Podcasts about frankenbok

Interview by Kris PetersPlaytime is over. Now shit gets real.Much has been made of Frankenbok welcoming back original vocalist Hutchy to launch their next foray into the world of metal, but as fun as the honeymoon period has been it's now time to let their music do the talking.Following the frenetic Demon Tantrum, the tongue in cheek cover of (You Spin Me) Right Round and the most recent track Dopamine, Frankenbok are preparing to throw all their cards on the table today, January 31, with the release of the first EP under the current regime in the form of Irrepressible.Not that anyone who has been a part of Australian metal at any stage over the last quarter of a century would - or could - have any doubts, but it almost feels like Frankenbok have got a point to prove. The band have had an ever-evolving sound, mainly due to a merry-go-round of vocalists over the years, but from all reports Irrepressible is a large step back to the early days of the band where pretty much anything went and the focus was, first and foremost, on enjoying playing music.HEAVY sat down for a chat with guitarist Azza Bok and vocalist Hutchy to get the lowdown in a chat that got so involved we had to split the video into two parts for easier digestion."It was a real cathartic moment for me personally as well," Hutchy explained when talk turned to him rejoining the band. "I turned up to Cherry Bar and someone said Frankenbok was playing, and I thought I'm not in the mood for any bullshit and Aaron walked straight up to me, looked me dead in the eye, extended his hand and said some really nice words and defused the situation. It felt like a whole weight had lifted off my shoulders. I made my peace many years ago, but we obviously hadn't spoken for a while. It started that next step for the things that came to follow."So the big question is what can we expect from the new music?"It's a homage to all the Frankenbok over the years," Hutchy measured. "When I approached it vocally and lyrically I went back and listened to all the albums and stuff and got inspired by everybody. I've got this reputation as being a bit of a Mike Patton try-hard, so I went back, and I tried to be inspired by Frankenbok, and make a Frankenbok record. It's got all the great elements of Frankenbok, but hopefully something new as well. I think it's a very refined, mature Frankenbok as well. I'm really proud of it. I never thought it was going to turn out like this.""And I know people always say this about their latest album, but I will legitimately say it's my favourite one to date," Azza chimed in. "I went through years of writing it and listening to it over and over and over and getting it done, but now when I listen to it, I legitimately really, really enjoy it. I love the sound of it. I love what everybody did to it. There was no… I said to everybody, you do whatever the fuck you wanna do, just do it the best you can."In the full interview we cover more ground on how Hutchy came back to the Frankenbok camp, lessons learnt musically by both of them over the last two decades, writing new material and settling into a groove, more on what to expect from the new music, we analyse each of the five tracks in more detail, discuss future live shows and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

Interview by Kris PetersWhen CKY pulled out of the Australian leg of their Australian tour with Alien Ant Farm towards the end of last year the collective sighs from around the country could be heard far and wide, but when Drowning Pool were named as their replacements those sighs turned into boisterous cheers, especially when coupled with the recent news that Ryan McCombs had rejoined the band.Their fresh single Revolution emphatically proved this was more than a nostalgic reunion run of shows, with McCombs - in fact the whole band - sounding as ferocious and uncompromising as ever.For some the wait would seem like forever, and for those forever has finally come with Drowning Pool set to join Alien Ant Farm and Frankenbok for a series of co-headline shows kicking off in Brisbane on February 7.HEAVY spent some time with McCombs not long before he flew out to join the rest of the band. One of the questions we asked related to the fact lots of people will be coming out to see the show because of one song - Bodies - but Drowning Pool are far from a one trick pony."The song Revolution came out recently, (and) you've also got Step Up from the Jason Jones era…" he measured. "The cool thing about this band is it's very easy to separate the band into four different eras. You can easily do that with Dave Williams, Jason Jones, myself and Jason Morano, it's very easy to separate that. You'll see… live-wise you'll see every flavor of the band through those years because I think it's very important to always keep in mind as a member of Drowning Pool that not only are we blessed and lucky that people have kept us around this long, but you have to have the realization and the reality of the fact that some people out there… some people are old school, man. They were into the band from dave Williams on. Some people maybe they didn't get introduced to Drowning Pool until Desentsitized and Step Up and Hate, maybe some of those songs were their favourite tracks. Maybe my era with Feel Like I do or Enemy or one of those songs, maybe that's their era. Or maybe some of the stuff with Jason Marano like Finger & A Fist, or Redlight, maybe that's their flavor. So as a member of the band you've gotta keep in mind that there's people out there in the crowd who may be a fan of any one of those eras that may be their favourite so you wanna incorporate pieces and parts of all those times into the live show so everybody walks away and they heard a track from their album. It's not only awesome to be kept around this long, but it's awesome to have a discography like Drowning Pool has that you're able to pull from such a vast variety of music to make a killer set. Or what you hope is a killer set (laughs)."In the full interview, Ryan shared what we can expect from Drowning Pool's shows, their relationship with Alien Ant Farm, rejoining the band and how it came about, his first show back and how it felt, new single Revolution, future new music and what to expect and more.ALIEN ANT FARM and DROWNING POOL February 2025 Australian Tour Dates:Friday, February 7 - BRISBANE, Princess TheatreSaturday, February 8 - SYDNEY, Metro TheatreSunday, February 9 - MELBOURNE, Northcote TheatreTuesday, February 11 - ADELAIDE, Lion Arts FactoryWednesday, February 12 - PERTH, Magnet HouseTix: www.thephoenix.auBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

As the saying goes, one person's loss is another person's gain.So while there were many disappointed when CKY pulled out of their Australian tour with Alien Ant Farm, there was also plenty more elated when their replacement was named in quick succession.It's not often a tour is strengthened by late adjustments, but from the moment Drowning Pool were named to fill the void, what was previously stifled enthusiasm quickly became cries of joy.After a prolonged absence from these shores, hard rock/metal monsters Drowning Pool will be returning next February, at the peak of their musical power and looking to decimate fans on this side of the world. Since reuniting with vocal powerhouse Ryan McCombs, Drowning Pool have gone from strength to strength, blowing away audiences at some of the world's premier festivals - Aftershock, Nu Metal Revolution, Louder Than Life, Sonic Temple, Blue Ridge Rock many others.They are a band who has seen as many downs as they have ups, but throughout all have remained committed to their craft and each other, powering through each obstacle and emerging triumphant. And now it looks like another prominent chapter is about to be written.HEAVY sat down recently with guitarist CJ Pierce to fill in the blanks."For us, it's been all cool," he replied when I commended the band for stepping in at short notice. "There's no drama here with Drowning Pool. I'm not sure about the situation, but we've been friends with Alien Ant Farm since day one - 20 plus years- and we're just coming to rock out. We were already working on some shows in Australia anyway, which were gonna be later in the year, so we couldn't wait to get there. Right place, right time. We appreciate them for having us on. No disrespect to CKY fans. We probably could do a cover song of theirs but out of respect to them Drowning Pool's bringing a lot of metal to the show."In the full interview, CJ spoke more about what fans can expect from Drowning Pool live, their latest single Revolution (The Final Amen), welcoming Ryan back to the fold, any difficulties in another transition of vocalists, the importance of having the right band's together as part of a tour, new music including an album, the decision to go Independent and what it means for the band, keeping motivated and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

When Melbourne metal outfit Frankenbok played their first note in anger back in 1997 the musical landscape was a much different beast. For starters, it wasn't deemed necessary to label genres and subgenres of music to appeal to particular markets, meaning bands were more willing to mix a plethora of loves and influences without fear of alienating certain sections of their target audience.Which was fortunate because the early days of Frankenbok were a war of attrition, mixing Faith No More inspired bouts of eclectic funk metal with ferocious growls and moments of subtlety that would send the heads of many in the modern music climate spinning out of control.Frankenbok's attitude towards colouring outside of the metaphorical lines was never more evident than when they decided to cover Madison Avenue's hit Don't Call Me Baby.In their own image, of course.That one song ensured Frankenbok's music transcended not just barriers, but lifestyles as well, bridging the gap between metalheads and the rest of the music loving public in such a way that it momentarily became cool to be metal.Debut album Greetings & Salutations was groundbreaking and dangerous for its time, and the future looked suddenly bright for a bunch of self-confessed lunatics who just happened to play music.Before reaching that elusive light at the end of the tunnel, Frankenbok underwent the first of many vocalist changes, when original singer Hutchy moved on to other projects, taking with him a large chunk of Frankenbok's DNA that got increasingly more lost from their sound as the procession of singers came and went and Frankenbok's sound ran more parallel with heavy metal with each album release.With the band set to celebrate their 25th year in 2023, sole original member and guitarist Azza Bok came up with the ambitious idea of inviting every past and present member of Frankenbok from their inception to help celebrate by reassembling on stage through a night of live entertainment.It was an idea that could have gone in a number of varying directions, with some past grievances still laying dormant and unresolved. But music is and always has been the great healer of wounds, and what started as a cool idea quickly transformed into an excellent one that opened up a number of potential new happenings and music that reignited the sense of danger that Frankenbok have always thrived on.As happens with life, opportunities outside of Frankenbok presented themselves, with vocalist Dan McDougall torn between his love for the band and music and a growing need to solidify and consolidate his future. But instead of sweeping things under the carpet and causing inner turmoil and unrest, a band meeting led to a unanimous and amicable decision that would result in McDougall focussing on his business ventures, paving the way for a fairytale reunion that saw Hutchy returning to the band who he helped shape and mould more than 20 years ago.With his return came the eclectic and experimental musical experiences that punctuated Frankenbok Mark I, but, most importantly, he also rekindled the fun, flippant side of Frankenbok's music that had all but evaporated over the last two decades. Things suddenly became unpredictable again, which in turn unleashed the blatant disregard for acceptable genre-specific music that was a feature of early Frankenbok.But, as they say, the proof is in the pudding and today Frankenbok fans past, present and future get the chance to judge for themselves with the release of the first single with the newly old line-up, Demon Tantrum. An amalgamation of styles and genres that has more schizophrenic tendencies than a sanitarium, Demon Tantrum is a welcome step back to a time where there were no rules, no expectations, and no fucks given.Which was Frankenbok's initial life mantra.HEAVY sat down with Azza Bok to run the whole gauntlet of recent happenings and came out the other side still confused, but even more excited.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

Our mate Azza from Frankenbok popped in for a yarn.

Volume Dealer is a new venture started by Dan McDougall and his brother Ando - better known for their roles in Frankenbok and Dreadnaught respectively - which is an online show featuring live music and interviews with the best live bands Melbourne has to offer.While on the surface not an entirely new idea, it is the approach behind Volume Dealer, and, more importantly, the people behind Volume Dealer that makes it quite possibly one of the most exciting and rewarding musical ventures to hit the market for a considerable time.The basic premise is this: Dan records a live set in his studio, asks the band some questions interview style, edits the music and narrative together and publishes the finished product. But that is only scratching the surface of what Volume Dealer offers. Participating bands walk away with high-quality, live footage of them playing in a live setting, footage that can be used for invaluable exposure and promotion.Many bands in the modern age can't afford to outlay money on classy production or studio time, and inevitably lack the polish to keep up with the multitude of bands racing in similar directions. Not through lack of vision or dearth of talent, but because they simply don't have the tools or means at their disposal to guide them on their musical journey.The final footage is kept by the bands but also uploaded to social media and the Volume Dealer website, in effect offering instant high quality promotional tools that could - and quite often are - the difference between success and failure.Dan has also worked in optional extras to each package, with one idea to do up an exclusive, limited, one time only line of merchandise for each band that performs, lasting only for the duration of their three to four-week rotation before the next band's performance and interviews are completed ready for publication.Dan also offers a competitive, high quality range of merchandise for sale to the general public, adding to the complete musical flavour of the whole project.With the first episode being released earlier today with Melbourne three-piece Scarnon, Volume Dealer have struck their first blow at revitalising the local music industry, with much broader plans and vision moving forward.HEAVY sat down with Dan McDougall to find out more."Volume Dealer is a new online show that we've just started with live music and interviews," he began. "With, at this stage anyway, Melbourne's finest live bands. We're hoping to take it Australia-wide and have international bands at some stage, but for the time being we'll just focus on Melbourne bands."Although an in depth project with many moving parts, we ask Dan to simplify what Volume Dealer offers."We're going to get bands in to the studio, film them and record them live," he explained, "for anywhere between five and seven songs and then after the live sets done I'll then sit down with one of the members and interview them for a little bit. Then we just take all that footage and compile it into an episode and at this stage the format is we do a song and then a little bit of interview and then a song and a little bit of interview and so on. We had our first episode come out today, and I'm really happy with how it's all turned out. The point of the show is to be a promotional vehicle not only for the bands but for us as well, to showcase what we all do and hopefully make a bit of money in the process."In the full interview, Dan elaborated on the show's format, which includes filming live performances and conducting interviews with band members, and expressed his excitement about the positive reception it has garnered. This project has been a long-standing aspiration for Dan, reflecting his deep passion for capturing the essence of live music and providing a platform for local talent.The conversation highlighted the technical challenges Dan faces in achieving high-quality audio while maintaining the authenticity of live performances. He emphasized the importance of minimizing bleed and preserving spontaneity in the studio environment. As the project progresses, Dan said he is pleased with the advancements made in addressing these technical issues, which are crucial for delivering a polished yet genuine representation of the bands' performances. The involvement of Dan's brother, Ando, in filming and communication was also discussed, with plans for his role to expand as the project evolves.We explored the promotional aspects of Volume Dealer, including the intention to offer high-quality audio and visual recordings to bands at no cost, with the option for bands to purchase the recordings and also discussed leveraging social media for cross-promotion and creating a dedicated website and YouTube channel to showcase the content. Additionally, Dan shared plans for limited edition merchandise tied to each episode, drawing on his experience in merchandising to enhance the bands' revenue opportunities plus more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

Interview by Kris PetersMelbourne metal legends Frankenbok celebrated their 25th anniversary at The Tote on December 12, 2022 in the most positive and emphatic way possible by assembling every one of Frankenbok's many line-ups from over the years to perform songs from their era.It was a unique and highly ambitious project that could have gone off the rails at any juncture, but, to their credit, the Bok boys smashed it out of the park and the couple of hundred lucky fans who converged on The Tote that evening were left with a lifetime of memories.BUT, if you missed out on that one-off performance, fear not!After 12 months of painstaking editing and quality control, the good folk at Fair Dinkum Records have finally put the finishing touches to not only an audio CD, but also the full video concert, with both out now for your viewing and listening pleasure.Current Frankenbok vocalist Dan McDougall sat down with HEAVY to tell us more."It was a killer night," he recalled, "and we got it recorded and filmed, and we have just finally put it out. We've got it as a live album and also the full show can be watched on YouTube as well."The album is called 25 Years Of Noise In One Form Or Another, which perfectly sums up what to expect, and we question Dan on who actually came up with the title."I did," he smiled. "I was just trying to think of a name and that just popped into my head. It's the truth. The band has been through many different changes over the 25 years, so with each different line-up it's brought something… it's changed every time, but there's been a running thread through the whole thing. I was in the band twice with two of those line-ups, but there's been four different singers. With every different singer you're going to have a different sound, but, like I said, there's a thread running through the whole thing and that's Azza who has been there from the start. His riffs and his music runs through the whole thing, so it's quite an eclectic bunch of songs when you put it all together."In the full interview we discuss that night, go through what each line-up contributed, his highlight of the concert, the singles released in the lead-up and why they were chosen, getting the sound right on the live release, the new line of merchandise, new music and more.

Interview by Kris PetersMelbourne heavy psychedelic metal outfit Khan are riding high on the back of their new album Creatures which came out back in February of this year.After having their momentum stalled - as with the rest of the world - during the pandemic, Khan rushed straight back out on the road as soon as they were able, quickly completing a 22 date tour that saw them reconnect with their fans and helped them rediscover a new passion for music.The band has almost completed another Australian tour to promote Creatures, which this weekend sees them appear at the Nowhere Festival at Brisbane's Mansfield Tavern alongside Frankenbok, Dreamkillers, Vulgarite and more before finishing the run with an album launch in their hometown of Melbourne at the Howler on June 3.Guitarist Josh Bills joined HEAVY to talk about this weekend's show and tales of life on the road."It's a pretty killer lineup," he nodded when asked about Nowhere Festival. "I don't know many of the bands, but I had a listen through and very excited to see a lot of it live."We ask what fans can expect from Khan at the show."Songs from each of the albums," he offered. "We've unfortunately changed tunings (laughs) quite a lot throughout our music, so we have to try and put a set together that doesn't change too much and make it work. It's a bit of a hassle, but keeps it interesting."In the full interview Josh talks more about Khan's live show, the tour so far and how it's been going, three songs people should listen to by way of introduction to the band, their upcoming album launch show, the reception to latest album Creatures, why and how it is their "heaviest, darkest and most dynamic album to date", if they will continue down that path for future music, plans to tour Europe and the UK and more.

Frankenbok have been a mainstay on the Australian metal scene for 25 years now.From the outset Frankenbok were a band who went well and truly against the grain - or, for that matter, against EVERY musical convention put in place up to that point - ensuring they never quite fit in with the cool kids or current trends.Not that they would have it any other way.Since bursting onto the scene with Greetings And Salutations in 1999, Frankenbok have very much been a band for the underdog. Musically, socially and geographically.Their refusal to bow down and conform to musical hierarchy has seen them become more of an underground institution despite supporting heavyweights such as Slayer and System Of A Down. They have always done things their way and in their own time, along the way gathering a loyal army of supporters who have stayed with them through thick and thin.This weekend, to fully celebrate their quarter of a century in Australian metal, Frankenbok will host a party unlike any ever seen in this country.On Saturday, December 10, every major incarnation of Frankenbok - totalling five in all - will assemble to play songs from their part of Frankenbok history in one night at The Tote in Melbourne.It is an ambitious and brave venture that has already proved a success, with friendships mended, past ailments buried, and music the overall winner, despite not one live note being played in anger.Yet.It is a night made possible by the collective efforts of every past and present member of Frankenbok, with guitarist Aaron 'Azza' Butler the only member to have played in every line-up.Azza sat down with HEAVY for a frank and open discussion about the life of Frankenbok in a must listen for every fan of the band, or lover of music in general.We start with the very early days of Frankenbok, when Azza returned from the US in 1997 with a renewed musical vision."I basically moved over to Florida chasing the death metal dream," he began, "and I was lucky enough to land in the right circles where I was hearing people talking about Morbid Angel -which were my heroes at the time - and talking about them unlike we talk about them, as in blokes. One guy was talking about Pete Sandoval, the drummer from those days and he said "yeah, he still owes me fifty bucks" and I was blown away because these guys were heroes of mine. So I was very lucky to be taken in by the inner circle of all these people that were - before I moved over to America - they only existed in CD's and posters on my wall and next thing you know I'm having breakfast with some of these people and getting to know them personally. It's kind of a strange thing when once you get to know someone more personally you start to forget who they were to you once upon a time. You have to remind yourself. You start to get comfortable and give them a bit of shit (laughs) and then you go wait a minute... I was lucky enough to get taken in to the inner circle where I learnt a lot from all these guys in bands like Malevolent Creation and the Morbid Angel dudes and another band over there called Pain God, but these are all serious hard hitters in the death metal scene. All of these guys had done time with the big bands, and I got to know these dudes really well and I would often see them in between shows when they came down to Tampa Bay and they would be staying the night and rather than drink the night away and get fucked up one guy would say to the other guitarist 'let's do that thing' and they had all these side projects. Just with eight track recording gear and while they were in town they would work on these things with a drum machine and some primitive recording gear, and at the time I started playing in a band called Shrill, and they were a punk band, which I really enjoyed but I really, really wanted to play death metal stuff. Then I realised that if I got myself a drum machine and a basic four track the Hell with waiting around to find the right musicians, I could just start writing music straight away and not have to wait to find somebody who is a competent musician and part athlete to be able to play some of the drumming I wanted to do. So I did a couple of demos like that, which is what evolved into Frankenbok eventually."In the full interview, Azza goes through the early days in more detail, the formation of Frankenbok, their early sound and where it came from, the sonic leap between Greetings And Salutations and the EP Loopholes And Greatest Excuses, their cover of Don't Call Me Baby, playing that song live with Ladybeard in Japan, Hutchy's involvement with Frankenbok, the decision to go with Adam B Metal when Hutchy left, Dan McDougall's addition as frontman and what he brought to the band, the inherent sense of family within Frankenbok, Dan White taking over as frontman, the decision to bring McDougall back, Frankenbok's legacy and more.

Back in the Summer of 1997 the seeds of a band who have thrived over the ensuing quarter of a century were sewn from humble beginnings.When guitarist Aaron Butler returned from Florida armed with a bunch of tascam 4 track recordings and a mind recently blown by the music coming out of the scene he had just left, the initial strands that were to become Frankenbok DNA had begun to fester.The musical inspiration brought home from the US was the catalyst for a band that this year celebrates 25 years of music, and one which was set to redefine the way heavy metal music was played in this country.Along with vocalist Adam 'Hutchy' Glynn, Butler began scheming and manipulating an idea, in the process setting off a chain of events that will manifest at The Tote in Melbourne on December 10 when Frankenbok play a special anniversary show featuring each of the five major incarnations of the band from their 25 year history.Original vocalist and fellow founding member Hutchy embraced Butler's early eclectic vision, veering off in his own unique sonic tangents and giving voice to a form of music that until that point was the sole domain of international superstars and visionaries.It was a form of rap, metal and hard rock given a uniquely Australian fabric and one which was to revolutionise many aspects of the Australian heavy metal scene.Hutchy went on to record one album (Greetings & Salutations) and an EP (Loopholes & Greatest Excuses) before leaving the band just when the toils of their hours of hard work and dedication were starting to bear fruit.It was the first sign of fracture in Frankenbok's fledgling journey, but one which was to be repeated a number of other times over the ensuing years.Each time a member left another folded into their place, with the Frankenbok faithful welcoming each new addition without question. But it was the departure of Hutchy - who at the time was integral to the sonically diverse nature of Frankenbok's music - that caused the biggest and most lasting ripples.That's not to say incoming vocalist Adam B Metal wasn't equally as important in the continued evolution of Frankenbok, but it was the sporadic experimental techniques that Hutchy brought to the table that formed a massive part of Frankenbok's core sound.After deliberately moving in different directions to his former friends and bandmates for a number of years, Hutchy finally rejoined what has been dubbed the "Frankenbok Family" earlier this year when the ambitious decision to attempt to reform each significant Frankebok line-up for a one off celebration recognising the entire history of the band was floated.It was a suggestion that at the time seemed almost too left of field to stand a chance of succeeding, but now, less than two weeks out from the show, the planets have aligned without dispute and all of the past and present members of the Frankenbok Family are ready to once more flex their musical muscles.HEAVY sat down with Hutchy for a frank and open discussion about his time in Frankenbok, the factors that resulted in his premature exit, what to expect from the anniversary show and much more.We start, of course, with the start..."I remember hearing from Azza's fiance at the time, Sonya, and she rang me and we caught up and she told me that Aaron was coming back," Hutchy recalled. "I was very excited because when I first met Aaron all those years ago he was playiing in band's with Tim and I just really liked what he did. I knew him throughout high school and he was just one of those guys that stood out and I always wanted to approach him back in the day when I was younger and less confident and hit him up to do something. He came back and he had these tapes with the recordings he had done - it was quite different to what he'd previously done - and at the time my band Bacterium was on the way out, so I said to him I'd love to do something and would you be open to me putting vocals over this stuff and he said yeah sure.He said what do we do for a drummer (the recorded tracks were all done using a drum machine) and I said you have the drum machine so let's just start from there and build."Despite the excitement that inevitably surrounds any new band project, Hutchy says the aspiring revolutionaries still had a semblance of a musical vision from which to mould this new beast."My old band was a bit more Mr. Bungle influenced," he recalled, "so lot's of metal crossed with funk jazz combinations, so I wanted to be a brutal death metal band. I was really into Damaged and Napalm Death and Bloodduster, so I didn't really want to sing clean at all. I just wanted to do growling and screaming all the way through, so if you listen to the earlier stuff that's where the vocals kind of were. The drum machine gave it a kind of quirky edge to it, a really tacky, tinny, casio sound and sound and that inspired some of the vocals as well, in the sense of the weird stuff I was doing back in the early days."In the full interview, Hutchy gives a comprehensive look at his time with Frankenbok, the problems that led to his departure, other musical projects, reconnecting with the band and much more.

This show I chat Dan McDougall of Frankenbok about new releases and the up coming 25th Anniversary show at the Tote in Collingwood, Melbourne. https://frankenbok.net https://www.facebook.com/frankenbok

Melbourne metal legends Frankenbok have survived everything the music industry can throw at them for 25 years.They have witnessed the birth and rise of the internet and lived through countless musical trends that threatened their very existence, but through it all have remained true to the voice of metal.Over that 25 years Frankenbok have undergone five major line-up changes, with the only one constant being founding member and guitarist Aaron Butler, whose musical vision has evolved and changed with the times but his love for the true core of Frankenbok's music has remained stoic.To celebrate a quarter of a century in the music industry, Frankenbok will be hosting a special anniversary show at The Tote in Melbourne on December 10 featuring members that comprised each of those five line-ups. It is an ambitious feat and one not undertaken lightly by the band who have been working on making the night a success for the last couple of months.But, before that monumental event, Frankenbok are releasing an album comprising seven songs previously thought lost to music that were recorded by the bands original line-up of Azza, Adam Glynn, Mick Morley, Scott Lang and Tim Miedecke in 2002. This is music that was recorded over 20 years ago as demos and left in a box gathering dust until recently when the current members began digging through old material to potentially bring back to life at the anniversary show.During those scavenger hunts the band also unearthed a live recording of Frankenbok's legendary show supporting System Of A Down at The Palace in 2002, so the man behind it all - current Frankenbok vocalist Dan McDougall - decided to join those live songs with the newly uncovered demos and release them under the name The Ex Files Volume 1.With that set to drop on November 30 HEAVY decided to sit down with McDougall to talk about the album and how it came to life."It's seeing the light of day because Azza brought over a whole bunch of old memorabilia at my request," McDougall began. "I sort of said to him... initially I just wanted some old photos of the band so I could put it on the poster, and then I asked if he could bring over anything else he's got floating around that I can use to promote the show, just old stuff that we can put up. He ended up rocking up with three massive containers full of photos and flyers and all kinds of shit. He's got an amazing amount of stuff - all of the dudes do actually - in various forms of disarray. Azza's stuff was hopelessly looked after and all the CD's were scratched, the photos were a mess and it took me a while to clean all of that up. Timmy and Mick's stuff was all meticulously organised (laughs). I was just going through the stuff and I stumbled across this one CD that's got a picture of the band on the front and I turned it over and I'm looking at these song titles on the back and it's got the Roadrunner Records logo on it. I'm looking at these titles and thought I don't know any of these songs and thought what the hell is this? This is new, and I've been a fan of the band since the beginning so to not know what this was I was very curious. I chucked it in the CD player the next day on my way to work and the first song kicks in and it's a song that's off the Blood Oath record, but it's got Hutchy doing vocals. The second album had Adam B Metal doing vocals. It kicked in and I thought woah, this has got completely different vocals and it's diferent lyrics, different everything. And it sounded unreal."In the full interview, Dan continues his story on how The Ex Files Volume 1 came to life, how the material differs to Frankenbok's current sound, how it shaped the band moving forward, the found live footage of the support with System Of A Down, why he decided to put the album together which features the original band members, his love for Frankenbok as a fan and as a vocalist, the recently released album single The Avalanche In Me, the upcoming anniversary show and what to expect and more.

Coming from the working town of Newcastle, hard rock outfit The Bloods have a fair sense of what to expect from the music industry.With a solid work ethic already engrained in the members DNA the battle is part way won.Partly.The rest comes by way of dedication, sacrifice and ability, all three of which it seems are already in effect judging by their efforts in putting together shows and being prepared to travel far and wide to spread the gospel of music.With a string of shows lined up to round out the year and a new single incoming around December, HEAVY decided to catch up with Jay and Danny from The Bloods, a band who claim to "put the party back in metal."First topic for discussion was their next gig at the Tote in Melbourne on September 30, headlined by the mighty Frankenbok with support from Coffin Carousel, Glasshawk, The Bloods and He Who Seeks Vengeance."It's gonna be amazing," Jay began."We had this idea that this year we wanted to do Queensland, we wanted to do Melbourne and then obviously work with some lovely people in the industry. To jump on a show with Frankenbok and Coffin Carousel from down there and He Who Seeks Vengeance coming for their return show in three years it's gonna be a cracker."In the full interview, the boys talk more about the September 30 show, two more they have coming after that, the importance of being proactive in music, their next single The End, a history on the band, forming during COVID and how hard it was to establish the band, putting the party in metal and how they plan to do it, future music and more.

Victorian metal titans Frankenbok have witnessed somewhat of a rebirth since COVID, with their latest album Overdose emphatically proving that the band still have plenty to offer despite spending a quarter of a century doing the rounds.Sonically, Overdose sees Frankenbok veering into fresh musical territory, drawing influence more from the punk side of the well than ever before.As such, the band has also become highly sought after on the live circuit, with next weekends Moondoll Festival seeing the band finally return to the Sunshine State after a couple of aborted recent efforts.As one of Moondoll's headlining acts at the Mansfield Tavern on June 4 – alongside Kaosis, Kallidad, No No No No No, Seraphic, The Silencio, EAT CITY, Violet, Acid Cherry,Indiana Bones, Sacred Hearts, Skunkbone, Tailor Made Rejects, Ben Ely and the Spectres Of Light, Salt and Steel, Audio Reign, Viper Syndicate, Fumarole, The Wrath, Adriatic, DeadYet?, Supertrooper, Beast Machine, The Kindly Ravens, Your Man Alex Smith, Chiffon Magnifique and Brett Bites – Frankenbok plan to further enhance their growing reputation with a couple of QLD shows to show their wares.Frankenbok also play at Gold Coast Carnage Fest at Mo's Desert Clubhouse with Kaosis, Void Matter, Ocean Shores and Azreal on June 3, before heading to Frankies Pizza in Sydney on June 5.CJ Nash caught up with Frankenbok vocalist Dan McDougall to talk about the tour and more.

Interview by CJ Nash from Local Band SmokeoutNew Zealand experimental metal outfit Kaosis are crossing the waters back to Australia this June for a series of showcase events alongside some of this countries best and most promising acts.One of these shows is Gold Coast Carnage Fest, to be held at Mo's Desert Clubhouse in Burleigh Heads on Friday, June 3.Kaosis will be bringing a swag of new material and a revamped line-up that promises to raise the bar even higher from their debut Australian tour before the world turned to dust.Joining them for Carnage Fest will be Melbourne metal titans Frankenbok, as well as local Queensland outfits Void Matter, Ocean Shores and Gold Coast legends Azreal.Each week leading up to the event, HEAVY will present an interview with one of the bands as well as a short video Q & A to introduce you to the bands performing, as well as give you an insight into what to expect from one of the most exciting shows to hit the Gold Coast this year.This week we catch up with Azreal.Azreal are almost like an enigma on the local metal scene. They are a band who cleverly choose not to oversaturate the market with their music, instead playing only select shows for maximum impact.After recently setting the main stage alight at Wallapalooza, Azreal's next gig is at Carnage Fest, where you can be sure the band will once again deliver when it matters.C.J starts by asking about one of the other bands on the lineup, Frankenbok."Frankenbok is a name I've heard over many, many years, and I reckon I've probably seen them live at some point in the early 2000s, probably at a show at Festival Hall. I can't remember who they were supporting but I'm sure they played there. For whatever reason I didn't take too much notice, probably because back then I was there to see some international bands and here was just an Aussie band, so, whatever. But then I did get more interested in the Aussie scene and I think the first time actually seeing Frankenbok was a show up in Brisbane, and I'm gonna say it was maybe seven or eight years ago, and they absolutely smashed it out of the park and I stood up and took fucken notice. I've been following them ever since, and their latest album is absolutely killer."In the full interview, CJ dives deeper into the world of Azreal, focusing on Gold Coast Carnage Fest, and finds out more about what the Gold Coast legends have in store for us in the near future.Tickets for Carnage Fest are available now from Mosdesertcluhouse.com for just $10 pre-sale or $15 on the door.

Interview by CJ Nash from Local Band SmokeoutNew Zealand experimental metal outfit Kaosis are crossing the waters back to Australia this June for a series of showcase events alongside some of this countries best and most promising acts.One of these shows is Gold Coast Carnage Fest, to be held at Mo's Desert Clubhouse in Burleigh Heads on Friday, June 3.Kaosis will be bringing a swag of new material and a revamped line-up that promises to raise the bar even higher from their debut Australian tour before the world turned to dust.Joining them for Carnage Fest will be Melbourne metal titans Frankenbok, as well as local Queensland outfits Void Matter, Ocean Shores and Gold Coast legends Azreal.Each week leading up to the event, HEAVY will present an interview with one of the bands as well as a short video Q & A to introduce you to the bands performing, as well as give you an insight into what to expect from one of the most exciting shows to hit the Gold Coast this year.This week we speak with Void Matter.With their latest single Wildfire out now and a number of promotional shows under their belt, CJ starts by asking how the response has been to the new track."We've been really stoked with how everything has been playing out,” Thompson enthused. “We've been getting lots of great feedback and its performing pretty well.""Over 13,000 views on Youtube is pretty overwhelming,” Stowe added. “That's definitely our biggest views by far, so we're doing something right (laughs)."Void Matter have taken their music as far North as Cairns on the promotional trail, with both boys smiling when asked how the tour is going."The tour has been great,” Thompson nodded, “and the shows have been awesome. Going up to Cairns and selling out a venue we've never played before, that was pretty awesome."In the full interview CJ dives deeper into touring life, focusing on Gold Coast Carnage Fest, and finds out more about what the Void Matter boys have in store for us in the near future.Tickets for Carnage Fest are available now from Mosdesertcluhouse.com for just $10 pre-sale or $15 on the door.

New Zealand experimental metal outfit Kaosis are crossing the waters back to Australia this June for a series of showcase events alongside some of this countries best and most promising acts.One of these shows is Carnage Fest, to be held at Mo's Desert Clubhouse in Burleigh Heads on Friday, June 3.Kaosis will be bringing a swag of new material and a revamped line-up that promises to raise the bar even higher from their debut Australian tour before the world turned to dust.Joining them for Carnage Fest will be Melbourne metal titans Frankenbok, as well as local Queensland outfits Void Matter, Ocean Shores and Gold Coast legends Azreal.Each week leading up to the event, HEAVY will present an interview with one of the bands as well as a short video Q & A to introduce you to the bands performing, as well as give you an insight into what to expect from one of the most exciting shows to hit the Gold Coast this year.This week we speak with Ocean Shores.Tickets for Carnage Fest are available now from Mosdesertcluhouse.com for just $10 pre-sale or $15 on the door.

The everblack Podcast sat down with FRANKENBOK frontman Dan McDougall to talk about their long awaited new album ‘Overdose' and their DIY approach to it's physical release and merch, playing live again and upcoming shows with Pistonfist, QLD's Moondoll Festival, His respect for indestructible band mate Azza and more! Frankenbok - ‘Overdose' is out now https://bit.ly/3HDXmZK or https://frankenbok.net/***EVERBLACK PODCAST***SUBSCRIBE and STREAM HERE: https://linktr.ee/EverblackPodcastwww.everblack.com.auwww.facebook.com/Everblackmedia Thanks to : Deathwish Hotrods & KustomsRW Promotion Blacklight AD Screenprinting Electric WitchEverblack intro theme by Jaymes Jackson

Despite the constant insistence of people in the modern age of music to put labels on things and try to fit bands into their own tiny corner of the market, most bands and music that you hear these days sounds outdated. Or familiar. Or safe.Too many bands are content to stick to the tried and true formula – not that you could really blame them sometimes – but as a result the danger has gone out of much of the new material that is presented to us at a rapid pace.While some bands and fans are comfortable with familiarity, others look to constantly better themselves. They refuse to be pigeon holed and, more often than not, are criticized for venturing too far from the path allocated to them by the masses.For more than 25 years Melbourne heavy machine Frankenbok have dipped their toes in a variety of styles and genres. Their albums have ranged from thrash metal influenced to heavy rock to psychedelic influenced rock numbers, but they have all always had that identifiable Frankenbok stamp bubbling under the surface.For most of their existence Frankenbok have been a five piece band, the dual guitar assault recognized as a defining part of the band's sound and direction.In the space of the last three years Frankenbok have parted ways with their original bass player - leaving Azza Bok as the only original member - and also trimmed down to a four piece, leaving Azza alone out the front. It is a changing of the guard that would have a negative effect on most bands out there, but Frankenbok have taken it in their stride and set about igniting a new chapter in Frankenbok history.Over the last two years the band has busied themselves with their latest album, the follow up to 2017's Vicious, Lawless. With Dan McDougall back in the vocalist position and Owen Spratling assuming bass duties a renewed sense of purpose settled over Frankenbok, and with it a fresh approach to music.Avoiding the usual sonic inspiration provided by metal bands, Frankenbok instead opened their minds to other genres. Australian rock, bands like Snot, bands that have their own market that certainly isn't on the same playing field as the type of music expected from Frankenbok.Which is a good thing.On February 11 Frankenbok will release the culmination of those two years work in the form of Overdose, an album that should propel the name Frankenbok back onto the lips of music fans everywhere. It is an album that has it all – punk, rock, metal, even a bit of funk, but throughout still has that unmistakable fire only seasoned musicians can muster.Dan McDougall sat down with HEAVY earlier this week to discuss Overdose and its long road to fruition.We start by asking if he feels more relief, excitement or anticipation with the album almost ready to drop."All of the above,” he said quickly, “but probably more relief than anything. It's always good when you finally get to the end of the cycle and this thing that you've been working on... it's pretty much gone two years I suppose since we started the writing process. It's crazy how you go from that period where there's nothing, just a few riffs and then two years later you've got an album. That process is quite extensive and... oh man, there's lots of things you have to go through to get to that point. It's very much a relief to finally get it out there."As mentioned earlier, Overdose is not what most people would expect from Frankenbok, a point agreed upon by McDougall."No, it's not,” he affirmed. “Although there's definitely a flavour through it that's always there. Aaron is the chief songwriter and on this particular record he pretty much put together all of the songs, which is sort of a first. Apart from back in the early days, from the period I was in the band Timmy (former bass player) was also another contributor so they were almost even when it came to contributing songs for the record. This time around Azza's pretty much taken the reins. We've also got the fact that now we're a four piece instead of five, which is a first in terms of putting out a record, and we've got a new bass player. That's all added to this cacophony that we've created. It's... every songs different. There's a bit of everythi8ng across the board. It's quite a bit of a journey to go on from start to finish. None of the songs sound the same at all. That wasn't particularly a deliberate thing to do, it was just whatever Azza brought next to the table was the next thing we worked on. We just ended up with ten songs that all sound completely different. I don't know whether that's a good thing or a bad thing. I don't know whether people who are stuck in a specific style of metal, they are gonna find that a little disconcerting to listen to or it's gonna be a breath of fresh air, I dunno. For us playing the songs it's great. They're great songs to play and for me that's number one importance is that we as a band enjoy playing the songs, and that's each one of these. We've been jamming the shit out of them for the last year and we're not sick of them yet. We're just keen to get out there and play them live. That would be nice (laughs). I dunno if we're really a metal band. I don't classify us as a metal band. There's definitely a bit of a punk element to what we do as well. It's a real mixed bag."In the full interview, Dan talks more about the songs on Overdose, the path to completion, how this is different to every other Frankenbok album, working with Luke Walton at Danger Tone Studios, writing the whole album lyrically for the first time and more.

With so many concerts and music festivals falling victim to the unpredictable nature of COVID and the domino effect of lockdowns and venue closures and restrictions, the Australian public has been starved of live music in Australia for coming on to 18 months.It is a situation and realisation that has seen many promotors reluctant to book shows, particularly shows with multiple bands from differing states, that could have serious ramifications if even just one section of our country was forced back into lockdown.Although understandable, it has still been a form of frustration for concert goers, but in reality booking any form of concert in the current climate is a risk almost not worth taking.Luckily for us here in Queensland - who have been fortunate enough to escape the plight of our Southern comrades - the risk versus reward factor is stacked more in our favour than against, meaning several promoters and music enthusiasts have run the gauntlet by planning and booking shows.One of those people is Shannon-Lee Sloane, aka The Colourful Writer, aka manager of music website Good Call Live, who went against advice and opinion to forge ahead with her now annual Moondoll Music Festival.Unfortunately, the initial date of July 10 had to be revised when lockdowns closed the Queensland borders to a number of headlining bands, including New Zealand outfit Kaosis and Melbourne metal titans Frankenbok.The new date chosen was September 11, but that too was thrown into doubt when first Kaosis were forced back into quarantine in their home country and then both N.S.W and Victoria both slammed their non-existent border gates closed and effectively isolated Queensland from a large portion of Australia's music hierarchy.Rather than postpone the event once more, Shannon elected to push on, relying on Queensland's musical collective and wealth of talent to fly the flag for not only Moondoll, but music festivals themselves.Shannon sat down with HEAVY recently to discuss Moondoll and the often bumpy road to the September 11 revised date at the Mansfield Tavern."There's a lot of relief - well, not a lot of relief yet," she laughed. "I think once we get there, and I actually walk into the venue and know it's all happening, then there'll be some relief."Only someone who has organised live music on a large scale could truly understand the frustration and emotional upheaval even one setback can cause, but even faced with increasingly insurmountable odds, Shannon remained determined to see her vision come to fruition."To be honest, I ummed and ahhed about even putting it on this year," she revealed. "I was talking to some other promoters who put on festivals and things in Brisbane and some of them were saying they were going to go ahead and others were saying no, we're gonna wait until the following year and hopefully things are a bit back to normal by then, so I actually decided not to put it on this year. Then, I had this moment one night - I think I was having a drink with Jimmy, my partner - and we were talking about my birthday and I thought I'm just gonna do it. I'm gonna put Moondoll on this year, I'm gonna throw caution to the wind and do it and kind of make it a bit of a birthday thing too because I turned 40 this year. Originally Moondoll was scheduled for July which is close to my birthday, and then it all went to shit because of Covid related things, so it got postponed until September, but I thought I've put this much effort in, I've come this far. I'm not gonna give up."In the full interview Shannon talks more about the troubles faced with having to reschedule an event, the high profile cancellations and how she has worked around them, moving from The Back Room in previous years to Moondoll's new home at the Mansfield Tavern, doubling the stages to have twice as much entertainment this year, juggling performances over two stages and how difficult it is to avoid clashes, her future vision for Moondoll, the musical diversity of the line-up and more.

Brisbane hard rock unit PistonFist have certainly been busy in the first half of 2021.Fresh from a leading slot at Kilfest in Melbourne to shows in Far North Queensland and future tours of Melbourne, Canberra and Adelaide, this four piece has certainly taken the proverbial bull by the horns and utilised their time fully.From playing with King Parrot, to Frankenbok, to Thy Art Is Murder and The Poor, PistonFist have shown not only their versatility across the hard rock/metal spectrum, but also won over legions of new fans with each outing.This week, the band released their crushing new single Rise Up, with frontman Geoff O'Leary joining HEAVY to talk about the song."Musically, we all had a little bit of input," he began. "I wrote most of the song, wrote all the lyrics, and the boys put their bits in. We had our good mate Dan Trickett from Like Thieves and Lynchmada and a bunch of other bands, he played the drums on this track for us. We were in between drummers at the time, and he did an amazing job. The guy is a freak drummer, and he absolutely killed it. We have since got a new drummer, Damo, and had really, really good input from him, but we're super stoked with the track. Its about not listening to the bullshit; not listening to people's opinions - sometimes you've gotta listen to opinions - but the idea is to rise above it, use it as fuel, whatever you wanna do with it but don't take it to heart. That's kind of the point. Rise Up."In the full interview Geoff talks more about the song, runs us through plans for more PistonFist music later this year, the versatility of the band and how they fit across different genres, touring and what they have coming up, how they got their genre classification of Petrol Rock and more.

With the Moondoll Festival at the Mansfield Tavern only weeks away HEAVY will spend the next three weeks talking to some of the headlining acts to give you a taste of what is in store.This week we catch up with Mark E from The Mercy Kills to talk about their role in Moondoll and other things happening in The Mercy Kills camp.We start off by asking how long it has been since The Mercy Kills last played in Brisbane."Let me see, it's been a few years actually," Mark measured. "I know we did the Wallapalooza at The Wallaby Hotel a couple of years back. We've been up there with Everclear and Courtney Love, we've done a few shows at the Zoo with Deathstars and out at Eatons Hill but it's been a couple of years. The last time was with Everclear I think."This year Moondoll has moved base to the Mansfield Tavern, also doubling its output by adding an extra stage. As such the diversity of bands and music has increased with a line up covering everything from rock through to metal."It's a really good mix," Mark agreed. "It's good to see Frankenbok on there, it's been a few years since I've seen those lads kicking out. And Kaosis. The lineup is very strong."Moondoll Festival is on July 10 at the Mansfield Tavern.FULL LINE UP:Kaosis // FRANKENBOK // Salt & Steel // The Mercy Kills // From Crisis To Collapse // PistonFist // The Wrath // DisKust // The Billie Page Rebellion // Darling Vicious // THE AUTOMATON // Odius // Baltimore Gun Club // The Crypt Daddies // EAT CITY. // Muules // Mitch, Please // Distorted Views // Slurpee Jerks // Plant Based Disgrace // Malina Claire // The Wretched Creatures // Lunchtime // Violet // Zero1Zero // Freakshow Nightmare // The New Calm // Jordan Merrick

Northern NSW hard rock/metal outfit Beast Machine have emerged from the shadow of COVID armed with a new resolve and a fresh arsenal of music.With a solid reputation for their live performances, the duo have spent the last 18 months readying themselves for when the inevitable time comes that they can hit the road but once more, but rather than store up existing material and delay its release, Beast Machine instead elected to utilize the time to write songs for what will be a new album later this year.The first of which is new single “Better” which will be released on May 29, an up-tempo rock number with catchy as hell hooks and a driving beat that leaves no doubt as to the band's intentions.Perhaps better known for the thrashier side of metal than the rock sensibilities of “Better”, Beast Machine are showcasing a more accessible side to their music without sacrificing their souls completely to the Metal Gods.Drummer Josh Paish and guitarist/vocalist Reg Barber joined HEAVY to talk about their new music and the slight deviation it takes on the rock to metal scale."It's a great song and a bit of a departure from the last couple of releases that were very, very heavy,” Paish offered. “This one's not as fast or brutal but it's definitely got a lot of power. It's a very punchy, heavy rock track but it's also a singalong as well."Being the first track released from the new album, HEAVY poses the question if this is a representation musically of the remainder of the songs, with Barber smiling wryly."There's definitely curveballs,” he laughed. “ I think we're gonna set out to write an album that is heavier than anything we've done, faster than anything we've done, more melodic than anything we've done and correct me if I'm wrong Josh, this is definitely on the lighter scale and the rockier end of the spectrum."“In terms of power though, I would say it's one of the most powerful songs,” Paish continued. A song doesn't have to be flat out 300beats per minute to be super powerful. Just through the use of the melodics and through the use of the riff and even the beat it's a really powerful song. In terms of that, there's gonna be a lot of good, heavy solid rock in there but we will definitely throw in some old school."In the full interview Josh and Reg talk about the film clip, more on the album which will hopefully be out towards the back end of this year, touring overseas and being pro-active as a unit, why they are keeping as a duo, their upcoming Far North Queensland shows with Frankenbok and Odius and plans for the remainder of 2021.

Newcastle modern melodic/thrash metal outfit PurEnvY are one of just four bands announced for next years Thrashville Festival on February 13.Alongside local sensations Astrodeath, Battlesnake and Scabz, PurEnvy are aiming to put their names alongside acts such as King Parrot, Frankenbok and Frenzal Rhomb to have headlined the prestigious Southern festival."I'm stoked,” enthused guitarist/vocalist Josip Malkoc about being part of the initial announcement. “Excited. It's gonna be a good show for everyone and it's pretty close to home! I've never actually been but I've wanted to go since the year King Parrot played. They do a couple of different festivals out there so it should be good.”Despite the current blow-up of Covid cases in N.S.W that has once again forced border closures, Malkoc remains optimistic about the festival going ahead.“Yeah absolutely,” he said, only half convincingly. “They're saying on the news 'has Sydney dodged the covid bullet for Christmas?' but you can't really say that. Every day is different. With shows and stuff, we played a couple of weeks ago in Newcastle and one minute it was a seated show and then it got turned into a standing one and then it got changed back to a seated one... it's hard to keep up with.”In the full interview, Josip discusses how it feels to be back playing live again, new music written during lockdown, the ever-evolving sound of PurEnvy and more.

We chat to Armoured Earth about their brand new EP.

Recently reappointed frontman for Frankenbok Dan McDougall openly and frankly discusses how he came to rejoin the band and the motivations behind him rediscovering his passion and drive to grace the stage one more, as well as the methods of Frankenbok's approach to writing new material, their upcmoing tour dates and for this podcasts Heavymag also has access for the fans to hear Frankenbok's brand new song "Coming Out Swinging"

Once has a relationship has fractured to the point of separation there is little need to retread old ground. The old adage of if it didn't work the first time it never well has been proven in both life and music but there are exceptions to the rule.Sometimes that unique but departed person merely needs to re-energize and gain back the drive and hunger that saw the relationship thrive and prosper when it mattered. Sometimes that separation is needed, although not popular at the time, but in the rare instances where both parties are prepared to focus on the future instead of dwell on the past the strengths of the individual become the strengths of the collective.When Frankenbok parted ways with vocalist Dan McDougall in 2015 diehard fans were devastated. McDougall was widely acknowledged as the band's premiere vocalist out of the handful that had fronted the band, with his intensity and menace only matched by his aggressive nature. He led the band by example, with no quarter given but plenty taken. Unfortunately, with personalities such as this the highs are matched blow for blow with the lows and after a period of unrest and instability McDougall left the band and was replaced by Dan White. Although White was a more than adequate replacement whispers continued to fester that McDougall's exit had detracted from the aura that surrounded Frankenbok with some openly campaigning for his return.When White left the band towards the end of last year and the band put out a statement saying that a replacement was being considered in-house only the most optimistic dared to believe that a return from McDougall was possible. As more time passed before the bands next gig in late January the whispers gained traction until today's announcement that McDougall would, in fact, take his spot front of stage. Hopefully gone would be the friction that caused the break-up and in its place a renewed sense of unity that would see Frankenbok return to full force."It feels fantastic, absolutely fantastic", grinned McDougall when pressed how it felt to finally be able to speak publically about his return. "We had another rehearsal last night and the band is on fire! We've got a thirty minute set at Blaze and we were trying to squeeze in too much so we ramped it up by a couple of BPM's on the last run through and it was way too fast (laughs). Right now I have to say that I'm very happy to be back in the band but in a way, I never really left. I just kind of changed positions. My other band Never and Frankenbok both rehearse out of the same place here and I continued to do stuff for the band behind the scenes. I made film clips for them and recorded the last album so I went from being the vocalist to behind the scenes so it hasn't been much of a stretch really. I live at the rehearsal studio so every practice for the last year and a half I have been present at".When White and Frankenbok parted ways in December that close proximity worked in McDougall's favor."Prior to Frankenbok touring Japan in November, I had been thinking about vocals a little bit. It was the first time in a few years that I had seriously considered singing again and prior to the boys leaving I did a recording of them running through the set in the rehearsal room minus Dan who had left early that night. After they left I had a bit of a play with it singing over the top of the music and it felt good. I already knew most of the songs so I cranked them through the PA and belted them out. When the band got back Azza (guitarist and founding member) had a chat and he explained the situation to me and said that while the tour was unbelievable things weren't so great on a personal level. I got the impression Dan wasn't fitting in with the rest of the guys and it became apparent that they would be in need of a new vocalist pretty soon. I told Azza what I had been playing around with and how good it felt and he asked if I wanted to play the next show at Blaze and I said fucken oath! That's pretty much where we left it but I felt that I needed to get in the room with the guys and feel it out before making a firm decision to commit but after the first jam, it was blatantly obvious that there was some serious energy there. After a couple more it felt better than it ever had before. Everyone was exceptionally tight and the energy was definitely there. It's a whole new band from when I left with the exception of Azza so I needed to see how it felt with those guys but the minute we started... it was a feeling you can't do justice with words alone".At the time of McDougall's departure rumors circulated that drugs and alcohol had played a major factor in the split. Despite refusing at the time to fuel the fire by responding McDougall now states that the rumors were just that."Unequivocally no", he affirmed of the claim. "I'm not sure where people got that perception from but it possibly came from the book that came out about the band itself. Yes, there were issues related to alcohol and stuff like that but I'd given up drinking about a year before I left. It wasn't about that. The band at that point in time was a mess. We spent more time in band meetings and trying to agree what we wanted to do going forward than we did actually rehearse. The band was on the verge of a total meltdown. It was a gut feeling for me that I needed to step down and I also have to say that stopping drinking played a big part in it too. It was part of what brought out the animal in me that got me up on stage and do what I did. Once I stopped that it was hard to get that feeling. I wasn't 100% committed to it anymore and I had that feeling that I needed to take a break. I felt it was necessary for the band to move forward. I felt that if I left other things would happen and that's kind of the way it worked out. People started to leave because... quite frankly it wasn't enjoyable any more".Musically, Frankenbok's current line-up is widely regarded as the best since the band's formation. While this alone was enough to further McDougall's desire to rejoin the band he also knew he had to bring something formidable to the table himself. It wasn't enough to simply slide back into the driver's seat. He needed to provide something more than just a vocal presence."Unbridled conviction my friend", he sneered when asked what he would provide. "I don't fuck about, especially when I'm on stage. Here's the thing. I don't necessarily listen to this kind of music anymore. My tastes have mellowed quite a bit, but to play it invokes a feeling that is so primal and it's something that is undeniable. When you are in a group of guys and you're all channeling this thing together you can't help but be completely overtaken by that feeling. I don't necessarily think that I'm the greatest vocalist in the world. I don't give a shit about that. What I give a shit about is conviction and what I give a shit about is doing it like you mean it. For me, this music brings that out naturally. I am absolutely chomping at the bit. I can't wait to get back up there and unleash the fury in Ballarat on Australia Day. It's been four years. I didn't miss it for a long time and it wasn't until I started thinking about it and got in there that I started enjoying it again and understanding that this is an innate part of me that for some reason I need to scream like a lunatic (laughs). It's my way of expressing my pent up rage and frustration and anger. Everybody has that shit but not everyone has a way to express it. That's what has always driven me to do this".Knowing that the initial enthusiasm that will greet the return of the prodigal son will not be enough to carry the band alone, Frankenbok are armed with a battleplan to coincide with the announcement and understand they will need to back it up with results."Now that this has happened it's time to think about what Frankenbok can do and what the band is now", McDougall said. "We're looking at a completely new entity. A name is a name. Frankenbok is a name that has gone on for twenty years but it has changed so much in that time. Now we're looking at a completely different band. I am now fronting a completely different band. We have to go out and prove ourselves again. We wanna start small and play a bunch of local shows and get out there and make people take notice. It's a new band so let's forget about the fact we have been around for twenty years because we haven't. Not this incarnation. This is a new band; the name doesn't mean anything. For us, it's firstly about proving ourselves again. I'm about to turn 40 and the other guys are around the same age and I think it's incredibly refreshing and equally important for us to be able to do that. We should have given up the game a long time ago but we refuse to do that. The energy coming from us now is like a bunch of 20-year-olds, that's exactly how it feels. We don't give a shit about the fact we're 40. Fuck age, that doesn't mean shit. We're gonna play a bunch of shows and we're gonna write a bunch of new shit. We've already started. Azza brought a couple of riffs to the table last week and we've already got a new song almost done. Since I left the band has gotten a new drummer, new rhythm guitarist and new bass player so it's a whole different dynamic. I'm really excited about what kind of music this band will produce. It's totally different to what we had before so I'm really excited to plunge the depths and explore what these guys are capable of. It's gonna be brutal, make no bones about that"!Kris Peters

Got Faded Japan. ep. 425FRANKENBOK is one of Australia's leading metal bands who have paved the long road of metal in the land down under. We are very honored to have the time to get completely faded with them and learn more about who they really are and what they are about. FADE ON!!! Check out FRANKENBOK at:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankenbokhttp://www.frankenbok.com/https://youtu.be/SVCYMaxVVXwhttps://youtu.be/WeIZYoZRCCAhttps://frankenbok.bandcamp.com/  NOW YOU CAN DIRECTLY SUPPORT THE SHOW AND BECOME A PATREON! Supporting GOT FADED JAPAN ON PATREON directly supports keeping this show going and fueled with booze (seriously could you imagine the show sober?? Neither can we) SUPPORT GFJ at: https://www.patreon.com/gotfadedjapan    CHECK OUT OUR SPONSORS AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!!!! THE SPILT INK: Get prints and art at: 


 
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 The Got Faded Japan Podcast gives listeners a glimpse of the most interesting side of Japan's news, culture, peoples, parties, and all around mischief and mayhem. Hosted by Johnny and Tom who adds  opinions and otherwise drunken bullshit to the mix. We LOVE JAPAN AND SO DO YOU! Send us an email on Facebook or hell man, just tell a friend & post a link to keep this pod rolllin' Fader! Kanpai mofos!

"That feels like a really long time ago", offered guitarist and original member of Frankenbok Azza Bok speaking about their last album Vicious, Lawless". "It feels like an old record because we've already got our sights focused on the next one and there is just so much energy. That album took us years. We had so many hurdles that it was actually painful to get finished. We are all focussed on not what we did, but what we're doing. I'm excited about writing the next one with the guys that are in the band now. The new energy, the way the guys play with such gusto... I'm very excited".In the full interview Azza discusses the bands upcoming tour of Japan, their next local gigs including Blaze festival, the 20 year history of the band, the new members that have invigorated the bands sound and energy, how to maintain longevity in an increasingly crowded music scene and more.

Azza Bok (Frankenbok). Andrew and Azza discuss career and the 2017 album from Frankenbok, Vicious, Lawless.

Rocket League soundtrack contributor Adam B. Metal talks about his career in music with Frankenbok and The Departed, as well as his transition into writing metal songs for video games.Support Puttin' In Work with Jono Pech by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/puttin-in-work-with-jono-pechFind out more at https://puttin-in-work-with-jono-pech.pinecast.co

On this episode, we've got the brand new video from Final Drive! We've also got videos from Emecia, Mutank, The New Jacobin Club, Artweg, and Frozen Frost. And if that isn't enough, we've also got live footage of Frankenbok, courtesy of The Morgue Radio! Hold on, it's about to get insane!