The Downbeat

My guest on the podcast this week is Devin Swank, vocalist of Ohio Death Metal band Sanguisugabogg. We talked about his approach to lyrics and songwriting, the early days of the band, taking inspiration from horror…and we talk a LOT about death metal.

My guest on the podcast this week is Cody Quistad, guitarist of Wage War. With 4.3 BILLION streams to his name, Cody is also an incredibly talented and sought-after songwriter. We caught up to talk about Wage War’s new EP ‘It Calls Me By Name’ as well as what he thinks of the modern scene and the term’ Octanecore’ - when heavy breakdowns meet active rock choruses, which is something that Cody pretty much single handedly brought into the mainstream. Big brain on this lad.

My guest on the podcast this week is Mark Morton, guitarist and founding member of Lamb Of God. We talk everything about their ripper of new album ‘Into Oblivion’ as well as his new signature Gibson guitar, sobriety, writing a book, AI in music and much more. I made a friend today.

My guests on The Downbeat podcast this week are Tūranga Morgan-Edmonds and Lewis de Jong of ALIEN WEAPONRY.Alien Weaponry are a groove metal band from New Zealand, and their music and lyrics heavily reflect all three members’ Māori ancestry. This episode digs into said ancestry with conversations about Tā moko (traditional Māori tattoos) as well as the Haka, a ceremonial Māori dance that the band performs on stage. We also discuss their new album Te Ra, meeting your idols, working with Randy Blythe, and touring with Gojira. A truly educational episode 2.5 hour episode… and I could have done 2.5 more.

My guest on the podcast this week is Matt Garstka, drummer, educator, amateur arm-wrestler and 1/3 of arguable the most progressive band on planet earth. We talk about his recent distal bicep tear and his recovery, as well as the use of AI in music, musical competition, and my recent drum lesson with him