Scars and Guitars

Tim Gauci (Primitive)

Tim discusses Primitive's new offering, the With The Rats And Snakes EP, which will be released independently on August 12, 2022. Some interesting banter about Metallica as well!
About the band: Primitive incorporates their abrasive yet memorable riffs, solos, grooves and hooks - sounding something reminiscent of the wave of early 2000s American heavy metal & metalcore styles, so if you're a fan of Trivium and Lamb of God, you'll enjoy Primitive.

Joe Haley (Psycroptic)

Guitarist extraordinaire Joe Haley is the guest on this episode of the show. Joe discusses the killer new album from Psycroptic titled Divine Council. Other topics include his thoughts on appearing in Guitar World, touring North America with Scott Carstairs and Fallujah in September and October, and the piece of advice he would give himself if he could go back in time when you were starting as a musician.

Bastian Thusgaard (Soilwork)

Bastian is a session percussionist and drummer for Soilwork; the catalyst for our chat is the launch of Övergivenheten, the new album for 2022 from Soilwork. Throughout the conversation, Bastian covers the album and his role as a drum educator, notably with his academy, Blastable Drumming, and many other topics.

Niclas Engelin (The Halo Effect/ In Flames)

The Halo Effect's debut album, Days of the Lost, is available now, and it captures the essence of old-school In Flames; given most of the band are or were in In Flames, that's hardly a surprise. Throughout the conversation, Niclas discusses the album, the health and well-being of former In Flames guitarist Jesper Strömblad, and whether he plans to reignite Gardenian. As former Megadeth guitarist Chris Broderick has been part of the In Flames touring lineup since 2019, it was intriguing to hear Niclas' response to the question of his ongoing membership of the group. You will have to tune in and hear what he has to say.

Was Sarginson (ex- Cradle of Filth/ ex- Extreme Noise Terror)

This conversation is another cracking entry into the chronicles of filth. If you are unfamiliar, Was Sarginson is Cradle of Filth's second-ever drummer and their fourth, as he returned to record most of the cuts on the 1999 EP release, From The Cradle To Enslave.
As regular listeners have come to expect, there is plenty of deep insight into the machinations of Cradle of Filth, and Was delivered throughout this chat. It's all on the table, and I'm appreciative that Was was willing to share his experience and observations from his time and lengthy association with the band. In addition to Cradle of Filth, Was was part of Extreme Noise Terror, so he also talks about his tenure in the band.

Conor Marshall (Conjurer/ Sylosis)

Conjurer will release Páthos, their album for 2022, on July 1, which is why it is an excellent opportunity to talk to bassist Conor Marshall. He talks about comparisons to Gorguts' Obscura and Alphaville by Imperial Triumphant, the group's recent experience playing festivals Roadburn, Hellfest and Dark Mofo, and his take on why so much killer heavy metal has evolved from the British Midlands.

Tony Foresta (Municipal Waste)

Municipal Waste is launching a new album on July 1, 2022; it's called Electrified Brain. Tony Foresta was available for a chat, he shared his thoughts on the album and his association with the world of wrestling, and addressed the perception that the band aren't serious about crafting gnarly thrash metal.

Rogelio Lozano (Downset)

This is a great example of why the Scars and Guitars podcast exists because Rogelio covers a heap of territory other shows will never explore. He discusses the group's new album, Maintain, which is the catalyst for the chat, but it's his comments on many of the social issues affecting the United States such as race and identity, the band's influence on Fred Durst and Limp Bizkit; and Rogelio's crucial role in bringing heavy metal to the rap and hip hop audience which make this conversation one of the finest conversations broadcast on the show.

Laurie Luke

Laurie Luke is a Perth-based musician with an extraordinary story to tell. Laurie posted a confronting image to social media in July 2021, which explained a lot, but not everything; which is why I thought it would be a great idea to reconnect, and if Laurie was up for it, to share what happened. It's a tale of misfortune and calamity, but also extraordinary courage and bravery. We cover a lot of ground in this conversation, from life-altering events to plenty of topics relating to our favourite subject; music. Laurie also has a new song out, "Long Way Home", which in its own way, commemorates his momentous journey back from the brink.

Peter Wiwczarek (Vader)

This is a chat with one of the most critically revered figures in death metal. The catalyst for the conversation is the recent announcement that Vader is performing across Scandinavia and parts of Eastern Europe in September, then in Australia and Asia in October 2022. This conversation covers a lot of ground; Peter discusses how the band exceeded through the pandemic; the re-release of one of the essential metal albums ever, De Profundis, the group's second album, which over the years has become a touchstone for death metal connoisseurs. Peter also shares his perspective on how the band keeps on keeping on.