This month Brismetal caught up with the lads of Phalanx. Recently moved to Brisbane from Toowoomba, Phalanx continue to impress the locals with an anticipated EP release for February this year.
BM: Your photos are pretty deceiving, but you guys are really quite young aren't you?
We're all 18 to 19 now. It was good when we all turned 18 late last year cause our first few gigs at phoenix some of most of us had to sit outside until it was time to play.
BM: Why the name 'Phalanx'?
Edwin (drummer), his dad owns a firearms/hunting store in Toowoomba and all through their house they have guns, weapons, stuffed animals and all armour and stuff. Not long before our first gig a few of us were over there and Edwin was wearing this helmet that the military ifantary called the 'Hoplites' wear. They perform the phalanx battle move. After abit of brainstorming based around some of the weapons in his house we came up with that name and played a gig in Toowoomba so it just kept. In hindsight its probably not the best name (Phallus!!!) but oh well.
BM: How long have you all been playing for, and have you always been interested in metal?
Roma has been playing guitar for about 10 years and the rest of us have been playing various instruments for around 5 to 7 years. According to Roma's parents he use to listen to Metallica as a 3 year old in some shitty town in Russia so he's been into different degrees of metal for quite some time. The rest of us got into different types of metal in our early teens through bands like Machine Head, Slayer, Dimmu Borgir, Tool and Metallica also.
BM: Who would you say have been your biggest inspirations, locally and internationally?
Locally I would have to say bands like Empyrean, Solais (fronted by a Toowoomba dude), Neath and SkyPi. Who are all pretty young guys playing world class music.
Internationally is hard to say cause there are so many great bands around to be inspired by. Meshuggah have had a heavy influence on a song we are working on now.
BM: What made you guys decide to make the move towards the city? How did that go with school and all that shit?
Just lots of personal reasons, like uni, work and stuff like that, a few of us still dwell in Toowoomba.
BM: What are you guys up to when not ripping it up at a local gig?
Chris competes in mototrials which is a really sweet sport and Edwin and Rob hunt. Rest of the time is spent on uni work or having some drinks, practicing, stuff like that.
BM: Are you excited about the upcoming support for Parkway Drive and the amount of younger kids who'll be exposed to you guys?
Yeah its exciting cause they are a really big act and a huge crowd is expected. It will be good for us and the Toowoomba music scene in general cause a fair few people who don't usually attend gigs will come and hopefully they'll regularly come to shows and support the scene after that.
BM: Are there any concerns in the camp of a repeat at the Arena? How did you guys feel about the whole banning of all ages gigs there?
Nah i don't think anything will happen like that at all, not that i really know the full story. I think it sucks about the all ages gigs being banned there, I know a bunch of underage dudes traveling to melbourne to see Amon Amarth now.
BM: Is it effecting the scene for the younger metalheads?
Hmm, I don't think it will have to much of an impact. Most of the shows at the Arena were 18+ anyway from what I remember and I think being under 18 you don't really have the discretionary income to regularly attend gigs. Plus I think with stuff like gigantour and slayer being played at riverstage and being all ages gives the younger metalheads some good shows.
BM: What can we expect from the upcoming release?
Abit of doom, some progressive music, some straight up death metal, some black metal, indian and arabian music, an instrumental and some sweet shredding.
BM: Do you think we will ever be able to pigeon hole Phalanx into a genre? Will you continue to push the boundaries of all genres with your music?
I don't really know, everyone in the band pretty much has different favourite musicians and bands etc so well bring forth different influnces all the time which why I think our songs differ from one another greatly. I don't think we push any boundaries but I think we'll always draw influences from all styles of metal.
BM: Which song is most deinately not going to make it in the Australian Top 40?
'Death for a Dollar' by Madd Skillz
www.myspace.com/maddskillznumetal
BM: You guys have a couple of side projects happening also I've seen. How are those going for Chris and Roma? For those interested check out http://www.myspace.com/chrisintrospective and http://www.myspace.com/romaivakov
Yeah they're going really well, they aren't taken to seriously but provide alot of fun for the guys.
BM: Is Roma also still giving guitar lessons?
Yeah he fits in a few lessons a week.
BM: You guys certainly seem to have made an impression on the hoardes at www.brismetal.com (yeh join the forum bitches!). I don't think I've seen a bad word about you guys. Do you guys have this much influence at school too? Lots of Phalanx groupies down the oval?
haha, I think most people at Concordia Lutheran College in Toowoomba always support us which is great and some other bands metal bands from that school have started. Mortalia and Eternal Rest who can be found in our top friends.
BM: There have been so many internationals coming to Oz of late, who is on your wish list?
Adagio, Gojira, Meshuggah, Rotting Christ, My Dying Bride, Between the Buried and Me to name a few.
BM: Is there any advice you'd like to pass onto other younger bands?
Um giving advice makes me sound like a dick but seeing you asked it would be to draw as much influence as you like from as many bands as you like but don't ever try to imitate them.
BM: Who made a new year's resolution and what was it?
Practice our instruments more
BM: And lastly is there anything you'd like to add, or people to thank?
Thanks to you guys for running the brismetal myspace and giving us the opportunity for this nice bit of exposure. Thanks to people who come to our shows and support us in anyway possible. Thanks to arthuterrace.com. Also our ep will be available late February/early March and new songs should from that should be up on our myspace in a week or so.
Thanks guys for your time and good luck for your PD support. Until then check them out at Club Phoenix on 22 Feb with 'neath, Defamer and more!
Thanks to www.myspace.com/chainsawing_colons and www.myspace.com/brismetalaus
