Brady Irwin 14/4/25 Brady Irwin 14/4/25

[Podcast] EP. 42: Interview with NAMELESS, a.k.a. DENNIS MIKULA of GHOST BATH.

Atmospheric black metal (aka blackgaze, post-black metal) has experienced rapid growth - to the point of oversaturation. One artist who retains a strongly unique musical aesthetic is, of course Nameless (aka Dennis Mikula) of US black metal unit Ghost Bath. See link for Youtube video interview, audio-only version, recent singles, artist/album preorder links, an extensive artist release statement and more!

Featured Image: via Ghost Bath’s official Facebook profile.

Brady Irwin 5/4/25 Brady Irwin 5/4/25

[Podcast] Ep. 41: [Interview] with ALEX TAYLOR, Vocalist of UK Metalcore Bruisers MALEVOLENCE.

Rounding out a trio of UK heavy-music interviews for the past week is Alex Taylor, enigmatic and passionate vocalist for UK's fast-rising metalcore bruisers Malevolence. We had a wide-reaching conversation, covering everything from the process of writing and recording for upcoming LP Where Only The Truth is Spoken (including recording in the infamous Studio 606, owned by Dave Grohl!) up to touring, the UK metal scene's recent string of successes, the upcoming Australian tour and much more!

Brady Irwin 4/4/25 Brady Irwin 4/4/25

[Podcast] Ep. 40: [Interview] with SCOTT KENNEDY, Vocalist of UK’s BLEED FROM WITHIN.

Episode 40 of the Inner-Strength Check Podcast is here! This week, host Brady interviews Scott Kennedy, vocalist of Glasgow’s fast-rising modern metal wrecking-crew Bleed From Within. With Zenith officially releasing as of the 4th April, we discuss the albums’ recording/songwriting process, plus BFW’s history, recent and upcoming tours and more! Check link for video version, audio-only version plus single music videos, artist and album order links and more!

Brady Irwin 31/3/25 Brady Irwin 31/3/25

[Review] INDUSTRIAL PUKE - ‘Alive To No Avail’ LP.

What a timely little slice of Swedish death metal/crust/hardcore from Industrial Puke, eh? Having recently covered Svenska crust/d-beat on the Musolegion blog, these mind-readers provide an up-to-date addition to the crust-canon with the relentless, fun LP in Alive To No Avail. Check the link for full album review, single/album stream links, artist/label details and more! Get your grime on.

Brady Irwin 28/3/25 Brady Irwin 28/3/25

[Podcast] Interview with DARREN ‘DAZ’ BROOKES of UK Death Metal Godfathers BENEDICTION.

What a venerable honour for this late end of a Friday evening. Tonight, I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to discuss upcoming LP Ravages of Empires (and so, so much more) with UK death metal godfathers Benediction’s guitarist and one of two founding members - Darren Brookes! A band that is hugely influential for much of the music we post here, as well as many bands I/we know and love. Great interview, plus the blog post also contains album order links, single music videos and more!

Brady Irwin 10/3/25 Brady Irwin 10/3/25

[Podcast] Ep. 36: Interview with Nathan Brunning & Ben Astbury of Melbourne's GHOSTSMOKER.

Another fantastic interview in the chamber! Nathan (Vocals/Lyrics) and Ben (Guitars) of fast-rising acclaimed Melburnian doom/sludge unit Ghostsmoker are set to unleash devastation on the metal masses with the upcoming release of the brutal Inertia Cult LP, via Art as Catharsis. Check the link for: video interview, podcast audio-only version, tour dates, singles links, album preorder links, artist/label links and more!

Brady Irwin 9/3/25 Brady Irwin 9/3/25

[Heavy News] Trans-Atlantic Metal Project GREY MOUNTAIN Release Debut Album!

Heavy News: New Trans-Atlantic Metal Project GREY MOUNTAIN (feat. members of Monsterworks, Bull Elephant, Construct of Lethe, Black Harvest) have released their self-titled debut album via Eat Lead and Die Music! The album is available digitally on Bandcamp (including 24-bit full dynamic range vinyl master in side A/B format) and at new platform Ampwall. Check link for preorder, full album stream and more.

Brady Irwin 7/3/25 Brady Irwin 7/3/25

[Riff] #BSAS2024 - Brady's Top 20 Albums of, Part I + Honourable Mentions

Originally posted on our now-defunct website on 27.12.24, with the site going down a few days later (RIP). Check out, as part of the Behind Screen and Speaker series, Part 1 of my Top 20 Albums Of The Year list, plus some Honourable Mentions, plenty of artist and album links and more from a wide spread of bands and genres! Part 2 coming soon. - Brady

Brady Irwin 7/3/25 Brady Irwin 7/3/25

[Podcast] Froth and Fury 2024 Review: All-In-One/Omnibus Edition!

Get on board the Froth and Fury Omnibus, because we’ve finally resurrected this handy all-in-one multi-post collection of our extensive gig coverage/info/interviews and more for the blast that was last years’ festival - all in one convenient, accessible link! From here you’ll be able to access primers/info, our interviews with Lumen Ad Mortem and Sundowner, as well as mine and Mal’s MASSIVE two-part blog/podcast episode coverage of the whole festival!

Brady Irwin 12/2/25 Brady Irwin 12/2/25

[Review] - Newest ISC Staffer Dean Explores Saor’s ‘Amidst The Ruins’ LP.

On mutual agreement, latest staffer Dean and myself have agreed to let the words speak for themselves for his formal addition to the Inner-Strength Check Podcast canon. And what beautiful, evocative words they are indeed! Check the link for our newest staffers’ resplendent coverage of atmospheric folk/black metal act Saor’s latest LP, Amidst The Ruins. You can also find album order links, multiple recent singles, full album streams and much more. Another fantastic staff introductory piece, the first of many!

Brady Irwin 12/2/25 Brady Irwin 12/2/25

[Review] Into The Void - ‘Dysphoria’ LP.

Introducing our first piece of fresh content from new addition to the Inner-Strength Check team in Spiro (a.k.a The Hype Guy)! For his first piece, Spiro has elected to provide a great review of the 2024 album Dysphoria, by Michigan-based alternative-rock/nu-grunge outfit Into The Void. Check the link for the full review, album and singles links and more. As well, we’ve re-included an important appeal Spiro recent put out in support of Jampot Studios. Many thanks for an awesome review!

Brady Irwin 11/2/25 Brady Irwin 11/2/25

[Podcast] Ep. 35: Interview with BRETT CAMPBELL of PALLBEARER.

Renowned doom metal merchants PALLBEARER make their return to Australia in March 2025 for an electrifying tour promising to deliver their signature blend of haunting melodies and crushing riffs. Joining them on all dates will be special guests UK doom metal titans CONAN. I was fortunate enough to catch up with vocalist/guitarist Brett Campbell earlier today. Check the link for full video interview, Spotify/alternative podcast platform audio-only versions, ticket links, tour dates and more!

Brady Irwin 7/2/25 Brady Irwin 7/2/25

ISC Podcast, Ep. 34: [INTERVIEW] with OBSCURA frontman/Guitarist STEFFEN KUMMERER.

Originally posted on our now-defunct old website, dead as a doornail as of NYE 2024 (RIP) - check the link for both video and audio-only podcast formats re: Brady’s interview with Steffen Kummerer, frontman/guitarist of German progressive/technical death metal juggernaughts Obscura! Recorded on 22nd Dec ‘24, it’s an interesting exploration into the writing and process behind latest LP A Sonication, with additional artist/album bio, order links and much more within!

Brady Irwin 3/2/25 Brady Irwin 3/2/25

[Music Mondays] Mon 3rd Feb, 2025.

This week’s Music Monday contains more than you shake a stick at! Multiple recent Heavy News items - album releases! Recent Riffs (articles)! Reviews and more! Plus a whole swathe of updates from the equally-busy Musolegion community - more album reviews, gig reviews and several packed Musolegion Recommends pieces exploring bands from Iceland, Japan and Central Asia! Dig in, music-lovers.

Brady Irwin 28/1/25 Brady Irwin 28/1/25

ISC Podcast Ep. 33: [INTERVIEW] w/ ROBERT ERIKsSON, Drummer of Sweden’s THE HELLACOPTERS.

Another music-scene veteran with many years of industry experience under his belt in Robert Erikkson! Robert is the long-term mainstay drummer of Swedish hard-rock institution ⁠The Hellacopters⁠. We caught up on Tue 28th Jan just prior to release of their infectious, hooky and fun latest LP Overdriver, available as of the 31st. Check out the full interview plus artist bio, album order links, latest singles and more! Rock on, Svenska style.

Brady Irwin 28/1/25 Brady Irwin 28/1/25

[Archive] Interview with AARON TUCK of Black Metallers LUMEN AD MORTEM.

Pic Credit: Jai from @crannkmedia. Originally posted on our sadly now-defunct old website (RIP) in November 2024, ahead of their imposing presence/our review of same @ Froth And Fury Festival - here’s a Q&A interview with indominable frontman Aaron Tuck of South Australian black metal all-stars Lumen Ad Mortem! It’s a great chat and worth revisiting. Go check out their stuff, fantastic live too - can confirm.

Brady Irwin 27/1/25 Brady Irwin 27/1/25

[Heavy News] GOTTHARD unleash new single & video 'Thunder & Lightning'; ‘STEREO CRUSH’ now available for pre-order

Swiss rock legends Gotthard are 16 albums deep into a successful, decade-spanning career. Not content to rest on their laurels, here at the Heavy News desk for our Music Mondays column we’ve been given a swathe of details on up-and-comer LP Stereo Crush. There’s plenty of content here to sink into - album bio/details, video/streaming links for newest singles ‘Thunder and Lightning’ & ‘Boom Boom’, plus all a heap more! Stereo Crush will be released courtesy of Reigning Phoenix Music in Oz.

Brady Irwin 26/1/25 Brady Irwin 26/1/25

[Gig Review] ENFORCER @ The Leadbeater Hotel, Melbourne 25.01.25.

What an honour! Our first local review as an official outlet in Melbourne, and it could’ve been a better pick to kick things off in that respect. Sweden’s Enforcer blazed The Leadbeater Hotel in Richmond last night with a level of NWOBHM/trad/speed-metal and classic rock bombast that was transcendent, skilled and heartfelt! Read on for full the review, including sets by support acts Burnout, Aardvark and Livewire, gig footage, pics and more!

Brady Irwin 23/1/25 Brady Irwin 23/1/25

[Archive] ISC Podcast Ep. 32 - Feral ‘To USurp The Thrones’ & RVVKVS ‘Antithesis Of Prosperity’ LP REVIEWS.

Exhumed from the back-end of our old, dead website, which carked it suddenly on NYE 2024 (RIP), here’s a double-hitter - two full album reviews, in both blog and podcast formats! That’s right, it’s a stacked two-fer with a heavy analysis of both Swedish death-metallers Feral and their 2024 LP To Usurp The The Thrones, as well as New Zealands’ finest grinders Rvvkvs with their LP, Antithesis of Prosperity.

Brady Irwin 21/1/25 Brady Irwin 21/1/25

[Archive] ISC Podcast Ep. 28: FROTH AND FURY FESTIVAL REVIEW PT 2 (Frothie-A-Deux).

[Originally posted via our old website which suffered an unexpected and untimely death on NYE 2024, RIP]. Check in for Part 2 of Brady and Mal’s extensive coverage of the HUGE event that was Froth and Fury in Adelaide, SA, November 2024. Within this post is the full two-part narrated podcast version, as well as an analysis of vendors, events and setlists from: Thornhill, Brand of Sacrifice, Organectomy, These New South Whales, Psycroptic, Day of Contempt, Fear Factory, Northlane, Bodyjar, Thy Art Is Murder and Pestilence!

[Podcast] EP. 42: Interview with NAMELESS, a.k.a. DENNIS MIKULA of GHOST BATH.

[Podcast] Ep. 41: [Interview] with ALEX TAYLOR, Vocalist of UK Metalcore Bruisers MALEVOLENCE.

[Podcast] Ep. 40: [Interview] with SCOTT KENNEDY, Vocalist of UK’s BLEED FROM WITHIN.

[Review] INDUSTRIAL PUKE - ‘Alive To No Avail’ LP.

[Podcast] Interview with DARREN ‘DAZ’ BROOKES of UK Death Metal Godfathers BENEDICTION.

[Podcast] Ep. 36: Interview with Nathan Brunning & Ben Astbury of Melbourne's GHOSTSMOKER.

[Heavy News] Trans-Atlantic Metal Project GREY MOUNTAIN Release Debut Album!

[Riff] #BSAS2024 - Brady's Top 20 Albums of, Part I + Honourable Mentions

[Podcast] Froth and Fury 2024 Review: All-In-One/Omnibus Edition!

[Review] - Newest ISC Staffer Dean Explores Saor’s ‘Amidst The Ruins’ LP.

[Review] Into The Void - ‘Dysphoria’ LP.

[Podcast] Ep. 35: Interview with BRETT CAMPBELL of PALLBEARER.

ISC Podcast, Ep. 34: [INTERVIEW] with OBSCURA frontman/Guitarist STEFFEN KUMMERER.

[Music Mondays] Mon 3rd Feb, 2025.

ISC Podcast Ep. 33: [INTERVIEW] w/ ROBERT ERIKsSON, Drummer of Sweden’s THE HELLACOPTERS.

[Archive] Interview with AARON TUCK of Black Metallers LUMEN AD MORTEM.

[Gig Review] ENFORCER @ The Leadbeater Hotel, Melbourne 25.01.25.

[Archive] ISC Podcast Ep. 32 - Feral ‘To USurp The Thrones’ & RVVKVS ‘Antithesis Of Prosperity’ LP REVIEWS.

[Archive] ISC Podcast Ep. 28: FROTH AND FURY FESTIVAL REVIEW PT 2 (Frothie-A-Deux).

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