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Zack Plunkett is the mastermind behind the brutal deathcore band Abated Mass of Flesh. Working out of Tennessee since 2011, the former one-man project now consists of Zack and his brother / lead vocalist Matthew Plunkett. The brothers recruited a full band in the beginning of 2020 to embark on the Hasten Revelation Tour, which is where I was first exposed to the group.

Upon arriving home from their stint on the road, the Plunkett brothers took the Pandemic lockdown as an excuse to write and release Abated Mass of Flesh's new album, "The Dead Will Never Forgive Us." What you get is eight tracks of bludgeoning metal that blends together the best elements of death and doom metal.

Upon hearing "The Dead Will Never Forgive Us," I was encouraged to track down someone from the band to find out what they're all about. Zack Plunkett was kind enough to give me a chunk of his time to talk about Abated Mass of Flesh and other subjects. We discuss everything from movies, music, and more. Surprise! We hope you enjoy this rather personal look into what makes Zack and the band tick.

For more information on Abated Mass of Flesh, go to https://www.facebook.com/AbatedMassOfFlesh.

What do you do when steady bandmates are hard to come by? Well, you take matters into your own hands. That's exactly what Josiah Brand did when deciding to form the industrial metal project known as FireBrand. The extremely driven musician handles everything from the guitar to the vocals to the programming. Based out of Kentucky, FireBrand has steadily released singles and albums since its inception and Josiah is working on more music as you read this.

I sat down with Josiah to talk about FireBrand and his background in music. Of course, we also talked about movies, music, and more. If you're into Circle of Dust, Chatterbox, Mortal, or any of the new wave of industrial music being put out today like Rabbit Junk or Code Orange, FireBrand is worth your attention.

For more info on FireBrand, go to https://www.firebrandcybermetal.com/.

If you miss the passionate and bombastic sounds of Taking Back Sunday, Saosin, and other late-80s / early 90s indie and emo rock bands, you will absolutely love Red Weather. Hailing from Virginia Beach, VA, this talented trio is made up of vocalist and guitarist Mike Mcfarland - vocalist and bassist Tim Ilardi, and drummer Brian Bassette. Ilardi will be familiar to some as an ex-member of Driving East, which released album on The Militia Group. After hearing Red Weather's new 5-song EP, "Empty Places," I tracked them down to chat about movies, music, and more.

After checking out the interview with all three of the members, please go hook up with Red Weather on their Facebook page.

Vocalist Nick Moore formed Findlay, OH's Before Their Eyes in 2006. The band quickly gained a large following through their albums on Rise Records and constant touring with acts like Saosin, Norma Jean, Silverstein, Blessthefall, and many other hardcore and post-hardcore outfits. Moore has kept the passion project alive almost singlehandedly over the years, continuing to put out material with a revolving door of different musicians.

2020 has already seen the release of three singles and a remix of their 2019 song, "Why 6 is Afraid of 7," on Moore's own label InVogue Records. Oh yeah... did I mention he's ran his own record label since 2009? Those are just two of the businesses the married father-of-three keeps himself running at a brisk pace with.

After hearing Before Their Eyes' latest remix "6 vs. 7," catching up on their back catalog, and reading up on Nick Moore's background in Christian music, I decided to reach out and find out more about this hardworking member of the hardcore and punk community.

Watch or listen to hear Moore and I chat about everything from his favorite superhero to what TV shows he watches, and how his faith affects his career choices and life. We also talk about how he keeps himself busy even when he's already busy. Come get educated as to why you should be listening to Before Their Eyes and other InVogue Records artists.

.You can get more info on Before Their Eyes at
https://www.facebook.com/beforetheireyesband/

The website for InVogue Records can be found at https://www.invoguerecords.com/.

If I were still a music mogul like I was back in the days when I helped run Pluto Records (I kid, I kid), Sight Received would have been a band that showed up on my radar as soon as they graced my ears. Mixing elements of radio-friendly rock with dashes of post-hardcore and metal, this four-piece group out of Olympia, WA have all the right ingredients. Not only could they dominate the airwaves and land on countless streaming playlists with the right support, but they have what it takes to win over even those who prefer their tunes on the heavier side of things as well.

The members of Sight Received cite influences which range from Bush and Breaking Benjamin to Impending Doom and even Silverstein. The crazy thing is, you can actually hear it in their songs. Vocalist Kristian Bullard sings his way through flowing verses before screaming out passionate choruses. Meanwhile, guitarist Nick Burgess melds together both melodious lines and heavy riffing that will bring to mind Disciple, Nine Lashes, and Seether if they had just a bit more edge.

Sight Received just released their album "Worthless Gold" and it gained my attention as I added their singles to my Radical But Responsible new music playlist. I immediately contacted the guys to find out more about what makes this talented band tick. I ended up sitting down with singer Kristian and guitarist Nick for an entertaining and informative conversation. Not only did we talk about their music and new album, we also blathered on about movies, comic book characters, and other such nonsense we love.

For more information on Sight Received, you can check them out on their Facebook page.

If you're looking for safe and typical metal, you've come to the wrong place. TIMORATUS is anything but your carbon-copy heavy music or hardcore band. Singer and founding member David Napier is self-described as being a bit ADHD. It stands out in TIMORATUS's unconventional blend of metal, electronic music, indie rock, and comedy.

You never know what to expect when tuning in for a new tune from TIMORATUS. One album is doom metal, another grindcore, the next song could be one of the tracks off of their latest album, "My Life in a Mediocre Metal Band." In that case, you'll no doubt be pleasantly surprised with an unorthodox mix of genres or a humorous skit that pokes fun at the music industry and themselves.

I sat down to speak with David Napier the day after their new album, "My Life in a Mediocre Metal Band," hit streaming services worldwide. Our conversation ended up all over the place. You might have guessed that a possibility from two individuals who can't seem to concentrate on one thing at a time.

David and I chat about the new album, faith, musical influences, horror movies, his wife - Courtney - who fronts TIMORATUS, and a bunch of other stuff. You know - movies, music, and more. Brace yourselves and get ready for a sensory overload.

You can check out more from TIMORATUS on their Facebook page.

Grandpa Loves Rhinos might just be the best pop punk band you've never heard. Made up of brothers Paul and Seth Hyde, the two use their musical outlet to stay connected to each other and the music they grew up listening to. With incredibly personal lyrics and driving melodies, this is a group you're going to want to get to know if late '90s and early 2000's infectious punk anthems are your thing.

I sat down with brothers Paul and Seth Hyde and we discussed... what else... movies, music, and more. As I've found to be the case, there's a lot more to these two guys than just their love for a good tune. We talked about all kinds of crazy and interesting topics. From their careers in the military as a fighter pilot and soon-to-be member of Space Force to being foster parents, it's all here. Don't worry, we also talk about Grandpa Loves Rhino's new single, "Fostering Patience With Patients." You'll get the lowdown on their upcoming 8-song release as well.

Check out the interview to get up to speed on your new favorite rock band.

You can keep up with Grandpa Loves Rhinos at https://www.facebook.com/grandpalovesrhinos.

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Trevor Vickers might be a bit uncomfortable if someone referred to Lifelong as a Christian band. Don't get me wrong. Vickers and band member Joel Piper wouldn't necessarily consider themselves Christians IN a band, either. They would probably be more comfortable identifying as Christ followers and Bible believing musicians who perform in a group together. They take their art and faith both seriously and it shows on Lifelong's first emotionally charged full- length release for Solid State Records, "Above the Waves."

I sat down for a lengthy talk with Trevor and we dove into some topics much deeper than I was prepared for when interviewing someone. That's not a bad thing. I'm just not used to an actor, artist, or musician being so open right off the bat. The interview was so full of great stuff that I had to split it into two parts.

Trevor talks about not only Lifelong, but his other bands Confide and Underneath the Gun. He also opens up about his faith and why it's taken almost two years for the band to get their first full length album out through Solid State Records. Grab a snack and soda, folks, and get ready to be educated on what Lifelong and Trevor Vickers are all about. It's an enjoyable and insightful journey you'll be glad you took.

You can get more info on Lifelong on their official website.

Many people think that the beginnings of Christian alternative rock began in the early 1980s with bands like Undercover, Daniel Amos, Adam Again, and others. However, I would argue the foundations were established even before that with bands like After the Fire and Quickflight. Just like After the Fire, the genesis of Quickflight can be traced back to the early 1970s.

If you were introduced to Christian rock in the mid-1980s like I was, you probably thought it all began with One Bad Pig, Stryper, The Altar Boys, and a few other bands who went "Against the Grain" (pun intended). It wasn't until about a month ago that I was chasing some rabbits down various rabbit holes and discovered there was an entire other generation even before those groups. One of those groundbreaking outfits was a keyboard-driven rock ensemble named Quickflight.

Quickflight started out playing straight rock. both original and cover tunes, in bars throughout their local surrounding Canadian hometowns. Not content with being weekend warrior musicians, Quickflight decided to take off in a different direction under the leadership of founding member / songwriter / producer Ric deGroot.

After releasing their first album, "Breakaway," through Tunesmith Records in 1980, Degroot found himself ready to transition the band to a more keyboard heavy techno sound. One way he did that was by adding a second keyboard player. Enter Dale Dirksen.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Dirksen and talk with him about his time with Quickflight. We discussed what it was like to be in one of the first Christian-based techno / new wave acts and how they were looked upon. It was amazing to hear how trailblazing and controversial they were at the time.

We talked about the many career paths Dirksen has embarked upon in his life after his time with Quickflight. Although he left the industry behind, his love for music never fizzled out. Dale tells us what he's up to in that regard as well.

Check out my interview with Dale Dirksen from Quickflight. I also found out he was a touring musician for the Steve Taylor Band for a while as well. You'll hear all about it in the video.

You can check out Dale Dirksen's new music right at https://soundcloud.com/user-996147138.

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All you have to do is see a picture of Brotality and you know they're a unique band right away. Made up of brothers Bryce and Reece and their friend Liam, the members range in age from 14 to 17 years old. If you listened to their music without knowing this, you'd never be the wiser. The singer sounds like late-1980's DRI and musically you get fiery bolts of that decade's thrash masters and a helping of prog-influenced metal in the vein of Mastodon and Periphery.

I sat down with Brotality to chat with them about their upcoming single that hits streaming outlets on July 3rd and a livestream gig they're playing in celebration that day. Of course, we ended up talking all sorts of geekiness as well. After all, the site is centered on movies, music, and more.

Brotality also shared a bit about their upcoming record on Rottweiler Records. How many songs will it be and where are they recording? We even delve into their plans for touring in the future and what sort of havoc 2020 rained down upon them in regards to festivals and events they were already supposed to have played at.

For more info on Brotality, go to their Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Brotality-884182348362276/
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