Interviews
To date, we have conducted 1630 interviews. If your band is available for an interview, feel free to contact us and we'll see what we can do. Here are our latest:
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Band Photo: Suicide Silence
Suicide Silence Guitarist Talks About New Album
Suicide Silence has a loyal following with their reckless, yet catchy, brand of death metal. It’s not complex music, relying on breakdowns and one-note riffs, but it’s hard to stay seated to their hard-hitting attack. The band has spent the last two albums building up their repertoire, and now they are crowning themselves as head honchos with “The Black Crown.” Songs like “Fuck Everything” and “Slaves To Substance” are anthems for a disillusioned youth, which should get over quite well in a live setting. I had the opportunity to talk to guitarist Mark Heylmun in early August about the creation of “The Black Crown” and the difficulty in writing simple riffs.
Band Photo: Killswitch Engage
Jesse Leach on Vocal Tips, Solo Album, More
Times of Grace is a shock to the heavy metal system in more ways than one. Uplifting lyrics about hope and personal strength storm across a battering ram of melodic metal that was largely written and played by one man. Teaming with Killswitch Engage guitarists Adam Dutkiewicz and Joel Stroetzel, former Seemless and Killswitch vocalist Jesse Leach brought his band to Nashville for our own night of grace on August 9th. Before the show, which was dubbed the “Illuminatour,” with Underoath headlining, Jesse took time out of his concert preparation to chat with me. Photos from the show will be up in the photo gallery shortly, but here is the full text of the interview.
Powerwolf Explains New Album "Blood Of The Saints"
German wolf pack Powerwolf has returned with "Blood of the Saints" (reviewed here), another disc full of fist pumping anthems and catchy choruses.
Powerwolf organ player Falk Maria Schlegel has checked in with Metalunderground.com to explain the religious themes found in the album and discuss the recording process, which included a brand new drummer taking the reins mere days before recording started. Falk also explained the band's recent music video for "We Drink Your Blood," which was shot in a church for an authentic gothic approach to match the album's theme and atmosphere.
Terrance Hobbs Of Suffocation Talks Guitars
Suffocation is a name that certainly needs no introduction. Since the band's debut, 1991 releases “Effigy of the Forgotten” and the “Human Waste” EP, bands all around the globe have aspired to growl as low, beat their drums as fast, and groove as hard as Suffo. If you see a sprawled out, illegible logo on a name befitting brutality, most likely said group has a Suffocation poster in its practice space.
In 1990, Suffocation recruited drummer Mike Smith and guitarists Doug Cerrito and Terrance Hobbs from the disbanded local group, Mortuary. Both Smith and Cerrito later left the group (Smith later returned and is their current drummer), but Hobbs has stayed with the group since their inception. Along with Frank Mullen’s trademark bowel-bursting vocals, Hobbs trademark style has become synonymous with the Suffocation brand. He has the ability to quickly changes gears from slow, slam-stomping rhythms to screaming solos and blurring speed, all the while hooking the listener.
Terrance Hobbs is truly a living legend in the realm of death metal, and the guitar industry is finally recognizing his greatness. Hobbs recently signed an endorsement with B.C. Rich guitars. The guitar-making titan is honoring him with a signature-series, Warlock guitar.
Hobbs spoke with Metalunderground.com via the InterWebs on a number of topics, including his love for guitars and his forthcoming product.
Sister Talks New Album "Hated"
Sweden's Sister is a group that produces sleaze punk influenced metal, and the four member group of Jamie, Lestat, Rikki, and Cari have now released the new album "Hated," which was mixed by Tobias Lindell. Metalunderground.com caught up with Jamie (vocals) and Lestat (guitar) to talk more about the band and the new release.
Interview With Liv Jagrell Of Sister Sin
Gothenburg's Sister Sin is bent on bringing back the raw sound of classic metal. Having released their last album "True Sound of the Underground," a nod to their classic metal heros, Sister Sin has landed some huge tours, like the upcoming tours opening for U.D.O. I got to talk to vocalist Liv Jagrell in between her busy tour schedule to talk about her favorite bands, an upcoming album, and how she feels about being labeled a hot hard rock chick. A transcription follows.
Band Photo: Strapping Young Lad
A Chat With Devin Townsend
Devin Townsend is regarded as one of the most prolific artists in music today. Having just released two albums simultaneously before embarking on a tour with Children of Bodom without any signs of stopping, Devin manages to keep his gears forever in motion. Metalunderground.com was able to reach Devin before his show at Chicago's House of Blues on July 6th for an exclusive interview.
Band Photo: Exhumed
Matt Harvey Dissects Exhumed
From any number of different standpoints, be they social, financial, mental, or even physical, being in a metal band has never been an easy path to take. Sure, there are far more difficult circumstances a person can find themselves in than enduring 14 hour drives between shows and living off $5 food buyouts every day, but these and many other factors can add up over time, and what they usually add up to is a classic case of burnout.
That was the situation Exhumed's Matt Harvey found himself in six years ago when he decided to lay the goregrind band he founded in his mid-teens to rest. For a decade and a half he had put the full weight of the band almost solely on his shoulders, and in 2005 he was done—burnt to a crisp and bound for the blissful, perpetual waking coma that is otherwise known as the real world.
But this sojourn into the realm of slack-jawed, doe-eyed suburban middling, with musical projects existing only in the periphery, was to be only a temporary one for Harvey. Having stepped away from Exhumed for a few years and tasted what life was like without it, the passion for the demands of being part of the underground elite network of road tramping metal warriors he thought had been forever lost was allowed to return naturally over time. Now, Exhumed is back with a literal and figurative vengeance, and recently released an album that, despite Exhumed's long hiatus, lacks nothing of the psycho-carnivorous edge the band held in its forceps-like grip back in the day. In fact, many critics have hailed “All Guts, No Glory,” as Exhumed's finest hour, past or present. Period. Harvey spoke to Metalunderground.com about Exhumed's resurrection, and how things are different this time around.
Band Photo: Arch Enemy
Angela Gossow Dishes On "Khaos Legions" And More
Among the most well known of the heavy metal front women in the scene today, Arch Enemy's Angela Gossow has lent her distinctive growls and screams again to the band's new album "Khaos Legions" (reviewed here).
With "Khaos Legions" now unleashed, Angela took out some time to discuss the new album with Metalunderground.com, delving into the writing and recording process, as well as touching on the lyrical themes. She also opened up about her lack of belief in any gods, stating, "This planet is a wonderful place as it is, we do not need to add fairies and angels to it. Religion is truly about humankind’s vanity." Angela went further into the subject of atheism, making her feelings on the subject clear in no uncertain terms by adding, "I am fine with religion as a purely private choice, just like children are allowed to believe in Santa Claus. Anybody can believe in anything, as long as it does not affect a society so profoundly like it still does to this day. Religion is a powerful tool to govern whole societies with fear, deprive people of their basic human rights and serve as an excuse to wage war and terror. Religion is the true root of all evil."
Below you can find the complete interview, which also includes the Arch Enemy vocalist's explanation of the inspiration behind the new album artwork, and information on the band's upcoming U.S. tour dates.
CKY's Deron Miller Talks About World Under Blood
World Under Blood is the new melodic death metal project from CKY frontman Deron Miller. Joining forces with metal drummer extraordinaire Tim Yeung, Miller has put together an album in “Tactical” that represents his vision of the genre. The band’s debut is aggressive, full of great solos, a tight production from James Murphy, and some of the catchiest vocal lines heard so far this year.
Most will be surprised by what Miller can do with this style of music, a far cry from his work with CKY. I had the chance to speak to Miller about how World Under Blood came about, his thoughts on the current state of the music industry, and an update on the status of the Death tribute project he is a part of.
Origin Discusses New Album
Most tech bands ignore songwriting in favor of chops, but Origin is a strong exception to that rule. "Antithesis" propelled the Kansas group into the spotlight back in 2008 and now with the backing of Nuclear Blast, the band's new album "Entitiy" looks set to take Origin to even further heights. Metalunderground.com was able to get in touch with Origin during the band’s tour with Hate Eternal to discuss the new album, future touring plans, and how you too can reuse the band's guitar tone.
InRed On "Serpent's Hold," Video Games, And More
New York brother duo inRed has launched a new medieval fantasy themed album titled "Serpent's Hold, which is currently available for streaming in its entirety through the inRed Bandcamp page.
Now that the collection of epic new material has been unleashed, vocalist/guitarist Harley Wootton and drummer Kenny Wootton got in touch with Metalunderground.com to explain the concept behind the album, the band's inspiration from video game soundtracks, and being raised in a musically rich environment that included death metal from a young age.
Band Photo: Slipknot
Ex-Slipknot Vocalist Discusses Painface Reunion
Painface disbanded shortly after releasing the band's debut album, “Fleshcraft.” Despite having a ton of buzz for being led by the former frontman of Slipknot, Painface left the scene almost as soon as it joined. After a decade of inactivity, the band is currently in the studio recording a long awaited follow up album.
Metalunderground.com recently had the opportunity to interview singer Anders Colsefni about the new album's progress and the band's future plans.
Band Photo: Dax Riggs
Dax Riggs Discusses Dark & Diverse Musical Outlook
Dax Riggs doesn’t worry about how others perceive his art. He makes art that is true to his self. The grinding sludge of Acid Bath, a group that has gained a large, post-posthumously cult following since disbanding in the late ‘90s, was something special for Riggs, but he felt confined within the definition of how that band should sound. Sure, the band broke up after the death of its bassist, Audie Pitre in 1997. However, even before that tragic accident, Riggs yearned to create music of a much more diverse nature.
Having lived in New Orleans for much of his life (he’s originally from Indiana) surely instilled an appreciation for the blues. The blues are a major facet of each of his post-Acid Bath bands. Agents of Oblivion, the first band to release an album after Acid Bath, delved into the blues. Agents featured doom-laden movements, but not to the point of his prior band. Deadboy and the Elephantmen emerged after dissolving Agents of Oblivion.
Deadboy eventually morphed into Riggs’ current, solo-dubbed band. This era of Riggs’ music, including his most recent recording “Say Goodnight to the World,” features Riggs’ trademark crooning, darkly profound lyrics and definitive musical similarities. It is merely an extension of his time with Deadboy and the Elephantmen. The Dax Riggs band is a rock band, but with obvious nods to folk, punk, pop, doom, psychedelic, indie rock, blues and other forms of music. His rhythms have such a great appeal that may lead a man to head bang and a woman to dance.
Read on to find out more about Dax Riggs’ career, what motivates him to create such varied music and his plans for the future.
Ocean Architecture Discusses Upcoming Debut Album
Tennessee's Ocean Architecture is currently hard at work on the band's debut full-length album "Animus," which is currently slated for a release later this Fall.
Bursting at the seams with style shifts and boasting influences from a huge array of sources, ranging from jazz to rock to death metal, the band has already released a teaser for the album with the demo song "Plato's Cave" (available for streaming here).
As work on "Animus" continues, the lads from Ocean Architecture corresponded with Metalunderground.com to give an update on the album's progress and discuss what's been going on with the band lately. They also talk about a life-changing Rush concert, the Nashville metal scene, and the concept behind the upcoming new album.
Ancient VVisdom Explains Live & Backyard Rituals
Ancient VVisdom (pronounced Ancient Wisdom) is quickly becoming entangled in the web of enchantment spun by occult rockers such as Ghost and Blood Ceremony. This retrofitted style praising the great mysteries of the universe has become a hot commodity (read what xFiruath has to say about this phenomenon) in the metal community.
Ancient VVisdom executes an accessible sound owing to folk, pop, psychedlia, doom and hard rock. Tribal drumming and whimsical tools of percussion such as knives, machete and chains, while acoustic and electric guitar create opposing/dualistic sounds. These instruments help drive home the images related through repetition of their chorus lines.
These images and ideas have emerged in great abundance in just a short time. After much correspondence, the group released a split 12” LP with the world’s most famous cult leader, Charles Manson. In June, the Austin group released it’s first full-length “A Godlike Inferno” (read the review) to a heap of media acclaim. Since then, the group added bassist TA (Hod, ex-Pleasant Valley) to bring about a deeper backdrop. TA joins the core of Justin “Ribs” Mason (acoustic guitar), Michael AVV (electric guitar) and Nathan Opposition (drums/percussion/vocals).
Often incorporating a projector to synch up images with their music, Ancient VVisdom uses the live setting not just to showcase their music but also to relate rituals. The group has opened for Scott Kelly (Neurosis) and Wino, Swans and the Pentagram/Eyehategod SXSW showcase. Before opening for the mighty stoner rockers The Sword on Independence Day, Nathan Opposition spoke with Metalunderground.com about what makes this eclectic band tick.
Ancients' Guitarist Talks "Riffs Not Riots"
As was previously announced, Metalunderground.com has teamed up with sponsors from around North America to present a charity fundraiser dubbed; "Riffs Not Riots" in Vancouver, Canada. The fundraiser is to support civilian victims of the June 15th riot that gripped the city and caused millions of dollars in damage. Chris Dyck, guitarist for Vancouver sludge metal act Ancients and one of the 'Underground Hardcore Collective' conspirators who planned the charity event, sat down with Metalunderground.com to discuss his thoughts on seeing the riot unfold first hand and how the charity event came to fruition.
Interview with Richard Lagergren of Portrait
Guitarist Richard Lagergren of Swedish Heavy Metallers Portrait has a wry sense of humor. Some of his zingers: the document that contained his answers to my (emailed) questions was called “Portrait vs Metal Underground,” some of his answers are subtly cheeky, and his answer to my final question was not so subtle at all, but I could only read it in a deadpanned voice.
But beyond Lagergren’s comedic stylings, he took the time to answer a few questions for us, which we appreciate! Lagergren gives a unique perspective into Portrait’s style of trad metal, details on the recording process for recently released full length “Crimen Laesae Majestatis Divinae” (reviewed here), why Sweden seems to be in the middle of so many “revivals, and a few other golden tidbits. Enjoy!
Bloodofheroes: Let’s start with the obvious – what the heck does “Crimen Laesae Majestatis Divinae” mean?
Well it is Latin obviously, and can be roughly translated into “crime against the heavenly majesty”, or if you will, “blasphemy” or “sacrilege”. The term derives from early modern Sweden, where intentional blasphemy was regarded one of the most serious crimes one could commit, leading to death penalty. People like Portrait would be the first to the gallows of course.
Lizzy Borden Chats About Summer Of Blood
Celebrating 28 years of existence, American heavy metal act Lizzy Borden is currently out on the road for the "Summer of Blood" tour. While Lizzy Borden tears up the U.S. on tour, the band members are also actively engaged in writing a new record to follow-up "Appointment with Death."
Just prior to hitting the touring circuit, band namesake and vocalist Lizzy Borden chatted with me about the upcoming shows and how the new album is shaping up.
You can also find Lizzy Borden's thoughts in the complete interview below about the band's desire to play Los Angeles again in the future, attempting to avoid influence from other metal bands, and perfecting a live performance to get a great crowd reaction every night.
Sleeping Giant On Miracles, New Album, Tour
From day one of their existence as a band, Sleeping Giant has been up-front about what they’re here to do in life: Save people. The band is saving people nightly in the 2011 incarnation of the Scream The Prayer tour throughout the month of July. On their first stop in Nashville, TN, I had caught up with lead vocalist Thom Green and bassist J.R. Bermuda on their RV for some insight into their message, their forthcoming new album, "Kingdom Days in An Evil Age," and more. Photos from the show will be up in the photo gallery shortly, but here is the full text of the interview.
Christgrinder Talks Crack And Worshipping Satan
With tongues only partially planted in cheek, two man blackened death metal act Christgrinder has now dropped the new EP "Smoke Crack, Worship Satan." Members Baron Von Christgrinde and Cardinal Sinne conducted an interview with Metalunderground.com to discuss the new EP.
Commenting on the lyrical content and themes of the band, Cardinal Sinne chimed in, "I’m a firm believer that the best metal is well aware of how silly metal inherently is.... So where anti-religion crops up in our lyrics, although it’s delivered in a campy, amusing way, we take the underlying theme of the evil of religion seriously."
While explaining how the EP came about, the metallic heathens also discussed combining various influences into a single musical package, getting a crack-smoking pope onto a T-shirt, and the difficulties of finding musicians willing to play death metal in small towns.
Band Photo: Barren Earth
Barren Earth Dishes On New Album From The Studio
Just finishing a stint holed up in Helsinki’s Sonic Pump Studios, the gentlemen from Finnish super group Barren Earth are cooking up a slice of new progressive death metal tracks to be served to the hungry metal masses this coming Fall.
As Barren Earth finished recording and sent the tracks off to Dan Swano for mixing, I had the opportunity to pick the brain of guitarist Sami Yli-Sirniö about the follow-up to the band's debut album "Curse of the Red River" (reviewed here).
Sami explained the recording process for the album, discussing the band's debate on deciding which of the 12 recorded songs will actually end up on the release, and also revealed the guest musicians from Korpiklaani and Finntroll who make an appearance on the album.
Trollband On "In The Shadow Of A Mountain"
With album sales on the decline and illegal torrent downloads the rule rather than the exception, what's a folk black metal band to do to get metal heads to listen to the music? Why, offer the songs for free of course! And that's what Trollband has done with debut full-length album "In The Shadow of a Mountain" (reviewed here), which is a release that should be on the radar of anyone who digs the more folk leaning bands like Finntroll or Equilibrium.
Trollband members Sam Levitt and Matt Courtemanche have taken out some time to discuss the album with Metalunderground.com, sharing their thoughts on offering the album for free, discussing material for a follow-up album, and sharing tales of live shows that include a distractingly fornicating couple at a Devin Townsend concert.
My Dying Bride Explains "Evinta" Album
Celebrating two decades of darkness, quintessential doom act My Dying Bride has completely deconstructed the band's entire discography and rearranged it into the atmospheric and symphonic release "Evinta" (reviewed here).
While corresponding with Metalunderground.com, vocalist Aaron Stainthorpe described the "Evinta" project as "epic swathes of classical and ambient music with some My Dying Bride melodies." Aaron discussed the arranging and the recording of the album during the interview, and also chatted about getting opera singer Lucie Roche to lend vocals for the album. Below you will also find information on an upcoming new My Dying Bride full-length, as well as the band's tour itinerary for the coming months.
Band Photo: Autopsy
Autopsy Discusses New Album, Lineup & Gigs
Autopsy is a name synonymous with death metal. Along with names such as Carcass, Grave and Obituary, Autopsy bore a morbid moniker that obviously denoted a “death” metal band. Forming in 1987, Autopsy helped pioneer this morbid musical movement. During that same year, vocalist/drummer Chris Reifert helped launch Death—the group many attribute as the first modern death metal band—when he played drums on the band’s debut full-length “Scream Bloody Gore.”
Reifert left Death after “Scream Bloody Gore” and Autopsy released “Severed Survival,” their debut full-length recording, two years later. The debut and their early ‘90s follow ups such as “Mental Funeral” pushed the limits of brutal, putrefying imagery.
Bands have definitely taken a cue or eh…a rotten limb from Autopsy’s lyrical sheets. While bands such as Cannibal Corpse and Suffocation have made a larger impact on the death metal scene, Autopsy’s slow-to-mid-pace rhythms surely inspired early death metal groups, especially the doom-death variety. Autopsy may have been an even bigger influence if the group had not broken up in 1995.
Between the years of 1995 and 2009, Autopsy members stayed active in other bands such as The Ravenous and Abscess. Since reforming, the group released an EP “The Tomb Within” (2010) and most recently “Macabre Eternal.” Vocalist/drummer Chris Reifert spoke with Metal Underground about the band’s reformation, new album and upcoming moribund visions.
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