HEAVY Music Interviews

Interview by Ali Williams
Prepare your necks and your livers, because Cryptopsy are barrelling towards Australia with all the subtlety of a freight train loaded with blast beats. In this HEAVY interview, frontman Matt McGachy drops in for a chat with our Ali Williams that’s equal parts comedy, chaos, and tour-warrior wisdom, as the band prepares to hit Aussie shores for their first tour down under since 2016.
McGachy serves up the kind of charmingly blunt honesty only a death metal veteran can muster. He riffs about the pure madness of juggling jet lag, extreme humidity, and trying to...

Interview by Ali Williams
HEALTH’s Jake Duzsik jumped on the mic with HEAVY Mags Ali Williams for a chat that somehow managed to zigzag between parenting woes, anime fandom, video-game virality, and a man chugging a can of chilli. 
Fresh off the release of their new single Ordinary Loss, and gearing up for their next record Conflict DLC, out December 11, Jake admits life is a whirlwind—not just because the band is deep in album mode, but because he’s also navigating the emotional rollercoaster of raising a five-year-old. From wiping his own butt (“a milestone worth celebrati...

Interview by Angela Croudace
French guitarist and singer Laura Cox is entering a bold new chapter with her latest album Trouble Coming, what she describes as her most personal and creatively liberating yet. In our conversation, Cox explains that for the first time she wrote and composed entirely on her own, stepping away from the familiar team dynamic of her earlier releases. Partnering with French electro-rock duo No Money Kids, she embraced a more modern edge while preserving the blues-rock roots that first put her on the map.
The album’s creation was unusually relaxed, unfolding over several mo...

HEAVY Mag’s Ali Williams sits down with Jesse and Ben from Stellar Circuits for a wide-open deep dive into the band’s next chapter—one built on evolution, experimentation, and a whole lot of beautifully unhinged studio energy. What unfolds is a refreshingly candid chat that shows a band not just levelling up, but completely reshaping their creative DNA. 
Band members Jesse (bass) and Ben (vocals) dive into how they’ve pushed themselves into sharper, heavier, more emotionally charged territory—balancing precision with instinct, layering expansive melody over crushing groove, and building songs that feel bigger and bolder than ever...

Interview by Ali Williams
UK’s powerhouse Architects are gearing up for a massive return to Australian shores and fans are in for something fierce. In a raw, witty and refreshingly honest chat with HEAVY Mag’s Ali Williams, drummer and principal songwriter Dan Searle pulls back the curtain on the emotional and creative engine powering the band’s new era — just as they prepare to bring their latest evolution to stages across Australia.
Speaking from a fog-laden UK morning, Searle dives into everything from sonic reinvention to the rediscovery of joy in writing heavy music after years of press...

Sunshine Coast rock outfit Dellacoma are a promotors dream. Brash, skilled, confident and passionate, Dellacoma embody the spirits of rock through the ages, delivering it in a hard rocking package that is fuelled by the silky smooth vocals of frontman Dellacoma Rio.
Formed in mid-2014, lead vocalist and namesake, Dellacoma Rio assembled a team of high voltage road warriors to bring his rock n roll vision to the stage. Hitting the road almost immediately the band has now amassed over 500 shows across the USA, United Kingdom, Europe and Australia. With many miles beneath their feet and a wealth of...

By Angela Croudace
With their ninth studio album Another Miracle landing on November 14, Of Mice & Men are stepping boldly into their next era—one defined by emotional depth, creative freedom, and an unshakeable bond with their fans. Drummer Valentino Arteaga speaks about the record with a mix of pride and awe, describing it as a “journey” built on layered soundscapes, soaring melodies, and crushing heaviness. It’s an album meant to be absorbed front to back, not just thrown on a playlist.
Self-produced and richly textured, Another Miracle reflects a band continually pushing their own boundaries. Valentino compares its intr...

While many people and critics hail certain albums as being pivotal or defining in terms of musical genres or movements, the reality is that, while undeniably a great album, whatever they are referring to was just that. A great album at a time where a musical genre was earning its stripes.
But every now and then - usually with the test of time - an album stands out in their particular field of metal. An album that really did help shape and refine a movement that was later to become a genre. An album that, decades after its release...

Interview by Ali Williams
LA Outfit BLVD OF EYES have just released their latest single We Are Human, and are about to kick off their Australian Tour on November 21 in Melbourne to coincide with the release of their EP on the same day.
Founder and leading lady of the band Chloe Trujillo caught up with HEAVY Mags Ali Williams on the weekend to talk about their upcoming tour and new album drop, amongst other things. Having formed during the pandemic, BLVD OF EYES is the collaborative brainchild of Trujillo and fellow artist Mark Dalbeth. Chloe, who is also...

With their ninth studio album, Another Miracle, landing on November 14 - and an Australian tour commencing May 7, 2026 - Of Mice & Men are stepping boldly into their next era—one defined by emotional depth, creative freedom, and an unshakeable bond with their fans. Drummer Valentino Arteaga speaks about the record with a mix of pride and awe, describing it as a “journey” built on layered soundscapes, soaring melodies, and crushing heaviness. It’s an album meant to be absorbed front to back, not just thrown on a playlist.
Self-produced and richly textured, Another Miracle reflects a band continually pushing their own boun...

Sometimes a band comes along that manages to transcend the normal parameters of heavy music. A band who has all the elements to be labelled as such, but also displays enough emotional resonance and accessibility to allow their music to seep through into other markets as well.
With a self coined phrase calling their music 'sad rock', Southern Californian outfit Dayseeker have proudly evolved from post-hardcore upstarts to a band whose sound sits somewhere between that genre and many more, defiantly allowing their emotions to dictate proceedings but still spicing things up with moments of heaviness that in lesser...

Armed with undeniably some of the heaviest riffs known to mankind, DYING FETUS have established a reputation for uncompromising integrity with a slew of classic albums, and today ride a resurgence of respect and esteem with a new generation. 
After 12 horribly long years since their last tour in Australia and in only their second appearance in New Zealand since 2009, DYING FETUS are well overdue to lash us unmercifully this December with their savage beat downs and earth-moving grooves and grunt, equally designed to pulverize and mesmerize. 
And smash us they shall, but to find out just how they pl...

Entering album number ten, the all-encompassing sonic realm inhabited by Swedish musical enigma Avatar looked set to face the band's biggest personal hurdle to date. Very much a band who have proudly proclaimed their intention to maintain musical growth from day one, Avatar were forced to confront the critical and commercial success of the wildly entertaining album Dance Devil Dance. While most bands would welcome such success, it also forced Avatar to take stock of their music and career.
This is a band who have steadfastly refused to become a parody of themselves, forsaking convention and expectation in pursuit...

The main common thread that ties music and comedy together is timing, not that it works every time. While there and many - some would say the majority - of musicians out there who THINK they are funny, once the alcohol and/or adrenaline wears off, what they thought funny 20 minutes ago is suddenly now lame at best.
But occasionally the transition between two very different forms of artists' works seamlessly. Artists like Weird 'Al' Yankovic, Stephen Lynch and Jack Black spring immediately to mind when talking about people who have performed at high quality across both professions, but...

Interview by Angela Croudace
Half a century on from his Rabbit days and even longer since fronting the very first line-up of AC/DC, Dave Evans hasn’t slowed down one bit. Celebrating 50 years of Rabbit with the new album Defenders of Rock, the self-proclaimed “King of All Badasses” still lives by the mantra: every song a killer, no song a filler.
Speaking to us from Mexico, Evans radiates the same unstoppable energy that’s defined his career. “I’m lucky I went solo years ago,” he says. “I can record with anyone, anywhere in the world. If someone gives me...

For a man who has been there and pretty much done it all in the Australian music industry, Mark Lizotte - or Diesel to his friends - is one hell of a humble guy.
First snapping necks with Johnny Diesel & The Injectors in the mid to late 1980s, the 90s saw Diesel launch a solo career that has seen his career progress in a steady trajectory that is a testament to the workman-like way in which he goes about his business. Singer, guitarist, producer and multi-instrumentalist, Diesel has mastered all aspects of his craft with a youthful exuberance and...

Interview by Ali Williams
90’s alt-rock legends Everclear are heading back down under in November, ready to kick off their 30-year Anniversary tour of their debut album Sparkle and Fade. HEAVY Mag's Ali Williams caught up with frontman and founder Art Alexikas to chat about the tour, their huge success in Australia and what fans can expect when they swing through in a few weeks.
Hailing all the way from Portland, Oregon, Everclear started making a name for themselves in the early 90s when their debut, independently released album World of Noise (1993) would gain them credit on the ho...

While most kids are out and about trying to think up what trouble they could possibly get into, 13-year-old Vox Realis was indoors, practising his guitar. Ever since picking up his first guitar at just 7 years of age, Realis has ploughed all of his time and energy into mastering the instrument, earning the praise and subsequent guidance of Kiko Loureiro (Megadeth, Angra) along the way, who saw something special in the aspiring musician. Not content to merely practice for himself, Realis started the YouTube series Metal For Breakfast - which has since gone viral - putting his name and guitar...

For most bands, album number two is make-or-break time. The general consensus is that a band's debut album is their easiest, taking into account things like no pressure as an unknown band and having a larger amount of time to come up with material and draw from their well of music.
But the dreaded sophomore album - especially if the debut is a raging success - is usually the one by which a band is judged. And more than you think fail. There's a multitude of reasons and excuses for this, but we are here to dwell on the...

It's a great sign in the modern music scene in Australia that there are still festivals in this country that feature exclusively homegrown bands. It is a testament to the quality of music at our disposal, and also just reward for Australian bands who are able to be showcased in their own right.
One such festival is Metal In The Mountains, which is set to go down in Beechworth Historic Precinct on November 29. Featuring Frankenbok, In Malices Wake, Goat Sharman, Whisperhead, Saralisse, ESP Mayhem, Oblivion and Sufferance, Metal In The Mountains is an annual regional event held in picturesque...

Ten years is a long time in music, especially when you take into account the changes in the music industry, which magnify with each passing year. When a band decides to have a break from making music for that amount of time, the temptation to try and amalgamate the changes over that period into their music would be huge, even if that band has an established, existing fan base of international acclaim.
But when Toronto-based rock outfit Finger Eleven sat down to write and record their new album Last Night On Earth - their first in a decade...

The world of death metal is relentless and unforgiving, with hardcore fans renowned for their refusal to have pity nor understanding for anything that isn't pure of metal. As such, new bands to the fold face a literal baptism of fire with no quarter given, and certainly none taken. Put simply, you either impress from the very get-go or you get gone. Simple as that.
Which is what has made 200 Stab Wounds' rapid ascension up the metaphorical metal ladder all the more impressive. In just six years, the band have solidified a global base of loyal supporters, with some...

New Zealand sludge/psych metal outfit Beastwars have been dominating the metal landscape ever since unleashing their self-titled debut album in 2011. Defying trends and convention, each subsequent album was just as good as, if not better than, the last, ensuring Beastwars maintained that elusive edge in a genre becoming more cluttered with each passing day.
Along the way, they have experimented with progressive rock elements, but for their upcoming sixth studio album, The Ship/The Sea, Beastwars have taken their sound back to its roots to deliver a punchy amalgamation of everything that got them to this point, with...

For almost a decade, Melbourne alternative rockers Bad Juju have walked the tightrope between various genres, unafraid to experiment within or outside of their comfort zone.
With a unique blending of 90’s grunge, 00’s nu metal and modern hardcore, the band have opened up differing sides to their musical psyche with every release, and have done so again on their most recent EP, Simulacra. The release draws inspiration from the concept of simulacra and simulation, and explores the distortion of reality in the digital age. Each track unpacks themes of identity, perception, and the struggle to find authenticity in a wo...

Interview by Ali Williams
HZED band’s leading lady Tenaye swung to chat with HEAVY’s Ali Williams amidst their hectic rehearsal schedule for their new single release Save Yourself. Released on October 17, Save Yourself is the latest single from Melbourne’s HZED. The band has had some recent line-up changes, and with that comes fresh, new vibrant energy.
The female lead group have been on the circuit for a number of years delivering riff-driven old school rock with raw, new energy. Having recently had their heads down and in the studio writing new material, HZED is about to brin...

The 1990s were a turbulent time for music. The advent of gentrification began in earnest as strains and side strains of sidestrains of different sounds came together to supposedly enhance our listening pleasure. Newer styles- or genres if you will - of music materialised almost before our ears, and all of a sudden phrases like grunge and alternative rock/metal were being bandied about as though the very passing of those words through your lips gave you a greater natural aura than all else around you.
But it was also a time where work for musicians was plentiful, be...

After establishing themselves as serious contenders in the ever-growing Australian music landscape with their 2024 EP Requiem, Melbourne hard rock outfit The Last Martyr seemingly went into their shells, still playing the odd show but failing to release more new music to deliver the knockout blow.
It was ultimately a combination of many different factors of life and music that stood as a buffer between maintaining momentum and walking the tightrope of everyday life, but if the absolute carnage that is their upcoming single Brain Rot is anything to go by, The Last Martyr have decided it's time to reacquaint...

Electro metal group Solence frontman Markus Videsäter caught up with HEAVY's Ali Williams to chat about their upcoming release, Angels Calling, and the inevitable album tour. Originally from LA, these guys are now settled in Sweden in the hope of optimising their expansion. Solence formed back in 2012 and had initially released tracks in increments in a build-up to their first album, Brothers, back in 2019.
The success they saw from this catapulted them into the algorithm, which meant Spotify was kind to them, and we all know what happens when you scratch Spotify in the right place.
Making a...

Certain things in this world should always be spoken in the same breath. Be it respect, acceptance or merely just because that's the way it has always been, some things you just don't mess with. Like a pie and tomato sauce, a Tim Tam straw, bacon and eggs, and The Meanies and Australian music.
It seems The Meanies can't ever put a foot wrong, even when it comes to apathetically releasing a song recorded 25 years ago that just happens to have worked its way to the surface, although, admittedly they did hedge their bets somewhat by inviting another classic...

At a time when much of the music industry was still finding its feet after the rapid emergence of alternative rock, Sydney up-and-comers The Clouds took a different approach. Rather than grow with the music trend that was sweeping the country, they decided to get ahead of the curve by expanding on what was, in the 1990s, a sound still very much in development.
Coming together towards the end of 1989, The Clouds quickly stamped their own class on the Australian music scene, playing by no rules except their own and daring to colour way outside of the lines to...

Melbourne rock/metal outfit To Octavia have shown their hand early in their career, resisting the temptation to follow in the path of easier acceptance in preference for staying true to their art.
With the breakout success of their EP Somewhere In A World, Not Of The Dream, it would have been tempting and sensible to rehash the same winning formula for their debut album Melodrama. Their sound had obviously struck a chord with the music-loving public, and more of the same would have likely instantly propelled them into the next level of aspiring artists. But more of the...

Norse folk music has always been a more than handy bedfellow with metal music. Despite the obvious sonic contrasts between the two, they seem to combine well with each other, providing an unsettling ambience that could potentially veer into darker territory at any given moment.
While Kalandra - spearheaded by four Norwegian and Swedish musicians - make use of these Nordic elements, they also create a sonic tapestry laced with progressive rock and pop sensibilities that is both intimate and consuming. Led by Katrine Stenbekk’s sublime vocals, the band have spent over a decade refining their sound and bu...

What better way to kick off a new year than a trifecta of brutality? Which is exactly what Australia is getting next February when death metal miscreants Aborted join forces with Archspire and Organectomy for a tour so crushing they have had to name it the Return To Prison Island Australia Tour 2026.
For the last three decades, Aborted have pioneered death metal, taking no prisoners in their blending and cross-pollination of extreme metal, death-grind and ferocious extremities neatly wrapped in a ball of technical precision that defies their relentless approach. Their most recent album, Vault Of Horrors, solidified Aborted's...

While the idea of conceptual records and music is nothing new, more often than not, these concepts are drawn from ideas, visions, or the minds of people who are passionate about the very thing they are writing about. While these musical storylines are more often than not an entertaining escape from the mundane existence of everyday life, they are merely a figment of another person's imagination and can be construed as such.
But when it comes to conceptual stories surrounding war and the atrocities associated with it, there are few bands who manage the task well. Subjects that have...

CKY are the flag bearers for big, raw, authentic, earth-shaking rock liberated from useless pretence. They burned it all down, with a raucous, anarchic rock sound soaked in the skate-punk culture that birthed them; and a hard-partying lifestyle onstage and off that left decimated relationships and reputations in its wake.
Boasting a collection of killer rock anthems like 99 Quite Bitter Beings, Flesh Into Gear, Escape From Hellview and Familiar Realm, CKY's music is a huge part of the infamous Jackass TV series as well as just about every skate and surf compilation of the era and covered by the...

In a relatively short amount of time as far as the music industry goes, Swedish rock outfit Smash Into Pieces have quickly risen to become one of the leading exponents of rock on the planet. After twice reaching the Swedish Eurovision final and delivering a string of consistently quality albums, the band found themselves on the international stage and touring with bands of the calibre of Evanescence and Within Temptation.
But if you think getting somewhere near the top is hard, it's even harder staying there. All of a sudden, the weight of expectation falls heavier on your shoulders...

Celebrating twenty years in the music industry is a great achievement in itself, but celebrating 20 years of sustained success is even better. 
Bursting out of the blocks with their 2007 debut album The Way Of The Fist, Five Finger Death Punch were on a collision course with the rest of the world, laying the foundations for a turbulent yet continual upwards trajectory.
By the time War Is The Answer followed two years later, the band were notorious for their rebellious spirit and ruthless approach to music, but love them or hate them, there was no denying Five Finger Death P...

Interview by Kyra-Jade Coombs
Only recently I celebrated my five-year anniversary with HEAVY Mag and over the years I’ve had the privilege of meeting and interviewing some of the world’s biggest music stars, living out my wildest music nerd dreams. Nerves come and go depending on who it is that I’m interviewing, and ‘normally’ I hold my shit together. Today? Oh boy… Don’t get me wrong, I jumped at the opportunity to have a chat with Wolfgang Van Halen, although it wasn’t until I somehow blasted through THREE, yes three, whole pages of questions I wanted to ask...

Sean Martin from The Quarantined took some time out recently to catch up with HEAVY Mag's Ali Williams to chat about their new release Nemesis (Friend of Mine), overcoming toxic relationships and algorithms and what the next chapter for the band entails. 
Discussing the creative process of songwriting and their musical influences and intentions, Sean explains the origin of their song Nemesis (Friend of Mine), which started as a poem inspired by a sudden burst of creativity. The transformation from poem to song presented challenges, especially in conveying the depth of the lyrics in a musical format. 
He go...

Few bands in history have left such a lasting impression in music as Santa Barbara funk metal outfit Snot.
Forming in 1995, Snot released just one album before having their career cut short by the tragic death of frontman Lynn Strait. Despite their short time as a band, such was the impression left by Lynn and Snot that after his death, a tribute album called Strait Up was recorded in his honour, featuring everyone from Slipknot to System Of A Down to Sevendust paying tribute to the man and his music.
Snot's fusion of genres - before it was...