NO HEROES – ISSUE 13

BANDS TO WATCH IN 2012 – JOHN BAIZLEY & SCOTT KELLY – PARKWAY DRIVE THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN – HATEBREED – TRAPPED UNDER ICE

ISSUE THIRTEEN – FEBRUARY 2012

‘Since then I’ve just devoted myself and completely submitted myself to this new record.”

- John Baizley pp.36-39

ISSUE THIRTEEN Bands You’ve Never Heard Of … p.8 Hatebreed … p.10 Parkway Drive … p.14 The Dillinger Escape Plan … p.18 Bands to Watch in 2012 ... p.23 John Baizley & Scott Kelly … p.36 Trapped Under Ice … p.42 New Music … p.44 2011 Obituary … p.48

www.noheroesmag.com Editor-In-Chief: Sarah Petchell Music Editor: Oliver Cation All layouts by Cooper Brownlee and Sarah Petchell Words: Sarah Petchell, Oliver Cation, Jem Siow, Craig Wainwright Photos: Simon Atkinson, Ben Clement, Chris Cooper Cover: Feet in a Crowd: La Dispute at the Annadale, Sydney Photo: Simon Atkinson This Page ‌ Photo by Ben Clement

ED’S LETTER PHOTO: CHRIS COOPER

So ... we actually reached Issue 13. It was a long and uphill struggle and it has further cemented by belief in how damn unlucky that number is. Here’s a quick rundown of all the things wrong with this issue.

Firstly, you might notice that our usual amazing band photo on the cover has been replaced by a pair of feet crowd-surfing. The reason for this is that we don’t actually have a cover band this issue. We made plans, interviews weren’t completed in time (what’s a deadline?) and photoshoots fell through. In the meantime, I’m freaking out wondering what I’m going to do, until the wonderful Simon Atkinson (new staff photographer and all around general nice guy) sent me that photo and it all came together.

We then were going to do a slightly different feature that I’m sure you would have all enjoyed. Nope, a problem with a release date postponed that particular feature. Still don’t believe in bad luck? Then the Murder By Death tour got postponed, so that was another feature moved to the next issue.

I guess the positive point to focus on, is that it all came together in the end, and pretty well. We got a rad and interesting cover. The features are still awesome, and cover bands that I really like. Take, for example,

the main feature of this issue: Bands To Watch In 2012. We chose six Australian band that we feel are really going to kick major ass this year, and gave them a couple of pages to talk about themselves. Included in this are bands like Milhouse, Nuclear Summer, Northlane and Iron Mind.

From there, we have some super interesting conversations with Winston McCall from Parkway Drive about what’s been happening in their world, while Greg Puciato from The Dillinger Escape Plan talked to us about touring with the likes of Deftones and Mastodon.

We also spoke to a few bands that will be appearing on Soundwave over the next couple of weeks, including Jamey from Hatebreed and Brandon from Conditions. Then we cap things off with a dose of metal, as Scott Kelly (Neurosis) and John Baizley (Baroness) talked to us on their recent solo tour.

So that’s this (unlucky) issue. As per usual, we hope you enjoy it and any questions or comments give us a shout!

Thanks, Sarah x

The views and opinions expressed in No Heroes are not particularly those held by the publishers.

All content is copyright to No Heroes 2012.

For more information email: info@noheroesmag.com

Bands You’ve never heard of BRUTALITY WILL PREVAIL Website: www.facebook.com/brutalitywillprevail Label: Pergatory Records Britain isn’t known for hardcore, but it is known for stadium metal. Brutality Will Prevail aren’t stadium metal, so instead they’re keeping the hardcore underground alive in the UK and turning heads worldwide. Having existed since 2005, BWP are finally making a name for themselves with the release of their most recent full length, Sleep Paralysis on up and up UK label Purgatory Records. Full tours in the UK with the likes of Harms Way and Dead End Path, as well as sharing stages with the likes of Basement, Dead Swans and Rise And Fall. With their profile growing in Australia, they won’t be unknown for long. Sooner or later we may even see this destructive hardcore crew grace our shores for a tour.

NOAH GUNDERSEN Website: http://noahgundersen.bandcamp.com Label: Unsigned Pure and simple are the perfect way to describe the beautiful music and lyrics that have typified the career of singer-songwriter, Noah Gundersen. And with his most recent EP Family, this young and extremely talented musician is set to make a massive impact, not the least of which because the song ‘David’ was in an episode of Sons Of Anarchy. That is besides the point, as the Seattle artist has perfected his take on the Americana indie folk, drawing influences from the likes of Tom Waits and Neil Young. While there is a back catalogue of Gundersen’s own music and music as a part of the band The Courage, the real coup de tat will come with a debut, full-band record to be released late this year/early next.

HARMONY Website: http://harmony.bandcamp.com Label: Casedeldisco I do not know how to begin to describe Melbourne’s Harmony. The words dark, cacophonous, and anxious all come to mind when listening to the album, and these are feeling that are only intensified when see them live. It’s a mongrel concoction of balladry and gallows blues, with three part gospel harmonies thrown in for good measure. And the subject matter matches perfectly: topics range from songs about Tasmanian urban legends through to grief and the inadequacies of humans in water. The brainchild of Tom Lyngcoln of The Nation Blue, the thrilling and haunting territory the band has occupied with their self-titled debut should leave lovers of all types of music exhilarated. It’s bizarre, but oh so good!

THIS MOMENT IN BLACK HISTORY Website: www.myspace.com/thismomentinblackhistory Label: Smog Veil Records I was introduced to This Moment In Black History with the following recommendation: “It’s like they took the music of Black Flag and played the lyrics of Public Enemy over the top”. I’m not sure if that’s an accurate description, but it was enough to get me interested, and I’m so glad I did because TMIBH are one of the most interesting punk bands that I’ve heard in a long time. As for the sound, blues-infused hardcore punk with some organ and hand claps thrown in for good measure, coupled with politically charged and angry lyrics, and a hefty dose of cynical humour thrown in for good measure. Maybe this is punk for old people, but it’s pretty damn good! Check out 2009’s Public Square LP. THORNS Website: http://www.facebook.com/thornsmelbourne Label: Unsigned There was a time when On Broken Wings toured Australia. They played with Carpathian (mosh Carpathian, not Deathwish Carpathian) and left people crippled in youth centres nationwide. Thorns probably have some of their origins there. It’s the same brand of mosh, and fronted by Tim Carter (Warbrain, Hopeless, Bear Trap) the band have already started turning heads in their native Melbourne, despite only having been around for six months.

Their demo is currently the only music available, but they are currently writing for an EP to be released mid year. The future is bright for these Melbourne bruisers and if you reminisce about when mosh and camo was something serious, then Thorns are for you.

THE WEIGHT Website: http://theweightaus.blogspot.com.au Label: Unsigned Adelaide is the birthplace of Day Of Contempt, Jungle Fever and SxWzd and seems to be churning out the good stuff again. At the forefront stands thrash and hard riff specialists The Weight. Nowhere in this country will you see a tougher band. They have been playing around Adelaide for a few years and have made the push into other states as well but with a full length on the horizon its time for hardcore nationwide to pay attention. This is a band that doesn’t compromise and loves their hardcore DIY and dirty. Tracks from demos and comps are worth hunting down, or check out their blogspot. Australia can hang with any other country when it comes to producing hardcore bands, The Weight is proof.

HATEBREED WORDS: JEM SIOW

There aren’t many hardcore bands in the world that are as big as Hatebreed. Formed in 1993, this is a band with the purpose of creating hardcore that is hard, fast and in vocalist Jamey Jasta’s own words “brutal”.

With an output of five (almost six) albums over the course of almost 20 years, this is a band that has had a significant hand in shaping what modern hardcore has become.

Now the band are set to hit Soundwave, and with a new album due out later this year, 2012

is setting the stage for Hatebreed to further cement why they are the hardcore juggernauts they have been for the last 20 years.

You wrapped up 2011 with a huge tour with Five Finger Death Punch and All That Remains. What were some of your highlights of last year?

“That was a great tour. We got to play to all these kids that are just getting into metal, so we got to expose a lot of young people and a lot of new fans to the harder side of metal and hardcore. It was a great opportunity for us.

“But I also did Mayhem Festival with my other band Kingdom Of Sorrow, and put out a solo record.

I had a great year but it’s awesome to be kicking off 2012 with Soundwave and Hatebreed tours.

It’s back into full Hatebreed mode 100 per cent right now.”

Hatebreed have pretty close to their 20 year milestone and in the last couple of years there have definitely been the ups and downs. What is it about Hatebreed that keeps you going with it?

“We’re just lucky to have been in a band this long. We’re coming

You said that you’re coming up on your sixth album. Is that something that fans could be seeing soon?

“Yeah, when we have our little breaks in between tours this year we’re going to record. We’re going to start doing demos at the beginning of next month and while we’re in Australia we will probably be listening to some of those demos and figuring out what we want to do with those songs when we get back.”

“In the beginning it was just a heavy, alternative to what was out there. We were just trying to do something different. We were lucky then that there were bands out there that were able to help us and we were lucky that the crowds we played to were receptive to our music because we always said, as a band, that our message was about individualism, being yourself and standing up for what you think is right. That has never really changed.

What can fans expect to hear from this new album?

“I always say that if you’re a fan of Hatebreed then you’re going to like the new record, because we go with what fans want from us and that’s brutality. We’ve never really changed the formula and I doubt we ever will.”

“From 2009 until now, with Wayne back in the band, we have three original members and we’re still doing the same things that we did when we first started. We toured with All That Remains, we tour with hardcore bands and metal bands and rock bands.

So you’re on your sixth album, Hatebreed have toured all over the world; what’s next for Hatebreed? What do you want to achieve next?

“Well we want to open for Metallica in the States. That’s the tour that we want. They’ve taken Machine Head and they’ve taken Lamb Of God and Down and Gojira. One of these days it will be Hatebreed’s turn.

“I don’t know if it will happen. It’s just a dream of ours. We put it out there a lot hoping that the Universe will grant it to us.” up to the almost 10 year anniversary of the Perseverance record and new kids are still getting into it. There are new kids and new metal fans all over the world all the time.

Am I right in saying that this year you turn 34?

“Yes, I did.”

“We go to new places every year, which is something we never used to do. We would tour America, or tour Europe, or tour the UK or Australia. But now we’re going to South America. We’re going to South East Asia at the end of the year. We’re finding that heavy music and hardcore music is becoming more and more of a global thing.

As a kid, what did you see yourself doing at this age? Did it even closely resemble where you see yourself in life right now?

“You know as a kid I always thought that coming from a Catholic Irish family that I was wrong if I made it to my 30’s. I’m just happy that I have a great family, a great band and great friends within those bands. I’ve toured with a lot of my favourite bands and a lot of my friends’ bands so I’m just glad that the hard work has paid off.”

“It’s great for us because we can just keep going on. We’re coming up on our sixth album and we’re lucky that our music and our message still means something everywhere.”

Being one of the two founding members of Hatebreed you’ve seen the band evolve and change. In the beginning, what do you think defined Hatebreed and how has that changed?

“We’re just trying to get our music out there through touring and that’s still the best way.

Sure we’ve had the odd hit where we’ve had to make a video, but that doesn’t really happen with most hardcore crossover bands.

Really what you have to do is get secure and do it the old-fashioned way. That’s what we still.”

You just mentioned the crossover aspect and you definitely do have fans in metal and fans in hardcore. How do you see Hatebreed? Are you more one or the other?

“I’m too old to worry about the labels. I just feel like we’re just a crossover band that mixes hardcore and metal.

“I don’t think we ever really had that Iron Maiden influence so we can’t really be considered a metalcore band like some of the other bands in that scene, with the clean vocals and the guitar melodies. We don’t really have much melody so I just consider us a crossover.

“If you listen to Exodus or Agnostic Front or The Cro-Mags, those are crossover bands and those are the bands that are big influences of ours. They incorporated more of the down-tuning kind of styles.”

Being a crossover band, you’re reaching a much broader audience than a band that sticks to one genre. What is it that you want your fans to take away from listening to Hatebreed?

“I just want people to feel the power. I always write songs that are like me being a drill sergeant to myself because I feel that through repetition I’ve been able to combat depression, anxiety, feelings of stress, feelings of emptiness and the feelings of just questioning your purpose in life.

“Music, especially Hatebreed, always changes things for me in a positive way so that I try to be that drill sergeant in the song, because I know that I’m going to have to perform that song almost every night for many years to come so I want it to be a song that I really like and that I really mean. That’s how I always look at it.”

Does this sense of honesty and straight-up with your music come from anyone that you really look up to?

“Right now, I look up to my dad because my family has a history of suicide, depression and

alcohol abuse. My father was in Vietnam and was hospitalised for a good part of my early childhood.

He was diagnosed with posttraumatic stress syndrome and that was definitely a scary thing to see when I was 12 or 13 years old. But seeing him turn in his life around and be alcohol free and drug free, and seeing him remarry and get his life straightened out has always been inspiring for me.

“When you come from a big Irish family, you wonder if certain characteristics are in your genetics. For me, the drugs, drinking, depression, alcoholism, that stuff can been seen in my genetics, so seeing my dad turn his life away from that makes him the best role model for me.”

You’ve just done this stadium tour and are about to head out on Soundwave, so do you ever miss doing smaller capacity club shows?

“We just did a bunch of smaller

shows in the off-days from the Five Finger Death Punch tour and during one of the shows (I think in Quebec City), somebody cannonballed onto a girls head and she almost broke her neck. And that’s unfortunate because those sorts of accidents are the reason why a lot of clubs don’t want to book us.

“So it doesn’t really matter if I miss doing the small shows or not because no matter what, if we do a small show something bad is going to happen, where someone gets hurt or a riot breaks out or something, and then we’re not allowed to tour anymore.

“I just look at it that anytime we can play and people don’t get hurt or we don’t get sued, then that’s a good show. And that’s whether it’s a big stage or a small stage.”

Hatebreed will be touring Australia as a part of Soundwave 2012 starting in Brisbane this week.

PARKWAY DRIVE WORDS: SARAH PETCHELL – PHOTOS: BEN CLEMENT

THERE ARE VERY FEW AUSTRALIAN HARDCORE (OR EVEN METAL BANDS FOR THAT MATTER) THAT COULD CLAIM THE INTERNATIONAL POPULARITY AND RECOGNITION THAT BYRON BAY’S PARKWAY DRIVE HAVE ACCUMULATED IN THE YEARS THEY’VE BEEN TOGETHER. I’M NOT GOING TO HARP ON ABOUT IT ALL, BECAUSE WE’VE HEARD IT ALL BEFORE.

What I will mention is the fact that in spite of it all, vocalist Winston McCall still seems to be the nice hardcore dude from the north coast that he has always been.

Massively mental shows in Poland? No problem. Performing to 20,000 people (or thereabouts) at Big Day Outs around the country?

That’s a walk in the park compared to some of the European Festivals they have played.

2012 is shaping up to be one hell of a year already for the band.

As I’ve already mentioned, they played to some of the biggest crowds at one of this country’s biggest music festivals. They’re releasing their second DVD mid way through this year, and before the year is out, another album (the band’s fourth) will reach our ears.

So the question then is, where can they take it all from here? The possibilities are still endless…

I know the last time that we spoke to you was not long after Deep Blue came out, but what have been some of the highlights between then and now?

“The last six months have probably been the biggest six months that we’ve ever had. We toured South America and then South-East Asia, and we basi-

cally played in some of the most remote and bizarre places we’ve ever been to, let alone played.

“It was places like Ecuador, Brazil and Guatemala. Then the last show that we played in 2011 was in Calcutta in India. These are all places that I never thought I would ever go to, let alone play.

They were places that bands just never tour to. So it was pretty insane to have that experience.”

What was the reception like in Calcutta?

“It was amazing. Apparently, according to everyone there, we were the first rock or heavy music to ever play that city. That’s a pretty crazy thing to be able to say. But it was mental. The reaction was just awesome and at the same time it was like playing on another planet. I’ve never felt more culture-shocked and more further away from home.

“We didn’t even have it booked!

There was this South-East Asia run and we already had places that we’ve never been before on that run. Then some kid hit us up asking why we had never played Calcutta. And we were like, ‘Because we didn’t know it existed.

Can you put on a show?’ and he was like sure. So that was basically what it came down to.

“The kid responsible was a total legend. He had organised sponsors and everything to pay for it and they all pulled out last second, basically leaving him stranded. But he still put on the show and still did it for all the kids there because they had never had a band like us come there before.”

“Basically, the whole last six months of last year were absolutely berserk!”

I had a conversation with a couple of people prior to this interview that all mentioned that I’m supposed to ask you about the shows in Poland…

“Poland is one of those places where it is always ridiculous. In fact, Eastern Europe in general is pretty insane when it comes to

gigs. I’m trying to remember the specific show… [Winston takes a few seconds of talking to himself to remember] …Wait, yeah I remember. There were nude members of other bands on stage with us. There were probably more stage dives than what there has ever been at any of our shows.

“It was this semi-small club, with way too many people packed into it. Like there was 30 centimetres between people’s heads and the roof and that was filled with people crowd-surfing in that. There was so much smoke you couldn’t see a single thing. We ended up just standing there, crowded around the drumkit, while like seven people per second jumped off the stage. It was just absolutely out of control!”

I guess you guys have been pretty much all over the world now, so are there any places you have left to play?

“I think there would be. I mean, how many countries are in the world? The total I think is that we’ve played 47 countries. We’ve still got the whole of Africa to go.

But other than that, when you

look at the globe and look where we’ve played, it’s pretty insane the number of places that we’ve covered.

“I really want to play Vietnam and some more places in the Middle East. Maybe one day even Antarctica? But other than that, we’ve spanned a hell of a lot of this globe.”

You’re obviously about to embark on this massive regional tour that you do for every album. So how do these smaller regional shows compare to the massive major city shows? Are they much different?

“It’s different in a couple of ways, but it’s a bit of everything. It’s essentially the same band playing the same songs, but I guess the restrictions are taken off in every respect. The pressure is off because we’re not playing these massive gigs where everything is on the line and you don’t want a million people to see you screw up. So it’s more fun for us.

“But at the same time, we’re playing these gigs where there are no barriers and kids can do whatever

they want and we can do whatever we want. Everyone can just have a good time where the vibe is just a lot less serious. It’s more stripped back and they are so, so fun to play.

“I mean, these are the shows that we played growing up. We didn’t grow up wanting to be a stadium band. It’s those sorts of shows that are the ones we have to adapt to, whereas these are the ones where we feel more at home. It’s really cool for us to be able to do this.”

Do you think the kids at these shows are a bit more appreciative of seeing bands of the level of Parkway Drive?

“Yeah, definitely. And that is worldwide as well. As soon as you go anywhere where access to this sort of music is restricted in anyway, it seems that the kids are more appreciative of it but also the shows go a lot more crazy. It’s one of those things where when you don’t have these things, then get the chance to experience it, you give it everything that you’ve got.

“It’s really awesome to be a band that has the chance to be able to go places where most people don’t and to give people the opportunity to have a show that they otherwise wouldn’t. That means a lot to us.”

So would you say that these smaller shows are what you guys prefer playing over the big stadium shows?

“It’s like comparing apples to oranges in that they’re both great, but they’re just completely different. It feels really weird to say that because you’re basically doing the same thing: playing the same songs and doing the same things onstage.

“But my heart is with the thing that got me into this sort of music in the first place, which is being able to play these crazy shows where there is no difference betweem the crowd and the people on the stage, creating just a really good vibe where everyone goes mental and lets loose.

“At the same time, playing to several thousand people and seeing a literal sea of humans singing

your words back to you, with a mental light show and all stage props and everything is also an amazing experience. But it’s really hard to compare the two and I think we’re just really lucky that we’re in a position where we get to experience both.”

For most people that come from a hardcore background, no matter how big they get it seems they do prefer the smaller, club shows because it does erase that disparity between the audience and the band.

“Definitely! It’s very weird to be on any kind of pedestal and the stage is most certainly a pedestal. Anything that comes between the you and the crowd gives you yet another thing that you have to overcome in order to create a vibe that you’re comfortable with.

And for me that’s playing in a smaller setting.”

2012 is looking to be a pretty big year for you guys with a new DVD and a new album.

How is all that coming along for you guys?

“It’s going really well. It’s a lot of work, but at the same time we’re

really hungry for it. It’s coming along great. With the DVD, all the filming is done for it, and the three guys are editing it and doing a damn good job of it.

“The raw footage that I’ve seen from it is absolutely mindblowing!

And I’m not talking about the content of the band, but more about just the context in which it was all filmed. We have footage from all these crazy places that I’ve talked about and it really doesn’t even scratch the surface of what we saw.

“Then with the writing side of things, we’ve been writing for quite some time now. We’ve actually gotten pretty far ahead of ourselves when it came to it, just because we wanted to. So we have a lot of material ready for when we hopefully start recording in the middle of the year.

“I think we have over three-quarters of the record written, but the idea with this record is to pack a lot more into it than we have before, with a lot of the stuff relying on what happens when we get into the studio and get our hands

on the gear we need to create the sounds we want. Other than that, we just sketch out what we want.”

Are you guys working with Joe Baressi again on this one?

“No. We’re going to work with someone different. I’m pretty sure, but it’s not 100 per cent locked in, so I can’t bust it out yet.

We’re definitely really excited with the prospect of working on this record and it should be interesting in a really positive way. What we have so far is really, really heavy.

That being said, we have some melodic ideas that will push past what we’ve tried in the past.”

Just to go back to the DVD for a second, you’ve obviously done the whole documentary style DVD the first time around.

What are you aiming for this next DVD to be like?

“It’s definitely more in depth because we wanted to focus not so much on the idea that this is a band and this is who we are and this is how we got from A to B, with the whole timeline, but rather documenting a year in the life of us.

“We had all these tours lined up of places that we thought people would be interested to see and not just be the audience seeing the inside of the club where we play. It’s about the culture around the area and the context in which the show is going on, and how it affects us and how it affects the people who have come to see the show.

“So we did a whole lot of filming surrounding the places that we went. We filmed as much as we could in the show, with as good quality as we could. But we also interviewed and talked to as many people that we could in those places. We tried to give people a view of what we see when we go to these places .

“That’s the idea so far, and I’ve been told it’s working pretty well.”

There always seems to be quite a long time between albums.

How do you not get to the point where you get bored playing the same songs over and over?

“I’m not sure, but this has been the longest gap between albums we’ve ever had. I think the band has definitely been growing in the sense that we had been playing the same places over and over to establish us. That being said, even though it has been a couple of years, I’m nowhere near being bored playing any of the material that we’ve got. It seems to me, personally, quite soon to be putting an album out.

“I think that for us, it’s at the point where we’ve gone to so many other places rather than playing the same places every couple of months. In that respect, location has a lot to do with it and just keeping ourselves fresh and hungry.

“I’m also not sure that it really is that long between albums to be honest. It just seems to me that bands these days are putting out albums really quickly. You’re seeing bands put out a record a year or quicker, which is really strange to me because how can you write music that fucking quick? I mean, it takes us a long time to write music that we’re happy with so I can’t imagine writing an album in a week or a couple of weeks and then going and recording it, saying that’s the best I can do.”

All this international touring and visiting all these countries must have undoubtedly changed you, how has being in Parkway Drive shaped the person that you’ve become?

“Oh, massively! I can’t even begin to answer that one because it’s one of those things where I would have to look back to the person that I was 10 years ago and I can’t even recollect who he was because the changes have been that massive.

shaped by the experiences that I’ve had with these guys in this band. It’s such a hard question to answer because there has been so much change that I can’t even remember what it was like before I knew these things I now know.

“We’ve literally seen the world, and we’ve seen it at it’s best and it’s worse. There are very few people who get those opportunities to do what we’ve done and it’s definitely something that I haven’t taken for granted in any way, shape or form.

“While I do think ignorance can be bliss, the knowledge to be gained from this planet can’t be gained in any other way. You can’t get it through a TV screen. There’s just nothing like actual experience to give you perspective.”

“I’ll say that the person you’re talking to today is 90 per cent

“I think travel and firsthand experiences outside the bubble you exist in is a massive thing people really need to experience in order to gain a perspective of the world and how it works.

Parkway Drive are currently hitting regional centres across Australia as part of their Sick Summer Tour.

WORDS: SARAH PETCHELL – PHOTOS: BEN CLEMENT We love The Dillinger Escape Plan. I mean, hell, we devoted a whole issue to them!

Over the years, this love hasn’t dissipated. With every album the band releases, they reveal a new facet of their music to fall in love with: the sheer aggression and violence of Calculating Infinity, to the jazz-influence of Miss Machine, and the pop sensibilities introduced in Ire Works all culminating in the sound that the band had perfected with Option Paralysis.

But the question is where can The

Dillinger Escape Plan go next?

At this point in time, not even the band knows as vocalist Greg Puciato revealed to us in this interview. Having been flat out touring on the back of 2010’s Option Paralysis, the tour offers have been non-stop and of the sort that you just don’t turn down.

So the band haven’t even had time to think about what comes next. Instead we talked about what has been happening and what it’s like to be a part of the unrelenting machine that is The Dillinger Escape Plan.

Last time I spoke to you was during your Australian tour in May a year or two ago. What’s been happening kind of between then and now? What have been some of the highlights?

“Oh man, we’ve pretty much been going non-stop, and definitely the highlight was doing that Deftones tour in the U.S. all summer long.

That was not only one of our favourite tours that we’ve ever done, but it was the longest tour we’ve ever done. It was nine weeks long.

well. We usually don’t go over well at all when we open for other people. We’re a bit hard to take, especially when we get older and there are songs that people might really like, then the next song they can’t stand because we cover a pretty wide variety of musical styles at this point.

“I was talking to Chino about this, and I think that if this tour would have happened four or five years ago I think we wouldn’t have gone over well because we weren’t as diverse as we are now. We were pretty much all screaming and it was all really, really hard listening.

“The one thing about Deftones though is that they do have heavy, yelling and screaming parts and then they do have melodic, almost Smashing Pumpkins style songs, so their fans are a little bit more tolerant. Plus it helps that their fans like whatever Chino likes, in a cool Mike Patton kind of way. If Chino says something is good, even if they don’t get it they want to get it. So with Chino endorsing us on stage every night, their fans are just going to try to keep getting it because they look up to him so much.”

“We’ve been friends with the guys in Deftones for a while and we’ve been talking about touring together for so long. But it’s just one of those things where every single time we’ve both put a record out, we talk about doing it and then our plans never line up. Like we won’t be on the same continent at the same time, or they’ll release a new record when we’re at the end of a cycle for one of ours. Something always keeps happening.

“This time it was just cool that we got it all together. It was probably the most hang-out type tour that we’ve ever done. Everybody was all friends the entire time.”

The Dillinger-Deftones combination is not one that I would have thought would share a similar fanbase, so how did you guys go over with their fans?

“We actually went over really

And judging by some of the Twitter snapshots, some people just will never get it.

“That previous tour that we just did was supporting Mastodon was kind of funny because us and Mastodon have kind of come from a same place. 10 years ago we were both on the same label, we both came from the underground, East Coast, extreme metal scene, and we’ve both come really far from where we’ve started, but we haven’t arrived at the same place.

They went a more mainstream, slower and almost stoner metal route, while we went in the total opposite.

“We hadn’t played together since 2002 so we thought that we were still going to have a lot of the same fans. And we do, but at the same time they have done a lot more mainstream stuff since we toured with them – like touring with Metallica, Tool and Slayer. So instead of being the biggest fish in their pond, they’re a smaller fish in another pond that includes those bands “It would then be the fans from that pond that wouldn’t get us and

say that we were heckling us and saying that we were the worst shit that they had ever seen. And I really enjoy that. Some of our best shows have been shows where there are a really good mix of people that were really into it and then people that just didn’t get it at all. It just creates a really combustible stew.

“That’s why we do so well on festivals like Soundwave, because there are so many people that are into us. But at the same time there are so many people that are either indifferent or just thinking, ‘What the fuck is this? Please stop.’

“There’s something really enjoyable about riling those sorts of people up. About 10 years ago we did a tour of Europe with System Of A Down, and there were nights where the booing was so loud that we couldn’t hear ourselves play. No one cared about us, which was fine because we didn’t care. Then about four or five years later we started to have people coming up to us at our shows in the UK saying, ‘I was one of those people at the SOAD tour booing you guys. I couldn’t stand it at the time, but later on I wanted to go back to it and now you’re one of my favourite bands’.

So that aspect is really cool.”

Do you feel that you’ve now hit the end of the cycle for Option Paralysis or is there still more that you can get out of the album?

“We hit the end of the cycle about nine months ago and we just keep getting these tours that we don’t want to say no to. We were done before the Deftones tour.

We had decided that we were done and that we were going to sit down and write a new record, But then the Deftones said that they were going out for nine weeks and asked us to go along with them.

“So we finished that and went to start writing, then got the offer from Mastodon. Then Soundwave had been organised since last year so that wasn’t a surprise, but the shows in Singapore and Thailand and New Zealand meant that that stint overseas ended up being a month long.

“But this is it. We’re 100 per cent sure that when that is done we

have to stop because we’re really itching to write the new record.

You can’t ignore that feeling when it comes because we didn’t want to forever. I mean Option Paralysis was so draining to write. When we were done, I remember talking about it even four or five months after it had come out, and I couldn’t imagine sitting down and writing a new record at that point because it just would have been too overwhelming. But now that we’re all excited about it and we have the time for it, we have to do it while we’re still in that mood.”

Has the process of writing albums always been that draining for you or was that a one off with Option Paralysis?

“It has always taken us a really long time to write records, but the reasons why it was draining to write before aren’t the same as they are now.

“Before we were young and we weren’t as good. We were trying to write beyond our abilities, which is always good because that’s how you get better. You write songs, and you can’t play them so you have to have prac-

tice so that you do get that good.

Like Ben would write guitar parts that were too fast or I would write vocal parts that I couldn’t pull off live. Then after a month or two of touring, then that does become your ability level and you elevate your game.

“Then there were always things going on. Like with Miss Machine we had all these legal battles to try and get off Relapse and with Ire Works we had lost Chris Pennie and Brian Benoit , so we were trying to work in two new members.

“Then with Option Paralysis we were going through really draining stuff in our personal lives at the same time we were writing a record. For me, the line was starting to blur between the writing process and how tumultuous my personal life was.

“When I talk to Steve Evetts, our producer, about it now he can see how everything was crazy because me in the studio and the vocal booth and the lyrics I was writing, there was no separation between what I was living and

what I was writing. And he saw that because he knew me so well as a person.

“It was really hard for me to pull myself out of that. Then pretty much the second that that album was done writing, everything that was happening in my personal life felt like it was gone. It felt like I had purged it and lifted it off with that record. It sounds so lame, but I’m happy. I’m in a really happy place in my life right now, so I don’t know what I’m going to write about.

“That actually scares the shit out of me because this is the first time where I don’t know. I mean, I make a mess out of my personal life over and over, and that’s what gives me something interesting to write about. But now I feel like I’m older and I’ve figured a lot of shit out in my personal life so I’m now I’m pretty psyched. So I can’t write about how psyched I am. It doesn’t match a Dillinger song.”

I read earlier that you got obsessed with something to read, so that was what was behind the concept for Option Paraly-

“...I’m in a really happy place in my life right now, so I don’t know what I’m going to write about. That actually scares the shit out of me because this is the first time where I don’t know...”

sis. I guess you’ll just have to find another concept to get obsessed with for inspiration.

“The thing that happens when you write is that you have to get rid of all your ego and all your conscious thoughts. If it’s not coming from your subconscious, it’s probably not true and you’re probably psyching yourself out and you’re constructing what you’re saying because you’re so aware of what you’re saying. Then when you start really digging into your subconscious, that’s when you start thinking and talking about the things that you don’t normally want to think about and talk about dealing with, because without those ideas there wouldn’t be any subconscious.

“Once you start digging those things up, it starts to become somewhat of a pain in the ass because once you reveal those

thoughts you can’t put them back away. I’m sure that once I start writing that will open up and I’ll find that I have something to write about.”

Have you guys started to think about album number five and what direction that’s going to take you on?

“Ben and I just recently talked about this because we’ve just started writing a few weeks.

We never have a direction in mind. We’ve never sat down and thought about writing a record that has a particular sound. All I know is that I don’t want to write a better version of Option Paralysis.

That’s all that I care about.

“I feel like Miss Machine went into Ire Works and that went into Option Paralysis, where each record was a more evolved version than the one before it. I don’t want this

record to feel like it’s super Option Paralysis because after a while, you can’t keep doing that.

“I don’t feel like we can do Option Paralysis any better than we did and I don’t even want to try. The best result that can come of that is that we write a better version of an album we already wrote, and that’s just boring.

“Then the worst thing that can happen is that we fail and everyone feels that we peaked with Option Paralysis and that we can’t top it so we should stop. I think the only thing that we can do is throw a massive curveball and do something that people really don’t expect from us.”

The Dillinger Escape Plan will be touring Australia as a part of Soundwave 2012 starting in Brisbane this week.

MIDNIGHT FUNERAL Record Label and Distro Milhouse Everything’s coming up... 7” February 2012

Marathon I’ll never look at you the same way 7” March 2012

Darren Gibson Crosstown Motions LP March 2012

(Not actual art) Urns Urns 7” April 2012

VVegas / Abraxis Split 7”” April 2012

Also available: Abraxis - S/T LP Mid Youth Crisis - Happiness & Authority LP Shotpointblank - Heart of a Disbeliever LP Seduction - Black Cranes 7”

The Smith Street

WORDS: SARAH PETCHELL

In my opinion, one of the most frustrating things that can happen to a journalist is when you’re doing an interview, and about halfway through your equipment malfunctions. Most of the time, that’s it. Tough titties. But fortunately when I was interviewing the fantastically talented Wil Wagner from The Smith Street Band, we were able to start over.

So let’s talk a second about this band: Wil Wagner used to gig solo around Melbourne as a troubadour of sorts. For someone as young as him (if you believe the song ‘Sigourney Weaver’ then he’s “not even 20 but he looks 45”), he built an incredibly supportive fanbase that took him over into the point where he got a band behind him, which eventually became The Smith Street Band.

Since the release of their debut

album, No One Gets Lost Anymore through Poison City Records midway through last year, the rise of this band has been fuelled by jetpacks. Numerous east coast tours have seen them build fanbases up and down the coast. Not to mention that they’ve attracted attention in all the right places with all the right people.

With a new album set to be recorded in May with a release set for later this year, it will be interesting to see how the band fare with album number two, making them definitely a band to watch in 2012.

Was music something that was always on the cards for you?

“Yeah, totally. My dad was in a band when I was younger and he has only recently restarted a band. So he’s been involved in music for years. And then both my

parents write books for a living, so writing has always been there.”

So you definitely couldn’t see yourself in any other career?

“No way. I’m no good at anything else.”

What sort of bands and artists set you on the path to develop the style that you now have as a part of The Smith Street Band?

“I reckon the thing that I’m more excited by than anything is friends and the little community that we have. Whatever I’m doing, that’s sort of what I find really inspiring, interesting and different. There’s always a new project going on and everyone is so fun to be around.

“But as far as music is concerned, I’m into all the obvious singersongwriter influences like Bob

t Band

by what I’m saying. Also we’ve played the songs and I’ve sung the lyrics so many times by the time that we start playing them live that I forget a little bit the more embarrassing things that I’m writing about. Maybe I do that on purpose though.”

2011 was a pretty big year for you guys with the release of your debut album. How do you feel now that it’s out and people are listening to it?

“I’m feeling really proud of what we’ve done because the whole thing has been collaborative. Not just us as a band, but everyone who worked on the album or helped us out with it. They all had as much to do with it as we did, I think.

“I’m really proud of all of us. It’s really humbling and exciting to hear all the positive feedback that we’ve gotten. I don’t even know what to do when people say that they like the things that we do.

I never know quite how to take that.”

Dylan, Paul Kelly, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Bragg and all those kind of people really got me. I’m really into the lyricism of hip hop too and the technique and style that goes into that. I love just the sheer amount of words that are in a hip hop song is hugely impressive I think.”

One of the things that is really striking about your lyrics is just how personal they are. Is there a point where you feel afraid of baring yourself too completely?

“I’m never afraid of baring myself too much, because writing is just about the most personal thing that you can do, and that’s where it gets its genuine nature from. The truth needs to be in what you’re writing whether it’s for an audience or yourself.

“But I’m never too embarrassed

The name change with this album from Wil Wagner & The Smith Street Band to just The Smith Street Band, does that signify a change in the writing process or representative of the band becoming more collaborative? ““I think the process is still pretty much the same as it was before.

I write the lyrics and the basic chords and the guys write the music over that. So basically we all end up writing the music together.

“I didn’t want it to be another kind of me and then the band thing. I don’t like that feeling because it doesn’t really reflect the state of things. What I wanted it to be was all of us working together. It’s not an individual thing.”

Does being in a band give you a little bit more freedom that what you would have if you were writing on your own or is it more constrictive?

“If anything, it is more constrictive because when you’re playing solo it’s just you. Especially live because you can extend a bit out or make changes on the fly and do things spontaneously. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t, but that’s the fun of playing solo.

“But with a band, everything is

going to be alright and be tight because the other guys are really good musicians. There is less chance really of fucking things up when you’re playing as a full band than there is if you’re playing solo as well.”

Do you have a favourite song or aspect of the album?

“Yeah, my favourite song is ‘When I Was A Boy I Thought I Was A Fish’. I like the lyrics for that one and I’m just super proud of that track.”

And obviously Poison City Records put the album out.

What’s it been like working with Andy and the label?

“It has been awesome. Like all the bands on that label, they’ve all come together for the same sort of reasons. They all have similar releases and similar ideas about the way things should be (for lack of a better phrase). Plus I like all the music and releases that come out on the label. Then all the big Weekender shows and all the Poison City shows are always the best to play.”

Are you the type of artist that is constantly writing new material? Or do you need a break before moving onto your next project?

“I’m basically always writing. I write every day. It’s my way of dealing with things and sorting out what I’m into and talking about what I’m doing. It’s quite therapeutic.”

And you’re heading into the studio to record a new album in May. Can you give us any hints about that?

“For us it won’t be too far away from our most recent album. I guess we’ll be a little bit older than when we wrote the first batch of songs, so maybe it will be a little bit more grown up or something. But it still kind of feels the same and we’re still having a lot of fun, so that will probably be reflected in the record.”

The Smith Street Band support Bomb The Music Industry! around Australia this March.

No One Gets Lost Anymore is out now through Poison City Records.

I think a lot of shit gets heaped on Brisbane, but the reality of the situation is that for a long time now, Brisbane has been the hub of some of the most interesting, diverse and original hardcore and metal that Australia has seen in recent years.

It is from this pedigree that Nuclear Summer emerges. Former members of The Surrogate, Ironhide, Ryu Vs Ken and Willows joined forces to create a startlingly original sound that enmeshes everything I love about posthardcore with some of the best shades of metal. And just having released their self-titled debut through Monolith Records (run by vocalist Lochlan Watt), now is the time to definitely start getting into this fantastic band.

So we spoke to Lochlan about how the band came about and what we can expect next from them.

So to start with, what exactly is “sunshine metal”?

“Basically it was just a term one of our friends came up with I guess just after we had released our first demo. I guess there was a bit of disagreement in the band between us in the band about what genre we were. Like what kind of band is this exactly? We just kind of thought that sunshine metal suited somehow and it had a ring to it. It was a bit funny and tongue in cheek, but still kind of worked.

It was just a bit of a joke that we ended up rolling with.”

How would you then describe your music? On your own without the input from the rest of the band.

“At the end of the day, I guess it’s just post-hardcore of some description. I would say that it’s epic and technical post-hardcore with a bit of a metal edge. It has also got more progressive and slower moments as well.”

How did Nuclear Summer come together and what is it all about?

“It was an accident that I ended up being in the band, really. As you know, I’ve been in a bunch of metal bands over the years and I hadn’t really seen myself in a band like Nuclear Summer, as such.

“Our old bass player, Hal, I used to work with him in a call centre.

At the time they were jamming

with a dude named Nick Lucas so when he bailed on the band after a few jams, Hal said Nick wasn’t coming to practice that night and that I should come and give it a go. So I went along and tried it out.

“But it was Jackson and Nathan (the drummer and guitarist) that started the band from the ashes of their previous band Willows – who were more of a post-rock kind of band. Jarvo didn’t join the band until about a month or two after I did, and it was then that things kind of took off. I think we had our sound sorted out by then.

But he used to play in a band called Ryu Vs Ken with Jackson.

“So that’s how the original line up came together, and then after we recorded the album, Jackson was going overseas so we got Chris Brownbill (who recorded the album and plays in IDYLLS) to fill in on guitar and Scotty (who used to also play in Ryu Vs Ken and now plays in Capeweather) he also slotted in and re-learned the set.

We’re just getting a start on writing new material now and I guess that’s where we’re at now.”

You’ve all been in hardcore and metal bands around Brisbane for a while. How have those experiences helped developing Nuclear Summer?

“Well if it weren’t for any of those bands that I’ve been in previously, I wouldn’t have ended up in Nuclear Summer. One of my old metal bands played with a whole bunch of the other guys’ bands a bunch of times. But I guess the first glimpse of what would become Nuclear Summer was when I got up to do vocals with Willows for a Hopesfall cover.

“It’s through working in the metal and hardcore scenes as a metal and journalist and all that sort of stuff, I think has given me a really good platform from which to promote the band and organise shows. But we’ve all been doing it for so long that we all know so many people from all over the country.”

Your debut album is out now and you completed a national tour in support of it. How was the reaction to the album while you were on your travels?

“It was pretty good! We probably sold 40 or 50 CDs to drunk

randoms around the country, even though you can get it for free. I think a lot of people were a little bit surprised, and at the end of the day we even surprised ourselves, at the quality that we ended up achieving. I think it has been received really well.”

There was 18 months between the release of the demo and the release of the album. How did taking that much time between the two influence the final result?

“A fair bit. There were points through that 18 months where there was a lot of tension over a few creative things. My vocals in a lot of parts were a point of contention for Jackson and his guitar tone was a point of contention for other people in the band. There was a lot of head-butting with the songwriting, but we all know each other well enough to be comfortable enough to deal with each other’s criticisms as well as we could.

“I think it really allowed the songs to be the best they could be, especially because we actually recorded the album once through pretty much. We got halfway through recording my vocals before realising that the quality just wasn’t there. It didn’t sound like a big enough step up from the demo.”

You effectively self-releasing the album because it’s out on your own label, Monolith. What are some of the positives and negatives of releasing your music this way?

“I haven’t really experienced much in the way of negatives yet.

I really enjoy the process and even just the more menial stuff like packing stuff up to send out.

It’s really good to not have to rely on anyone except ourselves to make shit happen. We don’t have to worry about owing anyone else money or keeping other people happy.

“We’d like to release on another label – perhaps with the next album – just because I think it would be good for me to let it out of my hands a bit and focus on the other bands on the label without having to worry about my own. But it would definitely have to be the right label. We’re in no rush to sort that out though. We have a whole album to write first.”

Nuclear Summer WORDS: SARAH PETCHELL

Northlane WORDS: OLIVER CATION

NORTHLANE HAS DEFIED THE ODDS. COMING FROM THE OVERCROWDED WESTERN SYDNEY METALCORE SCENE THEY HAVE TOILED HARD TO DEFINE AN IDENTITY AND BE RECOGNISED BY THEIR PEERS AND THE INDUSTRY.

With the 2011 release of their debut full length Discoveries on established hype machine UNFD the band has been propelled into headline status.

Hordes of fans from across the country are now supporting a band who have fought for everything they have. And one this is for sure, they are not relenting anytime soon.

Northlane has exploded upon the Australian Scene in the last few years. How did it all begin?

“Jon and Milo met on the internet and started sharing riffs. They collaborated on a song called ‘The Deadmines’, which they recorded and used to recruit members. I was the first and then soon after came Adrian. After a few lineup changes, we ended up where we are now.”

You joined the UNFD family last year, how did that come about and how has that affected the way you go about the band?

“Our booking agent managed to convince a band member of another UNFD band to come watch us play to 20 people at a daycare centre somewhere on the outskirts of Melbourne. He was really stoked on us and told the guys at his label about us. We then sent them our unmixed album which we’d recently recorded and had a bit of small talk.

“A few weeks later we played

Loudfest at the Annandale and Luke Logemann from UNFD was there. He told us he wanted to sign us and that was that.

“Every other label had knocked us back at that point in time and in all honesty we wouldn’t want to be anywhere but UNFD so I guess it’s lucky things turned out that way for us.

“It hasn’t really changed much in the way we do things behind the scenes. I still manage the band and we are still booked by Thom from the Fetch Agency but we do get a fair bit of assistance such as PR and a few hookups here and there. I also no longer have to run our online merch store!

“Pretty soon I’m handing over management to Jaddan from UNFD who takes care of a few of the other bands which will be quite a weight off my shoulders but I’m still going to be very involved and I’ll try and keep things as DIY as possible while still moving forward to bigger and better things.”

Discoveries was released on 11/11/11 to rave reviews. Was it satisfying to be able to turn the heads of those who had previously dismissed you as a band?

“Yes, it was extremely satisfying, not so much in the respect of people who previously disliked us warming up to our music though.

We know people will always have their own preferences either based on their personal tastes or what their friends say is cool to listen to. Everyone is entitled to that.

“What’s satisfying for us is proving the people who wrote us off to be wrong and rising above all the mud that was slung at us in the early days. That feels better than just about anything, especially knowing that we did it all ourselves and were never really handed anything at all: no big support slots or support tours.

We booked our own tours, paid for our own album, recorded and pressed our own EP, bought our own tour van and got here under our own steam.”

Northlane are rarely off the road: you have shows with Parkway Drive coming up and then a tour with August Burns

Red and Blessthefall in April.

How important is it for you as a band to be playing live?

“Playing live is the absolute most important thing that we do as a band. We like to think of ourselves as a “live band” and pour our hearts into it. It has also been very important for us to play lots of regional shows too and that has been the key to the small time success we’ve had.

“Those kids don’t really get to see many bands and it’s a very rewarding feeling to be able to give them something to look forward to when most bands wouldn’t bother.

“We sort of got forced into that situation anyway. We wanted to play to as many people as possible but never got any big city support slots. So we did our own regional headliners instead.”

You have quickly risen through

the ranks of Sydney’s metalcore scene but who do you see as the new generation coming through after you?

“There are so many fantastic bands in so many different genres and sub-genres popping out of Sydney at the moment. My favourite picks are Stories, Aftermath, Endless Heights, Hearts Like Wolves and The Ocean The Sky. These bands don’t even know just how good they actually are! I am so excited to see what the future holds for them.”

to a band called Skyharbor lately.

They are just mind-blowing and very fresh.”

What are your goals for 2012?

What do you want to achieve?

“We want to hit some overseas dates towards the end of the year, write a new album, not get so broke that we can’t still feed ourselves and play in every town in Australia. We want to get onto more tours as a support band for bigger acts and really use that to hone our skills and improve our live show.

Djent? Good or Evil?

“Djent is onomatopoea used to describe a technique invented by Meshuggah and coined by Misha from Periphery.

“Discoveries was a real milestone for us so we want to really raise the bar on the back of that release. I’ve routed a regional tour that will go for eight weeks, so hopefully we find the time to do it!”

“The trend is evil, and it’s fucking boring for the most part too. But there are some really sick bands out there too. I’ve been listening

Being in a van with half a dozen guys for weeks at a time is

tough. How do Northlane blow off steam while on the road?

“We’re a bunch of nerds and we never really stop to chill. I’m always doing management stuff on my computer or cooking for everyone and being a band mum.

Jon, Adrian and Nic spend a lot of time writing and Milo likes to yell at people out of the sunroof as we drive past to try and make himself feel like a bigger man.

“If it’s none of the above we’ll either be doing something illegal or sleeping...”

Northlane are supporting August Burns Red across the country this April.

Discoveries is out now through UNFD.

Milhouse WORDS: SARAH PETCHELL

MILHOUSE ARE ONE OF THOSE BANDS THAT ARE, TO PUT IT QUITE SIMPLY, INFECTIOUS. THE NAME OF THE GAME IS POSITIVITY AND TRYING TO PROMOTE THAT IN EVERY WAY, SHAPE AND FORM THAT THEY CAN. THEIR LIVE SHOWS ARE FUN. THEIR MUSIC IS FUN. THEIR PROCESS FOR RECORDING, I DON’T KNOW IF IT’S FUN BUT IT IS DEFINITELY QUICK AND SIMPLE.

And simplicity is the name of the game: write music that’s fun and catchy, then write lyrics about things they know – life, love and everything in between. It’s hard not to love a band like that, which is why Milhouse are yet another band that you need to watch in 2012.

We spoke to Dave Drayton and Thom Elder to get a better idea of who Milhouse are and why you should download their free EP, Everything Is Coming Up… or check them out next time they’re in a town near you.

So how did Milhouse get together in the first place?

Thom: “We were all seeing Coerce at Hermann’s Bar and started talking about starting a band called Milhouse. Part of it was just to be in a band called Milhouse. The plan was to put in as little effort as possible, don’t take it seriously, and just have fun.”

Dave: “It was one of the countless hypothetical bands you start while drunk, but we incidentally followed through on this one.”

You guys describe yourselves as “nerd punk”? So what exactly is that?

Dave: “It’s generally just punk

music, but with a few geeky musical moments, like subtle time changes or what have you. I think Staying At Home coined the term on their Myspace around the turn of the millennium.”

What informed the style of Milhouse? What reference points were you drawing from when formulating your sound?

Thom: “Our musical taste during our formative years. We all listened to pop punk in our teens but that influence had been suppressed in favour of more “mature” (read: serious) musical ideas.

“But as Milhouse is just about doing whatever feels fun to play, the pop punk of our early teens is playing its part, tempered by the musically more interesting bands listened to in the meantime. Like Blink-182 through a Staying at Home filter. Also, Good Luck.

They’re the best band.”

Positivity seems to be the name of the game with you guys, so who brings the most positivity? Who brings what to the Milhouse table?

Thom: “It’s a team effort. We all have our ups and downs but we’ve got a sort of three-phase power graph going on. If one’s down the others are up. The overall effect is full-time positivity.”

What is the philosophy of Milhouse? What are you hoping people will get out of listening to your EP or checking you out live?

Dave: “Good vibes? Like we said, the whole philosophy for us coming into this band was that it be nothing too strenuous or serious. We’ve all got enough other projects – and no doubt anyone listening to the music has enough going on in their life already – so why make it a hassle?”

Thom, you write the lyrics. Why is the everyday more interesting than the usual rock & roll fare? Why is it more interesting than wallowing in self pity?

Thom: “The simplest explana-

tion is writing what you know. I’m an everyday guy, with everyday lyrics. Also it’s hard to write pitywallowing lyrics about the girl who got away and how your life sucks, when she didn’t and it doesn’t.

Things are pretty good, so the music tends to reflect that.”

I read that you recorded your EP after only three rehearsals.

What made you so keen to get your material out so quickly?

Thom: “It was a bit opportunistic in that Dylan at Mr Milk Studio was available. Recording can be a really helpful way of sorting out direction; I think any band would record ASAP given the chance.

We had four songs, and the space to record them so we just did it.”

Was it challenging having to record after so little practice?

Thom: “Being OK at our instruments, only having four songs to record and a pretty relaxed

environment in which to record made it less stressful than it might sound. Especially with Costin’s one take rule.”

You initially decided to release the EP as a free download. Why was that?

Thom: “Mainly because it was quite cheap to record and we just wanted people to hear it. Money isn’t high on the agenda for Milhouse; spending it or making it.

If it’s cheap for us and whoever wants to listen to it, then that’s what we’ll do.”

The EP is about to get a physical release through Midnight Funeral. How did that all come about?

Dave: “I was on a train checking my phone and Craig from Midnight Funeral was asking Wil Wagner (from The Smith Street Band) about the ‘weirdos’ in Milhouse via Twitter. I took mock offence, we met online and a cou-

ple of days later the vinyls were getting prepped in the States.”

Why decide to go with Midnight Funeral?

Dave: “Craig’s ability to whip a plan into action so rapidly and with such little fuss fits the Milhouse ethos perfectly. Also, he did the I Exist stuff, which rules.

And MYC [Mid Youth Crisis], which also rules. Plus there’s a commitment to short runs, varying prints and other things that appeal to the amateur/broke vinyl collector in us all.”

Milhouse has become a bit of a phenomenon quite quickly. Has the attention surprised you?

Thom: “Yes. Heaps. Given the ‘low effort’ game plan. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone I don’t know singing along to a band I’ve been in ever, so that’s awesome.

It’s just rad that people enjoy it.”

Do you think that a positive

attitude is contagious? Is that the secret to how you guys got added to the most recent Blood, Sweat & Beers line up?

Thom: “Definitely. Who doesn’t want to be happy? Especially at a show.”

What are your top tips for fighting negativity?

Dave: “Listen to Good Luck, drink a Dr Pepper and throw a frisbee with the fluffy animal of your choice by your side.” www.milhouse.bandcamp.com

Milhouse will be playing Chopfest IV at the Annandale on 31 March.

Everything Is Coming Up... is available for order now through Midnight Funeral Records.

One Vital Word WORDS: SARAH PETCHELL

ONE VITAL WORD HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR A LITTLE WHILE NOW – ABOUT THREE YEARS – AND IN THAT SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME HAVE MANAGED TO RELEASE TWO EXCELLENT EPS AND TOUR WITH SOME OF THE BIGGEST BANDS, NOT JUST IN AUSTRALIA, BUT ALSO IN THE WORLD. While it might not seem fair for a band that has been around for three years to be on this Bands To Watch in 2012 list, one this is for sure: 2012 is going to be a massive year for this five-piece from Newcastle. After three years, 2012 will finally be the year that One Vital Word unleash their debut album upon and unsuspecting punk and hardcore community.

And in the words of [instrument], [member], it’s going to be mega!

In a few words, for those that don’t know, who are One Vital Word?

“One Vital Word is a punk/hardcore band from Newcastle setting out to fill the gap between the super heavy bands and the musically talented, but boring, bands.

We’re aiming to create sweet sounding records and perform high energy live shows.”

You’re a part of the Pee Records family. What is it about Pete and Pee that makes it such a great label to be a part of?

“Firstly, Pete is an amazing guy.

He obviously distributes our CD’s, helps out heaps with the artwork for merch, gig posters and album art as well as being able to cook a sweet BBQ. So far the other Pee bands that we’ve met have all been awesome dudes and we became the best of friends instantly.”

What are your goals for 2012?

What do you want to achieve?

“We have an endless list of goals, but realistically we want to get our

album out, get a national support spot with one of our favourite bands (if or when they tour), do a few videos for tracks from the album and play heaps of shows all over the place. Perhaps also getting our own tour vehicle?

Maybe?”

They are unreal people.

You’ve released two EPs so far.

When can we expect a debut full-length? If you’re working on it, what can fans expect of it?

“Oh, it’s definitely coming, Fans can expect more diversity, plenty of riffery, more sing-a-longs and more head banging. It is basically just more of us, but a lot bigger and a lot better.”

What sort of bands and artists set you on the path to developing the style that One Vital Word now has?

“Well, too many bands have helped shape us but those in our songs you may hear element of bands like Strung Out, Rise Against, Comeback Kid, Story Of the Year and of course all that 90’s skate-punk stuff.”

What are some of the highlights of being a part of One Vital Word so far?

“The biggest highlights are of course playing with Propagandhi, Strike Anywhere, Parkway Drive, and Sights & Sounds among others. But there are also all the amazing Aussies bands that we play with when we’re doing the rounds. There are so many underrated bands in Australia – too many to list.

What sort of goals or aims did you have when you started the band? Have they changed at all?

“The goals that we have are still the same as those we had from day one, and that’s just to make music we enjoy, to not follow trends, progress and musicians and just always have a loud and fun live show. We would love for this to be our job as well as our passion, but in the meantime we’ve just got to keep going and do our best at it.”

“I also love it when people and other band guys tell us how much they like the songs. We’re like, ‘Cheers, bro’ but then they say that they’re serious and not just drunk or whatever. To know that people enjoy your work is rad.

“Oh and playing in Hobart! We had never been to Hobart before and were so surprised that the kids were singing along and going nuts. It was the best show we’ve ever played, by far!”

You guys seem to have a close relationship with a lot of bands (Hand Of Mercy, Endless Heights). How important is it for you to have these relationships? Does it make being a part of the band more fun?

“Those relationships are extremely important. Hand Of mercy have helped us to get so far and to get where we are. They have just helped us out so much with tours, random shows, advice, and getting contacts in the business.

“But every band we know has helped us, so keeping it tight and helping each other out is probably the most important thing for bands that are trying to have a crack in the industry.”

One of the main things about your band is that you’ve got the ability to play with a really diverse range of bands from hardcore bands to straight up punk bands. Do you enjoy playing to different types of crowds?

“Yeah, that’s definitely one of the things that we like the most about our band. We can manipulate our set to fit in with almost anything else that’s loud. This means that no matter which crowd we play to, we always manage to pick up some new fans.”

So what’s next for One Vital Word? What do you have in the works?

“The mega album. It’s going to be mega.”

Early Days is out now through Pee Records.

Iron Mind

WORDS: JEM SIOW PHOTO: BEN CLEMENT

2012 HAS SEEN A NEW SKIN EMERGE for Australian hardcore. With the decline of some of Australia’s biggest names – Carpathian, Her Nightmare, Word Up! and Jungle Fever – 2011 ended with cracks across the walls.

form of contemporary hardcore.

Literally, a generation stepped down, leaving fans in anticipation of the new wave of local acts to come.

Following the release of their debut EP, The Sun Has Set (2009) and a one year break, we were reacquainted with the group in the midst of 2011 – sealing their return with debut full-length, Hell Split Wide Open. And it was with November’s headline tour that Iron Mind made sure this country hadn’t forgotten their name.

Melbourne hard-hitters, Iron Mind stand at the tip of this stream.

They have sought to fill the void left by these massive acts by refurbishing the heavy and aggressive riffs that are characteristic of the New York style and brought them back into a modern, metallic

“Definitely, getting the LP out was great because we put a lot of work into it; to have it done and out, to tour it and to hit the road with Warbrain was all really good,” says Sam Octigan, frontman and vocalist of the Melbourne quintet.

“... I THINK SINGING IS JUST THE BEST. FOR ME, IT’S ABOUT GETTING ON STAGE AND MOVING, AND THROWING YOURSELF INTO IT 100%...”

– SAM OCTIGAN mind, on my back – it’s on there and it’s out.”

an unmistakable comment from any witness of the act in flesh.

With a hard-work ethic supported by their label Dead Souls Records, it’s no mistake that Iron Mind are quickly establishing themselves as one of the figureheads of our scene. Recorded at Melbourne’s Three Phase studios, the ten-track LP is 27 minutes of some of the most confronting hardcore domestically released in recent years.

“The best thing about Iron Mind is playing live… I love the energy of hardcore, and I think that’s why everyone loves hardcore; it’s because of the energy that’s at a show,” he elaborates, with underlying excitement building within his voice.

Capturing a truly primal yet vastly mature nature in the vein of Violation, Iron Age and Guns Up!, such energy is only magnified in their live performance; their international support of New York newcomers, Backtrack a true testament of this.

“This is definitely a highlight for Iron Mind – having fun and playing shows, you know? It’s all working out!” he reflects on their Backtrack run through January earlier this year. “When you’re in a band for five or so years, there’s going to be a few bummers along the way, you know what I mean?

And despite the recent local rise of metallic hardcore, there is a sense of clarity that speaks through Iron Mind which separates them from the masses. “I think we’re kind of a unique band and that’s because we’re all different guys into different things,” he admits.

Whether it’s their heavy force achieved through simplicity, the sheer intensity of Octigan’s persona or the honest aggression felt through their character, there’s no mistaking the pummelling image swung together by Iron Mind.

“It’s a very honest and real record,” tells Octigan. “Personally, everything I had that was on my

“This is not a bummer, this is like, everything has been really good and we are just having a good time playing good shows. Getting to tour with a band like Backtrack has been awesome.”

Otherwise known through his widely acclaimed artistic career, for Sam and the rest of the group, Iron Mind appears not as a sole focus, but more a huge passion binding each of their lives. And it’s in this way that the spirit and hard-work ethic embodying Iron Mind represents not only a band, but a holistic life perspective for the five.

As Sam says, “Iron Mind is, you’re putting yourself out there,”

“And singing – I mean I don’t play an instrument so I can’t talk about playing - but I think singing is just the best. For me, it’s about getting on stage and moving, and throwing yourself into it 100%. I’ve never done a show at 50%. Every time it’s all there and I’m always trying to make the show better and enjoy it more.”

There’s a two-world phenomenon which intrigues Sam; the “chilled” and “meditative” sphere which immerses his artistic life, and the “physical”, high-energy state that manifests his musical realm.

Reflecting on the busy lives they all lead, he admits “it’s a grind, we’ve grinded our way here.”

Nevertheless, already kicking off 2012 with all guns blazing, the future is their canvas.

“Some of us are a bit older so I don’t think you’ll see Iron Mind become a full time thing, or insane road-dogs,” confesses Sam. “I think why we’ve had the success we’ve had is because we’ve never followed one particular path, we’ve just sort of done our own thing and that’s what we’ll continue to do in 2012.”

“This is what Iron Mind is: this is our brand of hardcore, everyone have fun, that’s it.”

Hell Split Wide Open is out now through Dead Souls Records

John Baizley WORDS: SARAH PETCHELL – PHOTOS: SIMON ATKINSON So much can be said about John Baizley. A fantastic musician and prolific artist probably stands at the top of the lists. Extremely humble also sits up there, as in a previous interview he confessed to me that he doesn’t consider himself that great a guitar player. I call bullshit!

Anyway, as both a part of Baroness and as a newly fledged solo artist, Baizley has score himself a legion of fans for his music. His newest venture as a solo artist is about as new as it gets – this last run of Australian shows were his first solo shows ever.

While on this tour, No Heroes was lucky enough to catch up with John, to talk about how scary being a solo artist is and about the forthcoming Baroness record, which from all discussions so far will polarise fans with the different approach the band has taken.

Read on to find out more...

So how has the tour been going so far?

“It has been great and it has been a pretty wild trip for me. This is effectively and literally the first time I’ve ever done a tour like this.

“Every night there is some sort of noticeable change in what I’m doing. I’m really, really figuring it out as I go along and it’s cool. It’s such a learning curve for me.”

Is it a little bit scary doing it that way?

“It’s more than a little bit scary. I think that a good portion of the benefit that I’m getting from this is that I’ve finally gotten nervous again. There’s nothing automatic about this type of performance.

It’s intimidating, it’s emotional, it’s

personal and it’s a totally different trip.”

And it’s really exposing, I guess, as well because you don’t have four other guys behind you.

“Hell no you don’t! No you do not. That is the hard truth. It was the first second of the first show, that was what I was most acutely aware of: no safety net, no support, no family on stage.”

The last time we spoke was when you were here with Baroness for the Metallica supports. So what’s been happening for you between then and now?

“All that has been happening is the new record. The Metallica tour is the last tour that we did. we played two shows last year otherwise and they were both festivals so they weren’t headlines.

“Since then I’ve just devoted myself and completely submitted myself to this new record. Which just finished up the day that I left to come here. All mixed, all the artwork is done and I think I drove the label crazy by pushing past some very hard deadlines.”

What is it sounding like? From everything I’ve heard, it sounds like you guys are trying to push the boundaries of what Baroness sound like.

“I’m kind of loathe to say ‘pushing the boundaries’ because to me that’s kind of a trite thing to say.

It’s a bit overused.

“What was obvious to us at the end of the last touring cycle was that there was so many holes in the dynamic range for us that we weren’t hinting at, weren’t de-

veloping and we weren’t engaging. It wasn’t because we were incapable of it, but it was just because with two records out and a handful of EP’s, you’ve only got enough time to say so much.

“It was the consensus of the band that we needed to really look at that and admit it, to see that without sticking our finger in a socket were ran the risk of getting ourselves stuck in a stylistic rut. It could be a rutt that would pay off in the long run for us, but that would ultimately leave us less than creatively satisfied.

“So the first order of business was for us to sit down and tried to write something that was us in that it represented the band, that had the textural quality that we feel signifies that sound, but with a different sense of dynamism.

It could be something softer or more melodic.

“One of the things that we wanted to look at what we thought were the weak spots in the band.

Things like maybe an adherence to a certain rhythmic tempo or some of my admittedly restrained capabilities as a vocalist, loud/ soft dynamics, song-length – all this stuff that felt repetitive we had to say, ‘These are the things that we are the most nervous about. Let’s highlight them and see what happens when we really put them under the microscope and examine them.’

“There will be a marked difference in a lot of that type of stuff.

I know vocally, I was getting tired of that same type of delivery over and over and over again.

And I say this with a grain of salt because, ultimately, I think it

could have worked for us in the long run to just refine the sound we had really tenderly and go forward with it. But that’s not the type of music that, generally, I’m interested in. I love bands like AC/DC who just get it and go with it. But I don’t think that that’s our strength.

“I think there’s a kind of mystique these days that your band is born into the world fully formed, like, ‘Here’s your sound, now go for it’. That’s a pretentious thing for a band to think and it’s little overwrought for an audience not to expect to witness a learning curve.

“I wanted to write songs this time.

Songs that held up and worked under different criteria, like just with an acoustic guitar or a piano (hence this tour). But songs where the song is there and then the band and musicians are there to guide it in different directions on a nightly basis so that they could be expanded or refined or whatever. So we did songs that are short, simple and stripped down, then we did songs that are a little bit longer and more orchestrated.

“This record is that sort of bridge for us. Maybe we nail it, maybe we don’t. But the sentiment when we came out of the studio was that we had to do this. This was laundry that needed airing and if we hadn’t done this, we would be pretty fucking miserable right now.”

You mentioned about vocal progression and the same delivery. Do you think constantly being aggressive makes the vocal tone lose its impact?

“Precisely. When you play music that by its very nature is jarring, if you crank the whole time then what starts as say an 11, when you maintain that intensity over 45 minutes or an hour and a half, it becomes zero. There is no dynamics.

“It’s my intent to challenge myself when I write songs. It’s also my intent to challenge our audience and I guarantee you that this record is going to be challenging to an audience. I’m fully aware that some people may entirely turn their backs on us because of this, but the simple fact remains that we needed the challenge.

“We needed to put ourselves out on a limb, feel uncomfortable and do something that felt bold, honest and a bit more comprehensive in scope.”

You’ve said that to me before: that being in Baroness is all about you guys challenging yourselves and ultimately if you guys aren’t happy, then what’s the point?

“Exactly. This is not the type of band that exists on that idea that negativity is our rage and we have to go with it and channel that negativity the whole time.

“This is more like, if some bands are distinctly white and some bands are distinctly black, then we’re more interested in that grey area so that when it shines brightly or gets very dark, it’s a bit more dramatic.

“At this stage in our career and this age in our lives nothing is quite as bold as that black and white. I guess then that the medium is the message, so there is this middle ground that we all exist in. There are complexities built upon complexities, especially as you get older and things get more developed.

“I hope that this record is an accurate depiction of that. At the very least, it’s got those shades on it.

This is a pretty long record. There are a lot of songs on it and they all hold up in a rehearsal room, as well as how we present them. You can strip it down to one person and still get a lot of these songs.

It’s totally punk rock, without not being punk rock at all.”

I think what I take it to mean when you say “punk rock” is more the sort of dynamism and energy, as well as just totally a band rather than complexity.

“Yeah and complexity for complexity’s state is an outdated card.

I think I maybe punk rock in the sense that we’ve taken some moves and decided to do some things that may run 180 degrees counter to what a predictable, commercial move would be.

“That’s not to say that there isn’t something a little bit more accessible than our past records.

In fact, I think this album is a lot more accessible and to a much broader audience. But I also think that if we wanted to play it safe and put out Blue Record Number Two – shorter, simpler, more obvious and to the point – that would have been the commercial, obvious move to make.”

And I guess people that were introduced to Baroness with Blue Record, that would be exactly the move that they would expect from you.

“Yeah, so then here is this doubleedged fucking sword that says if you repeat yourself, you’re making a move that panders to your audience, treats them like idiots and says this is what we do, so we’re just going to keep pumping these out because this is how we make money.

“The last record was, for a guy like me coming from where I come from, a relatively successful record. We got to tour the world with these enormous bands. So if you’ve got a good thing going, then go for it, says common sense.

“But the artistic side of the band and the creative genesis was to constantly keep it evolving, and keep it constantly growing and moving. If this record is softer than the last record, there is nothing to say that the next record won’t be like some brutal, death metal record.

If that’s what we’re feeling then that’s what we’re going to write!

Making a record is basically recording a certain time in the history of your band. It’s a snapshot, and as a snapshot this is a vaguely accurate snapshot. Just like I’ve said of our past records.

For you, in the cathartic sense, is this whole solo thing and tour a different outlet to Baroness or is it one and the same thing?

“I think I’ll have more hindsight on this when it’s over, but it’s absolutely a different outlet for me.

It’s one in which I’ve found some encouragement already in the past week, from my tour mates and from some of our audience, people who have encouraged me to do this a bit more. It’s something that I do naturally at home anyway. For my living room only type of thing.

“But this last year has, emotionally, been a really bad one. 2011 was rocky and the start of 2012 was somewhat devastating for me. I almost cancelled this tour a couple of times because there was just too much going on that required attention. The first couple of days of this tour, my head was just a mess, and the pure cathartic outpouring that at least I get to have from these shows have been a revelation for me.

It’s something that I think is totally worthwhile.

“This is the type of show that you cannot fake. You can make it sound pretty and delightful, but that’s not my take on making music at all.”

So between everything you do – Baroness, art and the solo material – how does it all work together?

“I think that it’s all held together by a very thin fabric. It’s all so time consuming, personal and emotional, and it takes so much of my gut and analytic brain to cobble it all together: the art, the music, the lyrical content. Just trying to keep everything moving forward all the time is a really difficult thing.

“I guess the cliche thing to say is that it’s as much a cross to bear as it is an amazing outlet for me, has finally come true. All that jibber jabber you see in music magazine where musicians talk

about it being tough and nonglamorous, and that there are days when this is hard, I’ve finally started to recognise that.

“By nature, I’m an incredibly anxious person who is incredibly overworked with what I do, beccause I just can’t stop the drive to make it. I’m afraid that the candle will just dim. So the amount of energy that it takes to put together is staggering. I honestly don’t know how I do it. The people around me are sometimes frightened by the physical and mental state that it takes to just be involved as much.

“But it’s good. At the proverbial end of the day, I’m satisfied. My soul is clean and happy because of this, whereas if I didn’t have this I would be a complete wreck.”

I guess the thing is, if there weren’t this, then what would there be?

“It’s easy because I’ve got this thing, which started as a passion project for me, has become a necessary profession because it has now taken up a third of my life. It’s now the only thing that I’m well-trained to do and it’s what I care about.

“If it wasn’t this, I don’t know. I probably would have made a better decision and done something that a smart person would have done. Something less risky. Then again the risk/return factor is what I like: the greater the risk, then the greater the return. So far so good!

“I’m also not so pretentious in this venture that I don’t know that this could all crumble tomorrow, so as long I’m still riding the wave I’m going to stay in it and keep feeling. If it doesn’t just work out at some point, then I’m content and I’m happy. I’ve done good things with this.

“The thing is though, in order to stay afloat in this industry and not get swallowed up by either the financial beartrap or the emotional/ psychological traps of substance abuse – all the Motley Crue handbook on what to do cliches – in order to avoid that, you have to supplicate yourself before your audience and before the machine and just roll with it and let it flow.”

Stay tuned for details of Baroness’ third album to be announced very soon. Due out later this year on Relapse Records.

“...you have to supplicate yourself before your audience and before the machine and just roll with it and let it flow...�

Scott Kelly WORDS: SARAH PETCHELL – PHOTOS: SIMON ATKINSON If there is one name that is completely synonymous with experimental metal, Scott Kelly would be it. From his original band, Neurosis through to his work with Wino in Shrinebuilder and finally through to his ominous solo work, Scott Kelly is one of the most prolific artists in this genre.

With everything you’ve done – Neurosis, Shrinebuilder – what made you want to do the solo records in the first place?

“It was just another frontier, you know. It’s a completely different challenge and it’s something that I felt compelled to do. Like I really wanted to do it.

With a discography that begins in 1985, Kelly is also one of the most prolific artists of his genre, and the multiple projects he is working on at any given time makes him one of the hardest working as well.

“I looked at it as a songwriter. It’s kind of the ultimate place to be.

It’s difficult to write a song that will carry itself in a setting where it is just you and an acoustic guitar. It has to be crafted in a way that will hold people and hold me.

It was a little scary and intimidating interviewing this man: the tattoos, the beard and the missing bottom teeth belie a softly spoken man of few words. Fortunately, we were lucky enough to have him share a few with us before his solo, acoustic show at the Manning Bar in Sydney.

“My first attempt at it with my first record, Spirit Bound Flesh, was shaky. But I’ve just really worked at it and tried to get deeper with it.

I’ve tried to break things in more. I

So how did the shows with John Baizley come together in the first place?

“Well, John and I were kind of talking about figuring out about something to do, and I’ve known Robert [McManus, Heathen Skulls promoter] for a long time because we had put out a record with him a few years ago and he had offered us a tour. So I talked to John about it and that was basically it. It seemed like a cool thing to do.”

From the cathartic sense, is it a completely different outlet to what you would normally do?

“Well it’s really, really unguarded and vulnerable. Neurosis has this big shield that comes with it. Even though it too is also open and vulnerable in it’s own way, you can’t deny that the shield that the wall of sound gives you. It’s a totally different approach. It’s a very physical performance, there’s a whole different mindset.

Have you known John for a long time?

“We haven’t known each other that long. About four years or so.”

How have the shows been so far?

“They have. I mean, the crowds have been great. The people have been really receptive and really respectul. A lot of people have been coming out to listen and there hasn’t been so much of the drinking and loud kind of crowd.

People have been coming in with a different attitude, so that’s been nice.”

“It’s just a challenge, more or less. That’s the way that I look at it.”

“Then an acoustic show is a completely different trip. You have to be in the frame of mind to be very quiet within yourself in order to be able to do it. It’s good for me. I need that.”

Are the solo performances scarier than performances with a band?

“Yeah, it’s definitely scarier. But I like that. I get off on that scary aspect. Though sometimes your nerves really do get to you because you just realise that you’re going to fuck something up – you always do. When you make a mistake it is just so obvious.

When you hit a wrong chord or

whatever there is nowhere to hide.”

Your last album The Wake came out in 2008 and there is apparently new material on the way. Where are you at with that?

“I just got done with a new record that’s about to be handed in. I recorded it with a band so it’s called Scott Kelly & The Road Home and the title of the album is The Forgiven Ghost In Me. The title track will be the first track that I play tonight.

“You know, I just got to a point with it where I felt like doing something different with this record, so I brought it some extra musicians for this record and we

fleshed out the songs a little bit.

Not a whole lot, but just a little bit of slide, baritone guitar and some keyboards. We’ve even got some drums on one song. So there’s a lot more texture to this record.

‘I don’t know how I’m going to do it live, because at this point I can’t really afford to bring along a band. But I’m really happy with the record. It came out good. We recorded it real organically in a cabin in the woods, which is the way I like to do stuff because it’s a good setting. We did it in like two days and it should be out around July.”

Between all your projects, where does everything slot in

with one another?

“I just do what’s in front of me. I don’t really think about it, but I’m just always working so whatever I’ve got coming up or whatever I’m working on that’s what I’ll be doing.

“Other than that, when I pick up a guitar I start writing and then my brain just starts to compartmentalise the stuff now. So when I’m writing I’ll be able to point to which project it belongs.”

Does what you do with one project inform the others?

“It all builds into one thing. I’ve gained so much more confidence singing with doing this that I can transfer to any other project that

I have. One of the songs that I do in my solo set, Shrinebuilder was also doing as a live song, because we don’t have enough material to do a full, headliner set yet.

“And anyway, Neurosis is just the core of it all. It all comes from there, and without Neurosis none of those thing would have ever happened.”

I have to ask: is there going to be a new Neurosis album anytime soon?

“Yeah, it will be done at the end of March. It’s almost completed so it should be out at the end of September, October.”

WORDS: SARAH PETCHELL – PHOTO: NATHAN CONGLETON So Big Kiss Goodnight is now out. How has the response been to it so far? Especially considering it sounds a bit different to your previous material.

“The response has been amazing so far. I haven’t really seen anyone slamming it really. Even though I don’t go and seek out criticism on the internet. Live though, these songs are going over better than some old songs sometimes though.

“We started out our last tour only knowing a handful of them to play every night and before we knew it we were getting to the shows early (which is crazy) to sound check and practice other new songs off BKG. “I don’t really think that the sound

is that far off. From the demo to Stay Cold to Secrets… I think that it is a pretty comparable progression to those releases. There is better production on the record and we got better as a band.

Can’t hate that. The pit got harder and then there are a couple of parts with singing. But the singing is followed by one of the hardest parts on the record.“ What are you the most proud of with it?

“The overall record that we released. It’s not just a record or some songs. There is a difference between releasing music and songs and releasing a real album. I think everything on this record is awesome. The recording, the art, we’re proud of every song. We made and arranged this whole thing with friends. Friends

released it. It’s an amazing thing.”

Were you actively intending to do something different in terms of the sound, or was that just the way that it happened?

“There was definitely a conscious effort to not put out another record that is just like Secrets Of The World. But we didn’t sit down and be like, “OK, we’re going to do this this way and sound like this and make this happen”.

“You don’t really know the vibe of the record until it’s done. There were song ideas that were floating back and forth between us over this whole time we were writing that were all over the place. Some of those riffs were anywhere from the Ramones to Hatebreed to weird shit that sounded like Type O Negative.

We just went into the whole thing

I guess, as far as hardcore records go, two years between albums is a pretty long time.

Did taking your time and not rushing into the second release impact the final result at all?

“Nah. It’s really not that long. If you ask me it takes about two years to do that. You can take shits of record every six months if you want to but touring off of the last LP and writing for this one there is no way it could have come any faster.

“Either way we never really felt pressure to make it happen by a certain time or anything. We just wanted to make the best record we could.”

Trapped Under Ice has been a part of some really diverse tour (Every Time I Die, Polar Bear Club, Hatebreed) so how do you decide which tours to take?

“This is the thing. Playing as a hardcore band is great but if you tour a lot and only stay in the world you are going to get burned out really hard. You are playing to the same people over and over and it really doesn’t make any sense.

with everything and put the record together before we went into the studio and what happened is what BKG is.”

You worked with Chad Gilbert on the record. How did you make the decision to work with him? What was that experience like?

“Chad is a friend of the band. He always comes and see’s us when he can. He did Terror’s Keepers Of The Faith record and H20’s Nothing to Prove. All those guys had nothing but good stuff to say about it. He wanted to do it as a friend and as a fan of the band.

He was just as excited (maybe more sometimes) as we were and he comes from a hardcore back round so he knew what we were talking about. Couldn’t have worked out better.”

“We are a hardcore band but it’s nice getting to play with different bands. All of the bands you mentioned all come from a hardcore back round and know the deal.

They are people just like us but are playing a little different style and it’s cool that we all get to chill and hang out.

“I personally love playing different kinds of shows. We did a tour that was Four Year Strong and ETID. How cool is that? That tour was fucking awesome too. All of the bands did really well. I like being the heaviest band on the bill too.

“That’s one of the ways I got into hardcore. I was at a punk show and hardcore band got up there and played and it was like a brick hit me in the face. It was a moment when I realized how band I wanted to play music and do that too. Now I am in that position with my bands and I feel obligated to put myself in those same shoes.”

Is it at all a challenge to try and win those crowds over?

“Nah. You just get up there and do you thing and that’s all you can really do. The whole showbiz side

of music can suck me. Just go up there and do the same thing you always do.”

I read an interview where it was mentioned that TUI isn’t interested in being a full time band and that you don’t want to tour for more than six months of the year. Is that still the case? Why do you feel that the band needs to impose limits like that?

“There are a couple of reasons.

One of them is that we have all done the get in the van and GO GO GO thing. It’s amazing. But it’s tiring and once you do it you sorta gotta keep reinventing it all so that you don’t get super tired of it. Another reason is there are incredibly too many bands out there doing that. Records don’t sell so the only way these bands can try and make money is to go out on tour.

“We don’t wanna burn ourselves out but at the same time we don’t really wanna burn out anyone else on our band. We definitely still tour and go out there al the time. Just not ten months a year like Johnny duck heads wedding crasher extravaganza.”

You’re touring Australia again.

Your first tour out here was with 50 Lions, how was that tour for you?

“Tour was amazing. Those dudes are great people. We talk about all the time about how that was one of the most fun tours we have ever done as a band. Great shows and great people.”

I remember the crowd at the Sydney show going pretty mental for you guys. Did you expect the crowd reactions that you got at those shows?

“I remember that show well. We got there and I was like, “Damn... this room is big”. Then people started showing up and it filled out. That was the craziest show of that tour. It was amazing. Graham and Resist did a great job booking that tour.”

Do you have any expectations for the shows this time around?

“Hopefully the same. I definitely can’t wait to play these shows. I wanna pit to your fucking Australian bands and eat pies and lay on your beach. We coming…”

new music Between The Devil & The Deep have held a long respected place in the Sydney punk rock community, so it is a massive understatement that this full-length album from the band is highly anticipated. Three years in the making, Paper Spine is one of the most interesting and accomplished releases of its sort and stands as a contender for album of the year. The caustic vocals lay perfectly over guitars which dart between heavy riffs and some of the most sublime and intricate melodies I’ve heard in a long while. The thing most striking to me, especially in tracks like ‘The Bridgeburners’, is just how solid the band’s songwriting has become. So while it has been three years since a release of new music from these guys, the fact remains that this is one of the most solid debut album’s I have ever heard and I cannot wait to see how it translates into a live setting.

4/5 Sarah Petchell

Paper Spine – Between The Devil & The Deep Independent/MGM

Bleeding Through used to be a sledgehammer covered in silk, a band that would knock you on your ass but there was something special there too. For a few albums BT have been struggling with that, caught between genres and seeing their peers reach new heights or fade away. But what album number seven, The Great Fire, represents is the return to form. This is the best album the OC band have produced since 2006’s The Truth. Songs like ‘Final Hours’ and ‘Everything You Love Is Gone’ thunder along before the melody is drip fed into the album around ‘The Devil And Self Doubt’. Bleeding Through should find themselves revitalised with The Great Fire. This not an album imitating something else, just a pure Bleeding Through masterpiece and a demonstration of how keyboards should be used. 4/5 Oliver Cation

The Great Fire – Bleeding Through Rise Records European metal has often been like stepping into a time machine, and Caliban was one of those bands that played as if the millennium bug happened and they got stuck in the past. I Am Nemesis is by no means an avant-garde next generation release, but it is a disc of contemporary metalcore that may help to propel them outside their European focus. There is nothing particularly amazing on offer here and while you will get a headbang out of it, Caliban are never going to get past their comical Euro metalcore with make up tag. The highlight of the album is ‘Edge Of Black’, a song which switches up between melody and heavy well, while standing out on an album that will probably add little to the legacy of the band. 2.5/5 Oliver Cation

I Am Nemesis – Caliban Century Media Daylight are part of the new beard, that is the beard punk for kids without beards. Reminiscent of bands like A Wilhelm Scream, Daylight produce memorable upbeat but meaningful punk oriented rock and roll. This release (let’s shorten it to TDIGABD) follows the same path that previous Daylight releases have but that’s fine.

These songs are sing-a-longs and you can never have too many of those. As you listen to the four songs assembled here you yearn to be seeing the band live in a basement, covered in sweat and surrounded by friends. None of the songs stand out, just lines that will stick in your head and plague you as you fall asleep next week. There are lots of no-beard bands, but Daylight is one of the good ones. 3.5/5 Oliver Cation

The Difference In Good And Bad Dreams EP – Daylight Run For Cover Records There is no ifs, ands or buts about it, Every Time I Die are back and in a faster, heavier and much more interesting way. From the entertainingly titled opener, ‘Underwater Bimbos From Outer Space’ you’re barraged with riffs that pay testament to Andy’s time in Trap Them, Keith screaming like a hellion the whole while and to top it off, the unleashing of the band’s newest weapon: drummer, Ryan Leger, and his double kick. There are moments where ETID sound fast and heavy, where they make use of a banjo introduction and where they sound more like an early 90’s Seattle grunge band than a hardcore band (and that’s not a band thing…).

I think the key word reviewers are going to throw around with this album is diverse. But then again, it’s an entire discography condensed to 14 tracks. 4/5 Sarah Petchell

Ex-Lives – Every Time I Die Epitaph Records Metalcore. Take the word in like a fine wine, swill it around in your brain for a few seconds, get to know the oaky textures, then spit it out. Feed Her To The Sharks are a metalcore band, not a carbon copy of As I Lay Dying or Music For The Recently Deceased era I Killed The Prom Queen, but pretty close. The themes are similar: death, life and love. The ridiculous song titles are there; ‘My Bleeding Heart Swims In A Sea Of Darkness’ is a stand out for sure. The fact is however that while this isn’t pushing sonic boundaries, it is highly proficient and as many other artists in the genre look to mature or start putting deposits on houses, FHTTS will be providing the Swedish influenced melodic death metal, occasional clean vocals and mandatory breakdowns. 3/5 Oliver Cation

The Beauty Of Falling – Feed Her To The Sharks Shock Records

new music Most of Gallows and a bit of Alexisonfire equals Gallows v2.0. Much has been made of the departure of Frank Carter from the British punks and his replacement by Canadian crooner-punk Wade McNeil. What McNeil has brought to Death Is Birth is eight minutes of punk rock. This is not Grey Britain or even Orchestra Of Wolves, but instead an entirely new beast and it ain’t bad. ‘True Colours’ is the stand out track: 39 seconds of punk rock fury, a song that you can see causing havoc live. Wade’s voice is familiar, his parts in AOF always being maligned but still catchy and as soulful as Dallas. When Gallows slows down slightly on Death Is Birth, the swagger and punk rock attitude flows even stronger and leaves me anticipating a full length, something I wouldn’t have said about Gallows V1.0. 3.5/5 Oliver Cation

Death Is Birth EP – Gallows Shock Records How do you review a covers record? The songs are good and they’re catchy, but that’s why H2O chose them when they looked at the bands and songs that inspired them for Don’t Forget Your Roots. There is a slight disconnect when hearing familiar songs played differently, but H2O have their own distinctive and upbeat energy that allows most songs to translate well. ‘Cats And Dogs’ and ‘Attitude’ are highlights, with their original energy is multiplied by Toby Morse and the gang, while other tracks like ‘Safe’ and ‘Said Gun’ don’t hit as hard as they might. This is a great introduction for a new generation to discover the last, especially since I’m sure it won’t be long until H2O have an album dedicated to them. Warzone said it best, “Don’t forget the struggle, don’t forget the streets.” 3/5 Oliver Cation

Don’t Forget Your Roots – H2O Bridge 9 In Trenches have toiled long and hard over their second release, Sol Obscura, and it shows. This release is heavier, more developed and more menacing than Relive And Regret and there are plenty of added layers.

The songs have become longer, each leading you deeper into the tunnel and enveloping you in sound, with the final track Silhouettes an eight minute monster that ebbs and flows with evil. It would be appropriate for me to consult a Thesaurus at this point, but in the end this album is just straight-up heavy. This is an album for fans of music, the melodic undertones of the guitars blend perfectly with the booming vocals and droning bass to create something beautifully mesmerising. In Trenches took a long time to deliver this album, but the wait was surely worth it, if there is justice, this will stand as a landmark in heavy music in this country. 4.5/5 Oliver Cation

Sol Obscura – In Trenches Monolith

Loma Prieta are vital, they are exhilarating, they are intense. But I probably won’t bother listening to IV again because it has simply been done before. Converge in a blender with PG99 with Trash Talk influences. It’s dense, it’s claustrophobic, and it’s a solid Deathwish record, but it lacks the distinction that makes so many of their influences memorable. The lyrics and vocal delivery are urgent and passionate and there is no doubt that in a live environment the band would shine and capture your attention. On record however it comes across bland and by the time you have finished 12 songs you realise there is little distinction between them or memorable parts. Skramz and heavy hardcore such as this was always mean to be anti-music and in many ways Loma Prieta succeed, but IV just isn’t their best and overall falls flat. 2.5/5 Oliver Cation

IV – Loma Prieta Deathwish Inc It has been almost two years since we last heard from Brisbane’s Marathon. Their debut EP turned a few heads with their interpretation on the brand of chaotic and metallic hardcore that bands like Converge are best known for. And if you’re a fan of that first EP, you’re definitely not going to be disappointed with I’ll Never Look At You The Same Way. This 7-inch release represents the next step in the band’s evolution, and the result is a more polished sound. So what can you expect from these three tracks? You can expect riffs that will have your head banging, you can expect speed and you can expect enough brutality to make even the tamest person throw down. Stand out for me is album opener ‘622’, but whatever your pick this will be one of the must have releases of the year. 4/5 Sarah Petchell

I’ll Never Look At You The Same Way – Marathon Midnight Funeral It’s tough for bands to write a follow-up to an album that has as much critical acclaim as The Menzingers’ Chamberlain Watts. But the theory that the band appear to have stuck to with this album, is the old mantra of “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it”. The anthemic sing-alongs and thought provoking lyrics of The Impossible Past sit against the backdrop of some of the finest Midwestern punk rock riffs. From the opening lines of ‘Burn After Writing’ to the blistering hook of “I will fuck this up/I fucking know it” in ‘The Obituaries’ culminating the pure ambition of tracks like ‘Freedom’, this is an album that could set The Menzingers up as the next The Gaslight Anthem, as they slowly erase their pop punk past to embrace the pure fury of rock and roll. 3.5/5 Sarah Petchell

On The Impossible Past – The Menzingers Epitaph Records

new music Napalm Death have finally sold out and written a pop record. They have thrown away the guttural cries and blast beat speed to instead play chilled out blues infused pop music. If you believe that you may also be a scientologist. Utilitarian is Napalm Death’s 15th full length and even by the name you can tell that the agenda is the same: this is pissed off, politically influenced grindcore at breakneck speed. Amazingly there are a few moments of relative clarity with clean vocals, but the drums and chainsaw guitars never relent. With a solid line up for the band over the last few releases, Napalm Death are delivering some of their best work in a genre that could easily stagnate. Jack Johnson’s career is safe because Barney and company are going to be spitting out two minute grind forever. 3.5/5 Oliver Cation

Utilitarian – Napalm Death Century Media Nuclear Summer are a new beast. Melody is infused with a gruff vocal delivery and doom laden instrumentals. This is music for a long dark afternoon and is thought provoking and above all, interesting. This isn’t punk, this isn’t hardcore, this isn’t really anything you can pinpoint. What it is, is parts of everything combined with beauty. If you had to pinpoint an influence, Minus The Bear would come to mind. This self-titled full length was released on upstart Brisbane label Monolith, who continue their dedication to interesting and challenging music. Nuclear Summer is a difficult prospect to get your head around but so rewarding when you do. The layers here are something special. This is up for a “buyer chooses cost” download on the Monolith Bandcamp, so you have no excuses not to check it out. 4/5 Oliver Cation

Nuclear Summer – Nuclear Summer Monolith Restorations have often been accused of making music for “old punks” But what the band have proven with their self-titled release is that punk music is not just for old people. This album has the ability to grab the attention of fans of old punk, new punk and indie alike with their involved instrumentation, rock solid rhythm section and slight nod to the grassroots Americana music that seems to be forming the basis of a lot of modern punk acts as well as a little shoegaze and roots rock. But best of all, this record is individual – it is more an amalgamation of styles rather than just the reproduction of one (think if Jets To Brazil and Wilco had a love child) and I’m ok with that. Completely soulful, yet gritty this is a worthwhile record to check out. 3.5/5 Sarah Petchell

Restoration – Restorations Poison City John K Samson is a name that doesn’t always garner the instant recognition that it should. Some know him as the singer from The Weakerthans, others as the guy who sang the “softer” songs for Propagandhi, but with this album, you will see him as he should be: a great songwriter. Provincial is the debut album by Samson, and from the first note, takes you on an audible tour of Manitoba’s roads as he sees them. Many of the songs have seen life on earlier singles, but these re-recordings make them all anew. From the ups of ‘Cruise Night’ and ‘When I write my Master’s Thesis’ to the downs of ‘Grace General’ and ‘The Last And’, this is a record that can cover whatever feelings you may have today. If you’re into The Weakerthans, Des Ark & Feist will love this record. 4.5/5 Craig Wainwright

Provincial – John K Samson Epitaph Records The Smoking Hearts are the latest addition to the growing 3Wise family and what better way to introduce themselves than with the release of their second full length album Victory!. With their previous singer calling it quits via text message, the boys from London set off with some home demos in hand in search of a new frontman which they found in Ben Mills. Victory! is what it would sound like if you went down to your rowdiest local pub on a Friday night, brought everyone home and had a party in your living room. It is apparent from the first track ‘Off With Your Head’ right through to the end that this is not a band starting over, but one partying on right through til sunrise. Check out tracks ‘Seatbelts’ and ‘The Natural Disasters’ if you feel that the whole 35 minutes is just too damn long. 3/5 Oliver Cation

Victory! – The Smoking Hearts 3Wise Records Brisbane seems to be a hotbed for interesting hardcore right about now (some of it is reviewed in these pages) and relative newcomers, Waiting Room are proving this to be so with their debut, self-titled EP. What this band have done is devise their own slant on what constitutes melodic hardcore. This is a slant that incorporates bouncy riffs and slightly progressive inclinations into the more typical metallic tinges and harrowing screams of the genre. Tracks like ‘Hold Fast’ demonstrate the bands catchier side while ‘Celaphais’ explores some the heavier and darker sounds. To top it off, this is almost completely a family affair with Allan Reid (Fires Of Waco, Just Say Go!) and Connor Hallam (Capeweather) contributing guest vocals. This definitely is a slice of some sweet but totally different pie! 3.5/5 Sarah Petchell

Waiting Room EP – Waiting Room Monolith

IN TRENCHES Sol Obscura On their sophomore release the Melbourne conglomerate that is IN TRENCHES returns a reworked, more advanced and specifically intensified beast. Without diverting from their overall dissonance and rhythmically complex approach, Sol Obscura sees the band having ventured deeper into heavy dirges and progressive compositions and returned with stunning results. Giant walls of guitar noise reach into the human psyche, with output flowing over 27 minutes across 5 unique tracks. Creations beyond any typical metal and hardcore structures flourish in gritty beauty, the five piece channelling rage through a moving and ultimately forward-thinking release that bites back at the frustrations of modern existence.

10” record available now through MONOLITH. INTRENCHES.BANDCAMP.COM

NUCLEAR SUMMER Nuclear Summer Members of Ryu Vs Ken, Ironhide, The Surrogate and Willows create a fresh, technical sound - sunshine metal.

NCLRSMMR.BANDCAMP.COM

WAITING ROOM

IRONHIDE

EP

Create/Collapse/Repeat

Melodic hardcore punk, with brilliant and carefree riffage bouncing over forward-thinking arrangements and urgent screams.

This album smashes through energetic and complex brutality with two vocalists, the band soon after holding true to the title. RIP.

WAITINGROOMBRISBANE. BANDCAMP.COM

IRONHIDE.BANDCAMP.COM

CAPEWEATHER

IDYLLS Amps For God/Plague Hell

EP

Limited edition 7” offering but a sliver of the desperately violent catharsis to come.

Post-life. Pre-cemetery. Sun Distorted.

Dynamic post-hardcore that dives to and from blast-beating chaos and luscious, genuinely Australian melodies.

IDYLLS.BANDCAMP.COM

CAPEWEATHER.BANDCAMP.COM

MONOLITHMONOLITH.COM I MONOLITHMONOLITH.BIGCARTEL.COM

obituary

ALEXISONFIRE Hometown: Ontario, Canada Years Active: 2001-2011 Essential Listening: Crisis (2006) When the news that Alexisonfire would be splitting arrived in August it definitely surprised a lot of people, but in hindsight there was some indication that this would be the inevitable result. The news was released in the typical website post way, but perhaps the most shocking aspect of the split was that it definitely was not amicable. The statement revealed that vocalist/guitarist Dallas Green had been planning on leaving the group at the end of the then current touring cycle to focus on his own project, City & Colour. Meanwhile, guitarist Wade Macneil had chosen to leave the band to explore new projects with English punk group Gallows, in the wake of the departure of their own vocalist, Frank Carter. With five brilliant releases under their belts, including my own favourite Watch Out! The legacy of this Canadian five-piece is one that will never be forgotten.

THE BLED Hometown: Tucson, U.S. Years Active: 2001-2011 Essential Listening: Silent Treatment (2007) The Bled were a band that pushed the boundaries of what was cool and acceptable in a place and time where most bands were trying to stay well within them. Not quite hardcore, punk or metalcore, and never pop or metal, this was a band that was genuinely interesting with a live show to match. The band issued a statement through their Facebook page back in August stating their intention to split, however didn’t offer any real explanation as to why. The best we got was that it was “time to move on to new things” for the all the members involved. Following a major member overhaul the band went through in 2009, it perhaps was only a matter of time before the party would be over but with four LPs under their collective belts, it’s definitely not too late to get into them.

CARPATHIAN Hometown: Melbourne, Australia Years Active: 2003-2011 Essential Listening: Isolation (2008) Melbourne hardcore act, Carpathian, were well and truly riding the waves of success when they announced a very final seeming hiatus back in March 2011. After battling line-up changes and releasing their brilliant second album Isolation, the band called it quits with only a handful of shows left in their touring schedule. With members in various bands already (Warbrain, Hopeless) and involved in numerous artistic endeavours (for example, Martin Kirby’s Dead Souls Records) it appeared to be time for the band to move onto new things. Despite the multitude of disappointed fans that were waiting with baited breath for the announcement of a third record, the band ended an almost 10 year life together on a positive note, announcing that “this doesn’t mark the end but a new beginning”.

IRONHIDE Hometown: Brisbane, Australia Years Active: 2009-2011 Essential Listening: Create/Collapse/Repeat (2011) When we did a short profile of Ironhide back in Issue 10, we had no idea how to describe their sound and we still don’t. What we know is that this Brisbane band was plagued by internal strife and subsequent line-up changes, but still managed to release a brilliant debut last year (Create/ Collapse/Repeat) and then it all ended. You can read the frank and honest (almost brutally so) break up announcement on the band’s website, where failures to commit to touring and recording schedules by members is cited as the primary reason. Add to this major issues with production and distribution of the vinyl, and there is definitely a recipe for disaster. The relatively young band have in the meantime moved on to other projects including the excellent Nuclear Summer and IDYLLS, as well as vocalist Lochlan Watt starting DIY label Monolith records.

KILLING THE DREAM Hometown: Sacramento, U.S. Years Active: 2002-2011 Essential Listening: Fractures (2008) After eight years together, hardcore act Killing The Dream called it a day. This followed on from the release of their exceptional record, Lucky Me, earlier that year and represented yet another band from that genre that had ended their career. The surprising thing about the ending was the revelation that this was a band that only ever had the intention of doing a 7-inch EP. That they survived for that long, doing as many shows, touring as many countries and eating as many pizzas as they did is a testament to their talent. Formed in Sacramento, California in late 2002 the band released four albums their career, including the brilliant Fractures. Fingers crossed for a reunion show in the next couple of years.

2011 wrap up

PULLING TEETH Hometown: Baltimore, U.S. Years Active: 2005-2011 Essential Listening: Paranoid Delusions/Paradise Illusions (2009)

One of the most shocking break ups of last year was the demise of Baltimore hardcore act Pulling Teeth, ending a six year career. With a career that can be described as nothing short of prolific, the band had released some of the best music that I contain in my collection, ranging from their own released through to some incredible collaborations with the likes of Bystorm, Frightener and Shin To Shin. The announcement the band made regarding their split was short and sweet: “As a band we have accomplished everything that we have set out to do. Life is short. It’s time to move on and do other things.” Their final show was back in January as a part of a showcase for their final label, A389 and their final album was the incredible and autobiographical Funerary released in 2011.

THE RED SHORE Hometown: Melbourne, Australia Years Active: 2004-2011 Essential Listening: Unconsecrated (2008) On the other side of the coin, one of the most unsurprising break up announcements of last year was that of Melbourne’s The Red Shore. The band had been very quiet for almost a year prior to the announcement, with not much in the way of touring or new releases. This ended a legacy of almost seven years, not to mention being at the centre of one of the most notorious incidents in Australian metal’s history: the van crash that killed their original vocalist Damien Morris, while the band toured with All Shall Perish in 2007. This was a band, plagued by line up changes that eventually fizzled out, with members moving onto new projects and new parts of their lives. Check out Unconsecrated for an excellent slice of their musical output.

THE SAINTE CATHERINES Hometown: Montreal, Canada Years Active: 1999-2011 Essential Listening: Dancing For Decadence (2006) Canadians make some pretty awesome punk rock, and The Sainte Catherines were no exceptions to this rule. Emphasis on the “were” as the band called in quits in 2011 following a career of almost 12 years, after having formed way back in 1999. In a statement, the band are quoted as saying, “We are who we are because of this band. Our 20′s and early 30′s went spent traveling thoughout 14 countries and playing over 700 shows. 12 years of our lives, organized around tours, jamming and everything else that comes with it, whether it be good or bad. The feeling now, is that we have accomplished what we set out to do.” A matter of quit while you’re ahead, the band’s last release was 2010’s Fire Works through Anchorless Records.

THRICE Hometown: Irvine, U.S. Years Active: 1998-2011(?)

Essential Listening: The Artist In The Ambulance (2003) OK, this is one of the more confusing break ups of last year. In fact, break up isn’t really the word as Thrice were adamant that the “hiatus” that they were going on was not the end of their staggering career as post-hardcore poster boys and the creators of some of the genre’s most interesting music. They were adamant that if nothing had broken them up by this point, then nothing ever would. But if the set of shows they were in the middle of at the time the announcement was made was their “last for the foreseeable future” then there still is a sense of finality to this statement.

With vocalist Dustin Kensrue and guitarist Teppei Teranishi coping with growing families and the Breckenridge brothers mourning the loss of their father, there still is no idea as to whether a reunion of sorts would ever take place.

THURSDAY Hometown: New Jersey, U.S. Years Active: 1997-2011 Essential Listening: Full Collapse (2001) New Jersey post-hardcore/screamo outfit Thursday cited “an endless stream of personal difficulties” as the reason behind their demise following their run on this year’s Soundwave. Thursday are one of the last decade’s most influential bands and rank up there as one of my top five favourite bands. From 2001’s seminal Full Collapse, through to the epic War All The Time and the subsequent musical development the band undertook through to last year’s No Devolucion, Thursday are a band that have always created their own boundaries and subsequently completely smashed through them. The only glimmer of hope left is in the statement that the band is sure to continue to create music together in some capacity, whatever that may end up being.

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