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Music

Ironhawk And Dracula Are The Darkest Mofo's At Dark MOFO

These two local Tasmanian bands make the Apple Isle a bit more rotten.

After reading a piss funny interview with Dracula's Will Spectre I made an effort to engage him soberly on Heavy Chains, the Hobart based heavy metal label he operates. It's been a productive six-months for the label with cassette releases that convey the maniacal and fanatic quality of the underground obsessive, with brilliant artwork and raw four-track tape piss.

As part of Hobart's Dark Mofo festival two of the bands on the label – Dracula and Ironhawk – are playing Grimoire a stacked lineup at the famed Brisbane Hotel. So it seems pertinent to introduce the world to a common link between the two, Heavy Chains.

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NOISEY: When did Heavy Chains start?

Will Spectre: It was late 2013. We had recorded Open Graves at Midnight with Dracula and wanted to release it ourselves so I started Heavy Chains and have continued from there.

Were there any labels you used as an example for your early releases?

Do you mean what other labels I am influenced by? I would say labels like Buried By Time and Dust and Iron Bonehead Productions, who are both cool metal labels that release different kinds of stuff, but is consistently killer.

Dracula - "Castle in the Darkness"

Did you have any early music obsessions?
I guess my first total music obsession was the first four Metallica albums. I listened to Master of Puppets and Ride the Lightning on repeat all night when I was fourteen.

Who does the design on the tapes?

I did the art on the Dracula and Tarot tapes and I try and do as much art stuff as I can for my releases. I've done the logo and cover of the next Tarot EP and the cover of Outcast's demo (fucking amazing heavy metal from Melbourne) that I'm putting out soon.

Tarot - "Life and Death"

What do you feel are the most essential Australian metal releases?

Off the top of my head I would say;

Destroyer 666 - Unchain the Wolves

Raven Black Night - Choose the Dark

Misery's Omen - Hope Dies

Cauldron Black Ram – Skullduggery

Demonsgate – demo

Convent Guilt - demo (I'm sure their album will be a future classic - killer band!)

Vomitor - Bleeding the Priest

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What's your take on MONA?

I'm glad something like MONA exists. I do feel like their music events are kind of lame though and nothing they have put on has really impressed me. They seem to toy with the idea of getting metal bands or bands somehow related to metal but none that I would consider to be doing interesting stuff, or even think of as a real metal band. It seems they would rather appeal to those who are interested in seeing homogenised plastic faux metal stuff like Sunn O))) or Boris, or have Russell from Striborg sit on a chair and play guitar to pre-recorded drums and vocals. This just doesn't cut the mustard for me. They could do something heavy and challenge the mainstream audience like they want everyone to think they are doing. Go get some killer band like Nifelhie. No one would want to see that kind of chaos, they would shit their pants!

You have a pretty precise idea about what real metal is. Lay it on me.

I think metal just has to have the spark or essence, if you listen to a band like Scalare , they can hardly play their instruments, but it is done with such conviction that it sounds absolutely fucking great, that's what heavy metal is to me.

Hexen Hammer - "Nos Comeremos a Sus Niños"

Did you grow up in Tassie?

Yeah. I live in Hobart and I lived in Launceston for a while. Never again!

Does the rivalry between cities in Tasmania play out in music?

No, not really, not that I am aware of anyway, but there isn't really any unity to speak of in the south or north, so there are no "sides" to take.

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Despite the lack of cohesion is there a quality about Hobart metal you find distinct?

To be honest with you the only thing I find distinct about metal bands from Hobart is that 99.9% are totally not the kind of stuff I want to listen to. It's mainly modern death metal stuff or some other genre I don't know the name of that has the word 'core' in there somewhere.

Ironhawk - "Inferno"

Tell me a little about the show at the Brisbane Hotel on June 20?

It's mostly interstate bands but also features the killer local motor-punk band Ironhawk. I just put out their first EP Boozehounds from Hell. Ironhawk are pretty much the only local band I have any time for. They are fucking heavy! Dracula will also be performing their second ritual in the name of Satan. Expect blood, chains, and withered corpses!

Ironhawk and Dracula play Hobart June 20 at the Brisbane Hotel.