In this video I interview drummer Taylor Carpenter and guitarist Gabe Manuel of the mind bending chaotic metalcore band Chamber. Eventually bassist Chris Smith and guitarist Henry Dierig join us to share some additional insight into how the band works together to create their compelling and mosh-worthy songs. Chamber expects to have a new record out in 2026, an album that they recorded with legendary heavy music producer/engineer Randy Leboeuf.
If you want to hear the power violence/grind band called Deaf Kid that Drew played in with Taylor Carpenter, David Hobbs, Luke Granered, and Danny Goscinak in 2014 you can do so here:https://thiskidisdeaf.bandcamp.com/album/deaf-kid
Support the show, get some Shred Sessions stuff:https://shred-sessions-shop.fourthwall.com/
Join us on this special edition of the Shred Sessions Podcast as we look back on what happened this year as well as some of the improvements we want to make in 2026. Joining us on this episode is Phoenix Studios owner/operator Seger Rauls, Norman Regan III, Hard Reset Vocalist and Pheonix Studios partner, Jacob Keith Moton, vocalist of Mverdercide, Sammy Slamdance of Slamdance Promotions, Shane Runnels, vocalist of Yugen and Barb, and Christian Colabelli, Shred Sessions host and collaborator. This might be the last time we have 7 people on a podcast at the same time, so enjoy it haha, Merry Christmas ya filthy animals!Support the show by ordering some Shred Sessions merch:https://shred-sessions-shop.fourthwall.com/
In this video I kick it with Aim Down Sight, a relatively new band in the Nashville Hardcore scene. If you go to hardcore and metal shows in Nashville, you will more than likely bump into one of these guys. I really enjoyed hanging with them for a bit at Gidmas and hearing about how the band started, their influences and their plans for 2026. Intro video by Cortney Hale: @cortneyhell Listen to/follow Aim Down Sight on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/artist/1oUOPPG7NF2IRQY8SPbFlI?si=lag4Ud7lQFCeP5OYSwid1gSupport the show, get some Shred Sessions Merch:https://shred-sessions-shop.fourthwall.com/
Cody aka "Newjack" from Rules of Engagement tells us about the new single and EP dropping for the band. There's also a lot of easter eggs in this one about upcoming shows for 2026 from Jukebox booking. Make sure you watch the entire video to get the details of what's coming up in 2026.Rules of Engagement new single "Southeast Beast" drops Jan. 1st 2026Rules of Engagement new EP drops Jan. 20th 2026EP Release show at Arcane Workshop Feb 14th 2026Video by Evan QuallsEngineered by Kelly CookMixed and Mastered by Tate MercerFollow Rules of Engagement on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/artist/4b5uQEsC6rQGRGRFgqhSnq?si=SF1yKDZsQ3yvfM4ao6jt_wSupport the show by getting some Shred Sessions merch:https://shred-sessions-shop.fourthwall.com/
Sen'am Palmer is an Atlanta based jazz fusion and metal guitarist who has performed live and on recordings with rapper B.o.B., jazz/fusion shred gaze band Crispin Wah and Scattrbrain, a new project formed by rapper and former Shady Records artist Grip. When I first met Sen'am in 2014, he was a solo guitar loop artist and we played a show at The Springwater on West End in Nashville. We became fast friends and have had some awesome guitar hangs on video calls and in person when visiting each-other's cities. I wanted to catch up with Sen'am for a bit before he started his shift for the night. Sen'am talks about what he's been up to, the Atlanta metal and punk scene and we delve into some of the different ways you can use the melodic minor scale over Dominant 7th chords. Please enjoy!-Drew
Matt Perrin is one of the 3 guitarists that play in Vancouver deathcore unit Angelmaker. Matt typically handles the shreddy lead guitars for the band. We caught up with Matt at the Nashville date of their Fall 2025 full US tour with Whitechapel, Bodysnatcher and Disembodied Tyrant! Matt filled us in on how the shows were going, the gear he uses live, the making of Angelmaker's new record "This Used to be Heaven," and a harrowing story about his apartment fire where he lost his 5150 amp. Thank you Matt for talking to the Shred Sessions crew, we really appreciate you!***Thumbnail photo by Jake Murnane
Ryan Vickers is the proprietor of Rigs of Death Metal, an Instagram account that highlights the sickest rigs specifically made for the more extreme side of the tonal spectrum. Expect to see pointy guitars, high gain amps, the dirtiest dirt boxes and oh so much more on Rigs of DM. I wanted to chat with Ryan because of our shared interest in talking about death metal bands, guitars, amps, IRs, recording and tones, and that's exactly what we have here for you, a 2 hour + long conversation about just that.
Delta Hate is a metalcore band from Montgomery, AL consisting of Shay (vocals), Brent (guitar), Mike (drums), Ryan (bass) and Neil (guitar). Since the 2020s the band has been putting out releases including "Touch," "The Mess We Made" and an EP called "Split" with another band called Gimmick. We were able to catch up with Delta Hate before their Nashville date of a 4 day run with Fliora and Drossera, two other incredible heavy bands. We talked about performing with DANZA at Furnace Fest, being in a band from the south, and how the band writes and records their music. The future is looking bright for Delta Hate.
Defeated Sanity is a German technical death metal band from Daschbach, Bavaria that began in 1993 with guitarist Wolfgang Teske and his son, drummer Lille Gruber. Over the past two decades the band has had a few different line-ups and has released 7 crushing full length records and a slew of EPs and splits. Defeated Sanity went on tour with Sanguisuggabogg, Despised Icon and Corpse Pile in November 2025 supporting their previous release "Chronicles of Lunacy." I was able to catch Vaughn Stoffey (guitar) and Jacob Schmidt (bass) for a few minutes after sound check to discuss playing to younger audiences, trends in the music industry and what it's like playing the most technically demanding riffs in death metal.
Matty Arsenault is the lead singer for Boston based pop-punk band A Loss for Words. The band formed in the years leading up to 2004 and have released several studio albums and EPs including 2009s "The Kids Can't Lose," "Motown Classics" "These Past 5 Years EP" and the "Webster Lake EP." The band has a new EP out called "These Past 25 Years" with 2 new songs and lead sing Matty has a new book out called "Just South of Boston." The book is about Matty's experiences growing up near Boston in the 90s and 00s, touring with A Loss for Words and getting imprisoned in Japan for several months. I was able to sit down with Matty for a half hour at the Nashville Hardcore and Tattoo Fest, which took place at The Vinyl Lounge on October 25th, 2025. I want to thank Cody aka "NewJack" for linking me up with Matty and for putting on one of the best Hardcore fests in the Southeast. Thank you for watching and supporting the show!
James Cole is a Nashville based musician and vocalist. In November 2024 he re-launched the band Apparitions under the name Aphonia. After filming and releasing three successful music videos with Aphonia and playing a few shows, the band had an unfortunate falling out with their guitarist and the band broke up.
Since that time, James has been working on new music for his solo project under the name "James Cole IV" and on October 27th 2025 he released "Pretty Farm Girl," the first of several more songs to come out for this new endeavor.
Joining us on the podcast is Clarksville drummer Josh Ray who is a longtime bandmate and collaborator of James from the band Aphonia. Josh also plays drums in technical death metal band Deathless and has also played in Clarksville metalcore act Meditator.
In this episode we talk about the difficulties of playing in a band, the commitment that's required to keep it going, the struggles of life, addiction, faith, extreme metal drumming and so much more. Thank you for listening to the Shred Sessions Podcast.
In this episode of Shred Sessions I sit down with:
-Cody, the vocalist of Nashville Hardcore band RULES OF ENGAGEMENT and owner/operator of Jukebox Booking.
-Josh Landrith, vocalist of Nashville Hardcore band LETHAL METHOD and operator of Badworld Booking
-Jack Babel, the owner and operator of Badworld Anarchy and Badworld Booking.
-Evan Qualls, owner/operator of Courage Tattoos.
These 4 excellent gents are putting on NASHVILLE HARDCORE TATTOO FEST, which takes place on Saturday, October 25th starting at 1:00pm at The Vinyl Lounge in Nashville Tennessee.
I expect this to be one of the most attended shows of the year for Nashville Hardcore and part of why we did this episode is to ensure that it is!
Grab a ticket online for $10 at the link below or just pull up to the Vinyl Lounge on Saturday and pay $15 ticket and see some of the best bands in the Nashville hardcore scene.
Support Shred Sessions by listening, liking, sharing and commenting. T Shirts coming soon via Badworld!
Tickets:https://www.tixr.com/groups/vinyllounge/events/nashville-hardcore-tattoo-fest-158808
One of my longtime friends and guitar homies is Gideon guitarist Tyler Riley. It was a real joy to catch up with him at Furnace Fest and hear what it's been like playing in one of the best metalcore bands of the past 15 years. Tyler is the real deal, he's always had the same even-keeled demeanor and he's always a fun person to be around. His guitar playing is serious, he's always locked in! You really need to check out Gideon's new song "Wrong One."
Ryan Rado has been a staple of the hardcore/punk scene in Nashville since the 2000s. In more recent years, he's made a name for himself with his visual art and his unique interview format on the @MakeItPerfect show, where he interviews and paints with artists, musicians, chefs and interesting people. I was able to kick it with Ryan for a little while at Furnace Fest 2025 where I was able to ask him some deep questions I had on my mind.
Mike Gurnari, the guitarist of the crushing legacy hardcore band MADBALL, took some time with us to talk about how he joined the band and what it's like playing in MADBALL! Mike even told us where we can find the best best pizza in the world...at a place called Brooklyn Square in New Jersey...with the sesame seed crust!
The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza is officially BACK in action! I was able to interview founding members Layne Meylaine (guitar) and Mike Butler (bass) as well as their new guitarist Eric on day 3 of Furnace Fest. There were so many questions that I wanted to ask them that I feel like I forgot some of the most important ones! All I can say is that this was one of my favorite heavy bands from back in the day, and I'm so stoked that they have reunited! They sounded absolutely incredible at the main stage at Furnace Fest!
Hailing from Saratoga Springs, Scott began making a name for himself at the age of sixteen through the New York City club circuit before toughing it out touring along the east and west coasts racking up more than 2600 shows. It wasn't long before Scott was recognized nationally as an on the rise talent by coming in 4th out of 750 players in the Guitar Wars Semi-Finals, and regional runner-up in Guitar Center’s Guitarmageddon competition.Scott is currently a Level 5 guitar instructor at School of Rock in Florida, where he currently resides. Scott also demos pedals for various guitar brands in the industry, namely Boss Effects and has had a decades long relationship with the brand as well as many others. Scott knows great tone like the back of his hand and has helped countless other players find their tone and become great on the instrument. This is our conversation with guitar legend Scott Gailor.
Still Here is a Nashville based hardcore band consisting of vocalist Nic Fox, bassist Joseph Barnum, drummer Greg Dowling and guitarists Jake Hawkins and Lane Senter. Together the group brings a new metallic flavor of hardcore. Their new EP entitled "Scars Like Chains" is available for streaming everywhere. Catch the band live on October 4th, 2025 opening up for Terror at The End in Nashville, TN.
Felix Martin is a Venezuelan born progressive rock and metal guitarist who plays double neck 16 string guitars using a unique pianistic 8 finger tapping technique. Since graduating from Berklee College of Music in the early 2010s, Felix has been releasing full length records and touring the world playing his unique style of hyper rhythmic and beautifully melodic, Latin infused guitar music. During the pandemic, Felix started his own guitar company called FM Guitars, bringing the world of double neck guitars and basses to more guitarists, at an affordable price. FM Guitars also produces more conventional headless guitars and basses, but with a fresh forward thinking design. Felix currently resides in Los Angeles, where he continues to build a community of like-minded double-neck enthusiasts and prog rockers, runs the FM Guitars company, and continues to write some of the most beautifully jaw-dropping compositions. Christian Colabelli and I were able to interview Felix in early September 2025 as he's in the process of making a new album. This is the interview.
Sean Doherty and Will Sheppard are the purveyors of all things punk and hardcore in Nashville, TN. The two started their own fanzine called "Iconoclast" to help spread the word about bands, shows and the overall ethos of the southeast hardcore scene in middle Tennessee and beyond. Join us for our conversation about how the ZINE started, what's in it and who the key bands and players are in Nashville hardcore.
Be ready when Issue #5 drops:
iconoclastfanzine.bigcartel.com
Instagram:
@iconoclastzine
@nashvillehardcore