Currently on tour, we spoke with Athenas Wake guitarist, Alex Hill, on the bands changed line up, the changing metal genre and their new single ‘Witches’.
Hi Alex, thanks for taking the time to chat with Forte, how are you and what are you up to at the moment?
At this very moment in time we’re driving to Adelaide to play the first show of our “Gone Riffin'” weekenders with Xenobiotic (WA) and Gravemind (Vic). Apart from that we’re currently 2/3 of the way through pre production for our debut album.
I guess there’s sad news in the AW camp with your drummer recently leaving the band, though how was your last Ballarat show together? Did you send him off in style?
Very sad days indeed, Davvo will surely be missed! Luckily we got to send him off to a pretty packed out room alongside some of Australia’s finest heavy acts
And who’s stepped up to the plate to replace him?
Our good friend Tom Sheppard is currently filling in on all our upcoming shows, luckily enough he was our drum tech on our last EP “Contemplation” so he was already pretty familiar with the material. For someone who doesn’t play death metal, the bloke’s got some chops.
You guys seem to be doing a hell of a lot of touring at the moment, is there some new music in the works as well, should we be expecting a new EP or debut LP?
As I mentioned earlier we’re currently 2/3 of the way through pre production for our debut album. We got a while to go yet but it’s shaping up to be our best material yet.
For your newest output ‘Witches’ you all worked with Anthony, Andrew and Ermin, is it likely you’ll have the same team together for future releases?
The team were amazing to work with but as for the album we haven’t quite settled on who we’ll be working with exactly. I dare say we will be looking to work closer with Ermin – that dude is an absolute Warlock of audio.
We recently read an article by the Wall Street Journal on metal music and that those with disposable incomes are starting metal bands, taking away from the past “disenfranchised” feel of the genre. There have been whispers people think metal music may one day become a “high brow” art form, do you think this will ever be the case? What are your thoughts on the increasing global love for the genre?
I can see the appeal these rich kids might see. The aesthetic of the metal community from an outside perspective certainly may look inviting to your typical yuppie/hipster, especially as it is still often seen as a form of rebellion but as for it becoming “high brow art form” I can’t ever see that fully coming to fruition. Tell ’em to throw Hilldawg a few bones, I’ll make the metal for you.
We saw a post from you guys telling fans to play your music loud to annoy the neighbours, if you were going to pick one song to do that, what would it be?
‘Witches’ – may as well try and promote our latest single to some fresh ears am I right?
Thanks again for taking the time to chat with Forte Magazine, are there any last words of wisdom you’d like to share with our readers?
Bring the riffs back to metal, your guitar has more than one string and goes further than three frets.
When & Where: Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood – April 7 & Barwon Club, Geelong – April 8
Photo by: Jacob Hogan