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Alchemist.
Canberra-based metal band Alchemist - arguably one of Australia's most unusual and interesting metal acts - is currently undertaking a national tour as a prelude for a massive European tour: the group's first overseas. "We did another national tour about eight months ago, around the time of the release of our last album, 'Austral Alien'", says guitarist and vocalist Adam Agius. "This one's really intended to give us a chance to sharpen ourselves for Europe."
So where, I ask, will the band be playing in Europe? "Well, the main show will be one at this event called the Prog Power Festival," explains Agius, "that's being held in a place called Baarlo in the Netherlands. We'll actually be the second headlining band at that, after the Devin Townsend Band. Other than that, we'll be doing shows in Belgium, Italy, the UK, Czech Republic, Hungary, Germany, and maybe Spain."
The spot Alchemist has managed to secure at the Prog Power Festival is certainly impressive, particularly when Agius reveals that some thirty or so other groups will be playing at that event as well. When I ask how the group managed to be beat so much competition for such a prominent place on the bill, however, Agius confesses that he doesn't really know. "Probably just good promotion and the fact that we've got a good record out there", he ventures. "We've actually got a really big fan base over in the Netherlands, and also have a really good relationship with our label, Relapse Records, who were ultimately responsible for getting us a spot on the show."
Getting back to places closer to home, I ask how the metal scene in Canberra is at present. "It's unfortunately not as good as it used to be", laments Agius, "though it's still pretty good. I mean, a typical show in Canberra will still draw about 400 people which is fairly impressive when you consider that an average show somewhere like Sydney would probably only get about 150 to 200 people. There's unfortunately not that many good groups in Canberra right now, though. Two that I like myself are Pod People and this new one called Shatterer." I tell Agius that two Canberra groups I used to really get into, but which are now sadly no more, are Armoured Angel and Psychrist. "Yeah, Armoured Angel were very big when they were still around," concurs Agius. "But yeah, they've now split up. It just happens."
While they haven't been touring, Alchemist have been keeping themselves busy writing material for a new album. "The new stuff's going to be a bit heavier than a lot of the stuff we've done so far," says Agius, "and the songs are going to be getting a bit shorter. The lyrics will also be less "out there," as they have been in the past, and more personal; I'm trying to write stuff that people will hopefully be able to relate to. Some of the songs are going to be about the current political situation in this country, which none of us in the band is particularly happy about."
As for the band's show here, Agius says that, "It'll be high-energy. There probably won't be much banter from me between songs; the show will be a bit like one continuous song. We'll be playing stuff from all of our albums, though there'll be more of an emphasis on songs from the last three; your newer material is the stuff you really want to promote, after all. But yeah, we'll be doing a few from our first album, 'Jar of Kingdom', as well; there're still a couple of songs from that - Shell and Abstraction - that we play. Incidentally, 'Jar of Kingdom' has now sold out; we'll be re-releasing it ourselves, probably next year sometime. As for our show in Adelaide, we're just hoping that as many people can turn up to the Enigma Bar as possible."
James Brazel
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Alchemist plays at the Enigma Bar on Sat 11 Sept.
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