Notorious B.I.V.

“I'll admit it, I really hate the name Buried In Verona,” laughs Buried In Verona guitarist Richie Newman. “A couple of guys who are no longer in the band came up with it, and I think they were going for that Romeo & Juliet vibe – personally I think it's far too emo: but we're too far gone now to do anything about it.”

So is the moniker Buried In Verona actually hurting the group, or at the very least sending out the wrong message about what the band is about? “There are all those bands out there with 'wings', 'buried' or 'skulls' in their names and we're nothing like that at all,” Newman suggests. “So yeah I think it does send the wrong message about who we are. Really all of us are fun-loving guys just skating, surfing and hanging at the beach – and the name Buried In Verona suggests something completely different.

“But in the end a name's just a name and I hope our music speaks for itself.”

In Newman's mind the band's new LP, Notorious, with its distinctive moniker and artwork (a neck-to-waist shot of a fully-inked friend of the band) goes some way to redressing the problem. “The name Notorious sums us up – it's who we are and what we want to do. The artwork is also important. The guy pictured in the image is our friend Scotty and the dude is the living embodiment of just not giving a fuck. It's a statement about our scene, our generation and the lifestyle we're living.”

Notorious isn't just notable for its cover. Sonically speaking the album speaking sounds incredible. “We travelled over to Gothenburg to record with Fredrick Nordstrom at Studio Fredman. We recorded our last album there as well so we knew that Fredrick understood the band and understood the sound we wanted. The album is in your face and sounds massive - we couldn't be happier.”

Once Notorious drops, Buried In Verona plan to undertake an unprecedented national tour, one that will go far beyond the well-beaten trail of capital cities to hit rural and regional centres as diverse as Orange, Cairns, Ballarat and Wyndham. In Newman's mind it's not only a rite of passage but the also the right thing to do. “It's so important that bands make an effort to play to kids who don't get the chance to see much live music, especially kids who are into hardcore and metal. That's why we make sure we can get out and play for those kids.

“Every time we play somewhere like Orange or Bendigo, the kids are so amped to see us that the energy is just incredible. We get more amped because they're so enthusiastic and the gigs just go off. Besides, that's why we're doing this – we want to play as many shows as possible, meet as many people as possible and get out there with our music.”

So with their strongest album to date completed will be the band now look to crack the elusive overseas market? “Like every band we'd love to crack Europe or the States like Parkway Drive or Miles Away have done to some extent,” says Newman. “But we're realistic about it because it is hard being an Australian hardcore or metal band. The guys who have done well haven't just worked their arses off, they've also had some luck. But what's really important to us is that we do it together as a group of friends.

“We all love doing this and really it's the experiences along the way rather than any far off goal that are most important to every member of the band.”