Hidden Intent interview for the awesome new release: Terrorform.
Hidden Intent interview for the awesome new release: Terrorform. Great band and awesome blokes. Grab a album asap, easily their best work and enjoy this killer chat.
Interview with Hidden Intent
You have just dropped a sensational album by the name of
*Terrorform*. Tell us the background to it and the differences between previous
releases? (It sounds so much more aggressive and all the playing and vocals are
way more abrasive.)
It’s a bit more aggressive, angry and
darker. It’s faster, heavier and more brutal than anything we’ve done before.
In saying that, it also has some acoustic pieces, so overall, it’s an album
that’s extremely diverse yet still definitely has the Hidden Intent vibe.
We wanted to spend more time on producing something special that shows what the
band can really do, and I think we achieved that.
To someone that has never heard you before, how the hell
would you describe your sound? And what bands have influenced you the most?
We have been, and always will be, a Bay
Area-inspired thrash band with a bit of Vegemite mixed in hahaha.
We’ve been seen as an “Aussie Pub Thrash Band” that definitely doesn’t take
themselves too seriously, and although we’ve pushed the boundaries on this
album and widened our scope a little more, we will always be that.
The Big 4 are obviously a big influence on us, but also bands like Testament,
Onslaught, Pantera, Death, and personally, bands like In Flames, Opeth, and
Cynic have always been a huge influence.
How do you see your music being an intersection with art,
be it album or merch art, music videos, etc.?
I guess on previous albums, we’ve really
not thought about that as much as this one, but *Terrorform* (in my eyes,
anyway) is more of a well-rounded piece of art.
From the album artwork and clips to the depth and layers of the music, we
thought about this on a level we haven’t previously done.
There’s a lot more involved here than what you’d expect from us or a
traditional thrash band, and we are extremely proud of what we’ve accomplished.
What is the lyrical focus of the band? Is there any
particular meaning or message?
*Terrorform* is lyrically darker and deals
with heavier themes than our other albums. Throughout our back catalogue, we’ve
always touched on more “serious” ideas, but they’ve been well hidden amongst
songs about drinking and drop bears tho 🙂
The lyrics deal with hate, loss, death, and the ridiculous default way humans
think and almost enjoy being led blindly into submission. It’s a call for
everyone to wake the fuck up!
What is the current state of your local and national music
community or scene?
What do you think you can achieve creatively in live spaces that you can’t in
your recordings and vice versa?
The Adelaide scene is doing well, despite
venues closing and other obstacles that the whole country seems to be dealing
with.
We have some great bands here, both established and emerging, and they need
everyone’s support. A CD, shirt, stubby holder, or even a follow on socials
really goes a long way.
It’s really hard to capture a band’s live energy on an album, so live we really
get to do our thing and show what we are about—fun, beers, and thrash!
Your live performances are energetic and always seem like
you enjoy yourselves immensely. How have you cultivated your physical presence
during performances?
What do you feel like you embody as a long-term player in the metal community?
We genuinely love playing live; it’s
definitely our favourite aspect of all of this.
We are reacting to the crowd, each other, and the music, so whatever comes out,
comes out.
We’ve fallen off the stage, bled over our instruments, jumped in circle pits,
skulled, and spilled A LOT of beer… it just seems to happen, and we love it.
I think we embody the fact that metal can be fun, and although there are some
serious aspects to it, we shouldn’t lose sight of that fact.
Also, I think we’ve shown that if you have goals, a plan, and work your ass
off, you can do some amazing things as a metal band in Australia.
How do you feel that changing economic structures impact
creativity?
Does your creativity help you connect to and navigate or deal with the world?
It’s certainly a huge issue, and a lot of
artists can’t afford to put the time and effort they’d like to truly bring
their vision to life.
I strongly believe, though, that if you really want it, you can make it happen.
We always say within the band that “you can always make time for the things you
deem important,” and I think that’s true.
In saying that, it definitely seems to be getting harder economically.
Individually, we have all gone through a lot, and having this band as a
creative outlet has been invaluable, and I know for some, art has literally
saved their lives.
We’ve been able to play for, meet, and connect with people from all over the
world, which is amazing, so not sure what I’d do without it.
What are some of the highlights of your career so far? And
what is happening next?
As mentioned, we’ve been very fortunate to
tour all over the world and play with some of our heroes, so it’s hard to pick
highlights, to be honest.
Wacken was definitely a lifelong goal that I still can’t believe we played—that
was amazing and a highlight for sure.
Playing our set at Bloodstock in between In Flames and Killswitch was unreal,
and meeting the guys from In Flames and Tomas Haake from Meshuggah was killer!
Touring Japan, China, and Europe multiple times has been a trip. So many
stories, it’s hard to pick—we’ve been very spoiled.
Up next, we have a lot of touring to support the album in Australia and
overseas. We are covering all of Oz over the next few months and also heading
to Europe again in August, with hopefully a South American tour on the cards as
well. Next year, I’m sure, will be even crazier, so a lot to look forward to.
Any bands or releases you can recommend at the moment?
I have honestly been taking a break from
listening to anything in order to try to get the album done, but now it’s done,
I could use some suggestions too, actually haha.
Final words to the fans and readers?
Cheers for the support, we can’t do this
without you.
And if you’re not doing it already, get out and check out some local acts.
There are some amazing underground bands that need your support.
Enjoy the album, and we’ll see you on the road.
Thanks for your time, effort & support, we really appreciate it!! Cheers,
Mark DHZ
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