IKTPQ bring Swedish-tingedmetal to Australia

Tue 5th Sep, 2006 in Features

I Killed The Prom Queen will unleash the fury of the rising Australian metal scene over the coming months.

IKTPQ have been a major force in the local hardcore and metal scene, and they hope to continue to be with their new album Music For The Recently Deceased.

The Adelaide five-piece borrowed some ideas on this record from the best metal scene in the world – Sweden – and it sees a considerable step up from their debut album When Goodbye Means Forever (2003).

IKTPQ changed labels to get the backing to record in Sweden, choosing to move to Stomp Records from the smaller independent label, Resist Records.

The album was produced by Sweden’s best, Fredrik Nordstrom and Patrik Sten (In Flames, Soilwork, At The Gates), and blends the two country’s genres with one another.

Blunt Magazine gave the album a 10 out of 10, while the fans responded by catapulting the album up the ARIA chart to number 27 on debut.

Guitarist Kevin Cameron said it was the first time they have recorded outside of their home country, and it was an experience they would go through again.

“We chose that studio simply because we felt there wasn’t anywhere in Australia that could provide the production quality like studio Fredman is renowned for, and with it being so long since our last album we really wanted to go to as much effort as possible to release something impressive,” he said.

“There’s been a stack of new bands come along in the last couple of years doing a similar style of music to ours, so I guess it was our goal to step it up and attempt to differ ourselves from the rest of the scene.

“Studio Fredman has birthed many of our favourite albums over the past decade, so it was an easy decision when deciding where to record.

“Sweden is home to some amazing metal bands like Soilwork, In Flames, At the Gates, Meshuggah, Darkane, Arch Enemy, most of whom recorded their premier albums at the same studio as us.”

Cameron, who admits to also listening to Johnny Cash and hip-hop in the tour van, said working with Nordstrom and Sten was like a dream come true.

“They are at the top of their league for metal production and had some helpful ideas for us,” he said. “It will be great to record with them again in the future.

“The Swedish metal bands that have recorded with the duo have been some huge influences on us, as well as Darkest Hour and Dimmu Borgir, which made some amazing records there.”

Despite working with such esteemed producers, there were still times when the band didn’t think they were heading in the right direction.

However, after hearing the finished product, which boasts some of the best melodic Slipknot-like drumming I have ever heard (from drummer JJ Peters), the band were completely satisfied with the whole process.

“To be honest we rushed the writing for the CD in a way and were worried we didn’t give ourselves enough time to formulate the songs, with most the writing taking place in between tours around May 2005,” Cameron said.

“In saying that, the end result is far better than anything IKTPQ has previously recorded.

“We’ve been working a lot harder than anyone would realise to get ourselves to this level, so it’s great to be paying off.

“So many bands complain about why they aren’t doing amazing tours and selling thousands of CD’s when they started playing 6 months ago. They need to understand it takes years of being broke, jobless and away from home for months at a time before rewards are reaped.”

IKTPQ has gone through numerous line-up changes since its first official release Choose To Love, Live, Or Die in 2002 and their latest frontman Ed Butcher from British band The Hunt For Ida Wave seems to be filling out their sound well.

Earlier this year, Butcher replaced one of the founding members in Michael Crafter after he was kicked out of the band.

Butcher has helped the band take their brutal sound to an almost deafening level since and insists that his voice will hold up on the band’s latest four-month national tour.

“It all comes down to personal technique really, not straining it,” he said. “My voice is coping fine so far and doesn’t look like giving out soon, even though with months of touring it’s hard to stay 100 per cent healthy all the time.

“Also, gargling demon blood before a set is a big help.”

After the national tour, they will head off to the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, Japan and New Zealand to bring the Australian metal scene to the people of the world.

Cameron said there would always be differences in the scenes between countries, but Australia definitely doesn’t lack in quality metal and hardcore bands.

“There’s always going to be differences between all those countries simply because of population and trend popularity,” he explains. “The last year or two has seen Australian shows boom with a new generation of punters, which is healthy for the live music scene to survive.

“For some reason we’re often attacked with a tag of “popularising hardcore”, but it’s not like it was ever an intention to appeal to such a wide audience, it just happened. The funny thing is that the “haters” are usually kids that got into this music because of us a couple of years ago, but now think because more than a few hundred people are into it, we’re too uncool.

“USA obviously has tonnes more massive bands and tonnes more shows than us here, but that isn’t to say Australia should feel inferior, we have a lot of awesome bands like Parkway Drive, Cry Murder, Miles Away, Her Nightmare, The Red Shore, to name a few.

“As long as people keep supporting and maybe learn to be more open minded rather than living vicariously through internet trash talk, then our scene will get bigger and bigger.”

Try something different and grab a ticket to see IKTPQ on their current tour.

Having played with internationals such as Silverstein, The Haunted, Soilwork and Fear Factory, IKTPQ’s live presence is sure to blow you away.

Tour dates:

September 8 – Wangaratta Town Hall, Wangaratta AA
IKTPQ, The Getaway Plan, Cry Murder, Emperors Last Fight, Through All Lies, May 1927
September 9 – Strathdale Hall, Bendigo AA 5:00pm
IKTPQ, The Getaway Plan, Cry Murder, Blank Expression, Violence and Sunshine, Famous for failing
September 15
Maribrynong College Gym, Maribyrnong AA 6:45pm
IKTPQ, Carpathian, The Daylight Curse, Jack the Stripper & Chicks Dig Scars
September 16 – Peninsula Lounge, Moorooduc 18+
IKTPQ, Carpathian, The Daylight Curse & More TBA
September 17 - The Potato Shed, Geelong AA. 2:00pm
IKTPQ, Carpathian, The Red Shore, The Daylight Curse
September 20 – 21 Arms, Ballarat AA. 5:00pm
IKTPQ, Carpathian, The Daylight Curse, Standing Tall, The Red Shore, The Bullet Never Lies, Last Wish
September 21 – TLC, Bayswater AA. 3:00pm
IKTPQ, The Getaway Plan, Carpathian, The Daylight Curse, Forgiven Rival, In Fiction
September 22 – Yo Yo’s Youth Centre, French’s Forrest AA 7:00pm
IKTPQ, Carpathian, The Daylight Curse
September 23 – Engadine Community Hall, Engadine AA.
IKTPQ, Carpathian, The Daylight Curse, In Decay
September 24 – Oasis Youth Centre, Wyong AA 4:30pm  
IKTPQ, Carpathian, The Daylight Curse
September 26 – Southport RSL, Surfer’s Paradise (Lic AA) 6:00pm  
IKTPQ, Carpathian, The Daylight Curse & With Darkened Eyes
September 27 – Gympie Senior Citizens Centre AA 6:30pm  
IKTPQ, Carpathian, The Daylight Curse
September 28 – Nambour Civic Centre AA. 5:30pm  
IKTPQ, Carpathian, The Daylight Curse, Functions Cease
September 29 – The Shack, Toowoomba AA 7:30pm  
IKTPQ, Carpathian, The Daylight Curse, Stinnet
September 30 – Youth Activities Centre, Byron Bay AA.
IKTPQ, Carpathian, The Daylight Curse, 50 Lions
October 04 – Taree PCYC, Taree AA 6:00pm  
IKTPQ, Carpathian, The Daylight Curse, Bellevue, Pasadia
October 05 – Port Stephens PCYC, Nelsons Bay AA 5:30pm  
IKTPQ, Carpathian, The Daylight Curse, A Silent Fiction, Bellevue, Waterview
October 06 – Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle AA 2:00pm  
IKTPQ, Carpathian, The Daylight Curse
October 06 – Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle 18+ 8:30pm  
IKTPQ, Carpathian, The Daylight Curse
October 07 – Federation Pavilion, Castle Hill Showground AA 5:30pm  
IKTPQ, Carpathian, The Daylight Curse & more TBA
October 10 – Waybacks Football Club, Port Lincoln AA 7:00pm  
IKTPQ, Carpathian, The Daylight Curse & more TBA
October 11 – Westies Football Club, Whyalla AA 7:00pm  
IKTPQ, Carpathian, The Daylight Curse & This Drowning Misery
October 13 – The Old Jail, Mt Gambier AA 5:00pm  
IKTPQ, Carpathian, The Daylight Curse & more TBC
October 14 – The Civic Centre, Bordertown AA 7:00pm  
IKTPQ, Carpathian, The Daylight Curse & more TBC
October 15 – NSPS Hall, Naracoorte AA 2:00pm  
IKTPQ, Carpathian, The Daylight Curse & more TBC
October 20 – Hobart Masonic Hall AA, 8:00pm  
IKTPQ, Carpathian & more TBC
October 21 – Batman Fawkner Inn, Launceston AA 4:00pm  
IKTPQ, Carpathian & more TBC
October 21 – Batman Fawkner Inn, Launceston 18+ 9:00pm  
IKTPQ, Carpathian & more TBC
October 22 – Fowler’s Live, Adelaide (Lic AA) 7:00pm  
IKTPQ, Carpathian, Her Nightmare & Nessun Dorma
October 27 – Manning Bar, Sydney University (Lic AA) 6:00pm  
IKTPQ, Carpathian, Her Nightmare, The Valley, 50 Lions, The Daylight Curse & Cry Murder
October 28 – The Hi Fi Bar, Melbourne 18+  7:00pm
IKTPQ, Carpathian, Her Nightmare, 50 Lions, The Red Shore, The Daylight Curse, Cry Murder
October 29 – The Hi Fi Bar, Melbourne (U18) 12:00pm  
IKTPQ, Carpathian, Her Nightmare, 50 Lions, The Daylight Curse, Cry Murder & Circle the Sky
November 03 – QUT Guild Bar, Brisbane (Lic AA) 7:00pm  
IKTPQ, Carpathian, The Daylight Curse & more TBC
November 04 – Metal for the Brain, Canberra (Lic AA) 10:00am  
IKTPQ, Carpathian, The Daylight Curse & heaps more – www.metalforthebrain.com