles capture Casey’s highly energetic and emotional performance, his almost theatrical vocals enrapturing the packed venue from start to finish. Fans of Dead Letter Circus, Karnivool and The Butterfly Effect will not find another clone here but rather a worthy addition to their collection. – Rob Brens check em out

“Have it All’ @Facebook

and Icehouse’s Great Southern Land. He and Christian Laura at Machine Men Studios supplied professional production for the double length album, available in July. Whether you’re a gen X and grew up listening to the songs paid tribute to the album, or are just a lover of metal and hard rock, this one’s a winner. – Adam Agius

Terra Australis

photo by niiso photography

Engine Three Seven

c h ec k em o u t

‘Horror Movie (psycho killer mix)’ @Reverbnation

Their name Latin for ‘Great Southern Land,’ Melbourne’s Terra Australis know where they come from. With lyrics revolving around Satanic themes and protesting organised religion, Terra play an old, thrashy, driving form of black metal rejuvenating the raw and dirty style of the mid to late ’80s. Playfully dubbing themselves ‘Melbourne’s most hated band’ (carrying the torch for the legendary Darkthrone who once called themselves ‘the world’s most hated band,’) unfounded and absurd rumours frequently haunt Terra’s reputation. From unreasonably disgruntled event managers starting their

c h ec k em o u t

‘Total F**king Hate’ @YouTube

own campaign against them on Facebook, to the girlfriend of an auditioning drummer accusing them of alcoholism and drug use, Terra have garnered undeserved notoriety – hence the jocular title. Originating as a recording project initiated by guitarist and primary songwriter Invisus in 2008, vocalist Thorgrim Hammerheart, drummer The Raven, lead guitarist Warlock Necrofiend, and bassist Satanik Beermaster (later replaced by Desecrator) have contributed to recent releases, recruited to bring Terra’s music into the public eye through live performance. With the addition of permanent members offering their own individual talents, Terra’s sound evolved to embody even more aggression, evident on new release Invocation of the Infernal, which was distributed throughout Australia and overseas during this year. – Kimberley Croxford

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see his gallery now

rain-song.co.uk/music.html

Rain Song Design interview Julianne Pimenta editorial Sheri Tantawy

olin Marks’ name is synonymous with some of the best metal album artwork of modern times. His boutique design studio is responsible for delivering unique, high-end design solutions to the likes of Exodus, Nevermore and Strapping Young Lad. Throw in Tasmania’s Psycroptic and Sydney’s Ouroboros and Beyond Terror Beyond Grace and you could say this graphic artist has a penchant for fine clientele. His niche is within the dark, desperate, and desolate confines of emotive tragedy. When asked where all the darkness came from, Colin admits he really doesn’t know. “I try to vary things with lighter projects whenever they arise and I create work outside of the metal scene that isn’t so dark, just to break up the doom and gloom. I have always had an interest in darker subject matter and moodier styles. I take inspiration from everyday life including music, films and art.” Growing up, he was quite the horror buff, so perhaps that contributed in some way to the heavily textured and stylized images, which are a far cry from his fine arts background. For the graphic artist, the digital format is just as rewarding as the traditional canvas. The design process is quicker and more efficient, especially when working with international clients. Yet, even more so, it’s a fantastic platform for a young designer who’s trying to get their foot in the door. “I always had the intention of continuing with the fine art side of things, possibly as more of a personal interest as opposed to commercial work – as there are countless established designers who do it better. But it’s good to mix things up.” Although it’s always handy for a designer to hold a formal education in fine arts, it’s not always necessary. In many cases talent can’t be taught, however there are certain rules and foundations that are fundamental to good design practice and the output of quality graphic art. These days the term designer is used and abused, very loosely, as a prolific label to a handful of self-proclaimed artists who not

Record Label Clients Century Media Records, Nuclear Blast Records, Metal Blade Records, Rising Records, Victory Records, Earache Records, Facedown Records, Relapse Records, Siege of Amida Records, Candlelight Records, Artery Recordings.

only produce work of deficient quality, but that’s also derivative. Furthermore, new designers trying to get their foot in the door feel that they have no other choice than to undercut the market and give their work away for next to nothing. This not only cheapens the industry but it damages the integrity of fine art digital design, setting a trend where clients expect work cheaply. “Sometimes you see cheap or immature looking cover art, but it’s usually relevant to the band at that time or their style of music. When people get PhotoShop they immediately think they’re artists, so you tend to see a lot of poorly composited PhotoShop covers from time to time.” Like Marks, fine art designers are mostly always drawn in by a bold and memorable cover image and understand the importance of a good media package to support an artist and their releases. Many bands who are starting out try to cut corners when it comes to merchandise, an online presence, and a general visual presence because cash flow can be pretty non existent. But just how integral is a highly stylised visual presence to assist the success of a new record? “I think it varies by band and also personal preference. Think about your influences, there are a lot of bands who prefer the minimalist approach as it suits them perfectly, but there are others who consider artwork, merch designs, and a personal appearance very important. I have made countless impulse buys based only on the look of the record, so I’ve always found it massively important.” Marks highlights the importance of an artist developing their own personal style, something that makes them unique, but says it’s also good practice to develop your own skills by not limit-

Colin Marks of Rain Song Design is a UK based graphic artist who caters to the film and heavy music industries. ing oneself to a particular theme or genre. “It’s very important to be able to bring the client’s vision to life. I like to vary things as much as possible and I love working with metal bands, but it’s great doing film work too. Try to push the things you enjoy and always be open to new discoveries.” During the creative process Colin works closely with his clients to ensure communication is strong in terms of ideas. Occasionally, a sketch or a mock up will aid visualising the client’s brief, but the preferred method is to build up off a descriptive guideline provided. “I’ll come up with an idea, get the green light from the band and tweak it until we’re ready.” Many people underestimate the necessity of good quality images/photographs for a visual piece and with the cost of stock photography on the rise, cutting corners by selecting poor quality images is never a good decision to make. Colin chooses to shoot his own stock photography and always carries a camera around. “I’m always looking at things with the thought in the back of my mind that it could contribute to a design someday.” Colin openly admits he’s somewhat of a perfectionist and can’t ever let a design go without it being near completion. “I don’t like to leave things unfinished so I’ll keep going through the whole night if need be until I think I’m happy with it.” It’s this passionate drive that landed him some of the metal industry’s top names. His most memorable project was when he was approached by Strapping Young Lad’s label to design the album art for the Chaos Years. “The Strapping Young Lad project was brilliant. I’ve always been a huge fan of Devin Townsend and SYL and that will always be a high point.” Colin’s services are not only limited to the bigger names of the industry however, but also extend across the equator, catering to our finest homegrown locals. “Visually I think Our Ashes Built Mountains by Beyond Terror Beyond Grace was something different. It was a much cleaner look and a joy to work on.” So what advice does Marks have for young aspiring graphic artists who wish to crack the music industry? “Start small with whatever work you can get – build up a strong portfolio of work and use that to sell yourself. Create your own look and style that people will instantly recognize, but try not to pigeonhole yourself. Always maintain a good working relationship with clients as they’ll spread the word.” H

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metalrewind

pantera twent y years of groove’s greatest album

Vulgar Display of power

It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years since the release of Vulgar Display of Power. The year was 1992 and the album would end up being Pantera’s highest selling release, having gone twice platinum in the USA. Vulgar was the follow up to their revered Cowboys From Hell, which saw the band traverse from the world of glam to define groove metal and truly become pioneers of the sub-genre. words Jay Clair

t’d been two years since the release of the ground breaking Cowboys From Hell, how were Pantera to top that effort? Vulgar, with an album title envenomed with power and strength and a cover depicting a dude being punched in the face, it really couldn’t get much more metal. The release well and truly lived up to the name and with Terry Date back on board to produce, it had all the elements of a classic release in the making. This would be the third release from the quartet – vocalist Phil Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown, guitarist ‘Dimebag’ Darrell Abbott, and his brother and drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott. Vulgar Display of Power is probably the most quintessential Pantera album, with an array of tracks demonstrating the band could write a wide range of killers – you’d be a brave person to label a track a filler on this release. Bone crushing tracks such as Mouth for War and No Good, more mellow numbers such as This Love, to all-out trash attacks F**king Hostile and Rise make this album f**king awesome. One can’t ignore the cleverness and simplicity of arguably the greatest metal anthem Walk, which has endlessly been covered by way too many bands. There’s no denying this album is within the upper echelons of the greatest ever made, so how could you possibly make it better? Bonus material, of course. When purchasing this re-release, you’ll get the previously unreleased bonus track Piss, and those who know Pantera will realise the main riff sounds awfully familiar. The sagacious Pantera fan will put it together (hint: Use My Third Arm from Far Beyond

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“While some of their cohorts in metal at the time Were softening their sound, Pantera only had one mission – to be the hardest and heaviest band in the World.” Driven). An additional bonus is a DVD featuring their live performance at the Monsters of Rock, an Italian festival which was also co-headlined by Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath. It’s nearly half an hour of immensity, and while this footage isn’t anything you probably haven’t seen before, due to the likes of Vulgar Videos, it’s definitely worth cranking and jumping around as if you were there (I know I did). The footage of this show was also featured as the live video for Domination, a track from Cowboys From Hell. Also included on the video footage are music videos for Mouth For War, This Love, and Walk – which are all nice to have. The other major difference in this re-release was the re-mastering work done by Howie Weinberg. The album does seem to have some extra bite, much louder than the original. For

Vulgar Display of Power @iTunes

Catalogue From hell 1983 Metal Magic

this album was musically oriented toward a hard rock/ heavy metal sound influenced by Kiss and Van Halen.

1984 Projects in tHe jungle

Many similarities with Def leppard’s pre-Hysteria sound

keeping it real

There’s no Photoshop work in this bad boy, apparently the story goes that the band wanted something vulgar – like someone getting punched in the face. The label returned with an image of a boxer. The band didn’t like it, as they wanted it to be more ‘street.’ So the second effort turned out to be one of the most recognised covers in heavy music, featuring a man who was paid $10 to be punched. Thirty punches later and they had the perfect image.

From DiamonD to Dimebag The time of the original release saw the transition for much-loved lead guitarist, known previously as Diamond Darrell, to Dimebag Darrell. “Listen. People have been calling me Diamond Darrell for too long,” he said in and interview, “It’s a mistake. I’ve always been called Dimebag Darrell by my friends. That’s my real name. Dimebag Darrell – got it?”

the unrivalled champions of groove metal: rex brown, phil anselmo, Vinnie paul abbott and the late ‘Dimebag’ Darrell abbott.

those who enjoy a little more bass it seems to have been made slightly punchier. Like many ’90s releases a great booklet was always key. Interestingly the booklet includes a four-page essay by Jon Wierderhorn, which turns out to be a very interesting read. While some of their cohorts in metal at the time were softening their sound, Pantera only had one mission – to be the hardest and heaviest band in the world. They’d continue being a band who defined the attitude and energy of metal. The Pantera story is one that was filled with many highs and lows, including probably one of the most publicised break-ups in history of heavy music. With all hopes of a reunion nullified post the horrific murder of Dimebag in 2004, the end of Pantera saw the end of an era. One thing’s for sure, with re-releases such as this, the Pantera legacy will live on for many years to come and Vulgar Display of Power will always be remembered as one of the most important releases of our time. H

1985 i aM tHe nigHt

some of Pantera’s faster and heavier influences were becoming more apparent, especially on the title track and Down Below.

1988 Power Metal

the first Pantera album to feature Phil anselmo on vocals, part of a line-up which would last until the band’s official split in 2003.

1990 cowBoys froM Hell

this was their first commercially successful album, exposing the band’s groove metal style to mainstream audiences.

1992 Vulgar DisPlay of Power

one of the most influential metal albums of all time.

1994 ffar BeyonD DriVen

it debuted at no. 1 on the Billboard 200. it’s also the first album where Darrell abbott is credited as ‘Dimebag Darrell’.

1996 tHe great soutHern trenD Kill

Due to tension and conflicts within the band, Phil anselmo recorded the vocals alone at t reznor’s nothing studios. trent

2000 reinVenting tHe steel

the ninth and final studio album. the cover art is a grab taken from the video of revolution is My name.

photo by shadowzone photography

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‘The Inevitable Degradation of Flesh’ @iTunes From their new album At the Gate of Sethu

NILE words Christian Doherty and Kimberley Croxford

O laTesT release

n the brink of releasing their seventh studio effort At the Gate of Sethu, Sanders is glad to have concluded a rather grueling process and is excited to observe its reception. “We spent a lot of time on this record. We started working on the material in May of last year and then finished up the mixing in March of this year, so it was over ten months of our lives that we gave to it, every day, and very long hours. The culmination of it all is getting people to f**king hear it. We didn’t make this record for ourselves – we want people to hear this. It was for sure the longest we’ve spent on an album so far, but if that’s what it takes then that’s what it takes.” Sanders reveals Nile followed their regular writing process, beginning with throwing every everything on the table then meticulously refining original material.

At the GAte of Sethu by

Nile

nUCleAR BlAst/Riot

Existing fans of Nile will know it’s a big call to say new album At the Gate of Sethu may just knock Annihilation of the Wicked off its perch as Nile’s greatest masterpiece. It’s also the most crystal clear Nile album to date – every nuance is amazingly audible and the guitar tone the best they’ve ever achieved. Each riff and line is perfectly pronounced – listen to track the Fiends Who Come to Steal the Magick of the Deceased and you’ll hear some of the most incredibly fast and percussive tremolo picking you’ve ever heard. Once again George Kollias’ drumming is some of the best – if not the best – in the genre. With amazing song structures and the beautifully exotic Egyptian instrumentation the band are renown for, At The Gate Of Sethu is the perfect next step in this incredible band’s legacy. I’m already tipping it as album of the year.

Foaming at the mouth for the newest album from Egyptianthemed death metal legends Nile, HEAVY sat down with founding guitarist and vocalist Karl Sanders for a chat about their new masterpiece, the difference between six and sevenstringed guitars, and the instantly recognisable ‘Nile chord.’ “Dallas [Toller-Wade guitar/vocals] and I get together and do song demos with the drums, bass, guitars, keyboards, vocals and weird instruments – everything that the song is making use of – and we record it for the demo. We listen to [the songs] for a while, edit and change them and get them to a point. We send them to George [Kollias, drums] and he takes the drum parts and changes them, adapts them to his style. Then we get in and jam them as a band in the rehearsal room and they mutate even more before we record them. By the time we record them in the studio we’ve played these songs hundreds of times. By then, we’ve self-edited and honed the songs as best we can – trimmed the fat.” Getting down to the essentials of songwriting, do Nile ever dictate which key they want to work in? “We try not to limit ourselves, but in metal music you can find yourself gravitating towards certain keys. As a composer you sometimes have

to make it your job and goal to explore other keys, scales and time signatures.” While they might explore a variety of keys, Nile never deviate from drop A tuning as far as their guitars go, valuing a unique and definitive sound discovered experimenting with the set up. “Originally I think we tuned to drop D. Then, of course we just kept experimenting with, ‘well if this sounds heavy, I wonder what it will sound like another half step down?’ Eventually we got down to drop A and just knew that this was definitely going to be our tuning. It really has its own unique flavour. It’s just a magic sound and is very inspiring. Over the years it’s become Nile’s home key. It has a very recognisable sound to it. As soon as you hear the sound of drop A it’s a very Nile sound. It really does sound like ‘the Nile chord.’” In regards to gear, Sanders has been experimenting with an extra string. “I’ve been playing the seven-string for about two years now and when I first started there was a long period of learning to make use out of it. When I was looking at the neck I was looking at it as a six-string neck, so I had to adapt it. I did use that guitar on this album and especially for a lot of the leads.” In the midst of recording, bassist Chris Lollis shot threw, but Sanders says it was to easy to recognise replacement member Todd Ellis as the man for the job. “We had to find a guy who could learn the songs on the weekends and someone who would do the homework. Todd did a lot of homework.” And of course, once the album hits the shelves, something has got to hit the screen. “We’re actually going to Greece to do a video for Enduring the Eternal Molestation of Flame with an amazing director who does some incredibly creative stuff. We’ve seen some photos of the location and it’s just mind-boggling. Then all there’s left to do is tour the world. “We’re looking at coming back to Australia next year sometime. We’re going to be busy all the way up to February or March. We have a US tour and a European tour. Then hopefully we can work in Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. We’ve known the tour promoters in Australia for years so we can confidently say that we’ll be heading over there for this new album cycle. I’m looking forward to getting my hands on a copy of this magazine too and see what you’ve got cooking over there. You’ll have to save me one.” H

“…in metAl muSic you cAn find yourSelf GrAvitAtinG towArdS certAin keyS. AS A compoSer you SometimeS hAve to mAke it your job And GoAl to explore other keyS, ScAleS And time SiGnAtureS.” 45

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‘Smash The Control Machine’ @iTunes From their 2011 album Atavist

otep N words Kimberley Croxford photo Djosefin Maurer

otoriously outspoken, Otep is intrinsically compelled to express herself, attributing her ‘compulsion to create’ to an innate human motivation. “Why do birds sing?” poses the LA artist and frontwoman of her self-titled band, “I believe as a people we’re all artistic. Some are better at it.” But Otep says her insistent need to communicate artistically is a mystery she’d prefer remain unsolved. “I’m not sure I want to know – maybe I have an overactive gland or something,” she laughs, “[But] as someone who’s artistic, I know there are secrets and ideas that inhabit, haunt and possess me that give me no rest unless they’re given life somewhere else.” Otep is renowned for her forthright opinions, her unrestrained political assertions infiltrating her songwriting (Warhead and Confrontation are examples). But does she ever find herself doubting her convictions? “I don’t, ever,” she frankly affirms, “I try make sure I’m someone who’s well-read and wellinformed... We have a lot of people who speak a lot but don’t know what they’re talking about, so they force me into a position of challenging their legitimacy and letting them meet the high walls of my grasp of the topic.” Those high walls were built brick-by-brick by Otep’s drive and determination to navigate her political commentary and artistic endeavours with knowledge on her side. “Luckily enough I was born to love knowledge. Seeking out answers and challenging people in discourse is entertaining for me… My mother wanted us, during the summer, to read books. I hated it, but I’m very grateful now she did because as I started writing poetry one of the first things I discovered was that I’d written something in a similar vein to William Blake – it was much more juvenile – but I’d thought at the time mine was so unique, so inventive and genius, and then I read a master and found out he’d said it better. At that point I wanted to find out what else I didn’t know.” Before her love affair with poetry, Otep first discovered her passion for illustrating. Music followed, and now it seems there’s no bounds to the artistic avenues she’ll explore. Often juggling projects simultaneously, Otep approaches each with diligence, striving to execute everything the best she can. “I’m naturally competitive and it’s with myself first and everybody else second… I don’t think I’m careful about it [though], I see myself as more of a

Confrontational and challenging, cathartic and candid – whether it’s music, poetry, or illustration the prolific Otep Shamaya is endlessly pouring her soul into producing diverse, affective, and intelligent artwork.

‘charging into the room, guns blazing’ perfectionist than I am ‘delicately painting the flower petals the right hue.’” But Otep says her fixation on producing quality often sees her become too intent on one aspect of her work. “My favourite producer was really good at telling me ‘this is as good as it can be for now, you’ve created something that’s very beautiful, let’s move on.’ That’s something I think all artists must learn – there’s quotes all over the internet – a story or painting is never finished, you just walk away from it. You have to learn when to walk away and it’s really what you leave when you walk away that makes an artist an artist.” As for music, Otep burst into the scene after becoming inspired at Ozzfest, forming a band and – incredibly – managing to secure a spot on the festival’s bill the following year, after impressing Jack Osborne who alerted his mother. “Jack saw something different in what we were doing [live], because it was very real. We were playing songs like Jonestown Tea at that time and that’s a very emotional song. It’s very physical for me – I was punching myself, there was hair torn out.” Jonestown Tea, a song about child sexual abuse that appeared on Otep’s debut Sevas Tra (2002), is one of her most poignant, raw, and emotional masterpieces – it’s influence even empowering two girls to expose their father after being abused. Life hasn’t always been easy for Otep, but this has acted as a motivating force, driving her to advocate for and communicate with others through her revealing and powerful material. “When I was a wee lass I remember wishing someone would drop down and save me. Then I remember thinking back and realising that all these years I’d been working, growing and certifying myself that I’d become that person who would save myself, save that child we all still carry around with us. I remember thinking at a young age that if I could ever reach people like me, do something to let them know they’re not alone and that one day it’ll be okay, or at least they’ll have the opportunity to make it okay, then I would. I could cope with violence, I could cope with abuse, but the one thing I had difficulty with was feeling lonely. That was the coldest place in the world and I wanted to make sure other people experiencing that sort of winter knew there’s fire somewhere for them in the dark, a beacon burning, and that the brighter they shine the weaker the darkness becomes.” From her experiences also rose Otep’s monstrous scream, which defines her bands’ violent sound. Her vocals an amalgamation of whispers, raps, cleans and that almighty scream,

Otep’s sincere, rage-fuelled delivery complements the music’s chaotic arrangements. “We were rehearsing and it came to a point in a song where we didn’t have a set vocal,” she remembers, “I decided to stop overthinking it and allow instinct to take over. What came out of me was that sound… [You’ve got to] try find where it comes from inside you.” The uncontested ringleader of her band, Otep has watched members come and go, but she’s assured it’s made no difference to the way she produces music. “It’s the way it’s always been. Finding musicians who really want to be in a band for the right reasons and stand for something – whether or not it’s widely accepted – is difficult. The band I have now are amazing. If, however, they decide they want to focus on finding a family, I wish them well and I’ll just keep doing what I do.” While Otep never went into music expecting a reaction, a female vocalist in a heavy domain caused a stir and – although it’s become more common – she says it’s still difficult for women to gain acceptance in the scene. A strong feminist, Otep admits part of women’s struggle is combating contradictory stereotypes in society. “We’re fighting to say that women can be stronger, that they’re worth more than just their body – but at the same time we want to fight against puritanical ideas that women should be covered, that sex is bad, that lust is bad, that passion is bad. Ideally I want both. I want women to be able to dress they way they want, to own their sexuality, own their sensuality – but at the same time not feel as if that’s their only weapon in this life. I don’t stand by the idea that you’re not supposed to look your version of handsome or pretty. I’ve always tried to follow the Greek ideal of beauty and strength, which is emotionally, artistically, physically, and intellectually. You want to strengthen all those things. It’s a hard one, [but] there’s a line between exploiting and experiencing [sexuality].” Rumours circulated that Otep was contemplating giving up her music career, something the artist neither confirms nor denies. “I’m always considering it,” she laughs, “It’s been a decade since I started the band. To be involved in an industry that doesn’t know how to serve itself is frustrating. I’m in love with music, [but] it’s like being on a ship that’s sinking on one side and on fire on the other.” One thing’s for certain, Otep will never cease producing art in some form, currently set on exploring uncharted territory. “One [recent project] is spoken word, another is at the moment a short story. Then I’m sorting out two ideas for graphic novels.” H

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“a story or painting is never finished, you just walk away from it. You have to learn when to walk away and it’s really what you leave when you walk away that makes an artist an artist.”

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9/7/12 3:16:22 AM

Voyager

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‘The Meaning of I’ @YouTube The title track from Voyager’s new album. Available through Sensory Records

SIMONE DOW Voyager’s Simone Dow was never a girl who played with dolls, and when it was time to learn an instrument, she chose the guitar. words Vix Vile photo Veronica Ellis – Manifest Photography

Did you always want to be in a metal band? Once I turned 15 it was all I dreamed about – playing in an awesome band and being able to head out and play to fans all over the world. I am so fortunate and lucky to be able to do this with four other amazingly talented musicians, who also happen to be my other family. I pinch myself almost every day. She’s so metal you can almost taste it.

t age eleven Simone Dow was selected for a music scholarship – by 13 she’d discovered the electric guitar, and luckily for Voyager fans worldwide, was soon listening to heavy metal. Recently returned from the band’s second US tour, this time supporting Rhapsody of Fire, Simone sat down with HEAVY to tell us what it’s like to be a chick with an axe.

What advice would you give other females trying to start out? Be true to yourself and confident in your talents. Push yourself out there and don’t be afraid to tell people, ‘Yep, I’m a chick and I f**king shred!’ Once you get yourself out there and start becoming established, things really do become easier.

Do you feel like you have to work that extra bit harder because you’re the only female in your band? I did when I was first starting out in my early bands. I always swore I would never resort to letting my looks sell me, or the band I was in. I wanted people to respect me for my abilities and not how short a skirt was or how much cleavage I had showing. You can look beautiful without doing that and I just hope that I can positively influence other young female musicians out there. What females have influenced you? Well all my guitar heroes are men, but women like Angela Gossow are amazing. It’s inspiring to see other women with the same passion.

What made you decide to become a guitarist? Can you play other instruments? I was very fortunate that my parents were both very musical, so it’s something I could never really get away from. My dad was a guitarist in a country rock band and my mum was a singer when she was a spring chicken, so there was never a moment at home during my childhood when I wasn’t surrounded by music. My dad was my inspiration to pick the guitar up. He used to play guitar to me as a child and I’d always wanted to be able to play like him. Music has always stirred something inside me and makes me feel like nothing else. I’m pretty terrible at playing other instruments – I think I should just stick with my axe. Did you find it harder to be taken seriously by your male counterparts because you play guitar? It was very difficult when I was young and keen to start jamming with other metalheads. Of course, it didn’t really help that I was a fiery and angry teenager at the time [add the red hair and it’s an amazing combination]… I definitely felt like I had something to prove. There’s always that stigma, ‘oh, you’re pretty good for a chick,’ and I also use to hear ‘she’s female, and she can play.’ Now that I’m older it really doesn’t bother me and I just go out and do what I love, but [during] my youth it was certainly frustrating and trying.

then there was something special about them. I originally agreed to at least record their new album uniVers and see how we went once we start jamming, as I wanted to make sure we all gelled together. After one jam I pretty much joined straight away.

Voyager has had two female bass players in the past. Did this make it more comfortable to audition for them? It didn’t really make a difference to me. I’d known most of the guys in Voyager as they used to rehearse at the same studio as my first band, Scourge and we’d often hang out in between sessions and play pranks on each other. When the guys parted ways with thenguitarist Manny, they called me and asked me to join. I was extremely shocked, but excited, as I always used to watch them and hope to play in a band like Voyager. You could tell back

Voyager has toured extensively all over Australia and overseas, what’s it like being the only female in the band on the road? To be honest, it’s pretty awesome for the most part. I’m very lucky to be in a band with four awesome guys. Yes, there are moments of them being ‘typically male,’ but you get used to it. I’m sure I drive them nuts sometimes too. Voyager are like a big family – we’re all extremely close and love each other to bits. I think that’s really important because who wants to spend four weeks on the road with people you hate? Your fans are very loyal and supportive, what’s the craziest thing a fan has done? Our fans are amazing, we have people getting our logos tattooed on their bodies, giant stickers made up on cars, and people who offer to help us out in the most amazing ways just because they love our music. I think the craziest thing I’ve had a fan do was propose to me at Progpower USA last year. Voyager’s latest release The Meaning of I is out now through Sensory Records. H

“Be true to yourself and confident in your talents. Push yourself out there and don’t be afraid to tell people, ‘Yep, I’m a chick and I f**king shred!’”

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coming2oz

Warbringer When it comes to modern metal with an old school twist, few bands can match the intensity that Warbringer bring to the table both live and on record. Their live show is an explosive burst of thrash goodness with cut off jeans, white high-top sneakers, sweaty power-banging and hair aplenty. words Todd Hansen photo Neil Visel

ith a charismatic frontman who can control his audience as if they were puppets, a pair of shredding guitarists with riffs that could choke an old lady from the sheer brute in the air, and a solid rhythm section boasting technicality and precision, Warbringer are heavy metal warriors. Warbringer cut their teeth through the ranks of the Los Angeles thrash revival scene in the mid 2000s, quickly gaining popularity in the underground and eventually signing a deal with Century Media in 2007. The next year saw the release of their debut full-length War Without End and their first national US tour opening for the legendary Exodus. Since then, apart from taking time out to write 2009’s sophomore release Waking Into Nightmares and their latest offering Worlds Torn Asunder (2011), they’ve barely left the road. Frontman John Kevill says the band are generally well received on tour, but older fans tend to reminisce rather than embrace what they’re offering. “Not everyone’s going like you, but I’d say we have a pretty high success rate. I wish we’d get a little less ‘this reminds me of back when,’ and a little more, ‘hey, you guys make cool songs.’ But hey, if people get some nostalgic enjoyment out of it, let them.” Kevill recognises it comes with the genre. “I think a lot of the thrash metal audience in general tend to be a little older. On tours we’ve done with other old school metal bands, there tends to be a decent showing from the older crowd, but up front it’s always full of younger people too. I think it’s a balance, you don’t have to be any certain age to be into this music.” As far as fans’ reactions to the new record, Kevill affirms it’s all been positive. “I think a lot of people consider it our best album, which is what we were shooting for. I’d say that with our fans we are getting a reputation for being a very consistent band. We aim for constant improvement of ourselves.” Kevill is pleased to relate that even songs the band hadn’t expected to be favourites have been celebrated by their audience. “The stuff that we felt was some of the less strong

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wat c h n o w

‘Combat Shock’ @YouTube From their 2008 album War Without End

“I wish we’d get a little less ‘this reminds me of back when’, and a little more, ‘hey, you guys make cool songs…’ tracks on the record are actually becoming live staples.” Warbringer always seem to hit a bit of turbulence in the drummer department, but Kevill is certain that new beat man Carlos Cruz is a stayer. “I think we are going to stick with Carlos… he fits the band like a glove. He was from the same

music scene as us – I personally wanted to get him in the band a long time before it actually happened. Nic Ritter brought the level of technicality up on the second record, and helped solidify our style as a pretty drum-oriented thrash band, which I feel Carlos has continued on the third record.” Warbringer never seem out of place no matter which bill they jump on and have a versatile tour record. “I think it’s because we play straight metal. It’s fast and brutal and full of energy. I think that’s something that can appeal to anyone who likes heavy music at all.” And it won’t be long before the travelling Warbringer storm our fine country. “[We’ve] been trying to make it happen for a while. Finally we got a promoter who made

a good offer and we had some time open for it. I’m excited, there’s been a demand from our fans to go there, it will be awesome to go and play some metal for those guys.” And what will the band do on their maiden Aussie voyage? “Party with some dudes, see some of the sights and maybe go for a swim in the ocean. Avoid running over a wombat, apparently they are dumb as hell and can wreck your car if you hit one. Or so some of my Aussie friends tell me,” Kevill laughs. As far as shows are concerned, a chiropractor on your speed dial is recommended. “Expect pure head-banging, fast, loud, and destructive shows – a relentless thrash assault – and a few beers after the show. Some real thunder down under.” H

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coming2oz

l at e s t r e l e a s e

‘Collapse In Eternal Worth’ @Amazon From the Album Blood for the Master

goatwhore On the eve of their first ever headline shows in Australia and New Zealand with Singaporean legends Impiety and our own Ruins, HEAVY caught up with mighty blackened death metal masters Goatwhore. interview Christian Doherty How are you guys feeling about your upcoming headlining shows in Australia, are you excited to be coming back as the main act? Of course we are. When we came two years ago as the opening act for Behemoth and Job For A Cowboy we never expected to return as headliner. We thought maybe we’d come back on a few tours as a support band to build things up a bit, but here we are. What was the response from Aussie audiences last time with Behemoth and JFAC? We actually didn’t know what to expect from the last trip and it ended up being really great. The response and feedback was very surprising. All the shows went over really well and playing with both those bands put us in front of a bunch of new faces, giving us a great opportunity to gain new listeners. Have you done any shows with Impiety before? Just one – it was a Fest in San Antonio, Texas. They played the same day as us. They’re an excellent band with some quite intense material.

The mix of bands for this little run is going to be a great experience. How has the response been so far to your newest album Blood for the Master? It has been really great. We don’t focus on those things much while writing and putting the whole thing together. When the time comes and it’s released we just do our thing and hit the road. We put the new music out there in the live setting and just go with it. Anything extra is a bonus. Feedback from the media and fans has been immense. What was it like working with producer Erik Rutan [Cannibal Corpse, Vital Remains, Nile] again for this record? Erik is a very genuine person. He has amazing hearing and his work ethic is healthy. As you get to know him and record with him ideas open up even further. He’s stern about how things are done, but a very flexible person when it comes to new ideas and different approaches. I think this is why we have such a good relationship. The ability to have expanded our relationship with him over the course of three records has led to a more honest environment and working

relationship. Points are made and the job gets done. He is almost like the secret fifth member of Goatwhore at this point. So the working relationship continues to improve with each release? Most definitely – each time we get in the studio with Erik things progress more and more. The environment within the studio becomes more relaxed and the stages of production come with more ease. Studios can be tough at times. It’s a totally different element, but when you’ve worked with the same person for three records, it’s almost like they are incorporated into the band. When we go in, Erik knows what we are looking for and is familiar with our style. What originally drew you guys to Mana Studios back in the day? We kind of knew Erik a little from his Morbid Angel days and he was working to build his studio and recording career. He approached us about doing the record and we figured we would give it a try knowing his background. He had knowledge of recording with a well-known extreme metal band, so it seemed it wouldn’t hurt to test the waters. Three records later and things are moving along nicely. Any time off on this tour to do some sightseeing? There’s no time for much on any tour. Every now and then you get a small opportunity to check some things out, depending on location and time available. We will try to get some sightseeing in, but we don’t make promises to ourselves just in case. Any last words for the Aussie fans who are coming out to see you? I hope everyone is ready for a very intimate and brutal show. Familiarise yourselves with our tunes, if you haven’t already, and get ready for some chaos unleashed. H

“we never expected to return as headliner. we thought maybe we’d come back on a few tours as a support band to build things up a bit, but here we are.” 52

new release

‘Place of No Pity’ @YouTube From new album Place of No Pity

RUINS

giveaways win cool stuff

About to embark on a tour of Australia and NZ with Goatwhore (USA) and Impiety (Singapore) HEAVY chatted with founding members Alex Pope and drum legend Dave Haley. interview Christian Doherty

uins have been around for roughly ten years now, beginning as a recording project between the two of you. What was the goal for the band when it began? Alex: At first we didn’t really have any out going goals. We were just interested in getting together and making the kind of music we wanted to hear. We were, admittedly, inspired by bands like Darkthrone, Immortal and Satyricon who basically operated as duos to write and record. We were also concerned with playing live so a fully functioning band line-up was no issue. Do you now have any short or long term goals for Ruins? Alex: I guess the long-term goal is to keep making short-term goals until total world domination. We’re never in a hurry to get anywhere we just do our thing. This tour with Goatwhore and Impiety will also serve as promotion of our new album. The preproduction for the next album has already begun – there’s always something in the works. Perhaps we’ll produce a video clip in the coming months. You’ve now been on incredible tours around Australia with Ruins, have you ever thought of taking the band overseas? Alex: We had many offers and opportunities to tour further afield, but besides New Zealand Ruins have not toured overseas. When the time is right we will indeed conquer the globe. Dave: We’re in no rush. Ruins is something we both have to do, for our own sanity really. We’re not out there trying to ‘get huge’ or ‘make it’. We’re doing this because we have the music inside and it has to come out. If it didn’t, who knows what would happen to our sanity. With your other projects and bands, do you find it hard to juggle everything and still keep everything appropriately prioritised? Dave: No, I don’t really find it hard as the bands I play in don’t really rehearse regularly. I hate rehearsing once a week with the same band. I would rather practice for a

whole month then tour or do shows. So, it’s not really that hard to be honest. How long does it generally take to write material for each album? Do you get to work at your own pace? Alex: Some of our stuff comes together very quickly – other things take a long time to work themselves out. Our new album Place of No Pity is a perfect picture of this. It contains our newest work and our oldest. There are parts that were started over ten years ago. What are the plans for the new album’s release? Alex: It’ll be available from July. We’re still figuring out distribution. Any last words for fans going to the upcoming Goatwhore and Impiety shows? Alex: Just make sure you’re there. H

get close with heavy Post a snap of YOU and HEAVY onto our Facebook page for your chance to win a pair of these wicked Draven shoes! Available in both guys & girls. Get to it! www.facebook.com/heavymag

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listen now

‘Fire in the Head’ @iTunes From their 1995 album Edges of Twilight

THETEAPARTY The illustrious Canadian power trio are back. Founding member, guitarist, vocalist and principal songwriter Jeff Martin sat down with HEAVY over several beers and was very forthcoming about the band’s split in the mid 2000s, their reunion, the prospect of new material for the band and other Tea Party related topics. words Rod Whitfield photos Lep Beljac

“I

remember before the split just how powerful The Tea Party were onstage. But just being a part of it again and being onstage with the other two I can say with all certainty that it’s even more powerful now.” These are words to bring joy to the hearts and massive anticipation to the loins of any Tea Party fan – and there are still plenty of those in this country. Indeed, any punter who appreciates great rock music should be salivating over the prospect of this classic line up coming back together.

In 2005, The Tea Party decided to call it a day after an incredible 15-year run, featuring seven seminal albums, countless sold-out tours, many awards and a legacy that has influenced innumerable rock, progressive, blues, and world music acts. Fast forward to 2011 and the three members decided it was time to reconnect. “We decided that whatever issues we had when we separated, enough time had gone by to put them behind us for the betterment of the music,” Jeff explains from the a bar of a swanky hotel in Crown Casino, Melbourne. “It seems to be a type of rock music that no-one else is doing – there was a big void that needs to be filled and we’re the only ones that could have

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listen now

‘You Can’t Stop It’ @iTunes From their 2009 album Shark Bites and Dog Fights

filled it. And it’s been wonderful. The first two tours we did – we did one in June (2011) in Canada, and then we did another run in November/December – it was like we’d never left. I do believe that seven years apart did wonders for us, just the vibe onstage – its absolute power.” “I think there’s a purpose again now in the band,” he elaborates, his enthusiasm evident, “there’s a vitality – there’s something that’s just ethereal – and it’s just very exciting to wonder where it’s all going to go. Live, we’ve got it down. When you come to see the show you’re just going to be walking away, shaking your head, going ‘what the f**k was that!’” he laughs. And it isn’t just a few rounds of touring playing their numerous classics that the band has got in store. This is no nostalgia/ cabaret reunion. There’s a very real possibility of brand new Tea Party material in the not too distant future – the only potential stumbling block, the tyranny of distance. Martin himself now lives in Australia, the other two members residing in separate parts of Canada. But Martin is optimistic they can overcome this. “Geography is going to be the only chink in the wheel, so to speak. But we’ll get over that. The thing is we need to be together to make music. This is not the type of band we can do over the internet, so we have to figure out how to do that – probably after the Australian tour. I’m going back to Canada – we’re doing another run of dates in Canada at the end of August, with some festivals and such. So, I’ll talk to the two boys about doing some work while I’m over there. I’m writing constantly, so I have a vault of music. If Jeff [Burrows, drums] and Stuart [Chatwood, bass] play on it, it’s The Tea Party, so we need to sift through all of that, and maybe get bed some tracks down… It just remains to be seen how we go about doing it, but I know that we want to do it, so where there’s a will, there’s a way.” Martin was even kind enough to put a tentative timeline on the production and release of new Tea Party material for us. “I think that, in a perfect world,” he speculates, “I would want The Tea Party to have new material by March of next year. That’s what I’ll be working on with the boys, so we’ll see if we can make that happen.” With an Australian tour imminent, fans are probably wondering which era/album the band will be focusing on. “The show we’ve put together, because it’s over two hours, a good hour of that show is music from The Edges of Twilight and the other hour will be the ‘signpost’ songs from different albums… When we were rehearsing it was that material that really stood out for us. So it’s a great show, for Tea Party fans and rock fans – you get everything. You get the world, you get the acoustic side, you get the full guitar thing, [and] me wanking,” Martin chuckles jovially. H

skindred

For once it seems the music industry has rewarded a band for being different. Vocalist for Skindred, Benji Webbe, who first fronted Dub War, has pushed musical boundaries few can pull off. words Rex

give up now, you shouldn’t be doing it. Or, join in with what I think is the kiss of death to real music, the X factor.

You hit number one in the US with your album Babylon, as well as discovering a lot of success with single Nobody. You must feel proud. We all want acclaim and it’s stunning to have been acknowledged in that way. We also got awarded ‘best reggae record of the decade’ in Jamaica. To have received that among such reggae greats as Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry was a huge honour.

Confession time. What guilty pleasure records do you own? There’s no such thing as a guilty pleasure. If you like something, then it’s not your guilty pleasure it’s someone else’s. Just because others think it’s not cool doesn’t mean you should think that. I listen to Abba, they write great songs. If you like it, why should it matter?

Tell me about the journey from Dub War to Skindred? [Dub War] are all still friends, but it was just time to move on. [Skindred] formed out in Los Angeles and pretty much got it all together over there, but with British musicians. What are the chances of Skindred re-working Dub War’s hit single Strike It? I thought about it. We tried for a one-off Dub War show, but there were too many differences. I even wanted to do a Dub War and Skindred show – one band supporting the other. It could’ve been fun. Forming Skindred in LA, you must have had a crazy time? Once I was at a Snot show in Hollywood and suddenly found myself rubbing shoulders with the likes of Shy Smith, Wit Crane, Paul Simon’s bassist, Soulfly and Crazy Town. Stunning list of acts there. Which bands do you listen to apart from your own? I’ve found myself listening to more acts like Billy Holiday, Nat King Cole and Otis Redding. People should remember that everything from Marilyn Manson to Lady Gaga grew out of African sounds, soul and blues. But, I do like to annoy the neighbours with Slipknot – they’re still one of my favourite bands. What I love is music that comes from the heart – if you can’t write music from the heart

Speaking of favourite bands, what was it like filling in for Jonathan Davis of Korn at Download Festival 2006? It was a f**king dream. When I was back stage and got asked to do it, my reaction was like ‘who me?’ I was blown away. Any other outstanding gig memories to share? At Download Festival 2011 I got everyone to take off their tops and swing them around. It was incredible to watch and amazing to have caused that spectacle. You played in Australia recently and even signed with an Aussie record label, how did that all go? The people in Australia were awesome, all very welcoming. It’s hard not to have fun when you have that many people all there for your music. We’re signed with 3Wise records – the album [Union Black] should be out now. What’s the strangest thing a fan has ever said to you? A male fan asked if he could have the underpants I’d just worn on stage. When I asked him why, he replied, ‘so he can squeeze them out and drink the juice.’ That was when I decided to say no. If you could be a superhero/super villain, who would you be? I would be Mr Bounce, with the power to make the world bounce. I definitely would be a villain, hanging out with the likes of the Joker and the Penguin. H

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heavyfeature

APOCALYPTICA

Armed with cellos, classically trained metalheads Apocalyptica are one of the most individual, musically exceptional, and revered bands in their home of Finland as well as internationally. words Julianne Pimenta and Kimberley Croxford

nstrumental acts don’t float everybody’s boat, but when asked if audiences ever fail to be excited by the band’s instrumental pieces live, Apocalyptica’s primary songwriter Eicca Toppinen says it’s certainly not the case. “I think there’s no problem with that, not at all. Of course, it’s hard to compare the reaction

of the audience on different songs... Less than half of the songs we play have original lyrics, so more than half are instrumental.” Preserving something so unique over their lengthy career has seen Toppinen and the band develop a resistance to the pressure of ‘living up’ to expectations. “All these years we’ve had so much pressure from all different directions and therefore we’ve learnt that the only way to run a band is

to focus on doing the things you like yourself. It’s the only way to please the fans as well. We’ve received all kinds of feedback in past years. Sometimes [people] hate that we use drums in certain songs, others hate that we use singers – it’s impossible to put that much pressure on ourselves. With that, you’d lose so much focus and whatever you do would become a piece of shit.” Occasionally including guest vocalists in their performances, Apocalyptica prefer not to step up to the mic themselves. “In concert I do a bit of backing vocals for our touring singer, but I don’t think any of us are good enough to be a lead singer,” admits Toppinen, “[and] I’d rather play.” Fans often ask why the band haven’t written a song with Finnish lyrics, something Toppinen says isn’t entirely off the table. “Sometimes we’ve thought about making a song with a Finnish singer in the Finnish language, it hasn’t happened yet, but that day might come. There are so many people who get excited about Finland, the bands, and the Finnish language, so we might have some specials coming up.” On the musical side of things though, Apocalyptica are always more than happy to get creative. “We’ve had trombones, violins, piano – and we’re going to have a concert this summer in an opera festival where we have some specials there on set. Some of our friends who play in an opera orchestra might be involved in making a few Apocalyptica songs where we’re thinking about adding some brass instruments.” Often recruiting guests to incorporate such diverse instrumentation, Toppinen says enlisting other musicians is more difficult than you’d think. “Many times, even when the artist says ‘yeah, I’d like to do something together,’ it’s too complicated to get the right song, to get the right timing, and with the record companies it’s a massive hassle. It may be easy for [the musician], but sometimes when you talk to the manager they can be like ‘pay us $50,000 and then we can talk,’ and it’s like ‘f**k you, we’re not buying anyone.’ It’s a long journey from ‘yes, lets do it,’ to the moment the track is actually released and recorded. This is the business of motherf**kers. The whole entertainment business for some reason is full of assholes. I don’t mean that everyone in the business is an asshole, just that there are too many. And I’m not talking about musicians.”

wat c h n o w

‘Blood Magick Necromance’ @YouTube

“In Finland we support each other, in all these years I’ve helped a lot of bands with agents and record labels to give them opportunities to show what they can do.” But Toppinen says the music community is separate from the business, particularly in their home of Finland where unity has aided the success of the heavy music. “The metal community in Finland has always been strong. All the bands that came out of Finland were metal bands and that was encouraging for new kids to work hard. Everybody knows that if you want to be in a band and get into the music industry you need to work hard and be very motivated. In Finland we support each other, in all these years I’ve helped a lot of bands with agents and record labels to give them the opportunity to show what they can do.” A prolific songwriter, when asked if anything in particular motivates him to create music, Toppinen says nothing specific is wholly responsible. “The inspiration is constant. I can’t write because of ‘oh, the movie was so great.’ I think writing music is filtering your own experiences through your own personality – it can be from people, conversations, accidents – whatever. You experience, then you filter your experiences through your own personality and that’s what comes out. For me it’s impossible to separate where I get my inspiration from.” However, soon he’ll be keeping some of that creativity in check when Apocalyptica go on hiatus. “We’re going to have a one-year break. We’ve never had a proper break in the last 16 years. We have a lot of different plans for the next thing, but that’ll be worked out after the break.” First things first though, the band will embark on their first ever tour of Australia before their holiday commences. Having never graced our shores before, Toppinen is unsure of what to expect, but he knows what he’d prefer avoid. “Last year at Wacken [Open Air Festival] we were headlining and there were thousands of people, TV cameras and everything. After the third song, I broke my pants. I had some tricky moments trying to survive the rest of the gig. Luckily I play cello, so I hid behind it.” H

Belphegor For the past twenty years, Austrian axe grinder Helmuth has completely ignored musical trends and has to date delivered nine extreme metal masterpieces. words Fabio Marraccini

s he enters the studio to work on his tenth full-length album, the front man, growler, shredder, and only remaining founding member Belphegor takes some time off to talk about the band’s upcoming release, controversy and trends in music, and touring plans. Austrian axe grinder Helmuth and his crew Belphegor deliver a blend of death and black metal designed to please and shock in equal measures. When asked how he intends to top most recent album Blood Magick Necromance with their forthcoming record, Helmuth admits it may be a challenge. “It is getting harder and harder after nine full-lengths to come up with new arrangements. The master plan is always to top previous albums [because] people that support Belphegor deserve only the best music-wise – they’re the reason why we’re still here kicking arse.” The new record will have renowned musician Erik Rutan [Morbid Angel, Hate Eternal] at the helm as producer. “I’ve been in contact with Erik since around 2007. I’ve always wanted to record in the United States, but it didn’t work out before due to schedule conflicts. This time it finally worked. Erik is totally on top of his game and into it. I’m sure he’s going to make the album sound brutal. When people read this, we’ll have just tracked the drums and bass at Mana studios [St. Petersburg, Florida]. It’s going be an awesome experience. Extreme and raw European chaotic sound combined with a brutal American sound production – it’s the perfect combination.” Combination is not a new concept to Belphegor. Blending together two genres of metal marked by brutality and controversy – death and black metal – they pioneered so-called

‘blackened death metal,’ without ever having the intention of doing so. “We have nothing to do with this trendy blackened death metal term – on the contrary. We’ve just been doing our thing since 1993. It’s a symbiosis of brutal and raw death metal with blasting and haunting black metal.” During Belphegor’s almost twenty-year career, a lot has changed in the world of music. Back then, black and death metal were genres growing in the underground, while metal in general almost went into a coma – only emerging again after the turn of the century. “That didn’t affect us. We don’t play extreme music because its trendy or to shock Christians. We’re into it because we’re enemies of the cross. We are one of the only bands that have never followed any trends, changed their style drastically, or split up.” Shocking audiences and being controversial isn’t new to metal. From Venom to Deicide, metal has always been associated with controversy. According to Helmuth, that’s the way it has to be. “If metal isn’t controversial, it’s sheep music. Our attitude, our music, and our lyrics speak for themselves. No excuses to anyone – we are Belphegor and if you don’t like it then f**k you all.” Now basically a duo, with Serpenth on bass and backing vocals and hiring session musicians whenever needed live, when will Belphegor haunt our shores? “My health issues don’t allow intense touring in 2012. We’ll return to the stage in July. The new album should be finished by mid October. Soon there’ll be a few more shows announced. We have never shredded in Australia up to now, but we hope we’ll get to do that soon.” H

listen now

‘2010’ (featuring Dave Lombardo) @Myspace From their album 7th Symphony (2010)

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heavyfeature

PERIPHERY A little different, but still characteristically Periphery, the American progressive/djent masters return with their second album – and guitarist Jake Bowen signals a return to Australia on the back of its release. words Rod Whitfield

his six-piece from Maryland USA turned the world of progressive metal on its head in 2010 with their self-titled debut. The record set the bar higher for progressive acts the world over, with its insane musicianship and monumental production. And while the genre’s origins can be traced back well before their formation in 2005, Periphery have blazed the trail for the burgeoning ‘djent’ movement and have spawned literally dozens of imitators. Sophomore Periphery II has just been released worldwide and sees the band treading that fine line between breaking new ground and retaining their core sound. There’s just a touch more space in the songs, room for the instruments and vocals to breathe, as opposed to the frenzied, frenetic assault of their debut. At the same time, the record is no shrinking violet and still contains plenty of blistering

metal for progressive music fans to sink their teeth into. The affable Bowen agrees wholeheartedly with this appraisal. “I’m glad that you recognise that because that’s exactly what we were going for… the sweetest part of it is that you can still tell its Periphery. It still has that vibe – it still has its brutally heavy moments and its super melodic moments. I think you can really tell that it’s us – just a more refined version of us.” Bowen believes the subtle change was more of an instinctive evolution for the band than a conscious effort to make things more streamlined. “I think it just happened naturally from everybody contributing,” he admits, “a lot of the songs on the debut were written before I had joined the band… So by the time we’d gotten around to writing and recording for the first album, there was very little to be done. The songs were finalised, I wrote a couple of things, and that was about it. But with this one, every-

one just had months and years of riffs piled up and ready to go, so everyone was contributing and making this new sound happen.” Heading in this direction, Bowen is hopeful it will attract a new audience and still keep their existing admirers happy, although he stops short of confirming that this is the direction the band will continue in on future albums. “I think we can really reach a lot of people with this record, just because you can sing along to it, you can bob your head to it, you can hum the guitar parts, you can tap the drum beats, and it’s not alien. It’s a pretty comfortable record as far as it goes, sonically. [But] I don’t like to commit to any one thing – the next album could be totally different. I’m sure there’ll be elements, like on this album, that really makes it a Periphery sounding album, but it might be darker, it might be heavier, it might be more melodic, there might not be any screaming. We’re really open to everything and our fans need to understand that. We’re not going to totally fly off the deep end, we just do what we like to do at any given moment.” In their seven-year career, Periphery have already been to Australia twice, although the first time around they were more or less ‘tacked on’ to the front of a Dillinger Escape Plan/Maylene and the Sons of Disaster tour at the last moment. The second time round, mid 2011, was far more satisfying. They brought awesome UK djent metal act Tesseract with them and played full headlining sets, blowing minds across the nation. Bowen is confident they’ll return to our country on the new album’s tour cycle, although their current commitments across North America and Europe take up the rest of 2012. “We do all this business planning as a band, we sit down and look at the calendar and kind of plan out what we want to do and Australia’s always on the radar. It’s like ‘where are we going to fit Australia in?’ We love coming there, our fans are amazing and Australia’s an amazing country. I’d say definitely early to mid next year.” H

“We’re really open to everything and our fans need to understand that.” 58

aussie alternative

“I know what I hear, and I hear goodness,” enthuses guitar player Adam Hompas, expressing his early thoughts on the way the band’s sound was developing. That goodness can be heard on the band’s debut release of 2011, a six-track EP called Voices Unknown. Recorded at 2 Brothers Studio by Markus and Julian Meyer, the EP is an absolute progressive rock tour de force and has received widespread praise from critics. It’s in the live arena where this band shines brightest, however.

words Rod Whitfield

here’s a ridiculous amount of quality acts in Australian heavy alternative/progressive rock right now, and this Melbourne based five-piece is one of the absolute shining lights. Taking cues from heavyweights such as Karnivool, Tool, Soundgarden and more, Branch Arterial put themselves together in late 2009 and have impressed with their epic and powerful sound, memorable songs, precision and musicianship.

alternative action

Photo by Heidi Takla, Adelheide Photography

Branch Arterial T

The EP was launched to rapturous applause at a sold-out Gershwin Room at Melbourne’s world famous Esplanade Hotel – a gig that featured violinists, a percussion ensemble and a very special celebratory atmosphere – kickstarting the band’s reputation as a powerhouse, engaging live act. Having shared the stage with the likes of Dead Letter Circus,

Jericco, Sydonia and Twelve Foot Ninja, Branch Arterial never fail to impress with their dynamics and professionalism. Next up for the band is a single release entitled Faces, with an accompanying video and an Australia wide tour in support. It’s to be the first single from their debut album, which should see the light of day sometime in 2013. H

Sydney prog act Breaking Orbit’s debut drops this July. Lurching from soaring prog to ambient soundscapes and whimsical guitar lines just within the instrumental intro, you’ll hear touches of hard-edged progressive bands such as Dream Theater, Rush and Symphony X. There are also more classic prog moments – you can detect traces of Yes, King Crimson and early Genesis. You’ll get muscular percussive interludes and some world music influences. Stay tuned to their website for tour dates throughout August and September in support of the album. Perth’s finest Karnivool are currently working on a new album and DVD release for sometime in early 2013. Rob Maric, guitarist for Brisbane’s Dead Letter Circus, is taking a break from touring with the band for an indeterminate amount of time. He’s being relieved by Melodyssey guitarist Clint Vincent.

New heavy/alternative act Olmeg have just released their debut album SLAB. Check them out. Sydney alternative act The Hungry Mile have recently released a twotrack EP, with Cog and Floating Me’s Lucius Borich on drums. Sydney progressive rock outfit Neotokyo are putting the final touches on their soon-to-be-released debut EP. The band have also enlisted Lucius Borich to help out on drums.

sludgefactory.com.au

niiso photography

Melbourne djent-y progressive metal act Circles are currently in the studio recording their debut album and follow up to the incredible EP of last year, The Compass.

Sydney sludgy alternative band Lo! have begun work on the follow up to 2010’s Look and Behold, and will head to Europe for the first time later this year. If you would like some coverage for your band, release or news in The Aussie Alternative, please email Rod Whitfield at rodwhitfield@hotmail.com

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heavy culture

Rites of Passage

Tattoo Convention & Arts Festival 2012

After its debut in February 2011, the Rites of Passage Tattoo Convention & Arts Festival has already cemented it’s position as ‘the place’ to go and check out some of the world’s best tattooists in action. words Anthony Moore photos Jay Hynes and Anthony Moore

eld in one of Melbourne’s most iconic landmarks, the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton Gardens, between the 27-29 April, the festival showcased 123 Australian and 51 international tattoo artists. The focus was on diversity, with many different tattooing styles and techniques on display, including realism, neo-fantasy, tribal, and two traditional styles not usually seen in Melbourne – hand tattooing from Borneo that involves using two sticks and hammering ink into the skin, and the authentic Japanese Tebori, meaning ‘hand carved.’ As Horikazu from Japan explains, it‘s done “by stabbing the flesh with traditional tattooing equipment.” Ben Rorke (Westside Tattoo)

A highlight was US artist Jeff Gogue who held the seminar Tattoo As I See It. Gogue shared some ‘trade secrets’ he’d picked up over the course of his career, as well as his approach to design and the execution of his work. Malaysian tattooist Alvin Chong, well known for his realist style, was impressed. “That [was] a life changing experience for me – how he sees tattoo[ing] as a career and how to approach having this career. He said whatever you do, just do your best and be honest about it.“ Also on the program were the Australian Tattoo Industry Awards, the Face of Tiki Town Pinup competition, and cultural performances next to the Shrunken Head Tiki Bar (designed by creator of Melbourne’s LuWow bar) to finish off each day.

Layla Knight (Seventh Circle)

Deuce (Chapel Tattoo)

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GETTING INK DONE

Being tattooed at the convention is an amazing experience, but can also be a bit surreal. Whenever you get a tattoo a special bond is built with your tattooist and whether it’s a love or hate relationship is dependent on their skill and how well your new ink turns out. Luckily, at conventions like Rites of Passage, there’s an overload of talent to choose from. I first found out about Khan on the internet and was blown away by his natural ability. He’s well known for his realist style and eye for detail, tattooing amazing portraits that appear photographic. Many people came by to meet Khan personally and see his latest work under way – one guy had even followed him down from Sydney to get tattooed the next day. I’d sent Khan a message just to throw it out there that if he ever came over to Australia I’d love get tattooed by him. That was just before Rites of Passage 2011 – I’d been booked in for this year since then – and walk walking into the building toward Khan was just like catching up with an old friend. Being tattooed is quite personal, and experiencing it in such a public environment where hundreds of people are stopping to observe the process can be crazy. For some, an event makes for an even bigger adrenaline rush leading up to their tattoo, while others still like to create their own world and listen to music through headphones with their eyes closed while it’s underway. Personally, I enjoyed the interaction – the social aspect made for a greater experience. Sitting there in the chair for the entire day you get to know faces, hear stories, and share your own. Others would walk past every hour or two to check up on how my ink was coming along. If you’re a regular, you’ll undoubt undoubtedly recognise faces you met at the previous year’s event.

Khan: TaTToo guru Looking through photos of Khan’s work, it’s clear he was always destined to be an artist of some form, though it’s when you meet him and see his work up close that you really learn to appreciate just what an amazing artist he is. Born in South Korea, Khan moved to Japan at 29, studying to become an architect. Then one day, after seeing tattoo’s on the Yakuza, he had a revelation. “It was amazing art, so that’s why I changed my dream, to be a tattoo artist.” Most tattooists seem to begin their career as an apprentice in a shop, learning from a mentor, but Khan had his own unique approach. He maintains that he practiced tattooing on himself, gesturing to artwork all over his arms, legs, and stomach. “I’m Korean and I didn’t have any friends in Tokyo, so I [taught] myself… It took six months to make everything, and then I opened my shop,” he explains laughing, realising just how crazy it sounds out loud. It was his drive and self-belief that

kept him going. Khan admits that he didn’t have a customer for the first six months and then if that wasn’t pressure enough, his first client was a member of the Yakuza – traditional Japanese organised crime. Was he nervous? “Yeah, it’s the Yakuza!” Khan’s unconventional method of mastering his dream, along with a background in design, helped him become the perfectionist he is today. Initially starting out doing traditional Japanese styles, after 11 years of tattooing Khan is regarded as one of the world’s best in the styles of realism and neo-fantasy. Khan likes to watch others tattoo and create art, drawing inspiration from his peers like Nikko Hurtado (US), Alex Binnie (UK) and Philip Leu (Switzerland). One artist in particular really stood out for him, influencing his transition to realism. “I am inspired by Nick Baxter because when I changed my style to realistic his art

was very good study for my work.” Khan spends a lot of his time travelling and customers often follow him just to guarantee a booking. It was attending the Rites of Passage festival in Australia for the first time last year that led Khan to change his plans of moving to New York – desiring to relocate here instead. “The best thing is the Australian people. They’re very friendly – I can relax. [There’s] warm weather and a good economy… that’s very important,” he laughingly admits. While Khan gets to see a lot of the world with his art, meet new people and catch up with old friends, it’s still illegal to tattoo in his birthplace, South Korea. You actually need a medical license to practice as a tattoo artist, but as Khan points out, with a big smile, “it’s stupid, because if we [had] a medical license we’d be a doctor.” While it’s also still that way in Japan, it seems the law often looks the other way. “It’s illegal, but they know it’s part of Japanese culture.” Rites of Passage is an apt name for this festival. Not only for those seeking out tattoos to symbolise reaching milestones or commemorating occasions, but also for liberated tattoo artists like Khan. – Anthony Moore

Khan, with Alex Binnie’s ‘Khan’ woodcut print (supplied courtesy of Outré Gallery)

ARTISTS’ PHILOSOPHY Khan (Japan) “I always try to chat as long as I can with my client to understand their opinion about their tattoo before I start. That’s very important, because they will have the tattoos.” Nick Baxter (USA) “I practice what I have come to call a ‘holistic’ approach, which aims to

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wiTh Karnivool’s jon sToCKman

integrate all aspects of my artistic and conceptual knowledge into the technical aspects of the craft of tattooing.” Alvin Chong – Art Of Alvin (Malaysia) “Tattooing or painting, I’m a perfectionist – nothing is good enough for me. That’s why I always tell myself to improve on a daily basis. Today is better than yesterday, but tomorrow is even better.” Raph – Skintastic (QLD) “Never get too stressed. I spent a long time stressing over work. This is not healthy. You need to find the balance between fun and being professional.” Horikazu (Japan) “To keep on improving my skills, to never stop learning and to have a spirit of a scholar at all times in order to make sound progress one step at a time.”

Jack – Jack Tattooing (Italy) “Tattooing for me is more about people than art. I consider myself more a craftsman than an artist. I like to spend time listening to my customers, knowing what they want on their skin and working to give them the best.” Ron Earhart – Analog Tattoo (USA) “Be passionate about what you do and the rewards of that passion will come to you.” Sam Arrowsmith – Mooloolaba Ink (QLD) “Work hard. You won’t progress unless you continuously push yourself. I try to paint as much as possible outside of tattooing. And be humble about everything you do.” Jubly Umph – Vendor (VIC) “If you are going to make it, then make it shiny!” H

Traditional entrants

Scouring the internet, I ended up redirected to some celebrity tattoo photo gallery. Next thing, I found myself on the website looking at similar photo galleries of haircuts and whatnot, all the while wondering whether anything was sacred anymore. There’s something bizarre about going to the trouble of having something tattooed on your skin as a fashion gimmick. For so many people, tattoos generally mean so much more on a personal level, yet here I was seeing an abundance of visually tasteless, generic body art that probably had less time spent on it than it takes to wipe your ass – with only marginally better results. Attitudes towards tattoos have changed remarkably over the ages. Tattoos have some of their earliest origins in many cultures and were used for marking symbols of power on shamans, badges of honour on warriors, and even for branding criminals as outcasts. Nowadays, they’re much more common and can be used to signify anything – it’s definitely crossed a boundary to be an acceptable form of expression. I don’t really know why seeing these pictures seemed to strike the sour note with me the way it did, particularly because I don’t have any tats. I wouldn’t hesitate to get one – except I’ve never found anything I really want as a permanent addition to my body. I have a huge amount of respect for their permanency, and I guess it hit a nerve observing peopled getting them for something as fleeting as fashion. But so what? Just because I uphold that ideal doesn’t mean that anyone else should. I think the tattooed self-portrait Steve-o from Jackass had drawn on his back was pretty funny, and that was hardly rooted in some deep personal connection Steve-O had to,

uh… himself. I guess your skin is yours to ink, but isn’t branding skin for the sole purpose of image – tell tale signs are tattoos misspelled in a language the owner can’t speak anyway – diluting the importance tattoos hold for people who possess them for heartfelt reasons? It gives the people at epicfail.com some new material to work with, but it still makes me wince. It’s a mistake made by multiple celebrities. I do like the way Rhianna, Lindsay Lohan, and Lily Allen all have the same ‘Shhh…’ tattooed on their fingers – obviously a coincidence. But I was really taken aback when I noticed that musicians are now tattooing their own fashion labels onto their skin. Sure, bands are businesses – I could understand if Kerry Packer had a tattoo of World Series Cricket on his bum – he built it the ground up. But I doubt anyone would see it, which is my point. Using your body as an advertising medium for financial gain is low. Combine with steroids and you have the ultimate human fail. – Jon Stockman

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industry insight

Dito Godwin regular expert columnist Dito Godwin’s 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 is 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!

ere’s the scenario: you (and/or your band mates) have just completed your recording project. You’ve spent all your money (or someone else’s money) and have no idea what to do next. How do you get your music out there? How do you get a gig? Back in the day there was no internet so we promoted in person. We would see who was playing at the good clubs on a weekend and hand out fliers with the dates, venues and times of our gigs to all who would take them. Not to sound chauvinistic, but having a hot girl handing out fliers is better then using your bass player. Even today the in-person touch works well. You can buy radio time late at night for very little money. Drive-time radio is expensive and most of the people you want to reach are listening to the radio late at night, driving home from the clubs etc. Bands can buy 30 and 60 second spots – it’s easy to put these together. Go to a production studio (or do it at home) and record several ten-second segments of your songs, then the radio station will tag the last few seconds with when and where you’re playing. Of course there’s social networking online, but unless you have a large following that isn’t guaranteed to work. The best way to get invited back to a club you have already played is to make a great impression on the club owner. Nothing makes a club owner happier than good attendance – it helps if the band is good as well, but money is money. Every gig

Necessity is the mother of invention, so if you feel it’s necessary to get your band’s name out there, then get creative and DIY!

should be treated like the gig of a lifetime. Bring as many people as you can and tell your friends they must bring as many of their friends as they can. Don’t let up for a second – friends, family, strangers, the homeless, the crazy – get people to your gigs. Remember you get out what you put in. Just in case you’re thinking about signing with a booking agency let me give you the 411 on that. Agents make their money on commission, in most cases between ten and 20 per cent of gross monies. Case in point, unless you’re making good money the agent will make between very little and nothing – hardly worth their time. Once you start packing the clubs the agents will come to you like flies around you know what. As most of you know a great way to make money at a gig is through merchandise – CDs, t-shirts, lighters, posters and a big seller (I’m sharing this secret with you) laminated backstage passes even if there is no backstage. Remember that good-looking girl handing out your fliers? Well she should be selling your merchandise as well. If this were easy there’d be a lot more successful bands than there are, but I did it this way and got signed twice, toured the world, and had the time of my life. You can too. H email dito godwin now

dito@heavymag.com.au

touring etiquette 101 G’day HEAVY readers. Here we’re going to cover a few lurks and perks of a professional working band. By professional I don’t necessarily mean you make a living from it. Most metal bands, even signed touring acts, work a day job when they’re not on the road – we do it because we love it. By professional I mean as a musician and a band you take it seriously. I love playing live and touring. The energy of performing a live show is an addiction in itself. But what separates the men from the boys in the band world is the time and money invested in your instruments, and of course, the music you create. Conducting yourselves in a professional manner is a great skill to add to

the bundle. Promoters, venues, punters, fans and other bands on the bill will have nothing but good things to say about your band and most likely welcome you back if you follow a few simple guidelines I like to call band etiquette. Let’s go back to that word professional. When playing a show, whether it’s on tour or local, it’s important to be punctual. Most promoters will send you a worksheet or at least contact you with the information a week or more before the show. Some don’t, but most do. The worksheet should show your load in details, set start and finishing times, and a running order. If load in is between six and seven, be there with your gear between six and seven. Don’t roll up with noth-

ing and expect people to lend you their gear unless you’ve prearranged it. It’s the age of smart phones people, c’mon. Make sure you’re well rehearsed. If your set time is 40 minutes with a 15-minute changeover either side, make it happen. If you need more time to set up, play fewer songs. No one likes the band that holds up the night – don’t be that band. A good band will time their set when they rehearse and know their shit. Factor in crowd interaction as part of your set time and make a set list that is a few minutes less than your allotted time, just in case. Anything can happen up there. It also helps if you have everything ready to go as soon as the previous band has finished. A quick changeover is a good changeover.

Most importantly, as individuals within a band, your actions and words reflect the entire band. Don’t be a dick. Treat people how you would want to be treated – save the ego for the stage. Accept compliments gracefully and respect your fans. It’s not hard to have a chat to someone who genuinely loves your music. They’re the reason you’re here and they are the key to gaining more fans. More fans mean more shows/ tours, which means more fun for you and your band, and after all playing heavy metal is fun. So there you have it. Band Etiquette 101 for dummies. Those few things we covered make all the difference. To sum it up nicely, have fun, be cool and keep it brutal! – Todd Hansen

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Dave ‘Higgo’ Higgins Triple M’s Dave ‘Higgo’ Higgins is paving the way for metal and hard rock on commercial radio with his show Distortion. Passionate about the local scene, discovering new bands, and above all heavy music, it was a long way to the top for Higgo but he now enjoys advocating for Aussie metal on air. words Olivia Reppas

iggo pitched the idea for Distortion after noticing the success of heavy programs on community radio. “We were missing a huge chunk of what the community wants. Even though it’s a niche crowd, it’s definitely a passionate, vocal group of people and I thought, ‘I want to service them as best I can.’ I put the idea forward and [Triple M] said, ‘yep, you can have 40 minutes.’ The response was great and the boss was overwhelmed. He said, ‘if you can get 1000 followers you can have an hour,’ and that happened in about two hours… I get a lot of emails from shift-workers who say it just breaks up the night.” Programing the show himself, Higgo takes advantage of the opportunity to promote up-andcoming acts and uncover musical gems otherwise hidden from the limelight. “The whole thing is a one-man operation. I go through bands, fans, and passionate people requesting certain bands. I just want to get [bands] out there… ones who really need the leg up.” Higgo emphasises the importance of supporting new acts and cultivating local scenes. “My friends and I were in bands together stemming from high school and we loved going to live gigs. You meet with like-minded people. I think that was the big thing, it becomes this close-knit community... When I started [my previous job] at Fox I did a show called Australian First, which was all Aussie music. It was really an important thing for me to stay local. It’s my way of giving back a

little bit – over so many years it’s given me so much. Going to gigs you see people work so hard for so little just because they love it. I want to try and help them along as much as I can.” Higgo says often people neglect local music due to a misperception

the quality of music that’s been coming out [of Australia] has been incredible. Bands are just blowing my mind.” Conscious of division in the heavy music scene, Higgo’s program groups a variety of genres under the one heavy umbrella in an attempt to unite the heavy community and expose listeners to new material. “I’ve never understood why there’s this in-fighting. We’re all in the one community – we all need to support each other. Why does it exist? You don’t see it in pop music. People who like pop love all of it, they don’t go, ‘Oh, I like Pink but I don’t like Lady Gaga.’ It just

that international scenes produce higher quality. “It’s drummed into people with the publicity that is attached to international bands. You get told that ‘this’ band is great in reviews, the paper, or on TV and radio – but it doesn’t actually mean they’re great. There are so many unbelievably talented musicians here and great bands that people need to see… Since the start of the show,

doesn’t translate to me. That’s why I’ve done a hard rock/metal show. Soundwave do it, they give you the opportunity to see everything from Cherry Bomb right through to Slayer and Watain. Hopefully the show can open doors for people to respect and enjoy other music. That’s the cool thing as well, the feedback you get is, ‘I didn’t know about these guys until I heard them on the show.’ Then I know my job is

Higgo’s Distortion airs on Triple M every Saturday night from 12am. triplem.com.au/melbourne/shows/distortion

done as far as I’m concerned.” So how can others break into the radio industry? Higgo says it’s all about hard work, patience, and grabbing each and any opportunity by the balls. “I did it through a radio school, it was just a crash course in radio. It really brings you up to speed with what to expect. Then just get a demo and get it out there. I sent out 42 demos and cold-called stations around the country, from the smallest places to the bigger ones, and just kept following up feedback to see what I needed to improve. Once I got a job – it was to write ads in Lithgow in NSW – I thought ‘I’m going to do it because it’s a foot in the door’… I wasn’t too proud to say ‘it’s not an announcing job so I won’t do it.’ I did that, got some announcing experience, and then sent off more demos to other people. Once you get more experience it becomes easier – you know what to expect and what to send to people. You’ve got to start at the bottom – you’ve got to get in there and then slowly, slowly work up. I took every opportunity they threw at me. I moved interstate and moved 13 times in three years just to get that next step. You’re going to get knockbacks and get told you’re no good. I got told in WA that I was never going to make it in a capital city.” But eventually his hard work paid off and Higgo hit the jackpot – presenting while fostering his passion for metal. “I’ve always been a fan of hard rock and metal. I was working at Fox for years and when I started at Triple M it was a good opportunity for me to expand on what I enjoy doing and the music I like. I’d been in Austereo for a bit over ten years – I’d done breakfast fill-in shows for the network, to the Hot 30 nationally, but most of the time was on the Fox side of things. Then I got asked to head over to Triple M and I jumped at it. You hear real guitars, real drums, real bass, and real vocals – basically non-manufactured bands. I like real music, that’s why I did it.” H

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industry insight

visit now

Jay collier photography @Facebook

Jay Collier Photography

From thrashing it out as the bassist with extreme metallers Flesh Mechanic, to touring Africa taking stunning shots of wild animals that could eat you whole, music and photography has kept Jay Collier busy over the years. words Mark Lennard photos Jay Collier

ay has magnificently captured the devastating beauty and tragedy of the African landscape and wildlife, and while at home in Australia has shot some of heavy music’s biggest names. “I first started shooting in high school and found my feet early on, knowing exactly what I wanted to shoot – live music and wildlife. Music came first for me – I spent many years shooting the local metal and hardcore scenes and touring in my own band Flesh Mechanic. I had my first major break shooting music in 1998 for Vans Warped Tour shooting Deftones, Pennywise and Suicidal Tendencies among others and

have since gone on to shoot just about every major tour that hits our shores. Progressing from only music, I’ve been photographing African wildlife professionally since 2004 and leading photographic tours in Africa since 2009. My work has appeared in several major Australian and international magazines including Africa Geographic as well as being used in advertising campaigns by leading companies such as Canon.” Collier’s passion for his craft has taken him to places that many of us will never see and has given him close up access to bands we can only dream of meeting. “I usually travel twice a year to Africa and so far my work has taken me to Botswana, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe and several loca-

mike patton

tions around Australia. When I’m not shooting in the wild or at a concert, I manage Canon Professional Services for Canon Australia. Since the early days I have gone on to shoot many bands

James Hetfield

including Metallica, the Dillinger Escape Plan, Meshuggah, Devin Townsend, Gojira, Mastodon, Slipknot, Soundgarden, Mike Patton, The Mars Volta, U2, Deftones, Alice Cooper, Brutal Truth, Sevendust, Devil Driver, Stone Sour, Primus, Slash, One Day As A Lion, Queens Of The Stone Age, Rob Zombie, Ill Nino, 36 Crazy Fists, CKY, Hell Yeah, Shadows Fall, Coal Chamber, Lamb Of God, Machine Head and many others.” With a repertoire of bands that’s forever growing with every major tour that blazes through Australia, is there anyone Collier would consider a dream shoot, a band he could check off the bucket list? “I’ve been lucky enough to shoot most of them already, but a clear highlight was being employed by Meshuggah as their photographer during their recent shows in Sydney for Soundwave. The one band I’d have to say is at the top of my list that I haven’t shot would be Faith No More. I missed shooting their reunion tour in 2009, as it was the same day as my first wedding anniversary – the things we do for love – and I chose to just see the show and get sunburnt to hell at Soundwave instead.”

Meshuggah

masters of merch HEAVY hassled the talented Dan McDougall from AnD printing to crawl out of the dark and highly flammable confines of his warehouse to give us some insight on the world of screen printing.

The live music photography scene can be brutally competitive, nigh on ruthless in the massive US and European markets, but Collier says it’s a different cup of tea here in Australia and there weren’t many other artists to bounce off when he came up. “It’s a very small scene here in Australia when it comes to music photographers and even smaller when you narrow it down to just metal. I guess if there’s anyone who has done it better and longer than anyone, someone I can honestly say inspired me when I first started back in ’98, [it] would have to be the legendary Bob King [bobking.com.au].” For budding photographers out there who aspire to capture the raw energy and spontaneity of a live metal show, Collier provides these pearls of wisdom. “Don’t shoot for free. If you start for free you set the benchmark for the value of your work moving forward, and it further damages an industry that is hard enough to get a start in to begin with. You should trust in yourself and the quality of your work from the start if you plan to make a career in photography. Your quickest exit from the live music scene is to not respect it and shoot for free. Respect the scene, respect the fellow photographers, respect the rules in the pit and you’ll be fine. It’s often more your attitude that gets you work as there are many others in line looking to be in your shoes.” Any tips on shooting quality images? “Taking a great image is all about pushing yourself and your own style. It makes no difference

what camera you use and there’s no point copying anyone’s work or ideas. Just keep pushing to create something new and something better.” The year is at the halfway point and the winter chill is setting in. With the summer festivals and therefore photo opportunities still some months away, what does Jay Collier Photography have planned for the near future? “I will be in Namibia most of July and South Africa in September, but for the long term, who knows? I’ll keep pushing myself to be open to as many opportunities as I can in music, my wildlife photography, and escorted tours. I don’t tend to plan too far ahead, and I really focus on the now – putting out the best work I can rather than use up my energy on blue-sky thinking. Opportunities come and go all the time, so sometimes it’s better to just roll with what happens, and, who knows, I may even end up shooting bands for HEAVY.” H

Who are AnD? AnD t-shirt printing and merchandise are a Melbourne based company that supply all kinds of merch products. We’ve created a service that understands bands’ needs, such as fast turnaround for last minute shows, small minimum quantities, and cheap prices. Most of all we provide great customer service, because we know exactly how bands work and think. How long has the business been running and which metal/rock royalty have you serviced? I started in 2004 and have printed for so many Aussie bands it’d fill the page. To name – Psycroptic, Blood Duster, Alchemist, Truth Corroded, Double Dragon, Frankenbok, Resist The Thought, Make Them Suffer, Alarum, Dreadnaught, Voyager, Ne Obliviscaris, 4arm, Lord and Hobbs Angel Of Death. Plus, we’ve serviced overseas bands such as Brutal Truth, Malevolent Creation, Hate Eternal, Fozzy, Argument Soul. I’m really stoked to be doing Goatwhore’s merch as well. Two of the members were in bands that I grew up worshipping [Acid Bath and Soilent Green] so it’ll be an honour. Are there any other highlights that bring a smile to your face? There have been a few, the best one in terms of killer artwork was for Melbourne thrash metal band Elm Street. The artwork for their new album and shirt was created by Ed Repka, who’s a classic thrash metal artist – his most famous client would be Megadeth. Getting to print one of his designs was an honour. What turned you on to screenprinting? Tumbleweed had awesome tee designs they used to sell in the back of Hot Metal Magazine back in the early ’90s and I loved Lenny Curly’s [guitar] style of pen and ink drawing. Because I didn’t have much money, I wanted to make my own Tumbleweed shirt. It was a pretty pathetic effort, but after that I wanted to learn more about it so I could make better ones. I’ve also always loved metal shirts – the first one I ever got was a Poison t-shirt when I

was eight years old. I just love the art that goes into it – it’s so much more fun printing bad-arse metal shirts than corporate logos. How important is merchandise as part of any business’ marketing plan? Merch is now more important than ever before, more important than selling music. You get paid f**k all for doing gigs due to the sheer volume of bands. There’s so much entertainment competition today, so you need to sell merch at shows to make money. The other main reason it’s so important these days is that you can’t download a free t-shirt. A lot of bands now sell an album shirt and album combo to encourage fans to buy the record instead of getting it for free, which is a smart move. You named Ed Repka as an inspirational artist, are you influenced by anybody else? I don’t really have any influences in what I do. I’ve always just done my own thing and don’t really keep up with what other people are doing. I am inspired though by a lot of young kids who start their own clothing labels and younger bands that are coming up, they are very smart when it comes to their merch and its importance and there are a lot of great young designers out there doing some killer work. A lot of older bands could learn a thing or two from how the kids operate in the field of merch, but a lot of kids could learn a thing or two from their elders about other aspects of being in a band. What lies ahead for AnD? We’re finally making the step forward into the high end of the market and will be going after large-scale work from fashion labels, big overseas touring acts, and more corporate work. But we’ll never stop providing a service to the independent bands and small businesses of Australia. The Aussie music scene has been in my life since I was 14 years old and probably will be to the day I die. I’m very proud that we’ve created something that’s now an integral part of the Aussie independent music scene. – Sheri Tantawy

Scan here to watch Dan at work and see how it happens.

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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

Art of the self-release

With the available technology that’s out there, self-releasing an album has become more popular than ever.

aving guided young bands and spoken with veterans in the industry they all agree that it’s more important than ever to do DIY. Lots of industry people will tell you that the marketing power of the record industry is needed to be truly successful, however, you will have to sacrifice all your rights to the record label and it could be the end of your band before it even begins. Self-releasing an album you will not only own the rights to your music, but you can make more money, selling less, based on the percentages.

RecoRding

With so many artists recording their own music on a laptop with Protools, it’s easy to record an EP or album. If you do not have the knowledge or skills to do this, definitely speak with small independent studios – they will be willing to work with great young artists. I know some incredible engineers who have written great DIY articles for the Metalluminati. They all suggest these essentials: • Practice your songs to a click track repeatedly.

• Have pre-production meetings to plan a concise production schedule. • Ask questions and learn from the experience in the studio. • Have a spokesperson that speaks for the band and can make decisions (to act as the producer). • Have one studio mix it and a different studio master it.

MaRketing

One mistake I notice repeatedly with young bands is they release the music right away. This is something you definitely don’t want to do. There’s a reason movies and music are finished months before they are released – you want to build buzz about it. Have a market marketing plan for releasing your album – the whole band has to be on board for this. Have someone in the band shooting HD video of you in the studio for some studio diaries. Also, have a music video finished and ready to go before the release date. Once the recording is done and ready to go a great thing to do is set up a MusicSubmit account. It’s basically a nice electronic press kit that will send your music to 400 radio stations and news sites. The great thing about MusicSubmit is

that the 400 outlets are required to at least give your music a listen. The stations and blogs will then ask you for permission to play your music or a physical CD to be sent to them if they like it. Another great perk, having used MusicSubmit, is that you will get great contacts. A lot of the stations and sites will want to do interviews if they like the music. Next, get your music set up with either Tunecore or 101Distro and you will have your music both physically distributed (Amazon Physical) and digitally distributed on the web really cheaply. If you want to go the Radiohead model you can set up a Bandcamp and set the site up for donations so punt punters can download the songs for free. Either way, having your music available in every outlet possible is the key to reaching every fan. Regardless of what you use, this will provide links and data for you to understand your fans and obtain market research. Once you have all of these marketing stages ready to go you’ll want to release ‘teasers’ along the way. A good plan is to have 8–12 weeks from finish of the album/EP to release. Plan out your ‘teasers’ wisely to build up

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.

buzz for your release. Release in studio videos early in the market marketing campaign, release short pieces of the first single via video from each of the members of the band afterwards, then release a single, the music video and finally the full release on the decided release date.

cd launch

Choosing an appropriate venue is essential for your CD release show. A lot of bands want to choose a big venue, but I’d suggest having the show in a venue that is smaller. Would you rather have your show at a venue that holds 500 and you draw 250, or a location that holds 200 and there’s a line to get in? Perception is everything, and if your show is packed wall to wall in a smaller venue your fans will remember how packed and crazy it was, rather than how empty. H

strings & skins guitar

Aussie metal axe-wielders Peter Hodgson tiPs His Hat at some of our best sHredders

ustralia has given the world its fair share of great guitarists (and we’ve borrowed a few from other countries, too). There’s something about Australia’s geographical isolation and relative aversion to just following trends, which seems to breed innovative, distinctive guitarists. There are plenty of great Aussie metal shredders out there, but here are a few to check out.

adaM agiuS & Roy toRkington

Guitar duo the mighty Alchemist kept the flame burning for progressive metal even during the dour ’90s when it wasn’t cool. Alchemist’s guitar approach is often textural, always innovative, and serves as a great foundation for the various styles and sounds explored during the course of a typical Alchemist gig such as death metal, eastern, Aboriginal, progressive rock, psychedelic and sci-fi. Those who were around the thriving Canberra metal scene of the late ’90s will recall many great gigs by Alchemist – such as the time they supported the Screaming Jets and brought their own packed audience who cleared out before the Jets. With Alchemist on indefinite hiatus, Adam Agius has a new project the Levitation Hex with Alarum bassist/vocalist Mark Palfreyman.

loRd tiM

Lord Tim founded power metallers Dungeon in 1989 and led the band through six albums and a live DVD, as well as a triumphant tour with Megadeth in 2005. Since then, he’s been cutting heads and kicking arse in Lord, a melodic metal band who continues the legacy of Dungeon while also playing Tim’s originals. Lord’s most recent release, 2009’s Set in Stone, features guest appearances by Dio’s Craig Goldy, Eidolon’s Glen Drover [ex-Megadeth], Harem Scarem’s Pete Lesperance, Angra’s Felipe Andreoli, Vanishing Point’s Chris Porcianko, Platinum Brunette’s Justin Sayers, Chris Brooks, and Tim’s old Dungeon band mate Stu Marshall. Tim’s guitar style is pretty wild and energetic, and his more textural side is explored in his covers such as Kylie Minogue’s On A Night Like This.

Stu MaRShall

Marshall initially rose to shred prominence as a member of Sydney power metal band Dungeon (anyone who saw them support Megadeth on the Blackmail the Universe tour can attest to Marshall’s flawless fretboard skills). He founded Pain

Division in 2005, and in 2007 released a solo album called Altered States. He can also be found shredding up a storm in Empires of Eden, whose latest release Channeling the Infinite features Udo Dirkschneider [Accept], Rob Rock [Impellitteri], Ronnie Munroe [Metal Church] and many more.

some amazing Faith No Moremeets-Zappa progressive metal.

chRiS Szkup

Szkup is one of those rare guitarists who’s simply unable to play anything that sounds bad. His debut album Pieces of Eternity was released in 2009 and features moments reminiscent of Marty Friedman’s Scenes solo album, as well as melodic rock, crunchy post-thrash rhythm guitar, lyrical melodicism and even some almost Alice in Chains-like grind. Szkup’s current project is The Feckers (with Richard Anderson), whose cover of the Iron Maiden classic Wasted Years serves as a great warm-up for their forthcoming album, It’d Be Rude Not To.

Michael katSeloS John SandeRS

Also known by his shred-deplume Doug Steele, Sanders is an absolute monster on the seven-string guitar with incredible speed and accuracy as well as a damn fine vibrato. But part of what makes Steele such a kick-arse player is his personality and sense of humour. The dude brings ridiculous amounts of energy to his playing and isn’t afraid to perform. Steele currently plays in Alarum where the more progressive elements of his style get a real workout. In fact, Alarum has always featured stellar guitar playing and probably deserve a guitar article of their own. Sanders has also helped up-and-coming shred lords get some stage and jam experience in the form of Guitar Fight Club. Also, check out his band Flatstick (with his late friend Gary McKay) for

Katselos first made a name for himself by getting to the national final of the National Rebel Yell Bourbon Guitar Challenge on two occasions. After that he put his shredding skills to fine use on tour with the Australian Bon Jovi show, Keep The Faith. He then founded his own guitar hero tribute band, Time Machine, which played the songs of dudes like Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. For a while he held down the coveted second guitar chair in Fozzy with Chris Jericho and Rich Ward. These days he can be heard riffing and shredding in the mighty Segression and is a regular at the NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) trade show in LA where he demos Krank amps. H

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strings & skins bass

Winter warm-ups W

inter has arrived, and what better time to sit at home on those cold evenings and practise your playing? This issue I thought I’d give some examples of some great warm-up and strengthening exercises I use and also a couple of chords. As a rule, practise and playing should be split about 50/50 time wise. Treat your practise time like going to the gym. Metal bass lines can be extremely demanding physically, so having your hands and arms in shape is very important. These exercises should all be played with a metronome at vary varying tempos (60bpm-120bpm). Nothing is gained by practising fast – accuracy and consistency is the goal. Let’s begin…

exercise 1

This riff pedals off the E string and uses different groupings of notes from the C scale to embellish and push the underlying riff. Lines like this work well under long-held guitar chords or played in unison with the guitar.

exercise 2

In this example the bass plays a constant galloping feel on the 1st and 3rd beat, while the 2nd and 4th beats have 16th note embellishments. The variations are endless for this feel – it’s a great line for when you need to play complexly while still maintaining a solid pulse along with the drums.

exercise 3

A line like this is useful for breaks and bridges. The bass still lays out the one, reinforced with an octave, and the later half of the bar is decorated with melodic lines that weave from one chord into the next.

exercise 4

This is a fast run based loosely around E minor. Practice it slowly at first, getting used to move-

ments in your left hand. Getting your chops up is important – even though the majority of time you will be holding down the groove, if you do get a chance to solo, why not go absolutely nuts with it? To get the full benefit of these riffs and techniques, change them around and make your own variations with them. So until next time, keep practising, and most importantly, have fun. Rock on. H

photo by shadowzone photography

cold climate essentials with drew dedman

strings & skins drums

Anchors Away

wat c h n o w

exercise demonstrations @Heavymag.com.au

rob brens metal marathon part two

ello there, folks! If your forearms look like your calf muscles, your calf muscles look like basketballs and you’ve got one angry girlfriend, then you’ve been doing a smashing job of following my previous two entries. Last issue I dished out a few exercises just to get those hands and feet moving and give those muscles a good work out. But so far this only gives us the ingredients. Let’s take a look at some recipes, that is to say, some ways of actually utilising some of this stuff. One of the things I’ve discov discovered over the years is that a vast majority of issues that crop up in peoples’ playing is related to coordination as opposed to speed and endurance. When the time is taken to make sure all the pieces fit, not only does it give your playing a wonderful clarity, but everything becomes more relaxed as your limbs are no longer fighting against each other. This could be that extra boost you’ve been looking for without having to change your clothes after a practice session, or forking out for your fourth set of pedals because ‘this one actually works.’

the fact that triplets are an odd grouping, so a different foot lands on the pulse each time. As a side note, you’ll notice how much easier playing 16th notes becomes when introducing triplets into your playing. A good way to lock this down is to start with triplets on the feet and play quarter notes with the hands on the snare. You can switch up the hand pattern if you want to challenge yourself, for example going from RLRL to RRLL or RLRR LRLL (remember these?). Once again, listen for that flaming sound and focus on which foot is going to land at the same time as the snare drum. This then moves into a time pattern with the hi-hat and snare. Stops and starts – one of the most common problems I notice plaguing double bass players is the stops and starts. I’ve heard play players with unbelievably precise rolls with their feet that kick off a little bit rough or come a bit unstuck towards the end. But let’s get real,

this is not an easy thing to master, it’s like driving at 100 miles an hour and trying to stop on a dime.

exercise 3

I’ve adapted this from an old warm up exercise to help clean things up a little. You can kill many birds with one stone with this one as it also functions as an awesome blast beat variation. First of all, the first bar has 16th notes on the feet, eighth notes on the snare and quarter notes on the hi-hat. Use the same process as exercise one to get everything lined up, that is, using the right foot as an anchor. You want to focus on the snare drum and right foot lining up exactly. This is enough of a challenge, but why stop there? This then moves into the hands playing 16th notes on the snare drum, however the feet now move to playing eighth notes underneath. Here, the alternating kick drum pattern should line up with your right hand. You can move the hands around the toms for an added challenge, or

add repetitions to each bar to build endurance. If you’re finding this difficult then you should be excited at the thought of how much tighter your playing is going to sound. Try to bear this in mind when grinding away at slower tempos. There’s no big secret to getting new material down. If something is challenging, slow it down as much as needed and once it’s falling into place, repetition, repetition, repetition! That’s it. All you’re doing is giving your brain the chance to catch up with your hands. Work with your brain, not against it and you’ll reap the rewards. There’s a million and one ways of approaching coordination and sometimes it can be as simple as taking songs that you’re working on, spending time finding out where the hands and feet land together and making sure it’s all locked. I think you’ll be startled by the amount of freedom you’ll have in your play playing just by dedicating more time to using brains instead of brawn. H

metal marathon (part two) A Beginnner’s Guide to Metal Drumming by Rob Brens

exercise 1

This is a good tester to see how well things are lining up. The first bar involves playing just the right foot to make sure it’s lining up with the hands. Listen closely to the snare to make sure there’s no flaming (you’ll hear it if the kick and snare aren’t lining up properly). Putting your focus on the right foot against the hands acts as an excellent anchor when trying to keep everything locked together.

exercise 2

This shows an example of playing double bass where the left foot becomes involved in anchoring. Triplet feels are just as common in metal so they need to be addressed and they often come unstuck much more easily. This is due to

Dotted Lines with Amanda Mason, Dwyer & Co. Solicitors

Copyright: The Basics I f you’re an artist of any kind, musician or otherwise, it’s good to know your rights in relation to your creative work, and how to best protect it. This article will provide the basics about copyright and the protection granted in Australia under the Copyright Act 1968. What is copyright? Copyright is the collection of rights automatically obtained by the owner of a work protected by copyright. Copyright owners have exclusive rights to do certain things, or prevent others from doing so, such as publishing, reproducing, performing, or adapting work. What works are protected by copyright? The Copyright Act provides protection for many original, creative endeavours including musical, artistic, literary and dramatic works, films, sound recordings, broadcasts and even computer programs. Who owns copyright? The copyright owner is usually the person who created the work. However, the creator can enter into an agreement that grants another person ownership. This commonly occurs if work is commissioned – the creator and the commissioner will agree that the commissioner owns the copyright of the work – or as a term of employment, if producing copyright work is part of an employee’s job. A copyright owner can also assign their copyright to someone else or leave it under their will. Who owns copyright in music? Music is an area that can be a confusing because there are three separate copyrights. The lyrics are considered a literary work, the melody a musical work, and the recording a sound recording. Once recorded, the recorder has their own specific copyright in the recording, but does not have any rights in relation to lyrics or melody. This is often seen when a band enters a record deal and agrees to allow the record company to own rights in the master record-

ing. The songwriters retain the copyright in the songs, but the record company owns copyright in regards to the recording itself.

How long does copyright last? Copyright lasts for varying amounts of time depending on the type of work. Musical, artistic, literary and dramatic works last 70 years after the death of the creator of the work, provided that the work has been published. Under the Copyright Act, published means being made available to the public for sale or otherwise. If the work was not published prior to the author’s death, then copyright lasts for 70 years from the time of publication. Films and sound recordings last 70 years after the work was first published. Broadcasts last 50 years after the first broadcast. What are the requirements for protection? Under the Copyright Act, copyright exists as soon as an original idea has been reduced to a material form, provided that the creator is a qualified person. You do not have to register or use the © symbol to receive copyright protection in Australia, however for international protection under the Universal Copyright Convention you need to have a copyright notice with your name and the year the work was published, such as ‘© Amanda Mason 2012,’ on copies of the work. A copyright notice also makes it obvious to others that the work is protected. Therefore, although not required under Australian law, it is highly desirable.

1. Material form Subject matter must be reduced to a material form, whether that’s on paper, on a recording or in a digital or electronic format – as long it’s not just an idea in your head or something that you’ve said aloud. So, if you have a great idea for a song and you sing it, make sure you record it and write down the date, just in case someone tries to claim that they had the idea beforehand.

2. Qualified person If the work has been published, the creator must have been an Australian citizen or resident at the time the work was first published, provided it was published in Australia. If the work is unpublished, the creator of the work must have been an Australian citizen or resident at the time the work was made, or for a substantial period during its making. When is copyright infringed? Copyright is infringed when someone other than the owner does or authorises the doing of anything that is the exclusive right of the owner (see ‘What is Copyright?’). For example, if someone publishes a book that you’ve written, without your permission, they would be infringing copyright. What about sampling? If a sample is recognisable it will probably constitute infringement. Therefore, prior to sampling you should obtain a licence or permission from the copyright owner. APRA/AMCOS can assist you with your licencing queries. What about cover songs? All venues that play music – live or recorded – should have an APRA licence, allowing the venue to have live performances and broadcast music without infringing copyright. Provided the venue has the correct APRA licence, a band performing in the venue can play a cover song without infringing copyright, however if the band wants to record the cover song, they’ll need to obtain their own licence. Can I sell my copyright? Yes. Copyright is intellectual property, which, much like real property, can have a monetary value. A copyright owner can assign their copyright to others, transferring the ownership of copyright to the assignee, or can grant a licence of which allows the licensee to use the copyright work, but the creator retains ownership.

What are moral rights? Moral rights are additional rights granted under the Copyright Act, but they aren’t copyright as such. Copyright protects a creator’s financial interest, whereas moral rights protect non-financial aspects. The owner of moral rights in a copyright work may not necessarily be the copyright owner. The moral rights owner will be: • Musical, artistic, literary and dramatic work: the creator(s). • Sound recordings or live performances: the performers, including the conductor. • Films: the director, producer and screenwriter. For convenience we will collectively refer to the creator, performer, director and producer as ‘the author’ of a work in relation to moral rights. Rights received by owners of moral rights are: • The right of attribution: the right to be attributed as the author of the work in a clear and reasonably prominent manner. • The right to not be falsely attributed: the right to not have his or her authorship falsely attributed to someone else. • The right of integrity: the right to not have the work treated in a derogatory manner that may damage the author’s integrity, reputation or honour. Is Australian work protected internationally? Countries that are signatories to the Berne Convention will also protect Australian work internationally. The Berne Convention requires countries that are signatories to provide copyright protection under their own copyright laws. For example, an Australian work would receive protection in America under American copyright law. There are 165 countries that are contracting parties to the Berne Convention and their copyright laws are fairly similar to ours, so we do receive a great deal of international protection. A full list of signatories can be found on the World Intellectual Property Organisation’s website: wipo.int. H

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listen now

Listen to Ouroboro’s David Horgan’s on-air discussion with Neil Mitchell @3AW.com.au

Permission to rock granted Should Australians be paying to support the arts? Where do we draw the line as to which kind of art is celebrated and encouraged in our fine country? words Kimberley Croxford photo Andrew Pittman

death metal band funded by the government? Considerable controversy emerged when Sydney’s Ouroboros received an arts grant from the Australia Council in order to record their sophomore album with a live symphony orchestra – the novelty attracting more attention than the band bargained for. Accentuated by Neil Mitchell from 3AW, who proclaimed awarding Ouroboros the grant was a ‘waste of tax payer’s dollars,’ questions arose – what sort of art should be supported by the government? Is this endorsement a positive thing and how does it affect Australia in a wider context?

What motivated you to apply for the grant? David Horgan (Ouroboros drummer): At university we had to do mock grant applications and that really made me aware these things are available. How can financing your music benefit the wider community? The money we get will flow into the wider economy, it’s going to help arts workers like engineers, studios, live venues, promoters and visual artists – all these people connected to each other in the artistic eco system. Neil Mitchell rather infamously and perhaps regrettably claimed funding your music was a ‘waste of tax payer’s money.’ What are some examples of worse things taxpayers

are spending their money on? [Laughs] I wouldn’t want to comment on that. It’s got to be a very difficult to put together government budgets. That been said, Neil Mitchell publicly supports the funding of arts in Australia, and that’s what made his argument so unclear. He seemed to be saying, ‘death metal isn’t art, therefore it shouldn’t get public funding.’ Mitchell portrayed his ignorance about what’s these days a well-accepted form of extreme music. What would the consequences be if limitations were set on art that should be endorsed by the government? It could stifle the creation of really interesting projects which otherwise wouldn’t see the light of day. You’ve got to consider cultural exports are potentially massive for the country. If you look at European countries like Poland, Sweden, and Norway, the cultural exports of heavy music are massive. Neil Mitchell argued the winner of grants should ‘contribute to Australian culture.’ What do you perceive Australian culture to be? At the end of the day, it’s Australians who determine what Australian culture is, and there are Australian death metal fans. Why limit the form of artistic expression you can use to contribute to Australian culture? You thanked Neil for opening up a debate that needed to be discussed. Why is the public funding of the arts in Australia an important topic? It’s Australian taxpayers who are funding projects like the new Ouroboros

album so, the essential question is, should Australians contribute to the funding of arts projects? When you think about it, we’re being forced to do that. If we don’t, we’re punished and could even be sent to jail. Traditionally Australians have been very egalitarian in their approach, we’re very happy to fund things like helping to educate people – should we extend that to the arts as well? My answer is yes, because it benefits Australia culturally and economically, and brings happiness to all kinds of people. On Facebook, there was one American fellow who commented, ‘as a libertarian I don’t think the government should be funding anything like this,’ and of course that’s the counterargument. Why is it important for Aussie taxpayers to endorse the arts? Matthew Hindson (Chairman of the Australia Council music board): It’s part of what makes Australia what it is. Our culture is in some way defined by the music and visual arts created. It’s a good investment in Australia as a society. What would the repercussions be if grants were no longer available? There’ll always be people who want to create music without grants, but perhaps the quality wouldn’t be as high. What taxpayer support allows is for there to be an infrastructure, raising the level of artistic activity around the country. In terms of Australian economy, how does investing in the arts contribute? There’s been some really interesting research done, which looked at the value of live music just in economic terms. Live music generates 690 million dollars for the economy per year – and that’s in small to medium sized venues. What do you make of Neil Mitchell’s statement that grants should be relevant to Australia culture (believing death metal isn’t)? We believe if Australians make the music, then it’s part of our culture. For us on the music board it was a no brainer [to select Ouroboros]. It’s quite unusual that we fund death metal, but

that’s mainly because we don’t get many death metal submissions. Some of the best musicians in Australia are in metal bands. Do you think there should be any restriction on what kind of art the government support? Anything within the law should be okay. We want to support whatever people want to do – it’s important to people, the music they write. I don’t think it’s the place of government to say, ‘you should be doing ‘this’’ or ‘you shouldn’t be doing that.’ What do you think the consequences would be if there were restrictions? The standard of the applications we receive would go down. Great bands doing amazing things wouldn’t be able to come to us for funding. I’m not in favour of that sort of censorship at all. Musical fascism is not what we’re about. The attitude that certain types of music are inherently better than others is unacceptable. We all have our opinions but that’s all they are, they’re not facts. H

DON’T TAKE IT FOR GRANTED

With fantastic opportunities such as those run by the Australia Council and other state and local initiatives, why not embrace them? Ouroboros: We made that very clear in the application itself and put together substantial and detailed budget. Try and address the criteria very, very carefully. Make sure your application is relevant to the points they’re looking for. It also helps to have done things before – we’d already produced an EP, and an album, and we’d done a lot of touring. Having precedent helps – it shows them you’re capable of doing a project to a high standard. The Australia Council: We rank against a number of criteria including the quality of the artist, the project, and the uniqueness of the proposal. We’re really looking for something that’s musically quite distinctive. We’re only looking to fund high-quality music. Comparing a death metal band to a string quartet is challenging [but] you can tell if artists have a really strong sense of musicality, if they’re technically brilliant, or if they work really well together.

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shrapnel

shards of metal

a headbanger’s favourite shock rocker Sam Dunn, long time metal fan, anthropologist and co-founder of Banger Films Inc. is most well known for presenting the muchloved documentary Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey. Since then Banger Films has also gone on to produce the documentaries Global Metal, Iron Maiden: Flight 666, Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage and TV series Metal Evolution. HEAVY talks to Dunn about how it started and what’s in store for us next. Influenced by Sam’s educational background, A Headbanger’s Journey, Global Metal and Metal Evolution all have a very anthropological, inquisitive and almost scientific approach that has won the respect of metal fans worldwide – but not everyone thought this style would be a winner. “When Scot [McFadyen, co-founder of Banger Films Inc.] and I started to pitch the idea of making quote, unquote serious films about heavy metal music we got laughed out of a lot of board rooms. This was going back to the late ’90s/early 2000s when I think the idea of doing something on heavy metal music seemed like the equivalent of trying to recover some ancient relic from deep underneath the ground. At first our idea was not well received at all, but I think what started to happen was that around 2000 it seemed that the world was warming up to metal music again.” Getting the film off the ground wasn’t an easy task, but after a lot of hard work Sam and Scot finally proved there was a market for this type of film. “It took us over three years to raise the finances for the film and then two years to make it once we got the money so it was a long, hard journey to get started. But, I think what we realised and what others realised once Headbanger’s Journey hit the light of day is that we nailed something on the head, that clearly fans of the music were waiting for a movie that came to the defense of metal and curious onlookers were interested to find out what’s going on with this music and what’s it all about.” The unique approach adopted in the films has also helped reach a wider audience than just metal fans.

Sam Dunn get up close and personal with the notorious Alice Cooper.

“It was always our goal to create films and now a series that wasn’t just for the diehard metal community. Part of our passion and motivation is to find ways to present underground culture to a broader audience without losing the respect of the people who have lived this music for most of their lives… I think what we’re discovering now is that this music has multi-generational appeal. People my age, younger and older who are having kids are passing this music on and I think when that starts to happen there’s a recognition that there’s something valuable in this music. It’s not just chaos, it’s not just brutal noise, it’s not just nonsense – the power, the rebellion, the musicianship, the imagination that goes into heavy metal music makes this music really valuable and a big part emotionally of people’s lives – so you know at the end of the day it’s good music and deserves to be documented.” In the 11-part series Metal Evolution Sam had to cover a few controversial sub-genres of heavy metal that often divide fans, but managed to present his opinion while remaining respectful.

“Doing the episodes on nu metal, grunge and also glam metal were probably the three genres that polarized fans most deeply. A lot of people feel those genres have no place in the history of metal and in some senses I agree with those people. When I was a teenager,” he recalls, “I was wearing my Slayer t-shirt when people started to call Bon Jovi metal. I felt like it was a personal attack and that just demonstrates the passion of fans and how much it’s tied to our identity. But frankly those were probably the most interesting episodes to make, because it forces you to really address what is metal and are there rules, or is metal all about breaking the rules?” Religion and Satanism are topics that continuously come up in relation to heavy metal and have done so since its inception. The topic of Satan made its way into A Headbanger’s Journey, most notoriously, in an interview with Gaahl from Gorgoroth during which Gaahl, rather ominously, says that Satan fuels the ideas for Gorgoroth’s music. This was the inspiration for Banger Films’ upcoming documentary on Satan. “When we interviewed Gaahl

for the first film, Scot had said, ‘maybe there’s something here, something bigger that could be done on Satan and the history of Satanism.’ So here we are now and we’re looking at the history of Satan since the 1960s to present day and asking the question why is the devil such a huge part of popular culture whether it’s film, TV, literature or music. And we don’t have the answer yet,” he laughs. Banger Films are also working on a documentary on legendary shock rocker Alice Cooper. “It’s a film we’re calling a dark opera, which means there’s no talking head interviews. It’s all told through the voices of Alice, his bandmates, his family, and people who’ve been part of his career. Visually it’s all using archival footage and photographs.” And what everyone wants to know, when is Australia going to get access to Metal Evolution? “I promise that Metal is coming your way very soon because we know that Australia loves metal and we love Australia.” Metal Evolution is scheduled to be released on DVD and broadcast on ABC2 later this year. – Amanda Mason

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unveiling the wicked DAmO muScLEcAr ScOurS ThE gLOBE in SEArch Of mETAL’S fOrgOTTEn gEmS

TATTOOED LOVE BOYS

Bleeding Hearts and Needle Marks (1989) When rockers think of Detroit, you can be certain they’re probably thinking one thing – KISS. The legendary quartet solidified themselves as ambassadors of the city with their notable appearances at Cobo Hall and, more famously, their hit single aptly titled Detroit Rock City. All these are valid reasons why Detroit will forever stay on the map of rock but personally, when I think of Detroit, I can assure you that KISS isn’t my first thought. No sirree. Nor is it Jack White. And I can tell you now it isn’t Kid Rock, either. Nope. For me, Detroit will forever mean one thing – London’s one and only Tattooed Love Boys. Now you’re probably thinking to yourself how this UK hair band has anything to do with the motor city, but strap yourselves in my friends, we’re going for a little ride. I found this Tattooed Love Boys LP in Royal Oak, Michigan at a shop called UHF. I was looking for gold when I saw those ragamuffins (I’m trying to be incisive here) staring at me from the cover with their – well – bleeding hearts and needle marks, I guess. The name set alarm bells off. This album was something more than just your average bunch of bad boys looking for nuthin’ but a good time. I turned the record over and low and behold, looking at me with hair bigger than their crushed egos when this album fell on deaf ears is none other than Cris Jagdhar – he’s better known to fans of The Wildhearts as guitarist CJ. I wasted no time in throwing down my $7.95 and left the store feeling somewhat richer. Finally, after years of searching, the crème de la crème of the Wildhearts legacy was now in my hands. When I returned to Australia there was no contest over what was to be played first. I had the album spinning before I had removed my backpack. Starting with Why Waltz When You Can Rock’n’Roll – a question I’m sure you’ve all asked yourselves at least twice in your music-loving lifetimes – I am raising my fist in the air, waving it like I just don’t care as the solos

and weak guitar sound shreds off the wax. Read My Lips follows and is vocalist Garry Mielle’s way of showing you exactly who’s boss. What would ’80s rock be without some infidelity? Exactly, and that’s why the third track, Stale Lipstick, besides having some killer shredding guitar licks, boasts the simple question, ‘If you’ve got lipstick up and down your spine, who the hell have you had in your bed?’ I think there’s something in that for all of us. Ride Lonesome is that song that you can throw on when drunk, lonely and in need of the strength to carry on at work tomorrow. Doin’ It For The Jazz isn’t jazz at all – but it’s like a party has gone off in your mouth – with boppin’ guitars and doublekick drums leaving you itching to turn the record over. Side two’s opener, Sweet Little Raggamuffin, is some serious street talkin’ rock, but let’s focus on Stikky Stuff – a song with a generic riff that seems to never end, but its disjointed chorus shows that the band were open to experimentation. Or they weren’t paying attention at the school of song structures. I’m going with the former though because I love this record and because the solo has parts later used in The Wildhearts’ My baby Is A Headf**k. True story. Chase The Ace is the band’s sympathy song about lost love. It must have been lonely at the top. Saturday Nite is an ode to the weekend but the album’s closer, Who Ya Bringing To the Party is the band’s anthem. I bet this was the show’s finale with hands clapping above heads, band members doing kicks in the air, girls flashing the band and confetti falling from the roof. Bleeding Hearts and Needle Marks is definitely the UK’s answer to Faster Pussycat’s self-titled debut. Also, drummer Mick Ransome played the same drumbeat throughout the entire record, but that should not deter you from its sheer awesomeness. It’s a solid record of let-your-hair-down fun. Fans of ’80s glam/ hard rock will get a David Lee Roth kick out of this. I’d probably cry if you borrowed this off me for longer than four days. H

shrapnel

shards of metal

Heavy Viewing Must-See metal docos words Amanda Mason

here are a whole heap of heavy documentaries floating around out there – some of them are good, some of them are bad, and some of them are f**king awesome. To save you from wasting your time on the bad, HEAVY have come up with a list that fit into the latter category.

Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey

This is the first documentary made by the now legendary Sam Dunn and Scot McFadyen of Banger Films Inc. Sam Dunn, a metal head with an anthropology degree, hosts the documentary and takes us on an exploratory journey through heavy metal sub-culture – delving into the origins of heavy metal, the ‘Heavy Metal Family Tree,’ metal’s loyal fan base, the senate hearing relating to the ‘Filthy Fifteen,’ women in metal, and the presence of religion and Satanism in metal. Instead of just presenting the facts, A Headbanger’s Journey takes an anthropological and investigatory approach, asking questions and seeking answers about the culture of heavy metal. Memorable quote Rob Zombie on metal being a lifelong love: “No one goes ‘yeah I was really into Slayer one summer.’”

Metal Evolution

Another amazing piece of work by Banger Films, Metal Evolution is an 11-part documentary series that uses the idea of the ‘Heavy Metal Family Tree’ created in A Headbanger’s Journey to explore, as the title suggests, the evolution of heavy metal. Each episode investigates a different sub-genre of heavy metal, beginning with premetal, going through early metal, the new wave of British heavy metal, glam metal, thrash, grunge, nu metal, shock rock, power metal and progressive metal. The only

between hardcore and metal, and its influence on the metal scene. For those too young to remember hearing the tragic news that Cliff Burton had died, Get Thrashed provides an inside account of the thrash scene, and for those old enough to have been into thrash since the release of Kill ‘Em All, it’s a nice trip down memory lane.

downfall is that it doesn’t cover all of the 26 sub-genres of metal on the family tree, but let’s just hope that means we’re in for another season.

Lemmy (2010)

Irrespective of whether you’re a Motörhead fan, this film provides a fascinating look into the life of the unique man that is Lemmy Kilmister. Most of the interviews with Lemmy are conducted alongside his Fabio-esque son in his little, memorabilia covered, rented apartment. Lemmy talks candidly on a number of personal areas including his love life and meeting his son. It’s a captivating documentary that provides a great insight into the Motörhead frontman.

Memorable quote Lemmy, profoundly, on choosing a career in music over love: “You have to make up your mind between rock’n’roll or your beloved one, and since sex only lasts for, what, half an hour at the very top, and a rock’n’roll set lasts for an hour and a half… I think we’ve got that one sorted out.”

Heavy Metal: Louder Than Life

Much like A Headbanger’s Journey, Heavy Metal: Louder Than Life looks at the history of heavy metal, however, rather than focusing on the anthropological aspects, it provides a fascinating look into the music itself and musical trends. It features metal icons, discussing their musical influences and the changing trends in heavy metal. The film also covers recording, performing live, fashion, the media, drugs, the music industry and Satan. There is also a really nice little tribute to Dimebag Darrel at the end.

Memorable quote Ronnie James Dio: “Me alone up there without the drummer, the bass player and the guitar player is just some idiot… pretending to be on American Idol, and that’s not what I want to be.”

Memorable quote Dave Mustaine on his influence on the bands in the thrash scene: “This is totally going to sound arrogant and I’m sorry, but I’m just telling you the facts. I’ve affected three bands out of the big five.”

God Bless Ozzy Osbourne

I was originally skeptical that an Ozzy documentary produced by Jack and Sharon Osbourne would be a great, big, promotional Ozzy love-fest, especially with that title, but it actually provides an insight into his personal life that you probably wouldn’t get it if wasn’t produced by his wife and son. Through candid interviews with Ozzy and those in his life, including wife Sharon, his kids from his first and second marriages, his band mates, and other music industry folk, we get an insider’s perspective on the Prince of Darkness. Although it covers Ozzy’s darker days, as was probably the intention, it leaves you with a warm, fuzzy ‘I love Ozzy feeling.’ Memorable quote Ozzy on autographs: “When I do croak, they’ll give mine away free with f**king tampons or something.”

Get Thrashed: The Story of Thrash Metal

Get Thrashed documents the hard and fast thrash movement from its inception in the ’80s through to its almost mainstream, arena-filling peak in the ’90s. Get Thrashed examines the bands that shaped the thrash movement, the rivalry

Global Metal

Another from the Banger Films collection, Global Metal uses the Banger Films anthropological approach to look into the culture of heavy metal in places that aren’t as commonly known for their metal scenes as the US and Europe. Starting in Brazil with Max Cavalera, and then journeying through the metal scenes in Japan, India, China, Indonesia, Israel and Iran, we get an insider’s perspective, through interviews with locals, on the different cultures within the countries and metal’s place within society. It’s great to see that we can relate to metal fans worldwide, despite language barriers and cultural divides, however it’s also sad to see the oppression in some of the countries where heavy metal is frowned upon for religious or political reasons. That said it’s a fascinating, eye-opening documentary that all metal fans should see. Memorable quote Katsuya Minamida of Kobe University on Japanese rock fans: “Fans at rock festivals are very courteous. If they throw down their garbage, later they’ll pick it up and perhaps bring it home with them.”

Heavy Metal in Baghdad If Global Metal is eye opening, Heavy Metal in Baghdad is like having your eyelids ripped off.

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get into GoatsounD

Heavy Metal in Baghdad follows the lives of the members of Acrassicauda, believed at the time to be Iraq’s only metal band, in the dangerous, oppressive and wartorn Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime. The film demonstrates the insurmountable challenges of living in a country surrounded by war, bombing and snipers, which is made worse by the misconception that metal bands and fans are Satan worshippers. Since the release of the film, the members of the band were granted refugee status in the US, got to meet Metallica, release an EP, and tour US so, although the film can be depressing, we know the story had a happy ending.

Murder Music: A History of Black Metal

Murder Music traces the origins of black metal from Venom first using the term as the title of their 1982 album, and the early influence of bands like Black Widow through to Norwegian black metal bands. It also depicts the globalisation of black metal, women in black metal, and Christian black metal. It goes into the murders and church burnings commonly associated with Norwegian black metal in the ’90s, but rather than focusing on the events themselves, Murder Music concentrates on the effect they had on black metal as a whole and provides a great overview of the genre. Memorable quote Martin Walkvier, of Sabbat fame, on Christian black metal: “It’s a bit of contradiction in terms of, what do they do? Build churches?” H

Engineer Jason PC of Blood Duster tells why Goatsound Studios stands out from the crowd. Goatsound Studios, Melbourne incorporates analog and digital, depending on what you’re trying to capture. It’s one of the few studios that can follow your project from conception right the way through to final mastering stages. But what else makes Goatsound the place to go? “A lot of studios these days can offer bands a good polished sound that’s pretty much flawless when you hear it back, but I think the reason bands come to me is because I tend to capture the raw intensity of the performance. Especially with a lot of grindcore and extreme bands, it’s not so much how perfect something is, it’s the little mistakes here and there that really give the songs their charm.” And which bands are making their way into his studio at the moment? “I’ve just done The Kill’s new record which I think is going to be one of the best – if not the best – grindcore album to ever come out of Australia. I’ve worked with I Exist quite extensively as engineer. I mixed the last two Brutal Truth records for Relapse Records, which was a real pleasure. I’ve worked with Mindsnare as well, which was amazing. The new Blood Duster album is getting there albeit slowly. When you are doing your own band’s stuff it really does get pushed aside.’

HEAVY HEROES

If you’ve ever been to a heavy music gig in Melbourne then chances are you’ve definitely run into this bloke, Tony Lombardo. Tony spends more time, energy, and money on the local heavy music scene than anyone you’ll ever come across. He makes sure to get to three shows on the one night – from completely across town – buying merchandise from virtually every band on a bill. HEAVY would like to salute this amazing supporter of all things heavy. If you would like to nominate a HEAVY HERO from your local scene, email us at info@heavymag.com.au.

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waxing lyrical

Nile

Annihilation of the Wicked

words Christian Doherty

ack in 2005, the Egyptianthemed death metal monsters known as Nile released arguably their greatest album to date and one of the greatest albums ever put out in the genre. The highly acclaimed Annihilation of the Wicked was a collection of beautifully composed, yet incredibly brutal songs that cemented the band as a force to be reckoned with. HEAVY caught up with Nile main man Karl Sanders to discuss the lyrical concepts and themes of this incredible record. Having read somewhere that the opening track (the instrumental piece Falls Upon the Temple of the Serpent on the Mount of Sunrise) indicates the start of the day just before the downfall of the Egyptian empire, I had to know if the idea influenced the album’s narrative as a whole – and Sander’s answer surprises. “Not really. Perhaps by way of vague metaphor one could string together a connection like that and thematically impose it upon the collection of songs that follow – but that wasn’t really my intent. The songs are connected only vaguely by the general mood and vibe of the record, and the fact most of the Nile lyrics are inspired

by Ancient Egyptian texts and HP Lovecraft worship. But I say, let the people interpret the art however they choose.” Lyrics are of upmost importance to Sanders since a revelation early on which determined the band would pursue specific themes surrounding ancient Egypt. “[Egypt] had always been a fascination of mine. Then when I woke up one day and realised that I was in a band called Nile, that was a real pivotal point in life… I’ve had a lot of letters from students going into Archaeology who thank me for inspiring them.” Since, lyrics have led the way in terms of the band’s song composition. “I almost always write the lyrics first. After writing the lyrics I then try to bring them to musical life. I let the words guide the entire realisation of the music… I just read the words like I would naturally say/scream/growl them with whatever expression seems appropriate – and that usually inspires all kinds of riff ideas. With Annihilation of the Wicked we definitely benefitted from having the words first because the anger, angst and vengeance behind the words translated all the way through the music. It’s like having a definitive focus – a clear target to shoot for. I

much prefer having something concrete to focus on while writing songs, and yet still have enough musical room to provide for the unplanned, random inspiration and bursts of muse-given creative fire. Working from the lyrics first gives me a combination of focus and freedom.” And are any particular time periods Sanders prefers to write about? “It tends to be whatever subjects I come across that interest me – if I find something interesting then I’ll do some more research. I’m actually more of a fan of the older ancient Egyptian texts, say from the first dynasty, because there’s less written about them so there’s a little more artistic free-

dom to turn those vague stories into death metal songs.” A band nearing their thirteenth anniversary and still drawing inspiration from one lyrical area, you’d think ideas would be running thin. Not Karl’s… “I usually have more song ideas than I can fit on an album. With Annihilation of the Wicked, even though the album was an hour long, beyond that there were several sets of lyrics written that I never got around to writing music for.” H listen now

‘Sacrifice Unto Sebek’ @iTunes From Annihilation of the Wicked (2005)

DIGITAL RELEASE LATE 2012

PLAYING this year’s DEAD OF WINTER FESTIVAL WWW.INDEATH.ORG

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Psychonaut vs As Silence Breaks Psychonaut

Who are your top three Aussie metal bands of all time? Mortal Sin, Lord, Bestial Warlust. Tell us about your craziest tour moment… We played a show and went back to the motel/dorm. This place was an infamous junkie hell. A guy smashed through the door at about 4am wielding a handgun while we were all bombed out. We managed to overpower him only to find he was holding a painted water pistol. Turns out he raided the wrong room and we weren’t his ex girlfriend being screwed by his best mate. What’s your advice for budding Australian metalheads wanting to start a band? Learn to walk before you run.

A lot of wannabe metal heroes these days seem to pick up instruments and start playing as fast as they can just like on Guitar Hero. Learn to count as well. Hetfield or Mustaine? ‘Hetstaine.’ They are equal. If I had to choose who has aged better I’d say Hetfield but if it were a case of lyrical content, Mustaine. Pantera or Slayer? SLAAAAYYYYEEEERRR! They were there first and are a huge influence on at least two of us in Psychonaut. We have a song on our new album Shock Em Dead! called Thrash Metal Zombies. This song is a story based on the album art from Slayer’s Live Undead album.

As Silence Breaks

Who would win a game of chess, a death metal band or a prog band? The prog band would calculate the shit out of it and win for sure, but then the death metal band would beat the shit out of them for winning. If your tour plane crashlanded on the Planet of the Apes, which one of you would be the first to sleep with a female chimp? What would the others do? Definitely Benji [guitar]. In fact, we’re sure he’s already slept with her he just hasn’t called her back. That would explain the shit stains on the studio door. Kiel would become a holy man amongst the chimps imparting wisdom and knowledge. Dan would eventually be eaten alive for constantly stealing iPhone chargers. Reece would develop a 24hr deodorant that would coin

the phrase ‘damn good deodorant, for damn dirty apes,’ and Sam would become chieftain of the ape community after challenging the current leader to a knife fight. Who rules? Judas Priest or Judas Iscariot? Judas Priest all the way. When music is outlawed and illegal in the ‘not-so-distant future’ (as outlined in Frank Zappa’s Joe’s Garage album), what careers would you guys pursue? We could enter the pool cleaning business because we have the legs for it. If not, the quilting business is on the rise. Complete the lyric: ‘I wanna rock n roll all night and...’ Party every day, except between 12 and 1pm when we all break for lunch to eat bacon.

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hi-rotation album reviews

The PoweR wiThin by

Dragonforce

RoAdRUNNER RECoRdS

Power Metal London, UK dragonforce.com

review Daniel Maloney

Requiem FoR The indiFFeRenT by

Epica

NUCLEAR BLAST

Gothic Metal Limburg, Netherlands epica.nl

The hunT

oFF!

mnemisis

NUCLEAR BLAST

viCE

NUCLEAR BLAST

Grand Magus

Off!

Mnemic

Doom metal Stockholm, Sweden

Punk LA, California

Modern Metal Aalborg, Denmark

grandmagnus.com

facebook.com/offband

site.mnemic.com

review Anthony Moore

review Matthew Young

review Rod Whitfield

OFF! Deliver their first long player in blinding fashion, clocking in at about 20 minutes. This is punk rock for the modern age and it sounds amazing. Fronted by legendary ex Black Flag/Circle Jerks frontman Keith Morris, OFF! also features members of other notable LA punk acts. Rejuvenated by his new band, Morris, almost 60, screams and rants excessively with superb clarity and a lot to say. Guitarist Dimitri Coats [Burning Brides] writes classic punk rock riffs, coupling down strokes with Morris’ vocal delivery. The songs average one minute – screaming up, grabbing you by the shirt and making you listen. Featuring artwork by Raymond Pettibon, the album has a strong DIY punk vibe. OFF! deliver the goods again.

One of the more maligned bands in metal, when reading some of the abuse hurled at Mnemic on forums one can only think how narrowminded some fans can be. Mnemic’s music is simply a little different from the blast-beat driven affair that many metal bands dish out. Despite a massive overhaul involving their lineup, which left only guitarist Mircea Eftemie and frontman Guillaume Bideau remaining in the band, virtually all of their trademarks remain: the fat grooves, the off-kilter rhythms, the alternately soaring and howling vocals. The title track seems a little flat and its melodies aren’t overly strong. But man, does the album pick itself up straight away. There’s No Tomorrow is majestic. Forget what the keyboard cowboys say, enjoy this record for what it is: a varied and dynamic modern metal album.

The first studio release since singer ZP Theart – a staple of the band’s sound – departed, a lot rests on The Power Within. Opener Holding On sounds like any other Dragonforce introduction, though this track, along with others such as Fallen World which begins with frantic blast-beats, could be even faster than previous Dragonforce tempos. Songs are shorter and the ad nauseum guitar solos/duels are absent (for the most part, anyway) in what may be an attempt to tone it down. And it wouldn’t be Dragonforce without the Nintendo metal shredding, now would it? Singer Marc Hudson seems to attempt mimicking ZP’s vocals – meaning not a lot has changed. This is a disappointment, but a small one. Hudson steps up to the task, showcasing a fantastic range.

Ten years back I was an advocate for the epic, female-fronted gothic metal sound. Nightwish released Once, Once Lacuna Coil Coma Lies, and Epica the Divine Conspiracy. The style was flourishing, but has since started showing signs of fatigue. The abovementioned bands have been unable to match their finest moments and Epica continue the trend. The Dutch band release regularly (producing five albums in nine years) and for music that’s so involved, is this actually a concern? The symphonic elements of their sound seem a little tokenistic, as opposed fully-fledged and organic, and the grandiose vibe present on the Divine Conspiracy has slipped a little. While far from a bad album – you’ll still find much to enjoy – it suffers by comparison and Epica are capable of more.

Sweden’s Grand Magus have come a long way since Demo Two Thousand, full of deep, heavy grooves and released some 12 years ago. Deviating down a different path on their sixth studio album, the grooves remain but are peppered throughout killer ’80s metal in the vein of Judas Priest. Instead of the heavier, bass-driven grooves one might expect, this massive album of traditional metal is full of well-structured tracks, a pounding rhythm section and solos that any Maiden fan would be stoked on. Title track The Hunt is complete with head-banging riffs and a powerful vocal wail with an extensive range. While production could’ve been fed some more bottom end for my ears, it’s kept true to the years it’s paying homage to.

Th E STA N d oUT

ThE STANd oUT

Th E STA Nd o U T

T h E S TANd o U T

‘Seasons’ @iTunes

‘Storm the Sorrow’ @youTube

‘The Hunt’ @iTunes

‘Wiped Out’ @youTube

‘There’s No Tomorrow’ @iTunes

review Rod Whitfield

CROSSING THE BARRIER The new full length album from progressive metal artist Sam Locke

Internal Nightmare’s New CD “War Of Silence” Featuring 3 Brand New tracks will be launched.

available now!

PDH

Grab your copy at: samlocke.bandcamp.com or on the iTunes store

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PeRiPheRy ii

FiRe FRom The sky

noToRious BiV

maLadjusTed

noT Like hoRse (eP)

RoAdRUNNER

RAZoR & TiE

UNFd RECoRdS

UNSiGNEd

iNdEPENdENT

Periphery

Shadows Fall

buried In Verona

White Cell

Not Like Horse

Progressive Metal Maryland, USA

Metal Massachusetts, USA

Metalcore Sydney, NSW

Hard Rock / Metal Melbourne, VIC

Hard Rock / Metal Sydney, NSW

facebook.com/PeripheryBand

shadowsfall.com

facebook.com/thenotoriousbiv

facebook.com/whitecell

facebook.com/notlikehorseband

review Rod Whitfield

review Daniel Maloney

review Jay Clair

review Kimberley Croxford

review Mark Lennard

Periphery exploded onto the scene a couple of years back with their selftitled debut, spearheading the djent sub-genre of progressive metal. So, how have they fared with the difficult sophomore effort? Periphery II is a little less frenetic but many of the elements that were great about the debut are present in droves. The musicianship is untouchable, the production is enormous and subtle touches of electronic and ambience are present once more. At almost 70 minutes there’s a lot of music to get through, but this truly skilled outfit can flesh their ideas out to such length and maintain interest. They’ve also walked the fine line between retaining their core elements while also maturing as songwriters. Periphery II is the complete prog metal package and is overall a stunning effort.

With their blend of melodics and aggression, discussing issues such as the predicted apocalypse in 2012, Shadows Fall return with a heavyhitting, lyrically dark release. Divide and Conquer opens up to a driving riff, with dashes of melody through the chorus. Weight of the World opens with blast beats and a furious guitar riff, making it a darker track and Lost Within also sees Jason Bittner employing blast beats to great effect. Throughout the album, the band lean towards the older style of thrash but also return to cool, melodic choruses showcasing their diversity. With lyrics that speak to the heart (Blind Faith), death metal vocals making an occasional appearance (The Unknown) and shredding guitar solos that accent songs while not becoming boring. Shadows Fall are back!

While many may lump Buried In Verona into scene metalcore, these guys are really pushing the boundaries. Vocalist Brett Anderson is one angry dude and I was surprised by the traditional hardcore verses well blended with djentcore crossover to create a metalcore sandwich of goodness. Buried In Verona have an absolute killer sound, with big djent rhythms, massive breaks, epic chorus vocals, and more rage from Anderson. Unexpected ballads such as Lionheart balance the album out and, probably the most ‘commercial’ track on the release, will appeal to a much broader market. With producer Fredrik Nordstrom on board for the second time, Notorious BIV is a polished release and a great listen for the modern metalcore fan.

Bursting in, opener Institution (char (characterised by a pulsing heavy riff, double-kick, and a contrasting, soar soaring clean chorus) is indicative of the rest of Maladjusted Maladjusted, illustrating the variation between metal and hard rock that defines the release. From incensed growls and driving riffs to vocal harmonies and the haunting melodies of the emotive Rise, the EP’s heavier and melodic moments are melded seamlessly. Lyrically rich, grappling with themes such as the futility of human existence (Blood and Money) and consumerism and greed in society (Materialize), Maladjusted is both accessible and substantial. With a masterly grasp of melody, motif, and light and shade, White Cell have crafted dynamic, high-quality, affective, and melodic material, while still maintaining a darkness and grit in just five tracks.

A mere two years young, Sydney’s Not Like Horse have self-funded and released this raw and raucous five-song, mixed bag of rock and thrash. Guitarist/vocalist Bob Farleigh has a strong voice, swinging from a straightforward yell to an agro, yet almost melodic attack within the first two tracks. Opener Root or Fight has a straight up, aggressive metal feel – the ‘Aussie’ coming through strong in the vocals. Dipping Bird delivers a punchy, Helmet-like attitude, whereas Bolivian flips between tricky System Of A Down timing and a quicker pace. The difference between the last two tracks is vast. The thrash gallop of Slay the Emos contrasts with closing track the Wash – which dishes up an Alice In Chains ‘light and shade’ trade-off – highlighting the diversity Not Like Horse are capable of.

Th E STA N d oUT

ThE STANd oUT

Th E STA Nd o U T

T h E S TANd oU T

‘Make Total Destroy’ @youTube

‘blind Faith’ @iTunes

‘Four years’ @youTube

‘Materialize’ @Facebook

‘Root or Fight’ @Facebook

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Or call 0402 856 632

know your metal! Park, that seems a fine price to pay to get the celebrity DNA required to make a Ke$ha-saurus Rex.

start ‘eM young Black Metal ParliaMent

Georgios Germenis aka Kaiadas, bassist and vocalist of Greek black metal band Naer Mataron, is also a member of the controversial right wing Greek political party, Chrysi Avgi. Regardless of how you feel about Germenis and his party’s political policies, you can’t say a bit of corpse paint wouldn’t spice up the old parliamentary sitting.

Get the kids into metal early with Finnish childrens’ heavy metal band, Hevisaurus. Cool dinosaur costumes, heavy metal and not having to listen to the Wiggles and Hi-5 on repeat everyday – what more could you want? Well, how about having their soccer team sponsored by Mötörhead? The UK-based under-10s team even have Snaggletooth (the band’s skull emblem) as their mascot and run out onto the field to The Ace of Spades.

Heavy Metal

The protagonist arrives on a Harley, kills the dragon, drinks a few beers and f**ks the princess.

could never beat him, then he gets depressed and commits suicide. The dragon eats his body and devours the princess as dessert.

PoWer Metal

gotHic Metal

The protagonist arrives, fights the dragon, saves the princess – does it all again, week in week out.

The princess in a velvet costume starts singing soprano. The protagonist completes the duet by adding the beast part, while the dragon plays the flute. Suddenly he swallows up the pipe and accidently scorches the beauty and the beast and suffocates to death. All their souls are damned to eternal Hell.

Folk Metal

Progressive Metal

The protagonist arrives riding a white unicorn, escapes from the dragon, saves the princess, and makes love to her in an enchanted forest.

tHrasH Metal

The protagonist arrives with some friends playing accordions, violins and flutes – the dragon falls asleep in his beer. Then they all leave... without the princess.

The protagonist arrives with a guitar and plays a solo for 26 minutes. Both the dragon and the princess kill themselves out of boredom.

viking Metal

The protagonist arrives wearing greasy overcoat, makes obscene gestures towards dragon, and gets escorted out of fairytale land by security guards.

The protagonist arrives in a ship, kills the dragon with his mighty axe, skins the dragon and eats it, rapes the princess to death, steals her belongings and burns the castle before leaving.

deatH Metal

Heavy Metal karaoke Bloody records

The Flaming Lips sold ten copies of their collaborative album Heady Fwends, containing samples of the collaborators blood inside the vinyl, for a meager $2,500. The collaborators included Nick Cave, Ke$ha and Chris Martin. If you’re a mad scientist with knowledge of how to do that whole dinosaur cloning thing in Jurassic

Surely we’ve all belted out a bit of Run to the Hills pretending we’re Bruce Dickinson performing to an arena full of adoring fans. Now you can make that dream a reality. Well, sort of. You can’t be Bruce Dickinson and you won’t have adoring fans, but you can smash out some Maiden with the Punk Rock Heavy Metal Karaoke band, a New York band that have been performing live punk, rock and heavy metal backing tracks for karaoke since 1999.

The protagonist arrives, kills the dragon, kills the princess, then kills himself.

Black Metal

industrial Metal

sPeed Metal

Suddenly there, short solo, massive confusion, someones screaming weird stuff, princess gets fondled, dragon gets kicked in the groin. The End.

cHristian Metal

The protagonist arrives at midnight, kills the dragon and impales it in front of the castle. Then he sodomises the princess, drinks her blood in a ritual before killing her. Then he impales the princess next to the dragon.

The protagonist rides a white horse on his way home from church and sings a mushy power ballad to the dragon and consequently converts him to Jesus. When the princess wants to reward the protagonist he replies, “sorry, but I don’t believe in sex before marriage.”

gore Metal

glaM Metal

The protagonist arrives, kills the dragon and spreads his guts in front of the castle, f**ks the princess and kills her. Then he f**ks the dead body again, slashes her belly and eats her guts. Then he f**ks the carcass for the third time, burns the corpse and f**ks it for the last time.

grind Metal

The protagonist arrives, screams something completely undecipherable for about two minutes and then leaves.

dooM Metal

The protagonist arrives (slowly), sees the size of the dragon and thinks he

The protagonist arrives in leopard-skin tights, humours the dragon with his schoolyard innuendo, steals the princess’ make-up and paints the castle in hot pink.

nu Metal

The protagonist arrives in a run down Honda Civic and attempts to fight the dragon but he burns to death when his moronic baggy clothes catch fire.

eMo Metal

The protagonist sees the dragon and moans about how hard it will be to get the princess to fall in love with him. He gets eaten and nobody cares.

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