HEART-TO-HEART: Cerberus
“Lismore is such an awesome zone to be in musically. I feel like there are so many bands with really different styles coming out of Lismore, but the comradery amongst them means that they're always pushing the other ones up.”
Cerberus is a psych-doom duo from Lismore, teleporting listeners into an ethereal fuzzy landscape with their debut album, “Summon”.
Published: 01/04/2025
FHR (Flaming Heart Records): How does it feel to finally have your album out into the world? What was the process like creating “Summon”?
Axl (Delandro, vocals/guitar): It honestly is such a relief to finally have it out in the world! The process of making the album was super sporadic and DIY. We wrote and recorded all the songs in my home studio in the rainforest. Just me and Solomon trying to figure out good microphone placement and how to work a metronome! I’ve always had quite a passion for the production side of bands, especially those from the 60s and the 70s – all the little nuances that can be heard between every song is what it’s all about. But, I think recording in today’s world has become quite clinical, very much a ‘right’ way and a ‘wrong’ way to do things. So, I find it really refreshing to be able to put a microphone in a salad bowl to see what it sounds like on a drum track! Eden Yeigh (Lucy’s House) did the mixing and mastering with us, so we owe a huge amount of the end result to him.
Solomon (Jones, guitar/synth): We spent the better part of a year writing and recording “Summon” at Axl’s home studio in the hills. It was a very organic and cruisy process, and I think that is reflected in the final product.
FHR: Some of your influences include acts such as Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Windhand–how do you integrate these inspirations into your songwriting and production?
Axl: My influences personally change from day to day, it’s hard to pinpoint certain things about certain artists that I’ve grabbed as inspiration. During the production of the album, we were so caught up in the lust of how quick these songs came together, it’s only now that I can listen back to these songs in their final to see where things in my consciousness came through. People like Jimmy Page will always be a place of inspiration on the production side of things. He was always experimenting, which is why you hear so much on those Zeppelin records which you don’t hear anywhere else. So, I’m always trying new things with what I’ve got, as opposed to buying a new plug-in or something like that. There are moments lyrically where I listen back and hear myself channelling Geezer Butler and the 70s fascination with space travel, but I love it. I feel like you don’t hear enough about cosmic warfare and galactic romance day to day.
Solomon: Axl and I come from very similar and yet subtly diverse influences. We both love Iommi-esque, fuzz-infused riffs, and so they are typically the foundation for our songs. We both love the melodic intricacies of Zeppelin and Plant. Windhand takes it to the next level by maintaining the melodic charm, but using heaps of fuzz and drop-tuning.
FHR: Being based in Lismore, how important has it been to be amongst the heavy scene? How were you introduced to this kind of music?
Axl: Well I only moved to the area early 2022, so I never got to experience the scene before the devastating flood that took place, which seems to be a common point of reference to where the scene is now. What I can say though, is that Lismore is such an awesome zone to be in musically. I feel like there are so many bands with really different styles coming out of Lismore, but the comradery amongst them means that they’re always pushing the other ones up. Our style of music sits in a bit of an underground where there aren’t many of us, but we stick together to make some pretty incredible shows happen. Bands like Power Drill and Masochist have been two that we’ve been stoked to get to play shows with.
Solomon: Growing up in Lismore and seeing the rapid (and frustrating) decline in live music in town after 2022 was definitely a challenge to overcome. It’s a massive battle with venues and it can be really difficult to pull a crowd (most of our demographic has already bailed to that little town down in Victoria), but every now and then something absolutely special happens: a local band drops an amazing piece of music, or a massive gig or festival takes place, or a new venue opens and wants to support local music. I think Cerberus is a reflection of what we hope to see more of in the Lismore scene.
FHR: Tell us more about your favourite song on the album. What kind of recording or mixing processes do you love most about it? Is there a cool fact you’d like to share?
Axl: My favourite on the album has to go to “Desert Wizard” I think. Songwriting-wise, it came together really quick. It started as a really bluesy guitar progression that Solomon had written while he was living in Jindabyne working a snow season. It stood out as one that could be a bit of air in quite a heavy list of songs, so I loved it. The lyrics came about from a feeling of isolation and mystique I got from the chords. I picture myself wandering through giant dunes of sand when I listen to it, haha.
When it came time to the mix, we took the song to SCU for mixing with Eden. We were in a bit of a time crunch to get this song in particular finished, so when we realised that the drums I’d recorded for the song were unusable, there was a bit of a panic. We quickly accepted the fact that the only thing we could do is re-record the whole song on the spot at the uni, so the drums you hear on the song is a stressed-out take without a click. I hold the false start close to my heart!
FHR: What kind of setlist do you like to curate for your shows? Is there a certain energy or performance that you strive to create on stage?
Solomon: Most of our live material is just stuff from the album, so we often jumble up the tracklist for each show and see what happens. The goal is to create a dynamic experience. We love mosh pits, but some of our slower songs are better listened to whilst laying down with your eyes closed.
Axl: I totally agree with Sol, we definitely try and make it as much of a journey as possible. Obviously bands are only getting 30-45 minutes of stage time, so with all the heavy riffage, we add some trance-like songs in too. I’d love to maybe incorporate an acoustic/mandolin element at some point but that’s something for down the line (wink wink).
FHR: If you could collaborate with any musician, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
Axl: That’s such a tough one… I’d love to have the opportunity to collaborate with Jeff Martin from The Tea Party. But that being said, I’d be totally cool if John Bonham and John Paul Jones wanted to come play a show with us in Lismore.
Solomon: The only person with better bass chops than Axl is Geezer Butler, so it’d have to be him. Or Bill Ward. Or the other two.
FHR: What are some of the most fun venues you have performed at? Are there any Australian venues or festivals that you would love to play in 2025?
Axl: The Great Northern in Byron Bay was a bit of a special one, I think. Not that it was the biggest or craziest show, but it felt really good to have been given that opportunity to headline!
Solomon: We played at “Speaking in Tongues” at Mo’s Desert Clubhouse on our release day. That was heaps of fun. Such a sick venue. We would love to start moving further up and down the coast for gigs.
FHR: Are any of you involved in any other musical projects or bands? What else are you doing when you’re not fuzzing out as Cerberus?
Axl: Well both me, Solomon and Reece (our drummer) play in Lucy’s House, which is Eden Yeigh’s project! So it’s a very tight-knit thing we’ve got going! If we ever have a Lucy’s House gig somewhere, we can always try and line up a Cerberus one and have Eden be our sound guy!
Solomon: Axl and I both play in Lucy’s House, and when I’m not doing that or Cerberus, I’m playing bass in Media Puzzle.
FHR: So… now that “Summon” is out in the world… what else is on the horizon for you guys? Anything exciting you can share with us?!
Axl: Terrorise, Pillage and Plunder. Total world domination. We’ve got a few shows coming up in the next couple of months! I’m really keen to have our album release show at Howl and Moan Records in Byron Bay, so keep an eye on our socials for the tour program and we’ll see you there!
Solomon: Album two is in its nascent stages. We hope to have it out as soon as possible. We also have some exciting gigs coming up, so stay posted!
