Inner-Strength Check Podcast

It's not often we get to interview frontmen from not one but two bands co-headlining massive Australian tours, but here we are! Today on Inner-Strength Check Podcast, I'm joined by the one and only iconic Dani Filth of seminal UK extreme-metal institution CRADLE OF FILTH. A band who virtually need no introduction, they're a household name for a reason. With a grandiose, savage and blistering live show, they're hitting the airport to bundle in with DEVILDRIVER (US) for a tour that starts Thursday, 14th July in Brisbane!

Thanks once again to Dani and Nuclear Blast for facilitating...

You know what they say - if it ain't broke, don't fix it! Here with another instalment of their timeless brand of buzzsaw-laden old-school death metal assault, are Borisz Sarafugyinov and Bastian Herzog of German death-dealers FLESHCRAWL.

With latest LP 'Epitome of Carnage' hacking heads and taking names across streaming platforms and stages, we discuss the bands' organic studio and live performance processes, songwriting, changes in the extreme metal scene over time and more.

Included in today's podcast episode is a raft of extra goodies - not only have we got full details, singles and...

Another very lucky honour and privilege here at Inner-Strength Check Podcast! As the man fronting Coal Chamber and, later on and to date, Devildriver, vocalist Dez Fafara has been around the block a few times.

That also includes our block, and having seen the 'Driver a fair few times (as well as a lucky CC slot at Soundwave one time), he's definitely a frontman who knows how to work an audience. We discuss returning to Australia, the upcoming album release, the imminent tour alongside the UK's Cradle of Filth and more.

BONUS: Inner-Strength Check Radio...

17 years - can you believe it?! Seventeen years since my gob was last smacked around pretty firmly by these metalcore/post-hardcore heroes in Poison The Well.

And now, the Hardcore Gods have seen it fit for Australia to be blessed with poisoned drinking devices once more.

Almost two decades later, guitarist and all-around riff-creation maestro Ryan Primarch graciously joins me at the end of a long run of interviews after a VERY convenient power outage on my end prior, to discuss: the Japanese PtW tour and crowd response to newer material, thoughts on touring Australia...

Now this is one that makes my punk-rock heart sing!

A very privileged opportunity to chat with Bill Stevenson, drummer from a band that were hugely formative in my heavy/alternative/punk-rock journey, and likely yours too - The Descendents!

Going one better, we're also discussing an upcoming tour where they'll be playing a full onslaught of landmark 90's punk LP Everything Sucks and more, as part of the 'Run Down Under' Australian/New Zealand tour which kicks off in two days - right near my place down at Barwon Heads Hotel! We'll catch you...

What a legendary opportunity this was for one little grindcore-goblinoid such as me. Joining me on the Inner-Strength Check Podcast to talk touring, musicianship, EXHUMED, LEFT TO DIE (US) and the upcoming tour (including shows with none other than the mighty ORIGIN (US)!) is none other than grind-star vocalist/guitarist MATT HARVEY!

Matt's a chilled dude behind the mic, but that's because he's bringing decades of veterancy from the likes of Exhumed, Gruesome and Left To Die, among many other experiences. There's absolutely nothing like an Exhumed show, so don't disappoint Matt, the Exhumed lads... or the...

Being too bloody good at his job and therefore stuck with myself admist all the other journos on the podcast earlier this week, was vocalist Johannes Eckerstrom of the uniquely out-there Scandinavian metal-troupe Avatar.

Despite being parked up in a cosy hotel bed, Johannes was fully engaged, banter dialled to 'Full Sweden', and looking hugely forward to a return to our shores in August. From the man himself, as part of our discussion about their recent successful overseas leg of the tour cycle, he/they have been receiving universally positive live responses to recent whacky LP Don’t...

GOPHER is part party-metal, part grindcore, part slam, part hardcore two-piece from Australia & unlike anything you’ve heard before! Grab your durries, pack a bowl, nab your passed-out roomies' nangs and get ready to rock on down to an undisclosed beach-location with myself and NED SMELLY.

We have a good old yarn about the project, influences, plans for the live front in future and more. From the mouths of these two nutters comes the bands' bio: Originally hailing from Fanny Barks, UK, and forming in 1790, after having arrived on the first fleet to what was known back th...

Part I - [Interview]: There's no brakes on the tour announcement train, and time, tide and progressive tech-death wait for no man. A man who knows all about this is Kyle Schaefer, vocalist of US progressive tech-death legends Fallujah.

With the recent successful release of the fantastic LP Xenotaph, they're bringing themselves Down Under/to NZ later this year with German tech-prog-death giants Obscura + Australian death-dealers Ashen and Anoxia.

Kyle's a chill dude (with a WAY better streamer setup than Yours Truly, TBH!) and gave his thoughts on Shredfest, Xenotaph, live gear setup, international touring...

US metalcore giants Of Mice & Men have forged a hugely successful reputation both musically and, especially, their raucous live performances.

On both sides of the barrier! We almost missed the boat on this one, but were thankfully able to grab a last-minute interview with Aaron Pauley (Vocals) and Valentino 'Tino' Artega (Drums) to get their thoughts around returning alongside Japanese up-and-comers Crystal Lake.

Check out the accompanying show notes, including additional singles/artist media, tour information, ticket links and more at:

www.innerstrengthcheckpodcast.com/blog

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(Note: This podcast episode originally featured on our old website, innerstrengthcheck.com, which suffered an unexpected and untimely demise right on New Year's Eve 2024! The episodes and their video counterparts are still available via the usual links/channels - check the show notes below for more details).

Welcome to Inner-Strength Check, a podcast at the confluence of mental health, hobbies, leisure, society and community. For today's episode, I decided to give you all a bit of an honest peek behind the GM screen and detail my own mental health recovery/neurodiversity trajectory over time, up...

What an incredible opportunity!

I've been a massive Warbringer fan ever since the release of their first album, War Without End back in 2008. Missing their previous Australian tour has felt like an egregious insult to my thrasher spirit.

Imagine my excitement for us not only getting the privilege to review their upcoming set at Brutefest 2026 in Melbourne, but also chat to frontman/vocalist John Kevill! We go deep on this one, as the band did on killer 2025 LP Wrath and Ruin. Technocracy, sociology, touring, lyrics, mental health, thoughts about touring both Australia and SE Asia...

Easter, Schmeaster.

Just 'cause it's Easter Monday, don't think for a second that us metalhead apostates are lifting that foot off the gas! Speaking of, irrespective of everything happening to fuel prices and the whole Strait of Hormuz can't slow down Immolation - neither can time.

After 37 years in the business, they've been breaking grounds that the modern extreme-metal scene are only just catching up to now. Here to talk about latest album Descent, songwriting, musicianship, death metal longevity, changes in the DM scene/production/touring and more is longstanding guitarist and riff-wizard Bob Vigna. <...

I was recently joined by Bård Torstensen, guitarist and longstanding member of seminal Swedish/Norwegion rap-rock pioneers Clawfinger to discuss recently-released comeback album Before We All Die - their first in almost two decades since 2007's Life Will Kill You. It's a solid comeback and a funky bop for sure!

As you'll find out from Bård (and giving the album a spin, it's out now on all streaming platforms via Nuclear Blast Records!), the titular and lyrical accuracy of that album title, the lyrical themes and the like are as timeless as their riffing style an...

'Perpetual Selection' has dropped on an unwitting international stage, and it's a fierce, technical and melodic slice of well-produced Australian death metal.

Just prior to the albums' release (March 13th, 2026, via independent release), I spoke to the bands' talented drummer, Ferdi Handojo, regarding the album (production, songwriting, influences, etc) as well as thoughts on both the Western Australian and broader metal scenes.

Stay tuned for show notes on the blog tonight as we're doing something a little different this time - reviewing the aforementioned album in full! Video version, multiple single music video links, artist...

Hot off the back of a run of successful shows, Joshua Middleton (Vocalist/Guitarist) of legendary modern-metallers Sylosis returns to ISC for a chat about their latest opus in The New Flesh, which released 20th Feb 2026 via Nuclear Blast Records.

It's an album that really does have something for everyone - anthemic, broad melodic moments, breakneck thrash metal, dizzying shred and memorable tunes. Josh and I discuss the album, stylistic shifts, songwriting, production and more, for both the current LP and across the bands' storied career.

Full show notes inc. additional media, album info, order...

First of all, congratulations and thanks in order to Elissa Jewell for not only being a fantastic co-host in yesterday's cross-disciplinary Q & A style chat here - but also for officially being our first-ever Member (a Riff Nerd) on our brand new Patreon site!

Elissa and I previously spoke at her old leased space in Preston in 2023.

We now return for another intense, thorough and fun conversation within the walls of her recently setup private gym space in Melbourne!

We touch base on quite a lot of intersecting professional/lived-experience thoughts/issues...

G'day! Mornin'. 'Eve. Wherever you hail in the world, we're currently reaching the final few hours of #MusicMondays over here at ISC.

Rather than just flatten out all the incredible tracks and recent Heavy News (music news) engorging our very strained inbox, I thought it best to take a different tack for our second broadcast.

Show notes soon available over at www.innerstrengthcheckpodcast.com/blog with further details of all releases, tour announcements and other news discussed.

Format:

(0:00) Intro

(02:38) ISC Patreon announcement (WOO!)

(08:01) Heavy News - 'Satanic...

Time to put on your dancing shoes, Australia!

Electric Six can't get enough of the place, with next months' Greatest Hits Tour as their third arrival on our shores since 2023.

I was joined on the podcast this morning to chat with the bands' mainstay frontman Dick Valentine to discuss thoughts on the upcoming tour, recent international tours, what to expect from an Electric Six show and more.

Show notes, including ticket links, venue/date/other tour info, additional artist media and more available shortly over at: www.innerstrengthcheckpodcast.com/blog.

If...

Genre tags are a funny thing - you'll often see bands lumped in with the 'atmospheric' and 'post-XYZ' tags, who play it safe within those domains. Not Denmark's MØL, however.

Dreamcrush releases in a week's time, and it sees significant stylistic shifts which, in this writers' opinion, they landed. Here to talk about the album and give us extra insights into influences, style, taste, recording and musicianship is talented guitarist Nicolai Busse! A man proud of his craft and the new directions the band are taking together organically.

Check out our awesome conversation here, t...

(Ignore the gaffe from me on the thumbnail/intro image - that's Tim Richmond, not Richardson! D'oh!)

For show notes, including recent press release/album order links etc, check out the accompanying blog post at: www.innerstrengthcheckpodcast.com/blog.

Our second interview out for today is a longer one, but it's certainly worthwhile listening in! Tim 'Mothlord' Richmond helms the mic for local Melbourne blackened-deathgrind outfit Munt, and is back today with the same for a podcast chat.

Having exploded onto the scene as part of a storied lineup comprising years of experience...

(HED) P.E. return to shake Australia to its very foundations and they are bringing NONPOINT with them, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their landmark album Broke!

To celebrate this landmark in nu-metal canon, discuss thoughts about prior tours, the realities of making it as a musician in modern times and much more, I was joined late last week on the podcast by none other than bar-spittin' vocalist and chill dude Jahred Gomes. Jahred and I had a conversation that was funny, candid and sincere - even if my webcam decided to switch off...

It's #MusicMonday. Our last before Christmas and second-last of 2025. What a year it's been!

Much like the slew of international and local tours pouring out of every nook and cranny, latest interviewee Ben Green has shown no signs of slowing up just 'cause we're in December. Hot off a recent successful first-ever show with the newly formed and very blackened metalcore act Grimlock (on lead guitar duties), Ben's also been involved with a Melbourne emo/post-hardcore act known as Gypsy Road as a bassist. Topping that off, Ben also puts out some shredtastic riffery across Youtube and...

Last Friday, whilst headed to a gig in Melbourne, I received word of a once-in-a-lifetime interview opportunity which required some last-minute intervention! In a first for the Inner-Strength Check Podcast, we used the power of the smartphone to have a roadside chat from somewhere in regional Victoria to converse with a living thrash-metal god: Miland 'Mille' Petrozza of German thrash titans Kreator. A man I have looked up to for decades.

We push through my starry-eyed fanboying to discuss upcoming album Krushers of The World (out Jan 16th via Nuclear Blast Records), the songwriting process and key...

For additional background information on the show/my plans ongoing as discussed in the Outro section, refer to:

https://www.innerstrengthcheckpodcast.com/blog/podcast-inner-strength-check-radio-some-ideas-your-input-wanted

Stay tuned for the blog post accompanying this episode, where you'll be able to access artist links and additional media for all bands featured on the show! You're watching recording of the incredibly brutal and addicting indie hit game Kenshi, from LoFi Games.

This game has been a massive hyperfixation of mine all year, and rightfully so.

Consider following the above link to check out...

Deathcore pioneers Despised Icon occupy an interesting space. Equally as influential in pioneering the deathcore movement as they are distinctly their own sound, few bands just straight-up nail the melding of death-metal brutality with streetwise hardcore as these Canadian crushers.

Whilst the wheels of the touring machine warm up, the band are preparing to drop 7th full-length LP Shadow Work on us in a week's time. Here to talk about all of the above and more is guitarist Eric Jarrin, who had a hand in album production alongside vocalist Alex Erian. Eric has a lot of great...

Late last week, I was joined on the Inner-Strength Check Podcast by Noah See, drummer of progressive post-metal/doom heavyweights Conjurer (UK).

With the imminent release of third full-length Unself later this month, as well as an upcoming slew of UK/European tour dates, Noah and Co are understandably keen as hell.

Given the album remains true to the core musical dynamic yet also branches out from both Mire (2018) and Pathos (2022), I can personally confirm via advance listens that this is a superbly crafted LP!

We discuss the album, drumming, songwriting, entering the...

Bay Area metal-progenitors Possessed are nothing short of iconic, having been a primary influence in the formation of death and thrash metal.

On Friday, I caught up with vocalist Jeff Becerra to discuss the bands' first ever Australian tour, celebrating 40 years of their landmark album Seven Churches and much more!

For full details on the upcoming tour, ticket links, artist info and more, head on over to:

www.innerstrengthcheckpodcast.com/blog for more.

Peace, Love and Death Metal Possession - Brady.

Yesterday I was joined by Chuck Billy, the powerful and talented vocalist/frontman for Bay Area thrash metal legends Testament. During our conversation we discussed the interesting dynamics involved in the bands' writing and recording for the hard-hitting 14th LP Para Bellum, which releases on October 10th via Nuclear Blast Records. Naturally there's a whole slew of other topics covered during our chat, so be sure to dive in!

If you'd like to view the video version of this interview, head on over to the InnerStrengthCheck Youtube Channel.

For more details on the album, additional...

Far from the stereotypes you might associate with a nickname like, well, Old Nick, our latest vocalist-interviewee was candid, mirthful and excited in our midnight chat (very goth-coded, I know) ahead of Paradise Lost's 17th (!) studio opus Ascension.

Due for release on September 19th via Nuclear Blast Records, we caught up with Nick to discuss said album, but also branch out into directions ranging from the practical (touring, songwriting, etc) all the way through to the existential.

For the video version of this interview + more info on the fantastic upcoming LP, single/music videos, artist...

Heading towards burning the midnight oil alongside myself on Friday night, I was joined on the podcast by Paula Damzal (vocals/guitar) and Nik (aka Nikronomikon Satanik - lead guitar) of incessantly guttural, HM2-soaked purveyors KÜNTSQUAD.

With a renowned live show and the release of perennially family-friendly-titled LP Satan's Cock dropping on a scene increasingly interested in the old-school, we discussed both the above plus navigating challenging life circumstances to celebrate successes, reception to the latest LP (both live/on disc), the finer points of Melburnian/Aussie death metal and more.

Be sure t...

A massive privilege and honour to have frontman Simon Calabrese of influential Australian melodic death metal legends Daysend, ahead of their upcoming national tour revisiting the massively-acclaimed album Severance.

We discuss Simon's thoughts on said tour, stepping back into the band for the first time in 19 years and more! Check out the link below for tour info and links/RSVP for each of the tour dates across Australia.

Massive thanks to Anthony from YourMateBookings for facilitating such a phenomenal opportunity - this is a rare Aussie metal treat you won't cop...

Link to Video Version (via our Youtube Channel).

Yesterday, for Music Monday at ISC I caught up with Ian Ahles (Vocals, Guitar/Lute) & Will Towne (Guitars) from up-and-coming Brisbane-based progressive metal outfit Ahles.

We had a fantastic, fun and insightful chat about the project, merging the worlds of classical music/academia, the songwriting process behind recently released LP Between Dreams And The Waking World and more!

Great chat with two skilled yet humble musicians.

You can check out full details on the artist, additional bio details to those below...

In our third podcast interview for this week, your host was recently joined by two great dudes in Tomi Kouvisaari (Guitars) & Jan Rechberger of influential metallers Amorphis! We discuss latest album Borderland, touring and much more.

See link for video/audio-only versions plus album preorder/info, artist bio/links, latest music videos ‘Bones’/’Light & Shadow’ and more, over at:

www.innerstrengthcheck.com/blog

Many thanks to Tomi, Jan, Amorphis and Reigning Phoenix Media for facilitating another fantastic interview opportunity on the podcast!

Borderland will be unveiled to the world on Sept 26th, 2025...

Another splendid interview with a chill heavy musician! I was joined this morning by Isaiah Mitchell, guitarist of influential psych/space-rock heavyweight whilst he was on a summer's eve walk to discuss the upcoming tour of Australia/Europe/USA, thoughts on playing an iconic show at Uluru, the Australian music scene, live improvisation, his respect for First Nations peoples and more.

You can find the full press release with details of the upcoming Aussie tour plus additional media, artist links and more info at:

www.innerstrengthcheckpodcast.com/blog.

See...

With an illustrious return to form with the highly acclaimed and record-selling self-titled release only a few years prior, the triumphant march of Helloween's progress shows no signs of slowing over the fourth decade! Especially not with one of their most bombastic and ambitious studio efforts slated for release within just a few weeks' time.

I was fortunate enough to be joined by one of the bands' three (yes, three!) vocalists, Andi Deris, on our podcast.

Don't let the sunny setting or the man's equally cheery demeanour fool you - Andi has some great thoughts...

Note: For those just joining in on RSS.com, we have just migrated over to this site as our new podcast hosting platform!

Link to original blog post, which contains video version of our interview with Dan Catania:

https://www.innerstrengthcheckpodcast.com/blog/50th-ep-interview-wdan-catania-headbangers-australia

50 episodes!

Most statistics show that the vast majority of podcasters (usually 60-80%) never make it past the 3rd to 5th episodes. And what better representation of our slogan 'Hobbies, Riffs, Mental Health' than this extensive chat with an up-and-coming rising star in the Australian heavy...

(For those of you viewing this link via our new podcast-host profile page on RSS.com - note that existing episodes are still in the process of being automatically imported from Spotify, and may take some time to populate. Apologies for any confusion!)

Recently, as your host for ISC Podcast, I uploaded a vlog to our Youtube channel + website blog and socials, advising we are leaving Spotify for Podcasters as our host for the past four years.

See here for link to relevant video.

Today's mini-sode is more for existing Spotify listeners, and...