September 10, 2022

STM

Interview with Fletcher Dragge (Pennywise)

Hermosa Beach legends PENNYWISE are gearing up for their return to Oz next month and are bringing with them, for the first time to our shores, fellow Californian punk rockers CIRCLE JERKS to play seven shows along with special guests, Civic who will open all shows*.

The tour will mark Pennywise’s first return to Australia since last visiting to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their ARIA certified Gold stratus album ‘Straight Ahead’ – the band’s highest charting album to date (number 8 in the ARIA charts).

Fletcher Dragge enthuses;

“Finally Pennywise gets to come back to our home away from home, Australia! Where the beer flows nonstop, along with the chaos. Never a dull moment on a Pennywise tour down under… only one thing could make it better than usual, and that would be coming to town with our mentors and long-time friends THE CIRCLE JERKS!!! They are back with a vengeance!

This is gonna be an off the f***ing hook nonstop party! And we can’t wait! Get your tix, get on the booze, and get in the pit, we’re coming for you f***ers!!!!!”

Formed in the South Bay of Los Angeles, a neighbourhood with a rich punk rock history, Pennywise began in 1988. The band would go on to amass an international following with their combustible chemistry which delivered some of punk rock culture’s strongest songs. Pennywise classics like ‘Same Old Story’, ‘Alien’ and ‘Homesick’ are as fundamental to punk rock and hardcore as stage dives and guitars.

Emerging from the punk underbelly of LA’s South Bay in 1979, Keith Morris (Black Fag, OFF!) and Greg Hetson (Red Kross, Bad Religion) formed Circle Jerks, who quickly became the innovators of a movement simply referred to today as HARDCORE PUNK ROCK.

Melbourne powerhouse Civic will open all shows on the tour (except for Gosford). Forming in 2018 and bonding over a shared love of tightly coiled riffs and a collective musical ethos, Civic have found a home somewhere between 80’s glam rock and Australia’s 70’s greats. Paying homage to the classics, but pivoting on them with an avant-charged edge.

Raw, searing guitars; pummeling rhythms; driving bass; with vocals that lock into and synergise with their wall of sound. Balanced by the raucous and restrained weaving of melodies and textures, the imbued sense of nostalgia. Driving and tenacious, but never losing sight of a good hook and how to use it, Civic doesn’t tip-toe around the edges – but obliterate them with primal intensity!

This historic pairing of hardcore punk heavyweights will be leaving devastation in their wake this September.

TOUR DATES

Saturday, September 17: Chelsea Heights Hotel, Melbourne SOLD OUT

Sunday, September 18: The Forum, Melbourne

Tuesday, September 20: Uni Bar, Wollongong

Wednesday, September 21: Drifters Wharf, Gosford

Friday, September 23: Enmore Theatre, Sydney

Saturday, September 24: Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane

Sunday, September 25: Hindley Street Music Hall, Adelaide

Tuesday, September 27: Metropolis, Fremantle

*Civic not appearing in Gosford

Tickets on sale now from

livenation.com.au

Album Interviews Interviews+1

September 8, 2022

Kynan Arden

Interview with Kenny Leckramo (HEAT)

Scandinavia heads down under as Silverback Touring bring you two of Sweden’s finest Hard Rock exports H.E.A.T. This will be the first Australian Tour and the action takes place in September 2022.

Over the last several years H.E.A.T has established themselves as one of the leading brands in the melodic rock scene, both in their homeland Sweden and internationally. They have toured and performed front of thousands and thousands of fans around the world

In April 2008, their self-titled debut album was released and became a massive vitamin injection for the genre and instantly received accolades from both fans and critics worldwide. The release was followed up by immense touring and H.E.A.T played with bands such as Alice Cooper, Thin Lizzy and on big festivals like Sweden Rock.

Since that time H.E.A.T have released a further 6 studio albums and have established themselves as a major force in the hard rock world.

During the Covid period, the band experienced a shift in personnel with original vocalist, Kenny Leckremo, returning to the fold replacing Erik Gronwoll. The band has a new album, Force Majeure, releasing on 5 August just in time for their Aussie visit.

“What can you say about H.E.A.T? If you don’t like these energetic Swedes you must be dead inside, as this year they’ve shown the UK crowd how to be the most complete band on the planet” – Classic Rock Magazine.

Local support comes from rising rock starlet, Cassidy Paris who fuses elements of melodic rock, pop punk and classic rock and is making noise all over the world as an artist to watch.

Album Interviews Interviews+1

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/

GOOD THINGS FESTIVAL | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK

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/

GOOD THINGS FESTIVAL | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK

Gallery

August 31, 2022

Samuel Phillips

[Gallery] KISS @ Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide 30/8/2022

KISS

THE SUPERJESUS

Gallery

August 21, 2022

STM

[Gallery] KISS @ Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne 20/8/2022

KISS

DEAD CITY RUINS

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

Interviews Tour Interview

August 4, 2022

STM

Interview with THE HU!

Critically celebrated Mongolian rock band THE HU kicked off their Black Thunder tour of Australia and New Zealand in Melbourne for the last 2 nights!

STMs Mitch and Kynan got to hang with THE HU this week ahead of their Australian Tour across Australia!

On all Australian shows, The Blackwater Fever will rattle audiences down to their bone marrow via some thunderous, tortured electric guitar, mesmerising organ swirls, and the unrelenting rhythmic stomp of their atmospheric, blues-heavy rock.

Breaking your heart one minute with a harrowing growl, only to pick you up with an irresistible rocker the next, this Brisbane-based blues-rock trio is a live experience not to be missed.

The Blackwater Fever has shared stages with The Black Keys (US), Clutch (US), Truckfighters (SWE), Violent Soho, Tame Impala, Birds Of Tokyo, and many more.

******

Setting the scene in Auckland, the mighty Shepherd’s Reign are the perfect openers for a night of primal music. Combining the traditional and ancient music of their forefathers with modern rock and metal influences including bands like Gojira, Avenged Sevenfold, and Dream Theater, Shepherds Reign have found their own unique sound in a cluttered and overblown musical environment.

Shepherds Reign brings a captivating and enthralling sound with the use of the Samoan language, instruments, and culture, making it an integral part of their evocative and primal live show. A show that displays a fierce pride for their music and wins the audience every time with its blood-pumping ritualistic beats, thick melodic textures, and an undeniable power that hooks the audience into the band’s dark and heavy realm completely.

You can catch them on the below dates!!! But be quick Tickets are selling out fast

THE HU
Black Thunder Australia & NZ Tour 2022

Friday, August 5: Eatons Hill Hotel, Brisbane
Saturday, August 6: Bridgeway Hotel, Adelaide
(Previously Hindley Street Music Hall)
Sunday, August 7: The Roundhouse, Sydney Sold Out
Thursday, August 11: Powerstation, Auckland NZ Sold Out

For complete tour and ticket and information, visit:
livenation.com.au, livenation.co.nz & thehuofficial.com

Proving their global appeal, The HU have sold out venues across the world in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, with scheduled festival appearances at Coachella, Lollapalooza, Download Festival, and more, creating a community of fans from all walks of life. They quickly grabbed the attention of the industry, leading to collaborations with Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach and Lzzy Hale of Halestorm.

Their debut album, 2019 ‘s The Gereg, debuted at #1 on the World Album and Top New Artist Charts. With it, the band have accumulated over 250 million combined streams and video views to date and have received critical acclaim from the likes of Billboard, NPR, GQ, The Guardian, The Independent, Revolver, and even Sir Elton John himself.

Readying their next chapter as a global force, The HU will release their new album,
Rumble Of Thunder on September 2, Better Noise Music.

Pre orders are available now!
thehu.ffm.to/rumbleofthunder

Follow The Hu
WEBSITE // FACEBOOK // INSTAGRAM // TWITTER // YOUTUBE

Interviews Tour Interview

June 8, 2022

STM

Interview with JOHN CORABI

Journeyman, stalwart, or just The Mayor of Rock ‘n’ Roll, John Corabi certainly needs no introduction.

As the voice of The Scream, The Dead Daisies, Union, and ESP but perhaps most notably, as the voice of Motley Crue during their brief departure from life with Vince Neil in 1994, anything featuring the raspy vocals of JOHN CORABI cannot be mistaken.

On the eve of the release of his autobiography “Horseshoes and Hand Grenades”, in which he recounts his life from the streets of Philadelphia to the Sunset Strip and beyond, JOHN CORABI brings his intimate solo acoustic show to Australia for the first time in what can be considered a career retrospective of sorts.

Fans can expect to hear Corabi perform music from all stages of his career intertwined with stories and anecdotes that only JOHN CORABI can deliver.

They don’t come more seasoned than Corabi and with a wide repertoire of rock ‘n’ roll at his disposal, this will be a unique insight into one of the biggest and most recognisable voices in rock ‘n’ roll.

JOHN CORABI – Solo & Acoustic, Songs & Stories Australian Tour Dates

Thursday 2nd June – SYDNEY, Crowbar

Wednesday 8th June – BRISBANE, Brightside

Thursday 9th June – MELBOURNE, Northcote Social Club

Friday 10th June – ADELAIDE, Enigma Bar

Saturday 11th June – PERTH, Amplifier Bar

Tickets On Sale Now From: https://www.silverbacktouring.com.au/john-corabi-acoustic-solo/

PIXIES ANNOUNCE EXCLUSIVE INTIMATE AUSTRALIAN SIDESHOWS

MALEVOLENCE Release Video For New Single ‘Trenches’

BEHEMOTH Release Live Video For ‘At The Left Hand Ov God’ Monumental Career-Spanning Live Album XXX YEARS OV BLASPHEMY Out Now

UNDISPUTED TITANS OF THRASH METAL ANNOUNCE AUSTRALIAN TOUR

Australian Tour

Interview with Fletcher Dragge (Pennywise)

Interview with Kenny Leckramo (HEAT)

Interview with Max Cavalera (SOULFLY)

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

[Gallery] KISS @ Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide 30/8/2022

KISS

THE SUPERJESUS

[Gallery] KISS @ Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne 20/8/2022

KISS

DEAD CITY RUINS

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

Interview with THE HU!

Interview with JOHN CORABI