Heavy Metal Nation is a place for fans of heavy, interesting music to come and read, write, and comment on articles about heavy music. Dysie: This the first “All Australian” metal tour package in a long time and is long overdue. How did this all fall into place & do you think we may see more of these in the future?

Alex Pope: All these bands have been involved with one another since beginning, so talking about touring together has been happening a long time. We will see how things work out?

But I expect this has the potential to work out better for all bands involved, than just going it alone... any of us. The potential for this line-up to be a successful package hinges on our prior involvement together. We know we can all work well together. I wouldn’t feel the same about doing this with many other bands.

Dysie: Can you tell Heavy Metal Nation readers about your latest album release and how it would compare to your previous release? Alex Pope: Our new album is titled “Front the Final Foes” and has just been released in time for this tour. We began recording August last year, and only really finished getting things ready last month.

It is a little more refined and concise this album, things are a little tighter and more powerful. We still have some serious depth and dynamics, but I feel that all things are a little bit more strong and sleek. It is an aggressive and confronting album. Hopefully it is both inspirational and challenging.

Dysie: How long will you guys be playing for & what can we expect to hear in the set?

Alex Pope: We have a slightly varying set depending on the time we get. Where there are more bands on the bill and closing times earlier, I think we have to cut a song or two?

But I think the longest set time we have is 50 mins. Whether or not we play 50 mins or 30 mins or something in between, either way we will be playing a couple from the new album “Front the Final Foes”, a couple from “Cauldron” and a couple from “Spun Forth as Dark Nets”. I think this is important. I look forward to playing the new songs for the crowd.

Dysie: Australian metal crowds really lap up the band merchandise. What will you have on offer for the rabid punters?

Alex Pope: We have a heap of different T-shirt designs and zipper-hoods, beanies... heaps of stuff, but most importantly is the new album “Front the Final Foes”. Come and support us and buy a copy, it really is a nice package, we are really pleased with it, the art by Rev.

Kriss Hades is fantastic once again. Also our last album “Cauldron” has just been issued on vinyl… we should have copies soon. This is ultra-limited so maybe we will have to just do this one mail-order? We will be bringing all merchandise we can for sure though. CD’s, shirts, hoods.

Dysie: What is the best aspect of touring?

Alex Pope: I suppose just living day to day for the band with kind of instant reward... I mean not always, sure sometimes it might feel like a loss haha! But to work away for a year or even more on recorded music, the satisfaction or feeling of achievement or whatever can be a really long time coming, and when it does come it is fleeting... onto the next problem.

But playing live is of course that direct experience where you put it out there, and you get it back if people are actually there, and it is all happening there for an hour or whatever?

I say this music is cathartic for me…. So the recording process is cathartic over the course of a year, a gig is catharsis in an hour. The studio thing and the live thing are like two different views of time for me, and therefore they are two different realities.

Dysie: What is the worst aspect of touring?

Alex Pope: I guess just the hassles that can come with travel. I really don’t want to talk about that.

Dysie: All bands on the bill are well experienced and have been forging themselves great names locally and internationally for a number of years. How do you see the Australian metal scene overall compared to where it was say 10 years ago?

Alex Pope: A lot has changed in the last decade... the decade before that everything was still total old-school of course, but this is the case everywhere not just Australia. In the last decade the internet is absolutely in place and has changed absolutely everything, the very nature of the way we think about the world… it affects the way we view ourselves and what we do, it certainly affects views on business. I think ease of international travel, because of ease of communication etc. etc.

In the 90’s there was only a handful of big name international metal bands that made it out here, in the last few years there has been this many each month haha! And so the same goes the other way, for Australian artists looking globally. Well it feels as though there are many, many, many more bands too, I think there is way more bands around, and everyone is promoting their band too of course. It is a flooded market for sure. Anyway all of this has affected the way we are all able to view things… I really don’t know? I am honestly not that involved with any scene in particular except the glimpses I get when we do tour around.

Dysie: Are there any Australian metal acts you have seen, heard or played with that in your opinion may have the talent to take their art to the next level?

Alex Pope: Most of the bands I like are probably more established and better known names than Ruins haha! I can’t think who to mention except ‘Thrall’. Friends of mine from Tasmania, they are currently living in Japan, but we expect them back. Their first album should be finished soon... they are already at a level all of their own.

Dysie: Whats in the pipeline for the band upon the completion of this tour?

Alex Pope: We have a show at home in Hobart, Tasmania at the end of July, and besides this we will be looking at getting back into the studio before the year is out. I have seven new demos and a few new sets of lyrics. Cheers for the interview!

Posted 17th August 2009 by Dysie
Updated Saturday, 26 June, 2010 10:40 PM