The past few years have seen a steady stream of creative output from Melbourne sludge punks Batpiss.
The latest offering is their third studio album entitled 'Rest In Piss', which embraces a darker and more subdued aesthetic than their previous releases 'Biomass' (2014) and 'Nuclear Winter' (2013).
Bassist/ vocalist Thomy Sloane says 'Rest In Piss' stands in deep and deliberate contrast to their other work. “It's not as aggressive,” Thomy says.
“We wanted to step away from the punk sort of stuff and get a bit weirder. That's when we got Gaz [Gareth Liddiard, The Drones] to produce it for us and he was awesome to work with because he came up with ideas that we normally wouldn't think of because he's a f@#$ing weirdo and that's what we wanted.
“This album is a lot more personal than our previous records; there's some honesty in them but a lot of it was made-up stories.
"This one was more personal and heartfelt because we'd lost a few mates and family members in a short amount of time, so it was a tribute to them and the feelings that go with it.”
“Thrashville looks like a whole bunch of fun... we're stoked we got asked to play.”
Thomy says writing the album was a cathartic experience that helped him process the tragic circumstances and overcome the emotional hurdles they threw up. “That's the beauty of art,” he says, “that you can express yourself and be your own therapist through your own music.”
Despite the dramatic shift, 'Rest In Piss' has largely garnered a positive response among fans, which came as a relief to Thomy and the band. “We weren't sure because it was a bit different to the other albums we've done, which is what we needed to do to keep it fun,” he says.
“We've had some really loose shows with a lot of fans going mental, which is fun for us, though it might not be for other people in the crowd.
"We get some real loose cannons and I love it. In the PC world that we're living in now where you can't do this and can't do that – 'stop moshing because people are trying to watch' – it's sort of annoying.
“When I was younger, I was right in the pit having a great time smashing me mates [sic] and all that. But people frown on it, down here anyway. I like seeing it, just don't be a c@#$; have fun and jump around and push your mates but maybe not someone's girlfriend.”
Click here to read our live review of Batpiss supporting Pissed Jeans earlier this month.
With 2017 in the rear-view mirror, Thomy says he and the band are looking forward to a good break over Christmas and New Year's before starting their 2018 touring commitments supporting Welsh band Future Of The Left in Sydney and at Thrashville, playing with the likes of Frenzal Rhomb and King Parrot.
“Thrashville looks like a whole bunch of fun and we were stoked we got asked [to play],” he says.
“We've always wanted to play with Frenzal – we all grew up on Frenzal and we've got to know them over the years, but we haven't actually played a show with them yet. So we're super psyched because we've been hassling them for ages.”
Batpiss support Future Of The Left at Oxford Art Factory (Sydney) 13 January and play Thrashville (Hunter Valley) 20 January.
