We chat to Superheist frontman Ezekiel Ox ahead of their performance at The Barwon Club Hotel this Friday (July 7) as part of the ‘RAISE HELL’ tour and their AAA side release.
Hey thanks for chatting to Forte Mag. How are you and what have you been up to recently?
Superheist is great! Fighting fit live and with the new triple AAA side “Raise Hell” getting spins on Rage, triple j and community radio. It’s been a busy nine months, writing our comeback record, recording it in LA with Keir helping out the band, bringing Si back into the fold, having Sanky join and bring such power and groove. We haven’t really stopped to breathe. We’ve got another 20 odd tracks demoed for the next record, so I think we’ll be tackling that next.
You guys had a 13 year hiatus but now are back with a new lineup and nearing the end of your new tour. What’s it like been back on the road?
It’s been a tonne of fun backed with a heavy metal breath of fresh air. The space that this new line-up creates for the old material as well as the 18 new songs we’ve released since we came back is really exciting for the punters. Things were getting a bit stale in the mosh pit.
Looking at your sound from then compared to now, what are the biggest changes for Superheist musically?
I think the 2016 album “Ghosts Of The Social Dead” was an album about struggling to hold it together, struggling to bring it back. It’s a very emotive piece, and was received very well by punters and much of the press. It’s relevant for sure. From there we’re going more party anthem, big beat, hard rock and rap. Like the older ‘Heist, but we’re going punk for the most part, full DIY on the next record, produce, engineer, mix, design, it’s going to be 100% Melbourne metal.
Superheist has seen some famous faces over the years but the current lineup is getting a lot of attention and has been hailed locally as the ‘all stars of heavy music’. How do you feel about that nickname? and what do you think about the current Superheist lineup?
Haha! I’d like to see a source on that nickname! The current line-up is very committed to making these shows as amazing as they’ve already been in Geelong and Wanthagi. dw’s got 20 new ones, I’ve sung on three, Keir wrote a couple, Sankey’s been sending down beats from Sydney, and Si just finshed his In:Extremis single with dw. The line-up is flying, taking no prisoners. The live show is well worth a look.
Recently you ran a contest for up and coming bands to secure support spots on your ‘Raise Hell’ tour – how important is it to you to help up and coming acts and what drew you to run that contest?
We booked the tour as Superheist, Frankenbok, Dradnaught and Rival Fire, but Rival Fire had a few dates they couldn’t do because they were already booked with Dead Letter Circus. So this left us with some dates to fill for the opener. dw came up with the idea, to get new bands aware of us, we became aware of them, then we played shows with some of them. The response and hunger for promotion was great, and the stunts they pulled were top notch!
Superheist are well known for perfectly melding a hip-hop feel with a nu-metal sound. What are some of the artists that inspire you as a band and where does that sound come from?
Beastie Boys, Wu-Tang, Sepultura, Joy Division, The Cure, Queen, Bob Dylan. It’s all in there when you listen to Superheist.
Superheist have been taking the Australian music scene by absolute storm lately – what is next for the heist?
Thanks! The punters are loving it, and the reviews have been great. We’re really feeling the support for us to make more music. So we’ll just keep writing massive riffs, turning those riffs into songs, then tour those songs. We encourage all to sing along!
What’s one thing people are going to experience from the show?
A transference of energy from the band to the crowd. People dancing on tables, crowd surfing, head banging, dancing, jumping. A safe, civil explosion of social physicality. That’s why people should come and see this band.
Thanks for taking the time to chat. Any last words?
Not this time, you haven’t heard the last of the ‘Heist!
When & Where: The Barwon Club, Geelong – July 7
