Interview by Kris Peters
When it comes to walking your own path musically you won't find much more of a dominant presence than Sydney metal outfit Mountain Wizard Death Cult.
Their music draws from a plethora of heavy metal genres without ever fully darting too deep into any one particular rabbit hole, making it impossible to pigeon hole their music - as if you would want to anyway.
Their music is diverse and eclectic, shrouded with mystery and layers upon layers of sonic depth that only intensify in the live arena. But try and corral MWDC into a musical corner at your own peril.
These Sydney-siders have a unique grasp on their capabilities and have an uncanny knack of drawing the listener deeper into their twisted and morose world with every release.
And, just when you think you may have figured MWDC out on a sonic plane, the boys deliver their latest single Orbital, once more shifting through the gears and offering up yet another taste of the many musical facets inhabited by the band.
Guitarist Chris Chaplin joined HEAVY to usher us further into the darkness.
"It was a bit of a left turn from some of our other material," he offered, "but people seem to be digging it."
We press Chaplin to explain further what he means by a left turn.
"I would say it's more of a post-metal kind of track," he measured. "We've always had atmospherics through our stuff, but Orbital is a longer track - it's eight and a half minutes long - and a lot slower in tempo. Vocal wise there's a bit more cleans on there and some chanting vibes as well. Less chuggy and less in your face, but I think it's a pretty big sounding track and super atmospheric and hypnotising."
MWDC have got a set sound that fans are finally starting to identify with, which begs the question why change things up now?
"It's always been a part of our sound, it just hasn't been executed in that way," he replied. "The core of what we have always done or evolved over time has stayed the same. It's always been atmospheric and sludgey with that hardcore background and blackened elements, but this track especially came together super organically. It wasn't one that we had to demo and hammer out, it flowed really easy. The majority of it was recorded live in one session. It was like hit play, off we go, get the take and it was almost there (laughs). It was one of those tracks that you kind of didn't have a choice but to do. Also, it feels amazing to play every time. It just comes across the right way and is a great way to close the set."
In the full interview Chris talks more about Orbital, the longer running time, the wicked film clip that comes with it, using Chris Elder and what he brought to the song, their upcoming debut album and what to expect, pushing the boundaries musically, their current tour and what to expect from the live show and more.