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South of Heaven: A History of New Zealand Extreme Metal
It isn’t accommodating and it definitely isn’t timid, but as the bands explain, extreme metal is much more than just Satan, gore, and loud guitars.
South of Heaven: A History of New Zealand Extreme Metal travels back to the birth of this country’s most challenging and confrontational music scene in the early ’90s, and visits New Zealand extreme metal in 2014, where a hidden realm of homegrown bands reap worldwide acclaim.
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South of Heaven - Kris Stanley - Sinistrous Diabolus
12 Jul 2014Kris Stanley (aka N.K.S) joined Christchurch doom/death metal merchants Sinistrous Diabolus in the early 90s, and the band is responsible for New Zealand's first world-class extreme metal release… Read more Audio
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South of Heaven - Adam Thompson - Farming the Population
12 Jul 2014Wellington-based Adam Thomson is a radio DJ, promoter and vocalist with technical death metal band Farming the Population. Thomson recently organised the NZ Technical Death Metal Fest, and is a… Read more Audio
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South of Heaven - Chris Rigby - Convulsion, Dying of the Light
12 Jul 2014Chris Rigby was there at the birth of extreme metal in New Zealand, playing in Christchurch death metal and grindcore band Convulsion in the early 90s. Rigby has been a promoter and musician, and his… Read more Audio
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South of Heaven - Phil Kusabs - Vassafor
12 Jul 2014Phil Kusabs (aka VK) formed Auckland-based black metal band Vassafor in the mid-90s, and the band has gone on to become one of New Zealand's most internationally respected extreme metal bands. Kusabs… Read more Audio
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South of Heaven - Rigel Walsh - Dawn of Azazel
12 Jul 2014Rigel Walsh's band Dawn of Azazel is routinely cited as one of the groups that reenergised the extreme metal scene in New Zealand in the early 2000s. Dawn of Azazel have toured around the world, and… Read more Audio
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South of Heaven - Exordium Mors
12 Jul 2014Exordium Mors is one of New Zealand's leading black/thrash bands. Vocalist Mark Anthony Brooks (aka Scourge) and guitarists Raj Singarajah (aka Black Mortem) and Santi, spoke to Craig Hayes about… Read more Audio
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South of Heaven - Marko Pavlovic - Creeping House of Capricorn
12 Jul 2014Marko Pavlovic is an Auckland-based musician playing in black metal trio Creeping and doomy death and stoner rock band House of Capricorn. Pavlovic's also played in New Zealand metal bands like… Read more Audio
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South of Heaven Part 1
14 Jun 2014A History of New Zealand Extreme Metal. In this episode reporter Craig Hayes talks to Chris Rigby, Phil Kusabs, Chris Stanley and Steve Francis; and travels back to the birth of this country's most… Read more Audio
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South of Heaven Part 2
14 Jun 2014In part two of 'South of Heaven: Extreme Metal in New Zealand' Craig Hayes finds out how New Zealand's extreme metal community was able to rebuild itself well away from mainstream eyes and ears, with… Read more Audio
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Me Korero - New Zealand Extreme Metal
Throw up your goats - Craig Hayes introduces his two-part exposé on our homegrown heavy metal music scene Read more Audio
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South of Heaven - Interview with program producer Craig Hayes
Craig Hayes, producer of South of Heaven - A History of New Zealand Extreme Metal, talks with Emma Smith about making the program, and why metal music matters. Audio
South of Heaven is presented by Craig Hayes, produced by Craig Hayes and Zen Yates-Fill, and engineered by William Saunders for RNZ National.
South of Heaven: A History of New Zealand Extreme Metal
Christchurch extreme metal band Sinistrous Diablous courtesy Rebecca Tovey.
Extreme metal music incorporates sub-genres such as thrash metal, speed metal, black metal, death metal and doom metal.
To whet your appetite for South of Heaven: A History of New Zealand Extreme Metal, here is a selection of Radio New Zealand back-catalogue features about metal music:
Megadeth's Dave Mustaine
Leader of one of the 'big four' of thrash metal - alongside Slayer, Anthrax and Mustaine's former band Metallica - Dave Mustaine traded addiction and rock'n'roll excess for religion. Megadeth are going strong, winning over a new generation of Thrash fans. From October 2009.
Ulcerate
Auckland death metal band released its fourth album, Vermis, to rave reviews the world over, and signed to legendary US metal label Relapse records. From November 2013.
Dying of the Light
Industrial doom duo Dying of the Light whose E.P. Monolithium caught the ear of fans at home and abroad. From December 2013.
Red Dawn
New Zealand's metal landscape is littered with bands taking extremity to its nth degree, but Wellington five-piece Red Dawn discuss why listening to Iron Maiden is more important than anything you'll ever learn in school, and why operatic vocals are 'killer'. From December 2013.
Bulletbelt
Wellington Black Metallers talk about the album Down in the Cold of the Grace and their distinctive take on the genre. From April 2013
Razorwyre
The band email signature reads: "heavy metal music in the true style of the 1980s", Wellington's Razorwyre tell of double kicks and leather lungs on their debut album Another Dimension. From September 2012.
Beastwars Live at The Kings Arms
Wellington sludge-metallers belt out a set of songs live at Auckland's Kings Arms. From March 2014.
Black Sabbath
They are not 'extreme' - in fact these days it sounds just like 'rock' - but they are the granddaddies of metal, and quite hilarious. We buttonholed Ozzy and the band at a listening session for the album 13, ahead of their first NZ concerts since the Great Ngaruawahia Music Festival in January 1973. From April 2013.
