STACK #260 June 2026

# 1 MY FIRST ALBUM

What’s your all-time favourite album and why?

Look, it’s a hard question but I’m going to go with Monotheist by Celtic Frost. This was their final hurrah before the band dissolved in 2008 and with a more doom oriented sound, Celtic Frost yet again pushed boundaries with their newly refined material, but most importantly they created an atmosphere so thick you can get lost in it. Monotheist will swallow you whole as you progress through the album, it just consistently gets better and with a runtime that’s over an hour, this is a very hard thing to accomplish. The riffs on this thing are HUGE to say the least and both Tom G. Warrior and Martin Eric Ains’ vocal performances outshine anything I’ve ever heard. It’s not just an album, it’s an experience that you won’t forget. Do you have a vinyl collection? If so, how did it begin, and expand? Yes! I have a couple hundred vinyl albums, around 1900 CDs and just over 100 cassettes. But if we’re just talking about records, my collecting journey began when I was 14. I already had hundreds of CDs but when I saw that a local record store had started selling record players, I knew I had to get one. My first vinyl was Melissa by Mercyful Fate, a 10/10 album and from there, the floodgates opened and I’ve been buying records ever since. What do you enjoy most about working in music at JB? Being able to come to work and still being involved with music is amazing. I’m known as “the music guy”, I write most of the reviews and I’m constantly fixing up the section when I get away from the counter. I’m being paid to do this is!

TRIALS

JUNE

I was given a cassette at high school – one side was 36 Chambers by Wu-Tang Clan, the other side was Back Once Again by Hilltop Hoods. With my friend Honson, we played that tape every single day. Then I went to a shop in the city and bought Back Once Again on vinyl. The cover said, “Manufactured in Lonsdale”, which was a suburb away from where I grew up. It blew my mind that this music was being made next to Noarlunga. Minimal opportunities, maximum rap music! I sent a letter to that address, saying that I loved rap music. I got some tickets to a show, a phone number, and a bunch of CDs and some vinyl from a guy named Barry. In brackets it said, “DJ Debris, Hilltop Hoods”. So, that’s how I ended up on the scene. I lived on Barry’s couch for years after that. I learned so much from him. And those three guys are my heroes. I’ll sing their praises forever. They’re the best artists in the world – and they’re even better people.

’ s ROVING REPORTER

HARRY IRVINE @ JB Woden, ACT

Photo credit: Richy Sandham

Which recent album do you currently have on repeat?

What’s an early, cherished music memory? Getting my first proper CD at age seven. It was The Sound of Perseverance by Death. I actually got it at the store that I currently work in! I’ll never forget the drum/guitar solo that starts off the album, it blew my mind. As a young musician, this propelled me into the musical depths of songwriting, dedication, and extreme music!

The new Revenge album Violation.Strife. Abominate . They have been one of my all-time favourite bands since I was 15 and this new album is just another insanely solid addition to their catalogue with their signature sound still going stupidly strong after all these years. However, the latest Bad Seeds record Wild God is still blowing my mind many months after its release.

hendle by trials is out now via Universal

In the hotseat this month is Aussie country star RACHAEL FAHIM, who has just released her debut album.

STACK

Photo credit: Cybele Malinowski

Song you wish you’d written? Love Is a Wild Thing by Kacey Musgraves. If you weren’t a country star, what would you be? Probably a payroll officer, back to my pre-music day job. I love spreadsheets. Last album you bought? The Best of Whitney Houston (vinyl of course). Aside from yourself, which musician would you most like to be? Look, I tried to be original, but it’s Taylor Swift... it just has to be.

Five words to describe yourself: Short, creative, ambivert, empathetic, resilient. Your all-time favourite album? Three. Two. One. by Lennon Stella. What did your most memorable school report say? I can’t remember any of my school reports, but I’m sure it said something about how I needed to focus more! What would be your Hard Quiz expert subject? The Incredibles movie. Only the first one, the OG.

What’s the most ridiculous item you’ve ever put on your rider? Four 165g bags of Red Rock Honey Soy Chicken chips. I meant to ask for the 90g bags... my bad! Your funeral song? When I Get Where I’m Going by Brad Paisley featuring Dolly Parton. Happiness is... Sitting on the lounge, watching TV, and cuddling my dog.

Who You Are by Rachael Fahim is out now via Universal

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