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NEW ALBUM ‘CHEERS, BEERS & BEARDS’

Includes 6 previously unreleased studio tracks from ‘THE END OF ALL YOU KNOW’ sessions, and 4 live tracks FROM THE FORTHCOMING LIVE DVD!

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issue 05

contents

published Quarterly in 2013

• features •

10 Anthrax

Big four giants Anthrax talk 30 years of thrash.

48 OZ UNDERGROUND

16 SLAYER

72 STRINGS AND SKINS

Kings of thrash Slayer promise to kick your arse with their upcoming album and Soundwave performance.

20 killswitch engage

Jesse Leach is back to continue the Killswitch legacy.

Kyuss Lives! live no more (under that name) and are preparing for their farewell tour at Soundwave.

12 deftones

Deftones have been to hell and back and now they’re coming to Soundwave.

printed & produced in australia

15 KYUSS LIVES!

38 rotting christ

Greek black metal legends Rotting Christ talk compositon and metal history.

Slayer

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

We help you create monster riffs, polish your skills on the kit and settle bassists’ great debate: pick or fingers?

Kyuss Lives!

56 chicks that rock

We talk to metal veteran Doro Pesch and ex-Cradle of Filth vocalist, Sarah Jezabel Deva.

64 METAL REWIND

We revist Black Sabbath, KISS, Motely Crue, Deep Purple and Iggy Pop, before they revist us this year.

Doro Pesch

culprits Executive editor & publisher Olivia Reppas Managing editor Kimberley Croxford Art Director Peter Falkous Publishing Consultant Effie Dimitropoulos 186Red Pty Ltd ASSISTANT SUBS Justin Tawil Amanda Mason Editorial Assistant Julianne Pimenta Distribution Gordon & Gotch Printing Blue Star Group (Printed in Australia) Specialist contributors Dito Godwin – Engineering Peter Hodgson – Guitar Drew Dedman – Bass Rob Brens – Drums Dave “Higgo” Higgins – airwaves

Frankenbok photo courtesy Shane Borg

Got a smartphone? By that I mean an iPhone or an Android? If so, this magazine you’re holding is about to come alive with HEAVY music! But first you’ll need a QR code reader, and we recommend you download the FREE Digimarc Discover app from iTunes, or wherever else you can get your hands on it. By simply holding your smartphone about 6-10cm above a QR code (ie. that Lego nightmare looking thing above) you can instantly access songs (and/or

Contributors this issue Amanda Mason Anthony Moore Athena Marangos Christian Doherty Damo Musclecar Fabio Marraccini Jay Clair Justin Tawil Kama Way Karl Lean Kiel Egging Julianne Pimenta Mark Lennard Matt Foster Mitch Booth Riley Strong Rob Brens Rod Whitfield Sheri Tantawy Tom Hersey Vix Vile Will Oakeshott

welcome to the fifth issue of HEAVY

oly shit, we survived our first year! It’s hard to go wrong with such an amazing team of different people so devoted and eager to contribute and showcase their love of Aussie music. All the blood, sweat and tears are worth it when we receive such amazing feedback from our readers. Thank you to all who have supported us over the last 12 months. Now you can also enjoy your HEAVY goodness as a downloadable e-mag! As you know, we’re not only passionate about music itself, we are passionate about the people who produce it. We value the time and energy that goes into making music and we undoubtedly want to give these people relatable information on topics that they can use and benefit from. Our Industry Insight and Dotted Lines sections are designed for this, so head over and check them out. You may even find out what you can do if you don’t get paid for a gig! If you like a bit more brutality, head to page 38 for some Rotting Christ, or have a read of Mark Lennard’s new column Pit Destroyer. The name says it all. Discover new music in Oz Underground and feast on some of Australia’s best. We also celebrate our bearded friends Frankenbok and their hard-earned, long-

Photo: Lep Beljac

standing music career. It’s so good to be a punter right now. With Soundwave Festival 2013 just around the corner, we have a myriad of heavy music goodness coming to our shores. From Slayer to Red Fang to Six Feet Under, there’s something for everyone, so head to our Soundwave previews on page 10. I’d like to farewell Craig Fryers and thank him for his hard work and artistic vision over the last twelve months and welcome Peter Falkous as our new Art Director. As always, my ongoing and biggest thanks to Soundwave, Roadrunner, Warner Music, Riot! Entertainment, Deathproof PR, Century Media, AND Printing, all our supporters, sponsors and advertisers, bands, affiliates, and of course 186Red. Until next time, keep it HEAVY. – Olivia Reppas

Photo: Matt Allan of Silk Imagery

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 metal fan, please do him a favour and tell him to get in touch with us to collect his prize! Valid till 31/04/13

shreds

views, news & reviews

The Aussie Alternative

words Mark Lennard

Rod Whitfield keeps his alternative ear to the ground

An injection of brutality

Sleep Parade

Touring with legends like Porcupine Tree would be a thrill for just about any band. To do it twice would blow your mind. But that’s exactly what Melbourne alternative/ progressive band Sleep Parade have done in the last few years. Main man, Leigh Davies, was happy to tell the Aussie Alternative about it. “The guys in Porcupine Tree are really nice. The crowds were amazing, on both tours. I remember before the first one I was nervous as shit. But as soon as we got out there, it just fell into place. It was amazing.” The band won those support tours on the strength of their debut album, Things Can Always Change, which attracted Steven Wilson’s

Moroccan Kings Battlefrogs EP

A driving beat opens this Melbourne band’s four-track EP, but the song takes off in an unexpected direction. The drive is still very much present, but instead of a basic four-on-the-floor rock song, Chicken Bone is a rough slice of funk power with gravelly, almost Tom Waits-esque vocals. Grizzly Bear follows, again opening with drums. Once again, the vocals are gritty, but bluesier this time. The title track is all slow-burning blues, but the song is no less compelling than those that

sleepparade.net interest. It was released in 2008 to rave reviews for its unique take on ambient, layered yet powerful progressive rock. It’s been a long wait, but the band are about to release their follow up, entitled Inside/Out. Leigh gave us his thoughts on the essential difference between the debut and the sophomore. “I said to myself, ‘I should be able to play all of these songs, just with a guitar.’ I think the bare bones of a song should still hold strong. If I was at a party and someone asked me ‘can you play one of the songs from your first record on your guitar?’ I wouldn’t be able to do it… I wanted to get that foundation right, from a song point of view.”

preceded it, despite its comparative sparseness. Superman Escape builds devastatingly from a quiet but menacing opening and opens out into just about the fattest chugging riff and groove you can imagine. Very difficult to categorise, this band brings multiple elements to the table and deliver it all with maximum impact and a sense of humour. Moroccan Kings are an anomaly, but in the most enjoyable way.

OATH OF DAMNATION (SA) Members of Beyond Mortal, Dreams and Darklord have joined forces to form Oath of Damnation. The band creates a maelstrom of blackened death metal with dynamic, symphonic led breaks backed by keyboards. Oath of Damnation are quickly making a mark on the local scene after only a few intense live shows. Formosus (vocals/keys) channels the vengeance-seeking spirit of the murdered Pope Formosus, unleashing a blasphemous sermon from his makeshift pulpit during live performances. Contorting and entirely in the moment, his delivery is nothing short of mesmerizing. Nekromancer delivers a jaw-dropping lead guitar display and chaotic riffing to accompany Doomsayer’s low-end bass and Constantine’s frenetic drumming. The show is a brutal, unrelenting onslaught and is exactly what fans of extreme metal crave. Oath of Damnation intend to record new material in the early months of 2013. ROME (QLD) Featuring ex-members of extreme metal legends Devolved, Rome wield a more direct, intense death metal sound that – while undeniably reminiscent of their past project – delivers a fresh injection

of low-end, crushing heaviness. Also featuring shredder Todd Hansen (The Bezerker), the band are set to release their debut album in early 2013.

SEMINAL EMBALMMENT (SA) Adelaide brutal death metal trio Seminal Embalmment are preparing for an early 2013 release of their Stacked and Sodomized EP through US extreme metal label, New Standard Elite. The band have been able to secure the prized services of Texan artist/ tattooist Jon Zig for the cover art. Zig has previously worked with The Black Dahlia Murder, Suffocation and Deeds of Flesh. INTERNAL NIGHTMARE(VIC) Here’s a metal fact you can take to the bank – Victoria breeds musical brutality. Melbourne three-piece Internal Nightmare combine death metal and thrash. Their music is influenced by a healthy dose of early Sepultura, which can be observed on the band’s War of Silence EP. In November last year Internal Nightmare entered the studio to record their long-awaited debut album. Entitled Chaos Reborn, the 11-track album is out now. Chaos Reborn features guest vocals from King Parrot’s Matt Young and Whoretopsy’s Matt Storma.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Thrash It Or Trash It Acacia Strain words Amanda Mason

If you were a child in the late ’80s and early ’90s and are also a fan of the Acacia Strain, then you’re going to love this ingenious merchandise. The design features the members of the band represented as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. You can also get the design on an old school lunch box and thermos. Cowabunga dude!

Thrash It Or Trash It is a website where you blindly listen to songs bands have uploaded, with no knowledge of the band or song title. You then choose to thrash it if you like it or trash it if you don’t. It’s surprisingly addictive. You’ll suddenly realise you’ve wasted half an hour thrashing and trashing songs. Visit thrashitortrashit.com

words Vix Vile

Here at HEAVY, in our quest to bring you things from outside the box, we discovered a page on Facebook about a comic strip, set around the hilarious and crazy antics of a band made up of robots. Artist Jeremy ‘Jez’ Devereraux has been working on story lines for the past 12 months and posts a different chapter or mini story line ever day on his FB page. Jez has been drawing since a kid and has played in bands for twenty years. He decided to combine his two talents and create the comic strip. The strip follows the wild shenanigans of a robot metal band – Crank the brash abrupt vocalist, Zonk the stoner bassist and main victim of the rest of the band’s practical jokes, Wrench the chickmagnet drummer who can’t speak, Scud the sociopath second

guitarist, and Nutbox the lead guitarist. Nutbox has four arms and this should make him the craziest guitarist in the world. But, the mechanical cosmos was against him and, alas, poor Nutbox has the misfortune of a missing digit on every one of his four hands. The robot band’s day-to-day shenanigans are laugh out loud hilarious. The concept of the cartoon band first came to Jez about twenty years ago, when he used the characters on tour flyers for a local Perth promotions company. At the beginning of last year he came across the folio of work he did back then and was inspired to create the Facebook page. So why robots? “I guess it’s because I’m lousy at drawing humans... Robots can take much more punishment.

The poor blokes regularly get maimed for my amusement,” Jez says. This twisted form of amusement must have resonated with others, as the popularity of the FB page inspired Jez to turn the strip into a bound book. With well over three hundred drawings, a second volume detailing the band’s ‘US tour’ soon followed. If all goes well, Jez plans to release two books a year. Maybe one day Metal Band Cartoon Strip can get their own TV show and do a double-bill tour with another famously drawn band of metal knuckleheads.

check it out

intothevoid

Stoner/fuzz news with Anthony Moore

Italian stoner/doom band Bretus’ latest full-length, In Onirica, is out now (CD through Arx Productions, vinyl through Bloodrock Records). These bass-driven bottom-end feeders have a solid album that shouldn’t be overlooked. Damn Terran’s debut album will be out mid 2013. They were in Head Gap in December recording with Naomune Anzai (Laura, Kim Salmon & The Surrealists, Mesa Cosa, Fourteen Nights at Sea). Ben Ely (Regurgitator) is taking care of mixing and overdubs, with production by Damn Terran. This is a highly anticipated release from one of Melbourne’s hottest bands. Tym Guitars (Brisbane) has been blowing minds with their limited-edition guitar pedals for some time. They’ve made custom models for the likes of Magic Dirt, Dinosaur Jr., Earthless and Built to Spill. Now there’s another reason to check them out – Tym Records 7” Club, featuring The Nation Blue, Blacklevel Embassy, No Anchor, Adam Harding and more.

Recommendations

NEW RELEASE – The Sorrow Misery Escape (Napalm Records) The long-awaited fourth LP from the Austrian melodic metalcore kings is punishing. Dramatic and brutal is an understatement.

Metal Band Cartoon @Website

CLASSIC – Dern Rutlidge Johnny No Stars (High Beam Music, 2001) Originally only released on CD, this album is so highly revered by stoner and straight up rock fans alike that it’s no wonder it’ll soon be re-released on limited-edition vinyl.

ANTHRAX Credited as one of the four founding fathers of thrash, crossover masters Anthrax need little introduction as part of this year’s Soundwave lineup where they’ll be appearing alongside fellow ‘Big Four’ comrades, Metallica and Slayer.

words Rob Brens photos Riot! Entertainment

he last time Anthrax visited Australia was with vocalist John Bush, who jumped in on microphone duties after the less than amicable departure of singer Dan Nelson. Founding member, Scott Ian, reflects on the band’s last Soundwave performance as their second appearance approaches. “We were definitely in a state of flux, because we didn’t know what the future of the band would be at that time,” Ian says, “It was definitely an interesting time period, but it was literally all right after that. Joey [Belladonna, vocals] came back and everything has been moving forward ever since.” Joey Belladonna went on to re-record vocals for Anthrax’s 2011 release, Worship Music – their first album with Belladonna since 1990. A new album and having their old singer back has put Ian’s mind at ease about the band’s return performance in Australia. “I’m looking forward to it because this time we have

a record out and we’re a real band – we’ve got a reason to be there. By the time we get to Soundwave we’ll have been touring this album for a year and a half. The band is as f**king great as the band is going to be,” he says. In addition to revolving lead singers and other lineup changes, Anthrax have endured a lot in their 31-year career. Some of these hurdles included cancelled tours with Black Sabbath and Metallica early on, cancelling their first European tour after the Chernobyl disaster, and various legal disputes. For some bands such setbacks would be enough to see them throw in the towel, but for Anthrax their struggles never reduced their love for what they were doing. “We love being in a band,” says Ian, “If you love what you do, you do whatever it takes to keep doing it. People from the outside really have no idea how it works when you’re in a band for 30 years. There’s no way they can know – nobody can, unless they’ve done it. I could compare it to people who’ve worked a job for that long – for more than half of their life. Shit happens, not

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‘The Devil You Know’ @iTunes From their latest album Worship Music

everything always stays at the same level. Life has peaks and valleys and when you do something for this amount of time that’s just the way it’s going to be.” The band’s relentless pursuit of their passion was rewarded by their fans’ reception of Worship Music. A welcome addition to the ongoing thrash metal revival, the album is 14 tracks covering the band’s staple topics – modern politics and, of course, horror. In Anthrax’s book, when it comes lyrics – and their musical influences – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. “My big three [influences] would still be Maiden, Motörhead and [Judas] Priest,” says Ian, “Other than that, if I’m sitting in my hotel or at home, I’m listening to the Beatles or Otis Redding. When you’re surrounded by metal 24 hours a day the last thing you want to do is

“you’d sooner catch me listening to Otis Redding than anything from the last 15 years.”

listen to it. I know that sounds horrible, but sometimes you need a break from it, which is probably why I still listen to things I grew up with. That’s why you’d sooner catch me listening to Otis Redding than anything from the last 15 years, just because sometimes you need a break.” Anthrax were on the road with their aforementioned influence, Motörhead, throughout November and December last year. With such huge success throughout their career, you would think that by now, sharing the stage with one of their favourite bands would be par the course. But Ian assures us that he’s not just clocking on. “Every show we play and everything we do is special. Just getting to be in a band is special – it still means everything to me. I’ve never just been on cruise control and never once taken it for granted. I put everything into it – every show, every day. I guess you could say every time I play a show I’m ticking something off my bucket list.” Given that Anthrax have endured everything that’s been thrown at them in the past, it would seem there’s no stopping them now. H

POKER FACE

Metalheads are always keen to get caught in a mosh with Scott Ian – but try not to get caught at a poker table with him. Ian has been an avid poker player since joining Ultimate Bet in 2008, winning their premier Sunday 200k tournament and even knocking heads with the greats in the World Series of Poker. His home games often feature the likes of Jerry Cantrell, Kirk Hammet and Slash. Let’s hope he’ll invite Lemmy from Motörhead over so we can get some Ace of Spades jokes happening.

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‘Graphic Nature’ @iTunes From their latest album Koi No Yokan

words Rob Brens photo Courtesy of Warner Music

Deftones Alternative metal favourites Deftones have endured more than a little adversity. But preparing for their appearance at Soundwave, drummer Abe Cunningham says it’s good to be a Deftone in 2013.

hen a band have been around for over two decades, it’s not unusual for them to find themselves merely going through the motions. Fortunately, for the dedicated fanbase of alternative metal pioneers Deftones, this is not the case. But drummer Abe Cunningham tells HEAVY that it was a trap they could have very easily fallen int0. “We had some f**ked up years, even way before Chi’s accident. From Saturday Night Wrist to the making of Eros – and even the self-titled – those were some rough years. They really weren’t fun at all. It should be fun when you’re in a band. Chi’s accident put things square into perspective. Time is short, so now we’re just trying to enjoy the time we have.” The accident in question refers to a car crash that left Deftones’ long-time bassist, Chi Cheng, in a semi-conscious state. Since then, Quicksand bassist, Sergio Vega, has stepped up in his place, playing on the band’s much-lauded album Diamond Eyes in 2010. Previous to the tragedy, a lot of in-fighting nearly saw the band dissolve, especially during the process of producing their 2006 album, Saturday Night Wrist. Cunningham tells a cautionary tale about what nearly

resulted in the band’s dissolution. “Drugs. They consumed Chino, Chi and I rather badly. I’m not talking weed, but harder drugs. We were out of our minds. There were a lot of good times, but communication stopped. Being in a band with five of your best friends when you don’t even talk sucks. These are just things you go through, like anything in life. I guess, in our profession, it’s easily accessible and not so frowned upon. But we came out on the other side. We respect each other, our fans and what we’ve built. It’s a very special thing after all these years and we’re happy dudes.” Out of these hard times came a new outlook and a new producer, Nick Raskulinecz [Rush, Alice in Chains, Foo Fighters], who’s first output with the band was Diamond Eyes. Topping album of the year lists everywhere, the ultra-produced record that meshed an unforgiving brutality with glistening clarity gave the band a sonic rebirth, but more importantly, a new work ethic. Cunningham remembers how their relationship with Raskulinecz came to be and the impact it had on the band’s sound and dynamic. “I had known Nick for quite some time, he was going to mix Saturday Night Wrist. He told us like it was,

l ate s t re l ea s e

“in our profession it’s easily accessible and not so frowned upon. But we came out on the other side. ”

Koi No Yokan by

Deftones

Warner Bros. Records

review Rob Brens Deftones fans rejoice! Koi No Yokan proves that Diamond Eyes’ landmark effort was no fluke. The production is of the same world-class standard, however it doesn’t sounds as heavy as the last release, favouring clarity over brutality. Rest assured though, Deftones’ fiercer characteristics are still prominent in the material itself. This time around the songs employ a more disciplined approach, utilisingmore dynamics and longer passages of atmospherics. This album is comparable to Saturday Night Wrist in terms of its experimental nature, but make no mistake, Koi No Yokan is a chapter unto itself.

he was a fan and he knew all the records. [Producing Diamond Eyes] Nick focused on everyone – he wasn’t just focused on the song. He made everyone comfortable and knew all the material, which freed us up to just be us. We’d never worked like that before. It was a pretty concise, fast process and things hadn’t been that way for quite some time.” It was a return to simplicity with the band back on the straight and narrow. During their ‘dark days’, wasted studio time and turning up with no material resulted in missed deadlines and fines. Today you’ll find the band back in the rehearsal room working as hard on their music as the next group. “We just get together and bash it out,” says Cunningham, “Everyone works differently. Some bands will write 300 songs and whittle it down to 12. We just try

to write a record. If the five of us aren’t feeling something it won’t last after a few days of jamming. If it’s not sticking, then it’s gone. We make an album as we do it. We just try to strip things down, catch the moment and get on with it. That’s where we’re at these days.” The evidence of the band’s reform speaks for itself – many people who witnessed Deftones on their 2011 Australian tour said the band were in the best form they had ever seen them in. Cunningham agrees and says the band are reveling in their newfound zest for life and music as they prepare to return to Australia. “We’re looking forward to it very much. Last time we had a blast. We were firing on all pistons, man – we finally got our groove back. I remember it vividly, we were just happy as hell to be back. It’s good to be a Deftone right now.” H

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‘The Veil of Isis’ @iTunes From their latest album Apocryphon

words Rod Whitfield photo Courtesy of Soundwave

theme running through many interviews recently, especially with American bands, is that they absolutely love our country and can’t wait to tour here. But, they also find us extremely expensive to visit. We’ve been dubbed ‘the most expensive place to tour in the world’ on more than one occasion. Are we really that bad? Kyle Shutt, guitar player from the American doom/stoner band The Sword, certainly thinks so. “Australia is honestly one of my favourite places I’ve ever been to. I love everything about it, except how much it costs. It really is expensive,” says Shutt, “Maybe it’s from an American standpoint, with the way our economy is. It’s something to get used to. But just being over there makes up for it. Everything’s better – the food, the people, just everything, it’s great.” This will be The Sword’s second appearance at Soundwave, having been here for the 2011 version of the festival. Something else bands seem to remember about our country, especially when touring at this time of year, is the weather. “Last Soundwave was a good one, but it was hot,” Shutt emphasises, “It was really hot. But we made a lot of friends who we didn’t think we we would end up meeting. We became really good friends with Monster Magnet and Trash Talk, plus we got to see a lot of old friends we hadn’t seen in years, like Protest the Hero – we hadn’t seen them for about five years. Also, I got to check out so many different kinds of bands that I had listened to as a kid but hadn’t listened to in ten years, like Millencolin and Less Than Jake. It was a fun time.” Shutt is even more impressed with

Soundwave’s lineup this time around, both because of the sheer amount of bands on offer and because the bill caters for all tastes within the heavy music spectrum. “Last time Soundwave had 68 bands and this time, last I counted, it’s 72 bands. It’s wild. It’s good because people can go around and see the kind of stuff they want to see. They can just hang out at the pop punk stage all day or whatever. It’s definitely unique.” Shutt has pretty vivid memories of the first time the band ever toured Australia and New Zealand. “This is our third time out there. The first time was the tail end of Metallica’s Death Magnetic tour. It was right in between the earthquakes in Christchurch. That was crazy, just getting home and seeing them getting hit like that again when we were just there. It was kind of an eye opening trip,” he says. The band’s latest album, Apocryphon, was released in October last year and the reaction to it has been universally positive. Shutt believes the album is a return to form for the band after experiencing some troubles with their previous release, Warp Riders. “In the US, [the new album] was received really well,” he informs us, “We’ve gotten a ton of good press and reviews for the record. It just feels like we’re back, man. We kind of took a hit with the last record, with our drummer quitting and the record label not really being into promoting it because our contract was up,” Shutt says. Next year marks ten years together as a band for The Sword and Shutt feels like the landmark has crept up on them. But there’s another milestone he’s feeling more trepidation about. “It’s pretty wild,” he says, “I mean, our first record only came out six years ago, but we’ve

been a band almost ten years. It does feel like it’s been a long time – I feel like we get more respect from a lot of the clubs we play at now. At the same time, it’s going to really feel like a long time when it’s been ten years since our first record came out. That’s the one I’m bracing myself for.” H

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Texan heavyweights The Sword return to Australia for Soundwave on the back of their epic latest album, Apocryphon.

APOCRYPHON by

The Sword

Shock Entertainment / Razor & Tie Records

review Rod Whitfield There’s a touch of irony in that this type of music seems to have accumulated many different names over the years and yet has remained very similar in sound. The forerunner of this sound was undoubtedly Black Sabbath. You can hear Sabbath’s influence on The Sword and just about every other band of their ilk. When Sabbath was starting out, the genre was called heavy rock. Since then, it’s been known as ‘stoner,’ ‘sludge,’ ‘doom,’ ‘southern rock,’ and ‘desert rock.’ True aficionados of the sound could point out the nuances separating all of these, but the differences are subtle. The Sword do the style as well as anyone and on Apocryphon they’re in top form. It’s rockin’, it’s sludgy and it’s doomy. It sounds like it came out of the Deep South and is made to be enjoyed while driving through a desert in a convertible with the top down.

Kyuss J Lives! Vocalist John Garcia’s name is synonymous with the US Palm Desert scene. His bands, past and present, include Kyuss, Slo Burn, Unida, Hermano, Kyuss Lives! and now, Vista Chino. It seems that ‘Kyuss Lives’ only until Soundwave.

words Anthony Moore photo Courtesy of Soundwave L I S TE N n o w

‘Green Machine’ Live @iTunes

ohn Garcia and his fellow Kyuss Lives! band mates are saying goodbye to their current name when they tour Australia as part of the Soundwave Festival. It’s the last time they’ll be using the band name and will be returning home as ‘Vista Chino.’ Kyuss, no strangers to band name changes, started out as Katzenjammer in ’87, changing their name to Sons of Kyuss in ’89 then shortening it to Kyuss before they released their debut album, Wretch, in ’91. They went on to release three more albums, Blues for the Red Sun (1992), Welcome to Sky Valley (1994), and …And the Circus Leaves Town (1995) before calling it quits. After Garcia toured Europe in 2010, performing some of their classics under the name Garcia Plays Kyuss, he and original Kyuss members – Nick Oliveri [bass] and Brant Bjork [drums] – joined with guitarist Bruno Fevery and became Kyuss Lives! Due to a federal lawsuit filed by fellow Kyuss members Josh Homme and Scott Reeder, the band were allowed to continue touring under Kyuss Lives! but were prohibited to use the name for recordings. They announced in November last year that they would be changing their name to Vista Chino. It seems, from the excitement in Garcia’s voice, that hosting their farewell tour as Kyuss Lives! in Australia is exactly what the band wanted. “First off, to go down to Australia alone is phenomenal – let’s just get that right out of the way because the country is f**king beautiful. It’s awe inspiring, I love it,” he says, “We’re all just super stoked to be doing it down there.” The literal translation of Vista Chino in Spanish is Chinese View, though when asked what it means to the band, Garcia is almost cryptic in his reply, as if he never expected someone to look the name up in a dictionary.

“It’s a name that means something that helps fill the void in our guts and seems very, very fitting for what Brant, myself, Bruno and Nicky are about to take on. It’s the music and what it makes you feel and that’s the true definition,” he says vaguely. The band have been in Bjork’s Joshua Tree studio, where they feel at home, putting the finishing touches on a debut Vista Chino album. To date, they’ve been playing 100 percent Kyuss material at shows and fans are anticipating what direction their sound will take when Fevery plays his own music instead of Kyuss’ founding guitarist Josh Homme’s. As to whether we’ll hear any of the new material when they tour, Garcia replies, “I sure hope so. I think that’s the plan.” Garcia anticipates the album’s release will soon follow the tour. “Hopefully if it continues to go the way it is now, it’s looking like April is going to be the release date,” he reveals. With the name change and a new release, the band are looking forward to the future, but does that mean the lawsuit is now over? “I sure hope so,” says Garcia, “The light at the end of the tunnel is the birth of Vista Chino and the release of this record. The lawsuit has no choice but to come to an end and in my eyes, with what’s going on right now, I think we’re very close to that. Will it go all the way to court? Will it go all the way to jury?” Garcia laughs, seemingly at absurdity of what he’s just said, “I sure as hell hope not, because there’s no need for it. Nobody wants to go through a f**king lawsuit. Nobody.” Garcia says the lawsuit hasn’t changed what the band’s music, right now or from back in the ’90s, means to him. “I think the court case tainted me a little bit but it didn’t taint the music, absolutely not. I think the music stands free and clear of that. It should and to me it does.” H

The man behind one of the most iconic screams in metal, Tom Araya, sits down with HEAVY to discuss the past, present and future of thrash legends Slayer.

ossibly the only band other than Queen that have a song instantly recognisable after just three hits of a drum, thrash forefathers Slayer are still generating a thunder as vehement as ever. Since reuniting with their original lineup in 2002, Slayer had been enjoying thrashing to audiences around the world as the original team who began it all. But that came a halt when guitarist, Jeff Hanneman, was sidelined with necrotising fasciitis in his arm at the start of 2011, which doctors believe was contracted from a spider bite. Simply put, necrotising fasciitis is flesh-eating bacteria, which sounds like something straight out of a Slayer lyric booklet. In Hanneman’s absence, Gary Holt of fellow thrash stalwarts Exodus stepped up to the plate and was well received by Slayer’s devoted fanbase. Pat O’Brien of Cannibal Corpse also manned the strings for a time when Holt went to join Exodus for shows. Hanneman even made an appearance during the encore at the

words Rob Brens photo Rod Hunt US ‘Big Four’ show in 2011, so fans have been chomping at the bit to find out for sure who will be trading whammy bar solos with Kerry King at March’s Soundwave festival. “It’ll be Gary Holt,” Araya confirms, “Gary is committed, he’s a f**king amazing guitar player and he’s doing a great job. He’s tremendous and I’m very grateful he’s sticking around.” Hanneman’s absence also initially raised questions about the future of the band’s upcoming album. Since, it’s been well established that nothing will stand in the way of the new release, especially now that Hanneman can handle a guitar. Araya gave us an update on the guitarist’s situation. “He’s doing well. He’s just going to need more time than we thought, but he’s putting together ideas [for the album]. I’m trying to see if I can talk him into getting up the nerve to come out and play. Everybody misses him, I do. But it’s like anything else, when you haven’t done something for a while, it takes time to get running again. One time you could

do six miles and then you’ve got to start over with one mile. He’s like the bionic man, ‘we can rebuild him!’” Araya laughs. While it’s been confirmed that the new album is a sure thing, there’s still ambiguity surrounding how far along the progress is and what kind of sounds are emerging. “Kerry [King, guitar] and Dave [Lombardo, drums] have put together some demo stuff. They’ve recorded quite a bit of material,” Araya reveals, “There were two songs that came together out of the batch that I did some vocals on. They require a bit more tightening up but I think they’re really good. Hopefully we’ll have something before the year is out. It’s going to sound like Slayer. I don’t want to sound over confident, but you’re going to like it. If you don’t I’m going to kick your ass,” he laughs. When someone says something sounds like Slayer, you know exactly what they mean. Fast, intense, aggressive and downright evil are the band’s mainstay sonic attributes. Every album

manages to have it’s own flavour but still remains quintessentially Slayer. When asked whether the band establish what they want out of record before writing material, Araya says things have changed over time. “When we did Hell Awaits we purposely did long songs with a lot of slow parts. Then when we worked on Reign in Blood we wanted to do something fast. After that we didn’t want to do another fast album so we purposely came out with South of Heaven. But after South of Heaven we just went in the studio, did what we did and didn’t really think about it. The only thing we really concern ourselves with now is making sure we like the material. If we don’t like the songs, they don’t make it to the studio. We do a lot of prep work and rehearsals beforehand. If we like the way the songs groove, we take them to the studio. If we don’t, they get worked out until we’re happy with them. We just go in with stuff we like and then let the studio magic happen. We don’t go

“It’s going to sound like Slayer. I don’t want to sound over confident, but you’re going to like it. if you don’t I’m going to kick your ass.”

in with any preconceived notions [anymore]. That’s how the albums usually come together now,” Araya says. Rumours of retirement have been plaguing the band after a series of misleading interviews. But if recent events are anything to go by, any notion of retirement is just a bad game of Chinese Whispers. “Someone in an interview asked me a question and I answered him honestly. It was something like ‘do you think the band will continue forever?’” Araya laughs, “They took that whole interview out of context, like ‘the band plans to retire soon.’ We take it day by day and as of now we have an album to put together. Usually one of us says ‘hey, do you guys want to do another record?’, the others say ‘sure’ and we just start putting together ideas. Once we get the record together, the tours happen. We make

decisions living in the now, rather than saying ‘we’re going to go for another 15 years.’ The past is gone, we don’t know what the future holds, and so for now we’ll continue until we’re done.” Changing the course of a genre of music is never something one plans, no matter how hard some may try. Slayer’s resolve to live in the now has always been their staple philosophy, so naturally they never planned to revolutionise thrash metal when they composed 29 minutes of the most unforgiving, ferocious music that would become the seminal thrash recording, Reign in Blood. “You know what? We were just happier than shit that someone had decided to put us on a major label,” Araya laughs, “That’s where we were at. There were no profound thoughts, we were just happier than shit.

At the time we were literally doing it ourselves. We had some financial support from an indie label, but they were robbing us blind and we didn’t know it. So when we got an offer from Rick Rubin [co-president of Columbia records] we were like ‘what? Columbia? Holy shit.’ Then we went on the road and did some real tours, no vans but with buses and lights. So at that time, when we recorded Reign in Blood, we were just happy that someone picked us up and that we were doing something we liked. Rick cleaned us up, took the crust out of our eyes, gave us a bath, scrubbed us clean and said ‘alright now you’re ready for the big time.’ You don’t realise what you’re doing, but 25 years later everyone is going ‘dude, did you guys know you were doing something special?’ It’s like, ‘yeah, we did something special when we came together and made the group Slayer’”. H

words Matt Foster photo Courtesy of Soundwave

danko jones

Danko Jones are a band that have been on the move constantly throughout their 17-year existence. Jones, the man himself, talks reunion tours, rock’n’roll clichés and the art of fashioning the same three chords into rock anthems.

“You know what? We were just happier than shit that someone had decided to put us on a major label,” Araya laughs, “that’s were we where at.”

ock And Roll Is Black And Blue, was released late last year, but according to frontman Danko Jones, the new album was an idea the band had floating in their heads for quite some time. “The title was what we were going to call our first release,” Jones explains, “It’s just that we didn’t get a chance to use it, because in the Toronto music scene there was a band called The Deadly Snakes that put out a seven inch called Real Rock and Roll Tonight and we just thought that title sounded too similar... [The title’s] got several meanings, depending on who you are or what you want to make of it. But I think of it as to mean that rock’n’roll is just not the most popular form of popular music anymore. Rap music, pop music, metal music, electronic music, country music even, are way, way more popular than rock’n’roll, which used to be the most popular.” Despite the supposed decline of rock music in recent times, Jones is adamant that the genre still has a lot to offer. “I will say to people who think that what we do is kind of stale and stunted that I find that there’s a real art in fashioning the same three chords yet again and making them sound fresh. There’s never going to be an album where we drag our listenership through our folk phase or our rap music phase. We know who we are. There’s a comfort in that and there’s an art in that.” When it comes to living life as a rock’n’roll singer, Danko Jones says he hasn’t got the time for those that aren’t 100% dedicated and prepared to work constantly at their craft. “It’s been 17 years and I’m constantly doing this band – there’s been no time where we’ve taken a break. I really find bands that take breaks and then reunite f**king lame. I kind of lose respect for them. And to those bands that reunite, take glory for the fact that they’re back together and scoop up the money, what happens to all the bands that have always been together through thick and thin? Even when the chips were down and nobody wanted to hear them, when everybody got bored of them, they still kept going – where’s their f**king reunion money?” Danko also isn’t one to endorse the typical debaucherous rockstar lifestyle. “Rock’n’roll means a lot of things to a lot of people. For me, rock’n’roll has always meant, first and foremost, the style and sound of the music. Second though, I think rock’n’roll means freedom, it’s the freedom to live in any way you like. When I’m told to do something, the punk rock dick in me does the opposite. It’s how I’ve always been. And when I’m expected to be something ‘or else I’m a not a true rock’n’roller,’ when I’m expected to fall in line with clichés that have been fashioned for me – like sex, drugs and rock’n’roll – then I rebel against that,” he bristles, “I don’t play into clichés. When people say ‘why aren’t you staying up ’til five in the morning drinking with us?’ I say ‘Well, because dude, I have a gig to play tomorrow. Any real rock’n’roller who has been on a real rock’n’roll tour knows that the singer has got to have eight to ten hours of sleep every night. So what am I going do? Am I going to f**king rock out with you, be a f**king rock’n’roller and take part in the most vapid f**king conversations? Or do I just hit the sack, f**king get my sleep and make sure that the crowd tomorrow has a real f**king good time because I’m hitting every note? I’ll take the latter.” H

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‘Just A Beautiful Day’ @iTunes From their latest album Rock and Roll is Black and Blue

Jesse Leach talks religion… I definitely believe in the teachings of Christ, but I also have a bone to pick with organised religion and the hypocrisy of religion in general. I definitely see myself as a Christian, but I’m not confined by what the definition of that is. That term, Christianity, has become bastardised by so many people and by organised religion. It’s hard for me to just say that I’m Christian without trying to explain myself. I strive to be a good Christian and show God’s love, it’s my perspective of the world and where I come from, but I don’t see myself in any way, shape or form as being a preacher or somebody who’s trying to outwardly evangelise. I’m a musician and an artist.

Metalcore pioneers Killswitch Engage reunited with their original singer to write their sixth studio album and are now geared up for Soundwave. words Kimberley Croxford photo Courtesy Soundwave

esse Leach has done a full circle, re-joining Killswitch Engage last year after a decade long absence. The vocalist helped establish the band and create their self-titled debut and breakthrough album, Alive or Just Breathing, before making way for long-time singer, Howard Jones, who fronted the band for the majority of their career. Leach says he never expected to end up back where he began. “It’s amazing. If you had told me a year ago that this was where I’d be, I wouldn’t have believed you. Lyrically and sonically the band were doing their own thing, it wasn’t something I could see myself being a part of.” Throughout his absence, Leach remained partly connected to the band because of his

enduring friendship with its members. “Adam [Dutkiewicz, lead guitar] and I, especially, have always been very close. It’s just this chemistry we have from growing up in the same musical community. As you get older you tend to reflect on when you were a kid with a lot of love and nostalgia. Mike’s [D’Antonio, bass] band Overcast used to play shows with my first band Corrin back in ’93, ’94 and ’95, so those memories are something we all share.” When asked what it was like to watch somebody else successfully front what was originally his band, Leach says he felt nothing but pride for his friends. “They made the right choice with their vocalist and as a consequence saw so much success. When I left [Killswitch] I made

the right decision for me, my family, and honestly, for the band. They were much better off without me all those years, because the person I was when I initially started touring is not the person I am today… When I would go to see them and three or four songs out of their set was stuff that I wrote, any ownership I felt was from a distance,” he says, “It wasn’t something I felt like I needed to reclaim. I just felt inspired by the fact that what I did years ago still mattered. I remember seeing them in Connecticut and hearing people singing along to My Last Serenade. My wife turned to me and said, ‘people still sing that song, they still care.’ It was pretty amazing.” Leach says he harboured no regrets about leaving the band, but also admits he deliberately locked his time with Killswitch

l ate s t re l ea s e

Disarm the Descent by

Killswitch Engage

Roadrunner Records

review Justin Tawil Thunderous riffs, ferocious beats, soaring clean vocals and violent screams make up this monster of a record by Killswitch Engage. The album kicks off with a machine gun riff and unleashes furious blast beats that feel like a flurry of Hulk smashes to the face. This untamed fury is featured throughout most of the release, but it never feels repetitive or over done. Jesse Leach makes his triumphant return and his re-invention of the Howard Jones formula breathes new life into the band. With the band’s incredibly grandiose choruses and classic melodic guitar overlays, the album is what you’d expect from any quality Killswitch release.

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‘No End in Sight’ @YouTube From their upcoming album Disarm the Descent

in the past. “I’m pretty stubborn and when I make a decision I stand by it. I really strive to live with no regrets, almost to a flaw. But I think sometimes you have to allow regret to seep in, it teaches you something about the decisions you’ve made in your life. I probably did block some thoughts or feelings about it out, but it all led me back to where I am now.” When Jones left the band last year, Leach let himself acknowledge the possibility of returning to the band for the first time. “It’s hard to put into words the feeling I had,” he says, “When I knew that Howard was out of the band officially, I just I woke up and thought ‘I’ve got to give this a shot.’” Leach remains unsure as to what suddenly motivated him to try out for the band, but he says a subconscious refusal to see Killswitch disband may have contributed to his decision. “That might have been part of it,” he muses, “I just feel like those guys have worked so hard for all these years to build the band’s legacy. I knew they were going to part ways with Howard before it was announced and saw them all lament about it. I thought they would probably carry on without him, but I just felt like I had to be a part of that.” Leach originally quit the band after emotional issues and the need to be with his wife overwhelmed his younger self, but this time he’s in it for the long haul. “I wrote a lyric on the new record that says ‘I’d rather burn out than fade away’ and I think

that speaks volumes about where I’m at in my life. I’m going to do this until I run myself into the ground. I’ve accepted that,” he laughs. Leach reunited with the band under no illusions and didn’t expect to be familiar with their processes after a decade apart. “Obviously a lot of things have changed. To use a funny American term, Killswitch are a well-oiled machine. This band just works now, there’s not a lot of discussion on how it should work, it just does. That’s really exciting for me and challenging too,” he says. Killswitch opted to tour with Leach before writing their sixth album, Disarm the Descent, which Leach says helped consolidate the band’s new dynamic. “Seeing how it works and feeling the vibe of the band on the road really helped to inspire the writing process. I think if we hadn’t done that it might have been a different record.” Leach also developed significantly as an artist while independent from the band. “Old processes are dead, I will not regress,” he laughs, “Over the years I’ve been active musically with other projects [Seamless, The Empire Shall Fall, Times of Grace] and have been writing in general, whether it’s poetry or on my online column. I feel like I took a whole other approach with this record and really tried to be relevant to who I am now and the process I’ve developed over the past few years.” Leach’s lyrical content has typically been personal and cathartic in the past, but on

Disarm the Descent he made a conscious effort to embrace different perspectives and explore world issues. “He says I just felt like there’s only so much you can write that’s about you. I’m just trying to write with a broader brushstroke, a broader point of view, and expand my horizons as a writer. It adds different depths to the material,”. Leach says his artistic growth was inspired by his other musical endeavours and his resolve to develop as a writer. “It had a lot to do with my band The Empire Shall Fall, which started out as a very political band. I was very up on current events and very compassionate about human rights. Also, getting serious about writing as far as poetry and exercising that part of my brain really contributed. I’m working on becoming a real observer. I live just outside of New York and often spend the day walking around the city doing nothing but observing and writing – that’s really changed me as a writer and as a musician.” Leach says he hopes that his newly socially charged lyrical content will provoke thought and instil hope. “Life is so beautiful. As long as you’re focusing on the positives, as long as your heart is in the right place, there’s always hope for humanity. That being said, you must acknowledge the dark side of things in order for things to change. I think it’s equally important to acknowledge the darkness, but also strive for light.” H

words Kimberley Croxford

Hardcore punk veterans Sick of it All have blown well past the 25 year milestone. Frontman Lou Koller says the band are looking ahead, with an Australian tour and a new album on the horizon. You released your 25th anniversary album, Nonstop, in 2011. Did it cross your mind at all, at a landmark point in your career, that the release might have been the ideal place to stop? Nobody even suggested that we stop. My brother Pete [Koller, guitar] thinks we’re going to go forever.

Water Music. We told everybody how much we loved them and people were like, ‘oh god, Sick of it All’s new album is going to be like Hot Water music.’ We said, ‘no, they just inspired us to be the best Sick of it All we could be, because they were so good at being Hot Water Music.’

You’re a band that don’t like to rest on your laurels and are always trying further yourselves. At what point will you be satisfied enough with your legacy to call it a day? It’s really hard to know. When we came out with Death to Tyrants [2006] everybody was like, ‘wow, how are you going to top that? You’ve peaked.’ But then we did Based on a True Story [2010] and everyone was saying again, ‘you’ve done it, you’ve peaked, you can’t go on anymore.’ I thought we plateaued years ago with Just Look Around [1992] but then we did Scratch the Surface [1994]. So who knows? [laughs]

What can we expect of the new album musically? It’s a continuation from Based on a True Story and Death to Tyrants. I don’t want to say it’s heavier, but we keep pushing it to be more brutal while still maintaining melody. It’s not like metalcore where it’s soulless metal then operatic singing – it’s punk with heavier riffs, kind of like old Negative Approach but done in the 21st century.

I read that bands you’ve recently toured with inspired your upcoming record. Can you elaborate on this? Bands we tour with inspire every record. We’re not idiots – we’re not so old school that we shut our minds off to new bands. It’s weird because some of the new stuff is so retro, like Trash Talk. Everybody in England flips out over Trash Talk and we were writing songs like that when we were 14 in my basement. But they’re doing a great version of it, so it inspires us to, say, throw in some old school riffs. We’re not like, ‘let’s write a song like Every Time I Die or Cancer Bats,’ but we listen to it and think ‘wow, that makes us want to write a really good Sick of it All riff, one that’s us but beefier.’ That’s how newer bands inspire us. I remember one year we toured with Hot

Lyrically, what direction are you taking on the new record? So far, I’ve been writing from a personal standpoint. And, growing up in the punk scene, we do have a lot of political stuff to say as well. You say a lot of your political material comes from the growing up in the punk scene. Does way back then still influence you now? Is where you come from still a catalyst for songwriting? Definitely. The bands that we used to see and listen to are the blue print for what we’re doing. It’s always an influence on me. It’s in my DNA, you could say. How true is it that as you get older and gain more insight, the more anger you have to channel through music? Very, that’s it exactly. But you also become more focused – you know what the problems are. When we were teenagers we were

Photo: Rod Hunt

just mad at the f **cking world, now it’s muchmore focused. But we also try to write in a way that people from all age ranges can still understand. It’s not like now we write songs about hating paying our taxes [laughs]. You’ve said previously that music is supposed to make you cry, make you scream, or make you change your mind about a political view. How do you consider this when writing your own songs? I start out writing straight from my heart or my head and then I fine tune it, focus it. If I write a certain line I think, ‘does that line really move me? I understand what it’s supposed to say, but does the way I’ve worded it work?’ Even the way you sing something sometimes makes it more powerful.

Would you say that the way you say something and the conviction you put behind it is more important than what you say? It’s not more important, but it really enhances it. I have friends in a band called The Last Stand and I went down to their recording session. The singer was delivering a line in such a matter of fact way. I said ‘I love that line, but if it was me I’d scream my head off at that point because it’s so powerful.’ He didn’t feel it that way. The way he sang it was like, ‘yeah, that’s life and it sucks.’ But the way I saw it was ‘that’s life, it sucks and I’m really pissed about it.’ He tried it my way and the rest of the band came in and loved it. He wasn’t doing it wrong, but the way I heard it helped other people feel it more. You guys have built a life around your passion for hardcore music. What do you think draws certain people to a specific kind of music or lifestyle? That’s a hard one. I wish I knew. Sometimes it’s about when you get into music and the time when you grew up. But sometimes people find music from the past that speaks to them. My wife totally grew up with punk and hardcore and she still loves it, we go to all the shows. But she also has this weird love for f**cking ragtime music. I don’t mind it, but it’s like ‘where the hell did you pick that up? You’re 30 years old, not 78 or 90’ [laughs]. But she just loves her ragtime. It speaks to her.

What advice can you provide young bands that want to follow in Sick of it All’s footsteps? Don’t try to change with the tides. I remember some hardcore bands that disappeared and then came back trying to sound like Korn and Limp Bizkit, when that was big. It just didn’t fly. Whether you play acoustic music or metal, be true to what you love. Also, learn the business end of the industry. We begrudgingly learnt it. We’d say ‘we didn’t start a band to fill out contracts and go to meetings,’ but we knew that to survive and make a living out of this we had to do it. H

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‘‘Injustice System!’ (re-recording)’ @iTunes From their anniversary album Nonstop

Photo: Rod Hunt

Photo: Courtesy of Sou ndwave

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‘Stone Letter’ @iTunes From their new album Oddfellows

words Kimberley Croxford photo Dustin Rabin

upergroup Tomahawk, made up of alternative rock legends Mike Patton (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Fantomas, Mondo Cane), Duane Denison (ex-the Jesus Lizard), John Stanier (ex-Helmet, Battles, the Mark of Cain) and new bassist Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle), are used to infrequent reunions. Renowned skinsman, John Stainer, says the band only rehearsed for a day and a half before their first performance in nine years. “It was perfect. It was like yesterday, like we’d been playing the whole time,” he says, “I think only a band like Tomahawk would be able to pull something like off, because in a weird way we’re almost used to it. Since the beginning, this band has always been – I don’t want to say a project, but it was never going to be everyone’s main band. We were never going to tour for ten months out of a year.” Tomahawk’s members are all incredibly established musicians, but does Stanier feel that anything needs improving before they bring their live spectacle to Soundwave? “Nothing whatsoever. We’re good to go,” he says assuredly, “I’m sure we’d be horrible if no one had been playing that whole time, but that’s kind of all we do. Everyone has so much other musical stuff going on.” The band have just released a new album, Oddfellows, which marks their first recording in six years. “We’ve been talking about this record for what seems like three years now,” Stanier says, “Whenever I’d talk to the guys it was like ‘yeah we’re going to do another Tomahawk record, hell yeah, of course,’ then seven months later we’d have the same conversation. Everyone wanted to do it, it was just a matter of when and how.” But Stanier says the band’s sporadic musical output is one reason for their longevity. Each member of Tomahawk is an individual musician before a they are a band member and this avoids the usual tensions that plague many other acts. With each member occupied with other projects, the pressure is off and Tomahawk’s creativity is uninhibited by other agendas. “I think this kind of band is easier to continue, because it’s so professional. That’s the main reason why it works. There’s no drama because everyone has something else going on. My band Battles is the all encompassing thing I have to deal with every

single day, but everyone else has the same thing. That’s why Tomahawk has been able to exist for 12 years now. It just works out perfectly.” Stanier says the band’s audience expect irregular releases. “Tomahawk has always been this ongoing thing, ever since the very beginning. I think that’s the reason why we can do this. I’ve never heard anyone say ‘oh, Tomahawk are back together’ because we never broke up.” With other projects to dedicate themselves to, and after six years of silence, it would have been easy for Tomahawk to quietly close the doors on the project, but Stanier says disappearing was never the band’s intention. “I don’t see any reason why we can’t get together every once in a while, bang out a record and then everybody goes back to doing what they were doing. We’ll do that again in four or five years. It’s something to look forward to, to be honest. I think it’s awesome. I wish there could be more things like that.” Apparently, ‘banging out a record’ – even one of Oddfellows’ quality and complexity – is second nature for Tomahawk. Stanier says the band fell easily back into playing together when writing the album. “We met in Nashville and recorded it at The Black Keys studio in just a week. I think I rehearsed with Duane for two days. It’s ridiculous,” he laughs, “It just somehow works out for us. The hardest thing about Tomahawk – the only hard thing about Tomahawk – is scheduling.” The new record features more melodic, catchier passages than previous releases, embellishing Tomahawks’ disorderly, experimental and alternative sound with some strong pop sensibilities. But Stanier says the band’s decision to include the album’s hooks wasn’t an attempt to attract a wider audience. “I would say we definitely did it on purpose, but I don’t think that’s the reason. I just think it’s what we wanted to do. We wanted to make it a little more stripped down. Yeah, sure, it’s a little poppier, but I don’t think there’s any ulterior motive behind that. We’re not a group that’s aiming for that, we’re not shooting for that. We’re not a bunch of 22 year olds who want to get signed to a major. This is just what this record sounds like.” Tied to Australia as a member of Adelaide band The Mark of Cain, Stanier is sure to be more than comfortable visiting our shores. “It still makes me very uncomfortable

coming to your country,” he laughs, “I’m kidding. A while ago I was trying to count how many times I’ve been there and it was a lot. Most Americans, if they’re lucky, only get to go there once in their entire life.” Stanier says that, if anything, he’s almost too comfortable about his impending trip Down Under for Soundwave. “I was in Perth two years ago and the same person was working in this sandwich shop,” he chuckles, “I knew exactly where the sandwich shop was and the same person was working there. I was like ‘oh my God.’ It’s like the most remote city on earth to us. It’s like ‘there’s Jerry, still making egg sandwiches in the deli.’ I could walk to that sandwich shop in my sleep, which makes things really surreal. But, then again, I say that and something weird or new always happens when we visit, so it’s still a very exciting place.” H

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Experimental rock project Tomahawk have made a triumphant return to the stage after nearly a decade, following the release of their new album, Oddfellows.

Oddfellows by

TOMAHAWK

Ipecac Recordings

review Athena Marangos With a title that couldn’t be more fitting, Tomahawk’s fourth album is far from disappointing. Oddfellows moves away from Native American battle-themed album, Anonymous, as they return to aggressive rock and their experimental sound. Tracks like Stone Letter and White Hats/Black Hats speed up the albums pace, showing off Mike Patton’s huge vocal range, while I Can Almost See Them instantly intensifies the mood with prominent bass lines and ominous lyrics. Through the perfect distribution of thick riffs and jarring tones, Oddfellows is an album that successfully combines punchy, catchy rock with an experimental twist. Sounding more polished than ever, this album has something to offer those who are after some heavy sounds as well as those who are looking for something more thought provoking.

After making a splash with Murder the Mountains and a string of music videos gone viral, Red Fang might just explode in 2013.

e like drinking beers and rock’n’roll.” If there was ever a suitable introduction to get the uninitiated wised up about Portland’s stoner/doom/metal/rock crew Red Fang, it’s this. Guitarist David Sullivan provides the excellent description when talking about what the band have in store for 2013. This is looking to be Red Fang’s year – soon there’ll be no excuse for not knowing who Red Fang are and what they do. After putting out limited runs of a couple EPs, which were then compiled into the self-titled Red Fang record, the band signed to indie metal powerhouse, Relapse Records. They then released their first proper fulllength, Murder the Mountains (2011) – an underground hit of sludgy metal and roll that sounds like Kyuss and Motörhead getting together and huffing glue. Mountains saw the band’s profile rise. It saw them land big slots opening for Mastodon and The Dillinger Escape Plan, secure a spot on America’s Mayhem festival, and helped them work up the steam to head out on a successful headlining run across Europe. The touring cycle for Murder the Mountains is now drawing to a close. The band’s upcoming spots on the Soundwave bill and the

red fang words Tom Hersey photo Courtesy of Soundwave

staggeringly good Kyuss Lives! and Orange Goblin sidewaves will be some of their final touring efforts on the back of the album. But Sullivan says Red Fang will keep their incredible momentum going. “We took a little bit of time off for the holidays and New Years, but for the past few weeks we’ve been practising three times a week and focusing on new material. We’ve already booked some studio time in April so we’ll continue to work on new songs, go to Soundwave, and get back to the new stuff afterwards.” As for where they’re going with Murder the Mountains’ follow-up, Sullivan says the band are keeping it varied. “We’ve always tried not to settle on one particular style. At the past few practices we’ve been working on some slower, doomy stuff that’s drop-tuned and heavy. We’ve also come up with a few faster, more punk rock kind of things. Hopefully when we sequence it all together on the record there’s going to be a nice flow of spastic punk rock, doom, heavy metal and rock’n’roll. I would just get burnt out if we were only playing the one style of music. We need to mix it up. Maybe that’s a reflection on the fact that we’re a little A.D.D. – our attention spans are a little short. We can’t just get stuck into one particular mode,” he says. With a new album on the way there will be

more music videos to be made. Kind of like the underground metal world’s answer to OK Go, Red Fang’s previous video efforts – like Wires, Hank is Dead and Prehistoric Dog – have all gone viral. If you haven’t seen their clip Wires, do so immediately. The video depicts the band members drinking a whole mess of beer before going out to joust, host air guitar contests and, perhaps coolest of all, buy a ’70s station wagon and run over 200 litres of milk. So what’s it like to drive a station wagon with a makeshift battering ram welded onto the front through 200 litres of milk? “It’s exhilarating,” Sullivan laughs, “At first we weren’t sure how safe it was going to be. We had helmets on and some goggles, but we had no idea what was going to happen and if we’d be fine. We did a test run with the milk and then we were like, ‘Wow, that felt amazing.’ Then we started feeling pretty invincible and were saying ‘Yeah, set it up. We’ll smash it. We don’t care.’” As for what the band might have in store for future videos, Sullivan says they’ll keep it light. “A lot of heavy metal bands make these videos where they’re trying to be tough – there’s fire and blood and chains and all this dark, tough guy stuff. That’s not really us. We’re just about playing and having fun.” H

words Mark Lennard photo Courtesy of Soundwave

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‘Wires’ @redfang.net

Crossfaith

Since 2006 Crossfaith have been mixing their love of metalcore with strings, programming and electronica in an effort to create a unique sound in Japanese metal.

“A lot of heavy metal bands make these videos where they’re trying to be tough – there’s fire and blood and chains and all this dark, tough guy stuff. that’s not really us. We’re just about playing and having fun.”

oon after their inception, Crossfaith supported Machine Head, Hatebreed, Bleeding Through and August Burns Red and secured a slot on Japan’s biggest metal festival, Loud Park. The popularity of their debut album (The Artificial Theory for the Dramatic Beauty) in Japan had some directly citing the band as the impetus for the screamo/metalcore scene that developed in the country soon after it’s release. 2010 saw their debut released in Europe and the band began writing and recording their follow up, The Dream, the Space. Crossfaith went on to play in front of an estimated 10,000 people at the Tokyo Summer Sonic festival (alongside Korn, The Mars Volta, RHCP and Japan’s biggest rock band, X Japan) and released their sophomore album in the US. Their current six-track EP, Zion, caught the attention of the greater metal community and the band scored a tour with Parkway Drive in China and a spot on the Vans Warped Tour in Europe. Crossfaith craft music with unique song structures and a powerful mixture of sounds. Vocalist, Kenta Koie, says their collective influences cover a broad range of styles. “Our main influences are Slipknot and The Prodigy. In the van we listen to so many different types of music. One person could put on metal, the next person could put on punk and the next could put on Norah Jones. There’s not one genre that we could say is our main influence. I hear so many bands when songwriting, they all give me new ideas. But Corey Taylor and Spencer Chamberlain are my greatest vocal teachers,” he says. In Australia we mostly hear about Japanese punk/noise and grindcore bands. I asked Koie what the scene in Japan is like for his genre and if it’s hard to be heard around the world. “In Japan, our music scene is getting bigger but is still tiny, therefore Japanese bands find it hard to leave Japan. But now, with the help of Raw Power Management and lots of

friends, we can travel around the world,” he says. Koie is quite clear on what has been the band’s touring highlight so far. “Definitely Warped Tour UK – it’s been our dream to play at Warped since we were young. There were so many kids and a lot of my favorite bands. We’d love to join Warped US as well.” Anyone who has pay TV and catches metal video shows has most likely seen the clip for Crossfaith’s track, Monolith. The single is taken from their latest EP release, Zion, and is a visually stunning piece of work with movie-like effects and an epic soundtrack. Koie agrees that the video has been a great promotional tool for Zion and the band. “It was made by our great friends Maxilla, a company in Japan. Actually, they’ve made all of our past music videos. We’ve gotten tons of good reactions from around the world,” he says. With Zion’s success and recent tours introducing the band to a whole new crop of potential fans worldwide, now would be the time to capitalise on this momentum with a new release. “We’re writing songs for a new album and we’re going to the US for recording with legendary producer Machine in a few weeks,” confirms Koie. Crossfaith are ready to introduce themselves to Australian metal audiences at Soundwave and Koie says they’re eager to both showcase their music and catch some Australian acts. “I’m excited to be playing Soundwave festival, it’s a big chance for us. I hope Australian kids will love us. I’d love to watch so many bands there, in particular The Amity Affliction.” With a killer sound and a cohesive vision to constantly push the boundaries of their craft, Crossfaith have the drive and ability to become a big deal on the world metal scene. Catch them at Soundwave and see what Japanese metal has to offer. H

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‘Monolith’ @iTunes From their latest EP Zion

SIX FEET UNDER

With Six Feet Under hitting our shores for Soundwave, vocalist and founder Chris Barnes crawls out of the grave to discuss 20 years of gore. words Riley Strong photo Courtesy of Soundwave

n any genre of music, branding is essential. A band name alone can be the difference between acceptance and exclusion. It’s an identity that in a word or three can cause more stylistic grouping than the most detailed biography. Six Feet Under are a band with a name that doesn’t mislead. A reference to how deep a coffin is buried in the ground, the name connotes death, decay and morbid finality, which perfectly suits a group who produce songs titled Death By Machette and Formaldehyde. Singer and founder of the US quartet, Chris Barnes, is a man who understands his chosen genre and its themes more than most. Onstage Barnes is a fearsome sight, growling underneath a mass of tangled dreadlocked hair and appearing every bit the physical manifestation of his band’s music. Yet, talking to Barnes over the phone, he is calm, open and every part the Dr Jekyll to his onstage Mr Hyde. Due in Australia in March for Soundwave, Barnes sounds honestly excited to be heading

our way. “We were lucky enough that the guys from Soundwave wanted to include us on this festival,” he says modestly. And why wouldn’t they, considering the band’s impressive background? Currently entering their 20th year since conception, Six Feet Under originated as a side project for Barnes while he still fronted gore and death metal innovators, Cannibal Corpse. Shortly after leaving Cannibal Corpse, the side project became a full-time focus and a creative outlet for Barnes. To date, the band have released nine original studio albums, the most recent of which, Undead, ranked within the top 200 on the Billboard Charts. When asked how he’s maintained the consistent standard of Six Feet Under’s material while keeping the band headed in a forward direction, Barnes admits he doesn’t give it much consideration. “I don’t really look back too much and I don’t really look around me too much either. I just work on what I know and do it as best I can,” he says.

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‘Frozen At the Moment of Death’ @iTunes From their latest album Undead

“I don’t really look back too much and I don’t really look around me too much either. I just work on what I know and do it as best I can.” Six Feet Under have endured multiple lineup changes between albums, so how has Barnes managed to meet the right musicians to bring his songs to life time and time again? “I’ve been lucky to have good friends that are great musicians and a lot of them have wanted to work with me,” he says. Barnes is sure to bear some scars from so many lineup changes, the most recent of which occurred last year with the departure of Jeff Hughell (bass) and Ola Englund (guitar). But Barnes appears to have a positive perspective on things. “I feel like I made the right choice at this point,” he says. So what’s next for Six Feet Under, a band named from the grave but very much alive and well? Their next studio album is expected to be released in March and Barnes hints that fans should expect an uncompromisingly brutal offering. H

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‘Sin And Bones’ @iTunes From their latest album Sin And Bones

words Damo Musclecar photo Courtesy of Soundwave

When your frontman is a professional wrestler it can be difficult to prove that your band is around for more than a cheap pop. Guitarist Rich ‘The Duke’ Ward is here to testify that Fozzy are the real deal.

t can take more effort than usual to establish yourselves as serious players in the metal game when your singer is the Ayatollah of Rock and Rolla, Chris Jericho. But regardless of the frontman’s fame within the squared circle, Fozzy are in no way riding on the WWE star’s coat tails. In fact, the celebrity status of their frontman is the least the band have to offer. Guitarist Rich ‘The Duke’ Ward has been standing alongside Jericho for 13 years now. Ward is a producer and songwriter extraordinaire – and he’s the brains behind Fozzy’s latest album, Sin and Bones. Upon first listen to the release, one thing is clear – this is Fozzy’s heaviest and strongest album yet. Ward is quick to agree and says the album’s quality has a lot to do with the band’s new focus on Fozzy above other commitments. “We’ve been a bit of a part-time band for so many years,” Ward says, “With Chris as a professional wrestler and myself and Frank [Fontsere, drums] on tour with Stuck Mojo, it’s just taken a

lot of time to finally get to a point where everyone was able to prioritise Fozzy as the focus of their careers. People always say ‘it’s the sophomore blues, it’s always tough to make your second record,’ but for us, we were focused on other career paths when we were making our first, second, third and fourth record.” Ward says the album is the best effort of Fozzy’s career and that having the right lineup helped them hit gold. “We have a new bass player, Paul Di Leo, who is an amazing new addition to the band and was a big part of the sound and heaviness of the new record. You take that along with the drummer and myself who have been playing together in Stuck Mojo since 1990 – our heavy foundation has always been there.” Sin and Bones showcases the band at the top of their game and features solid riffs, flawless playing and Jericho’s vocals sounding better than ever. “We are just so fortunate that we did it at the time we did,” says Ward, “We were at this point in our career where there was so much momentum and we were getting along as a band so well. Our internal chemistry was good… It was just a matter of fitting all the pieces together and having Chris there as part of the team in the writing process.” Recording Sin and Bones couldn’t have been easy with the busy schedules of each band member. And how does a band progress when their vocalist is wrestling four nights a week? “Other full-time bands are doing 250-300 shows a year, but with Chris still maintaining an active role in professional wrestling over the years, we’ve been

touring much less. We’ve been in the 50-60 shows a year range,” says Ward. For a band that wants to take the next step in their career, that must have been frustrating. “Chris has come into his own at a time when we really needed him to,” Ward admits, “This is our third or fourth original record, not to mention our live record and our two cover-heavy records – at some point people start to take this seriously.” But Ward says that Jericho has always taken Fozzy very seriously and that his commitment to the band is not just to pass the time. “Chris isn’t just a wrestler doing this as a hobby, he has stuck with it whereas it may have been a side interest for other celebrities. He’s been doing this now for 13 years – at some point people need to recognise that it’s not just some kind of fad. This is Chris as a professional musician, making records and touring professionally. As his writing partner who started this with him years ago, it’s been great to see him grow into this career and continue to get better.” Jericho has even frequently put his decorated WWE career on hold in order to pursue music – a sure sign of his passion for Fozzy. “When you look at the income that professional wrestlers make,” says Ward, “To think that Chris takes months off, sometimes years off, to play music just validates how passionate he is about playing music. Chris has always said that since he was a kid he wanted to be a professional musician and a professional wrestler. We’re going to see some more of him in wrestling and we’re going to see a lot more of him in music, which obviously the rest of us in the band are really happy about.” While it may have slowed their progress in the past, surely having a professional wrestler as a frontman never hurt in terms of getting the band’s name out there in the public eye. “Yeah, we’ve had all these other things – fortunate pieces of the puzzle that most bands haven’t been fortunate enough to have,” Ward says, “We just needed to come through with a great album.” H

words Rod Whitfield photo Richard Frantzen

l ate s t re l ea s e

CRASHDIET The Savage Playground by

Crashdiet

3Wise Records

review Damo Musclecar If you’re a fan of glam rock and your only saviour in recent times has been Steel Panther, then this album is for you. Packed to the rafters with guts and grime, The Savage Playground is nothing short of great. Each song has been influenced from the school of Mötley Crüe and Skid Row and while the band isn’t going to be remembered for their lyrical genius (Cocaine Cowboys – come on, I mean, really?) the songs pack a hell of a punch and will make you pull on your spandex and head to the Cathouse to raise your hands and shout at the devil. Crashdiet’s The Savage Playground will fall happily on the ears of any ’80s hard rock fan.

hen you think of Swedish music, you may initially think of ABBA. Maybe then you’d think of Yngwie Malmsteen – and then definitely death metal, probably in its more melodic form. Names such as Opeth, Soilwork, Dark Tranquility, In Flames, Arch Enemy and the like spring to mind immediately. But glam rock and big hair metal? The genre doesn’t ring as much of a bell when it comes to Swedish music. But there seems to be a very solid and growing scene for this type of stuff over there at the moment – and this was recently confirmed by Crashdiet vocalist and rhythm guitarist, Simon Cruz. “Yeah, it’s alive and flourishing,” Cruz says, “I’ve been out to clubs so much in the last year. I was there this weekend, at the rock’n’roll clubs, and it was still going strong. There were a lot of kids in glam gear dancing to rock’n’roll.” Crashdiet have been leading the glam rock movement in Stockholm for well over ten years, but they’ve only released three albums within that period. Despite their party image, the band have been through some tough times that have hampered their progress. The band’s first singer, Dave Lepard, took his own life in 2006 after the release of their debut album. Although Cruz has only been in the band for about three years, he can see the effect that those times have had on the band members who knew Lepard. “It was very difficult for them to move on,” he says, “But the band had been through so much together already, so they felt like they didn’t want to stop playing together. They decided to keep alive and continue the vision Dave was involved with creating. Keeping that

Crash Diet have been representing glam in Stockholm for over a decade but they are just kicking into gear with their fourth album The Savage Playground.

banner flying and taking it around the world has been their goal the whole time. The second singer just didn’t work out,” he continues, “It just wasn’t right. I’ve been touring with them now for three years and it sometimes can be kind of tough to survive on the road.” Crashdiet have just unleashed their fourth album, The Savage Playground, and are very happy with the fruits of their labour. “We started writing just after Christmas [2012] and now we’ve come to the very end of the process. Everything is mastered, everything is done. I think we’ve done a good job,” Cruz says. The band are going to be insanely busy and will literally be heading all over the world to support the album. “The dates are kind of set from February until the summer festivals, I’m not sure what summer festivals we’ll be doing yet,” says Cruz, “Firstly we’ve got Scandinavia, then we’ve got dates here before we fly straight to Buenos Aires, and Sao Paulo, and Rio. I think then there’s Peru, Bolivia, Mexico, and then we’re straight over to Texas. We’ll go for a month’s tour of the US with another Swedish band called Crucified Barbara. After that we’ll go to the UK and then do a European tour. There’s Tokyo in the middle of that too. There will be gigs six days a week.” This intensive touring is something the band have never experienced before and Cruz feels just a touch of trepidation about what’s to come. “The longest tour we’ve done so far is six weeks,” he admits, “I’m pretty fine with being constantly drunk for six weeks – six months is another thing! We’ll see how that works out,” he laughs.. H

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‘Cocaine Cowboys’ @YouTube From their latest album The Savage Playground

KINGDOM OF SORROW words Justin Tawil photo Courtesy of Soundwave

Combine the disgustingly sludgy riffs of Kirk Windstein (of Down/Crowbar fame) and the raw unadulterated aggression of Jamey Jasta (Hatebreed) and you get a band that make Machine Head look like a bunch of sissies.

ingdom of Sorrow, a band that started out as a joke between Jamey Jasta and Kirk Windstein during a Crowbar and Hatebreed tour in 2005, are now headed to Australia for Soundwave. It’s going to be the first time Kingdom of Sorrow have ever brought their hardcore brand of sludge to the Soundwave stage, or toured Australia as a band. The reaction from their fans has been huge and Jasta is super stoked to be on the bill. “Soundwave will be awesome. It’s a one-time only thing and because of that we have people traveling from New Zealand, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and even as far as Japan and Korea to come and see us,” he says. Jasta has always felt a strong connection to Australia, having toured here countless times with Hatebreed. “Australia never gets old to me. You guys don’t know how good you have it. I actually want to tour Australia three times in 2013 – once with Kingdom of Sorrow, once with Hatebreed and then hopefully with [my solo project] Jasta too, but that may be too much for you all to handle,” he laughs. Side projects usually experience less pres-

sure to succeed than their members’ original bands, but Jasta has developed a different view on the matter. “There’s no pressure with any of my bands anymore. If people don’t like what I do, that’s their problem not mine. I’m kind of at the point where I just want to make music that I’ll have fun performing and that will give me a physical or emotional release,” he says. There will always be fans who don’t dig anything an artist does differently and Jasta understands this perfectly. “I don’t blame Hatebreed fans for not wanting to hear any change in the style or lyrics,” he admits, “I’m the same way with my favourite bands – I don’t want to hear Slayer incorporating anything too left of centre. That’s the benefit of having Kingdom of Sorrow to write with. From Heroes to Dust could have never been on a Hatebreed record – so many people would have whined and cried that we were going soft,” he laughs. A constant obstacle for Kingdom of Sorrow is distance. With Windstein based in New Orleans and Jasta living in Connecticut, their locations pose an obvious roadblock for the

band. One could argue that the internet could solve their predicament, but when writing for their second album, Jasta says there weren’t any emails back and forth or Skype calls prior to recording. “We knew we had to get into the same room like we did on album number one,” he explains, “Kirk adds his flavour to some of my ideas as we go. I call that ‘Kirk-a-fying’ it,” he laughs, “We go through riffs and arrange drums and different parts and then ‘Kirk-a-fy’ some of my riffs. Then I have to twist Kirk’s arm to get him to sing a bit. That’s usually how it goes.” The riff wizard that is Kirk Windstein has had an influence on Jasta since the pair began the band, most notably in the studio. “The main thing I’ve learnt from Kirk is that it’s very possible to come up with new ideas right on the spot in the studio,” Jasta says, “I’m more of a preparation guy in the sense that I’ll write 50 riffs and record them before I get to the studio. Kirk rarely writes riffs at home or on his own. He once said to me ‘riffs are a dime a dozen.’ That kind of shocked me, but it’s true in a way, because now I go into the studio with the feeling that something even

words Sheri Tantawy photo Courtesy of Soundwave

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‘Monuments of Ash’ @iTunes From their latest album Behind The Blackest Tears

Lazy F**ks

The working title for the track Unspoken Words on Kingdom of Sorrow’s self-titled album was Lazy F**ks. It was named by Windstein because Jasta and Steve Gibb [ex-guitarist] would stay up drinking all night then sleep in until 2pm in the afternoon instead of recording. “We actually both went sober right after making that record,” Jasta laughs, “It was bad.”

Crowbreed and Hatebar

Kingdom of Sorrow was created after a Crowbar and Hatebreed tour in the UK in 2005. Jasta would go to Kirk’s interviews and vice versa and they would joke about having a band called Crowbreed or Hatebar. It began as nothing but a small joke between mates. “When the interviews started coming out people loved the idea and we thought ‘damn, okay, we better get this started,’” Jasta says.

better than what I’ve recorded previously may come out.” Kingdom’s second release, Behind the Blackest Tears (2010), saw members Charlie and Nick Bellmore [guitar and drums respectively] take on more active roles in the writing process, which created a truly diverse yet unified sound on the record. “Charlie made a bunch of contributions and did some co-writing with myself and Kirk. I feel like that added a nice dynamic to the album. Nicky was not only playing on the album, he engineered and helped produce it. He had some great ideas in the writing process [too],” Jasta says. Kingdom of Sorrow have gradually been evolving and improving whenever time has allowed it. Hopefully this year has room for some dedicated Kingdom time, now that their first couple of hurdles are out of the way. “The second album was more about pleasing ourselves and doing our own thing,” Jasta says, “Now that we’ve gotten the sophomore jinx behind us, we can really come back hard with a total sludge metal behemoth of a third album.”” H

Chelsea Grin

helsea Grin are a deathcore band hailing from Salt Lake City, Utah. But the sixtet prefer to describe their sound as ‘just metal,’ resenting the binds of a single genre categorisation, which they feel is unjust to their artistic integrity. Bass player, David Marshall, says one of the unique aspects about Chelsea Grin are their three axemen – Jake Harmond, Dan Jones and Jason Richardson. “Having three guitars comes in handy for live purposes, because we have a lot of lead parts in our songs that require harmonies and we don’t want to lose any of that thickness when the guitar drops out to meet the lead,” he says. Indeed, having three guitars allows Chelsea to create some beautiful soundscapes on stage, but what I’m interested in is how they work to avoid the trap that most metal/rock bands fall into when going for the three-guitar attack. For acts donning three axemen, it’s crucial that melodies, harmonies and riffs to stand, or else it’s rather pointless. “Yes of course,” Marshall agrees, “But it also makes the breakdowns stupid heavy and that’s always fun for the kids in the pit. As we’ve progressed and become better musicians we’re finding ways to incorporate parts so that all three guitars are playing separate parts at the same time.” Evolve is the band’s latest release and is a behemoth of an EP boasting five unrelenting metal anthems. It’s their second consecutive EP and when asked why the band continue to opt for fives tracks instead of a full-length, Marshall is unapologetic. “Who cares, right? We had just gone through some serious member changes we knew would affect our sound and we wanted to put out a taste of our new sound without completely freaking our fans out,” he says. Marshall says one of the major member changes to Chelsea Grin was the addition of guitarist Jason Richardson (Born of Osiris). “He’s a huge asset to our band. He’s constantly pushing us as musicians.” And pushing themselves musically is exactly what Marshall feels Chelsea Grin’s music is all about. Their influences ranging from Tool, LetLive, Creed, Eminem and even Mariachi music, Marshall says

they’re not afraid to get creative. “We’re not metal elitists. We listen to all types of music and look up to anyone who pushes themselves and isn’t afraid to take a step into the unknown.” The bands home, Salt Lake City, often gets a bad rap for the violent upheavals that take place on the local music front. “For some reason kids here thought it would be a good idea to come to shows and just fight whoever they could. As a result the scene was suffering,” Marshall says, recalling a time when it used to be difficult to play in their local area. Yet he’s optimistic that the problem has started to sort itself out. “Most of these kids have grown up and realised that the bands they love don’t like playing places where kids are afraid to come and enjoy themselves... We’ve seen a lot of new faces over the past two years here. The scene is getting better.” In a short amount of time the band have become a supernova and are highly sought after on the global festival front. Aside from their good looks and boyish charm, Marshall likes to think the band’s spirited attitude that helps them get on board great tours, like the Vans Warped tour in 2012 and our very own Soundwave. When Chelsea Grin received the invite for the festival, Marshall found himself in a state of hysterics. “I was looking at the roster for Soundwave and I found myself laughing. The calibre of bands we’ll perform alongside or even get close to is incredible. We grew up on half of that lineup,” he laughs, “We’re beyond happy to have the chance to be living our dream and meeting so many people along the way. I think people like to work with us because we do have a good attitude.” Despite the fame and glory, all in all Chelsea Grin are just a batch of well-raised home-grown music lovers who have taken to the big cities and bright lights likes kids in a candy store. The band are very loyal to their fanbase and make a point to keep in touch with their friends and family. Marshall says a strong support back home has been the band’s saving grace and keeps them modest and grounded. “We have plenty of friends around us who remind us everyday that we’re just a bunch of nerds who happen to play music.” H

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‘The Second Coming’ @iTunes From their latest EP Evolve

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‘Fear the World’ @iTunes From their album Monolith

words Tom Hersey photo Courtesy of Soundwave

ylosis’ aptly-titled third full-length, Monolith, was unleashed in the dying months of 2012. The death/ thrash/tech banger followed the band’s second record just a year and a half later – an unusually short period of time in the extreme metal world. “We’re constantly writing,” explains guitarist/singer Josh Middleton, “Any time we’re not touring, we’ll be writing to try and amass as much music as we can.” Middleton says the band were even writing the new record before Edge of the Earth (2011) had even been released. “Quite a few months before our second album was released –it had been delayed by mixing and artwork and a few other things – we’d begun writing Monolith. We probably had three or four songs finalised by the time Edge of the Earth actually came out.” Even though Monolith has only been floating around for a couple of months, Sylosis aren’t giving themselves a break from writing. They’re certainly not taking time off to pat themselves on the back, even as fans and critics rave about what they’ve managed with album number three. In the band’s mind, continuing to write keeps them developing as a writers – it’s practice and the product of practice at the same time. “I’ll have anywhere from four, five, or ten songs on the go at any one time,” says Middleton, “There are all these songs kind of being built up at the same time and if I get stuck on one I’ll just close that project and start up on another one.”

Eighteen months after Sylosis released Edge of the Earth they were back with Monolith. Frontman Josh Middleton takes HEAVY inside the British tech death outfit’s prodigious creative process. The most outstanding thing about Monolith is how Middleton and his cohort managed to turn all those riffs into such a cohesive, brutal offering. Though the album’s tracks blister through a maelstrom of riffs, there’s a method underscoring the madness. Middleton says organising riff ideas into coherent songs is all about following your gut instinct. “For the most part, it’s just what feels right. You should be able to tell pretty quickly which riff is going into which song, because if you can’t then you might not have the best riff on your hands.” As the band continue stock-piling riffs for album number four – and Middleton assures that they’ll only continue to do so – their immediate focus is on touring the world. This time around they’re going to toe the conventional line – album, two years of touring, album. “Any down time we have we’re putting together new material so we’ll have quite a bit there when it’s time to do the next album,” Middleton says, “But I don’t think it’s going to be a situation where we’re putting out the next record as quickly as we did after Edge of the Earth. We want to tour for a solid two years on the back of Monolith and make people wait a bit more.” Those touring plans will bring the band to Australia for the first time ever as part of this year’s bumper Soundwave lineup. According to Middleton, the staggering technicality and power captured on the band’s album’s will be present and accounted for when they take to the stage. “We pride ourselves on our musicianship.

That means when we’re playing live we need to be as tight as the recording. Without sounding arrogant, it’s not something that we’re really worried about, because we know we can do it. We tried to make Monolith as raw and live as possible. We wanted it to be tight and rehearsed, but we didn’t want it to sound like robots had played it. The album and the live show are pretty close to totally in sync with each other,” he says. As for what else Sylosis fans can expect when they check out the band at the festival, Middleton provides perhaps the greatest, and most British, response ever offered. “You’ll probably witness us dying of heat exhaustion down there. We’re not used to being out in the sun,” he laughs. H

“You should be able to tell pretty quickly which riff is going into which song, because if you can’t then you might not have the best riff on your hands.” 35

words Tom Hersey photo Courtesy of Soundwave

While She Sleeps At the end of 2011, While She Sleeps had just finished their first headlining tour. One year later they had released a full-length, received a slew of accolades and played some of Europe’s most hallowed metal stages. Bassist Aaran McKenzie talks about the band’s whirlwind year and what’s next.

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THIS IS THE SIX by

WHILE SHE SLEEPS

Warner Bros. Records

review Tom Hersey The first full-length from British newcomers While She Sleeps, This is the Six, isn’t going to herald in a new wave of metalcore. And that’s a good thing. Great even. When the trend within metalcore bands is to dilute the genre with electronic influences and the odd Skrillex-flavoured cronk in the name of genre pushing, While She Sleeps have the good sense to focus on meat and potatoes metalcore – breakdowns, melodies in the chorus and balls-out heavy verses. The record showcases a five-piece who are masterful students of the genre, capable of producing something original without being needlessly experimental. Bring Me the Horizon can have all the theremins and synthesisers they want, While She Sleeps are doing just fine with two guitars, a bass and drum kit.

o say that 2012 was a big year for British metalcore outfit While She Sleeps would be an understatement. Not just a regular understatement either – it would be like saying Kerry King is ‘balding’ or that Master of Puppets has ‘a couple good tracks on it.’ After slogging away in relative obscurity since forming back in 2006, While She Sleeps saw everything finally come together in 2012. It’s one of those heartening rock’n’roll stories where the good guys put in the work and – with a bit of good fortune – explode. After releasing their critically applauded debut full-length, This is the Six, the fivepiece went on to play the Download Festival and were named the year’s best British newcomers at the Kerrang! awards. They also won out the year’s breakthrough artist at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Award. When While She Sleeps’ Aaran McKenzie sits down with HEAVY, 2012 is just coming to a close and the bassist is keen to reflect on the whirlwind ride. “This whole year has just been a big ‘what the f**k’ moment, to be honest. I think that’s why we’ve been drunk most of this year… It’s just one big celebration after another,” McKenzie laughs, “We’ve played bigger and better shows and toured places that we never dreamed we would. This year has not only met our expectations, but has smashed them to pieces.” It was the year when While She Sleeps, a band that was once discussed only on message boards and blogs, got thrust into the global metal media spotlight, something that McKenzie and his band mates had to learn to deal with pretty quickly. “It’s been really amazing but weird at the same time to walk into a newsagency and see your face in the magazines you grew up buying. For me, seeing While She Sleeps in Kerrang! and Metal Hammer was really

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‘This Is The Six’ @iTunes From their latest album This Is The Six

uncanny,” McKenzie says. All the hoopla surrounding the band has stemmed from their furious debut. This is the Six is an album that offers a fresh, lean take on the metalcore format and showcases the band’s ability to craft songs with melody and hooks as well as breakdowns and blasts. Upon listening to the record, you immediately understand what all the fuss is about – it’s a breath of fresh air in the genre that seems to be growing increasingly stale. But what does McKenzie think was the root of This is the Six’s success? What’s the secret to making such a powerful record? “It’s a whole array of things to be honest. To be able to step into a real studio for the first time and have big production on the album took it into a whole different realm than The North Stands for Nothing [2010]. Plus, working with an awesome producer like Carl Bown made us really push ourselves to new limits. We put everything we had into this album and I think that’s honestly what made it a success.” Now that the album has had more than six months to win fans over, and the band have toured relentlessly to make sure it flies, conversations are already starting about what’s going to come next. Sure, 2012 was a big year for the guys, but McKenzie promises that the band have plenty more to offer. “We’re always in the writing process and coming up with new ideas. As soon as we finish an album it’s, ‘right what can we do next?’ We feel we’ve proved ourselves with This is the Six, in the respect that we can write good music, but the next album has got to be something huge – bigger and better, all the way. But we’re nowhere near finishing the touring cycle to promote This is the Six. You’re going to be seeing a lot more of us before we head back into a studio.” H

WOE IS ME

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‘D-Day ’ @iTunes From their latest album Genesi[s]

words Matt Foster photo Courtesy of Soundwave

On their way down to Soundwave with a new album in tow, Woe is Me’s drummer and founding member Austin Thornton explains that their good fortune can ultimately be put down to perseverance and their relationship with their fans. l ate s t re l ea s e

Genesi[s] by

Woe Is Me

Rise/Velocity Records

review Matt Foster One thing that’s in no short supply on Woe is Me’s sophomore effort, Genesi[s], is hooks. The album is made up of thick, down-tuned, chugging riffs, reminiscent of Meshuggah at their most accessible, or at least something the burgeoning djent movement might conjure up. This is coupled with the breakdown oriented song structures and the sugary pop melodies of A Day to Remember or I See Stars. At just over half an hour, the album is loaded with pop-sensibilities. No song over stays its welcome and remains in your speakers just long enough to allow its melodic hooks to bury into your head like parasitic worms.

oe is Me can definitely be described as a band on the up. Formed in 2009, they’ve grown rapidly in that relatively short time period. With two albums under their belt, a contract with Rise Records and tours spanning the globe, one couldn’t be blamed for thinking the rockstar lifestyle might sweep a young band like this off their feet. But speaking to Austin Thornton, it’s obvious that he isn’t letting the success go to his head. “I can’t believe that somebody across the world would give a f**k about us,” he quips, referring to the band’s impending tour of Australia for Soundwave. “Look at the main bands [playing Soundwave], like Metallica, Linkin Park, Paramore and Blink 182. That’s the kind of thing you dream about as a musician – you play your whole life looking up to those bands and to think that you’re sharing a stage with them is absolutely insane.” But it’s not the calibre of bands he’ll share the stage with that has Thornton most excited about coming Down Under. Instead, it’s the people he’ll meet. “On our [last] headliner we had a band out from Australia and they were some of the greatest dudes we’ve ever had out on tour,” he says, “One of the things the vocalist did was come on our bus one night after we’d hung out and start to throw all of these plush kangaroos and koala bears throughout our bus. It was just random and it came out of nowhere... I’m just excited to meet more people like him,” he says. Thornton says being surrounded by good people both professionally and personally helped forge the band’s new album, Genesi[s]. He says strong relationships within the band carried them through the writing process. “That album came together during a lot of ups and downs for Woe is Me. We worked our

arses off every single night for hours upon hours, [but] we’re all lucky enough to have somebody in the band that we were able to completely be ourselves with. I love the guys for who they are.” Appreciative of the supportiveness and unity within his band, Thornton wishes to strongly emphasise a message of positivity and inclusiveness to his fans. “We want to give off the image that we’re going to make it through the bullshit and troubled times – this whole thing is trying to let the fans know that we’re not a group of kids who are going to hold ourselves higher than somebody else,” he says. The band’s dedication to their fans doesn’t end with their desire to make music with a positive impact. Thornton goes on to describe the touching and true connection the band have with their audience. “A lot of kids bring me letters and bracelets and things they’ve made for me. Those are things that I read before I go on stage. It helps me do what I do. There was a little girl on this last tour who spoke to Hance [Alligood, vocals] personally. She was about 12-15 years old and she told Hance all these things, about her getting picked on because she had red hair and was different [and] that she was wanted to end her life. She was in tears and when Hance had to go to the back of the trailer, he was in tears too. It was a lot, this little girl coming out like that to us. It’s crazy to see our music affect a crowd that young.” Thornton is humbled by his good fortunes and wishes to encourage those inspired by his music to chase their own ambitions. “That somebody would care to listen to a bunch of kids from the south of America means the world. Just as much as we can do it from this side of the world, anyone from over there [Australia] can do it too, as long as they just don’t give up. Persevere, no matter what happens.” H

heavyfeature

interview Olivia Reppas and Kama Way words Kama Way photos Courtesy of Season of Mist

Erupting from the shadows of Athens in 1987, Rotting Christ have travelled a twisted path from their early black metal beginnings to produce a unique, complex and mystical brand of heavy metal. With their 11th album, Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy, rattling in the cage for release in March, the band continue their creative evolution.

ndeniably, Rotting Christ have evolved stylistically from the blatantly violent black metal of their early work in the late ’80s. While some fans initially resisted these developments, singer/composer, Sakis Tolis, was determined to grow. “We had some troubles at first – people didn’t accept it. I always try to make my music step forwards and change a little bit. But I always keep my roots with my atmosphere. As a musician I would like to reveal something different album by album. People need to trip [journey] with you and with your music.” One thing that Rotting Christ have always bluntly refused to alter is their controversial name. The title has caused the band a number of setbacks, from chokes on album distribution to touring upheavals (Dave Mustaine of Megadeth refused to perform with Rotting Christ in 2012). But to the band, the short phrase reflects the ethos and culture of early black and death metal and their loyalty to it demonstrates their incorruptible dedication to making metal over money. “We are extreme people, we like to shock people,” says Tolis, “It is controversial and we have faced a lot of problems. But we like to be pains in the system. Greeks 25 years ago were a little bit fundamentalist. You couldn’t imagine [a band] in Greece with such a name, but back then it was the black metal spirit.” Passionate about his art and determined to “die on the stage,” Tolis’ dedication to his music feeds partly from his early experiences with metal. Tolis discovered his love for the genre in an era dedicated to blowing out the boundaries of heavy music, when an energetic

fanaticism was essential. “When I was 15 years old a friend of mine gave me an Iron Maiden tape. That was the big step in my life – I found paradise,” remembers Tolis, “Then I came directly on to some Celtic Frost, then Venom and my life became very different. I discovered a world that was very strange, but very pleasant, and since then I am always with this virus in myself. I was one of the freaks back then – I was addicted to getting music through tapes. We had no connections through magazines – nothing. I remember dropping contact through the post. I was in contact with all the big bands. Well, now they are big, but then they were just kids. We used to exchange fanzines and hide money in envelopes to tape trade. It was a very romantic era. Back then I waited every day for the postman. He became a more important person than my mother. I was expecting him like Santa Claus! He brought my demos, he brought a message from Mayhem or from Paradise Lost.” Fast forward to 2013 and Tolis is excited about local bands in his home city of Athens. “There are a lot of bands [in Greece] and I am proud

to be part of the scene here, the scene that we started. I don’t like giving myself compliments, but when we started back in the late ’80s as an extreme metal band I think that we built [the scene] up.” Toli hopes metal has enriched the lives of these younger musicians as it did for him. “Now the newcomers in the scene are starting to go on tours and I am very proud of this, it is the thing I am most proud of. I’ve been involved with this music for more than 25 years and I feel very lucky that I have this thing in my life that

has made it more unique and that sometimes got me away from everything – away from the government and day-to-day life. I have escaped from these things because of metal. I owe a big thanks to metal.” Firmly believing that if a musician aims primarily for commercial gratification they will ‘lose the meaning of metal,’ Tolis has created his own definition of success. “Be yourself, play the music that you like, follow this metal dream and more or less [your goals] will be reached,” he says, “No one gets rich by playing music, there are too many problems

with the industry. But I feel very rich in my soul, so that is what I have achieved with music and that is what I want to recommend to people.” Rotting Christ’s upcoming album, Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy, is a meticulously written and dramatic release. The record’s 11 tracks are each concerned with ancient worlds, from Mesopotamia to Transylvania, and songs such as In Yumen/Xibalba, Gilgames and Rusalka are a reflection of the hard work that went into the album’s creation. “This is an album that I worked very hard on for more than a year,” says Tolis, “I take the

It was a very romantic era. Back then I waited every day for the postman. He became a more important person than my mother. I was expecting him like Santa Claus! 39

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‘In Yumen/Xibalba’ @iTunes From their upcoming album Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy

KATA TON DAIMONA t EAYTOY by

Rotting Christ

Season Of Mist/Riot! Entertainment

review Mark Lennard Rotting Christ’s music is a serious labour of love for frontman Sakis Tolis – a 25 year long artistic journey full of blood, sweat and riffs. Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy (‘do what thou wilt’) is an album of cinematic scope, epic sounds and ambitious thought – effort has gone into every twist and turn of this release. Atmospheric chants and drums, haunting male and female vocals, and ancient horns and themes are combined with Rotting Christ’s crushing black/ dark metal style. Sakis’ raspy vocals speak of ancient cultures, myths and legend (Sumerian, Incan, Russian, Persian, Romanian) and inspire further research into this intriguing subject matter. Grandiose and downright evil, crank this one up loud, light the candles and kill the lights.

composition process very seriously. When it’s time to record something, first I have a kind of meditation. I talk with myself, and this takes me a lot of time, to see if I have something to say to people. I philosophised a lot and I came up with the idea that I wanted to release an album that is a journey into knowledge of ancient civilisations. I wanted a different, multicultural album with 11 songs, each about a different civilisation. There are different languages on this album. There is, for instance, one song in Transylvanian. I use the Greek language as well as Latin, some English and some ancient, dead languages… It was challenging, but that’s what I like to do. I like history – I like to search for humanity’s past. I think that we can gain a lot if we learn about history and that’s why I am seeking for history all around the world. And I like to travel. I believe that, while I am Greek, I am also a citizen of the world. I travel all my

I feel very rich in my soul, so that is what I have achieved with music and that is what I want to recommend to people.

life [because] I want to know. Every civilisation, from the ancient to the new ones, has something to give to humanity. I think I got the best from each one [on the album].” On this, the band’s 11th album, Tolis took on the further challenge of mixing the record himself, engaging the experience of Jens Bogren, who has worked with metal titans Amon Amarth and Paradise Lost. “[Bogren] helped me a lot in the mixing process. It’s a quality album, so I am very satisfied with the result,” Tolis says. With the release of the new album, Rotting Christ’s thirst for touring and connecting directly with their fans is stronger than ever and the band are eager to return to Australia. “As long as this album is out I want to be touring,” says Tolis, “That is the way I get in touch with the people I love – with the fans. I am also a fan, I don’t consider everyone else a fan only. I love to be on the road… I want to be touched by people like you on the other side of the planet and have a conversation about music. This is the reason I am writing music now. I would like say to the Australian metal brothers that we really wish to pass through your land again and to play for you.” H

words Mark Lennard photo Toni Mailanen

Mors Principium Est When it comes to melodic death metal most think of Sweden, but Mors Principium Est have been not so quietly putting Finland on the map since the release of their debut, Inhumanity, in 2003. l ate s t re l ea s e

T And Death Said Live by

Mors Principium Est

Truth Inc. Records

review Mark Lennard It’s been five long years since Liberation=Termination but Mors Principium Est are in no mood to rest on past triumphs. Short intro, The Awakening, sets the mood before Departure takes off into the MPE attack fans are hoping to hear. Epic synths, blistering riffing, masterful leads and machine gun drumming are all still very present. MPE have always had a great sense of melody without the need to use clean singing and vocalist Ville Viljanen’s aggressive rasp is just as pissed off as ever. Birth of the Starchild wields a vicious main riff, Ascension’s dark guitar melody and blast beats make for a killer track, and the closer, Dead Winds of Hope, is a lesson in tap technique lead guitar playing.

he name Mors Principium Est – Latin for ‘death is the beginning’ – couldn’t be more appropriate metaphorically considering what the band have been through in the last four years or so. Long-time vocalist, Ville Viljanen, says losing band members, particularly guitarists, can kill a band’s momentum. But fresh recruits and a brand new album have given Mors Principium Est a new lease of life. “The future of the band was very uncertain,” remembers Viljanen, “With previous players going their separate ways, we had a very hard time finding suitable replacements. We went through over 200 applicants before finding new members. But I guess we still had faith that we could find the right members somewhere and continue the band.” Mors Principium Est (MPE) put out a call worldwide for guitarists in 2011, eventually recruiting UK neoclassical shedder Andy Gillion and New Zealander Andhe Chandler (The Mark of Man/In Dread Response). Fans’ reactions to the new members were mixed at first. “There were people who were excited to see the band still active and then there were those who didn’t believe the new players could write music of the same calibre. Thankfully, we’ve since seen quite a few comments from people who didn’t think we could do it that have said that they are eating their words now that they’ve heard some of the new material. Obviously, we wouldn’t have picked replacement guitarists who couldn’t do the job, so it’s funny that some people didn’t initially have that faith in us,” Viljanen says. Sometimes with new members comes a shift in sound or approach. Did the change affect songwriting on the new album? “That was the main criteria when finding new members – that they were able to write

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‘Destroyer of All‘ @iTunes From their album And Death Said Live

music in the same style that we had already solidified,” Viljanen says, “The songwriting this time was still the same. There’s no way we would have released an album that sounded drastically different from previous material. The aim was to write an album that continued the Mors sound, but also sounded fresh, and would hold up against other modern releases. I think we achieved that. We think that this is our best album so far.” The new album, And Death Said Live, was released in December last year and features guest appearances from shredders Ryan Knight of The Black Dahlia Murder and Australia’s own Jona Weinhofen of Bring Me the Horizon/I Killed the Prom Queen. A follow up to 2007’s Liberation= Termination, the new ablum is 12 tracks of epic melodic death metal – an intense mix of melody and brutality with MPE’s signature keyboards, programming and guitar tone. With the lineup drama over and a new release under their belt, what does 2013 hold for the band? “We plan to tour our arses off,” Viljanen says, “We’re talking to festivals around Europe at the moment. We would like to get to Japan, the USA and throughout Europe to promote the album and finally get some good tours under our belt. There are lots of fans asking us to come to their country to play. At the moment it’s purely a financial thing, otherwise we would be playing anywhere and everywhere.” And can fans hope to see Mors Principium Est in Australia soon? “We would love to make it to Australia. We’ve been talking to a few people about getting Down Under. Andhe [guitar] is from New Zealand, too, so of course he would love to play to friends in Australia and New Zealand.” H

words Will Oakeshott photo Courtesy of Soundwave

US hardcore/crossover thrash act This is Hell defy genre barriers and freak out about Metallica.

tereotypes, judgement and exclusiveness are sadly part of humanity. It seems while we as a race may progress in certain areas, there’s never going to be a peaceful and unified reality. But small steps in the right direction and little victories always help. In the musical realm, the divide between fans of heavier music is slowly becoming more and more narrow, so much so that tours are becoming more varied with each announcement. Guitarist and songwriter Rick Jiminez from Long Island’s This is Hell embraces this progress wholeheartedly. “I think punk, metal and hardcore should all go hand in hand,” Jiminez says, “Today’s music as a whole is suffering because of the internet and the decline of record sales and the only mainstream music around is complete and

utter garbage rock or music made by people who aren’t using any instruments whatsoever. I think now, more than ever, hardcore, punk and metal is all coming from the same place, or it should be. That’s why the crossover is great. I don’t think hardcore or metal or punk should be exclusive at all, it should be inclusive. If someone who likes thrash metal goes to a hardcore show, they shouldn’t be ostracised because they have long hair. We should be embracing them. This is Hell play with a whole bunch of different bands – hardcore bands, even nu-metal bands. Where do we fit in? Wherever we want. That’s how it should be, especially in 2013.” Jiminez is no stranger to varied touring lineups, not just as a performer but as a music lover. “One of my favourite tours ever was Bane, Saves the Day and Kid Dynamite,” he says,

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“I mean, there you have a hardcore band, an emo band, for lack of a better word, and a punk band – that’s great. A kid whose singing along to Saves the Day is wearing a Bane shirt and the kids psyched on Kid Dynamite are watching Saves the Day. It wasn’t always like that. Tours used to be three bands on the same label that sound the same. What fun is that? That’s preaching to the choir. I think people forget that the message of hardcore should be spread, not kept under wraps for only the people in the know. It’s self-defeating really.” With 2013 comes an exciting time for the band, who are about to release their newest EP, The Enforcer. This is Hell already have a global tour planned, part of which includes our own Soundwave, a showcase which includes the band’s idols, Metallica. Do you need evidence for how much This Is Hell

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The Enforcer by

This is Hell

3 Wise Records

review Will Oakeshott Those looking for a return to the original hardcore sound of This is Hell’s debut album, Sundowning, may be disappointed by this latest EP. While not a complete departure from hardcore, those looking for a breakdown will probably be waiting quite some time. Furthering the band’s progression towards crossover and thrash metal, this latest fourtrack release sees the quartet embracing it practically entirely. Walking Abominations is easily the outfit at their most progressive, with a sludge metal influence appearing near the end of the song. The cover of Metallica’s Whiplash and mindboggling guitar solos performed by Rick Jiminez throughout the release make The Enforcer the perfect teaser for what’s to come. The next album they release looks to be the band’s finest yet if The Enforcer is anything to go by.

“I don’t think hardcore or metal or punk should be exclusive at all, it should be inclusive.”

love Metallica? Well, track four of the new EP is in fact a cover of Whiplash. “It’s funny, I’m such a Metallica fan boy and I’ve turned most of the guys in This is Hell into fan boys also. I’ve been dying to record a cover of Whiplash forever – we even threw around the idea during the Weight of the World (2010) recording sessions. I mean, it’s a punkish metal song, so when it came time to do The Enforcer EP it fit in perfectly. The version they do of the song on Live Shit: Binge & Purge, where James Hetfield sings the first and fourth verses and Jason Newsted sings the second and third, that’s how I wanted to do it. I’ve been obsessed with doing it that way. We learnt the song in three minutes and I fulfilled my fantasy by singing the Jason Newsted parts,” Jiminez says, “It’s crazy that we are playing on the same festival as Metallica. To me they’re the be all and end

all of music, the most important band in my life. To do Soundwave is beyond flattering, but to do it with Metallica – I can’t believe it. I work two jobs back home and one of them is a construction job with my brother in law. Before we started this tour we are on now he said ‘isn’t it funny that you’re here doing manual labour and in a month you’re going to be playing shows in Australia with Metallica?’ and I said ‘yeah, it’s messed up,” he laughs. H

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‘The Enforcer’ @YouTube From their upcoming EP The Enforcer

ozfeecher

interview Rob Brens words Fabio Marracini & Rob Brens

Kings of the underground scene, Frankenbok’s mix of thrash, groove and sludge is spiced with a genuine pub rock attitude and a passion for Aussie metal.

ustralia is known to be free of major earthquakes, except for the occasional aftershock. This may be true as far as natural causes are concerned, but if you’ve ever been to a Frankenbok show you’ll know their brutal live performance can have a similar impact. Respected veterans of the local underground scene with an impressive fifteen years behind them, the band have enough juicy stories to fill a FrankenBOOK – pun intended. They’re rugged and bearded – if Pantera and ZZ Top had kids together they’d look like members of Frankenbok. But don’t judge a Frankenbook by its cover. They may look tough, but they’re some of the nicest and funniest chaps you’ll ever stumble across. The current incarnation of Frankenbok has existed since 2007. Vocalist Dan McDougall

and guitarist Nathan ‘Yeti’ Amatnieks joined the ranks after previous singer/guitarist, Adam Miles, exited the band. Frankenbok have endured a lot in their career, including the aformentioned lineup change, but they’re now in a particularly good place. McDougall says he owes the band’s current stability to a strong brotherhood. “It’s a blessing and it’s a rare thing,” he says, “I’ve found that it’s so hard to find a band that really gels as a unit. We have our problems, but we don’t bitch, moan and argue.” Frankenbok are huge advocates for Australian metal. Their name was even derived from a foreigner’s gross mispronunciation of the Aussie expression ‘fair dinkum’ (they later named their own record label Fair Dinkum Records). The band’s mission is to keep the Aussie metal scene alive. “In my opinion there are too few bands

that sound like Australian bands,” McDougall says, “We don’t try to sound like anything else. We’re proud of what happens here. Australia has one of the greatest metal scenes anywhere and I think it deserves to be respected worldwide. But at the same time, it does need a good kick in the pants. There’s a tendency now for bands to desire an overseas producer to get that overseas sound. People believe that there aren’t enough good metal producers here, which is bullshit.” One of the challenges of being an Australian band is the great distance between our major cities. Melbourne and Sydney, for example, are a good nine-hour drive apart – in parts of Europe you could cover three to four densely populated countries in the same amount of time. But lately, a trend has arisen. Bands are compensating for this by visiting some of the less traversed, rural areas of our country.

Album teaser @YouTube

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Cheers, Beers and Beards by

Frankenbok

Independent

review Rob Brens Frankenbok’s Cheers, Beers and Beards is split in two – the first half is new material and the second half is live tracks. The beauty of the live tracks is that we get to hear older Frankenbok songs as interpreted by the current lineup. Instrumental, Black Satriani, is a stand out and sees Frankenbok explore new territory. No doubt this gives the band a chance to display their prowess on their respective instruments, but this is no ostentatious parade of musical wankery. The mature songwriting skills are still employed, which means that at a show you won’t be heading to the bar while the musicians in the crowd get their fix. As far as the new material goes, the sound is definitely metal, but the energy is very much punk and rock. You can be assured that there’ll be sing-a-longs, head-banging a plenty and nothing but good times had.

“If you go to a place like Mildura, those people are hardcore metalheads,” McDougall says, “They’re fans of metal who don’t have much else. They go ballistic – we’ve experienced a lot of it. Take Wollongong, there’s about 300,000 people there, it’s huge.” After putting out their 2011 LP, The End of All You Know, the band went gung ho and relentlessly toured around Australia. They’ve just recently completed the tour cycle and have hit the ground running, already poised to release another album. McDougall explains why the new record, Cheers, Beers and Beards, has come about so quickly after the last. “The new record is six tracks that didn’t really fit the last album but that we always intended to put out,” he says. The album also includes four live tracks of the band’s older favourites. “We were going to release a tour EP, so we said ‘why not put out live versions of songs

that were done with the old lineup?’ There are a lot of new Frankenbok fans coming out of the woodwork who aren’t so familiar with the back catalogue. So it’s six studio tracks and four live tracks,” McDougall says. The band have been at it a long time and feel it’s time to thank those who have supported them along the way. McDougall says Cheers, Beers and Beards is a positive release to celebrate their journey and the people who have cheered them on. “It’s got a totally different vibe to The End of All You Know. It’s much more positive and not as aggressive or brutal,” he says, “We wanted it to be a thank you to everyone who has come out to see us. We’re not talking about death, destruction and chaos on the new record. I was in a real dark, pissed off place last time and I wanted to create a nasty ferocious record [The End of All You Know], but our strength is entertainment.” H

“In my opinion there are too few bands that sound like Australian bands.”

COVER UP

words Rob Brens You may laugh, but Frankenbok’s cover of Madison Avenue’s Don’t Call Me Baby earned the band a significant amount of publicity at the time, including airplay on triple j. Whether the motivation is publicity, artistic license or just having some fun, other metal bands have taken a similar approach and covered pop tunes. Most notably, in recent memory, is Aussie power metal legends Lord covering Kylie Minogue’s On a Night Like This. The cover itself is quite tasteful as far as being faithful to the original goes, however I’m not sure the same could be said for the film clip. To this date, the hilarious video has accumulated well over 200,000 views. A similar venture could help you garnering just as much exposure, and if you feel like wearing women’s underwear to do so, go right ahead.

Thrashin’ IT AT THE TOP words Fabio Marracini

In 2010, Frankenbok scored a local opening slot for the legendary Exodus. Guitarist Nathan ‘Yeti’ Amatnieks says the experience was unforgettable. “We were greeted during sound check by the godfather of thrash himself, Gary Holt. He was wearing our t-shirt, smiling and giving us two thumbs up,” Amatnieks says with stars in his eyes, “Given his reputation, I thought he was just being funny and mocking us. But no, he had listened to our albums and loved them. He was really interested in checking us out.”

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High Tension words Anthony Moore photo Courtesy of Deathproof PR

High Tension by

High Tension

independent

review Christian Doherty Produced by Tom Larkin (Shihad), High Tension’s debut EP is pure and brutal. The band have created four raw, driving hardcore tracks. The release is musically tight and powerful throughout and singer Karina Utomo showcases such raw vocal power with her piercing, violent, almighty scream. The guitars are at times abrasive and at others wild with heavy stoner attitude. The weight of the rhythm section thunders along with each track and pulls you forward. If you like hardcore, hard stoner – or anything that explodes with guts and attitude – High Tension will steal your attention. c h ec k e m o u t

Promo video @YouTube

‘Brudal’/Hardcore/Heavy Stoner Melbourne, VIC facebook.com/HighTensionBand

With intensity and brutality on their side, High Tension describe themselves as ‘your soundtrack to the end of the world’ – and the label fits. Kicking off in just March last year, the band take inspiration from stoner, hardcore, punk and grunge. Featuring ex-members of Young & Restless (Karina Utomo, vocals; Ashley Pegram, guitar), The Nation Blue (Matt Weston, bass), Love Like Electrocution and Heirs (Damian Coward, drums), High Tension already had a massive buzz surrounding them before any music was even heard. But if there was any doubt to begin with, after the release of their debut EP and their first gig in December there was no mistaking that the band pack more than the standard hardcore-style punch. Each member utilises skills from other working roles, including video production, artwork and promotion. Coward operates OSCL, an all-in-one music industry collective, which includes a record label, distribution, publicity, merch and more.

The 7” of the band’s self-titled EP, out through OSCL, features artwork by graphic designer Brent Stegeman (Heirs, guitar). Stegeman also designed the band’s logo and t-shirt designs. High Tension let their music do the talking, coining the new term, ‘brudal,’ to describe their sound. It’s about attitude and making sure everything is as loud and as hard as possible – no compromises. Their first video clip is High Risk, High Rewards, a track taken from their EP. The clip is the visual introduction the band were aiming for – it’s super stark with no theatrics, just the band with their instruments, relying on the music. High Tension felt the clip was a good way to present the band visually for the first time, as it leaves them room to grow without pigeonholing themselves from the get go. The band’s debut gig at the Gasometer Hotel (Melbourne) was intense and uncompromising. The upstairs band room was set up with the band at one end and an open space extending down to the other. Punters filled the room and held on as the tsunami-like force of High Tension’s sound thrust itself out of the speakers and onto the crowd. While taking their apparent instant acceptance in their stride, High Tension are making sure they take the right steps to build a strong band from the ground up. Remaining focused on what they want to achieve is one part of this approach and their resolve to release songs only when they’re ready is another. The band took just the four tracks on the EP into the studio as they were the four strongest they had. They also wanted someone heading up production who would invest themselves into the release. Tom Larkin (Shihad) was put in charge and a mutual understanding of what works has created an EP of pure strength in terms of structure and dynamics. High Tension’s focus at the moment is to get some gigs under their belt, let their songs grow organically, and when they have an album as strong as their debut release, head back into the studio. H

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ONE

World In Decay EP

words Vix Vile photo Corey Black Sleap Photography Progressive/Alternative Rock Melbourne, VIC onesound.com.au

Some bands need to be together for years before they can truly hone their sound and produce quality music. In the space of two years, Melbourne’s One have brought out their first EP, World in Decay (2011), and produced a music video for their next single, The Hold Up, which highlights the band’s maturity when it comes to writing and production quality. It’s like they’re already veterans of the scene. Big things are brewing for this progressive five-piece and their horizon is looking very bright this year. Quickly rising in the Melbourne underground scene, One’s unique sound has already landed them on some impressive bills, such as Showdown at the Corner Hotel and the Melbourne leg of Progfest last year. One will next appear in St Kilda (Melbourne) at the Esplanade’s annual Rock the Bay show on 16 February. Many are already spellbound by the band’s edgy,

ambient sound, which has the potential to give legends of the melodic progressive genre a run for their money. Healthy sales at gigs and online (some coming from as far away as Russia) and interest in the US has fuelled the bands confidence and encouraged them to forge on. The diversity within the band, with each member’s backgrounds allowing them to explore different styles both culturally and sonically, only enhances their sound. If you’ve been paying attention to One’s website and social media page, you’ll know that the band have been vaguely hinting at travelling overseas next year to work on their first full-length album. At this stage, that’s all they’re willing to reveal, but you can expect some huge announcements towards the end of 2013. One’s focus for the next twelve months is to get in as much touring as possible and focus on their debut album. Mixed in with these ambitions are plans for another video in the not too distant future. The way demand for the band is growing, by year’s end One have the potential to become this country’s next big one. H

ONE

INDEPENDENT

review Vix Vile Upon first listen to One’s five-track debut EP, you’re immediately hit with Tool’s obvious influence on their sound. One of the band’s inspirations, it’s hard not to notice the homage paid to the prog masters in the first two tracks. But One find their own niche in the remaining three tracks, with an edgy melodic rock feel highlighting that they’re not just out to copy their idols. As the EP progresses, there are rockier moments blended with ambient harmonies and screaming vocals. One should be proud of their first effort – it’ll surely get them the attention of rock fans.

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‘The Hold Up’ @OneSound

The Charge

Breaking the Mould

words Jay Clair photo Adelheide Photography Hard Rock Melbourne, Vic facebook.com/thecharge

THE CHARGE ARE one of Melbourne’s hard rock hidden treasures. Although they’ve been around since mid 2008, they’re slowly but surely making Australia aware of their music. The band are clearly inspired by classic rock gods such as Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, but they also list modern day rockers such as Alice in Chains, Mastodon and Queens of the Stone Age as some of their influences. Their sound incorporates heavy metal and straight grunge – as if Black Sabbath and Nirvana made an album together. The Charge’s last release, the album Red Flags (2012), was mixed by famed producer and Shihad drummer, Tom Larkin (Calling All Cars). Red Flags is built on a ferocity and energy, but it also has an element of catchiness to it and the ability

to burn its grooves into your mind. The band have definitely decided to inject their music with a sense of accessibility, and there’s nothing wrong with that, especially when it’s done with such guts. The title Red Flags is a reference to old pirate ship mantra. When sailing under a red flag you would be forced to surrender or die and this resonates with the band’s attitude towards their musical career, alluding to their determination to succeed at all costs. Live, The Charge blow crowds away. The energy of their live set is amazing. Onstage, they try to stay true to the record and their performance is simply ‘more in your face.’ The Charge really create a connection with people in a live environment and do so while having a tonne of fun. The band were recently included on the Rugby League Live 2 game, available on all major consoles. Two of their tracks have been featured – Follow Me Down and Together We Make a Difference. Make sure you jump on iTunes and download Red Flags. It’s definitely worth every dollar. H

Many associate live music with full on partying and a whole bunch of drinking. The Charge take a differant stance. The band are breaking the mold and swapping late nights and JD cans for early mornings and workouts. Frontman, Ashley Jones, is the co-owner of Charge CrossFit. CrossFit is an alternative to your regular gym. It doesn’t have machines, beef cake posers or the typical trashy music that’s usually pumped. This method of training revolves around exercise done in groups. This brings about a whole new level of camaraderie, similar to the live music world. Thinking about getting fit? Maybe have a crack at CrossFit. For more information check out chargecrossfit.com.au c he ck e m o u t

‘Requiem for a Dream’ @iTunes

Lynchmada Modern Heavy Metal Gold Coast, QLD facebook.com/Lynchamada

Ten years into their career it’s safe to say Lynchmada have been around the block a few times. Lineup changes and subtle style shifts during this period have seen the band evolve across their three releases, The Biggest Disappointment is You EP (2004) and albums The Other Mexico (2007) and To the Earth (2011). Early followers of the band have witnessed their evolution in the last decade from a nu metal/metalcore hybrid to the bulldozing, groove-heavy beast that fans behold today. The metal gods have smiled on Lynchmada when it comes to supports and their list includes Testament, Lamb of God, The Haunted, The Black Dahlia Murder, Suicide Silence, Cephalic Carnage, Death Angel and Darkest Hour. The band’s engaging and crushingly heavy live show has gone a long way in securing such opportunities and it’s something that has also impressed the Big Day Out organisers, who added Lynchmada on both the 2008 and 2011 Queensland legs of the festival. Lynchmada had a killer 2012. The boys whipped around the country in support of To the Earth last year,

unleashing their new, heavier material on punters. Add to this to a national tour with Cavalera Conspiracy, a slot on the Whiplash IV tour alongside Euro industrial groove metallers Mnemic, and an appearance at Adelaide’s New Dead 3 Metalfest and it’s clear that the band enjoyed a busy touring schedule. A welcome surprise for fans last year was the release of digital download single, Immerser, in October. This monster of a track was mixed and mastered by überproducer Zeuss, who had worked with the band before and once again delivered a top shelf mix. Immerser bears the signature Lynchamada sound, but everything seems cranked up to eleven and is very impressive. Every guitarist dreams of one day being endorsed. Guitarists Cameron Wallace and Simon Connors, and new bassist Daryl Russell (who replaced Kent Haines during 2012), were recently granted their wish when leading guitar company, ESP, came to the party. Eager to continue the momentum after a year of positivity, Lynchmada are dropping more than a few hints that a new album is looming on the horizon. While sophomore album To the Earth was a massive step forward for the band, Immerser is a concrete sign that the best is yet to come. H

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words Mark Lennard photo Daryl Russell

Immerser by

Lynchmada

Truth Inc

review Mark Lennard Following up their well-received album To the Earth, the ‘Lynchies’ have again employed the talents of über producer Zeuss to mix and master this teaser single. This beast is a real mixed bag of pace, huge low-end grooves, great melody and a massive anthem of a chorus full of gang vocals. Sink your teeth into it. c he ck e m o u t

‘Immerser’ @iTunes

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Tzun Tzu words Mark Lennard photo Pat Dipalo Aken

Tzun Tzu by

Tzun Tzu

Dissident Records

review Mark Lennard Expect guttural death metal, oriental guitar, and themes surrounding an ancient warfare clash on Tzun Tzu’s latest. Instrumental tracks Shi and Hara Kiri make great use of midi/synth guitar technology, putting the listener in the midst of a Samurai battle and melding the sounds of an ancient time with modern brutality. Blood of the Fallen stands out for its pace and Phases of the Godai Philosophy is a nine-minute epic on swordsmanship. c h ec k e m o u t

Tzun Tzu @Bandcamp

Dark Death Metal Adelaide, SA www.tzuntzu.com

From the ashes of Adelaide death metal band Oni a new ensemble (featuring past and present members of legends Martire, Juggermath, Murdergrin, DeadPool, Altars and Slaughter Thou) was formed, Tzun Tzu. Similar lyrical themes and philosophies were left intact, but a reinvigoration and refocus was necessary to undertake this new journey. After forming in 2003, Tzun Tzu have been busy in the studio, releasing an early demo/EP, MCD, and 7” splits with fellow Australian bands Ignivomous (VIC) and Altars (SA). The band took their time before returning to the live scene, but eventually secured the support slot for Japanese death metallers Defiled in 2007. Impressively, they’ve since gone on to share the stage with Behemoth, Carcass, Grave, Dismember, Krisiun, Impiety (Singapore), Dawn of Azazel (NZ), Ulcerate (NZ) and Australian bands, Portal and Mournful Congregation. Their latest self-titled debut album sees the band build on past material. Oriental themes are Tzun Tzu’s central focus both lyrically and musically. Guitarist/ vocalists Don Taylor and Nick Seja employ guitar synths to create authentic oriental guitar tones that sit dynamically amid their crushing death metal.

Lyrically, Tzun Tzu speak of meditation, Ronin (wandering samurai who have lost their honour), failure, death and the Godai (meaning ‘five great’) philosophy, which in the famous text Gorin-no-sho or ‘the book of five rings,’ is used to explain different aspects of swordsmanship by assigning them to an element. The debut’s accompanying cover artwork visually represents and complements its themes, with the album’s physical version featuring a ten-page booklet. The band’s recent focus has been playing in support of their latest release. They’re constantly forming and refining new set lists in the jam room for upcoming shows. Their conscious effort to keep performances fresh and dynamic, and an acquired knowledge for what punters need from a gig, guarantees that a Tzun Tzu show will be an experience to remember. With the increase in international acts visiting the country, Tzun Tzu are leading the way for locals with their initiative and intuition when it comes to getting ahead in a competitive market. Keen to increase their studio output, Tzun Tzu are again hard at work on new material. The Decay of Golden Gods is the working title for a four-song 7” planned for release this year. Eager to keep the momentum going, a split album is also planned with a US band and will see up to five more tracks written and recorded. With new material as their armour and weaponry, Tzun Tzu are prepared for war. H

Bronson

words Rob Brens photo Amped Photography Groove Metal Melbourne, VIC facebook.com/bronsonmusic/info

Here to sonically belt some sense into you with a musical sock full of pennies is Melbourne’s Bronson. They’re a band you can’t quite pigeonhole, yet they produce a familiar sound you can get into instantaneously. Their music combines the groove of ’90s metal with hardcore aggression, so you can expect plenty of sing along choruses and fist pumps when you turn up to one of their tight, energetic shows. The band formed in 2007 and have steadily garnered a strong following ever since. The continued positive response to Bronson’s hard-hitting hooks has kept the band afloat through a number of lineup changes. Founding members Jay Clair (vocals) and Gary Horn (guitar) are now joined by Shane Turville and Paul Stanway from White Cell on drums and bass respectively. Also joining the band on second guitar is Simon Bailey. With a stabilised lineup, the Bronson story continues with more promise than ever as they prepare to launch their first album, Blood Brothers. After six months of writing and pre-production, Bronson plan to unleash

their latest offering of catchy grooves in March, but not before giving people a taste of what’s to come with the single, Weapons of Mass Destruction. The track could be described as Killswitch Engage meets Pantera. The band are making full use of their two guitarists on the single. Horn provides a more melodic lead edge with some tasty solo work before locking in with Bailey to create a riffing machine of a song. Drummer Shane Turville has done a superb job shaping the track, shifting through a variety of feels without letting the song become disjointed at any point in its six-minute journey. The lyrical content is centered around frustrations about the pitfalls of modern society. The vocal delivery is a lot more aggressive and raw than more emotionally based metalcore bands of today. Don’t expect any hardcore side-kicks or arm swings at a Bronson show. They’re about nothing other than a good time. Their serious attitude applies only to their music, which is obivous at their live shows, on their 2011 documentary and their tremendous social networking campaign. If your idea of good metal involves a swift, no nonsense smack in the face, then let Bronson show you what it’s all about. H

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‘Brothers in arms’ @iTunes

PinUps

Ben Brown I

words Anthony Moore images Ben Brown

’m going to get this out of the way from the get-go and move on – Ben Brown did the poster art for Nirvana’s Australian tour back in 1992. But that’s only a small part of who he is. Brown grew up on Sydney’s Northern beaches watching bands like The Celibate Rifles, The Hard-Ons and The Scientists. He always loved drawing and respected the work of artists like Raymond Pettibon (best known for his work with his brother Greg Ginn’s band, Black Flag), surf culture artists Rick Griffin and Jim Phillips, and Australian artists such as Fred Negro and Ray Ahn (The Hard-Ons). It wasn’t until around 1986, when Massappeal guitarist, Brett Curotta, asked him to do some handbills for his band, that people really started to notice Brown’s artwork within the hardcore scene. The scene in Sydney was thriving and Brown’s artwork became very well-known and instantly recognisable, mainly because of his work with his own band, Hellmenn, and Massappeal. The t-shirt he designed for Massapeal’s mini-album, Nobody Likes a Thinker, sold better than the band’s recordings.

“In places like Darwin where no one knew the band it sold really well,” Brown says, “It was distributed in a lot of places where the band never toured and didn’t have a

following. We were well aware people had no idea who Massappeal were [when they bought it].” Full of skeletons and ghouls, Brown’s style evolved naturally. “It’s a conglomeration of stuff I’ve liked over the years. Pushead was a big influence in the early days with the skulls. It’s just sort of messy, silly artwork born out of hardcore rock, skateboarding and surfing. There’s a bit of tongue in cheek, piss-take attitude in it as well. It was never serious. The dumber, the stupider, the better,” he laughs. Brown’s technique when producing a new piece has always remained the same, almost right up to the final stages, although now he finishes things off on the computer. “I tend to draw in pencil and ink and then scan it. My computer is pretty much just a glorified colouring-in machine,” Brown says. These days, Brown creates art for both clients and himself and sometimes finds the time to exhibit it. He usually does digital prints of his work in very limited runs of 15 that are signed, hand numbered and stamped with his logo. Brown is now one of Australia’s most recognisable artists and his work is collected to be framed. H

image courtesy of Ben Brown

DORO PESCH

From her early days fronting Warlock to her successful solo career, Doro’s warrior spirit continues to shine and inspire – and she’s showing no signs of slowing down. words Damo Musclecar photo Leslie Van Stelten

or 30 years now, Doro Pesch has been delivering her brand of heavy metal to audiences right across the globe. There’s something unique and honest about Pesch that’s seen her stand at the forefront of heavy metal music for so long. Her enthusiasm is glowing, especially looking ahead at another hectic touring schedule in support of her latest album, Raise Your Fist. “Next year will be the 30th anniversary,” Pesch says excitedly, “I started my first band when I was 15 years old, back in 1980. I had wanted to become a singer since I was three years old, but I had to wait a few years before I could form a band.” While she’s bound to have been faced with a few challenges during her extensive career, Pesch says her gender was never one of them. “Actually, I must say that, being a woman, I never felt any disadvantage or that it was much harder,” she admits, “I think the fans knew I had metal music in my heart. The music surpasses everything. It doesn’t matter where you’re from or whether you’re a man or a woman. My first big tour was in 1986 with Judas Priest, who were my favourite band, and they were so kind, so supportive of me. My second tour was with Ronnie James Dio and he was one of the greatest people on earth. He was so soulful, with a heart of gold. I must say I’ve always felt very supported and not degraded at all… Everyone’s got different cards, so you just play your cards right. I never think of the cliché that it’s so different to be a woman in a male dominated scene. I never saw it as an issue.” Pesch’s relationship with her fans is what she believes has been the key to her longevity in music. “The fans have always been most

listen now

‘Raise your fist in the air’ @iTunes

“Always follow your heart and do what feels good and natural for you. Never give up.”

important to me since day one and have been the solid foundation of my career. They’re the secret to my 30 years, they keep me motivated, keep me going and keep me inspired every day… My connection to my fans gets deeper and deeper every year. I can honestly say that the fans are closer to me than my closest friends.” Pesch’s connection to her fans is most apparent in a live context. “Even if I were to perform in front of one or two people I’d still give it my all, because it’s such a valuable thing if you can touch somebody’s soul,” she says, “I want everyone to feel uplifted and inspired. In these times, with life being so difficult, I think it’s extra specially important that we’re conscious about making a difference to the fans and giving them two hours of super heavy metal power to survive the everyday bullshit, the everyday job, or even having no job. I know everybody has to fight a hard fight.” Anyone who has witnessed Pesch’s live show will know just how committed she is to her fans. She certainly provides value for money – a three hour show doesn’t seem that alien to her. “Sometimes my band says, ‘Doro, you want to play three hours again? You’re going to kill us,’ but I treat every show like it could be the last show ever,” explains Pesch, “Also, having so many records – Raise Your Fist is record number 17 – we have so many songs. When we play the encore I always ask the fans which

songs they want to hear, so sometimes the encore is one hour long. Sometimes with a long tour ahead of us, I do overdo it. But life is not forever, so I want to make sure I make the best out every chance we get to play in front of people. If it takes three hours then it takes three hours. Now we usually only do a three hour show when it’s something special, like an anniversary gig. I’ll keep it to two hours or two and a half hours for the others. I had to promise the band.” One of the surprising aspects of Pesch’s life is her attitude towards relationships. “I made up my mind when I was 24 that I wanted to totally dedicate my life to the fans and the music,” reveals Pesch, “That’s everything I love and I’ve never thought about getting married or having kids. I definitely feel that the fans are my family. I know it’s not the normal, conventional way but I certainly feel that way. I can play music and talk to the fans and feel really taken care of, loved and understood.” Pesch is enthusiastic about younger people getting started in music. “Always follow your heart and do what feels good and natural for you. Never give up. It’s sometimes a hard and rocky road, but try to find good people around you who support you and believe in you. If nobody does, just believe in yourself. Do your thing and always work as hard as you can. Expect that it’ll never go smoothly, but keep at it. It’ll work out in the end, I’m 100% sure of that.” H

words Karl Lean photo Tim Tronckoe

Sarah Jezebel Deva

t’s November 2008 and long-time backing vocalist Sarah Jezebel Deva leaves Cradle of Filth and heads for Australia. She’d had a taste of life beyond Cradle of Filth in 2006, fronting symphonic metal band Angtoria, but this time it’s a permanent split. It’s a new beginning, both musically and personally. But what inspired such a drastic change? “I came to Melbourne because an ex-boyfriend changed my life, changed my whole outlook and made me question who I was,” reflects Deva, “A lot of people won’t like this, but he made me realise I was better than just being a shadow in a band who didn’t care about me. He woke me up, but also let me down.”

Forming her own self-titled band after years of providing stellar backing vocals for Cradle of Filth and other metal heavyweights, Sarah Jezebel Deva has well and truly forged her own identity.

track into a piano version and asked me to sing I was honoured. Also, having one of my vocal icons sing with me on an Angtoria track was a dream come true – Aaron [My Dying Bride] is a friend, but is also a huge influence for me musically. And Dani [Filth, Cradle of Filth] and I worked closely on a track that I’d written with Dan Abela. It had a great concept behind the lyrics – the sick fur industry – and had my lovely mate Martin Powell on orchestral arrangements (ex-Cradle Of Filth/ My Dying Bride), so it turned out perfectly in our eyes. We were also lucky enough to get the truly talented Bjorn from Soilwork. He was just so good to work with and such a good guy.” The chance to work with so many talented artists has given Deva some great memories, but she knew she had to go solo to define herself as an artist. “I’m lucky. I’m honoured to have done all this and I [still] get approached, but I have to be careful now. I was being typecast as an opera singer only, so I stopped,” she says. Never one to keep silent about things she’s passionate about, Deva holds strong views on animal rights. She often uses her lyrics, stage shows and online website to push animal advocacy. “One of my biggest life-changing experiences in Australia was this man I was living with opening my eyes to animal cruelty,” she says, “He educated me by showing me documentaries such as Earthkings, which everyone should watch. People are obsessed with material objects and nearly everything we use has been tested on innocent animals. My biggest wish is that the government would

“Metal should have balls, no matter the gender, not be covered in lipstick and glitter.” Her time Down Under ended in mid 2009 and Deva returned to the UK to put together a new band. The self-titled project led to the album A Sign of Sublime in 2010, a second album The Corruption of Mercy 2011, and a digital EP, Malediction, last year. Despite branching out on her own, Deva remains proud of an extensive list of collaborations. “Working with Graveworm on a track was, and still is, one of my proudest moments,” she says, “The band knew how much I loved the original version of the song [Awake… Thy Angels of Sorrow], so when they remade the

bring animal welfare education into schools. People of all ages need to know what’s going on and it’s the only way things will change. I never knew animals were skinned alive for fur. I mean, how any humans could think that was okay? I’m against animal testing and I’m proud that I don’t eat or wear animals. It’s a sick, selfish world, a world humans are destroying day by day.” After nearly 20 years of singing metal worldwide, Deva also has a strong opinion on the issue of women in metal and their acceptance in the scene. “Personally, I don’t care if I’m accepted or not. I’m going to sing ’til I’m pissing myself in an old people’s home. Can I say piss?” she laughs, “This is one of those topics where I’m going to be blunt. I hate the term ‘female fronted band.’ When I got into metal, I was never force-fed ‘check this male-fronted band out.’ It shouldn’t matter if my cat is on vocals, as long as the music is good. I feel certain bands have added to the problem by constantly using this boring cliché. Also, and apologies because I really do not mean to offend, what’s up with singing about mountains, dragons and rainbows? I can’t stand the fake smiles and the hair blowing in the electric fan onstage. Metal should have balls, no matter the gender, not be covered in lipstick and glitter.” Determined, focused and delivering great metal, this is Sarah Jezebel Deva, the person and the band. Since she’s already acquainted with our country, with any luck we may get a chance to experience her first hand in Australia. “I loved Australia, but I never got to live in it how I wished I could have,” says Deva, “I would sell one of the band members’ body parts if someone would take a chance on us and bring us to Australia. I know it’s costly, but we have a great fan base there and we’d love to play for the lovers and haters.” H

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heavyfeature

words Justin Tawil photo Michael Weinhardt

After 24 years, Eyehategod are still trucking along fuelled by heavy riffs, dirty blues and Bower Power. Jimmy Bower tells HEAVY about the band’s plans for their upcoming album and the ideas behind new song, New Orleans is the New Vietnam.

t’s been a long 12 years since the last full studio album from sludge legends Eyehategod, but with the release of New Orleans is the New Vietnam, it’s clear the delay is not a sign of them slowing down. The track is drenched in huge, bluesy riffs backed by an absolutely monolithic rhythm section, which creates a commanding sound that blends the groove of blues with the crushing, heavy sludge that is characteristic of Eyehategod. Guitarist Jimmy Bower says the track is about the state of the band’s home, New Orleans. The title of the song draws comparisons between the way that Vietnam was left after the war and the way that New Orleans was left after Hurricane Katrina – with a suffering populace whose needs were left unsatisfied by a neglectful government. “[There was] just all kinds of crazy shit going on after the hurricane about people not wanting to put money into New Orleans,” explains Bower, “We don’t like hearing that shit, so we got pissed off and wrote a song about it.” The song is one of many from their upcoming album, which was recorded last December directly after their Australian tour.

The new album has been in the pipeline for a while, as the writing process has been going on alongside Bower’s commitments to Down and singer Mike Williams’ involvement with Arson Anthem. Most of the writing started in 2006, but there are a few Bower riffs that have been resurrected from the early days. “Some parts come from as far back as ’89. It’s been fun writing. I know it sucks that we haven’t put a record out in 12 years, but it’s also been a blessing in a different way, because it made us focus that much more on this record.” Listening to the new track, you can definitely feel the blues influence a lot more than on most other Eyehategod records. Blues is something the band wanted to go back and expand on to further explore that southern flavour. It’s a sound that hasn’t been as prominent on their albums since their ’93 release, Take as Needed for Pain. “Take as Needed for Pain is our favourite record as far as songwriting style is concerned,” Bower says, “I love the f**king blues so much it’s stupid, man.” It’s a typical trait of most New Orleans based bands to have the blues find its way into their

L I S TE N n o w

‘New Orleans is the New Vietnam’ @iTunes Latest single

The GG Allin Show music, especially when you’re surrounded by acts like Corrosion of Conformity, Crowbar and Superjoint Ritual. “We all absorb it together [in New Orleans]. We’ll sit around, put a playlist on and it’ll be all old Son House… It just rubs off on you when you go to jam,” says Bower, “We definitely get inspired by each other.” Although blues is a popular musical movement in New Orleans, it wasn’t so much the case when Eyehategod were starting out. Bower says coming to create the band’s amalgamation of the heavy, the dirty and the blues was met with challenges. “Everybody was playing thrash – Exhorder was the big band in New Orleans. The whole hair [metal] thing had just finally fizzled out,” says Bower, as he regales in tales of the ’80s, “But we just freaked out on The Melvins, St. Vitus and Trouble. We’d sit around and take acid, listen to it and trip out. At the time, that’s

what we wanted to play more than thrash.” Developing the Eyehategod style and building a fanbase was something that Bower found difficult, but it didn’t stunt his ability or passion for the music. With idols like SPK and Robert Johnson – artists who didn’t give a f**k and played the music they wanted to play despite the objection of the masses – it only made sense for Eyehategod to take the same approach with their own music. “Nobody really liked us at first… but that was cool too man, because it just caused a bunch of horse shit, you know?” laughs Bower. Wholly embodying the punk attitude while pumping out tunes with groove and a southern flavour for over 20 years is something not a lot of bands can attest to. Eyehategod have been performing some of their new songs on tour and by the sound of things they’re ready to once again prove themselves as kings of the south.” H

Eyehategod once opened for GG Allin in 1993 at the RC Bridge Lounge in New Orleans. Bower remembers the show vividly. “He was a super nice guy. We showed up early and he was there. We didn’t know what to expect. He was really cool and f**king nice and then he got on stage and f**king lost his mind. Well, he got his ass whooped by like three lesbians, basically, and then that was it, the show was over.”

L I S TE N n o w

‘Nabataea’ @iTunes From their latest album Straight Out of Hell

heavyfeature

words Rob Brens photo Martin Häusler

HELLOWEEN

After 29 years and 13 studio albums, German power metal pioneers Helloween are back with their latest release, Straight Out of Hell.

elloween are back with Lucky 13 and founding guitarist, Michael Weikath, saying the band used everything at their disposal to make this one a killer. “[Straight Out of Hell] has a lot of variety. Charlie Bauerfeind, the producer, said he wanted to apply all the old Helloween trademarks along with the newly built reputation that we have for musical styles,” he says. Certainly, the new album continues in the general direction of 2010’s 7 Sinners, but it sheds some of its doomy feel in favour of a more positive vibe – and plenty of speed. “It’s very fast sometimes,” Weikath agrees, “But it’s nothing that Danny [Daniel Löble, drums] couldn’t play. He’s absolutely capable of doing this album live.” Weikath points out a few other definitive differences between the new release and it’s predecessor. “Straight Out of Hell has more of a ‘classic’ Helloween feel to the production. Even though on 7 Sinners we wanted to go extra raw, extra direct and extra heavy, here we have something ‘other,’ which is closer to the old Helloween productions in a way. We wanted to make things a lot looser. We played to a click track, but it was a click track that was generated by Danny’s playing, which was a different approach. In the really early days of Helloween, Ingo [Schwichtenberg, ex-drums] would never use a click track first.” The band also took a different approach to songwriting this time around. “We collected ideas from demos that we sent

to an internet server so that everyone could download and have a listen. Later on we’d select what we wanted to take for the album. It was a real a pleasure to see what was coming up on there. We had more than enough ideas,” Weikath says. With a new release on the shelves it’s time for Helloween to hit the road again. Weikath says that touring in 2013 is more important than ever and that the band have recently placed priority on their live performances. “Due to the changes in the structure of the music business it’s to be expected that touring and concerts are going to be the generators of our monthly income more than sold record units, simply because people only buy a fifth of what they used to buy. Even Christina Aguilera only sells a fifth. I always refer to that because I like her name,” Weikath laughs.

We left everything a bit more wild and open in the past, that’s why sometimes we had some chaotic appearances. No one asked us to be perfect then, but that’s the way it is in times like these.

“We’re trying hard to deliver live and this means getting more consolidated during rehearsals,” he continues, “We left everything a bit more wild and open in the past, that’s why sometimes we had some chaotic appearances. No one asked us to be perfect [then], but that’s the way it is in times like these… That’s been one of our main focuses, making sure that someone who goes to a show one day gets as good of a show as someone who goes another day.” At this stage it’s undecided if Helloween will grace Australian shores this year as they did back in 2008. “Hopefully [we will], if someone gives us an offer to go down there. I enjoyed the first time. We were very surprised because we all had a different idea of what it would be like. Everyone’s pretty eager to make their way back there if possible, by whatever means – but not necessarily on a convict ship!” Weikath laughs. As the band head into their 29th year, Weikath takes a moment to reflect on why he thinks Helloween have survived the music industry. “One main reason is that we’re pretty original and that there’s always a nice melody to [our music]. There are many bands that have done more records, but maybe they didn’t ever succeed in coming up with as many memorable melodies as we have. Also, the members of Helloween wouldn’t ever find a different way of getting work,” he laughs, “I could try as a painter, I could try as a movie score maker, but there’s always people out there who do it better than I could, so I better stick with what I have. For us, I think it’s been having the opportunity, having the necessity and also having the pride.” H

Deadly details about Deathstars (but not really): *One of Whiplasher’s favourite musicians is actually Dolly Parton. *Deathstars didn’t make the connection between their band name and Star Wars’ Death Star until a few weeks after the creation of the name. *Whiplasher would like to tour with Justin Timberlake (I hope he’s joking) and KISS. *You can buy a Deathstars’ cap on the Second Life Marketplace website. *The band’s music video Synthetic Generation was banned from state television. People thought it was about abortion when it’s actually about hardcore drugs.

WATCH n o w

words Julianne Pimenta photo Courtesy of Soundwave

DEATHSTARS As Swedish goth metal band Deathstars prepare for their Australian tour, vocalist Whiplasher Bernadotte tells HEAVY about the old, the new and the downright f**ked up. Your latest release The Greatest Hits on Earth has been confused as a ‘best of’ album when it’s actually a compilation. Weren’t you afraid this might happen when you came up with the title? No, I don’t care that much to be honest, but in the end it’s just a compilation we made to close the chapter that was the first three albums. We’re starting to get into a new phase with our drummer. Also, it was important for us to have that kind of an album when we went on tour with Rammstein [2011], so that we had something that presented us. The songs were characteristic for us as a band. You’ve said that the material you are writing for your next album is different to that of your last two releases. How so? [On the first album] we were coming more from a black metal orientated, underground place and the second album, Termination Bliss, took off. Then Night Electric Night was kind of the second part of Termination Bliss – it was the same vibe almost. This time we just feel like doing something else. We’re in the middle of writing a song and we’re all eager to find new ways of expressing death glam. We have some new ideas that we wouldn’t have even considered in the past. I can’t tell you too much about it, but we’re going to start recording at the end of February or the beginning of March.

‘Cocaine Cowboys’ @iiTunes From their latest album The Greatest Hits on Earth

suggestions. We’re like One Direction, but in Hell or something.

You don’t want to spoil the surprise? No, it’s just because I don’t know too much either. We’re writing the songs right now, but when we get into the studio you can really feel how it’s going to turn out. With Deathstars we work a lot in the studio. We’re not that kind of a band [anymore] that rehearses before they go into a studio.

You’re touring here for the second time in May. Do you remember what your first time in Australia was like back in ’09? It was fantastic. I went there one week ahead and stayed there with some people from our old record label, Universal, in Bondi beach. We stayed in Perth afterwards. We had a great time and the gigs were super. It was like smaller clubs and it was fantastic. I hope it’s going to be just as good this time.

I was surfing the net and happened to come across some raunchy Deathstars fan fiction. Did you know people have written stories about Deathstars’ members having intercourse with one another? Yeah, I’ve been asked questions about it before. If people get off thinking about us having intercourse with each other, we appreciate it.

Is there anything you’d like to see while you’re on this tour that you didn’t get a chance to see in ’09? I’m going one week earlier this time to go diving in the Great Barrier Reef. We didn’t get time to see much of Melbourne [last time], but I don’t think we’re going to get to do that this time either.

Does it weird you out that people write stories like that about you guys? No, definitely not. It’s perfectly okay. It’s how it is in real life, so it’s okay. There’s nothing that really surprises us in that way anymore.

Are there any songs you’re sick of performing? Of course, but you don’t think too much about it. The Rolling Stones [have been] playing Jumpin’ Jack Flash for forty years or something, so I can’t complain.

Wow. So what have some of your other fans done? The band have a pretty big die-hard following. People are dedicated in different ways. I don’t know where to start. I’ve had gay guys come up to me in wedding dresses and ask me to marry them onstage. We feel very humbled about people’s dedication, but it often involves a lot of sexual

Are there any songs or bands that have impressed you this year? A Swedish band called Kent. They’re a very dark kind of pop band. They’re huge in Sweden and sing in Swedish, but I think you can appreciate it. H

metalrewind rissie Camp Publicity Photo: Courtesy of Ch

This year some of the biggest names in rock are heading Down Under to bring us a little taste of yesteryear and stir up some nostalgia.

Metal Rewind

rom it’s godfathers of heavy metal, Black Sabbath, purveyors of hard rockin’ anthems, Journey and Deep Purple, kings of excess, KISS and Mötley Crüe, or eccentric the early punk pioneer, Iggy Pop, the forefathers of heavy music are all making their grand return to Australia this year. Providing a grand history lesson for new kids on the block and a visit back to the past for those who saw these seminal acts the first time, 2013 is shaping up to be a great 12 months for music.

KISS AND Mötley Crüe Kiss and Mötley Crüe are known to take the live experience to a whole new level. Blood, firebreathing, insane amounts of pyrotechnics, rising drum kits, flying foxes, guitars that smoke, and live strippers on stage – there’s nothing that screams rock like a show from these two greats. Starting in the early ’70s under the moniker Wicked Lester before settling on the name KISS, these New York rockers aimed to be the world’s biggest band – and at one stage, they succeeded. By the end of the ’70s there

was nothing stopping ‘the hottest band in the world’ from becoming a global phenomenon. Adopting face paint and comic book-like imagery to create costumes for Starchild (Paul Stanley), the Spaceman (Ace Frehley), the Demon (Gene Simmons) and the Catman (Peter Criss), the awesome foursome took rock’n’roll – and merchandising – to a whole new level and have done so ever since. From starring in horrible b-grade films like KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park to branding comic books, golf balls, condoms and coffins, KISS will do anything to ensure their loyal followers, the KISS army, always have something new to spend their hardearned dollars on. Today the original Spaceman and Catman have been replaced by guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer. But the band are showing no signs of calling it a day anytime soon, which is amusing since their ‘farewell tour’ was 13 years ago. Mötley Crüe have become quite the household name when it comes to rock music, especially since the release of their must-read, best-selling autobiography, aptly titled The Dirt. From a band who have never been good at keeping their private life actually private, The Dirt is tell-all book detailing the adventures and sordid lifestyle of four guys from LA who did everything in excess. The band (somehow) survived through it and to this day continue to live the rockstar lifestyle without apology. How they’ve survived is another story in itself,

but what’s most impressive is the fact that all four original members are still with us today. They’ve sold in excess of 80 million albums across the globe and are currently writing a new record scheduled for release this year. BLACK SABBATH Formed back in 1969, Birmingham’s Black Sabbath are arguably one of the most important bands in music, laying the foundations for heavy metal as we know it. Over time they’ve not only been blamed for everything – from causing suicide to coverting kids to Satanism – they’ve also influenced the majority of heavy bands you hear today. Genres like doom, stoner rock and sludge metal were all cast from Black Sabbath’s mould. Fronted by the notorious Ozzy Osbourne, who will be joined by guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler, Black Sabbath will play a set from the Ozzy years. Unfortunately, original drummer, Bill Ward, will not be along for the ride due to contractual disagreements. Regardless, armed with a bag of riffs, a thumping bass line and pounding drums, Black Sabbath will kick your ass. DEEP PURPLE Deep Purple may not get the same credit as Black Sabbath, but they were just as important in the history and birth of heavy metal music. Forming in 1968, the band released a steady stream of hits including Black Night, Hush, Highway Star and Smoke on the Water. Smoke on the Water’s main riff is without

Black Sabbath are arguably one of the most important bands in music, laying the foundations for heavy metal as we know it. 65

metalrewind a doubt one of the world’s most famous – and quite possibly most played – riffs in history. The band have sold over 100 million albums worldwide and although they’ve had more lineup changes than there are pages in this magazine, they still tour and sell out arenas across the world. Members of Deep Purple have gone on to other successful acts such as Whitesnake, Rainbow and Black Sabbath.

and Any Way You Want It. They disbanded in the mid ’80s and various members went on to pursue solo careers. Journey reformed in the ’90s but went through numerous singers after Perry left the band due to a hip injury sustained hiking through the mountains of Hawaii. They eventually settled on vocalist Arnel Pineda in 2007 after watching him perform Journey covers on Youtube.

JOURNEY Journey’s legacy in rock was solidified long before Glee made them a household name. The melodic rockers dished out countless hits for teen fans who blasted their music while necking in the back seat at Inspiration Point. Forming back in 1973, the band started out as a four-piece progressive rock act before vocalist, Steve Perry, joined the ranks. The group went on to huge commercial success with hits Don’t Stop Believin’, Open Arms

IGGY AND THE STOOGES It’s been documented time and time again that The Stooges were instrumental in giving birth to the sound and attitude we now call punk rock. Formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the late ’60s, The Stooges delivered their own brand of raw rock’n’roll, blues and distortion. The band originally only lasted a few short years, disbanding in 1974, but vocalist Iggy Pop’s outrageous onstage theatrics, which included covering himself in peanut butter

and revealing himself to the audience, cemented the band in history. In 2000, Dinosaur Jr’s J Mascis went out on tour with both Ron and Scott Asheton (The Stooges, guitar and drums respectively) playing Stooges covers. This caught the attention of Iggy Pop and in 2003 he reformed The Stooges and began to tour. Things came to a halt in 2009 when guitarist Ron Asheton passed away in his home. But Pop, not one to stay put for too long, called upon second Stooges guitarist, James Williamson, to fill in. To this day the band are still touring. They were inducted into the Rock’N’Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. These influential artists have stood the test of time, even out-living bands that began 20 years after them. It appears the cliché still rings true – the classics never go out of style. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have tickets to buy. H

It’s been documented time and time again that The Stooges were instrumental in giving birth to the sound and attitude we now call punk rock.

HEAVY’s Damo Musclecar scours the globe in search of metal’s forgotten gems.

JET BOY BOY JET Feel The The Shake Shake Feel (MCA, 1988) 1988) (MCA, listen now

‘Make Some Noise’ @iTunes

hen you think of Cleveland the first thing you’re probably familiar with is the catch phrase ‘Hello Cleveland!’ coined by those comedians of metal, Spinal Tap. Completely understandable. But me? I think of that time I found an album by Jet Boy staring at me from the dusty shelves at My Mind’s Eye. It wasn’t vocalist Mickey Finn with his bleached blonde mohawk and purple leather jacket that I was focused on, not at all. More importantly, standing on the right was none other than Sami Yaffa of Hanoi Rocks fame. I didn’t even notice the $1 price tag, I just grabbed that record and wasn’t letting go. There was no way this album could fail. Or so I thought. Feel the Shake opens up with the title track, which I’m guessing is a song about the number of earthquakes California experiences. But I could be wrong, because no matter how many times I play it I completely lose interest and don’t seem to pay any attention to the lyrics. It’s not the best opener and I hope whoever decided it should be was quickly shown the door. It’s not all bad though. The party really gets started once the second track, Make Some Noise, is underway. “F**k the neighbours, man. I like it loud!” Mickey cries out and I assume he means it. Packed with good-time chants and some nice guitar work, this song quickly means business and is the best on the album. My mind was immediately made up before I’d even heard the other eight tracks. I mean, when something’s this good, the only way is down, right? Exactly. The following three tracks, Bad Disease, Fire in My Heart, and Hometown Blues are all pretty forgetful, especially Hometown Blues, which is the band’s unapologetic blues jam. Sure, it has some nice guitar licks, but I feel like they were trying a bit too hard to summon the spirit of Bon Scott and pull off their very

own Ride On. They failed. Side two shows promise, though. Locked In A Cage is a hard rocker and had me air guitar jamming all over my bedroom and teasing my hair bigger than ever before. Talkin’ follows and is another upbeat rock’n’roll tune that’ll make you feel like street struttin’ on the Sunset Strip. Hard Climb is possibly the most melodic and radio friendly tune on the album, with an infectiously catchy chorus that I still find myself singing at even the most awkward of times. This one time, I was doing the weekly grocery shopping and began singing it to myself. The repeated chorus of “It’s a hard climb” had some random woman say to me, “Is it? I guess it is.” I stood there embarrassed and quickly went about my business, bought some penne pasta for 75 cents and scooted off down the aisle. Bloodstone is a forgetful tune without much to offer, besides some impressive guitar solos by shred master, Fernie Rod. Snakebite closes the album with groovy riffs before picking up the pace, guitar solos wailing. Unfortunately, Feel the Shake hasn’t really stood the test of time unlike some of its peers, but if you get down to the nitty gritty of it, you can almost hear the influence they had on Seattle’s Mother Love Bone who, as we all know, were the bridge between glam and grunge. But Jet Boy must have been a big deal in the ’80s as this album peaked at #135 on the Billboard charts. It’s not a bad effort for a debut, but I’m still not fully convinced. Maybe I need to return to this record when I am in a different mood because right now what I am hearing is a mix of Faster Pussycat, AC/DC and Hanoi Rocks – just without the songs. Side note: Rhythm guitarist Billy Rowe went on to play for the band American Heartbreak, which also featured members of Exodus, and get this, the Bay City Rollers! Not lying, true story. H

industry insight

kay you gear rats out there, we’re going to talk about studios and gear, both outboard and plugins, or as I call it ‘effects in the box.’ This immediately opens up the great digital vs. analog debate. I must say a lot of the newest plugins sound really good, but still don’t match some of the vintage gear so many producers and engineers still use today. Most studios I work in don’t have big consoles any more. Today, most rooms have a control desk for Pro-tools and all the preamps are racked with the outboard gear. I did a session in a studio recently with a V series Neve and a 24-track 2” tape machine (Otari MTR 90)We recorded with Pro-tools, as there was no tape and no one knew how to align the machine. One of the great things about recording in the analog world was being able to really push the level of signal to the max and ‘live in the red zone.’ This sound features on many hit records – the Foo Fighters still record this way. There’s no mercy with pushing the envelope in the digital world. Once it’s too hot, there’s nothing but very unpleasant distortion. That said, the things you can do in the digital world are amazing. Mixing has risen to a new level. You can cut and paste what you want where you want it, with no rewind, no tape editing and no time wasted. The problem is the artist doesn’t have to perform a whole song any more either, or sing in tune. Melodyne to the rescue. The ability to manipulate out of tune notes and tune them to perfection unfairly evens the playing

field. I like to mix the old with the new. In a perfect world I record my drums on 2” analog tape, 24 or 16 track, with Dolby SR. SR is a great noise reduction format. It makes the drums ultra fat and at that point you can move everything to a digital format and mix to 1/2” 30 ips 2-track as well as a digital mix. Many top mastering engineers still prefer mastering tracks that have been mixed to analog. I think analog tape and recording will be appreciated along with vinyl records, bell-bottoms and 8-track players. Now go listen to Led Zeppelin 1. I’m going to leave you with a short list of some gear I use and have had great success with. Let’s start with a few mics: Telefunken endorses me, so of course I love their products. I also like the Neumann U 47 and U 67 KM-56, Sennheiser 421 & 441, Shure SM7, 58 and 57. The Shure 57 is a $100 mic and the best mic in the world for the money (remember I said for the money). It’s great on a snare drum and Marshall cab and strong enough to pound a nail (though I wouldn’t try that one). The pre amps I use are Neve 1073 1272, API’s and what ever I can get my hands on. When it comes to reverbs and delays, Lexicon 480L is my favorite for vocals. Compressors LA2A and UREI 1176 are very versatile. All of the above mentioned gear is very high-end and will cost a bundle. But have no fear, companies are putting out copies of this stuff for a fraction of the cost the sound quality’s so close. H

regular expert columnist Dito Godwin has produced and promoted some of the biggest acts in music including Ace Frehley, Peter Criss, Great White, Jani Lane of Warrant, Tim Bogert (Beck, Bogert & Appice), Dave Spitz (White Lion, Black Sabbath) Kevin Valentine (Kiss, Cinderella), Mike Stone (Queensryche, Speed X) and Rolan Bolan (son of rock legend Marc Bolan of T Rex). He also handled 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, so be sure to take notes!

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industry insight

Intense Metal Drumming 2 @hudsonmusic.com

George Kollias G

eorge Kollias quickly moved to the forefront of extreme metal drumming after joining Nile in 2004. His unmatched speed, power, technicality and creativity makes him one of the top drummers in the heavy scene. Since the release of his first instructional DVD, Intense Metal Drumming, Kollias found success as an educator as well as a musician. But, despite being a teacher, Kollias is the first to admit he’s still a student in many ways. “A real musician never rests, they always learn,” he says, “I think [Nile] have that as a band. The first time I went to Australia I had the opportunity to study with Grant Collins, so I took a lesson. When we find time, we still try to learn and improve.” Kollias’ desire to learn extended beyond his drumming when he ventured into creating his first educational DVD [Intense Metal Drumming] entirely himself. Stories such as these are of great value to the ever-expanding DIY culture surrounding the modern music industry. “It had some funny moments

Words Rob Brens

[producing the DVD], Kollias says, “I had a really shitty PC, so I would try to work and it would crash. Recording and video editing was f**ked up, it was so bad. There were so many things that went wrong, for example the sound is mono. I’m not a video editor or anything. But the good news is that I did it and I learnt a lot… Three years later I gave it to Music Sales, which is a big company in Europe. They teamed ups with Hudson Music and, four years after the release, my DVD is third in sales worldwide. [Now] I do a lot of basic video editing so I can do my online lessons and communicate with students around the world.” Most of us know that joining a death metal band is unlikely to pay off a mortgage. One of the many advantages of the online revolution is that people can both seek and distribute educational material. Kollias says online tutorials are a great way for all musicians to source income outside of their band. “There are many arguments online about death metal. Can it make you enough money to make a living?” Kollias says, “To me, if

you’re a drummer, into music and not playing for Madonna, you always have to do a lot of other things to survive financially. Have a Youtube account, have some nice videos to promote yourself, do clinics and both private and online lessons. It’s a part of the whole dance. There’s a lot of competition. If you don’t do many things, nothing is going happen. It doesn’t matter how much talent you have, you have to show it. It’s always been the same, this is just the digital version.” Over the years Kollias has built a strong fanbase online that he maintains open communication with. He says this is what’s separating the wheat from the chaff today. With audio and visual recording equipment and software available at reasonable prices, and resources such as Youtube, there’s little excuse for the budding video maker/ musician not to grasp these opportunities. “[When] I give online lessons, we have to do 10 hours of shooting and video editing,” Kollias says, “Let’s say, for example, I have three students and they pay $5 each for the tutorial, that’s $15.

But if I have 1,000 students, then I can make a lot of money for the same amount of work. This situation has brought fans closer to the musician, not like 20 years ago. Today you can talk to Dave Lombardo anytime, or any Dave for that matter. Now you can see who’s serious and who’s full of shit. The honest ones will survive. You’ve got to be honest with the fans. It’s not like it used to be, there’s no more idols.” Kollias’ latest contribution to the educational world is Intense Metal Drumming 2. He’s learnt from the production of his first DVD, and this time he got a little more help, so you can expect the bar to be raised. “There are really big improvements as far as the sound goes,” Kollias says, “We’ve got like 26 channels of drums, we have eight cameras capturing the kit, everything is in full HD and it’s a little bit longer – about five hours and 20 minutes. There’s an interview, which is questions from fans from my forum. It’s real questions, we didn’t make any up. There’s so much stuff – even with 5 hours and 20 minutes we had to squeeze stuff on there. H

industry insight WORDS Rob Brens

Rob ‘Wog’ Mollica High Voltage Touring

Sometimes you’ve gotta go where everyone knows your name. For Rob Mollica, that place is the Australian metal scene.

eople may know him as a drummer, singer, guitarist, sound engineer, tour manager, driver, or a tour promoter, but everyone knows him as Rob Wog – a guy with a solid work ethic who is a pleasure to work with. With such a varied list of trades, many would fear being master of none. But in Wog’s experience, they’ve all proven to be interdependent.

“Being the best of the best won’t save you if you have the people skills of a Doberman.” “I started off in a band touring in the mid ’90s and the guy who was booking us a lot of shows was AJ [Maddah] from Soundwave. When AJ started booking us I saw behind the scenes a lot, so I didn’t need to be taught. One time I was tour managing and doing sound for Damaged on an Entombed tour and Entombed didn’t have enough drivers, so I just did them as well and that’s where the tour managing came from.” Tour managing seems like a fairly extraneous role and often isn’t the first occupation that comes to mind when people are thinking about getting into the

music industry. It wasn’t Wog’s first choice either. After playing in various bands, Wog’s first professional venture outside playing in music was sound engineering. “I was doing sound for Blood Duster, Dern Rutlidge and pretty much all the Aussie metal bands back in the early ’90s. I did a sound engineering course at SAE college and instantly started getting work. I knew everyone in the scene, so everyone was hiring me to do sound. Naturally, if you’re not doing a good job to begin with, then your personality won’t count for much. But, being the best of the best won’t save you if you have the people skills of a Doberman. Just spending some time heading out to gigs and meeting people can be a simple way to help your career.” Wog then jumped from sound engineer to tour manager. “The first solo tour manager gig I got was for Pungent Stench. I did both sound and tour managed. It was easy because I’d already sort of done it with Blood Duster. Jeff Hall [Black Hole Records] organised the tour, so I just managed it. But the next two tours I did I had to book the hotels and some of the venues, because I think I knew more people,” Wog laughs, “I knew a lot of venue owners from touring so much.” Just so we can clear the image of a guy yelling at musicians to get out of bed, the role of tour manager includes getting musicians to where they need to

be, whether that’s the airport or venue, and making sure all the details of the show have been organised (the rider, backline, pay etc.). Essentially, a tour manager keeps the ship on course. Wog puts a lot of emphasis on being an amiable person in what’s a strongly network-based industry. “I know there are a lot of tour managers who are absolute arseholes to everyone, making the job harder to get done. One piece of advice I’d like to give to anyone who wants to get in to it is – don’t be that way. Those type of people don’t get much work in the long run. Who wants to tour a band with a shit tour manager? There needs to be a balance. You’ve got to let bands have fun, but at the end of the day you need to get them to the airport, otherwise someone’s losing money.” Things progressed naturally for Wog and he found himself organising and running his own tours. “When I was tour managing bands from overseas and doing sound for bands like Pungent Stench, I just got to know these bands. So, if they didn’t like who brought them out to Australia they’d say, ‘well, Rob is a good tour manager why doesn’t he bring us out?’ they’d ask. All the bands I’ve brought out have come here with no contracts. They just trust me,” he says. Wog’s various roles have

seen him work with promoters such as Soundwave Touring, Chugg, Blue Murder, Red Ant, and Live Nation. His extensive list of clients includes Nevermore, Entombed, Pungent Stench, Impaled Nazarene, Dismemeber, Suicidal Tendencies, Macabre, Slash, Paramore – even Juliette Lewis and Russel Brand. Today, he owns two tattoo shops, a Melbourne bar (Whole Lotta Love), and is starting up a vegan food chain. If there’s anything to be learnt here, it’s that having the right attitude can get you anywhere. “At the end of the day, if you enjoy doing any sort of job, you’re pretty much going to be good at it. If you enjoy it, you’re going to succeed. Just be nice about it,” Wog laughs.” H

John Raptis

PHOTOGRAPHER AND MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR

fter a hard day at work, industry heavyweight John Raptis got stuck into telling us about the perpetually hectic lifestyle of a multimedia master and photographer.

I was working on an exhibition for my live music photography for the longest of whiles, but I had to shelve that for now and kind of go back to the drawing board with it all.

What music are you listening to right now? I’m totally digging the latest The Sword album at the moment. For the past few days or so that’s all that’s been on high rotation in the car and at the office. They’ve got such an old-school vibe and they’re sound is kind of a stoner/ metal crossover with a deeply seeded influence from the mighty Black Sabbath. Naturally, I’m all over it.

How did you get to where you are now, photographing major international acts for so many publications and productions? It really kind of happened by accident. I had been bitten by the photography bug hard and wanted some new creative challenges to inspire me. I wanted

Tell us a bit about the work you do, both your mad involvement with multimedia and your raging rock photography. I work as a multimedia director for a large multinational movie content provider. So I get to play with all the latest release blockbuster movies. I do a lot of video editing, preparing movies and trailers for all modes of broadcast. I’ve been doing this for the past six years after getting bored with web design, having worked as a professional web designer for over ten years. Rock photography is something I’ve been doing since 2009 and I’ve managed to shoot close to 500 international acts in that time. Are you currently involved in any projects you can tell us about? I’m actually trying to build a portfolio website for my photography outside music, which is getting some exciting attention. One of my street photos has been shortlisted for a major prize, so I’m very excited to see what will happen with that. I’ve also got a four-page spread coming up in a leading international tattoo publication that recently purchased some of my photos.

Interview Julianne Pimenta

to marry my love for music with my passion for photography. The very first band I got to shoot with an allocated photo pass was The Angels at Melbourne’s Forum Theatre. Like a total newbie I made my way to the photo pit and made sure not to get in anybody’s way. I really didn’t know what I was doing but I got caught up in the vibe and went along for the ride. Can you imagine the feeling of having rabid fans behind you chanting the band’s name before they’ve hit the stage? In front of you the lights dim, the guitar amps electrically hiss, the lights go down, the band appears, the crowd goes insane and there you are, smack bang in the middle of all this insane atmosphere. You’re a multimedia director by day and a rock photographer at night. Don’t you get tired? Oh man, you should hear me bitch and whine some days when

I have a shoot after a long day at work. It is tiring. Extremely so. Also, if you go to what turns out to be a fantastic gig, it’s really hard to come down from the high, so I was literally killing myself by putting in a hard day at work, going to a shoot, doing the gig and then coming home after midnight and staying up a few hours to edit my photos before heading back to work in a couple of hours. It’s insane stuff. I’ve learnt to pace myself a bit better these days and being a little smarter with my time and energy.

What would you say is the most important thing about getting into and surviving in the creative industry? I would say ability. If you can’t deliver the goods, you’re history. You are defined by the work you create. You are judged by it, so there’s no room for error or ‘nearly being there.’ You have to cater to the client’s needs, get into their skin, see the world through their eyes and subsequently, create, design or develop what they want to see. Now, the decision all artists have to make at one point or another… Mac or PC? How can anyone be in the creative field and not use a Mac? Come on! I wear my fan boy badge very, very proudly to the point of being an Apple zealot. There’s no greater computing experience than the Mac platform. To be able to have all my gadgets in total harmony whether at I’m at home, at the office, or on the road is just technological bliss for me. Apple delivers the goods in spades, time and time again. I have drunk from the kool-aid cup of Steve Jobs and will remain an Apple user until my dying breath! H

strings & skins bass

Words Drew Dedman

ass players, as a rule, are generally fairly openminded musicians. No matter what style or genre we tend to play, we can all enjoy a good funk groove, admire the flow of a walking jazz line, love the feel of pumping straight eights and marvel at the sheer brilliance of names like Manring, Wooten, Pastorius and Sheehan. But the ‘right hand* technique’ argument is an age-old stumbling block. It can divide a room of openminded bassists and turn brother against brother, both sides convinced they’re right – one arguing for feel, one arguing for attack, one complaining about his chewed up fingers at the end of tour and another other searching

the stage for the plectrum he dropped using his mobile phone as a light. So what is the best way to play? Should you pick or strum your instrument? The answer is simple: learn both, learn it all! It’s all useful and, after all, it’s all bass playing.

Common right hand* techniques Finger style Commonly two fingers, but sometimes three, are used to pluck the bass strings. This technique comes from traditional upright bass playing. It has a great feel, but is often hard to master for the beginner, as your fingers tend to take time to balance out their attack. Finger style allows for the

easy playing of harmonics and the ability to switch techniques mid song. Pick/plectrum This style facilitates a great, rounded full tone from the very first time you hit the bass string and the ability to easily play palmmuted riffs like a guitar player. The only disadvantage would be that sometimes bass lines can sound a little too mechanical. In metal this is not so much an issue, but other styles often call for a softer attack. Mastering down-picking is tough, although it sounds absolutely amazing when playing riffs in unison with the rhythm guitarist. Slap Everyone loves slap/pop playing. Even the most hardened black extreme metal bassist will secretly enjoy slap/popping some Flea lines in the privacy of their

own home. If you want to play mighty booming lows and sharp aggressive accents, learning to slap and pop is absolutely essential. The disadvantage? It tends to be over used and can clutter up the rhythm section with a whole lot of unnecessary clicks/ pops/trills/hos/pos/slides/xs (note: even describing slap can be messy). So, use this technique with discretion. Tapping Traditionally thought of as a ‘lead bass’ technique, tapping seems to have really found its place in the last ten or fifteen years. It’s a great way for a bass player to use their instrument in a similar way to a piano. Using a combination of hammer-ons with both hands, the bass lines are almost typed or pressed. Holding base chords down with the left hand* and using a combination

strings & skins bass

“So what is the best way to play? SHOULD YOU pick or strum your instrument? The answer is simple: learn both, learn it all! It’s all useful and, after all, it’s all bass playing.”

of right hand techniques, this style offers almost unlimited variations inside a chord progression. The disadvantage? Overplaying for the sake of it. And, if you get real good you may find your guitarist is a little reluctant to pick you up and give you lifts to gigs or help you lug your gear. He may start auditioning ‘new guys’ when you’re not around. After all, no guitarist appreciates bass players stealing their thunder.** Strumming Pick or fingers, up or down – it all works if delivered at the correct point in a song. The power of a 5th chord belted out in unison with a guitar can create one huge wall of sound and the percussiveness of a muted up-down stroke can do amazing things when played as a support to a drum roll or fill. The big disadvantage of bass chords is they can muddy up the sound. They work great

live, but when recording, roll back the low mids a bit to help them sit in the mix correctly. So, all techniques have their place, all are useful and all are important. I highly recommend mastering them all on the bass. The only question that remains now is, at the end of your second encore when the crowd is screaming, are your going to throw you plectrum to the ladies?*** Until next time, rock! H

*Apologies leftys ! ** We are the thunder! *** Ladies read that as men, PC-ers read that as fans!

strings & skins drums

From Rudiments to Liquid Fire

Words Rob Brens

Let’s just take a step out of the sweatbox for a moment and get creative. By now you’ve got more than enough under your belt to get a decent motion blur to impress your mates, so let’s take a look at some musical ideas.

n the first article I briefly touched on rudiments. As well as being excellent conditioners, they’re also a bastion of musical ideas. Today I want to focus on the paradiddle and some of its variations, particularly by describing some of its uses in metal. Let’s start with the forward paradiddle (RLRR LRLL). You can easily orchestrate it around the kit in a myriad of combinations, but today we’re going to examine it in a groove context. The example I want to use is Gojira’s Liquid Fire. Drummer extraordinaire, Mario Duplantier, uses a variety of paradiddle combinations in this song. Straight off the bat, the song opens with a paradiddle played in triplets between the kick and snare (example one). Seeing as paradiddles are grouped in fours, playing this in triplets means that it’s going to take two bars to come

around on itself. Try not to focus on the paradiddle pattern between your hand and foot, but instead on how the pattern is relating to the quarter note on the china. After the guitar break, we hit the verse where Mario has elected to split the paradiddle between a bell and the snare drum (example two). Speaking of cycles, the foot pattern is in groups of five. In this case, it involves playing three kicks, followed by two 16th rests. This resolves after five bars, however he continues the cycle for 16 bars. This alone can make for a great coordination exercise for developing bass drum independence while playing a paradiddle between the hands. I’ve only included the first five bars of the cycle, as it repeats after that in the same fashion. Before I go on, I want to note that the key to developing this as a groove is the accent control. If you’re not familiar with accents, simply put, it’s where you hit harder. The key to getting it to function effectively with grooves is not just hitting harder, but making the non-accent notes softer, or playing them as ‘ghost notes.’ Don’t just start playing a paradiddle and then commence crap shooting the bass drum

underneath your hands. Take time to ensure the bass drum is locking in with whichever hand is landing at the time. Now, to close out the song we have a slight variation on the verse groove, this time utilising a double paradiddle (example three). Without going into excruciating detail about paradiddle extensions, the double paradiddle is RLRLRR LRLRLL. So, it’s the same principal that’s employed in the verse, with the double paradiddle split between the bell and snare and the accents creating the back beat. The foot pattern is still in five, however, as we’re now playing a hand pattern that’s grouped in sixes – it’s going to match up differently with the hands. Take the same approach as you would with the verse when developing the coordination. So, we now have three sections of a song, based on one rudiment. Not to mention they all sound totally badass. Hopefully this gives some motivation to explore rudiments further. If not, I’ve got some more killer examples on the way to inspire you to stretch these patterns. If it’s good enough for Duplantier, it’s good enough for us, right? Have fun! H

strings & skins drums

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> > y œ >y œ y œ œ y œ y y œ y œ œ œ .y œ y œ œ œ œ œ . œ œ œ œ œ ‰ > > y œ >y œ y œ œ y œ y y yœ œœ yœ . œ y œœ œœ œ . œ œ œ. œ œ œ > > y œ >y œ y œ œ y œ y y y≈ œœ yœ œœ . y œ œ œ œ œ . œ œ œ. œ œ > > y œ y œ y œ œ y œ y yœ y‰ œ œœ œœ œœ œ œ ≈ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ © Rob Brens

strings & skins GUITAR

Metal’s Secret Weapon THE MINOR BLUES SCALE Words Peter Hodgson

here are a lot of scales that make for great metal. The good old-fashioned minor scale is a classic because it has a very sad, emotional feel. The harmonic minor scale is killer for neoclassical metal, as well as Arabian melodies, and it can even give your music a Latin feel, depending on how you use it. The hirajoshi scale gives you intense licks that would make Marty Friedman and Jason Becker proud. But the first scale that was used extensively in metal is the minor blues. The minor blues scale builds on the minor pentatonic scale. In the first two bars of the tablature we see the minor pentatonic in its popular two-note per-string format and in the key of A minor. It’s spelt A, C, D, E, G (the ‘penta’ refers to the fact that it’s a five-note scale). This scale has been the cornerstone of the blues for almost a century. There are plenty of reasons for that – it’s easy to learn, easy to improvise with, and hard to mess up. And rather than sounding depressing and down (as you might expect from a scale used in a type of music called the blues) it can sound sweet, mean or sexy. In the next two bars we see the minor blues scale. As you see, minor blues adds just a single note to the minor pentatonic, a flatted fifth. That is, you’re adding a note one semitone below the fifth degree of the scale. So, instead of A minor pentatonic scale, which is spelt A, C, D, E, G, the A minor blues is spelt A, C, D, D#, E, G. In the key of A minor, the added D#

can be found on the sixth fret of the A string as well as the eighth fret of the G string. It’s a chromatic passing tone that connects the D and the E. Although it’s plenty of fun to use passing tones as an intermediary between one note and another, in the minor blues scale it’s a ridiculous amount of fun to really dwell on that one note. After all, it’s the famous ‘diabolos in musica’ that was once thought to summon the unholy one himself. Next on the tablature is an evil riff that takes advantage of this

particularly spooky-sounding interval. It’s inspired by Black Sabbath, as you can probably tell quite easily. It might remind you of some of the stuff from the Dehumanizer album. It’s the kind of riff that can sound bad-ass when played unaccompanied as an intro, doomy when doubled by a bass, or crushing when backed by a full band. Try playing it at 120bpm to get it under your fingers, but then give it a crack at a much slower pace like 82bpm or even down around 70bpm to bring out its Type O Negative feel.

Next up we have an almostchromatic lick, which explores that additional note in a lead guitar context. Try playing this one at a steady 120bpm and focus on executing it cleanly. Don’t rush it, because you’ll need to build up some precision before you tackle the next version (the same lick but sped up considerably). Depending on what kind of attitude you give it, this lick can have a street-fighting earlyMegadeth vibe, or it can have a more ethereal Devin Townsendlike sound. H

Dotted Lines Words Amanda Mason, Dwyer Bruce Legal

What to do if you’re not paid for a gig…

’s not uncommon for bands to go unpaid following a gig and unfortunately they don’t usually have the resources to do anything about it. This article provides steps a band can take if they haven’t been paid, but the principles apply to pretty much any commercial transaction where payment hasn’t been received. This is intended to be general advice only. For advice specific to your circumstances, especially where there’s a contract involved, you should seek a lawyer. Step 1 – Check your contract for payment clauses For a local gig you probably won’t have signed a contract, but you may have for an interstate or international gig. If you signed an agreement before your performance, first have a look to see if there are any provisions relating to payment. The venue/ promoter/booker etc. may have a time frame in which they have to make payment, or there may be some sort of requirement that you need to fulfil before payment will be made, such as issuing an invoice or providing expense receipts. If there are any of these sorts of provisions, ensure that the requirements have been met and that the time frame for payment has expired. If you don’t have a contract but have something in writing relating to the performance (emails, faxes, letters, hand written notes), check them to see if there’s any mention of prepayment requirements or payment time frames. Step 2 – Contact the venue/ promoter/booking agency etc. If all the requirements of the agreement have been met, whether it’s a written agreement or a verbal one, you should call or email the

venue/promoter/booker to remind them that you haven’t been paid. It may be that they’ve simply forgotten to pay you. There’s no point in rushing into legal battles and getting them offside when you may need to deal with them again in the future. Step 3 – Check your contract for ‘notice’ or ‘dispute resolution’ clauses The contract may require that you serve a notice on the defaulting party to notify them that they’re in breach of the contract, or it may require that you resolve a dispute in a certain manner. A notice clause will contain something along the lines of: in the event of a breach, the aggrieved party must cause to be served upon the defaulting party a notice in writing sent via prepaid ordinary post. If there is a notice clause, then serve the notice on the venue/ promoter/booker in accordance with the clause. The notice should state which clause of the contract they are in breach of, what they need to do to rectify that breach and the number of days they have to do so. The contract will usually specify the number of days you need to give them to rectify the breach. If it doesn’t, 30 days is fairly standard. You must make sure that the notice is in accordance with the requirements specified in the contract and that it contains all the relevant facts and information to ensure that there can be no confusion. If there is a dispute resolution clause you will also have to act in accordance with it. A dispute resolution clause may contain a variety of things, but will often contain something like: a party claiming that a dispute has arisen out of this agreement must immediately notify the other party

to the dispute giving detailed written particulars of the dispute or if the parties are unable to resolve a dispute following good faith negotiations then the parties agree that a mediator will be appointed. Step 4 – Letter of demand A letter of demand is usually something that a lawyer or a debt collector would send on your behalf, but often it’s not commercially viable to engage a lawyer when you’re only chasing a few hundred dollars. A letter of demand is similar to a notice letter, but it demands payment for the amount owed. It’s usually headed ‘letter of demand’ and states which clause of the contract has been breached, that payment hasn’t been received for the band’s performance on [date] at [venue], and that you require payment to be made within [number] days from the date of the letter. Lawyers and debt collectors will usually state that payment is required within seven days, however you should think about what day the seventh day may fall on. If it will be a weekend or public holiday, you can specify that payment is to be made by 5pm Friday of a certain date. Do not choose a date that is less than seven days from the date of the letter. You can then state that you reserve your rights to take legal action if payment isn’t made by the date specified. You must ensure the letter remains professional and is in no way harassment. Step 5 – Further action If there aren’t any dispute resolution provisions in your contract, then you can choose a dispute resolution mechanism that suits you. Generally, the best ways to proceed are getting legal advice, using a mediation service, lodging a claim in the small claims division of a court, or a combination of these.

Legal advice If you have a contract, especially if you don’t completely understand it, get legal advice. There’s no point taking the matter further if you’ve misunderstood the contract. Either find yourself a lawyer or try the Arts Law Centre of Australia, which provides free or low cost legal advice over the telephone. They will be able to give you advice in relation to your situation, but they will not be able to represent you legally. If you want legal representation, you will need to engage a lawyer. Mediation If both parties are willing to attend a mediation session, it’s a good and economical option. Most state governments provide free mediation services to help parties resolve disputes. The Arts Law Centre of Australia also provides a free mediation service to paid subscribers. In a mediation session the parties will be able to discuss their dispute in the presence of an impartial mediator. The mediator helps the parties isolate the issues and then attempts to resolve the dispute in a manner that’s acceptable to both parties. Lodging a claim in the small claims division of a court You can lodge a claim in the small claims division of a court in your state without engaging a lawyer, although the paperwork involved can be a little overwhelming. The courts’ websites provide helpful information, as does the website of the Arts Law Council of Australia. You can also telephone the court’s registry and they’ll be able to provide you with assistance and advise you of the costs involved, which vary depending on the amount of your claim and the state that you’re in. H

shrapnel

shards of metal

words Jon Stockman

HEAVY has gone smart. Well, we’d like to think we were always pretty switched on, but now you can take HEAVY with you anywhere if you own a smart phone or tablet. To honour this monumental leap into the future, HEAVY has found some other apps you might want in your pocket. HEAVY magazine app (free with paid features for iPhone, Android, iPad) Subscription is just a quick scroll away! Check out every issue thus far and subscribe to the full-digital version with just one quick tap. Blabbermouth (free) Blabbermouth is considered a bit of a rock bible and now you can get all the latest news straight to your phone. Metal Blade Records (free) All your Metal Blade artists are accessible in one app – there’s news on releases and tours and plenty of photos. It’s got it all. Metal Trivia (lite free, advanced 0.99c) Challenge yourself, your friends and the metal world and finally put all that useless knowledge to use. There are just fewer than 100 questions in the free version, then you can upgrade to over 300 questions in the paid version. Challenge accepted. Fest Planner (free) As the festival season approaches, printed timetables are so last year. Your entire day can be mapped out on this app. It’ll conveniently notify you when the next band you want to see is about to come on and warn you of any clashes. If only it came with sunscreen. Glam Metal ($1.99) Making mandanna’s cool again, this hilarious app will help you glam up your photos. Relive the glory days (or at least pretend to) of Sunset Strip and post your pics like you were there. Live Metallica (0.99c) Stream Metallica gigs straight to your phone, even hours after they’ve come off stage. You can access over 5,000 songs from 500 shows and detailed notes. The streams are free but you have to pay for the app. Hey, Lars needs to recoup those Napster losses somehow. How to do harsh death metal vocals (free) Become the best vocalist your band has ever heard with this app. It provides advice and technique tips from over 82 experts. Epic Chromatic Tuner (free) Guitarists have one less item to carry around now when they head off to rehearsal. The tuner works with both acoustic and electric guitars and will even tune a piano, in case you’re planning an epic power ballad.

1 Voltera - Cult of Kukulkan 2 Segression - Hero Anthem 3 Blind Munkee - GPS 4 Til Rapture - Madder than a Cut Snake 5 Psycho Green - Rat Trap 6 Lynchmada - Immerser 7 Mors Principium Est - Birth of a Starchild 8 Inhuman Remnants - Anathema 9 Liquid Sound - Home 10 A Sin for a Prayer - Reborn 11 Creptter Children - Possessed 12 SEIMS - IVDE

It’s not them it’s you… New music will always be compared to music of days gone by. It’s always been like that and it’ll probably remain that way, right or wrong. Even music from the same band will always be compared to their previous work. That’s the natural thing to do, but is it fair? Not always. Bands evolve and try new things. Sometimes it works, other times it fails spectacularly, but fans can often be too harsh. Regurgitator summed up the phenomenon with their tune I Like Your Old Stuff Better Than Your New Stuff. Okay, but why? I think it’s got something to do with where we’re at that time in our lives. The ’90s for me were a blur. Leaving my teens and heading into my 20s, not only was I heavily influenced by what my older brother listened to (hence my love for Queen, Metallica, Zeppelin, Chisel, Supertramp, ELO, Deep Purple, Sabbath) I was now finding that more and more music was relevant to where I was at in my life at that moment. Of course, I gravitated towards the grunge movement and from there I discovered hard rock and metal such as STP, AIC, White Zombie, Machine Head and Pantera – it doesn’t matter how you get there, just as long as you do.

Cast your mind back and remember how those bands made you feel when you first started to listen to them. You couldn’t get enough, you wanted to hear everything they put out. You poured over the lyrics in the cassette cases, which were bloody hard to read (Megadeth Rust in Peace, I’m looking at you) and you’d hang out in record shops to find the latest stuff, because it was shaping who you were becoming. You found your favourites and soaked that shit up like a sponge. Now you’re older, and sure, a lot of your favourite bands are still around, but something’s missing. Let me tell you something – it’s not them, it’s you. Okay, maybe it’s a bit of them, but it’s that feeling you had way back then that you miss. Now you know what to expect (to a degree) and while you still enjoy an album, you really just want be smashed in the ears – everyone wants another Master of Puppets. We as metal lovers have to understand that this will never happen. Because, not only was that old feeling about where we were in life, it’s where the band were when they made it. People change, circumstances change, for check out better or worse. Having said that, Triple M Distortion Overkill have always been pretty damn @Facebook consistent, haven’t they? H

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hi-rotation album reviews

The Divinity of Purpose The Afterman:

Death Audio

Nuclear blast

Independent

Hatebreed

Hardcore, Metal Connecticut, USA .hatebreed.com

review Rob Brens HATEBREED ARE STRONG proponents of the phrase, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” But no one ever crucified Slayer for releasing yet another thrash album. The Divinity of Purpose more or less picks up where the band’s previous self-titled album left off, but with much beefier production. That’s not to say it’s just a rehash – the songwriting is far from weak or repetitive. All the hallmarks of a solid hardcore crossover album are there and there’s absolutely no shortage of violence. If you haven’t been disappointed by a Hatebreed release in the past, you’ll do no wrong by picking up their latest release.

Descension by

Coheed and Cambria

Hundred Handed/Everything Evil

Progressive Rock New York, USA coheedandcambria.com

review Rod Whitfield truly Great progressive bands make music that’s highly interesting tehnically but is also very listenable – and that’s what we have here. The Afterman: Descension is the second instalment of a two-album concept piece and the storyline reaches its dramatic conclusion here. The songs themselves are very catchy. Number City brings the ska during the verses, pure pop in the chorus and is a groovy – albeit unexpected – little track all round. There’s still plenty for fans of pure progressive rock to sink their teeth into. The climax of The Afterman saga is very satisfying indeed and will definitely appeal to rock and prog fans everywhere.

Death Audio

CHOICE*PATH*CONSEQUENCE* SOLUTION by

Modern Metal Melbourne, Australia deathaudio.com

review Rod Whitfeld MELBOURNE BASED five-piece Death Audio have been doing the rounds for quite a few years now, impressing with their balls-out live show and massive wall of sound. They needed a full-length to take that next step and they’ve delivered. The album is a blistering mainstream metal release, displaying the band’s strong command over a broad array of sounds. There’s flatknacker thrash, titanium strength grooves and an ideal blend of brutality and melody. There are even some unexpected elements to enjoy, such as a subtle touch of electronica and acoustic moments. Wall-to-wall with strengths, the album is crystal clear, heavy as lead and tailor made for melodic metal lovers everywhere.

Vanitas by

Anaal Nathrakh

UK, Candelight Records

Hailmary

Independent

Grindcore/Black Metal UK

Hard/Alternative Rock Perth, Australia

facebook.com/Anaalnathrakhofficial

hailmaryband.com

review Mitch Booth

review Rod Whitfield Hail Mary inject a strong touch of Alice in Chains style heavy alternative into their hard rock sound. The band draw as much influence from the early to mid ‘90s as they do from the ‘boy bands with guitars’ acts of the mid to late ‘80s, and they’re much more interesting for it. Behind the album’s rather philosophical title lies a band bent on creating strong, dark, heavy rock songs with meaning, dynamics, fat grooves and a touch of atmosphere. Arguably the best track on the album is Monday Mundane, which centres around anger and frustration that many regular nine to five workers feel about the daily grind. Control Freak is a surprising atmospheric slow-burner, while Wake Up has a nuclear strength groove.

WITH EACH RELEASE, Anaal Nathrakh reinforce that they’re one of the most extreme bands on the planet and with Vanitas they’ve done it again. It’s blisteringly fast, inhumanly heavy and the vocals are a barrage of nonsensical screams. Its predecessor, Passion, saw the band drop the groove element, but it’s back in full force here and is ultimately what makes the release so memorable. Amid the grindcore-meets-black metal ferocity is a larger focus on actual riffs, and dare I say it, infectious choruses, which were found on their last few albums, but not in such quantity. There are very few bands that can remain truly heavy while making you want to dance, just a little. Anaal Nathrakh are one of the few.

th e sta nd o u t

the stand out

th e s ta n d ou t

th e s tan d o u t

‘Put It To The Torch’ @iTunes

‘Key Entity Extraction V Sentry The Defiant’ @YouTube

‘Obstructions’ @iTunes

‘Monday Mundaine’ @iTunes

‘Forging Towards the Sunset’ @iTunes

ALBUM OUT NOW

AVAILABLE AT ALL GOOD DIGITAL STORES AND WWW.INTERNALNIGHTMARE.NET

hi-rotation album reviews

All Is Mist And Fog by

4247 Snare Drums

Norse

Independent

Whourkr

Ad Noiseam Records

Black/Extreme Metal NSW, Australia

Death Metal/Experimental Aris, France

facebook.com/norse.official

facebook.com/WHOURKR

review Mark Lennard

review Mitch Booth JUST LIKE THE Algorithm and Die Antwoord, France’s Whourkr is one of those projects that starts out being entertaining purely for its ridiculousness, before the realisation hits that it’s actually genuinely great music. Written and performed by the same man behind baroquecore band Igorrr, 4247 Snare Drums features some of the most spastic death metal to come out in recent years. The pig squeals and slamming riffs are chopped up and mixed in with a variety of electronic sounds (largely on the breakcore side of things), with bizarrely warped saxophone jazzing things up here and there. Oh, and there are short classical sections. As the title suggests, 4247 Snare Drums is almost headache inducing, but in the best possible way.

AT THEIR CORE, two-piece extreme metal band, Norse are guitarist/vocalist Treelo Herrington and drummer Robin “Frog” Stone. This is their second full-length and, while there’s plenty of extreme/black metal mayhem going on, intentionally poor production quality leaves some of the riffing and passages lacking power. This is a little unfortunate, as All is Mist and Fog could be a lot more intense with a boost of distortion and more low-end throughout. Black Ocean, Plaguewhore and Gravel are not only great titles, but are also fine examples of the diversity Norse are capable of. If you listen past the production, Norse’s talent is very evident and should blast through loud and clear in a live situation.

Pinnacle Of Damnation by

Suffocation

Nuclear Blast Records / Riot! Entertainment

Death Metal Long Island, New York facebook.com/suffocation

review Mark Lennard SUFFOCATION HAVE BEEN a death metal household name since Effigy of the Forgotten dropped in 1991. Still going strong over 20 years later and influencing many along the way, not even a break from 1998 to 2003 could stop them. Mixed and mastered by Zuess, album no. 7 features the drumming of Dave Culross (Malevolent Creation) on his second stint in the band after Mike Smith departed in 2012. The production is slick. The vocals could be slightly louder, but the riffing and guitar tone are still gritty and brutal. Cycles of Suffering is a killer opener, As Grace Descends trades off blasts and thrash, Inversion is driven by unnerving chords and underlying riffing and the departed Smith appears on the old school closer Beginning of Sorrow.

Hate

Hydra

Shock/Halfcut records

Victory Records

Thy Art is Murder

Otep

Extreme Metal Sydney, Australia

Metal/Nu Metal Los Angeles, USA

facebook.com/TAIMMETAL/info

facebook.com/otepofficial/info

review Christian Doherty

review Mitch Booth

Australia’s own Thy Art is Murder have been making a name for themselves steadily since their first EP, but this album looks like the one to really put them on the world stage. From the opening track, Reign of Darkness, you can tell you’re in for an intense, brutal and devastatingly heavy ride. If you’re familiar with some of the band’s previous work, then you’ll notice straight away how much the band have evolved on this album. The songs are really well arranged and take you on a journey. This is one of those albums you need to listen to from start to finish, rather than selecting particular songs.

Otep have composed a captivating album with an energy that’s focussed like a bullet. The album is a musical reflection of the graphic novel Otep Shamaya has been writing for the past two years. Each track is an instalment of a story about a creative girl, brutally damaged by the world and raining down a dark, vicious vengeance on her tormentors. It would be easy to say that Hydra is more personal and less political than Otep’s previous albums. But, if any album demonstrates that the personal is political, it’s Hydra. Contemporary, beautifully produced and delivering the gutsy riffs fans expect from the band, Hydra is a masterful final album.

t h e sta nd o u t

check em out

th e s ta n d ou t

c h ec k em ou t

c h e ck e m o u t

‘I Stand Before Gods And Conquer’ @YouTube

‘Arithmetic Punishment’ @iTunes

‘Cataclysmic Purification’ @4shared

‘Vile Creation’ @iTunes

‘Crush’ @iTunes

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words Amanda Mason

My Little Pony ’til You Puke

Andrew W.K., famous for his songs about partying, was a guest panelist at Canterlot Gardens 2012, a three day My Little Pony convention. According to the convention’s website, the My Little Pony character Pinkie Pie has a lot in common with Andrew W.K. and his music. Thankfully, the similarities end with his songs about partying and not with I Get Wet (although Pinkie Pie does sound a lot like a porn star name). So it looks like Andrew W.K. might be a Brony, which, for those of you unfamili ar with the My Little Pony cult following, is a My Little Pony fan boy. Apparently there’s at least 24,000 Bronies worldwide. At least, that’s the number of male pony lovers that participated in the Brony Study at bronystudy.com, which I can only assume, by looking the picture on the site, was conducted by a pony in a lab coat named Dr. Psych Ology.

Me s that make women oggy to ks and sparkling blue eye loc g Talk DPoi win flo den gol Pets Rock. the son’s front man with ge of pet products called

Bret Michaels, released his own ran waggn want to bang him, has feel like the hot piece of want to be him and me that will make any bitch ni chi poo to destroy r dog you r for you s sse age dre our e enc som ly es The range includ t chew toy that’ll probab I’m not ’s also a cute cowboy boo this burning bus thing. ley tail that she is. There k boots, and then there’s roc m gla r g by the way the gin lea jud ian but , Ital fire ted on rus ly your diamante enc on the side or if it’s actual ing to get some fresh to have flames painted flaming wreckage or try the sure if the bus is meant ing flee er eith y’re ape, I’d say the bus. everyone is trying to esc ing a dump on the tour ‘code of the road’ by tak the ke bro e eon som r air afte

oby Doo song Sepulturaick Do Dolabella have collaborated on the Green and former drummer Jean

Sepultura vocalist Derr by Doo. The song is performed new Scooby Doo DVD, Big Top Scoo the in res featu h whic , Inc.! s terie Mys Von Rydingsvard, who looks like fsmöøon and their front man Wulfric by fictional cartoon metal band Wül of Wulfric’s dress sense will rub e som verine from X-Men. Hopefully Wol of on versi l meta shed ouri maln a t. erchief is a fashion Scooby Dooby don’ off on Freddy, because that red neck

Girls, Girls, Girls

How many times have you thought that the heavy music scene is really lac girl, all porn star band? A king an all million, I’m sure. Filling the gaping hole in the por of the music industry is n star sector the ironically named ban d, Tight, made up of fou stars and managed by fell r female porn ow big name porn star, Bree Olson. Tight won Ho XXX Factor and now sta ward Stern’s r in a DVD, also titled Tig ht, that documents ‘the world’s first all-girl, por story of the n star rock band.’ Accord ing to the New York Pos best mockumentary sin t, Tight is “the ce Spinal Tap.” I wonde r if we’ll soon see a spin male, all porn star band off with an all called Hard? A girl can only dream.

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