Harlott have been honing their brand of visceral thrash for the last two decades. Despite a number of lineup changes, the Australian band has gone from strength to strength, as attested by five albums, the most recent being Exsequiis. As soon as the band returned home from their latest European tour, I fired a few questions at guitarist, singer and founding member Andrew Hudson.
Chris Galea: What have been the most enjoyable moments of your recent European tour? The most negative? And how does the beer of the countries you’ve played in compare?
Andrew Hudson: Those moments on stage are always the best parts of the tour. The driving is probably the worst part but we don’t really have a choice with that, it’s just part of the deal. European beer hits differently to what we have in Australia, but maybe that’s just because touring can sometimes feel like a holiday and holiday drinking is always better.
I hear a lot of Exodus and Nuclear Assault in your music but also the aggression of German bands such as Sodom. Which were the main bands that inspired Harlott during the band’s formative years?
The mainstay of our influence has always been bands like Slayer and Kreator, but we draw from lots of places both obvious and subtle. Testament have had a large influence on our guitar work and Guillotines’ Blood Money has a start to finish tone that is something to admire. Jethro Tull also have a surprising amount of influence in some of the structures and ideas that we have put into our songs, but I would doubt if anyone could pinpoint where.
You took seven years to release your first album but then released four albums in seven years. Was this change of pace difficult to cope with?
We were kids in high school for the first few years of the band’s existence and although Origin was our first official full-length release, we had produced some demos and EPs beforehand. Once we had got into the swing of things in the studio and found our comfort zone it was easy enough to keep churning out full lengths for us (in our 20’s at least)
How is Exsequiis different from previous Harlott albums?
I would hope it’s a more rounded experience for the listener. We should be better songwriters by now and we should be able to translate that into a more cohesive record from start to finish. We incorporate some heavier sounds and ideas into this album as compared to previous releases so it ended up being a lot more aggressive sounding than usual.
What is the meaning of the album title Exsequiis?
Exsequiis is a Latin word for ‘funeral’ or ‘last rites’ I think? I don’t speak Latin. The title and its artwork draws its inspiration from the notion that when there is nothing left to destroy, we would turn our ire towards the very creators of our existence, whether that be gods, or nature, or the chemical makeup or the universe and our species.
“The God That Knows No Name.” What is the song about?
It’s kind of a blanket address to the voices inside the head that make you believe you are acting with conviction. It references a few religions and ideologies and the way they can give purpose and divine blessing behind ill intent and wicked actions.
In the song “Vice Borne” amidst all the furious riffs, some melody creeps in. Is that something you’d like to explore more in the future?
We have always had melodies in one sense or another. Usually I leave it to guitars to bring in some levels of harmony but for “Vice Borne” it made sense to counter the furious verse deliveries with something unexpectedly melodic. Also, it was nice to try that out after a few albums and see if three layers of vocals would sound any good or not.
To what extent are you prepared to dabble with technology in order to coalesce your thoughts into sound format?
We hold no reservations with using technology to capture interesting performances and sounds but we will absolutely not dabble at all with AI in any format. Recording studios are awash with new gear and ideas and if they can make the process less painful and result in a better product then its all good for us.
You have been signed to Metal Blade since your third album. How does it feel to be signed to the label that launched bands such as Metallica, Slayer, Cirith Ungol, Cannibal Corpse….?
It’s childhood dream stuff. They are THE heavy metal label. Also you forgot to mention King Diamond!
Touring outside Australia is notoriously difficult, primarily due to the costs involved. Nevertheless I know of numerous Aussie bands that have toured Europe in the last 2 or 3 years. What are your thoughts on this? Is playing Europe a benchmark of an Australian band’s status?
It’s the goal when you start out for a lot of us. Because it is such a massive undertaking and can’t be done cheaply or conveniently, its something we set as a landmark achievement or goal. Lots of Aussie bands are doing it, but its important to acknowledge the efforts and dedication behind what it took to get them there.
What surprised you most when you first toured Europe?
How different but how similar it is. Heavy metal is a universal language and regardless of where we were or what the local language was, we could communicate through that shared love. It’s crazy to feel at home on the other side of the world surrounded by strangers.
Is it hard to maintain the energy on stage for a whole tour? Do you have any routine when preparing for a show?
We are getting old so the pre-show routine is stretches and tea’s and lozenges and whatever we need to do to sufficiently limber up the body to manage what we are about to put it through. The hardest part is the first couple of shows after the first gig when your neck is sore and your throat is raw and you haven’t settled into the cycle yet.
Have you ever toured with your idols?
Thankfully we have only ever had quite pleasant experiences with the bands we have been lucky enough to play shows with. We were lucky to grab the support slot for Onslaught when they toured Australia and they could not have been cooler guys. Very friendly and full of filthy jokes. We also played a show with Dark Angel and Gene and Jimmy were kind enough to comment to us personally that they liked the show we put on, which is about the highest praise one can receive.
In my opinion, a lot of 1980s thrash bands today sound too polished and mundane despite their technical brilliance. What are your thoughts on this? What makes a good thrash album?
I think thrash metal needs to capture the live energy, the speed and ferocity. That’s what people are looking for in this genre and that’s what bands should be aiming to offer. Over production can kill a lot of the vibe, but that’s just an opinion.
I think thrash metal sounds better when the band is angry at something. With this in mind, what are the things that tend to piss you off most?
People are pretty fucking awful and the last few years has REALLY allowed that to come to the surface in an unabashed and unfiltered light. Pretty easy to be furious with what’s happening in the world.
How has the metal scene changed in Australia since Harlott started out?
It’s a bit of a peaks and troughs kind of country. When we were first releasing albums the thrash scene was red hot, but I feel like it has slowed down a lot. We took it pretty hard during Covid, particularly in Melbourne and a lot of venues and a lot of bands shut up shop. Its not fully recovered since then but those who have survived are as passionate as ever.
What are your ambitions for the immediate future?
We still have some local shows to play for our hometown audiences and inbetween that it will be nice to start sifting through reviews and enjoying that the album is finally out for people to listen to. Other than that, we have a few things cooking for 2027/28 which we hope to be able to discuss publicly soon.
(interview published October 18, 2026)
