Interview by Kris Peters
Kaosphere burst onto the Gold Coast metal scene in 2015, bringing with them a wave of brutality seldom heard on the Glitter Strip.
After slugging it out at local venues despite not playing a brand of music acceptable to the general population, Kaosphere steadily began building a fiercely loyal and ever-growing fan base that consumed the band's first musical offering in the form of Forsaking Shadows in 2017. As the Brisbane/Gold Coast heavy metal scene and community grew, so did Kaosphere, relishing the opportunities to spread their sonic tirade further at every opportunity. They quickly became the unofficial metal representatives of South East Queensland, and capitalised on that momentum with increasingly hostile live performances that represented their particular brand of heavy music.
Last year saw Kaosphere break into more of a mainstream market with a support slot to touring LA glam metal band The Midnight Devils as well as a featured slot at Wallapalooza 2023 which also presented COG, Butterfingers and 28 Days.
But it is here and now where Kaosphere are preparing to make their ultimate stand with the release on May 3 of their debut album In Scars We Trust. With three crushing singles already unleashed on the public, In Scars We Trust is shaping to be a pivotal release in the career of Kaosphere, with the whole band joining HEAVY on the eve of its release to run through it more, starting with how it feels to have the album finally coming out.
"Relieved," vocalist Ricci Dyer began. "Looking forward to it. It's been a lot of hard work gone into it, and now it's time to chill back and get to see the fruits of our labour."
"It's been over two years in the making," added drummer Sam Phillips. "A lot of build-up and a lot of work."
So far Kaosphere has released the singles Chainbreaker, May I and War Cry, so are those three tracks a good sonic representation of what to expect?
"Sort of," Dyer measured. "These's still a lot of groovy tracks on the album, and they all have their differences. Obviously, our flavour is still there engrained in it, but there is a lot of difference in some of those songs."
"I think that's mainly because we actually wrote the whole album itself as a whole pile of singles," bass player Leon Friis chimed in. "So we basically went into the studio and would write and record one song over one month or two months and then finish that and go to a new one, and we just worked our way through it like that. We occasionally went back and rerecorded a couple of the songs and spruced them up a bit more."
In the full interview, the band members further discussed the album release and plans for showcasing gigs in Brisbane and Gold Coast. The team discussed the musical evolution showcased in their new album, In Scars We Trust, highlighting the diverse influences and dynamic nature of the songs. They also discussed the introduction of clean vocals and the positive reception of the new material during live performances.
They also spoke around the release of the new single Bring Out The Dead and its music video, with the boys providing insights into the song's inspiration and the creative process behind the video. The team discussed their plans to release more singles as visualizers and create additional music videos for certain tracks from the album. The band delved into the symbolism behind the album cover art, which represents resilience and strength, and mentioned the special pressings with artwork for merchandise. The conversation revolved around Kaosphere's upcoming shows, with a focus on the diverse range of performances lined up, including a free entry show at Tribe Clubhouse, two shows with Melbourne death metal outfit Miruthan, a memorial show, and a festival at the Brightside.