Cover shot – DODD
Our good friend and talented videographer Dodd is offering a free music video and photoshoot for two lucky local bands.
Check out the details below, follow and follow Dodd on social media.
EVERYDAY METAL – SUPPORT LOCAL HEAVY METAL
DEADED HOBBIES – Interview
Cover shot – DEADED HOBBIES
DEADED HOBBIES has made a name for himself crafting highly detailed figures of iconic heavy metal personalities. We had the chance to catch up with DEADED and chat about his creations.
Firstly, we just need to know, are you aware of how incredibly adorable these figures are?
I appreciate that Very much ,thank you!
Is this solely a hobby of yours or does it come from industry?
I do not have industry experience, this is just a hobby for me
When did you first start making figures and was it always within the Heavy Metal genre?
I started 4 years ago but weren’t always figures of musicians. I use to make superhero/sci-fi and horror figures as well until I settled in the metal genre.
What got you into Heavy Metal?
Listening to a lot of Nu-metal and Grunge as a kid. Korn and Nirvana was it for me
What kind of rendering software have you been using to create the 3D models?
I started off using simple programs like Blender and Maya until I discovered Zbrush. Zbrush is a great program for beginners and advanced users. Anyone looking to get into the 3d modelling I highly recommend
Are these all 3D printed? If so, have you been executing the 3D printing process yourself at home or do you use external services?
Yes, the Heads are 3d modeled/3d printed & painted by me. I use to own a plastic 3d printer when I first started but upgraded to a resin printer for better print quality. The bodies I buy from an external source
Your figures include miniature versions of stage clothes and costumes, how are you making these, do you also have crazy good sewing skills?
The outfits I sew as well, it is time-consuming and tedious work but sewing is a big part of my hobby and I love it. I try to replicate the outfits as best as I can
Your level of detail is impressive, we noticed you like to include band members actual tattoos on your figures, are these all hand-painted?
Yes they are hand-painted. Every time a figure requires tattoos I gather reference pictures and start the inking process. It is also tedious work but very fun
What’s been your favourite part of the design process when making these figures?
The best part for me is towards the end when I put the figure together. I surprise myself sometimes
Slipknot is heavily featured in your collection, especially the IOWA period, is this one of your favourite Slipknot eras?
IOWA is my favorite era, but sewing the jumpsuits are a pain haha
The current global pandemic has caused many cities around the world to lockdown, do you think this has given you the opportunity to focus on and perfect your craft?
Although there is a global pandemic I have not stopped working my full-time job. Still, every day I try to find time to perfect my art
Do you sell any of your figures or are you open to commissions?
I do sell every once in a while. If I ever do I usually make a post on my social media. But I am working on getting an online store going
What are your future plans for deadedhobbies?
My future plans are to hopefully turn this hobby into a business one day and to keep creating art regardless
Thanks to DEADED for taking the time to chat with us, you can check out all the creations and keep up to date on DEADED HOBBIES on Instagram.
EVERYDAY METAL – SUPPORT LOCAL HEAVY METAL
SUPPORT LOCAL HEAVY METAL tee
We are extremely happy to offer our very first EVERYDAY METAL tee.
Featuring a huge SUPPORT LOCAL HEAVY METAL back print, our shirts are designed in house and printed by the very talented Redwood Press on 100% combed cotton.
Check out our behind the scenes video below and you can get your tee in our online store.
WAXFLOWER – Tristan Higginson Interview
Cover shot – WAXFLOWER
Brisbane’s WAXFLOWER have recently released their single ‘Sixteen Floors‘, and announced their global signing to indie label Rude Records. We had the opportunity to chat with Vocalist and bassist Tristan about their latest offering and what the future holds for the band.
How did you and the rest of the band hook up?
We had all played in bands orbiting around each other for years. Nick, Jordan and I had been talking about starting a band the year before which didn’t come to fruition. Once Dan had showed interest in the demos that gave us the push we needed to make something happen.
Who does your artwork? Has it been the same artist for your past works?
All of our Artwork is done by the very talented Fanny Luor based in the US. She’s been pivotal in establishing the Waxflower aesthetic/brand. You can find more of her work at fannyluor.com
The accompanying cover art for Sixteen Floors is interesting. What is the meaning behind it?
The name of the song is actually based on a real apartment building I was spending a lot of time in. The hand on the front is based on an instalment found out the front of that building.
Can we expect a music video for this one?
Definitely! All of our videos are produced in house by our guitarist Nick. That should be coming out really soon!
What is it that you want your fans to draw from listening to your music?
Most of my writing is focused on personal experience with mental health issues. I’ve always wanted to document those feelings and hopefully have people find solace in relating to it. That being said, I’ve always been attracted to catchy pop music so if the hook is the main sell – that’s also no issue for me.
Who are you biggest influences?
Jimmy Eat World, Kisschasy, Motion City Soundtrack, anything Myspace.
What artists are you listening to most these days?
I’ve been listening to Ben Folds and Ben Folds Five almost exclusively. When I’m not listening to that, I’m watching Ben Folds interviews or gazing longingly at my phone background (photo of Ben Folds).
What is your favourite thing about the aussie pop/punk scene?
I think the pop/punk scene has always attracted passionate fans who are willing to give young acts a chance. Although on a small scale, we’ve noticed people who are invested in the band on a level we didn’t expect – it’s really great to see.
What are the goals for the band in 2020?
More music, hopefully more shows!
Now that these government restrictions are lifting, can we expect to see you on stage any time soon?
We just announced our first show back at the Zoo in August. You can find more info here.
Huge thanks to Tristan for taking the time to chat with us, you can check out more from the Waxflower on their Facebook page and follow them on Instagram.
Sixteen Floors is out now via Rude Records, you can view more on their official YouTube Channel.
Special thanks to Habit Music
EVERYDAY METAL – SUPPORT LOCAL HEAVY METAL
SYNTHESIST – Interview
Cover shot – SYNTHESIST
Stalwarts of the mid-late 2000s Melbourne metal & hardcore scenes, Synthesist have popped back up on our radars after over a decade of hibernation (minus one reunion show), stepping into the digital world with the release of their ‘Casual Violence’ EP. We caught up with Tristan, one of Synthesist’s founding members and guitarists, to chat past, present and future.
our last glimpse of synthesist was a one-off reunion at the start of 2015, as part of the ‘holiday for cambodia’ fundraiser show for your mate, Cam Ward. how did this go from a few bands reuniting and turn into such an epicly nostalgic mini festival?
I think the eventual magnitude of the event reflected Cam’s larger-than-life personality and how much everyone in the Melbourne heavy music scene loved the guy. When the message got out about his grave prognosis all these great musicians came out of the woodwork and made it their duty to contribute whatever was necessary to make it the best night of his life. It was a beautiful thing to be a part of and we were all immensely proud to have come back after years of inactivity to perform for him one last time.
was there any temptation or conversation at the time about extending the reunion beyond that show?
We were open to doing a future tribute show for Cam after his passing, as there was some talk of having an anniversary for the event. Other than that no, we had all moved on to different things.
you’ve been sitting on the ‘casual violence’ ep for 12 years now. why did it never end up getting released back then?
The Casual Violence E.P was originally only intended to be a demo/media kit to shop around to record labels back when we recorded it in 2008. Even though we recorded it on a lean budget and with limited pro equipment our recording/mix engineer Reza Nasseri ended up making it sound better than we had planned. However, some time in 2009 we became inactive and we pretty much shelved it indefinitely, along with all other Synthesist-related aspirations.
what led to the ep finally seeing the light of day now?
Our old-time friend Leroy from Double Dragon hit me up one night and demanded that I send him the masters of that recording session; he was disturbed by the lack of “Syndogs” in his gym playlist and convinced us to release it digitally through his label, ‘IdigLig Digital Records’.
you’ve still got your original demo and following ep stuck in the analogue world. any plans to share them with the digital world as well?
Nah, I think we’ve relegated them to antique status.
is there a future for synthesist and, if so, what does it look like?
We have no plans of reforming full-time, but depending on how the metrics look for the digital release of Casual Violence we might get together to re-record some of our favourite tracks from the first 2 CDs with a more brutal production… and maybe one or two never-released songs that we were writing around the time of our disbandment. Again, that’s all contingent upon Casual Violence being well received… if not, I guess we’ll just go fuck ourselves.
have you been working on any other projects?
Dean [vocals] and myself messed around with a tongue-in-cheek studio project called ‘Desert Cop’ that never really got out of first gear, if anyone is interested they can have a laugh along to a demo we made (Check it out below)
Other than that I’m currently writing for a new collaboration with ex-members of The Red Shore and Boris The Blade. It’s gonna be quite heavy.
Special thanks to Tristan for taking the time to chat with us, you can stream the ‘Casual Violence’ EP on Spotify.
EVERYDAY METAL – SUPPORT LOCAL HEAVY METAL