Do you know what “Couture Metal” means? The indomitable Anna Khristenko of the up-and-coming Australian metal band ANA explains that and more on this exclusive interview.

Anna Hristenko (ANA)

THM: Hello, and thank you for chatting with The Headbanging Moose today! I always like to start these interviews asking the artist or band to introduce themselves to our audience. Who’s ANA, where do you come from, and where are you headed as a band?

Anna Khristenko: Hi guys, thanks for taking the time to chat with us. I am Anna Khristenko the vocalist of ANA. We are a Metal band who are based in Melbourne, Australia. We have our own unique vision for what metal could be and we’re excited to share it with the whole world.

THM: You explicitly use the phrase “Couture Metal” to describe your style. How do you bridge the gap between high-fashion visual theatricality and punishing, aggressive Symphonic Metal in your music?

AK: The term couture is more of the initial mindset to craft something of high quality and meticulous attention to detail. Of course there is the aesthetic presentation too but that is also a result of this mindset.

THM: Your new album Motivated By Death is described as a philosophical exploration of the human condition. What inspired you to use mortality, vulnerability, and resilience as the driving forces behind the album?

AK: This philosophy is what motivates us to do what we do. Why else would anyone risk everything and go against what is commonly seen as logical? Our art is born from this notion.

THM: Motivated By Death shows massive progress in songwriting compared to your debut EP. What did you intentionally change about your creative approach when sitting down to write the album?

AK: We didn’t really change our approach to writing. We have always believed and thrived when we improvise and that’s what we did here. One big factor is the fact that we have a couple of new members on this record and that we had immediately written this after some extensive touring so the chemistry within the band was at its peak.

Album Review – ANA / Motivated By Death (2026)

THM: It’s not a secret to anyone that your performance anchors the record, effortlessly shifting from atmospheric deliveries on Hate Me to operatic chops on Papa. How did you prepare your voice to navigate such widely diverse styling across the album?

AK: I relied a lot on my opera training, not just for technique but also the discipline. This record also gave me the opportunity to explore new sides to my abilities that I had previously not explored.

THM: Ending the album with a cover of the absolute classic Aerials, by System of a Down, is a bold, nostalgic move. Why did you choose this specific track to close out your debut statement, and how did you approach giving it the signature ANA symphonic spin?

AK: We have actually been playing this cover since our very early days on the local club circuit. A lot of fans have wanted a recorded version and it seemed like the right time to do it.

THM: The aesthetics in your official videos for Hate Me, Shadow of Life and Papa are amazing, but of course Hate Me is by far the song with the most thought-provoking and visually captivating video of all. How was the process to put together such a killer video, and what can we expect from ANA in the near future in terms of your unique blend of heavy music and visual arts?

AK: Hate Me was intended to be controversial from its inception. Therefore, all creative choices were made with that as our guiding principle. We’ve got a lot of plans for future videos. We don’t want to give too much away but I can say that there will be more MV’s from this album. We don’t usually like repeating ourselves so you can expect to be surprised.

ANA

THM: How has the local heavy music scene in Melbourne and in Australia in general influenced your progression from a brand new band to releasing a full-length album on a global scale?

AK: The Melbourne scene is fantastic and incredibly diverse. Travelling overseas has shown us how much bigger the world and the scenes really are. Japan has become a second home to us and so far this year we have performed more shows there than we have back home. We’re a little busy with international dates for now Melbourne but we will return and it will be epic!

THM: What are your main influences in music and arts? What inspires you to write music, perform and play live onstage?

AK: All of us in this band have extremely different influences ranging from Adele, Buddy Guy, X Japan, Oasis, Lara Fabian, WASP, KISS, Daft Punk, Movie Sountracks etc. As you can see it’s a very diverse and unconventional list. What inspires us is being able to take all of that and create something new. To then be able to share it with fans around the world is the greatest gift for us.

THM: Thanks again for your precious time! It means a lot to us when new bands and artists let us know more about their music, their goals and plans for the future. Any final words or considerations you would like to share with our readers?

AK: Thank you for all the love you have shown us. Listen to the album and watch the videos. We will be in your city as soon as we can and we’d love to hear you sing along.

Links
ANA Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Spotify | Ffm.to