Bringing It with John Laux of Warbringer

For all those in doubt, heavy metal is alive and well. The torch of thrash is being carried on by the one and only Warbringer. Largely inspired by Bay-Area predecessors Metallica and Slayer, Warbringer does not sacrifice riffs for speed; they embrace both. I caught up with lead guitarist John Laux, and he told me the band prefers to be called a “heavy metal” band, despite their obvious thrash influences. The band exploded onto [...]

 

Making Waves with Matt Heafy of Trivium

Back in October, I got a chance to sit down with one of my favorite rock frontmen, Matt Heafy, at the legendary Crocodile Rock Cafe in Allentown, PA (my hometown, I might add). Heafy is the lead singer and lead/rhythm guitarist of Trivium. Trivium is with Roadrunner Records and is one of the biggest bands in the world right now. Their new album, In Waves, debuted at #1 on The Billboard Top 200 and #1 on the Billboard [...]

 

Unto The Percussion - Interview with Dave McClain of Machine Head

Few bands on this planet unleash a fury like Machine Head when they play live. Credit for much of the band’s trademark sound must given to drummer Dave McClain. One of the premier drummers in metal today, I got a chance to sit down with Dave to talk about the band’s latest triumph, Unto The Locust. With their latest record and its predecessor, The Blackening, Machine Head have separated themselves from the [...]

 

Thoughts From A Thief: The Inside Story From Brian Smith of Cavo

In the last few years, Cavo have been a musical force to be reckoned with. In 2009, the band released their sophomore effort and major label debut, Bright Nights Dark Days. With their fresh brand of alternative rock, Cavo catapulted to stardom. The album hit #47 on the Billboard Top 200. The singles “Champagne” and “Crash” ruled the rock radio airwaves, and “Let It Go” was featured on the soundtrack of the blockbuster film Transformers: [...]

 

"Something Dystopian" This Way Comes With Stu Block of Iced Earth

Few bands have been so true to their roots as Iced Earth. For over two decades, the band has never wavered from their classic power metal sound. The tradition continues with the new addition of frontman Stu Block. I got a chance to catch up with Stu to talk about the new record, Dystopia, which is out now on Century Media Records. It’s his first album with the band, and what an [...]

 

Everything Louder Than Everything Else - A Rare Interview with Phil Campbell of Motörhead

Loud. For the last 60 years, rock ‘n’ roll music has been defined by one word: loud. And if rock ‘n’ roll means loud, then Motörhead’s music speaks volumes. Always self-proclaimed by founder and frontman Lemmy Kilmister as a “rock ‘n’ roll band,” Motörhead are hugely responsible for the invention of heavy metal. Formed in 1975, the band laid significant groundwork in the hard rock music genre. In the next decade, Motörhead would pioneer heavy [...]

 

A Giant Night of Metal: On The Gigantour with Chris Broderick of Megadeth (Matt The Producer Interviews..)

What better way to kick off the New Year with one of the biggest metal tours of 2012. The Gigantour kicked off last week in Camden, NJ. I got a chance to catch up with Megadeth guitarist Chris Broderick. Chris has become one of the premier shredders in heavy metal, trading blistering solos nightly with frontman Dave Mustaine. One of the most diverse talents in rock right now, Chris has a degree in Classical Guitar [...]

 

Matt The Producer Makes "The Powerless Rise" With Tim Lambesis Of As I Lay Dying (Grammy Nominated Band)

California has long been a hot-bed for metal. The SoCal tradition continues with As I Lay Dying. I caught up with founder and frontman Tim Lambesis on the other side of the country at the legendary  Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ. The band was on their “Decade of Destruction” Tour, the final leg of a long tour in support of 2010′s The Powerless Rise, and celebrating the band’s 10th anniversary. It [...]

 

Matt The Producer Goes "Under Cover" with Alejandro Manzano of Boyce Avenue (500 Million Views On YouTube)

Technology is a wonderful thing. This day in age, what would we do without it? Just ask Boyce Avenue. The internet (YouTube, specifically) has turned Boyce Avenue from 3 brothers jamming at their house in Florida into one of the most popular bands in the world. If numbers speak volumes, Boyce Avenue’s story is The Library of Congress. All the music videos on their YouTube page have received a combined 500 [...]

 

Getting a Fist-Full of Metal with Anthrax Ax-Man Rob Caggiano (Matt The Producer Interviews)

In honor of National Metal Day, I decided what better way to celebrate than to sit down with the lead shredder from one of the greatest heavy metal bands of all time? Boom! Enter Rob Caggiano, Anthrax’s lead ax-man. Anthrax just may be music’s comeback story of the year, maybe even the decade. Over the summer, Anthrax hit a series of festivals alongside their thrash metal pioneer peers Megadeth, Slayer, and Metallica as part of  [...]