Ex-Man Podcast Ep. 115 – Drunkcast with Buz MgGrath (Unearth)

Doc gets hammered drunk with Unearth shredder, Buz Mcgrath, and they blather on about creative struggles, Buz’s newfound freedom of being a bachelor, yacht rock, getting blown out by younger, heavier bands, debate who invented metalcore, and other ill shit.

This episode features the songs “Device” by Painted Wives and “Dust” by Unearth.

Follow Buz on Instagram and Twitter @BuzMcgrath

Follow Doc on Instagram and Twitter @DocCoyle

Listen to more great podcasts like this at JabberJawMedia.com

The Ex Man Podcast Episode Ep. 46 – Ken Susi (Unearth, Swivel)

Doc speaks with Unearth guitarist, Ken Susi, about his early years coming up in the New England hardcore scene, how Unearth developed their trademark sound, what it felt like to break out and experience real success, the pitfalls of the “rockstar” lifestyle, the reasons why Unearth has persevered and carries on to this day, how he got involved with the Fishman pickup company, and his new grunge band, Swivel.

This episode features the song “Stutter” by Zombie Eating Horse and “Clueless” by Swivel.

You can follow Ken on Instagram @kensusi

Follow Doc on Instagram and Twitter @DocCoyle Check out our band sponsor at zombieeatinghorse.bandcamp.com/

Support our show sponsor and buy official band merch at Rockabilia.com. Use the code PCJABBERJAW for 15% off.

Listen to more great podcasts like this at JabberJawMedia.com

The Ex Man Podcast 36 – Daniel “DL” Laskiewicz (ex-The Acacia Strain, LGND)

Doc reflects on the year that was 2017, and speaks with ex-The Acacia Strain guitarist, songwriter, and producer, Daniel “DL” Laskiewicz, about his current band LGND, his roots in the New England hardcore scene, reminisce about the band Blood Has Been Shed, the evolution of The Acacia Strain’s sound, why he stopped touring and eventually split with the band, his development as a guitarist and producer, and gives an update on his current projects.

This episode features the song “Beast” by The Acacia Strain.

Follow DL on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DanielDLLaskiewicz/

Follow Doc on Instagram and Twitter @DocCoyle

Support our show sponsor and buy official band merch at Rockabilia.com. Use the code PCEXMAN for 15% off.

Listen to more great podcasts like this at JabberJawMedia.com

This Is The End

Headbangers ball

“This is the end!” This is the emphatic, anthemic line in the God Forbid opening track from the album IV: Constitution of Treason, which was released during the peak of our powers in 2005. In fact, it wasn’t the end. The end came much later. At the time, it felt like we were invincible, destined for heavy metal immortality. And we were in the lower tier of the NWOAHM (or Metalcore or whatever you want to call it) in all metrics for determining the success or popularity of bands. If you look at album, ticket, and merchandise sales, Myspace friends, Youtube views, Facebook “likes”, or the ever mystical buzz on the street, God Forbid was probably never half as big as any of the rest of the Big 4 of Quitters (I should trade mark this) including Bleeding Through, Shadows Fall, and now Chimaira. Knowing that, even we felt invincible. That’s how intoxicating achieving any discernible success with your art can be. Shadows Fall and Chimaira hanging it up in the last couple weeks have brought an outpouring of sadness, shock and disappointment from fans. It seems like the end of an era, and maybe it is.

Hearing that these great bands are moving on makes me sad and disappointed, but not shocked. The truth is that amongst peers a good majority of our conversations have to do with figuring out how to stay relevant by finding new audiences, getting great tours, signing with the right label, writing the next game changing album, and more. Teetering on the edge of existence has been much of our collective realities for half of our careers. As the O.G. quitter, I’m here to explain why this is happening and why you shouldn’t be surprised.

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The Cookie Crumbles

A Blue Ice Cream Cone Accident On Ezra Street
As a write this, I am doing my best to arise from a creative malaise. It’s no revelation to most of us “artists” that creativity is a muscle that weakens without consistent use. The blank canvas, empty page, or barren Pro Tools session can seem like a tall mountain climb when you haven’t produced in a significant period of time.

I’ve had several ideas floating around my head, but I haven’t written an in-depth blog piece in almost 2 months. Despite my intro, I wasn’t creatively blocked. I just didn’t have any damn time. As many of you know, I took a touring gig filling in on bass guitar for metalcore heavyweight champs, Unearth. The month before the tour was a whirlwind of busy activity. In addition to tying up loose ends with my new rock band (Vagus Nerve), cover band (Rebel Noise Group), picking up extra shifts bartending, teaching guitar at School of Rock and privately, and curating an educational performance for Tomato’s House of Rock in NYC, I still had to learn 14 Unearth songs in whatever free time I had. Thankfully, all of the tasks were completed, but I was left little time to be creative….in any arena.

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I am Playing Bass with Unearth on their Fall Tour

Unearth Doc

 

I will be filling in on bass guitar for Unearth bassist, John “Slo” Maggard, on their upcoming US tour as direct support to the legendary Sepultura on the “Tsunami of Metal Tour” also featuring Kataklysm, Dark Sermon with Scar The Martyr and Anciients featured on select dates.

I have to say it is a complete and total honor that the boys in Unearth have considered me for the position. Unearth and God Forbid came up together in the mid/late 90’s hardcore scene slogging it out in the same VFW halls, basements, and Rec centers. They are truly dear, old friends, and I can’t wait to spend a month together smelling their farts. I am especially psyched to hit the road since it’s been almost been a year since I’ve toured. Let’s see if my headbangin’ neck stick works. Tour dates after the jump.

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I AGAINST I (Posted Nov. 2nd 2010 on Metalsucks.net)

Dolph Lundgren is really from Sweden

Dolph Lundgren is really from Sweden

For my opening salvo, I suppose I should mention that it has been a long break between blogs. I’ve been meaning to get back to it, but this summer has been a very busy one filled with the musical composition of the new God Forbid album as well as a new project I’ve been working on, in addition to the daily pursuit of living life and getting by. I hope to contribute more frequently in the near future.

If you’ve followed my articles in the past, you may notice that I often address music history, and pertaining to this site, heavy music specifically. I have a great respect for artistic pioneers and the roots of where the most admirable and brilliant music stems from. I was the type of kid who would read liner notes and interviews by my favorite bands to find out who influenced them. I would always want to climb that musical family tree to see where it lead.

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TEAR IT DOWN NOW (Posted Jan. 21st 2010 on Metalsucks.net)

hardcore_dancing

We’ve all been there. Tensions are high in some packed, sweaty venue, sparked by feverish excitement and the potential for violence. These people paid good money to enjoy some type of cathartic release. The frontman for whatever hard-nu-death-crab-metal-core outfit is brazen and demanding. Can you believe this shit? You PAID to be entertained, and this guy is telling YOU what to do! The speech goes something like this: “I want everybody in this room moving! Front to back, side to side, NO ONE STANDS STILL! When this part kicks in, I want total [Insert destructive word here like “chaos,” “mayhem,” or “bedlam” if you’re witty]. If the person next to you isn’t moving, MAKE THEM MOVE!” Than, if the action is not adequate, this screamer/pep rally organizer calls YOU some variation of “pussy” or “faggot” or really anything to make you feel like a soft, womanly bitch of a man in order to get in that pit and kick another grown man in the face, all in the spirit of making this band look like they are awesome. But then something happens, as if the air is sucked out of the room at the moment of impact – when those glorious staccato chugs kick in, the crowd is almost always powerless to its charms regardless of the obvious lack of substance. Like junk food and reality TV, we have a love affair with breakdowns.

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