Finding Your Niche With KYLE BLOKSGAARD From BARRIERS

Finding Your Niche With KYLE BLOKSGAARD From BARRIERS

Author: HEAVY Magazine August 6, 2026 Duration: 7:10
Brisbane is about to get hit by an absolute wall of sonic destruction. The third annual Necrosonic Festival is locking and loading for its most brutal ritual yet, taking over the legendary Mansfield Tavern on Saturday, August 22, 2026. We are talking 12-plus hours of pure, unadulterated musical chaos spread across three massive stages. While the international heavyweights in Rivers of Nihil and local tech-death royalty Psycroptic are rightfully drawing plenty of attention, it is the deeper, darker corners of this stacked Australian lineup where the real magic happens. Enter Barriers.
Hailing from the southern heavy hotbeds of Adelaide and Melbourne, this crushing four-piece outfit does not just play heavy music—they manipulate it. They have engineered a sonic identity that stands defiantly apart from the standard cookie-cutter template. By blending the progressive complexity of Meshuggah, the expansive, atmospheric dread of Cult of Luna, and the sheer, mid-paced tectonic groove of Gojira, Barriers have created a monster. It is raw, minimal, and completely unsettling.
If you have spun their debut EP, Decay, you already know the band relies heavily on dark contrasts. They masterfully balance suffocating doom with sudden, violent bursts of death metal intensity. Frontman and producer Kyle Bloksgaard injects a vocal dynamic that handles deeply personal torment just as easily as it spits socio-political venom. 
At HEAVY, we love throwing down a challenge. We sent out our traditional Q&A sheet to the entire Necrosonic lineup, warning every band that a failure to reply meant buying the HEAVY crew a beer at the venue. While we were quietly hoping to score a mountain of free pints, the Barriers boys ruined our plans by being some of the very first to get back to us! They are hungry, they are focused, and they are ready to lay waste to Brisbane. Do not sleep on this set.
HEAVY spoke with Kyle to get the lowdown.
Necrosonic tickets and more information: https://necrosonicfestival.com/

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Dive straight into the raw, unfiltered conversations happening behind the amplifiers and drum kits. HEAVY Music Interviews, straight from the team at HEAVY Magazine, pulls you backstage and into the green room for genuine talks with the most compelling voices in rock, punk, metal, and the wider heavy music landscape. This isn't about polished press releases; it's where artists open up about the craft of a crushing riff, the stories behind an iconic album, and the realities of life on the road. Each episode delivers a new perspective, whether it's a legendary frontman reflecting on decades of noise or a breakthrough band explaining their explosive sound. You'll hear the passion and personality that fuels the music, directly from the musicians creating it. For anyone who lives for the energy of a heavy track and wants to know the people behind it, this podcast serves as a regular, essential connection. Tune in for authentic discussions that go far beyond the surface, keeping you directly plugged into the heart of the scene.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

HEAVY Music Interviews
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