Metal Assault: Interviews

By Andrew Bansal

Portland, Oregon riffmongers Red Fang are currently on a North American tour with two bands that sound nothing like them, Opeth and In Flames, and are on a mission to expand their fan base by performing a concise, high-impact 30-minute set in front of the biggest audiences they’ve ever seen, on some of the biggest stages they’ve ever stepped on in this country. The tour came through Los Angeles and delivered a memorable gig at the Hollywood Palladium on December 9th 2014, and a few hours before the show, I sat down with Red Fang drummer John Sherman for an interview. Check out the pleasantly candid conversation below, and catch Red Fang at show near you. Continue reading “Catching Up With Red Fang Drummer John Sherman”

By Andrew Bansal

Australian grind/punk outfit King Parrot have been converting large gatherings of first-timers into instant fans on their current North American run as opening act on the ‘Punk Rock But Kinda Not’ tour with Down, Orange Goblin and B’last. The tour visited Los Angeles for a gig downtown at the Wiltern on December 6 2014, and King Parrot’s performance stunned the audience into complete submission. A few hours before he lost his mind and pants on stage, I caught up with vocalist Matt Young to talk about this tour, the Phil Anselmo inspiration, Pantera, touring vehicles, America, future plans, amongst a whole lot of other things. Enjoy this in-depth conversation below and do yourselves a favor by checking out King Parrot the next time they play in a town near you. Continue reading “In-depth Interview With King Parrot Frontman Matt Young”

By Andrew Bansal

Presenting material from their sophomore full-length effort ‘Foundations Of Burden’ which is being unanimously regarded as one of the best albums of 2014, Little Rock, Arkansas doom quartet Pallbearer are currently on a US headline tour along with support acts Solstafir from Iceland and Mortals from Brooklyn NY. Pallbearer brought their brand new set to Los Angeles to mesmerize a packed Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood on Friday December 5th. A few hours before they took the stage, I sat down with three-fourths of the band, Brett Campbell (vocals, guitar), Devin Holt (guitar) and Joseph Rowland (bass) to discuss the tour, the new album, doom, and lots more. Enjoy the conversation below. Continue reading “In Conversation With Pallbearer”

By Andrew Bansal

Known primarily as longtime Raven and former Pentagram drummer, Joe Hasselvander has sat behind the drum kit in various capacities for over 50 years, including some outside of Raven and Pentagram, and has also been venturing more and more into playing other instruments. As I’ve traveled North America with Night Demon who’ve been on an extensive run supporting Raven through October-November 2014, I’ve had a chance to get acquainted with Joe Hasselvander and he’s turned out to be quite the character. On November 24th at the Strange Matter in Richmond, Virginia, I sat down with him for a detailed, insightful interview. Enjoy the conversation below as I discuss with him all things Raven, Pentagram, doom and future plans. Continue reading “Pearls Of Wisdom From Raven / Ex-Pentagram Drummer Joe Hasselvander”

By Andrew Bansal

Veterans of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal movement of the 70s, Raven have always stuck to their guns and stayed true to their self-created ‘rock until you drop’ philosophy. This year they are celebrating their 40th anniversary as a band, but not relying on mere nostalgia, they have completed work on a new studio album called ‘Extermination’ and at the time of posting this interview, they are in the final week of a Kickstarter campaign to help fund it. They’ve been on an extensive North American tour since early October, and I’ve had the pleasure of sharing this journey with them as the non-playing fourth member of their touring support act Night Demon. On November 23rd, I sat down for dinner with them in Baltimore at a great science fiction themed restaurant called Lost City Diner down the street from the Metro Gallery where the show took place later on. I spoke to brothers John and Mark Gallagher about all things Raven. Enjoy the conversation below. Continue reading “The Raven Interview: Catching Up With The Gallagher Brothers”

By Andrew Bansal

Undisputed metal gods for over four decades, Judas Priest released their 17th studio album ‘Redeemer Of Souls’ last July and are currently on a North American headline tour with Los Angeles based comedy/parody metal group Steel Panther as support act. Recently, I had a detailed chat with singer Rob Halford about the making of the new album, the tour, Steel Panther, the early days and lots more. Continue reading “In Conversation With The Metal God: Rob Halford Delves Into All Things Judas Priest”