Interviews


The Bucketlist With CROBOT’s Brandon Yeagley! [Video]

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Crobot

In this series we pose the age old questions to a wide array of music lovers. As fans of music most of us keep a mental list of active bands we want to see live that we haven’t yet seen. The Bucketlist brings to you those lists of your favorite artists and why those bands mean so much to them.

 

With only two widely released studio albums, Crobot already has a large array of hits in their catalogue to get the crowd moving quickly. I love every single song on ‘Something Supernatural’; it’s a record that demands to be listened from front to back when you spin it. Two songs that were largely played on the radio include the opening tracks on the record, “Nowhere to Hide” and “Legend of the Spaceborne Killer”. Just last year, the band released their second record via Wind-Up Records with ‘Welcome to Fat City’. Songs like “Not for Sale” and “Plague of the Mammoths” (an amazing show opener) became quick favorites. The band still showcased their strong mix of hard/stoner rock that makes you want to get up and move. Crobot has a throwback retro kinda sound that both modern music lovers and old school metalheads can enjoy.  Continue reading →

PIG DESTROYER’S JR Hayes “It’s Not Against The Law To Hurt Someone’s Feelings”! [Video]

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Chicago Open Air 2017 – Photo: Jessica Stacy

 

Pig Destroyer is a deathgrind five-piece hailing from the city of Alexandria, VA that was formed around 20 years ago by J.R. Hayes and the legendary Scott Hull. The music consists of a high mix of brutality and ferocity sure to annihilate anyone in its path. There are highly disturbing lyrics sure to appeal to any horror lover as the band blasts through a ton of songs on each record (there are 23 tracks on ‘Prowler in the Yard’ in under 40 minutes). To begin their career, Pig Destroyer released their first demo ‘Explosions in Ward 6’ following the year of formation. Soon enough, they garnered attention from Relapse Records and signed with them in 2000. The next year, they released their first major full length in ‘Prowler in the Yard’ to come out absolutely dominating from the start. The relentless pace that Pig Destroyer brings to the table is an uncommon one. This album propelled them to mainstream success despite being one of the most extreme albums ever at the time. The band then got to play the likes of New England Metal and Hardcore Festival and a few Relapse Records showcases in 2002. They are truly one of the fastest bands in the world. Through the years Pig Destroyer grew to be legends of the genre and are still hailed as one of the best in extreme music. They also released a few EPs between records like ‘Natasha’ and ‘Mass & Volume’. After taking a somewhat slower, darker tone on the EPs, their most recent record ‘Book Burner’ returned to the absolutely slamming grind sound that band had become trademarked for in the early 2000s. “The Diplomat” has one of the more interesting video concepts in recent years with outer space monkeys ripping a human apart and soon each other right after with machine guns. It was created by Phil Mucci, who makes some of the most entertaining videos you will ever see.  Continue reading →

The Bucketlist with Loudwire’s Graham Hartmann! [Video]

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In this series we pose the age old questions to a wide array of music lovers. As fans of music most of us keep a mental list of active bands we want to see live that we haven’t yet seen. The Bucketlist brings to you those lists of your favorite artists and why those bands mean so much to them.

Most of you are surely familiar with Graham Hartmann formerly known as Gruhammed from Loudwire.com. He has interviewed several big names in the music world some of those including Mastodon, Corey Taylor, Phil Anselmo, Paul Stanley, Megadeth, Slayer and various others. His unique segment Wikipedia Fact or Fiction had given fans around the world insight and information about their favorite artists for a long time now. Graham is not only a music journalist or the host of these interviews, he loves music and it courses through his veins. While both Metal Nexus and Graham were covering the recent Chicago Open Air festival we took the time to get together and talk bands that we wanted to see but hadn’t yet. Living in New York and also working for Loudwire offers Graham the opportunity to see various bands, but 5 bands have eluded him.  Continue reading →

An Interview With ‘Nu-Metal: Resurgence’ Author Matt Karpe!

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Nu Metal: Resurgence revisits the groundbreaking movement of the 90s/early 00s and goes bang up to date with the inclusion of a host of new bands, proving that Nu Metal is indeed here to stay. Passionately compiled by British music journalist Matt Karpe, Nu Metal: Resurgence documents the original movement with over 80 detailed band biographies which include exclusive contributions from members of Coal Chamber, Orgy, Spineshank, Taproot and more, before moving on to ‘The Nu Breed’; shining a light on the likes of Keychain, Frontstreet and Cane Hill, who are intent on bringing Nu Metal back to the masses. Also included is a foreword from Noah “Shark” Robertson (Zombie Shark Records, Motograter), essays on Nu Metal’s collaborations with hip-hop artists and monumental chart success, plus contributions from musicians who perform outside of the Nu Metal scope, yet their love for the movement remains unwavering.

“The last and most prominent book written on Nu Metal was released way back in 2002,” explains Matt, affiliated with UK print magazine Powerplay Rock & Metal. “When the book came out, Linkin Park had only released ‘Hybrid Theory’, Slipknot’s latest record was ‘Iowa’ and Papa Roach only had ‘Infest’; so 15 years on from that, I felt now was the right time to revisit the era and all of the amazing bands, plus open people’s eyes to the new talent that is emerging worldwide, who all share the same Nu Metal ethics and deserve to be noticed. I grew up with and witnessed the whole Nu Metal movement, so writing this book was a no-brainer.”

About the Author:

Matt Karpe is a British music journalist and writer, currently affiliated with print magazine Powerplay Rock & Metal. Over the years he has interviewed members from bands such as Korn, Seether, American Head Charge and Ratt to name just a few, and in 2016- he released his first book We Own the Night, which focused on the underground of the modern Amercian hard rock scene.

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WHORES: “How Are We Shoulder To Shoulder With Black Sabbath” [Video]

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Throughout the years, Whores has grown grittier with attitude and crazier with their performances. The Atlanta noise rock trio formed in 2010. Lead singer and guitarist Christian Lembach brings forth his booming, screechy vocals that will make the lovers of underground music go crazy. The sludgy guitar tone is the most recognizable signature of the band created by a killer rig to make a gargantuan sound. Casey Maxwell sends fuzzy bass vibrations through your spine on his debut album with Whores on ‘Gold’. The resounding grooves are perfect for some hard moshing to excite the crowd. Donnie Adkinson, also making his debut on ‘Gold’, beats the hell out of the kit with lots of crashing cymbals and hard hitting on the snare. The band’s explosive sounds have took them out on the road with the likes of Red Fang, Melvins, Deafheaven, Kylesa, The Sword, and many more big names. Since the release of ‘Gold’ the band has seen a firestorm of media attention. Rolling Stone not only ranked ‘Gold’ as one of the top 20 albums of 2016 but also declared Whores a must see band. The band recently played the Chicago Open Air festival alongside bands like Ozzy Osbourne, Kiss, Body Count, Korn and Behemoth. They dominated the stage and was one of the most talked about bands of the day.  Continue reading →

An Interview With Sahil ‘DEMONSTEALER’ Makhija Of DEMONIC RESURRECTION [Video]

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Sahil ‘Demonstealer’ Makhija

I recently caught up with Sahil Makhija at AntiSocial, New Delhi, India, also known better as DEMONSTEALER who is the front man of the blackened death metal band from the sea side city, Mumbai in India, DEMONIC RESURRECTION. If you have not heard DEMONIC RESURRECTION yet, you’re clearly blaspheming ! Just kidding, you’re missing out on a lot though to be honest. So the band has been around for a good number of years now, starting out as teenagers back in the day in the year 2000, and they have since then put up a decent catalog of five albums and two EPs all this while, which is incredible in itself. They have really pinned India on the global metal map and are rightly called the ‘flag bearers of Indian metal’. They have also done shows in reputed European festivals like Wacken Open Air in Germany, Bloodstock Festival in the U.K., and the beautiful MetalDays festival in Slovenia etc. They also have a Metal Hammer Golden God award under their belt. It all began with their debut album titled, ‘Demonstealer’ in 2000 and since then you can actually see they have not only been a dynamic outfit but also a reckoning force in the underground scene and also in the domestic scene in India.

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The Bucketlist With COUNTERFEIT CULTURE Drummer Chris Smith!

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In this series we pose the age old questions to a wide array of music lovers. As fans of music most of us keep a mental list of active bands we want to see live that we haven’t yet seen. The Bucketlist brings to you those lists of your favorite artists and why those bands mean so much to them.

Formed in 2013 New Jersey metalcore band Counterfeit Culture perfectly blends gut wrenching harsh vocals and clean melodies together for a perfectly balanced style and sound. Not only do the New Jersey quartet—Nick Broglio [vocals], Patrick Robertson [guitar], Elijah Pagan [bass], and Chris Smith [drums]—shake up heavy music, but they also shake up pop culture at large, ripping conventions to shreds with an artful amalgam of intricate metallic musicianship and alternative-inspired melodies. Counterfeit Culture, who are set to release Deathwish, their new three track EP on August 1st. You”ll find in the EP, the reoccurring theme of domestic and drug abuse that the band heavily advocates against. The members initially met in 2015 while still in high school. They quickly built a local buzz, performing with top-notch acts such as Suicide Silence, Whitechapel, Like Moth To Flames, The Plot In You, Erra, Thy Art Is Murder, Invent, Animate, and many more. In 2017, they worked with producer Ricky Armellino [Currents, This Or The Apocalypse] and mixer Taylor Larson [Periphery, Darkest Hour] on what would become ‘Deathwish’.

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An Interview With ONI Vocalist Jake Oni!

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Oni is a Canadian progressive metal band that was founded by vocalist Jake Oni in 2014. He says his vision was “to be the band I never got to see”, and his vision has quickly evolved into the band everyone wants to see. With Jake Oni handling vocal duties, Martin Andres and Brandon White on guitar, Chase Bryant on bass and Joe Greulich on drums, they are also perhaps the first metal band to feature a Xylo-synth player, in the form of John “D”, which adds an interesting and intriguing dynamic. Recently signed with Blacklight Media/Metal Blade Records, Oni has released their debut album entitled ‘Ironside’ on November 25th. The band is already an aggressive thunderstorm and just to crank things up a notch Lamb Of God’s Randy Blythe was also featured on the track “The Only Cure”. The band has already been tabbed as a must see band from various music journalists across the country. If you simply watch some video footage of their shows it will have you eagerly awaiting them to play in your town. If you haven’t yet had the chance to hear ‘Ironside’ I demand you check it out now, and you will quickly fall in love with their unique sound.

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The Bucketlist With MORETTA!

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In this series we pose the age old questions to a wide array of music lovers. As fans of music most of us keep a mental list of active bands we want to see live that we haven’t yet seen. The Bucketlist brings to you those lists of your favorite artists and why those bands mean so much to them.

Moretta’s highly anticipated sophomore album has arrived. ‘What’s Left Means Nothing’, ironically, brings it all to the table. “This album is a representation of where we are as musicians and as individuals. I couldn’t be more proud of how it turned out” said vocalist Joe Paisley. In a genre that has become increasingly stagnant by imitation, Moretta finds their footing by refusing to let the genre define them. The band may have started with a mutal love for hardcore but their style and sound has branched out and bloomed far from where they started. Though they retain some hardcore elements the band is truly a multi fusion band that straddles the fence on several genres. Every song meticulously crafted to deliver that special something listeners feen for. With choruses you’ll catch yourself singing at work, blended tastefully with breakdowns you can’t help but play along to on your steering wheel, Moretta continues to grow their fan base around the globe.

Lyrically, they challenge you to look within to find purpose and meaning, urging you to no longer accept the lies being fed through mainstream media; Moretta is asking you to think for yourself, find forgiveness, and take on your internal demons with strength. ‘What’s Left Means Nothing’ will be released on July 28th. You can hear the first single below.  Continue reading →

The Bucketlist With Nate Garrett of GATECREEPER / SPIRIT ADRIFT!

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Photo Credit: Eric’s Bad Ass Uncle!

In this series we pose the age old questions to a wide array of music lovers. As fans of music most of us keep a mental list of active bands we want to see live that we haven’t yet seen. The Bucketlist brings to you those lists of your favorite artists and why those bands mean so much to them.

Nate Garrett is a name you may be familiar with. Musicians strike to get signed by a label throughout their careers and Nate has achieved this with not only one band but two. In 2015 Nate founded the band Spirit Adrift, which essentially started out as a one man project. In 2016 the band released an EP ‘ Behind – Beyond’ and a full length ‘Chained to Oblivion’ both via Prosthetic Records . They also released a split release with Khemmis via War Crime Recordings. Spirit Adrift has a slow festering doom sound with some psychedelic qualities. Both releases are riddled with riffs and thundering bass lines. Also on vocal duties Nate’s voice booms with soulful qualities throughout each track. All the tracks have this immense harmony and melodic feel with the powerful guitar work and drum beats holding up the back end. Around the same time Nate was founding Spirit Adrift he was welcomed into Gatecreeper as their guitarist. The bands are vastly different but do have some similar elements. Gatecreeper is certainly more in the vein of death metal, but they combine some doom influence as well. The band includes a Swedish style rapid fire riff attack and equal parts groove to make a smooth and filling cocktail of greatness. Since Nate was added to the band they have appeared on 3 splits, a compilation album, a full length and a live album. The full length ‘Sonoran Depravation’ was released in 2016 via Relapse Records, and the band’s live album ‘Unleashed in the Middle East’ was released in May of 2017 independently. You can easily say at this point that Nate Garrett is a successful musician. Dividing his time between two successful groups is certainly another feat within itself.  Continue reading →