HEAVY Music Interviews

HEAVY Magazine

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Music Interviews
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All the latest music interviews from the team at HEAVY Magazine. HEAVY interviews the worlds leading rock, punk, metal and beyond musicians in the heavy universe of music. We will upload the latest interviews regularly so before to follow our social accounts and our podcast account on www.speaker.com/user/heavy Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

3 days ago

Making The Odd Seem Normal With DALE TANNER From OCEAN GROVE

If you’ve got your finger anywhere near the pulse of the Australian metal/alternative scene, you know exactly what last night was. It was the official launch of the highly anticipated Oddworld Underground Australian Tour, and it all kicked off last night in Western Australia at the legendary Amplifier Bar in Perth. We are sitting down with the absolute kings of eccentric heavy tunes, the one and only Ocean Grove, with frontman Dale Tanner shunning valuable rehearsal time to bring us up to speed. These Melbourne nu-metal misfits have spent the last twelve months completely tearing up international stages, including a massive run across the UK and Europe supporting fellow Aussies Thornhill. After leaving a trail of beautiful destruction overseas, Ocean Grove are finally back on home soil for their first proper headline run in what feels like an eternity. Last night sparked a relentless nine-day, five-city assault that will see the band unleash captivating chaos through Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, and Newcastle, before wrapping it all up with a massive final show at The Princess Theatre in Brisbane on Saturday, August 22. Ocean Grove aren't doing things by halves either; recruiting New Orleans metalcore heavyweights Cane Hill who mark their monumental return to Australian shores for the first time in a decade. If that wasn’t enough to push the boundaries of your local venue, Western Sydney’s hardcore-metal powerhouses Deficit are on the bill to provide absolute live spectacles, alongside the stunning cinematic shoegaze textures of Adelaide’s very own Blinder. This tour promises to be an absolute headline run for the ages; a full-throttle celebration of what makes the alternative heavy music scene in this country so incredibly unique. HEAVY caught up with Dale just hours before stepping onto the stage to talk about bringing the Oddworld universe back home, the absolute madness of touring with international heavyweights, and what fans can expect when the doors finally open. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.
4 days ago

Down the Garden Path with JOHANNES ECKERSTROM From AVATAR

Interview by Angela Croudace If you like your heavy music served with a massive side of absolute, unadulterated chaos and a theatrical bite, then grab yourself a slice of the dance floor and brace your necks. The Swedish metal visionaries collectively known as Avatar are finally making their way back Down Under, and trust me when I say this is shaping up to be one of the absolute heaviest and most anticipated spectacles of the entire year. Renowned across the globe for their legendary performances, ludicrous levels of musical skill, and a seemingly endless catalogue of killer anthems, Avatar have long been your favorite metal band’s favorite metal band. We are talking about a group so highly respected that Iron Maiden routinely invites them out on tour, and the late, great Vinnie Paul once claimed that Dimebag Darrell himself would have been jealous of their monstrous guitar riffs. Ever since Avatar stormed their way onto the international circuit, these guys have refused to follow the traditional rules of engagement. They smashed their way onto the charts with the universally acclaimed Dance Devil Dance, and they are continuing that streak of pure creative madness with their latest dark masterwork, Don't Go in the Forest. Their single Death and Glitz is a perfect example of what makes this band so special. It is a track fueled by crushing grooves, hypnotic hooks, and a uniquely perverted, detached sense of storytelling that only Avatar can deliver. For Australian audiences, these upcoming live dates are not just regular rock shows; they are an invitation into an entirely different, beautifully twisted universe. This is a band that commands the side of the stage at every major European and American festival, with members of metal royalty standing by just to watch them work their magic. Now, it is Australia's turn to step inside the circus tent and experience the sonic violence firsthand. HEAVY grabbed the ultimate opportunity to sit down with the band's enigmatic, charismatic frontman, Johannes Eckerström. In true Avatar fashion, we went completely down the garden path to talk about the preparation behind their chaotic live assault, the creative evolution of their newest material, what it feels like to bring their signature blend of death and glitz back to local soil, and why Australian fans can no longer be denied. So turn the volume right up, check out the full chat below, and make sure you grab your tickets NOW before they vanish. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.
5 days ago

CORELEONI Keep The Metal Moving With Generection

Interview by Ali Williams CORELEONI have a new album on the way, Generection and guitarist Leo Leoni sounds exactly as you would hope somebody still making rock records after more than thirty years would sound: pleased to be there and keen to keep going. The album came together quickly. The band collected ideas, got together and worked through them while everyone was still fired up, and within a few months the record was finished. It was actually completed by the end of last year before switching record labels, which pushed the release back several times. Check out heavymag.com.au for the full interview Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.
5 days ago

TEMPLES ON MARS: Build It, Burn It, Keep Playing

Interview by Ali Williams There are bad weeks, and then there are weeks where the rehearsal studio you spent a year building burns for 4 days, TEMPLES ON MARS guitarist and vocalist James Donaldson joined HEAVY’s Ali Williams somewhat later than originally planned, although his excuse was considerably better than forgetting to check the calendar. Back in the end of June, the London building housing the band’s newly completed rehearsal space and studio went up in flames, bringing 150 firefighters and 25 fire engines to the scene and taking 4 days to extinguish. Nobody was hurt, which remains the only part of that story worth celebrating, but the timing was particularly brutal given TEMPLES ON MARS had only just finished creating the space in the first place. Building their own headquarters had been a practical answer to the expensive and restrictive reality of London rehearsal rooms. After spending the better part of a year getting everything operational, the band finally had somewhere they could rehearse and record on their own terms. After having a rehearsal there on the Wednesday night, by the following Friday , they were receiving photographs of the entire building burning. Full interview heavymag.com.au Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.
5 days ago

NOIR ADDICTION: Pretty Things Don’t Last And Finding Comfort In The Dark

Interview by Angela Croudace For Sonny Lanegan, frontman of Noir Addiction, music is about creating something authentic enough to pull listeners into its world. Speaking about the band’s latest EP, Pretty Things Don’t Last, Sonny explained that its songs explore love, obsession, addiction and the desire to escape life. While each track stands on its own, he believes the EP becomes connected when heard as a whole. The band’s sound blends electronic textures, industrial influences, alternative rock and pop hooks, with Sonny revealing that Money for the Honey began with a beat rather than a guitar riff. Inspired by the music he grew up listening to, the 1990s, he says he asks himself one question when writing: “Will I buy this album?” That authenticity is central to Noir Addiction, especially after Sonny stepped into the role of vocalist following the departure of the band’s original singer. Despite the pressure and anxiety of creating the EP under tight time constraints, he is proud of what emerged. With live shows receiving enthusiastic responses, Noir Addiction are now looking toward the future, and hopefully Australia. For Sonny, the goal is simple: to create music that gives listeners the connection and comfort he found in the bands he loved growing up. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.
7 Aug

Small Name, Big Noise With JESSE ATTARD From RUNT

Brisbane has a fiercely proud history of producing world-class rock performers, with the production line rolling out yet another slab of excellence to continue the momentum. The newest addition is Runt, a powerhouse four-piece alternative rock and grunge outfit that refuses to play by the rules. Describing their massive sound as having an "underdog chip on its shoulder," this hungry local lineup strips away the facades of modern studio trickery, instead focusing on an unapologetic, face-melting assault built on huge riffs, hypnotic hooks, and visceral melody. The brainchild of singer, guitarist, and main songwriter Jesse Attard - who some would know as having played Angus Young with Accadacca across the world - Runt are a band born from the road and custom-built to survive. Attard quietly amassed a deep treasure trove of killer material while touring internationally as a hired gun, but realised these songs needed an assortment of like -minded, talented musicians to do them justice. Settling on guitarist John Dempsey, bassist Damian Bell, and drummer Robbie Wheeler, Attard had the foundations for success and took the next step as a fully fledged original band. The music industry is officially on notice. Runt’s highly anticipated, self-titled debut album drops like a bomb on August 7, 2026, through independent Australian powerhouse label XMusic. Moving completely away from predictable commercial trends, Runt approached their debut not as a lazy playlist, but as a lean, curated collection of stories where each track has its own distinct pulse, purpose, and attitude. Sonically, this record leans hard into the dark, atmospheric, and beautifully heavy territory carved out by 1990s grunge heavyweights like Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, and Stone Temple Pilots, but with a distinctly unique flavour that stamps a fresh take on the genre. HEAVY sat down with Attard to find out more. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.
6 Aug

Australia, Prepare For A Long-Overdue Dose of Sonic Brilliance With SOEN

Australian progressive metal fans, it is finally time to stop pinching yourselves because the wait is officially over. Sweden’s undisputed kings of cognitive, emotionally driven heavy music, SOEN, are finally hitting our shores this October. For a band that has spent the last decade and a half redefining the very boundaries of modern prog with their intoxicating blend of crushing riffs, soaring melodies, and intricate rhythms, an Australian tour has been a glaring omission on their map. But thanks to The Phoenix, the group is making the long trek downstairs for their highly anticipated Reliance Tour. Led by the rhythmic powerhouse Martin Lopez and the fiercely captivating vocals of Joel Ekelöf, SOEN has built a reputation as a band that doesn’t just play music; they craft worlds. Ever since their groundbreaking 2012 debut album Cognitive, they have consistently evolved, layering their sound with deep atmospheric tension, crushing sonic weight, and a level of melancholic beauty that few can replicate. They possess that rare live alchemy that turns a standard metal gig into a borderline religious experience. Starting Friday, 16 October at 170 Russell in Melbourne, before moving to Sydney’s Manning Bar on 17 October and wrapping up at Brisbane’s beloved heavy haven, the Crowbar, on 19 October, this run promises to be an absolute masterclass in live performance. Adding absolute fuel to the fire, Aussie homegrown instrumental progressive royalty The Omnific are jumping on as special guests, celebrating their monumental 10th anniversary. HEAVY caught up with the mastermind himself, Martin Lopez, to get the absolute lowdown on what took them so long to get here, how they plan to condense a massive, career-spanning discography into a single, explosive headlining set, what Australian fans can expect when Sweden’s premier sonic architects finally unleash their live show on our stages and more. SOEN + THE OMNIFIC October 2026 Australian Tour Dates Friday 16th October MELBOURNE, 170 Russell Saturday 17th October SYDNEY, Manning Bar Monday 19th October BRISBANE, Crowbar Tickets thephoenix.au Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.
6 Aug

Finding Your Niche With KYLE BLOKSGAARD From BARRIERS

Brisbane is about to get hit by an absolute wall of sonic destruction. The third annual Necrosonic Festival is locking and loading for its most brutal ritual yet, taking over the legendary Mansfield Tavern on Saturday, August 22, 2026. We are talking 12-plus hours of pure, unadulterated musical chaos spread across three massive stages. While the international heavyweights in Rivers of Nihil and local tech-death royalty Psycroptic are rightfully drawing plenty of attention, it is the deeper, darker corners of this stacked Australian lineup where the real magic happens. Enter Barriers. Hailing from the southern heavy hotbeds of Adelaide and Melbourne, this crushing four-piece outfit does not just play heavy music—they manipulate it. They have engineered a sonic identity that stands defiantly apart from the standard cookie-cutter template. By blending the progressive complexity of Meshuggah, the expansive, atmospheric dread of Cult of Luna, and the sheer, mid-paced tectonic groove of Gojira, Barriers have created a monster. It is raw, minimal, and completely unsettling. If you have spun their debut EP, Decay, you already know the band relies heavily on dark contrasts. They masterfully balance suffocating doom with sudden, violent bursts of death metal intensity. Frontman and producer Kyle Bloksgaard injects a vocal dynamic that handles deeply personal torment just as easily as it spits socio-political venom. At HEAVY, we love throwing down a challenge. We sent out our traditional Q&A sheet to the entire Necrosonic lineup, warning every band that a failure to reply meant buying the HEAVY crew a beer at the venue. While we were quietly hoping to score a mountain of free pints, the Barriers boys ruined our plans by being some of the very first to get back to us! They are hungry, they are focused, and they are ready to lay waste to Brisbane. Do not sleep on this set. HEAVY spoke with Kyle to get the lowdown. Necrosonic tickets and more information: https://necrosonicfestival.com/ Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

All the latest music interviews from the team at HEAVY Magazine. HEAVY interviews the worlds leading rock, punk, metal and beyond musicians in the heavy universe of music. We will upload the latest interviews regularly so before to follow our social accounts and our podcast account on www.speaker.com/user/heavy Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

Creator

HEAVY Magazine
Years Active

2018 - 2026
Episodes

1k
Rating

Explicit
Copyright

© HEAVY 2025
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HEAVY Music Interviews