Interviews

THE BANDS THAT WE STILL CELEBRATE DECADES after their debut are the ones that ignored the rules and the prevailing wisdom of their day and instead challenged listeners to reconsider all that music might achieve.

AT HAPPENS WHEN YOU MIX THE MUSIC of slave spirituals with black metal and give it a satanic twist? Originally conceived as a challenge to combine two vastly different genres of music, Zeal & Ardor quickly went from an internet sensation to a critically acclaimed band atop countless best-of lists, performing at almost every major festival across the world.

As part of Outburn’s Warped Tour retrospective, and with the tour on its final cross country run, we sat down and to talk with its creator and curator Kevin Lyman about the history of Warped Tour—where it started and the journey that got it to where it is today.

It’s been an eventful year for Southern California metalcore kings Of Mice & Men. Despite the departure of their founding vocalist Austin Carlile, the band has soldiered on as a quartet, with bassist and clean singer Aaron Pauley taking over full vocal duties.

The name Asking Alexandria was on the lips of countless metal fans in early 2015, with vocalist Danny Worsnop’s very public falling out with the rest of the band, including best friend and guitarist Ben Bruce.

Interview with Max Cavalera by Dan SlessorPhotographs by Tim Tronckoe Cavalera Conspiracy is back with its fourth album, Psychosis, and the band is in rare...

Norwegian/German folk metal band Leaves’ Eyes has overcome several obstacles in the past year and a half. From the divorce of husband/wife bandmates Liv Kristine and Alex Krull (keyboards) to new powerhouse singer Elina Siirala and the band’s latest release, Sign of the Dragonhead, Leaves’ Eyes has been rejuvenated.

Though Pepper Keenan rejoined Corrosion of Conformity back in 2014, it’s taken some time for the band to drop a new record. With No Cross No Crown, the first Corrosion of Conformity release to feature the vocalist since 2005’s In the Arms of God, they have returned…

With so many fads and trends coming and going in heavy music, it’s not always easy to keep your integrity and stick to your guns while maintaining a fan base. In August Burns Red’s case, this has never been a cause for concern. Remaining true to its core sound while progressing naturally with each record, the band has built up one of the most admirable catalogs in contemporary metalcore.

Interview with Maria Brink by Nick DeMarino Photographs by Jeremy Saffer “I HAVE SO MUCH IN MY HEART AND IN MY CHEST, THIS FIRE...