Interview by Kris Peters
Since bursting onto the local metal scene in 2021 with their debut track Forever Know My Name, Blue Mountains based metalcore outfit Naugrim have wasted little in asserting their music, already sharing the stage with international acts such as Unearth and Darkest Hour as well as making a name for themselves at local festivals Canberra Metal fest, Winter Magic Revival Festival and Borderline Destruction.
Rather than sitting back and enjoying the fruits of their labours, Naugrim are plunging even further into the metal landscape with the release of their debut EP Adversity which will be unleashed on November 10.
To find out just where Naugrim has come from and how far they are destined to go, HEAVY sat down with frontman Greg McManus for a chat.
"A little bit anxious I suppose," he admitted when we asked how he was feeling on the eve of the EP release. "There's a bit of the unknown. We've only been around a year and this is our first major release. We've played some pretty cool shows, but this is our first real test of the waters. A bit nervous."
McManus has worked in the music industry for a long time, but even with his and the rest of the band's wealth of industry experience the creative cycle of releasing your first body of work still takes a toll mentally and emotionally.
"It's funny, and I'm sure you're the same," he replied. "You see a lot of stuff, and you see a lot of different music and bands and things, and the one thing personally I have been trying to concentrate on is not letting that influence anything if that makes sense. Just trying to make sure that we're doing our own thing, and we're happy with it. So much stuff is popular, or you can see what is hitting really well, but it's still trying to do your own thing."
In the full interview, Greg talks more about the musical side of Adversity, runs us through each of the five tracks individually and gives some insight into what they are about, the lyrical content and what message he wants it to leave, the stunning cover artwork and what it represents, future gigs and more.