Advertise on podcast: HEAVY Music Interviews

Dust off the leather, fire up the hairspray, and brace your ear canals, Australia—because real rock ’n’ roll is heading our way, and it’s coming in hot! Next month the legends from XMusic and MR Touring are unleashing a dual-headlining masterclass in unapologetic rock excess with the RU PRETTY ENUFF Australian Tour '26. We’re talking about a massive, high-octane double bill featuring power-pop royalty Enuff Z’Nuff alongside Sunset Strip sleaze icons Pretty Boy Floyd. For those of us who grew up with our speakers cranked to eleven, MTV glued to the screen after dark, and cassette tapes worn down to the magnetic ribbon, this isn't just a tour—it’s a time-machine trip straight back to the glorious days of massive hooks, big choruses, and no mobile devices to use as evidence. Now, if you know anything about how we do things at HEAVY, you know we live and breathe this stuff. Chatting with Enuff Z Nuff frontman Chip is always a masterclass in survival, passion, and keeping the flame of pure rock 'n' roll burning bright. While a lot of their late-80s contemporaries crashed, burned, or dissolved into the history books, Enuff Z’Nuff have stood the test of time, weathering line-up shifts and tragic heartbreaks with absolute class. Decades later, anthems like Fly High Michelle and New Thing still possess that undeniable, swaggering magic that proves why their melodic hard rock influence stretches far beyond the typical glam metal boundaries. But they aren’t coming alone. Sharing the stage are the infamous Sunset Strip bad boys Pretty Boy Floyd, who are celebrating the 37th anniversary of their cult-classic debut Leather Boyz with Electric Toyz. Armed with a brand-new record and frontman Steve Summers leading the charge, they are ready to show Aussie audiences exactly how they used to set the Hollywood night on fire. Throw in an absolutely stacked rotating roster of stellar homegrown Aussie supports like Karly Jewell, RUNT, Snakebite Whisky and Poizon'Us, and you’ve got a recipe for absolute live chaos. HEAVY had the pleasure of chatting with Chip ahead of the tour where he opens up about what it takes to keep a band firing globally into 2026/2027, the intricate art of crafting timeless power-pop melodies, and why Australian rock fans hold a completely sacred place in his heart. He also takes us behind the scenes of what to expect from these high-energy live sets, the legendary backstage camaraderie sharing a bus with the Pretty Boy Floyd crew, why this particular run of shows is going to be something truly special and more. So, crack open a cold one, turn your volume up, and dive in. Here is my full, unfiltered conversation with the one and only Chip Z’Nuff! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

Iron Maiden are bringing their massive 50th Anniversary Run For Your Lives World Tour to Australia in November, with a setlist tailor made for diehard fans drawing predominantly from their first nine studio albums up to Fear Of The Dark. On the eve of their arrival, guitarist Adrian Smith sat down with HEAVY to break down what this historic milestone means for the heavy metal pioneers. In a high-energy conversation packed with rock-and-roll nostalgia, Smith details the daunting task of building a setlist that spans five decades of legendary metal anthems. He shares insight into how the band plans to tackle their first-ever outdoor stadium headline shows in Melbourne and Sydney, promising a production scale unlike anything Aussie fans have witnessed before. The chat highlights Iron Maiden's deep, unbreakable connection with the Australian Maiden England faithful, a bond forged during their debut tour back in 1982. Smith reflects on the demands and expectations of being an international touring band, speaking on the creative adrenaline that keeps the band pushing forward after fifty years on the road and emphasizing that they are treating this run not as a look backward, but as an absolute celebration of heavy metal longevity. Adding immense value to this monumental tour, Smith voices his excitement about having thrash metal royalty Megadeth on board as very special guests. He chats about the mutual respect between the two camps and how adding Dave Mustaine's crew to the bill transforms this tour from a standard concert line-up into an unmissable, full-throttle heavy metal festival experience. For the final verdict, Adrian promises that the Run For Your Lives production will be a visually spectacular, decibel-shattering event designed to leave an unforgettable mark on the Australian music landscape. Check out the full interview for more. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

If - like HEAVY - you like your tunes dark, theatrical, and packed with an absolute mountain of sonic intensity, then you have no doubt heard of Pyrefly. HEAVY had the pleasure of sitting down with the band, one of the most mesmerizing and devastating acts currently tearing up the Australian underground scene. If you haven't caught their live ritual yet, you are seriously missing out on some of the finest heavy music this country has to offer. The countdown is officially on for the ultimate night of entertainment this Halloween: Hollowfest 2026. This absolute monster of a festival is gearing up to completely take over the Mansfield Tavern on Saturday, October 31 and with 20 heavy acts spread across two stages and unleashing 12 hours of sheer carnage, it is shaping up to be a legendary night. Having Pyrefly thrown directly into that mix is like pouring absolute rocket fuel straight onto a raging bonfire. In this chat, the band and I dive deep into their preparation for the festival, how they intend to elevate their jaw-dropping performance for the rabid Hollowfest crowd, and what it feels like to share the stage with massive local legends like We The Hollow and Where The Devil. We also get a bit of a cheeky look into what else they have cooking behind the scenes and why the local heavy scene is currently kicking more goals than ever before. So, grab yourself a cold one, crank this up to eleven, and check out the full chat below. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

When it comes to bands that refuse to stay in their lane, Glasgow’s djent-pop-metal powerhouse Sixth Wonder are currently leading the pack by a country mile. These Scottish alternative mavericks have spent the last few years systematically tearing up the heavy music rulebook, collecting a couple of Best Metal gongs at the Scottish Alternative Music Awards and leaving a trail of sonic destruction in their wake. Fresh off massive tours with the likes of The Hara and Mallavora, and with a legendary slot alongside Skindred at the iconic Barrowland Ballroom locked down, they are a band operating at peak performance. Just when you thought you had their genre-bending sound pegged down, the four-piece have gone and dropped their most ambitious, unhinged, and brilliantly experimental track to date in the form of their brand new single, Burnout. Released via all major streaming platforms like Spotify, the track is a masterclass in sonic contrast. It seamlessly marries the punishing, technical precision of modern djent with soaring, undeniably infectious pop hooks and an atmospheric depth that wraps itself around your throat. But Burnout isn’t just a massive musical evolution; it is a brutally honest, claustrophobic dive straight into the deep end of the human psyche. Lyrically, the song shines a harsh spotlight directly on the toxic, inescapable loop of a person’s inner monologue, capturing that chaotic mental friction we all try desperately to suppress. Frontwoman Rebekah Kirk delivers a vocal performance that balances vulnerable emotional weight with sheer, unadulterated aggression, backed by the punishingly tight, syncopated riffage of guitarists Nathan McDowall and Dylan McVey, and the driving percussion of Nick Georgiou. Accompanied by a visually striking music video courtesy of McVey Visuals, the release firmly cements Sixth Wonder as one of the most exciting and forward-thinking prospects in the modern heavy landscape. HEAVY caught up with Rebekah and Nick to dig beneath the surface of this massive new release. We sat down to chat about the creative pressure of pushing their musical boundaries, the deeply personal inspiration behind the lyrics, and exactly how they are preparing to bring this sonic monster to life on stage for their upcoming festival headlines. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

When it comes to heavy music, some bands play the riffs, while others live inside the smoke. Nashville’s All Them Witches belong to the latter category. For over a decade, this formidable outfit has been brewing a dark, enticing cocktail of delta blues, stoner grit, and cosmic psychedelia that completely resets your internal compass. Despite building a global reputation as a monolithic live force, they have left an agonising gap on their touring map: Australia. Thankfully, the wait is officially over. This December, Good Things Festival 2026 is delivering the ultimate Christmas present for Aussie riff-worshippers by bringing the band down under for their highly anticipated debut tour. They will be hitting the festival circuit across Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane, alongside high-octane headliners like Limp Bizkit, Simple Plan, Millencolin and Bad Religion. Proving that the anticipation is at an absolute fever pitch, their intimate Melbourne sideshow at the Corner Hotel sold out within minutes, while Adelaide fans are scrambling for tickets to their date at the Lion Arts Factory. Ahead of what promises to be a legendary run, HEAVY sat down with the band to get the full story. In this chat, we dig into the anticipation of finally playing for Aussie crowds, what it’s like sharing a festival bill with nu-metal royalty, and what fans can expect when they step into the sonic vortex of an All Them Witches live set. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

When you talk about the absolute Mount Rushmore of heavy metal, the conversation begins and ends with the Riff Lord himself, Tony Iommi. But when the master of doom decides to unleash a brand new sonic assault upon the world, he needs a voice that doesn't just cut through the smoke—it commands it. Enter Jorn Lande, the powerhouse Norwegian vocalist whose golden pipes have been channeling the spirit of classic rock and metal royalty for decades. The heavy music community collectively lost its mind recently with the announcement of From The Dark, the monumental new collaborative album set to drop on October 23, 2026 via Planet Rock. Forged in the fires of mutual respect, the seed for this earth-shattering project was planted back when Jorn absolutely blew the roof off a London venue during a poignant Ronnie James Dio tribute show. Iommi knew right then and there that he had found the perfect partner-in-crime to breathe life into his latest vault of crushing riffs. Led by the apocalyptic debut single World Alone - which recently received a massive global streaming premiere right out of the metal heartland of Birmingham—the record promises a masterclass in classic heavy metal grandeur, co-produced alongside the brilliant Mike Exeter. What makes From The Dark so special isn't just the pedigree of the names on the sleeve; it’s the pure, unadulterated creative freedom behind it. Working at their own leisure with zero record label pressure, Iommi and Lande spent months trading ideas back and forth, culminating in Jorn heading straight to the Riff Lord's house to capture lightning in a bottle. The result is a dynamic, collaborative masterwork that honours the heavy, dark blues roots of old while pushing both legendary artists into exhilarating new territory. I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with the legendary Jorn Lande to get the full inside scoop on what it’s like to write music with the godfather of heavy metal. We dive deep into the writing sessions at Iommi's house, the intense emotional weight of stepping into the studio to front these massive riffs, the global reaction to World Alone, why this album might just be the most honest, unfiltered music he has ever recorded and more. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

Gun Of Ishiki are here to make noise, challenge the system and remind us that punk can still stand for something.In this interview with HEAVY, the Brisbane punk outfit talk about the origins of their name, their musical influences, their politically charged approach to songwriting and why they believe bands should use their voices to inspire change.We also discuss their upcoming EP, their history in Sydney’s Newtown scene, their energetic live shows and their plans to bring the local music community together for a two-night fundraiser at Crowbar Brisbane on January 8–9, 2027, supporting Bravehearts.From Fugazi and Radio Birdman to the rebellious spirit of classic punk, Gun Of Ishiki are carrying that DIY attitude into a new era — with plenty to say and no intention of staying quiet. In this interview: The story behind the name Gun Of IshikiPunk, politics and challenging the status quoTheir influences and musical beginningsThe upcoming EP and new musicThe January 2027 Bravehearts fundraiserWhat to expect at a Gun Of Ishiki live showIf you're into grassroots punk, politically charged music and bands that stand for something, give Gun Of Ishiki a listen.Watch, subscribe and make some noise!#GunOfIshiki #HEAVYMagazine #PunkRock #AustralianPunk #BrisbaneMusic Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

Interview by Ali Williams Swedish metallers TUNGSTEN have a busy October ahead, although releasing their fifth studio album and embarking on their first European headline tour is a pretty reasonable excuse for having very little spare time. Their latest offering, Ashes, arrived on October 9 through Perception, a division of Reigning Phoenix Music, coinciding with the band's biggest touring commitment as headliners to date. Vocalist Mike Andersson recently joined HEAVY's Ali Williams for a conversation about the new record, the band's musical ambitions and the considerable excitement surrounding a tour several years in the making. Since forming in 2016, TUNGSTEN have developed a distinctive approach to melodic metal, incorporating power metal, traditional heavy metal, industrial influences and elements of Scandinavian folk. The band features drummer Anders Johansson, formerly of HammerFall and Yngwie Malmsteen, alongside his sons Nick Johansson on guitar and Karl Johansson on bass and keyboards. With Andersson handling vocals, the four-piece have steadily built an international following through five albums and extensive European touring. Their latest release follows 2024's The Grand Inferno, with the band spending much of 2025 developing new material between live commitments before entering the studio towards the end of the year. Across eleven tracks, Ashes explores a broader collection of musical influences while retaining the melodic arrangements and substantial choruses familiar to their audience. Full interview and write up heavymag.com.au Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

If you like your music thick, volatile, and dripping with pure, unfiltered Aussie attitude, you need to stop what you're doing right now. We are sitting down with Ben Hosking, the powerhouse guitarist from Newcastle's own groove-metal wrecking ball, Where The Devil. If you haven't witnessed these boys live yet, you are seriously sleeping on one of the most punishing and exhilarating acts in the local underground scene right now. The main reason we’re spinning this yarn today is because the countdown is officially on for one of the most anticipated events on the heavy calendar: Hollowfest 2026. This absolute monster of a festival is gearing up to tear the roof off the Mansfield Tavern—a legendary staple of the Brisbane music scene—and Where The Devil are primed to deliver an absolute masterclass in sonic violence. Hollowfest has built a reputation for showcasing the absolute cream of the crop when it comes to local and national heavy talent, and throwing these boys into the mix is like pouring petrol directly onto a raging bonfire. In this chat, Ben and I dive into the band's mindset ahead of the festival, how they plan to step up their game for the rabid Hollowfest crowd, and what it means to share the stage with so many killer homegrown bands. We also get a bit of a cheeky sneak peek into what the band has cooking in the studio and why Australian heavy music is currently in the best shape it’s ever been. So, grab yourself a cold one, crank this up to eleven, and check out the full chat below. Hollowfest 2026 is coming to break some necks, and Where The Devil are leading the charge! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

When you think of the ultimate chameleons in the global extreme music scene, one name consistently rises from the shadows to claim the crown: Mortiis. From his early days forging the fires of Norwegian black metal on bass for Emperor to completely reinventing himself as the grandfather of dungeon synth, Håvard Ellefsen has spent more than three decades refusing to play by anybody else’s rules. He’s an artist who doesn't just push boundaries—he completely obliterates them, evolving musically, visually, and conceptually with every single release. Now, the enigmatic mastermind is preparing to bring his legendary, dark sonic landscapes back to our shores for a highly anticipated Southern Ritual Australian tour. This isn't just another standard run of shows; it marks a monumental moment for local fans as Mortiis brings a full live band to the region for the very first time. Audiences can expect a massive, immersive journey into dystopian despair, with the setlist heavily diving into the iconic sounds of The Smell Of Rain alongside a curated selection of his most atmospheric and industrial-tinged masterpieces. To make this dark pilgrimage even more essential, he’s not coming alone. Sharing the headline billing are Siberian pagan folk innovators Nytt Land, who are set to mesmerise crowds with traditional throat singing and handmade instruments, alongside Turkish dungeon synth outfit Tir. It is shaping up to be an absolute masterclass in live atmosphere, visual theatre, and raw sonic intensity. HEAVY caught up with the man behind the mask to get the full story on what it takes to bring this massive production Down Under. We chatted about the logistical chaos of transporting a full-band show across the world, what it feels like to revisit tracks from The Smell Of Rain in a live setting, his excitement to finally give his Australian fans the uncompromising, full-throttle theatrical experience they have been craving for years and more. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

Interview by Ali Williams Long before Australian playlists started happily throwing funk, rock, hip hop, soul and heavy groove into the same digital bucket, SKUNKHOUR were already doing the hard, sweaty version of it onstage. No algorithm. No tidy marketing lane. Just real instruments, an MC, big rhythm, bigger nerve, and a refusal to flatten themselves into something easier to explain.  Now the band are taking that history back out on the road with the Back to Basics Tour, a title pulled from one of their earliest songs and a pretty cheeky understatement for a band with this much behind them. Speaking with HEAVY's Ali Williams, Aya Larkin says the tour is about “getting to some places that we haven’t been for a long time.” For northern New South Wales and southeast Queensland, that sentence has some proper bite. SKUNKHOUR play Cooly Hotel on Thursday October 15, Norton Music Factory in Caloundra on Friday October 16, CrowBar in Brisbane on Saturday October 17, and Arts Factory in Byron Bay on Sunday October 18, before heading through Sydney, Melbourne, Coffs Harbour and Pacific Palms.  That Byron Bay date carries extra local flavour. SKUNKHOUR have often played The Great Northern, but the return to Arts Factory reaches further back. “We haven’t played since the nineties,” he says. Full write up and interview heavymag.com.au Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

French collective Nouvelle Vague are set to return to Australia for three exclusive shows, bringing their unmistakable reimaginings of iconic new wave and post-punk classics back to local audiences.For singers Melanie Pain and Phoebe Kilde, the upcoming dates offer an opportunity to experience the band in a different setting, with intimate club performances promising a more rock ’n’ roll atmosphere than their previous Australian appearances.“We’ve been doing festivals, big outdoor afternoon events,” Pain explained. “I’m really glad we’re coming and doing proper night gigs in proper clubs.”With an impressive catalogue of interpretations spanning artists including Joy Division, The Cure, The Clash and Depeche Mode, Nouvelle Vague have built a reputation for transforming familiar songs into something entirely their own. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

Few bands manage to weaponise raw, unadulterated musical chaos quite like Germany’s Half Me. Bursting onto the heavy scene with a catastrophic blend of modern metalcore, nu-metal bounce, and visceral post-hardcore, the Hamburg five-piece have rapidly evolved into one of Europe’s most formidable sonic juggernauts. Following the massive success of their devastating debut Soma, the band has refused to take their foot off the throat of the genre. Now, they are back to deliver another absolute masterclass in sonic violence with their highly anticipated sophomore album, Dogma. Dogma is a savage, uncompromising step forward that captures Half Me at their most venomous, combining razor-sharp technicality with an oppressive atmospheric weight. It is an album born from friction, exploring the claustrophobic constraints of societal expectations, personal belief systems, and the internal rot that comes with them. It doesn’t just demand your attention; it violently grabs you by the collar and drags you through the dirt. But the tracking room is only half the battle. The true test of heavy music lies on the live stage, and Australian fans are finally about to get their taste of the carnage. To celebrate the release of Dogma, Half Me are packing up their gear and heading Down Under for a highly anticipated Australian Tour. For a band built on high-octane energy and intense crowd reciprocity, bringing these brand-new tracks to Aussie crowds—renowned globally for being some of the most unhinged and passionate in the world—is a mouth-watering prospect. This run promises to be nothing short of a sweat-drenched, pit-spinning exorcism. Ahead of the tour and the album dropping, I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with vocalist Chris Zühlke and guitarist Christopher Hesse to dig deep into the messy, beautiful reality of making Dogma. We yarn about the intense pressure of backing up a landmark debut, the creative breakthroughs that defined their new sonic identity, and how they plan to survive the brutal Australian heat while delivering the most explosive live shows of their career. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

Get your dancing shoes polished and your neck muscles thoroughly warmed up, because post-hardcore royalty is finally heading back down under! That’s right, heavy music lovers—the absolute icons of progressive, chaotic, and infectious math-rock-infused bliss, Dance Gavin Dance, are gearing up to storm Australian shores for what promises to be an unforgettable run of shows. For years, this band has been rewriting the rulebook of alternative music, blending soulful melodies with face-melting riffs, and their upcoming tour is set to be one for the history books. Ahead of this massive trek, we sat down for a chat with the band’s drummer Matt Mingus and clean lead vocalistAndrew Wells. If you’ve been living under a rock, Dance Gavin Dance has spent the last two decades solidifying their status as one of the most innovative and resilient forces in the scene. Navigating line-up shifts, genre evolutions, and the sheer chaos of the modern music industry, they’ve continually emerged stronger, sharper, and more creatively fearless. With Andrew stepping up into a defining vocal role alongside Matt’s legendary, intricate drumming, the band is entering a brand-new, electrifying era. This upcoming Australian tour isn't just a standard run of dates; it is a triumphant celebration of survival, reinvention, and pure musical adrenaline. In this candid interview with HEAVY, Matt and Andrew open up about everything. We dive deep into what it takes to bring their notoriously complex studio sound into a live Australian setting, the unique energy that Aussie crowds bring to the heavy scene, and how the band's internal dynamic has shifted as they push into bold new sonic territory. From the logistics of long-haul flights to the raw excitement of connecting with fans who have waited years for this moment, the duo pulls back the curtain on the life of Dance Gavin Dance in 2026. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

The Australian heavy music landscape is littered with the carcasses of short-lived festivals, but every now and then, a beast rises from the underground with enough grit and staying power to change the game. Enter Hollowfest. Masterminded by the chaotic minds behind groove-metal juggernauts We The Hollow, this rogue gathering has evolved from a passionate local showcase into a mandatory calendar fixture for the nation’s riff-worshippers. It is raw, it is unapologetic, and it represents the exact kind of DIY defiance that keeps our scene breathing. At the epicenter of this beautiful madness is Scotty (A.K.A Fracture), a man who lives and breathes the culture. Balancing the dual roles of a punishing frontman and a stress-hardened festival promoter is a task that would break lesser men, but Fracture wears the chaos like a badge of honour. Ahead of this year’s massive iteration, HEAVY sat down with the guitarist/promotor to dissect the blood, sweat, and beers required to pull off an underground metal festival in the current climate. In typical fashion, Fracture doesn’t pull any punches. We dive deep into the gruelling logistics of curating a killer, genre-defying line-up, the sheer terror of watching the budget fluctuate, and the unmatched euphoria when the first chord strikes and the pit finally erupts. He opens up about the sonic evolution of We The Hollow, how the band's bruising ethos influences the curation of the festival, and why community will always trump commercialism in the heavy music underworld. This isn't just another gig; it's a testament to the strength of our community and a middle finger to anyone who says rock is dead. Grab a cold one, crank the volume, and check out our full chat with Fracture to get the ultimate inside word on Hollowfest. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.