Let’s be serious – Johnny Truant’s members are basically Canadian. Within hours of getting off a plane from their motherland – Brighton, UK – they could be found mowing down on food and drink at Toronto institution Sneaky Dees (presumably with Clodhoppers for dessert), and good friends the Cancerbats in tow. About to embark on their first headlining Canadian tour, Johnny Truant has carved out a home away from home for themselves here, with singer Olly Mitchell admitting “English people are getting properly jealous of you Canadians now, we talk about coming back here so often – plus I’ve got this new Canadian look going right now…plaid shirts constantly and I’m working on growing antlers.”

Touring the band’s third release, No Tears for the Creatures presents a more mature, intense band than before – an impressive feat given that they have always been a band capable of providing a furious audio attack.

“We wanted to make a record that makes your brain hurt,” Mitchell explains, “Heavy music these days makes me sick. There’s no danger, no shock. We wanted a disgusting metal record. You’ve got to be pissed off, you’ve got to have a reason,” he emphasizes.

“The past few years in heavy music have been an excuse for every fucker to be in a band and posture onstage like they know what they’re doing. It’s all become very see-through,” he expresses emphatically, a topic which obviously sets him off. “Even if you’re so happy and stoked about your life that you want to yell about it, get people excited…THAT is what heavy music is about. It’s not about looking good on stage.”

He’s quick to add, one imagines with a sly grin “although we are probably the best looking band out there right now.”

Despite having gotten so quickly worked up in the defense of real heavy music, the charismatic front man shows an obvious preference for joking around. One might assume he’s got a touch of an ego (“it’s [my ego] probably just sliding down the phone line to you right now. It’s taken on a separate form, hasn’t it?” he laughs before adding “it’s just really tough to stay modest when you’re in such a fantastically good looking band. People are often awed.”) Although it becomes quickly apparent all comments are in good humour – a quality possessed by the band in abundance.

Now a five-piece, with the addition of bassist Alan Booth (who, on top of bass skills, adds “a really large, fiery, sun-like head” to the band) joining current members Paul Jackson, Stuart Hunter, and Reuben Gotto, Mitchell admits it was tough to bring in the necessary fifth member to create this album.

“It was hard to break down that protective barrier and realize we needed to bring someone else in. Alan adds a lot sonically – and honestly, has the most MASSIVE head, requires very supportive shoes to keep him on balance – but writing and recording is always so stressful for us,” Mitchell carries on, “we just nitpick and argue every point, but we’ve got a sound we’re all really proud to be touring now.”

Finally taking their highly anticipated album to the west coast – “some kids were getting really shit about us not being out there. I’m not Bono, it takes ages for us to get the money to make it all the way across this country” – the band is more than ready to bring a party to all venues lucky enough to have them. Clodhoppers, shots of liquid cocaine, and an appreciation for brilliantly pieced together metal make for a fantastic ride.