Filler: Light Up.

Filler launch Underworld Overlord at the B Lounge on Friday and the Rose’n’Crown, Surfers Paradise on Sunday.

Filler’s new disc Underworld Overlord at first seems hard to put a finger on. The band have moved on from the some of the more complex arrangements that peppered their Red Light Epidemic debut, choosing instead to let the songs find their own grooves. It’s certainly paying off, with Underworld Overlord finding the band full of the bluster and fury we’ve come to expect, but more seemingly more relaxed with their sound and more willing to groove. In an odd way it almost sounds less like them, and more like them at the same time.

“I think we were not enjoying it quite so much,” bassist Lebis explains of the complexities involved in pulling off some of their early tracks in a live forum.

“It wasn’t as easy as people thought. This isn’t just dumb riffs - there’s a lot of things going on – but we were just trying to make it a bit easier on the ear. It’s a natural progression for Filler.”

“The songs took a bit more of a free form, I guess. They wrote themselves, almost, and we tried to get into a bit more of a groove. It’s more getting into what Filler are more like. It’s just a case of maturing a little bit. A lot of people have made the comment that it is a lot different. We were just having a bit of fun this time, because it’s not our first release, and people know who we are.”

Do you think people who got into your first disc will be surprised with some of the directions you’ve taken this time around?

“I think they will, actually, but I think it’s easier to listen to. It’s still riddled with what filler is, but there’s a few different directions.”

One definite advantage the sheer scope of their reportoire brings to the fore is the bands ability to tailor their set to slot them in perfectly with some wildly divergent live acts. In the last year they’ve shared stages with massive nu metal stars System Of A Down as well as finding a home alongside the psychedelic stoner rock of Nebula.

“They were two very very different shows. It was all long hair and stoners at Nebula and lots of young kids at System Of A Down. We went down really well at both shows, so we’re really proud of that diversity. Someone’s on our side, even though you wouldn’t know it with some of the bad luck we’ve had.”

Filler, it seems, are followed by some kind of curse…

“There’s been a couple of crashed vehicles in the last year, money’s gone missing, things are blowing up. We seem to come out on top most of the time, which is a plus,” he laughs. “No one’s dead yet…”

Touch wood. It’s not all bad, with Goldst*r already being picked up for some airplay both locally and on the J’s.

“I haven’t heard it yet,” Lebis laughs. “Everyone else has. I don’t listen to the radio. It gives me the shits, to be honest. I want to be played on it, but I don’t listen to the radio, so I’m yet to hear it. Apparently it’s really good… We have friends that ring us when they hear it, but I’m never there. I’m at work, or asleep or something. I’m still a virgin for that.”