Interview

September 5, 2022

Kynan Arden

Interview with Max Cavalera (SOULFLY)

At the dawn of the new millennium, Rolling Stone declared, “Soulfly seem built to last.” More than two decades, countless worldwide tours, and a dozen albums later, that prophecy rings true.

Underground icon, extreme metal trailblazer, third world warrior, and leader of a diverse and dedicated tribe, Max Cavalera not only survives but thrives, blasting out riff after killer riff. The same voice, body, and spirit which launched Soulfly in 1997 summons impossibly heavy noise to this day, throwing down ten slabs of monstrous music on Soulfly’s twelfth album, 2022’s Totem.

Produced by Max alongside Arthur Rizk, whom Revolver described as “the secret weapon behind Power Trip, Code Orange, and Cavalera Conspiracy,” Totem attacks without apology. It brims with the blackened-thrash and death metal bite of modern Soulfly classics like Ritual (2018) and Archangel (2015), with nods to the heavy groove of Primitive (2000) and Prophecy (2004).

“I really dig what Arthur does in the underground scene, with records by bands like Outer Heaven, Pissgrave, Black Curse,” Max explains. “Those are crazy productions, man. They’re off-the-wall and crazy-sounding. I wanted a Soulfly record with a sonic character like that, so Arthur was the perfect guy. At one point during the production, he came up to me and he was like, ‘You know Max, we’re not just doing another Soulfly record. We’re doing the best Soulfly record.’ I liked that attitude.”

Among the most prolific musicians in the genre’s history, Max led Sepultura from Brazil to the world stage, making fans out of Ozzy Osbourne, Deftones, and Dave Grohl along the way. He cofounded Nailbomb, Cavalera Conspiracy, Go Ahead And Die, and Killer Be Killed, issuing album after album to spirited acclaim from critics and fans. But no project is as singularly identified with Max as Soulfly, whose gold-selling self-titled debut arrived with unrivaled determination and spirit.

Soulfly, the moniker Max conjured, is an original portmanteau like “Lookaway” or “Straighthate.” The idea rose from one of the indigenous spiritual practices that inspire Max. “Many South American tribes believe the souls of their ancestors fly around them when they play music. They can even feel the souls of the animals sacrificed to create their instruments. It’s heavy shit.”

Loaded with multiple guests and instrumentation, Soulfly (1998) set a precedent for the records that would follow by managing the almost-magical feat of combining world music with metal without sacrificing the raw, authentic vibe of a band banging out songs in a basement. Twenty years on, Kerrang! included Soulfly’s debut in their 10 Best Nü-Metal Albums Of All Time, alongside massively successful records by System Of A Down, Slipknot, Korn, Papa Roach, and Deftones. “I never felt Soulfly was a nü-metal band,” Max points out. “We had elements of it. But by the time the sound went very commercial with Linkin Park, I didn’t feel part of that. We’re much heavier.”

Melody Maker declared Primitive “the metal album of the year” in late 2000. When 3 followed in 2002, Spin wrote, “There’s something undeniably thrilling about an Ozzfest demagogue who champions dignity as a human right and makes a maxim like ‘Faith is a weapon’ a rallying cry. The band remains a hard-charging, tribal-drumming monster fierce enough to kick the bulldozers out of the rainforest.” Touring in support of 3 included a North American trek with Slayer.

Less than a year after its release, album four found its way into German magazine Rock Hard’s 2005 book, The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time. Sputnik Music praised Prophecy as “the best Soulfly album to date,” calling it their “heaviest, most experimental, and most mature.” Thrash-fueled power dominated Dark Ages (2005), Conquer (2008), and Omen (2010). Critics hailed Cavalera’s never-ending supply of riffs all over again with Enslaved (2012). They celebrated the fierce vibe of Savages (2013), the first Soulfly album with Max’s son, Zyon Cavalera, on drums.

Archangel pushed the musical bludgeoning to its very limit while injecting the songs with moments of trippy nuance and dissonance. Max revisited the ritualistic and mystical ruminations on Soulfly’s Prophecy while simultaneously doubling down on the most extreme music of his career. Ritual “retained the groove of early Soulfly as well as my love for the heavy, fast stuff,” Max explains. “I think, in the end, we created a cool mix of songs that covered a lot of ground in my career.”

The songs on Totem originated with a back-to-basics songwriting approach inspired by Max’s son, Zyon. Soulfly’s drummer since 2012, Zyon asked Max one day to show him how Sepultura created their early classics. The elder Cavalera describes the process as putting riffs together like pieces in a puzzle, or bricks in a pyramid. “Zyon and I jammed for many weeks, creating the foundation.”

Max first envisioned Soulfly as a band with an evolving lineup, eager to “shake the tree” with an infusion of new creative blood from time to time. Many amazing players and guest musicians appear throughout the discography. Totem is the band’s fourth album with Zyon and second with bassist Mike Leon. It’s also the first Soulfly album without guitarist Marc Rizzo since 2004.

“Some of my favorite records are ones where everything changed, and I had to find a way to make something work,” Max says. “A lot of my best records came from struggles, like Sepultura’s Chaos A.D., the first Soulfly album, and Prophecy.” Chris Ulsh of Mammoth Grinder and Power Trip plays a guitar solo in album closer “Spirit Animal.” John Powers, Rizk’s bandmate in the group Eternal Champion, contributes several solos to the album, and Rizk plays rhythm and lead guitars as well. “Arthur ended up jamming with me a lot on the record. He’s a great guitar player,” Max says.

Like every Soulfly album before it, Totem includes a dedication to God in the liner notes. And as ever, Max follows his spiritual muse into evolving and diverse territory, taking inspiration from multiple traditions and practices. Songs like “Superstition,” “Ancestors,” and the title track lean heavily into one of the album’s themes, which deals with nature as a spiritual force.

“I wanted to make a record connected to spirit animals, forests, environmental stuff,” he says. “I’ve always been fascinated by nature. Traveling so much, I’ve gotten to see some amazing places,” he continues, citing examples like Iceland, the fjords of Norway, and the Badlands of South Dakota. “Superstition” specifically is inspired by Superstition Mountain, located in Arizona. “Far beyond all the things that you know

/ superstition, harder than stone,” Max says in the song.

Each Soulfly album boasts an instrumental, which Max lovingly likens to a “Planet Caravan moment,” the way Black Sabbath’s classic jam created something of a mellow album oasis. Totem is no exception. “Soulfly XII” indulges Max’s love of dark ‘80s goth guitar chords and synths. “I try to get creative with all of them; either with different instruments, like the saxophone on the Ritual instrumental, or I go by vibe. This one is really influenced by The Cure and Sisters Of Mercy.”

Old school heaviness reminiscent of Sepultura’s Beneath the Remains era punctuates the environmentalist anthem “The Damage Done,” which concludes with a crushing decrease in tempo. “Scouring the Vile,” featuring a guest appearance from Obituary vocalist John Tardy, confronts cancer. “The sickening concealed behind my dying eyes / I ripped you from me.”

Roughly 25 years since the band began, essential Soulfly bangers like “Jumpdafuckup,” “Back to the Primitive,” “Downstroy,” “Eye for an Eye,” “Ritual,” and “Dead Behind the Eyes” are celebrated live just like Cavalera classics “Roots Bloody Roots,” “Refuse / Resist,” “Territory,” and “Dead Embryonic Cells.” Bursting with hunger and energy forged by more than three decades as a heavy metal force, Totem is a suitably brutal, vibrant, extreme, and uplifting entry into the Soulfly canon.

Soulfly’s savage anthems of aggression push extreme music to its bludgeoning limits while injecting it with brilliant moments of trippy nuance and dissonance. Like all innovative musical heroes, Max makes anthems for the people. Soulfly is a celebration of family and legacy. Whatever Max Cavalera hammers out on the bridges of his four-string guitars, it always sets souls free.

Order your copy of Totem, here:

https://www.jbhifi.com.au/collections/soulfly-totem

Stream Totem on all streaming platforms: https://bfan.link/soulfly-totem

SOULFLY – Totem (Tracklisting)
01. Superstition
02. Scouring The Vile
03. Filth Upon Filth
04. Rot In Pain
05. The Damage Done
06. Totem
07. Ancestors
08. Ecstasy Of Gold
09. Soulfly XII
10. Spirit Animal

Early Bird pre-sale tickets on sale Tuesday 21 June @ 10am AEST Time
Sign up now for early bird pre-sale tickets at www.goodthingsfestival.com.au

General Public tickets on sale Thursday 23 June @ 10am AEST Time
https://www.oztix.com.au/

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Interviews Tour Interview

September 2, 2022

Kynan Arden

[GOOD THINGS FESTIVAL 2022) Interview with NOVA TWINS!!

Asked about what it takes to make it into a Nova Twins song, the heavy alt. rock renegades have a few words that spring to mind. “Power and fight” replies singer and guitarist Amy Love. “Imagination” adds bassist Georgia South. “We imagined this band because we didn’t have any one like us to look up to. That was the fun bit. There were no rules to who we can be.”

Nova Twins are the zeitgeist-capturing polymath pioneers that our times have been waiting for. Whether pushing the MOBO Awards to create a category for POC alt. acts, to teaming up with No Music On A Dead Planet and Oxfam to play for environmental change, working with Dr. Martens to raise money for The Black Curriculum or aiming to inspire a new wave of young, diverse talent, Amy Love and Georgia South are much more than one of the UK’s most exciting bands – they are changemakers.

Formed in London in 2014, the two childhood friends came together to create something that destroyed boundaries and defied expectations. A clash of ideas from the worlds of punk, rap, pop, hard rock and beyond, their sound is one that smashes genres but showcases the many facets of the duo and where they’re from. “Some of our favourite music is ‘00s R&B and hip-hop” says Love. “That guided us when we were younger and gave us some kind of stability. Then we wanted to venture out and were met with people saying, ‘you don’t belong here’.”

They have battled through the old guard of rock’s narrow-minded expectations. Their debut album ‘Who Are The Girls?’ planted their flag as outliers on a mission, when it dropped in 2020 to much critical acclaim. Name another act that could support Bring Me The Horizon and Wolf Alice but also Enter Shikari and Sleaford Mods? One of the UK’s premiere live bands and fiercest festival acts reach a very broad church, without diluting what they’re all about.

Rage Against The Machine icon Tom Morello dubbed them “an incredible band who deserve to be huge” as well as inviting them on tour with Prophets Of Rage. Bring Me The Horizon’s Oli Sykes called them one of his “favourite new bands” before having them collaborate on song ‘1×1’ from 2020’s UK No.1 album ‘POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR’. Furthermore, they’ve already scored the “bucket list” moment of appearing on the cover of NME, as “the band rewriting the rules of alternative music”. It’s true, rules are not in Nova Twins’ vocabulary, so don’t think about forcing them upon them.

“People just assume that women who dress colourfully can’t play” says South. “We want to change that – for everyone. We want to change the way that people look at heavy music.” Love agrees: “People say, ‘oh is that supposed to be punk?’ just based on our look and aesthetic. The New York Dolls and David Bowie can wear flamboyant clothes and be celebrated for it. When women do it, you get taken less seriously. Suddenly people think you’re posers, playing to a backing track. That makes us play into it more.”

Their attitude runs through everything they do – bursting out of their music and into the vision they have for their art-punk music videos and DIY outfits. They make their own clothes because nothing else feels quite ‘Nova’ enough. “Clothes are our armour” says Love. “They make us feel Nova. Fashion is just an extension of what you want to tell people.” South agrees: “As long as you feel like your most authentic self, that’s cool. We just happen to feel comfortable covered in spikes, fake fur and clown make-up.”

Now they too are advocates for diversity and those who might otherwise feel like they don’t fit the standard rock mould. Through their ‘Voices For The Unheard’ platform, they give a stage and a spotlight to marginalised talent, in order to help heavy music evolve. “The rock scene was regurgitating the same headliners over and over again, and in the same breath saying, ‘rock is dying’” says Love. “It’s like, ‘hang on a minute, have you not heard what’s going on over here?’ You need to make sure you’re nurturing a new generation, so that they can have the opportunity to fill those crucial spots one day. It’s a really interesting time for alternative music and I think it’s about to have its fucking heyday.”

There’s no band out there quite like Nova Twins. If more artists blazed a trail like this, we’d be celebrating a lot more difference, rather than craving what’s safe and similar. From being “shunned” when they arrived on the scene, now Nova Twins are leading a game all of their own. Now, there are no rules.

Early Bird pre-sale tickets on sale Tuesday 21 June @ 10am AEST Time
Sign up now for early bird pre-sale tickets at www.goodthingsfestival.com.au

General Public tickets on sale Thursday 23 June @ 10am AEST Time
https://www.oztix.com.au/

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Album Interviews Interviews+1

August 6, 2022

Tammy Walters

Interview with Jona Tee (H.E.A.T)

Today marks the seventh album release for Swedish heavy rockers, H.E.A.T. Titled Force Majeure, this album sees the band extend their live show energy into a collection of stadium anthems including monster singles ‘Hollywood’, ‘Back To The Rhythm’ and ‘Nationwide’, and is a return album for founding frontman Kenny Leckremo. The band will also be making their Australian live tour debut next month, playing four shows across Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Adelaide.

Silver Tiger Media’s Tammy Walters had a chat to keyboardist Jona Tee ahead of their release and shows.

How are you feeling with your new album Force Majeure about to be released on Friday 5 August?

I don’t think we have really realised it is so soon. But we’re really excited! Going to burst. We will be in Finland on Friday opening for Toto so we will have some sort of nice release party I hope.

Oh, that will be such a good time. As soon as ‘Africa’ comes on you’ll jump into full party mode!

[Laughs] Oh yeah, for sure!

So how long has Force Majeure been in the works?

Basically we had a singer swap, so we got our original singer, Kenny, back in the band. He rejoined in June or July in 2020, which was the beginning of the pandemic which means we had a lot of time to sit down and write music. So somewhere around there we started to write for it and we started to record August last year, so one year later, here is the release!

Kenny was a big part of the identity of H.E.A.T your debut record, and Eric was a huge part of the band for a big part of your lifespan so it would have been nice to have H.E.A.T II as a send off for Eric.

Oh yeah, definitely a big send off. We love that album too so he left with a bang!

Exactly and H.E.A.T II received a lot of praise for returning to your heavier roots. Have you tried to continue that for this album with Kenny being back?

Absolutely. We set out to continue the same vein as HEAT II, and obviously it’s a little different because we have a new singer and he sings a bit differently than Eric, but Kenny is super involved in songwriting and production and Kenny plays a lot of different instruments so with all of that in it, it becomes a bit different to HEAT II but still i think the sound is still on par or in the same vein.

We’ve already heard three songs from this record, ‘Hollywood’ which has already been turning a lot of heads to watch what H.E.A.T are doing, ‘Back to the Rhythm’ and ‘Nationwide’ – all of which are huge stadium anthems. Is that what this album is about?

Hell yeah! I mean, we love to play live and that’s what we’re kind of doing now which has been awesome, and ‘Hollywood’ is working so well live. It’s probably my favourite to play at the moment – when that chorus hits, it’s like ‘YES!’. You can feel the energy!

I’ve seen footage and it’s wild! Was ‘Hollywood’ written with the live show in mind?

You know when we first started the band, we were studio based really and me and Dave we had been working the studio a lot back then but as we started to play live it was like ‘okay’. We always felt like a heavy metal band, rather than a studio AR band so when we went on stage we felt more like Iron Maiden rather than Coat or some band like that who are moreso musicians. I guess at some point, and I think it was Tearing Down The Walls, around there, that maybe it started reflecting in the music that it was more raw and live focused and more ‘okay, what do we want to do live? What do we want them to sing and play more awesome live music? But it should be awesome to listen to in your headphones as you’re going to sleep as well.

I think you’ve found that balance well. But you are known for being a great live act and I think touring with so many amazing rock legends like Alice Cooper, Toto and Sabaton has elevated your live show even more.

Oh yeah! We were blessed to play with so many incredible acts like Alice Cooper and Toto and all of the festivals we’ve been to. Last weekend we played in Wales at Steelhouse Festival and I saw Saxon play for the first time and I was blown away. I was like ‘what the fuck!’[laughs], and that really inspires you to lift your game and step it up!

Australia hasn’t had the opportunity to witness that though. H.E.A.T hasn’t played here before!

No, it’s our first time now in September. It’s going to be awesome. Me and Eric flew over in 2016 and played Melodic Rock Fest in Melbourne but it wasn’t H.E.AT, we did a few HEAT songs acoustically and played with another band which was for fun. We had a break with the HEAT before into the great unknown, so we flew over for that and spent a week in Melbourne. But now we’re going to come full force with HEAT which is going to be awesome. And CRAZY LIXX are coming along as well so it will be amazing. Awesome band as well, amazing live!

Being your first show here in Australia, and with a new album, what will a set look like for you? Are you going to try and balance out the newer songs with older ones that we love but haven’t seen live?

We try to incorporate songs from every album but we have seven albums [laughs] and a bunch of music and it gets harder. We want to play the new stuff and we really want to play songs from HEAT II as well because we didn’t get to tour it so we have four or five tracks from HEAT II, yes we will play a few from Force Majeure as well but we try to play at least two from the first album, one from Freedom Rock and a couple from the Eric albums as well!

That sounds great because we had missed out on seeing you through all of your era’s, and it will be great seeing Kenny step up into the Eric vocal songs. Has that been a learning process for him?

I think he has done his thing with Eric’s songs. It’s not copying Eric’s style, he does his own thing and adds his melodies and small wails and stuff like that. He’s more soulful – I don’t know if that’s a word – he likes more soul and does the runs more than Eric who is more of a power singer. He does his interpretation on tracks, it sounds really cool! It’s awesome to play all of the tracks live at the moment!

I have to ask about the new album’s title, Force Majeure. Is that a nod to the changeover of singers or is there another meaning to it?

For us, it’s like the word force was with us all along. We wanted to make it undeniable and have this force – that was the key word – and we thought about naming the album just Force but then we thought of Force Majeure and we’re like ‘oo’. It’s like a major force and it reflects the pandemic it was written during. Force Majeure, I mean swapping singers is almost a force majeure but you can read some meanings into it.

Up for interpretation!

Most of all it sounds badass.

It does! I won’t lie I did look up to see whether you were using the English or French pronunciation but glad I didn’t have to add my French ‘r’s onto it.

[laughs] Haha yeah we’re using the English pronunciation until we go to France and sound quite pretentious! *imitates French accent* Force Majeure.

So it’s out on Friday – are there any other single releases or music video releases coming with the release?

We wanted to but couldn’t make it work because we are touring. But as you do these days, you have a focus track and that is ‘Tainted Blood’ for us. That is the one we pitched to streaming platforms. And I really love that track and cannot wait to play it live! Actually I think we’ll be playing it for the first time in Australia because the album will be out by then so we can play more songs from Force Majeure!

Amazing! We obviously can’t wait! Why was ‘Tainted Blood’ a standout for you?

I’m not sure it’s a standout but it has this heavy riff that is reminiscent of Judas Priest and I kind of love that classic metal vibe to it!

We love Judas Priest here so that’s a good sign! In terms of that logical side of pulling this album together, you did say it was created during the pandemic. Was that during lockdowns, were you writing together?

Most of the time we would write individually to get the basic idea of the track and then get together to finish it. But in terms of lockdowns, we didn’t have any hard lockdowns in Sweden which everyone had to do their share of separating and distancing from each other. So it was up to everyone to make sure they didn’t affect people. So we all got together and hung out in the studio together and we did!

That makes it so much easier. And I guess with Kenny being back it would have been important for dynamic.

Yeah and just hang out and get to know each other!

Were you in contact with Kenny during his departure?

Every now and then but not really in contact. We met up in 2015 the last time before he rejoined the band, with me, him & Dave, and Dave wasn’t in the band then. We had dinner and a few beers, actually a lot of beers [laughs] I remember! But apart from, that there would be the text are Christmas or birthdays. Until he decided to rejoin.

So how did that conversation happen that he wanted to rejoin? With him rejoining like an instant back to being close or was there a big transition period?

We had to make sure he had his priorities right this time because he left the band for a reason back in the day but he has a lot of regret leaving and you can tell and he has been very open about that. He missed it and wanted to get back. He told me in 2019 when Eric was still in the band that he wanted to come back and I told him it would be pretty hard because we had a singer but you never know for the future. It happened quite quickly for him actually. You never know!

It all happened for a reason!

It worked out so well and we’re super happy to keep it in the family!

That familiarity helps with excitement for fans as well.

We can tell that because we sold out our show in Stockholm and I think a lot of that is because Kenny is back. We sold out our biggest venue so far! It has to be because he is back and we’re so glad for what’s happening moving forward.

So does that mean already planning for the next album?

I actually couldn’t sleep last night because I was shifting through a shit load of song ideas! I’m constantly working on new stuff. So absolutely. We’re touring now but creating music is a constant thing. I can’t turn it off. We should start recording again next year, at least I hope!

Incredible! Well, remember when you do start planning the next album tour to add Australia to the top of the list!

We will, I cannot tell you how excited we are to be coming down and playing!

Tickets Available Here

Interview with Olavi Mikkonen (Amon Amarth)

Amon Amarth will soon drop their 12th opus ‘The Great Heathen Army’ on 5th August and founding member and guitarist Olavi Mikkonen is naturally confident of his band’s work.

‘We always try to do something a little different. For this album, my goal was not that many songs, 8 or 9. All the songs should have our full attention, really work on them 100% to make them all stand out. No two songs with a similar beat, they should all be unique.

Classic Amon Amarth songs like ‘Get In The Ring’ and ‘Dawn Of Norsemen’ you know what you’re gonna get there. But at the same time, we wanted a few songs that stand out a bit.

‘Heidrun’ may be the catchiest and funniest song we’ve ever made. ‘Oden Owes You All’ and ‘The Great Heathen Army’ are brutal in their own way. We have ‘The Serpent’s Trail’ which I think arrangement-wise and the way we played the riffs is a little bit different. It also has orchestration to create a bit more dynamics, the vocals are a little different from what you’ve heard before.

Then of course we have ‘Saxons and Vikings’ which could’ve been a traditional heavy metal song but also a melodic death metal song. I think we have managed to do all Amon Amarth styles in one album.’

It is the commitment to create this diversity from other musical worlds that appear in tracks such as the blues rock infused ‘Heidrun’ and the marching band stomp of ‘Find A Way Or Make One’.

‘We just go with whatever ideas we have and what we feel is strong. I’m actually happy to hear that – everybody I’ve spoken to so far about ‘Heidrun’ they just hear the folkish thing in that song – while you actually hear the rhythm beneath it. The rhythm beneath, as you said, is kind of like a bluesy rhythm and when I wrote the verse riffs I was thinking in my head it was like Status Quo boogie-woogie but in a more death metal way. Obviously yes, I’m happy to hear that cause everyone gets into this folkish thing, and the only reason is that there is a violin underneath the guitar in one place.

I’m happy to hear that in ‘Find A Way’ you hear marching too! Actually, in my demos when I made that song, I actually had a marching sound, like an army walking as an intro and outro but we never used that on the record, so it’s kinda funny that you can hear that sort of stuff!’

The album also features one very special guest on the ball tearing ‘Saxons And Vikings’ too.

‘It’s Biff Byford from Saxon. We’ve had this idea for a very long time, we should do a song about Saxon and Vikings and it should be a duet between Amon Amarth and Saxon. That idea has been there but for whatever reasons it didn’t happen as we came back to Andy Sneap we thought timing-wise this might be it. Musically I had a few ideas that would fit well with both Johan’s and Biffs’ vocals. I sent Biff a draft and some music and he got really into it. Johan worked on the theme for the lyrics, Biff wrote his own lyrics. He came to the studio and we spoke about the song, worked on his words and he nailed his parts. I think that’s a dream come true cause Saxon means a lot to the whole band, we are all big fans of the band. I mean it makes sense if you’re going to write songs about ‘Saxons And Vikings’, there are only two bands that can deliver that!

The band is back working with Uber-producer Andy Sneap who fulfills a much more convoluted role than knob-twiddler.

‘He brings more than people think, when it comes to songwriting and the riffs, they are already in place. He can help us use different harmonies. When we track guitars, he can point out what I’m doing because he’s a great guitar player himself, while a producer who doesn’t play would just say ‘take it again’. Andrew can point out you touched that string, whatever, because he’s such a good musician himself, he knows all the tricks and what work’s.

When it comes to sound I’m really terrible but I know what I want and can explain it with words and he knows what I mean. ‘Ok, you want that effect with that one?’ So that helps a lot.

He’s also a relaxed guy, so it’s a relaxed atmosphere, so we can have a laugh about it. That really helps, really makes the whole progress easy. His biggest role is not being a producer, it’s like being a therapist for the band.’

Amon Amarth was part way through touring the epic ‘Berserker’ album when the world stopped and the band rushed back to their native Sweden. Rather than sit idle, they went back into working with the Swedish Government’s take on the pandemic assisting them.

‘To be honest, the recording and writing pretty much went how it always been. To us, the pandemic didn’t affect the writing process. The only thing that happened is that we didn’t plan to make a new album. Our plan was to have a bigger gap because we were halfway through, but we still had so much more to tour with ‘Berserker’. Once we realized, we couldn’t come back because of the pandemic we pretty much decided to write a new album.

In Sweden, we didn’t have that many restrictions, so it didn’t affect us at all, to be honest. We could get together but we don’t really get together when we write these days anyway. Everyone kind of writes at his own pace and we just send files to each other and every once in a while, we get together. This time around we rented a cabin in the mountains in Sweden for a week where we nailed down the whole album there.’

Whether it’s the spoken word Christopher Lee foreboding style of ‘The Serpent’s Trail’, the uplifting tone of ‘Find A Way’ or the epic storytelling in ‘The Great Heathen Army’, Amon Amarth are defiantly themselves.

‘We just go with whatever we feel is right, we don’t really listen to other people’s options. ‘Find A Way’ is a song that anyone can relate to. It’s about personal struggles and how to overcome whatever is in front of you. That’s the song itself is uplifting so it have lyrics to match about gathering strength and overcoming obstacles. ‘The Great Heathen Army’ is about the end of the Viking era in England, the biggest gathering they had when they invaded England and the lost.’

There are plans to come out to Australia next year but ‘no exact dates but working towards it’ so for now, ’Find A Way’ to grab a copy of ‘The Great Heathen Army’, turn it up loud and march those feet to the tune of Amon Amarth.

Interviews Tour Interview

June 22, 2022

STM

Interview with Jaidyn Hale (Among The Restless)

STM: Hi There Jaidyn, thanks for your time today, firstly congratulations on the new EP Define which is out now. Clearly, Covid had a huge impact on the recording and timing of the release, how did you find the process? Were there many delays and hurdles you had pop up?

Always a pleasure and thank you! Covid has most definitely made it hard over the past few years but nonetheless, we have persevered and all made it through. We were lucky enough to have actually already made the venture to Red Engine recording studios in Brisbane and laid down all the tracks last year before that last bad lockdown hit us. In regards to releasing the EP, I think the biggest thing was we wanted to wait and be able to experience it with our fans, friends, and family in person. Without being able to gig and support what we are so proud of it wouldn’t have made sense to us to release.

STM: As a relatively new band forming not long before covid hit you have done extremely well pushing out singles during times when gigs were vetoed, and the music industry was stopped in its tracks. Your determination as a band certainly shines through and has given you the results looking at your Spotify streams. You must be so proud of the band's achievements.

One hundred percent, not being able to see each other and especially not being able to rehearse wasn’t great and took its toll on us. Considering how much of the early stages of the band were hindered, I think we have really pulled through and shown that nothing can stop us from doing what we love.

STM: You traveled to Brisbane and put yourselves in the safe hands of renowned recording royalty in Steve James (The Sex Pistols, The Jam, The Angels, The Screaming Jets, Airbourne), tell me a bit about working with him and your recording process.

Without Steve, none of this would have been possible. His guidance and expertise in his craft made recording our first EP a breeze so to speak. Basically, we start by jamming through the songs together and getting a feel in the studio. After this, we all track our parts individually, and then it all gets roughly comped to hear a basic rundown of the mix. Throughout this stage is where a lot of change happens in the songs with new ideas thrown in or parts are taken out. It was such an amazing experience, and we are so looking forward to getting back up there as soon as possible!

STM: Define has a wonderful arc listening to it from start to finish, it has a great flow and concludes with the sublime Growing Pains. The addition of strings lifts this song from bloody great to amazing, was that extra layer always part of the plan?

When recording that song initially we knew we wanted it to be big. Lachie had this amazing vision from the start and it was just missing something. The addition of the violin really uplifted the whole song and added such a cool atmosphere, and helped to even more encapsulate the sort of direction we were taking the song.

STM: Slave Within The Change is like a big slap in the face with its ripping riffs and angsty lyrics, how was the writing process, and who put pen to paper with that one, or was it a joint effort?

Slave Within the Change was an awesome song to record and personally my favourite off the EP. I remember working on it through a couple of rehearsals with Josh and Lachie a few years ago and laying down a rough foundation for what the song became. Lachie and Rhett wrote the lyrics for this one and then it came back to a rehearsal where we refined and made the song what it is now.

STM: The EP launch and regional tour are kicking off in just a matter of days, you and the boys must be pumped to be out on the road and performing live gigs?

It’s amazing. I don’t think we could explain how excited we are if we wanted to! Being back on a stage has been an absolute blessing and it’s going to be so awesome to go to places we haven’t played at yet and bring our music around Victoria.

STM: It’s hard to fit everything on your EP was it difficult to leave some of your original singles off? You have some pretty popular ones to choose from.

I wouldn’t change anything about the EP. I think the way it plays from start to finish really sets in stone the experiences we went through and how we as a band felt over the last few years. For those of you wanting to get your hands on a physical copy of the EP, you may be surprised with a little extra something on the CD!

STM: Rumour has it that you have been behind a drum kit since you were two years old, is there any truth in that?

That is completely true! Some say I was born with drumsticks in my hands.

STM: Fun question to close out, you are stuck on a desert island and have three bands on repeat, who are they?

That’s a hard one, but for me, at the moment Ocean Grove would absolutely take the cake. Two others I would pick would be Warrant and Megadeth, although it’s really not an easy choice!

All the best on the tour and with the new EP Define, I look forward to getting along to a few of your gigs and enjoying live music again.

‘Define’ serves as a consolidation of character through recent rough times, pouring our heart and soul into our music, thus ‘Defining’ ourselves. – Among The Restless

DEFINE is OUT NOW!

Define Tracklist

Define

Underground

Slave Within The Change

Lucy

Growing Pains

DEFINE is OUT NOW!

Come celebrate with AMONG THE RESTLESS over the next few weeks as they take DEFINE on the road!

June 25th – The Toff in Town, Melbourne

July 1st – Macedon Railway Hotel, Macedon

July 2nd – Golden Vine Hotel, Bendigo

July 7th – On Top Bar, Ormond

July 8th – Barwon Club Hotel, Geelong

July 16th – Pelly Bar, Frankston

July 23rd – Brunswick Ballroom , Brunswick

Tickets on Sale NOW!

Interviews Tour Interview

June 19, 2022

Midnite Mitch

Interview with Travis Everett (Witchgrinder)

Mitch recently had a chat with Travis from Witchgrinder to talk about their upcoming Queensland show “OUR PARTY”

(MC) Long time no chat! The last time we caught up was Aftershock Festival in 2021. How has everyone been since then?

(TE) Since we came out of lockdown and things opened we have been really great. Just getting together to rehearse and go check out other bands and clubs. It’s just been awesome to hang out together again.

Has there been much live playing?

Yes, as soon as restrictions lifted we booked a couple of local Melbourne shows and one in Sydney. With it being a year since we had a played live show we booked these pretty quickly just to get out there and on a stage again. We missed it so much.

I did hear there was a mishap at the Evelyn show a while back?

Yes unfortunately our first show back in Melbourne we had to cut it short. We were about halfway into our set when we noticed something was not right in the mosh pit. One of our fans somehow managed to dislocate his knee while rocking out to the band.

The venue was so packed and short-staffed. There was no way to safely move him until the paramedics arrived so we had no choice but to finish up.

Care to share some background on the setting up of the next big thing, “Our Party” up in QLD?

Vamp Barbie (aka Vee) has been hard-working interviewing hundreds of bands for years. We first met her at a festival in Brisbane back in 2010. When she interviewed us and has continued to support us ever since. Vee and her team have now put all focus on their site/channel Vampedup.tv . and now are ready to move on to running festivals. This is the first festival they are putting together, so when we got the offer we were very excited to be a part of it. They have an awesome mixed bunch of bands on the bill it’s going to be so much fun. Vamped up festivals look like they are going to be an ongoing thing as they have also just announced a boat cruise festival next year.

Have you gigged with or do you know most of the bands on the line-up?

Yes, there are a few bands from Brisbane and a few from Sydney we have either toured with or played with while in their state. It’s going to be great to catch up. Also very excited to meet and play with the bands we haven’t.

Keen for anyone in particular?

Yes, heaps of bands. Very excited to see Dept. of Gloom as they have just dropped a new single. Our Last Enemy will be amazing as they have said they will be playing new music from their latest ep. There are heaps of bands we have never seen live so we will be making a huge effort to check out as much as we can on the day.

It’s been a little while between releases, are you guys working on any new material?

There are heaps of new material. Over the last few years, there has been so many setbacks that has made it impossible for us to finish writing and hit the studio. We have managed to get a few singles out but the big ones we have saved for the full album. We are just finishing up pre-production and are booking recording dates soon. We were never going to rush this. It has to be right for us and also our fans.

Is there somewhere or someone you would like to record with in the future?

We record a lot of our music with Chris Themelco at Monolith studios and also at our home studio setups. Adrian Windsor has always been a key part when recording keys and extra samples. They both have a great understanding of our sound. I think what we have at the moment is very special and captures what and where we are at at the moment.

I did have a chat with Peter Tägtgren when we toured with his band Pain a few years ago about possibly one-day recording together if we were ever to make it over to Sweden. That would be amazing.

The last thing released was the Through The Never cover, how was that received? Did you guys have fun recording that?

Yes, we released that as it was the 30th anniversary of Metallica's black album. A band that has continued to be a huge inspiration to us. We had so much fun recording it. The tracking was done mostly at home so we had the freedom to take our time with it. We added a bunch of ideas to give it that Witchgrinder feel without straying to much from the original. Which I think is why it worked so well. We received great feedback from both our fans and Metallica fans.

What are next year's plans for Witchgrinder?

Album release, Tours, and more! Don’t want to give too much away

If Witchgrinder was going on tour, what are the essentials?

A phone and charger! A few examples…

Using it as a distraction. On tour, you can be stuck in a van for hours and hours, and sometimes it’s good to have a break from talking to each other before you end up killing each other haha.
We all like to listen to different music. So good to plug into your phone and listen to what you want at times
We can keep Witchgrinder's social media platforms up to date. Keep people in the loop. Posting photos and stories etc.
All the information about the tour is easy to access on your phone. Where to be and what times. Things like that.
It’s very important that we can always get in contact with each other. It can be easy to stray off at times. After parties can get pretty wild!

Our Party Festival is fast approaching! 😁🎉

July 30 at The Back Room Brisbane !

Huge Double Headliner! 🤘

Artists from VIC, NSW, & QLD! ⚡️Jelly Wrestling & Jelly Pit After party! ~ VIP tickets Limited & General tickets selling fast!
Doors open 11:45 am til 12am ~ Get your VIP & General tickets now!

http://www.vampedup.tv/party

Interviews Tour Interview

May 20, 2022

Casper

Interview with John Brewster (The Angels)

Australian rock royalty, The Angels announced their rescheduled tour dates for 2022 for both the Darkroom Recharged and Greatest Hits tours. Rohan had a great chat with John Brewster about what to expect on this long-awaited tour.

Australian rock royalty, The Angels have announced their rescheduled tour dates for 2022 for both the Darkroom Recharged and Greatest Hits tours. Running from May through to December and commencing with shows in the band’s birthplace of Adelaide, performances have been confirmed across Melbourne, NSW, Queensland and Perth.

This announcement follows rave reviews for their performances on the Red Hot Summer Tour and their set at Bluesfest, which Guitarist John Brewster described as, “one of the most magic things we’ve done in a long time” and was hailed by Bluesfest director Peter Noble as “one of the great Bluesfest shows”.

Darkroom Recharged is a four to the floor rock show in the great tradition of Aussie pubs and clubs. The re-recorded classic album of the same name was released in 2020 and gifted fans with a new version of the record featuring founding members John and Rick Brewster, singer Dave Gleeson, drummer Nick Norton, and John’s son, Sam, on bass. The “recharged” double version also featured the full record as a live album, recorded at the Bridge Hotel in Sydney.

Upon release, Rick Brewster said, “Darkroom has always been a very special album for us, marking the time when we left Alberts and toured America and Europe. It completes the Face to Face/No Exit/Darkroom Trilogy, recorded both in the Studio and Live, with bonus tracks and the occasional progression from the original recordings”.

John Brewster also explained, “The Angels have a long history that we can be proud of, as we are every member that’s played in the band over the years. These days we continue to write and record new songs, and with Dave Gleeson, Sam Brewster and Nick Norton it’s great to revisit the Darkroom album, one of my favourites.”

The Greatest Hits dates in August and September will thrill audiences with performances of wall-to-wall hits, ‘Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again’, ‘No Secrets’, ‘Take A Long Line’, ‘Shadow Boxer’, ‘Marseilles’, ‘Comin’ Down’, ‘After The Rain’, ‘Face The Day’, ‘Fashion and Fame’, ‘Let The Night Roll On’, ‘We Gotta Get Out Of This Place’, ‘Mr Damage’ … and more.

The Angels have celebrated some major milestones in recent times seeing the 45th anniversary of their debut single release, ‘Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again’, roll around and vocalist Dave Gleeson has also now been performing the band for over 10 years.

As the book, The 100 Best Australian Albums pointed out, “The Angels can lay claim to being Australia’s longest-lasting band.” They have been on the road consistently since 1974 and it took a global pandemic to slow them down. Now the band is itching to get back on stage and they’re not mucking around!””

RESCHEDULED 2022 TOUR DATES
Tickets from the https://theangels.com.au/

DARKROOM RECHARGED

FRI 20 MAY – THE GOV, ADELAIDE SA
FRI 20 MAY – THE GOV, ADELAIDE, SA
SAT 21 MAY – THE GOV, ADELAIDE, SA
FRI 27 MAY – BLACKTOWN WORKERS, BLACKTOWN, NSW
SAT 28 MAY – REVESBY WORKERS, REVESBY, NSW
FRI 3 JUNE – CHELSEA HEIGHTS HOTEL, ASPENDALE, VIC
SAT 4 JUNE – YORK ON LILYDALE, MOUNT EVELYN, VIC
FRI 10 JUNE – BELMONT 16’S, BELMONT, NSW
SAT 11 JUNE – CEX, COFFS HARBOUR, NSW
FRI 17 JUNE – MANSFIELD TAVERN, MANSFIELD, QLD
SAT 18 JUNE – KINGS BEACH TAVERN, KINGS BEACH, QLD
SUN 19 JUNE – WALLABY HOTEL, MUDGEERABA, QLD
FRI 24 JUNE – RAVENSWOOD HOTEL, RAVENSWOOD, WA
SAT 25 JUNE – CHARLES HOTEL, NORTH PERTH, WA
FRI 1 JULY – THE JUNIORS, KINGSFORD, NSW
SAT 2 JULY – TORONTO HOTEL, TORONTO, NSW
FRI 16 DEC – THE BRIDGE HOTEL, SYDNEY
SAT 17 DEC – THE BRIDGE HOTEL, SYDNEY

Interviews Tour Interview

May 20, 2022

STM

Interview with Suffa (Hilltop Hoods)

Hilltop Hoods are touring THE SHOW BUSINESS TOUR 2022 in a few months and STM interviewer Renee had a killer chat with Suffa recently to find out what they have in store.

HILLTOP HOODS have today announced dates for the ‘THE SHOW BUSINESS TOUR’ 2022 which sees the band playing headline shows across Australia this coming August & September. Proudly presented by triple j, TEG Live & Blue Max Music tickets will go on sale to the general public at 10.00 am Wednesday 11 May.

Joining HILLTOP HOODS for the national tour are A.B. ORIGINAL, who will be performing a taste of new music among classic tracks from their iconic debut album ‘Reclaim Australia’. Additional supports will be exciting Kenyan-born Australian singer-songwriter ELSY WAMEYO, and world-renowned turntablist DJ TOTAL ECLIPSE.

This is the band’s first headline tour since the ‘THE GREAT EXPANSE WORLD TOUR’ in 2019 which saw them playing sold-out Arenas to over 100,000 fans in 14 different countries. This was HILLTOP HOODS biggest and most successful headline tour to date, where they also created history with the largest tour of any Australian act in 2019.

The tour announcement follows the release of Hilltop Hoods brand-new single ‘Show Business’ which features US soul singer Eamon. The song is the Adelaide Trio’s first offering from a new album since 2018.

Join the multi-platinum selling and award-winning HILLTOP HOODS as they return for their first headline shows in 3 years. Look forward to hearing classic hits such as ‘Leave Me Lonely’, and ‘Exit Sign’ Feat. Illy & Ecca Vandal, ‘1955’ Feat. Montaigne & Tom Thum, The Nosebleed Section, ‘Cosby Sweater’ and ‘Chase That Feeling’ alongside their latest hit single ‘Show Business’ Feat. Eamon.

The legacy of HILLTOP HOODS is undeniable. Their unparalleled career speaks for itself with Ten ARIA awards; six #1 Albums; #1 most streamed Australian artist on Spotify 2 years running; sold-out arena tours and over 60 x Platinum accreditations and counting.

Get your tickets to see one of Australia’s most-loved live acts HILLTOP HOODS in the Telstra Plus member Pre-sale from 11 am (local time) on Thursday 5 May 2022 before the general public on sale at 10 am (local time) on Wednesday 11 May.

Stay up-to-date on HILLTOP HOODS by visiting their website https://hilltophoods.com

Album Interviews Interviews

May 20, 2022

Midnite Mitch

Interview with Be’lakor

Tess recently had a chat with Loren Kate to talk about her new single "One of These Days"

Can’t Swim Share New Single

Cloud Nothings Release New Album

SeeYouSpaceCowboy Release New Album

THE SUPERJESUS NEW SINGLE “WE WON’T LET GO UNTIL IT’S OVER”

Interview with Max Cavalera (SOULFLY)

[GOOD THINGS FESTIVAL 2022) Interview with NOVA TWINS!!

Interview with Jona Tee (H.E.A.T)

Interview with Olavi Mikkonen (Amon Amarth)

Interview with Jaidyn Hale (Among The Restless)

Interview with Travis Everett (Witchgrinder)

Interview with John Brewster (The Angels)

Interview with Suffa (Hilltop Hoods)

Interview with Be’lakor