Interview by Kris Peters
Queensland hard hitters Goatzilla have managed to strike that elusive chord that blends thrash metal and punk together in an almost cohesive summoning of the forces of music that is almost irresistible when done right.
It is hard to believe the band are approaching their ten-year anniversary of life on this planet, with their infectious and witty brand of music infecting the masses ever since the surprise success of the single Drop Bear back in 2019.
That song and the album it came from, Muthafukarsaurus, cemented Goatzilla as one of the bands to watch from the emerging pile of contenders, and the ensuing groundswell it created gave the band renewed focus and vision.
So much so that it has been 5 long years since that album came out with Goatzilla opting not to rush things in the hope of quick success, instead deciding to take their time honing a sonic body of work that would linger long in the memories of those who bared their ears to it.
The result is Alien Nation, which will be unleashed on August 16.
Already, Goatzilla have proved the wait will be worth it on the back of lead singles Secret Agent Man and Alien Nation, but they provide only a glimpse into the musical psyche of Goatzilla 2024.
Bass player Ben Zilla joined HEAVY to tell us more.
"The sound is always evolving and growing," he replied when asked if Alien Nation captures the complete Goatzilla sound. "This one is different from Muthafukarsaurus. It's still certainly heavy. It's got that heavy background; it's still got the punk roots - very much so. We're still very much a punk rock band, but bringing in more elements of metal as we're evolving. This is all stuff that's been written through COVID with the two Pete's coming in and throwing their stuff in, as well as Mick, our drummer, who brought the real… he's a good 15 years younger than us, and he brought some more modern metal vibes and sensibilities to it. We're really excited. It took a lot longer than we initially thought because of COVID and everything that went along with it. All the guitars, all the drums, and all the bass we recorded in home studios and Pete Jansen mixed and mastered everything himself. It was a big learning curve, but the results speak for themselves. We're really excited with what we've put together, especially having it on vinyl too."
In the full interview, Ben discusses the musical direction of Alien Nation, the singles released and how they represent the album as a whole, how Alien Nation differs to Muthafukarsaurus, the themes explored, finding the balance between genres and how they know if they have gone too far, their current tour and remaining dates, what to expect from Goatzilla live and more.