photo credit : Pete Gardner
25th June, 2023
How did the art project EP, Portraits, come about?
We have always wanted to do a project where each band member wrote their own song in their own writing style, and once we brought Luke Ashley (ex. Trigger) on board as our second guitarist, we knew we had the right lineup to pull it off. We each went away to create our individual tracks, accompanied with lyrics and even a personalised colour scheme. We came back together once they were all done and were amazed at how different everyone’s writing styles were, but also how coherent everything sounded once it was played back to back together.
We also really liked the idea of personalizing it a bit more by including a lot of our favourite external artists. Featured across our songs we have Andy Gillion (ex. Mors Principium Est), Jim Grey (Caligula’s Horse), Markus Vanhala & Jukka Pelkonen (Omnium Gatherum) and the legendary Björn “Speed” Strid (Soilwork, Night
Flight Orchestra).
How would you personally describe Orpheus Omega’s sound?
We would classify ourselves as a melodic death metal band, incorporating catchy melodies and soaring harmonies across a variety of our instruments, while still bringing the energy of a death metal band to the stage. As much as we love our fans to listen to us at home, we feel we truly shine as a live band, bringing the energy and fun to each and every show we play.
Why heavy music? What is it about this style and sound that attracts you to it?
For me heavy music I fell has the greatest range of energy and emotion, and allows its listeners to feel and embrace that range. Plus they tend to incorporate sounds, themes, song structures and virtuosic talent that other genres lack.
How did you first discover and get into metal?
Back in high school some mates of mine were really into ACDC, Metallica and Pantera. I gave these bands a listen and immediately wanted to pick up a guitar and play along. I scored an electric guitar for Christmas, d elved into the likesof System of a Down, Trivium and Avenged Sevenfold when looking for songs to learn, and the rest was history.
Who were/ are your music heroes? Who inspired you to want to play metal?
Matt Heafy from Trivium, Alexi Laiho from Children of Bodom, and Synyster Gates from Avenged Sevenfold were my biggest heroes gowing up. They each had such a way at creating these brilliant melodic songs while expressing such energy and talent that inspired me to create the same.
Was there a defining moment that made you decide to play guitar?
I think it was the most stand out feature of the music I was drawn too that screamed “guitar is the instrument you want to play” that got me on board. As a 13 year old when you hear Avenged Sevenfold’s album, City of Evil, and the first thing you hear are the soaring guitar lead lines, all you want to do is figure out how they did that!
When did you join Orpheus Omega?
I joined Orpheus Omega in mid 2019 when there was an opening for a bass position. It was a small shame as it was right off the back of a tour with Omnium Gatherum (FIN) which would have been excellent to be part of.
Have you always played bass, or did you switch to it for the Orpheus gig?
I have played bass almost as long as guitar, but definitely from a guitarist’s point of view. In 2018 I joined a band called Above the Fallen on bass and realised how much fun it was on stage when I didn’t have to play as many intricate parts as I would normally have to on guitar.
What other bands have you been in?
Quite a few over the years, including Andy Gillion’s live band, Frontier Season, Wake the Blind, Above the Fallen, and The Archaic. Only Andy Gillion and Above the Fallen have been bass roles while the rest have been guitar.
How did you learn to play guitar? Formal lessons, self-taught, online?
Mostly though looking up tabs of my favourite songs on Ultimate Guitar. Earliest songs I remember learning would be Toxicity by System of a Down, and Unholy Confessions by Avenged Sevenfold.
What guitarists inspire you these days?
Andy Gillion is an absolute freak, he is definitely up there. Second to him would be Sam Vallen from Caligula’s Horse, and Plini. Their approach to guitar is quite interesting and emotive, which I feel could be included more in the heavy scene. I also couldn’t forget Chris from Orpheus Omega too, anything that gets thrown at him he puts in the work and is able to learn and nail all while performing vocals at the same time. He truly is a
perseverance machine.
Were your parents supportive of your choice to play an instrument, and play in a band?
They definitely were. Growing up I had a drum kit too, plus all of the amps needed to play in a band. So band practice always happened at my parents house. Years later when I moved out they said they missed the constant loud music in the house. Nowadays, they’re still my biggest fans. My dad, Nick, actually offered to drive us to our Adelaide show in 2022 when one of our cars broke down.
You can watch the whole ordeal here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUUlgZhkmfY
How often do you get to practice with the band?
We tend to practice weekly in Matt and Chris’ parents backyard shed. It was the OG prac space since the band’s beginnings, and gives the boys a chance to see their family on a regular basis.
How often do you practice guitar? Is it playing along to songs, working on specific techniques, etc…?
Every other day. I find I work best when I have a specific goal to achieve, say working on a song to play live for a particular gig coming up. Otherwise I tend to noodle around a lot, play to
backing/jam tracks, and try to tell a story with only notes, or play a favourite song that has been stuck in my head.
I find the best way to nail a section or a technique I have ever needed for a song I would simply play it at 50% speed over and over until muscle memory took over and I didn’t really think about what I was playing. Then I would speed it up to 75% and do the same thing. Then 100%. For some really tricky sections, I would even push to 110% or so of the speed I’m meant to be playing at so that when I return back to 100% I am truly an expert of that section.
How are your band’s songs conceived? From jamming ideas at practice, working individually, music first then words, etc…?
We tend to begin each song by working individually, starting with a basis or a starting idea. This can range from one guitar riff to one melody line to almost a whole song structure already fleshed out, it varies. But our biggest strength is when this idea is brought to the band and we all then have writing sessions to further refine and shape that idea into a fully fledged song. Lyrics tend to come afterwards, and typically from a scratch track of what we’d like the vocals to sound like (where we’d mumble or throw gibberish words together over the song). One of the last songs I wrote used a jumbled line “on the edge of the never…” at the start of a chorus to then create my Portraits EP song Edge of Forever.
Do you write and/or record your own music that isn’t for the bands? Are there any Leon Monaco solo tracks on a hard drive somewhere?
Yes I do. I have released a couple of silly singles and an EP of some songs to a personalised Leon Monaco streaming account (Youtube, Spotify, Apple Music etc.), where I have created some
instrumental music.
In 2021 I made an 8-song EP called The Honk Collective where I took a musical inspiration from my eight closest friends and wrote them all a personalised song. In that EP there’s a song in the style of Linkin Park, The Foals, Aretha Franklin and so on, whatever each friend considered their favourite songs/artists of the time.
I also got married in the last year so I made a song to propose to my partner to, which I also uploaded under my name. Music is this silly unique talent I have, I want to share it with the people closest to me.
What artists, old or new, are you listening to currently?
Lots of fun stuff! From the metal world I have been loving the latest albums/EPs from Sleep Token, Avenged Sevenfold, Artifact, Scar Symmetry, The Ocean, Kalmah, Six Sided Storm, Haken, Periphery, Voyager and Insomnium. Some also not as new stuff from Bloodred Hourglass, Troldhaugen, Trivium and Wintersun. Non metal stuff I’ve been loving has been Abakus, Random Rab, Tijuana Cartel, Supersillyus, Terrafractyl, Ocean Alley, Skeggs, Nothing But Theives, Slowly Slowly, Ball Park Music and Genesis Owusu.
What have been some of your most memorable shows to date?
Our latest Portraits EP release show in May of this year was pretty memorable. I got to make UV-painted shirts with everyone’s Portraits colours and brought some UV lights to the venue, so our attire glowed all night. Plus for one song we organised one of our old bassists to jump on stage to play, where I jumped into the crowd and offered everyone cheese and crackers. It was very fun!
What is your day job?
I’m a filtration scientist for a bioprocessing supply equipment company. I do test work on injectable
pharmaceuticals to ensure they are sized correctly and work well with our filters.
Who’s your bucket list artist to tour with?
Probably Parkway Drive the most. It’d be fantastic to see these huge Australian metalheads and give them a crisp solid audible high five.
Any pre-show rituals?
For me, a can of red bull and deap heat to the neck. Its a perfect dichotomy of my younger and older sides of myself.
Favourite venues to play, and why?
Ones that have a good sound system, big, small, whatever. I want everyone (fans and myself alike) to be able to hear everything that is being delivered to them. Its all about providing a good show and the biggest complaint a person can have leaving a metal show is “yeah the sound sucked”. I never want that to happen with us, and thanks to our sound engineer Garry we tend to not have this happen to often.
What’s the last show you saw that you weren’t playing at?
Voyager’s post-Eurovision tour. It was a stellar gig with Future Static playing support. Would highly recommend everyone go deep dive into both of these bands’ music.
Hipster moment – I felt like one of the only 20 people in that crowd that sung along to every single Voyager song, not just the latest couple of Eurovision-popular songs. Had a great time regardless, but it hurts my soul a smidge when people come to see a band for one song, not the whole show. There’s so many good songs to enjoy and have a boogie to!
Favourite show you’ve been to?
It sounds very weird, but my favourite was seeing Infected Mushroom performing Converting Vegetarians II in full at the Prince Bandroom. This band blends psytrance with rock/metal in a very interesting way, and the album they performed really towed the line between the genres very well.
What do you do in your free time? Any other hobbies outside of music?
I really like bouldering (rock climbing but short climbs with no harness), walking Harry – my little puppy, and video games. I’m really into my shooters and RPG’s, anything that gives a good sense of adventure.
What new bands should people check out that deserve some recognition?
Some of our closest mates Triple Kill have some very exciting stuff coming out this year which I have had the pleasure of listening to. I’d highly recommend checking them out and keeping an eye on this release.
Specifically, what gear do you play? Guitars, amps, pedals, pickups, strings/gauges, picks? Any endorsements?
I play a multiscale ESP LTD bass (model number B-1004MS) which I’m an endorsed artist for. This bass is a ton of fun to play and looks quite flashy. Its pickups are able to be either active or passive, allowing for a variety of sounds to be made with just one instrument. I tune it five steps below standard tuning as BEAD (essentially the bottom four strings of a five string bass). I use D’Addario super long strings, nickel for live and pro steels for recording.
For my amp/rig I use a Line 6 HX Stomp, which internally includes a modelled Darkglass B7K and Ampeg SVT for my main sound. We also use DSL Straps, probably the comfiest strap I have ever played with.
Which of your guitars gets the most playing time, and why?
I have a Charvel Pro-Mod DK24 HH, which is essentially a really cool looking stratocaster. I also love playing my ESP LTD Eclipse and a Chapman ML7-S 7-string.
What’s your dream gear?
When I was young I loved ACDC’s Angus Young’s Gibson SG, so for years as a teenager I saved up a ton of money and as my first ‘self bought’ guitar, I got myself a Gibson SG. I still have it and still feels like my OG guitar. Also, the Charvel was my previous dream guitar, as I played it at a guitar show in 2019 and fell in love with it immediately, I had to have it! So shortly after when I joined Orpheus Omega and we were endorsed with Fender (Jackson & Charvel as subsidiaries) I was able to score one pretty reasonably!
What would a Leon Monaco signature guitar look like? Model, shape, headstock orientation, pickups, bridge, wood or paint finish, etc…?
I would love to have a custom bass made for me, and it’d probably be a spin on the ESP LTD STREAM-1004, but with the following: available in 4 or 5 string models, multiscale but not as drastic as my current LTD, 33.5″ – 34.5″ scale roughly, Nordstrand or Bartolini pickups, purple or blue to orange fade quilt maple top
Your IG account shows your love of vinyl. How did this come about? What is it about vinyl that has caused a resurgence in it’s popularity?
Old friends of mine in high school used to go collecting vinyl and I got sucked into the craze, but I also found it a really good way to support artists as I never really gravitated towards CD’s after iPods and such became the norm. There’s something special about a big piece of plastic that has music on it for me, its like the physical manifestation of the artform or something. Plus, you get to enjoy the artwork at full scale, and the colour of the vinyl the artist chooses. Essentially if there’s a band out there I like, I’m getting their vinyl immediately.
Thoughts on U18 venues/gigs?
I think there definitely needs to be more accessible U18 gigs. It was how I got into this scene by attending Bullet For My Valentine gigs at Hi Fi Bar (now Max Watts) and Billboards (now 170 Russell). The issue is venues tend to sell a lot better once you promise alcohol with the gig, so that’s how the industry naturally gravitates. I for one would love all of our shows to be all ages, or even do matinee U18 shows prior to an 18+ one.
Cats – lovable family members or Satan’s spawn?
Short answer – depends on the cat. Long answer – I am a dog person but have had three cats in the past. One was excellent, one was ok and one was Satan’s spawn. I find the affectionate cats that enjoy a cuddle, play and aren’t just food driven and chaotic evil are the good ones. In essence, the ones that are most like dogs.
What does the rest of 2023 have in store for Orpheus Omega, and Leon Monaco?
Well, we’re touring Australia throughout September this year with our good friends Triple Kill called the Riff N’ Tour, which is going to be a ton of fun! Embedded in this tour is Questfest, which was a music festival previously only held in Canberra, but with the help of Orpheus Omega’s Chris and Triple Kill’s guitarist Anthony, it is coming to Melbourne this year too, and both bands are headlining both! This day fest will be
filled with cosplaying, larping, D&D and gaming culture, a whole atmosphere of fun and wackiness that we cannot wait to be a part of. Beyond this hectic month of shows, we’re heading to Japan to support Scar Symmetry! It’ll be my first time in Japan so I’m beyond excited to not only go there, but to play in this band that I love so much!