HEAVEN THE AXE

PHOEBE PINNOCK

Contact Info: phoebe@heaventheaxe.com.au
www.twitter.com/phoebepinnock
Band Contact Info:
info@heaventheaxe.com.au www.twitter.com/heaventheaxe

Metal Pit : Hello Phoebe thanks for taking time to chat with us today on the Metal Pit.

Phoebe Pinnock: Thanks right back atcha Nick




Metal Pit : You are the vocalist for the Hard Rock band Heaven the Axe,can you tell us a little about the rest of the band?

Sure!... in the band are mainly four other boys, and as well as them there are "tentacular" boys who also co-write and perform with us. We rehearse from home and there is generally four or five metal vikings at our house on any given day. They are all nice metal vikings. There is the band mascot, Kyuss, a long 'aired metal kid. Hes almost 8. He plays guitar too and he’s planning his own band. He will have first hand expert experience about what it really takes to make a band happen. We are like a family, some days I cook and the boys do the dishes. Other days I nag them and they drink beer and fart. Mostly it’s a great experience. Steve Watts is the guitarist behind the band being pulled together. Hes also the "Father of Kyuss" and my husband. He is exceptionally talented at being a great friend to everyone (hes a Libran) Mat Silcock is the other guitarist. He is in his own universe of Mat, then theres Trav Price on bass and Aramis SV on drums. They are like naughty competitive twins. Fighting and teasing each other constantly all in good fun. Then theres Tommy, Nik, Skitz, Jimi, Tim, Thanassi and more......a whole tribe :) we like it.


Metal Pit : How did you all find each other and decide to form a band?

When I was 16 I was dating a guy and we had a little band together in Wagga - he said we had to go check out the maddest band ever called Manticore. So we tried to sneak in the pub. We couldn’t get in but I remember this very vivid vision of seeing Steve playing and "singing" (if you can call it that) in the most brutal metal band ever. I’d never heard that style of music before. He had long hair and he was wearing footy shorts. I decided that moment that he was "the one" even tho he was way out of my league. Fate has it, I broke up with my boyfriend that night and set on a Capricornian path to "my goal"...Steve. We hooked up a while later and became best mates, meanwhile I was madly in love with him writing heaps of songs about "how you can’t tell your best friend you’re in love with them for fear of ruining the friendship". My mum died and he decided he loved me deeply and we’ve been together ever since her funeral…in fact we walked away from her burial holding hands. That was it. We played plenty of acoustic duo gigs and we decided we needed to leave Wagga Wagga to move to Melbourne and find musos who were on our wavelength. It took a few goes of getting the people right but now the line up is solid and strong and I couldn’t get rid of them with a fly swat.


Metal Pit : With you being the only ( Sheila...woman ) in the band have there been any awkward moments for you hanging out with a bunch of guys,lol?

I often say Ive been a man in many a past life. I read somewhere that people who find themselves gay in this lifetime may have been the other gender for many consecutive lives….sure that’s pretty day dreamy but I love random concepts and why not choose to believe them? Everything we’ve been taught our whole lives is somebodies concept that we don’t necessarily test it scientifically ourselves. We read it in a book. Memorise it, learn other stuff and mix it with what is the most popularly believed – or least popularly believed – topic and carry on like were know what were talking about to be accepted. So in this case I would say, Ive been a man in many a past life, possibly a Viking, possibly a strong woman warrior. In this life there is nothing that suits me more than to be surrounded by gorgeous and talented metal head boys who make my dreams come tr - The Metal Pit

Heaven The Axe from Australia. Featuring the female vocal stylings of a past Metal Maiden of the Month Phoebe Pinnock and a hard rocking metal band around her. Hard charging party metal would be a good explanation for starters. This is the debut cd of this Aussie band. The cd starts off with my favourite ENEMY with its heavy riffs and Phoebe's disitinctive melodic yet heavy clean vocals. Two of the other more heavier tunes would be GET YOUR DEVIL TO DO IT and SO NIRVANA which starts with a sound bite of what sounds like my grandma driving down to the local store for her pack of smokes. (..no my grandma never smoked but it still sounds like that) With the tracks MASOCHIST and GLUE we have a more melodic style with the more sing along chorus. The cd ends (sorta) with a power rocking ballad UNCONDITIONAL LOVE which is Phoebe's song which she wrote about her Mom when Phoebe was in a troubled time in her life. (read more in her Metal Maiden interview) Then there is a hidden track at number 8 but you need to be patient for the song to start and its a short little piece featuring Phoeble on guitar and cello. Overall its a good rocking debut and makes one excited about what could be in the future for the band.


8.5/10 - The Metal Pit

Heaven The Axe – Sex, Chugs & Rock’n'Roll
BY IAIN – OCTOBER 4, 2011
POSTED IN: ALBUM REVIEWS
They Say :- Heaven The Axe are a juxtaposition between the illustrious, hypnotic, powerful and rhythmically pounding female vocals of rebel bombshell Phoebe Pinnock, twisting their way around a stomping Aussie riff factory!

The fellas in the riff machine are an Aussie metal supergroup from notorious and groundbreaking Aussie metal bands such as Manticore, Damaged, The Berzerker, Terrorust and Abramelin – The vibe is ENERGY!!!

Heaven The Axe is an authentic ball tearing expression of the finer aspects of the soul on rock n rolls terms. It is pure rebellious Aussie culture at its most stereotypical and most extreme. The combination of masculine balls and feminine structure and unrelenting power is what is giving this new band its core.

Its Australian rock combining metal riffs, tight and tough guitar driven music teamed with catchy, tough, immense female vocals of a woman who knows how to sing what shes singing about – and she has the army behind her to translate it into musical GRUNT. This is a band who will decimate your stereos, and will only surpass that by decimating your senses when you see them live!

We Say :- Like most minor music sites, we at CackBlabbath have a “submit your stuff for review” link. Now if I’m honest although this brings in a large quantity of stuff the quality of a lot of it is, to put it kindly, variable. There just aren’t enough hours in the day to keep up so much of it goes un-listened to.

But occasionally, just occasionally, something comes through that grabs your attention by the bollocks and doesn’t let go. (Does that expression work, not sure, does your attention have bollocks ? Anyway, I digress). The usual process is get the EMail, download the music, give it a quick listen. At this point the band have about 30 seconds to create enough of an impression to make the rest of the release worth listening to….

Which is about 20 seconds more than Heaven The Axe needed.

You know when you hear something and immediately know it’s something a bit special ? Well that’s exactly the impact that their debut release Sex, Chugs & Rock’n'Roll had on me, to the point that it’s been almost impossible to dislodge it from my MP3 player of late.

Now I have a journalistic (yeah, like I’m a journalist) issue. If I describe this as female fronted rock I’ll immediately lose half the audience. And sound sexist. And annoy Krissie and the rest of Triaxis. And right now you’ll probably have visions of Paramore or similar insipid pop-punk tosh in your head.

And this is NOTHING like that…

Heaven The Axe have crafted a brilliant album of catchy arena rocking tunes, powerful yet melodic with killer hooks and some proper punk-ed up metal riffs. This is Aussie Rock’n'Roll as it should be delivered by a band with an impressive CV, boasting former members of Manticore and The Berzerker among others.

So, great musicians, great songs, great energy. Can we talk about the obvious now…

The icing on what is already a pretty tasty cake is Phoebe’s vocals. I really like the way she slips effortlessly from ballsy and energetic to quiet and emotional via all kinds of sexy. Things never get predictable either, even what you think is going to be the obvious slow one starts off in the usual rock ballad territory before unexpectedly winding the energy up in the middle part, then hitting the brakes and going all heartfelt and, frankly, beautiful.

What Heaven The Axe have done is taken a genre that is probably oversubscribed (how many bands think “ooohhh, lets get a pretty girl out front, fame and fortune will follow”) and proved that it’s still possible to stand out. If you are this much more than just a pretty face, if you’re a talented band and know how to write a hook then great things can, and if there is any justice in the world will, happen. - Cack Blabbath

http://killyourscene.info/heaven-the-axe-sex-chugs-rock-n-roll/ Unable to copy text - Kill Your Scene

Heaven The Axe
Sex, Chugs & Rock ‘N’ Roll
Independent Release
Release Date: out now
Review by Sandi Martin
There was a buzz in the air and it whispered to me a few weeks ago. HEAVEN THE AXE, a band from Melbourne, I was lucky to have been given their promo CD from a friend, with tracks from their up and coming debut album Sex, Chugs & Rock ‘N’ Roll, I am excited to hear the whole album.
Gone are the days of Chrissy Amphlett and Joan Jett. Today we have Phoebe Pinnock; a blonde diva, who delivers sassy, kick ass vocals, raw and honest in her attack. Sex on legs, Phoebe Pinnock is a prodigy in her own right, and then we have an axe to grind; the metal guys! Steve Watts –Guitar, Mat Silcock – Guitar, Tim Aldridge – Bass, Tommy Russell – Drums, Aramis SV – Live Drums, from Thrash/Death Metal bands like MANTICORE, DAMAGED and THE BERZERKER. Now where does that take you?
Join these forces together and you have a concoction of head banging riffs, catchy choruses and rock ‘n’ roll. These guys are riff masters, displayed in the album, Sex, Chugs & Rock ‘N’ Roll. The album has seven tracks and Heaven’s above, there is a hidden acoustic track as well. When you want more, there’s more.
HEAVEN THE AXE displays different personalities throughout the album from high-energy rock songs to classic rock ballads. My favourite song is track number one,Enemy.It rocks out with undeniable chugging riffs. It’s the star of the party. The chugging riffs are consistent throughout the entire album. They take the songs to another level. This song has the hook and is a great start to the album. Other favourites are Electric Wire and Glue; the rockier tracks.
Hard rock enthusiasts are going to dig this album; heavy metal riffs mixed with Phoebe Pinnock’s sexy but powerful rock chick voice, HEAVEN THE AXE is a great force entering the mainstream and they’re Australian.
The last track on the album is an acoustic love song called Unconditional Love, a heartfelt song that song showcases the softer tones in Phoebe Pinnock’s voice. I really got a chance to listen and I believe this song will be on the radio for sure.
I can’t wait to see this band live. With Phoebe either in her G-string or flanny there is no denying the fact that Phoebe Pinnock is a star. The epitome of a rock chick, her voice kicks ass. She is down to earth and is as talented as sexy. Don’t take her good looks for granted, after all, how greedy have us rock chicks been? Culminate that with the riff masters giving the music its signature.
I will be driving down the street in my Torana blaring out HEAVEN THE AXE, “Chugging it up” and catching them live.
Heaven The Axe - Sludge Factory

Heaven The Axe may not be a name you’ve heard of yet… but if there’s any justice in the local rock world then things may just be about to change...
As support to Swedish marauders Crashdiet on their first Australia Tour Heaven the Axe will be there to prove that we rock just as loud and just as long as the headliners!
But the really great news for us is that they do have the songs to back it up…

Fill us in a little on the bands background for those who haven’t heard the name before and might want to check you out?


Were a bunch of naughty renegade grown up kids from the country who enveloped ourselves in music from a young age which lingers on forever part of us. Were rebellious and the more success the music gets the further down the rabbit hole of being an artist we go. The boys are all full blown metal heads from bands such as Damaged, Manticore and House of Thumbs. I grew up practicing singing to Alanis Morrisette and Mariah Carey all the while being attracted to metal heads and having a slight obsession with them not so much the music. I always saw guitarist Steve Watts as the king of the pack of them and I worked my way up the metal chain and married him. Now I don’t have to try too hard to write the riffs on the guitar myself. I can just think them, sing them and he plays them and then plays them to the other Vikings in the band. Its convenient and that’s how the music happens.

The band’s name conjures up a number of images but for me its bright lights, glamour, violence and metal. Where did the name come from and what does it mean to you?

Ha, ha that’s cool hearing your take on it. Yeah…that’s pretty much on the money when it comes to the nitty gritty of our life as a band…messy, dirty, metal living, creatives we are. I’m a big believer in words happening for a reason. It’s kinda scary. Like the drummer in the metal band Decapitated who was killed in the same way. It’s tragic. But songs become true as do names. I often wonder about what Heaven The Axe is really saying. Will it be that my dreams die miserably or will I be able to take my greatest light and make a massive impact? The latter is what I’m focusing on. The name came from “Heaven, The Axe and Dirty Wings” and we shortened it. Its representing an angel who has a sea change.





How did you get involved in the Crashdiet tour?

We were invited by the promoter.

And then you have the Rose tattoo support?

Yes. 8 shows around Melbourne in October, November and December.

Tell us about the new CD (Check out our reviews section to see what we thought). How long have you had those songs, or are they all new?

Some of the songs were written a few years ago some were written in the jam room. All of them were worked on for hours and hours days and days. Steve and I have been writing together for a while and we wanted to see them taken to the level we always envisaged hearing them. Unconditional Love was written when I was younger but bringing it into the bands awareness and making it translate form acoustic to the bands brand of sound was the challenge which I think Steve did brilliantly. It’s a very important song to me, it’s my family’s official song and Steve took it very seriously to make an arrangement that would be like a tattoo in my soul and it is. Just because it was spawned a while ago doesn’t mean anything…it’s a whole journey transforming yourself into being the artist that sings that song. In order to perform it on a scale such as the Sydney Entertainment Centre…I had to be “Unconditional Love” in my whole life or my voice wouldn’t be a part of it. They are very personal honest songs and that’s what connects with people. The more in tune I am with what I want to say and I’m in a point of power when I’m saying it the more people connect with it and it means something for them. Mostly these songs are about being fucking strong when you’ve been weak and making a new possibility for yourself.

We loved Masochis - The Rock Pit

ou know what? It's one of the best feelings when something comes out of the blue and sounds so good.

One thing I can say after living with this one for a few weeks now is that it is a pretty stunning debut. Melbourne's Heaven The Axe has managed to produce something of a minor masterpiece that manages to combine a number of styles and sounds to end up with something both 'out there' and accessible. It’s an album that is both heavy and driven, but with a delicate underbelly that just goes to show what the band is already capable of and makes you wonder what they can achieve next!

Listening to the opener ‘Enemy’ you might think that you are looking at some standard, albeit very superior, cock rock ‘n’ roll. It’s a great track, and I for one can’t get it off the I-pod, but it’s also probably the most standard rock track here.

If you love riff-driven rock and roll with a big emphasis on melody this is for you. Imagine big heavy riffs and sexy Amplett meets Morissette vocals. It rocks hard and yet it’s not a million miles away from sounding like it could pick up some airplay even in today’s climate. I’m not sure it should work this well, or why it does but the planets seem to have aligned over Melbourne and it just does OK!

For me there’s not a bad track on the CD, but my personal favourites would have to be the wonderful ‘Masochist’ which you could argue is as fine a rock song as you’ll hear this year. But there’s far more: ‘Glue’ which just takes the prize for me is a gem of a quirky rock song, great riff, great energy, a big fat sexy MF of a song that will (sorry about this) stick with you for ages. The final part of my rocked out trifecta is a complete and utter change of pace: the heart-wrenching ballad ‘Unconditional Love; which is so mature and deep and delicate you’d swear it was written by someone with many more years under their belt. Simply beautiful.

If I was going to suggest you shell out on an artist this year that you may not have heard of before then at the minute these are the guys. Remember this album does what it says on the tin: Sex, Chugs and Rock N Roll baby! Music to drink beer and have sex to…

And the production too is top notch.

Take a chance on an Aussie band? They might just be the next big one!


By Mark Diggins - The Rock Pit

Firstly, a strict warning. Put your seat belt on! Melbourne band Heaven The Axe's aptly titled debut 'Sex, Chugs And Rock'N'Roll', is exactly that : A sexy album that chugs along with a high rock'n'roll voltage!
The opening track Energy sports one ball tearer of a riff, with subsequent guitar squeals, driving bass and drums, and front woman Phoebe Pinnock's vocals giving us a good taste of what the disc is all about. Phoebe is truly the focus in this cd, with her voice reminding me of Aimee Echo from USA band The Start : soaring powerful vocals, with an impressive range and depth, and a real in-your-face kind of attitude attached to it. It works with the music brilliantly.
A pet hate of mine in heavier style music is when the instrumentation gets carried away, with each song sounding like everybody is attempting a solo at the same time. Thankfully, that's not the case here. Drummer Tommy Rossel holds back on his double kick diligently, only shredding up the kit (which he can do well!) when the song calls for it. The guitars are also in this vein, squealing and soloing when called for, and they give the cd its real metal edge, with that 'chug chug' effect.
On the outside this disc could be easily written off as hard rock chick metal, with semi naked women on the back cover and guys drinking and gambling, but on closer inspection you realise that the songs have real substance, and are cleverly written and arranged. The breakdown in Glue is a perfect example of this, where the song pulls back in the bridge, before the ascending bass notes build to an explosive ending.
The acoustic intro to Unconditional love gives the cd a good change up, which is important in this kind of genre. It's an epic rock song that builds on the back of electric guitar and strong vocals, with the warm bass giving it feeling throughout the peaks and valleys of the journey that the track takes us on.
'Sex Chugs And Rock-N-Roll' is an impressive rock cd with a metal edge, and if their live shows share half as much energy as the cd has, they would be an amazing act to see. It's no wonder that Angry Anderson hand picked these guys himself for the support slot on Rose Tattoo's tour. Crack a bottle of dark spirits with this cd and you'll be charging in no time! - My Australian Music Network

This band is quite a heady and intoxicating mix. Take an ultra-hot blonde lead singer with a wicked voice, surround her with big ugly blokes who just happen to be some of the best heavy music instrumentalists in the country, throw in a bunch of supercharged, old school influenced hard rock to metal tunes (which will undoubtedly appeal to both hard rock and metal fans) and you have the beast that is Heaven the Axe. And they seem poised to take the country and even the world by storm in the coming years.
For a debut album, this band sure sound confident and assured. This no doubt comes from the pedigree of the members. The band features former members of legendary Aussie heavy music acts The Amenta, Damaged, The Berzerker and more, so these boys can seriously play. And soaring out the front of it all is the vocals of aforementioned hot blonde Phoebe Pinnock, whose voice resembles an even sassier Alanis Morisette after her vocal chords have been injected with rocket fuel.
Collectively they’ve come up with a bunch of short, sharp, in your face heavy rock tunes that would get any venue pumping. The songs are catchy as all hell and tough as nails all at once, and delivered with an exuberance that is truly infectious. That is, until you get to Unconditional Love, a tasteful acoustic/power ballad in the old lighter-waving 80s glam rock tradition, which rounds things off very nicely indeed.
Make sure you listen out for the ghost track that follows on a few minutes after the end of the album proper. It’s a more offbeat acoustic piece that probably doesn’t suit the vibe of the rest of the record, but shows a slightly different side to them.
The production job by the great Ren Parisi of Melbourne Records does absolute justice to the material, hitting that often hard to find balance between the raw power that this style of music needs and the polish required for the record to stand up on a world scale.
Heaven the Axe have made a very audacious beginning on their debut record, and one gets the feeling they will only get even better from here - Buss Magazine

The 25th Summernats festival reved up things for Canberra again today as it continued on with parade of show cars.

It was Summernats where we discovered one of our fav new rock band discoveries - Heaven The Axe.

In the festival's showcase watering hole - The Jim Beam Bar - rockers Heaven The Axe were doing some reving up of their own... and talk about Loud and V8 style fan interaction.

However, it wasn't just about cars at Summernats as event co-owner Andy Lopez told the press. It was more about entertainment and a more family atmosphere, but make no mistake - it was mainly about the cars...and a good dose of loud music - as if the roar of the engines wasn't enough to burst your eardrums (earplugs are provided upon entrance to the festival - satisfying OH&S regulations).

Our favourite band at the festival was 'Heaven The Axe', and they sure gave our eardrums a workout, as well as kept on camera crew of its toes with all the jumping around on (and off) stage.

Their performance was not so much catering for the family friendly theme, but more for those who enjoy hard metal rock and they played at the Jim Beam Bar - an 18+ venue at the festival.

Event co-owner Andy Lopez, who purchased Summernats said on the event: "This isn't a choir convention, but at the same time we're not like a gathering of satanists either".

Heaven The Axe (fronted by leather clad Phoebe Pinnock), who is a bit of a Joan Jet - Angus Young (AC/DC) hybrid in our estimation and anyone who dares experience their breed of hard rock will not be disappointed.

Pinnocks said "I wanted to be a stripper first...and then music stole my heart".

The band's website tells the world of the wildchild...music was the only thing that kept her alive after being orphaned at a young age and a year of working as a dancer in the Sydney’s notorious badlands, Kings Cross.

Heaven The Axe was a bit of an interesting choice of band for this years Summernats, given what is at least perceived as a bit of a watered down hard edge and more rated PG environment. We're sure glad the promoters went with 'The Axe'.

Summernats mainly attracted the nations most talented motor and mechanical craftsmen, artists and all matter of other folks who are in the business of hotted up cars. They also attract news media from from across the country - and this year its been mainly positive, with the festival being pro active to remove the more troublesome aspects of years gone by. The festival also adds a much needed boost to the ACT economy, with nightclubs, hotels and restaurants all reporting business definitely being up since the car-show hit down.

We're dead set convinced that Heaven The Axe attracted a good dose of rock lovers to the famous festival - whether they were big on cars or not.

Speaking of music, a big G'day and congrats to Radio Revhead who provided on location broadcasting at Summernats. John McCoy-Lancaster and special guest in from Utah 1060AM U.S - J.C Hackett were the voices of the show, and something tells us that Team Radio Revhead may help rocket Heaven The Axe on an international scale - especially in the exciting U.S sector.

Heaven The Axe recently released their debut record titled 'Sex, Chugs & Rock 'N' Roll' and we suggest you check it out real quick so you don't deprive yourself any longer.

They are consistently Number #1 on unsigned radio charts from around the world and there's good reason for that. Witness Aussie music history in the making today and check em out.
- Australian Music News

The story of most alt bands goes something like this: bunch of teens practice music in their suburban garage. Neighbours get angry. Teens move to northern ‘burbs. Become a proper band.

The tale behind Melbourne rock band Heaven the Axe is completely different. For starters, their frontwoman (and blonde femme fatale) Phoebe Pinnock was a teen mother and stripper who later transformed into the singer, band manager and business woman that she is today. Not that these rockers really need a crazy story – the five-piece are growing a mini-army of fans in Melbourne through their tongue-in-cheek tunes that are just way too fun. Plus it can’t hurt that the band frequently gets scantily clad girls to appear in their videos and photo shoots. The band have just dropped their debut album Sex, Chugs & Rock ‘n’ Roll, and will be heading over to Summernats Car Festival very soon for some burn out action.

Paige X. Cho talked to Phoebe about raising eyebrows, being in a testosterone-fulled act and their new album.

“Heaven the Axe” is an interesting name. What’s the story behind it?

It’s a nickname for the original concept “Heaven, The Axe & Dirty Wings”… A rebel angel who has had it with her religion and her connection to the higher realms and decided to axe off her wings and have a party down below!

What is it like being the only female in an otherwise all-male band?

I don’t have a problem with being surrounded by talented cool dudes. Would you? I’ve created a heaven on earth really haha! These guys are so fucking good. Steve said the other day “You’re the driver with the petrol, I’m the engine and the other boys are the wheels.” You can’t go anywhere without each bit. I find being a woman advantageous – I’m driven at multitasking where the boys are muscle. I come up with ideas and the boys brick up the wall. These boys sleepover every weekend – Aramis travels from Myrtleford every weekend and Trav from Ballarat – so you know we live for it and function like a family. They help with the dishes and the lawns before rehearsal and I go nuts at them. Steve calls me “The Warden!”

We love your back story. Young mum and former stripper turned entrepreneur and singer!

From a young age I made a very conscious and comfortable decision that I would live my life to the full. I wanted to experience every side of life as a woman that I could. Don’t get me wrong – sex is a sacred element of my life. I don’t regret any of my past, every single day created who I am now and I like it. I’m a woman in control… only really loosing it on stage in a live show.

Does your past sometimes raise eyebrows among other people?

Yes, but that’s the past. Everyone has a past and anyone who doesn’t have something eyebrow raising about their past is a liar! I don’t have any dramas talking about who I am because I’m a long way from the lifestyle of having to hide “who you are” from others. I don’t live a life where I need to make up any crap to fit in.

So you seem to manage the band and organise a lot of the band’s stuff. Is it difficult switching between ‘musician’ mode and ‘manager’ mode?

The greatest challenge as with any business is time constraints and managing communication within the group. I don’t have a lot of time for writing music at the moment because the demands for publicity are there so my creativity is in conversations, interviews and promotion right now, but everyday I sing a new melody into my phone, which is how most of my songwriting starts and finishing some cracker songs at rehearsal. Being a singer is second nature to me.

Any tips for aspiring singers out there?

Developing self-love is very important to being a singer. If I am sad in my heart then my voice suffers. I have had to be really “in tune” with myself and my life in order to maintain the vocal stamina required. I have a couple of “voice whisperers” – my friends Swanee and Angry Anderson from Rose Tattoo. My vocal coaching with them is mostly based upon the - Paper Deer

This band is an intoxicating mix. Take a hot blonde lead singer, surround her with big ugly blokes who just happen to be some of the best heavy music instrumentalists in the country, throw in a bunch of supercharged hard rock to metal tunes and you have the beast that is Heaven the Axe.
The band features former members of legendary Aussie acts The Amenta, Damaged, The Berzerker and more, so these boys can seriously play. And soaring out the front of it all is the vocals of Phoebe Pinnock, whose voice resembles an even sassier Alanis Morisette after her vocal chords have been injected with rocket fuel. Collectively they've come up with a bunch of short, sharp, in your face heavy rock tunes that would get any venue pumping. The songs are catchy as all hell and tough as nails all at once, and delivered with an exuberance that is truly infectious. The production job by the great Ren Parisi of Melbourne Records does absolute justice to the material, hitting that often hard to find balance between the raw power that this style of music needs and the level of polish required for it to stand up on a world scale. Sex Chugs and Rock 'n' Roll is a very audacious beginning. Best Track: So Nirvana
If You Like These, You'll Like This: BABY ANIMALS, GUNS 'N' ROSES, GIRLSCHOOL In A Word: Spunky - Beat Magazine

Heaven The AxePosted by Scott Smith
Heaven The Axe will be supporting Crashdiet in Melbourne on their upcoming Aussie tour kicking off on October 20th, 2011 (check tour details below) and we thought it was a perfect time to introduce the band to you, our fine readers!

Official bio: Heaven The Axe is a 5-piece hard rock band originating from rural Australia, who have just released their debut record Sex, Chugs & Rock ‘N’ Roll! The band is an unlikely juxtaposition between heartbreaking front woman, Phoebe Pinnock, and four unruly Aussie metal-head blokes who just can’t help but play her pop tunes tough! They are a collection of musicians from pioneering and well-respected Aussie metal groups such as Damaged, Manticore, The Berzerker, Abramelin, The Amenta, and House of Thumbs. Heaven The Axe has been turning heads, cranking the volume and gathering die hard fans since they debuted live in October 2009. The music is tough, catchy, hooky and the band has a demonstrated history of smashing live performances – they have just completed a packed out headlining tour of capital cities at this pre-release stage. Word on the street is Heaven The Axe is the band to hear and see! And you’ll soon be hearing them alright – the band has touring booked solid supporting Crashdiet and Rose Tattoo, right up to Summernats Car Festival in January 2012, check out all the tour dates below! Having recently released their blistering debut album “Sex, Chugs and Rock ‘N’ Roll” on Sept 18th 2011 and already fans can’t get enough. Why? Because Heaven the Axe are what’s been missing in Aussie rock culture – an unashamed, unapologetic, wailing blonde front woman powered by the guts and glory of a tough as all hell Aussie metal core cranking catchy and poppy as hell tough tunes and with a massive monster sound, turning heads and blasting holes in speakers worldwide.

Let’s start with the basics first – what brought the band together and what is the inspiration behind the band name?
MAT SILCOCK – Guitar: The main element in keeping this juggernaut rolling is Steve Watts. He is the ‘glue’. What brought me into the fold was friendship, the ability to play a musical instrument and Steve and Phoebe’s passion and dedication to Heaven The Axe, I forgot to mention. The songs KICK ARSE! There have been a few incarnations of Heaven The Axe, but this current line up is definitely the closest, most committed group. A rock’n'roll family if you will. A cross between Charles Manson’s ‘family’ and the Bundy’s from Married With Children! Nothing is ever dull in the house of HTA. The house we rehearse in is Steve & Phoebe’s and Trav (Bass), Aramis (Drums) stay over every weekend. We have our guitar whisperer ‘Uncle Jimi’ to spice things up with general debauchery & alcohol, and Kyuss, the kid from Coburg, who really keeps us all in line at 7 years old. I live about 5 minutes away and when I visit it is like stepping into a rock’n amusement park ride. The neighbors dig the music and/or are deaf, so it’s perfect.

The name of the band is, in my mind, an esoteric description of the turbines that created this beast, Phoebe HEAVEN, and her partner in crime and riff maestro Steve THE AXE.

ARAMIS SV – Live Drums: Hey, this is Aramis SV, the live drummer for Heaven The Axe. I’ll answer these questions as best I can. I apologise for my cursing. Honestly, what brought the band together for me, were like-minded people. All the band members have very similar tastes in music & philosophy. The band name came from Satan.

You have twenty seconds in an elevator to try and convince someone to listen to your music, what do you tell them?
MAT: Good question. Hard to answer without sounding like a complete wanker… I would probably start with ‘hey doesn’t this elevator music suck?’ and then say something about ‘they should play cool rock’n music in a place like this cos elevator rides are usually so goddamn boring. Then I would ask if they agree that elevator rides are bor - May The Rock Be With You

Heaven the Axe: V8 Rock N Roll

06-Dec-2011
Words: Brian Fischer-Giffin
Latest release: Sex, Chugs and Rock N Roll
Website: www.heaventheaxe.com

“Some days I wake up before a review comes out and think, ‘Oh God, what are they going to say?’” admits Phoebe Pinnock, bombshell vocalist of Melbourne rock and metal band Heaven the Axe. “Putting it out there, your first record as an independent band is quite scary really. You don’t know how reviewers and journalists are gonna take it.”

She need not worry. Since her band first hit the scene, the reviews have almost always been positive. Formed as a duo in their hometown of Wagga Wagga by Pinnock and her husband Steve Watts – once the frontman of 90s thrash band Manticore – Heaven the Axe developed into a band when the couple moved to Melbourne and Watts got old buddies like ex-Damaged guitarist Mat Silcock and Tim Aldridge from Abramelin and The Berzerker involved. Some tweaking of the line-up (Aldridge and House of Thumbs drummer Tom Rossell have since made way for Trav Price and Aramis Pitrinec) and plenty of live work later and the band’s debut EP 'Sex, Chugs and Rock N Roll' has arrived. Loud previewed it earlier this year with a solid review and it seems we weren’t the only ones enamoured of their sweet n’ savage sound. During November Heaven the Axe played a series of shows in suburban Melbourne with Rose Tattoo at the personal invitation of Angry Anderson.

“It was great,” Pinnock recalls with enthusiasm, something she seems to have in unlimited supply. “We got some fantastic new fans and friends from it. We actually met some diehards from that. It’s just been super. For people to not know who we are to, by the end of the night, we’re selling out of t-shirts and things like that and signing a million CDs and just handing them out… It’s just been really humbling and we’re really grateful to have had the opportunity with the invitation from Angry to get out there to all his crowd that he’s developed. He’s shared his audience with us and we were so grateful to get out to different areas and play our music and share our heart with these people and connect to them in a really powerful way.”

The two bands came away from the shows as good friends. Phoebe and Angry became particularly close, with the Tatts leader taking her under his wing and offering the kernels of knowledge and nuggets of wisdom that could only come from forty years on the road.

“Angry’s become a bit of a mentor to me,” she says. “He’s certainly got a lot of advice for me on all sorts of different levels. And I have met Angry’s manager Ted who has run bands such as Jane’s Addiction and the Lollapalooza Festival and things like that, and I’m really learning that the greatest thing is for me to connect to who I am, and just be that person in every way. Whether it comes to business or performing or song writing or anything, it’s really very much about getting rid of any bullshit and connecting exactly with your heart and really taking a stand on who you are and putting it out there and not apologising.”

Pinnock also finds inspiration for honesty and frankness in the work of one of the world’s most successful female singer/songwriters, Dolly Parton. The night before this interview, she went along to see Parton perform at Rod Laver Arena and “just sat there in awe of her.”

“She’s such a superstar. She really is amazing. She really took the time to speak about where the songs came from, her family and her twelve brothers and sisters and growing up in the hills… it was just profoundly beautiful. I’m still recovering from the emotions that I had there, sitting in this room, a stadium, just full of people and many people bawling their eyes out as I was,” Pinnock says. “And I really appreciated her sharing her soul and her heart and her history and who she was and where the songs came from. And that’s definitely something that I like to bring to the stage.”

Parton’s music is reknown for its stor - Loud Online Magazine

Label: Independent
Playing time: 39.29
Rating: 70%
Reviewed by Brian Fischer-Giffin

Readers who recognise the names Manticore, Damaged and Abramelin will know them as three of the most extreme Australian metal bands of all. So the idea of members of each of those bands teaming up together would certainly be an intriguing one for those of us who remember or have ever been exposed to their brutality. And that's why Heaven the Axe is probably not the band you would expect them to play in.

Formed in Wagga Wagga as a straight-up rock band by Steve Watts and Phoebe Pinnock, after the pair moved to Melbourne Watts linked up with old buddies from the metal scene there and gradually moulded Heaven the Axe into a much heavier band. Sex, Chugs & Rock n'Roll is the result of that tinkering, nine tracks of explosive, sexy heavy rock.

Pinnock is a brazenly honest songwriter and her lyrics range from the angry ("Enemy") to the heartfelt ("Unconditional Love") to cheeky fun like "So Nirvana" in which she likens the local hoon hottie to the classic Nirvana line-up like a naive, coquettish schoolgirl. This song is HtA at their poppiest and shows their clear commercial potential. The ballad "Unconditional Love" has an almost Kasey Chambers vibe until it starts to really rock out about the two minute mark and the question has to be asked: Why isn't this song all over the radio? Elsewhere, Sex, Chugs & Rock n Roll is sheer rock heaven, but with a ferociously metal guitar sound and incredible heaviness that could only come from guys who used to play in death metal bands. Indeed, at times it seems like Pinnock's chirpy albeit powerful voice is almost too pop for the savagery of the rest of the band, and yet it just clicks.

Despite its poppy hooks, Sex, Chugs & Rock n Roll is probably too heavy to become a chart hit but it should become a solid favourite for those who like rock, because that's what it does.

1. Enemy
2. Masochist
3. Electric Wire
4. So Nirvana
5. (GI-intro)
6. Glue
7. Get Your Devil to Do It
8. Unconditional Love
9. Tails to You - Loud Online Magazine

Tough, sassy and rockin’

This band is quite a heady and intoxicating mix. Take an ultra-hot blonde lead singer with a wicked voice, surround her with big ugly blokes who just happen to be some of the best heavy music instrumentalists in the country, throw in a bunch of supercharged, old school influenced hard rock to metal tunes (which will undoubtedly appeal to both hard rock and metal fans) and you have the beast that is Heaven the Axe. And they seem poised to take the country and even the world by storm in the coming years.

For a debut album, this band sure sounds confident and assured and there’s no doubt this comes from the pedigree of the members. The band features former members of legendary Aussie heavy music acts The Amenta, Damaged, The Berzerker and more, so these boys can seriously play. And soaring out the front of it all is the vocals of aforementioned hot blonde Phoebe Pinnock, whose voice resembles an even sassier Alanis Morisette after her vocal chords have been injected with rocket fuel.

Collectively they've come up with a bunch of short, sharp, in your face heavy rock tunes that would get any venue pumping. The songs are catchy as all hell and tough as nails all at once, and delivered with an exuberance that is truly infectious. That is, until you get to Unconditional Love, a tasteful acoustic/power ballad in the old lighter-waving 80s glam rock tradition, which rounds things off very nicely indeed.

Make sure you listen out for the ghost track that follows on a few minutes after the end of the album proper. It's a more offbeat acoustic piece that probably doesn't suit the vibe of the rest of the record, but shows a slightly different side to them.

The production job by the great Ren Parisi of Melbourne Records does absolute justice to the material, hitting that often hard to find balance between the raw power that this style of music needs and the polish required for the record to stand up on a world scale.

Heaven the Axe have made a very audacious beginning on their debut record, and one gets the feeling they will only get even better from here.

(Independent)

Added: January 20th 2012
Reviewer: Rod Whitfield
Score:
Related Link: Official Website
Hits: 349
- The Metal Forge

Unable to copy content - Kill Your Scene

Heaven the Axe could certainly be the next band to break out of the sluggish Australian heavy rock and metal scene and really make a name for themselves not only on the national, but global scene. Featuring some of the absolute cream of the Aussie heavy music scene, such as former members of Damaged, Manticore, The Berzerker, The Amenta and many more, the band is also fronted by the very outspoken firebrand of a lead singer Phoebe Pinnock, who makes many other female rock singers on the Australian scene seem like shrinking violets. It’s a very loud and heady mix, and with their debut album Sex, Chugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll set to drop, these guys (and gal!) are primed to make a massive noise in rock scene.“It started quite a few years ago in Wagga Wagga,” Phoebe begins, regarding the band’s colourful history, “it was me and Steve, who was the front man and guitarist for Manticore…I grew up in Wagga as a young girl, the first time I saw Manticore, I couldn’t believe it, there was this really hot guy playing metal in footy shorts in a pub of people wearing leather and hot women; I was 16 years old and trying to sneak into the pub at this stage. I couldn’t believe the metal; I’d never heard it before. “Steve had been through a whole heap of touring and things like that,” she continues, “and he had long hair and he was going through a bit of an awakening. He was in a hairdressers in Wagga one day, getting his head shaved, because someone might have called him a ‘long haired poof’ and he’d had enough. He wanted a whole new image change. He said he was thinking of doing something else other than Manticore, I’m thinking of doing a female fronted Grinspoon, I reckon that’d go off! The hairdresser said ‘you should get Phoebe Pinnock, she’s walking past right now!’ He ran out the door and grabbed me, and said ‘do you want to hook up and play some music?’ and I was just like ga-ga for him! I’d had his picture from Rolling Stone contacted to my year 12 folder! So I just said ‘Absolutely!’ From that point we hooked up and started writing acoustic songs together.” From the relative musical backwater of that regional New South Wales town, a move to more conducive musical climes was in order, and the pair shipped themselves off to Melbourne in search of the instrumentalists who could assist them to bring their vision to fruition. “So we came to Melbourne in 2007,” she carries on with the story, “Seeking the musicians to make the acoustic songs…we really developed these acoustic songs, working with some of the most brutal Australian metal musicians. It was quite uncomfortable for me at first because I didn’t envision these songs that I’d written on the acoustic guitar to go so far. I didn’t have a choice in the sense of how these guys played; they were the musicians available to me at the time, some of the best musicians in the country. The songs were really quite heavy compared to what I originally thought. But once we’d gone in and recorded with Ren at Melbourne Records we were just blown away. We were like ‘Fuck! This is unreal!’ It was exactly where we wanted to go.” This Saturday night sees the Melbourne launch of Sex, Chugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll at the House of Rock night at the Palace Nightclub in the city, and this band promises a truly crazy, unpredictable and blistering set of raucous heavy rock to metal, which will set the Palace alight. Phoebe described the essence of the Heaven the Axe live show for the uninitiated punter thinking of coming down to check them out. “It’s basically very loud and tough, very tight and heavy,” she explains, “The live show is where I’m very exposed. I feel quite vulnerable thinking about it, in the lead up. And I have to put a lot of pressure on myself to be like an athlete, in order to maintain the level of singing that’s required. There’s a lot of very intricate dynamics around getting the right sound, the right frequencies. There’s a hell of a lot of preparation when it comes to costume. I think every costu - Beat Magazine

Heaven The Axe: it’s all about sex, chugs & rock ‘n’ roll
Thu, 15/09/2011 - 11:33
Let there be rock! On September 18th, HEAVEN THE AXE will be dropping their tidal wave of hot chick metal mayhem. Hailing from Melbourne, HEAVEN THE AXE bestows upon the masses their debut album, Sex, Chugs & Rock ‘n’ Roll. Vocalist, Phoebe Pinnock takes time out from signing merchandise to speak with Monique Budd about the band, Sex, Chugs & Rock ‘N’ Roll and much more.
As we speak, the hard working frontwoman Phoebe Pinnock is preparing merchandise packs for HEAVEN THE AXE fans worldwide. “There’s so much more work than you realise. All these people from around the world bought these CDs. The work that goes in being your own label as well making all the music.”
HEAVEN THE AXE’s debut album, Sex, Chugs & Rock ‘n’ Roll has seven solid tracks with a hidden bonus track. “We thought we’d put the bonus track on. It’s an acoustic track that I recorded and wrote myself and play the cello and the acoustic guitar on. I write on an acoustic guitar. That’s the way the songs start. I’m not just some blonde frontwoman that poses like a stripper. I’m actually a songwriter and a musician,” Pinnock laughs. “It shows what I’m capable of, gives it a bit more credibility.”
Astrology is the point of inspiration for Pinnock's lyrical content, adding to her profound life experiences. “I often think a great deal about astrology, about transits and things like that. I really don’t agree with the way that the world is run and advertising; the whole machine how we’re forced to live a certain way. We have to work, we have to behave a certain way, we have to comply to a whole set of rules. I didn’t agree to them just being born.
I feel that way of who I am. Being in the universal laws gives me access to creating anything that’s worthy of being put in the spotlight. When I first started out as a musician I would have been intimidated walking in to Triple M doing an interview; now I actually feel that I am worthy and I deserve to be there a hundred percent, due to how much hard work has gone into the craft. The thought and just the way I live my life in order to be able to say, these songs are more than lyrics and mantras. They’re something to live by.”
Pinnock further credits the move from Wagga Wagga (NSW) to Melbourne for their songs storylines. “It was really quite a shock to come to the music industry, dive in, network and meet people. Just to see how bitchy and how hard it was. It’s really hard to make friends ‘cause there’s a lot of competition and people backstabbing. I learnt that really quickly. That’s what the first song on the album, Enemy was written about. I hadn’t had an enemy. I came from a small town and everyone has been my friend. I instantly learnt no matter what I did or what I didn’t do people are not going to like me straight away. I learnt that it’s okay to have an enemy and be strong and not be so nice to people.”
HEAVEN THE AXE makes no exceptions from keeping the bands momentum. The band consists of many key players, possessing two drummers and two bass players. Pinnock introduces the bands members. “Steve Watts guitarist and Mat Silcock guitarist. We have two bass players and two drummers. Tim Aldridge and Trav Price play bass. On drums Tom Rossell and Aramis SV, he uses the last name SV ‘cause he’s in another band called STRICT VINCENT.”
The band formation began with Watts and Pinnock moving from Wagga Wagga to Melbourne. Watts’ previous band MANTICORE gave Watts and Pinnock a connection to Melbourne’s scene and death-grind band DAMAGED. “(We) instantly hooked up with Matt ‘Skitz’ Sanders, who recorded two of the songs off our album. He was the drummer from DAMAGED. He’s got quite a worldwide reputation. We just found the right people or they found us. We did find musicians for the band that got us up and going. They really weren’t the right sorts of people. One day they decided they didn’t think it was right for them. Within half an hou - Sludge Factory

HEAVEN THE AXE – Mad Max, Australian Outlaws, Steve Irwin and Rock & Roll (May 2011)
11. Mai 2011
Coming from Down Under Heaven The Axe are walking on a path between Mad Max, AC/DC and Steve Irvin, tasting the smell of a rough land, crocodile beer and pure f...ing Aussie Rock. There’s definitely something about HTA feat. wild & beautiful Phoebe Pinnock on vocals. They live Rock and Roll on dusty roads like Mad Max did before and with the HTA-Interceptor they might storm the world like Mel Gibson.


Autona: Hey Phoebe, nice to hear you. How was the feedback regarding the release of your current EP?

Phoebe: Hi Dennis, we havent actually released an EP as such...

Autona: Hey, I just listened to it...

Phoebe: (laughing) It’s the promo. We had recorded three tracks off the album and promoted them on the net. But the feedback has been f...ing great and we are very happy with the sound. In Australia, we are sluts of "scenes"... many call us heavy metal, but as metal heads, we do not label ourselves as that. We see ourselves as hard rock, but to many who are not into the finer aspects of sound definition, we have to fit into a range of musical pigeonholes from rock to metal. What is of the most importance to us is to build a team of close friends who are working with all their heart on a musical existence which is about manifesting the best life we can imagine possible, as friends working together to each get a payoff for some direction we really want in our lives. As we all know, music doesn’t pay very well in the early stages, but takes an incredible amount of work. You might like to say we are obsessed and that would only be a fraction of the truth of what it really takes to get our music out to the world.

Autona: When are you going to release the entire album and is an international distribution in progress?

Phoebe: The album will, just quietly, be available for download on iTunes on my husband and my, 8th wedding anniversary May 24th. Steve (the guitarist from HTA) and I have been together for ten years manifesting this dream of both pouring our hearts and souls into creating the music we both love. It’s like the ultimate way of making love and we are both ecstatic with the results. We won’t promote this date officially ourselves, it is our own personal milestone. But since we are getting so much coverage on national television and a lot of positive reviews and airplay all over the planet, it needs to be available for those who seek it themselves. We are planning an official launch tour for a few months’ time, where we can take the time to promote it with the respect it deserves.

Autona: The life of a band with no major deal is really hard, isn't it? How do you handle playing as many shows as possible and doing a "real" profession to pay the bills etc.?

Phoebe: Currently, the band is my profession, I make allowances for irrelevant man-made currencies and rules to fall by the way side and work on the wizardry of manifesting dreams and creativity. So far all of our needs have been met thanks to people believing in us enough to part with their cash and invest in our music. It doesn't matter what you eat when you can blast out these songs through a mean speaker system, newspaper and tomato sauce tastes fine! (Laughing) .........The reality is that serious commitment is required and without that, life gets in the way. Immersion in your craft, whether it is writing, creating, and marketing is personally the closest I get to God in every day life, that’s why I live to do this. When I am immersed in creating a major plan for the band it reflects spiritually on my life. I can look at my life and say hey - that is missing in our bands plan because I have an issue with so-and-so, then I’ll work it out and the project will move ahead. As above so below and on it goes. It is a manifestation of completeness and perfection. And there are always holes that need to be mended and when they mend there is another huge idea that needs to be mentally overcome in order to make it real. I was once a street kid and now I manage a team of creatives who work tirelessly for their own dreams within mine for love. But yeah, the way of the world is dough, and we have to have it, so we do what we can. The boys are all what you call in Australia "Tradies" - or bricklayers, carpenters, painters and electricians. They have a trade and they work hard, play hard and rock so much harder. I’m lucky to be paid to do appearances to promote other things as well as the band so it’s really allocating space in my day away from the band work simply to make the cash.

Autona: In Australia you play big shows, are there any plans to perform live in Germany yet?

Phoebe: Yes, we are in the process of creating connections in Europe through building close connections with people we trust who will take care of us and build a serious relationship and be members of our ever-expanding team. Our first industry bite was with the Australian arm of a global major label who wanted to sign us, however marketability in Australia meant that we were too radical for the general population to consume easily enough, we are not your average run of the mill, nursery rhyme maker. We are song weavers. And we are tough, fun, serious and OTT. There are no other bands similar to us or like us here. But we have found our market and industry supporters and now we will be forging ahead.

Autona: Many people still think that the Rock and Roll business is still a man's world. Do you have any problems to persuade the male audience?

Phoebe: No. I believe I have been a man in many a past life and in this life I am a viking gypsy trapped in a woman’s body and I’m here to make the most of it. I’m lucky, I don’t have to lug gear, the boys can do that! Having a woman in the band for them is an advantage cause I’m net savvy and they are muscle and grunt savvy.

Autona: Steve Irwin used to be one of the biggest heroes ... my biggest hero ... of Australia ... have you ever been to the Australian Zoo and are you engaged in any kind of protecting the wild life?

Phoebe: No, I’ve never been to Australia Zoo, (I even don’t watch TV, so rarely come across the marketing of it nor would I wish to spend time at a major commercial family holiday destination) but Steve Irwin was a one of a kind. Australians are very preoccupied with knocking each other into line, bringing those who stand out "down" as the convicts got into the culture of to survive, and Steve was a massive Aussie export. Australians aren’t all as the stereotype portrays and how the rest of the world may have a picture of, but we all have an incredible amount of respect for the ultimate possibility of wildlife conservation that Steve Irwin carried with him in every moment of every day of his incredible life. He is an exceptional example of a top Australian and we are very proud to be seen as an Australian next to the Aussie he represents. Through our music and profile we have worked to raise funds to educate women rescued from the unimaginable confines of sex slavery in India and Nepal and create a new life where they can leave their past behind and become community leaders. This has been the gift of creating an art where people take notice, where we release any attachment to what it is about us, but it is a tangible and measurable difference in the lives of people who cannot have their basic human rights protected, let alone create self-expression through creative and skilled art forms. We are very aware that this is a special chemistry and rare and that there are so many humans not getting what they want or need, as we ourselves have previously experienced firsthand on the long road to creating our dream. We are very thankful that we have this chance to create and dont take it lightly.

Autona: Do you have something to add for your German fans?

Phoebe: WOW! Germany!!! We love you!!! G'Day! We cannot wait to get over there.
We want to meet you all in person - please join our facebook page and tell us about yourselves. We will write back and we are genuinely interested in each and every one
of you. Thank you!

Autona: You’re welcome, so come over and spread the Australian spirit...

Phoebe: My pleasure... Germany, we’re coming...








Interview by Dennis Rowehl
Pictures by Heaven The Axe


- Autona Modern Days Magazine - Germany

"A band who's name says it all. The Heavenly sound of melody, with the Axe attack of real power. They've got the gritty attitude we've come to expect from all Aussie bands, but definitely have their own edge." - Malcolm Dome (METAL HAMMER MAGAZINE/TOTAL ROCK RADIO UK)
- METAL HAMMER UK

PHOEBE Pinnock and Steve Watts are looking back on 2009 with a plenty of satisfaction after a great deal of hard work.

They are the lead singer and guitarist respectively of emerging Australian hard rock band Heaven The Axe.

Well known in Wagga through their acoustic gigs and Phoebe's work with Don Hillam and the Riverina Theatre Company, the pair left for Melbourne in 2007 to further their careers.

"We wanted to record songs and take it to the highest level we possibly could," Phoebe said during a trip back to Wagga.

"It was all about finding our sound."

Heaven The Axe's first demo was discovered on Myspace by internationally-renowned producer Sylvia Massey, who invited them to the United States.

However, the band was granted a studio sponsorship with producer Ren Reich, of Reich Records, at the same time and Heaven The Axe decided to stay local.

Heaven The Axe's first unreleased single was immediately played by Australia's Triple J Unearthed and then discovered by an international UK radio producer, who has been broadcasting their first recordings internationally among other radio.

In 2009 the band locked down to write and rehearse their first set, culminating in a single launch to a record attendance at the Noise Bar in Brunswick.

Since then, the basically unknown band has gone from their first gig to their fourth and fifth gigs headlining at the Lewisham and Sando in Sydney.

The band has been endorsed by Schecter Guitars which will see them in marketing campaigns nationwide.

Heaven The Axe will return to Wagga to play a blistering set on January 23 at the Bass Bar followed by more gigs in capital cities.

Fans can download Heaven The Axe from iTunes. - Riverina Leader: Scott Sanbrook