Australian music is on the rise - and deservedly so.
While there are bands like RedHook, Ocean Grove, Void Of Vision and Alpha Wolf who are lighting up the airwaves and flying the flag for the younger generation, the more old-school rock and hard rock bands are also showcasing their worth.
Bands like The Poor and Rose Tattoo, who have been around for more than three decades, are playing to large crowds and still producing quality music, but it is the comradeship and support bands of all seasons continually offer each other that stands out the most.
Case in point the upcoming union of two of Australia's leading rock/hard rock outfits in The Screaming Jets and Mammal, who are hitting the road in November for a run of eight dates dubbed the Life Blood Tour, including a select number of all ages shows. It is a union that few ever saw coming, but also one which is a tantalising match made in the halls of metal that, at the very least, will introduce fans of each band to a different side of the rock coin to which they are accustomed to listening to.
The Screaming Jets are more of your true blue Aussie workhorses, with a truck load of hit singles and a spiralling career once more on the rise. Mammal, on the other hand, are a raging pit of funk-fuelled metal, still smashing it on the back of recent album The Penny Drop with so much more to give.
If there's one thing the two bands have in common, it is their enigmatic and proudly outspoken frontmen, both of which sat down earlier this week for a chat with HEAVY. On their own, one on one, Dave Gleeson (The Screaming Jets) and Ezekiel Ox (Mammal) are a ball of fun-fuelled energy, but put them together and anything could happen.
Which it did.
"I'm really excited about this tour," Gleeson began. "I've seen Mammal's exploits On YouTube and stuff, but I can't wait to see them live, and I'm sure the Jets fans, part of the reason they love our band is the energy and that real rock and roll vibe that we bring and that's why I think they are really gonna take to Mammal."
"I reckon you're right there, Dave," Ox picked up. "It's a great opportunity for us to get in front of some fans that will be a bit different and vice versa. There will be some Mammal people coming that may not have seen you guys yet, but I think most of the people would not have seen us. We're so looking forward to it. We're probably leaning further towards a slightly heavier sound when we get going. It's been interesting discussing it with the boys and how we're tailoring our set to make sure that we're giving the Jets fans what they want. We love all our songs, but it's been fun thinking. It's a bit of a different one for us, but we're absolutely pumped, to say the least."
In the full interview, we discuss where the idea came from to put The Screaming Jets and Mammal on the same line-up, their contrasting musical styles and how they will complement each other, their confidence as frontmen and how important that side of the performance is, their first memories of each other's respective bands, what to expect from each band, between song banter, which songs of each other's bands they like the most, all ages shows and more.