Few bands have experienced the kind of rise that Loathe have enjoyed since releasing I Let It In And It Took Everything in 2020.
The Liverpool outfit returned to Australia last month for a run of sold out shows, proving that the anticipation surrounding the band’s long awaited third album, A Stranger To You, is very real.
Ahead of the album’s July 17 release, we caught up with guitarist Erik Bickerstaffe to discuss Australia’s obsession with Loathe, surviving six years between records and what’s next for one of heavy music’s most forward thinking bands.
Erik Bickerstaffe (Loathe) Interview
Australian connection
Having toured Australia multiple times throughout their career, Erik admitted there’s something special about returning Down Under and seeing rooms packed wall to wall with fans. The latest run marked another successful chapter in the band’s relationship with Australian audiences, with demand continuing to grow each time they visit.
We also looked back at some of Loathe’s favourite Australian memories over the years, from previous tours to the unique experiences that come with spending time on the other side of the world, as with many UK bands, Australian culture has always had a strange familiarity to it, making each visit feel a little less like being away from home.
Relentless touring
Loathe’s schedule has been equally relentless, last year saw the band appear at the massive When We Were Young Festival in Las Vegas, an event that brought together some of alternative music’s biggest names.
We couldn’t resist asking Erik about the experience, and whether the infamous Heart Attack Grill made it onto the itinerary.
**Please note, in the interview I said you could eat free if you weighed 250 pounds or over when it is actually 350 pounds, sadly on the google search I found out it has now closed down.**
A Stranger To You.
The biggest topic of discussion was of course their upcoming album ‘A Stranger To You‘, which is set for a July 17th release via Sharptone Records.
After six years of anticipation, expectation and endless questions from fans demanding new music, Loathe are finally ready to unveil the follow up to the album that helped redefine modern heavy music.
Rather than recreating the formula that made I Let It In And It Took Everything such a landmark release, A Stranger To You pushes even further into uncharted territory, the 14- rack album expands the band’s sonic palette through immersive sound design, atmospheric textures and influences that stretch far beyond traditional metal boundaries.
Loathe ‘A Stranger To You‘ Track List:
- Entrance
- Block Of Flats
- Fortress Down
- Gemini
- Nothing Like The Knife
- Harder To Pretend
- Athena
- Revenant
- The Way It Breaks
- Meet My Maker
- Fangs
- The Ladder
- Gifted Every Strength
- No Stranger To You…
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