Interview with Heavy Friends Records!

I recently spoke with Sara and Steve, the evil geniuses behind Heavy Friends Records. This new metal label is the home of Destroyer of Light, who appeared on the first Bong Hits From the Astral Basement comp. We talked about their future plans, their need for bands, and the worst possible scenario for heavy metal.

Heavy Planet (HP): Talk a little about the process of forming your own record label. What is the most difficult part?

Heavy Friends Records (HFR): Well, we are heavily involved in our metal scenes, both in Denver and Austin, and we share a common love of doom, sludge, stoner, thrash, and black metal. So, we decided to form a record label to help support the killer bands in our respective locations. The most difficult part is getting all the finances together, but equally as well, taking care of all the legal stuff.

HP: What formats are you going to release (tapes, vinyl, cds, digital)? Is there any format you won't put out?

HFR: We have a couple future projects that will be released on vinyl, and have plans to work with all formats. But as record collectors, we are leaning more towards the vinyl.

HP: Besides your roster, what will set Heavy Friends apart from other metal labels? Are you going to release colored or otherwise limited edition vinyl?

HFR: As a start, will focus primarily on the bands from Austin, TX and Denver, CO , which is the one thing that may set us apart. And yes, we do plan on doing some limited edition vinyl because everyone loves cool artwork, packages, and etc.

HP: What is your current roster and how many bands do you hope to add?

HFR: As of right now, Destroyer of Light from Austin, TX is our first band, but also, we have a few different projects with a couple bands for 2014, exciting news coming soon!

HP: Are you taking demos and how can bands submit their tunes to you?

HFR: Yes, we will gladly listen to any demos sent our way. Our requirements are you must be in the sub-genres of doom, sludge, stoner, thrash, or black metal. We accept demos and bandcamp links, and you can send them to heavyfriendsrecords@gmail.com.

HP: What type of bands are you looking for, soundwise? What would the "lightest" band on Heavy Friends sound like?

HFR: Like I stated above, mainly stoner, doom, sludge, thrash, and black metal. The “lightest” band would sound like Purson/Witchcraft.

HP: Are you going to focus on putting out music or do you have ideas for other types of media you'd like to release? Any ambition to be the next Apple Records?

HFR: We have discussed working with artists that do artwork for metal bands because they deserve as much attention as the bands themselves. Their visions should be promoted and publicized. Also, we are planning to film and distribute a couple mini-documentaries, details coming soon. Haha, no, we don’t want to be the next Apple Records.

HP: If you could sign one band, from any era, who would it be and why?

HFR (Steve): Man, that’s a tough one. Well, I would have signed Pentagram in the 70s because, that material is so killer, and I wish it would have seen the light of day back then.

HFR (Sara)- Hawkwind from 1972, when they released Doremi Fasol Latido.

HP: What would the world sound like if Tony Iommi had ALL his fingers cut off in that accident?

HFR (Steve) - The world would sound like a bunch of whiny grown music nerds wondering why there isn’t a song called “Into the Void.”

HFR(Sara) - A lot of sad kittens…meowing all the time.

HP: You both hail from different scenes Denver and Austin, respectively, who are the best bands in your scenes?

HFR: As far as Austin, we got Widower, The Unmothered, Communion, The Well, Lions of Tsavo, The Blood Royale, Ditch Witch, Sans Soleil, Sabbath Crow, etc. and etc. For Denver, there’s Speedwolf, In the Company of Serpents, Low Gravity, Khemmis, Deer Creek, Weaponizer, We haven’t nearly touched on all the killer bands in our individual scenes, but these are the ones that stick out at the moment.

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BLACK SABBATH's BUTLER: "I Don't Think We've Got That Many Years Left To Do An OZZY Album"

All four members of HEAVEN AND HELL (Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Vinny Appice) recently spoke to Goldmine contributor Bryan Reesman (web site) for an extensive, 5,000-word cover story about their entire history, including touring, their various reunions, and recording a new album together. Also quoted are JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford, VIRGIN STEELE frontman David DeFeis, former EXCITER drummer Dan Beehler, and rock journalists Malcolm Dome and Bradley Torreano.

A couple of excerpts from the story follow:

On the chemistry between Tony and Geezer:

Dio: "What Geezer and Tony do together, what they created together, is playing the same things together that nobody was really doing, with a bass that was really out front and just as important as the guitar. You can't in any way, shape or form diminish Geezer's contribution to it all, especially for the fact that he was writing all of the lyrics in most of the early things anyway. It's a two-way street with Tony and Geezer. I think at the end of the day — and I'm not trying to make any comparisons, because I don't think it's important — but Tony has always been BLACK SABBATH. It's always really been his band. Geez will tell you that, too. The leader was Tony, and everyone did what Tony felt was right, and luckily for everyone concerned it was right."

On the possibility of recording a new BLACK SABBATH album with Ozzy Osbourne on vocals:

Butler: "I don't think we've got that many years left to do an Ozzy album. Maybe we'll do it in Hell. We could do quite well down in Hell."

On how HEAVEN AND HELL members are getting along today after their previous two break-ups:

Appice: "This is the smoothest it's ever been between everybody, especially the three of them. Everybody's getting along great. I think everybody respects the careers that each person has had and their playing and musicianship."

Dio: "You walk a little bit more on eggshells when you get back together the second time, and the third time was really easy. I just can't do things with people I don't like. I've always been really lucky to like them all. They're such down-to-earth, great people, so talented and determined. That's my kind of band."

Iommi: "You get to understand more and mellow out more and go along with it. Things that used to drive me up a wall, or [I would] get annoyed with things, I really don't get that so much now. Of course, everybody gets annoyed, but I can understand the other side more now."

Butler: "I think we are all more up front with each other. We can all be cranky from time to time, so instead of taking offense and bearing grudges, we give each other space. Before, if we argued or disagreed about something, we'd go off in a huff and bottle things up. Now, I just realize this is the real world. Life isn't a fairy tale. We also have other things to do outside of this. We are doing this for the love of it, rather than necessity. If I ever feel uncomfortable doing this, I'll simply walk away from it, no hard feelings."

Read the entire article at www.goldminemag.com.

HAPPY 60TH BIRTHDAY MR. TONY IOMMI!

Today is Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi's 60th birthday. I would like to thank Tony's parents for bringing what I believe to be the "Master of the Guitar Riff" into this world, and if it were not for him we would not even have heavy metal music. Here is to your health. Happy Birthday Mr. Tony Iommi!

Tony Iommi Is God!!!!!

Word has it that Tony Iommi is currenting putting riffs together for a new HEAVEN AND HELL record.

Author/journalist Joel McIver interviewed Tony Iommi (BLACK SABBATH, HEAVEN AND HELL) last week for Total Guitar magazine. An excerpt from the chat follows:

Total Guitar: Is it true that HEAVEN AND HELL are writing songs for a new studio album?

Iommi: Yes, we will be. I'm just putting some riff ideas together now. Then Ronnie [James Dio, vocals] will come over to my house and off we go. We're really looking forward to it, I'm interested to see what will come up. When we've got the basic ideas for the songs ready, we'll probably go over to L.A. and rehearse with the other guys.

Total Guitar: You've been asked about the possibility of a new HEAVEN AND HELL album since the project was announced two years ago. Have you just recently made the decision to record again then?

Iommi: Yes. We talked about it on the last part of the tour. In Japan I said to Ronnie, "Are you up for doing a new album, or what?" and everybody seems really keen to do it.

Total Guitar: Presumably this new album pushes any new recordings from the Ozzy Osbourne-led lineup of BLACK SABBATH further into the future?

Iommi: It does, yes. This project will be a lot quicker, because it makes sense to go into a HEAVEN AND HELL album soon after the tour — while it's still remembered, really.

Total Guitar: Ten years ago I bet you wouldn't have predicted that you'd now be recording a new album as HEAVEN AND HELL, right?

Iommi: No! You just never know. It's been like that for our whole lives, to be honest with you. We do things because they seem like a good idea at the time.

Visit www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk to buy the Total Guitar issue (TG175) containing the entire Tony Iommi interview.

If you did not get a chance to go see HEAVEN AND HELL on tour this past year you can buy the DVD at this location.