Interviews

“I’ve just always been around my scene in Arizona starting [with] the first band we were playing bowling alleys and backyard shows and stuff,” frontman Joe Cotela explains from the back of the DED tour bus. Whether able to be seen from outside the scene or not, DED has been around for the last four years, quietly stitching together the album RESENT.

Nine records deep, Bayside is more full speed ahead than ever before. Singer Anthony Raneri is energetic when asked about the band’s longevity and charmingly candid when presented with thoughts on the band’s calculated but numerous zigs and zags.

The band’s latest release, SepulQuarta, is a 15 track album of classic reworked Sepultura songs recorded during the pandemic. Derrick Green talks about the band’s weekly quarantined video web series, the new album, why Sepultura fans are so opinionated, and future touring plans.

From the first spin of BPMD’s American Made covers album via Napalm Records, it’s easy to tell that the group—featuring vocalist Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth (Overkill), drummer Mike Portnoy (ex-Dream Theater, The Winery Dogs, Sons of Apollo), bassist Mark Menghi (Metal Allegiance), and guitarist Phil Demmel (Vio-lence, ex-Machine Head)—are having one hell of a time.

We caught up with frontman Patrick Kindlon—also known for his work as a comic book writer—for a discussion about recent converts to the church of Drug Church, the new album PRUDE, his band’s growth in light of his limitations, and not being a band guy who’s in a band.

The Crow has been a cult classic for 25 years, but what many may not know is before the film’s incredible soundtrack featuring Nine Inch Nails, The Cure, Rage Against the Machine, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and Stone Temple Pilots, there was a soundtrack made for the comic book.

Light the Torch’s second full-length album, You Will Be the Death of Me, is a master class production of modern melodic metal. In our talk with Howard Jones, the singer explains how he went through dark times during the writing of the new album.

Wayne Static was a legend. Is a legend. His untimely passing left a hole in the hearts of many, from his family, to his friends, to all of the fans that were touched by his music. Away from the public, an idea was brewing from those closest to Wayne to somehow, in some way, bring a piece of him back to the world. Fast forward to now, and we are on the cusp of an anniversary tour…

We spoke to multifaceted shred queen Nita Strauss (Alice Cooper, Iron Maidens) directly after her first solo show and the live debut of Controlled Chaos to talk about guitar technique, The Guitar Collective tour, balancing life on the road with Alice Cooper and her own material, and, of course, all about her new album.

Leaves’ Eyes continues its take on folky/Scandinavian symphonic metal on its fantastic eighth full-length release, The Last Viking, which is a concept album about Norway’s King Harald III, called Hardrada (the hard ruler), and the Vikings’ decisive last battle in England near Stamford Bridge in the year 1066.