BATTLEGRAVE (Melbourne thrash/death — rare show)

You're described as thrash/death mercs — where did that mercenary mentality come from and what does it actually sound like in practice?

BATTLEGRAVE:

The mentality is just about trying to create something that is fast and aggressive, based on our love of that genre of music.

Rare shows are a thing for you — is that a deliberate choice, and what does it take to drag Battlegrave out of the shadows?

BATTLEGRAVE:

It is definitely a considered choice given the organisation to pull together the live line up alongside our existing commitments whether that be our jobs, families, other bands. Having said that, we have a killer time playing the music live.

Melbourne's heavy scene has gone through a lot of shifts — where do you see yourselves sitting in that landscape right now?

BATTLEGRAVE:

Its not something I think about too much, we are just happy creating the music we enjoy and where opportunity presents, playing alongside some killer Aussie bands.

What's on the table release-wise, or is the energy all being poured into the live show at the moment?

BATTLEGRAVE:

Weve been getting the setlist sorted for the Unholy Good Friday show. We are super proud to share the upcoming release of our new album Enslavement. Its been a long process so we are pumped to finally get it out. Our first single Bonesaw is released February 20th and you can expect to hear some of these tracks at the live show.

Give us the origin story — who is Battlegrave and how did the band come together?

BATTLEGRAVE:

Myself (Clint Patzel) and Rohan Buntine have been mates since the early 2000s and have shared a love of all kinds if metal. I myself have played in bands since I was 15, Rohan is a lifelong metal head with a huge knowledge of all things metal. I'd been recording some tracks and sprung on him that he should sing on them, at the time he laughed. I knew if he put his mind to it, he would smash it and sure enough he did, writing the lyrics and pumping out some killer vocals. The rest is history.

What have you put out so far and what do you think each release says about where the band was at that point?

BATTLEGRAVE:

Our first EP To Hell With War was released in 2017. At the time we were listening to a lot of early 90s underground thrash bands like Demolition Hammer and Morbid Saint.

This was followed by our first full length Relics of a Dead Earth in 2018 which was starting to become more abrasive and adding more from Death Metal influences.

In 2022 we released Cavernous Depths. At the time I was listening to more black metal bands and aiming to bring a darker element into the song writing.

Our latest album Enslavement will be released on CD and all streaming platforms on April 20th, we've continued to being those heavy elements that fans have come to expect of Battlegrave, this tune, we've turned it up and pushed it further.