Across Canada and Genres Andrew on Metaladian’s Debut Album and Band Evolution

0:04 Hey, you're listening to Adventure on W4CY Radio. This is the Pipe Man here on the Adventures of Pipe Man W4CY Radio, and I'm excited about our next guest. They have some killer music. So let's welcome to the show Andrew from Medellin. How are you? Good. How are you doing? Oh, I'm doing good. You know, I love how when I was making sure I would say your name right before the interview, I was loving how you said Canadian metal head. Because that made sense, too. It kind of went along with it.

0:51 Like I'm a metal Canadian altogether. Exactly. Well, I was born in Ottawa on the 1st of July as the fireworks were going off, supposedly. Really? Yeah. And I've lived from one side of the country to the other. So I was born in 74. So I lived in Halifax and Calgary, Edmonton. I was out on Vancouver Island for a while in Southern Ontario. Well, Hamilton for the last 15 years, I guess. You're kind of like me in the States. I was born in New York, grew up in Jersey until 1980 when my dad said, meet your new mother and pack your bags. We're moving to California in three days.

1:39 Little did I know that would lead to us sitting here right now because I was in that. Whole 80s L.A. metal scene and Bay Area scene. That's great. That really was the beginning of my Like, I liked some metal before that, you know, like Sabbath, like the rest of us. But, you know, it wasn't until that scene that I really understood, because it was the beginning of it, too, 1980. Like, what a time, you know? And, oh, my God, it's been a lifestyle and a passion ever since. So I was originally pissed at my dad, but now I'm happy he did that.

2:19 Oh, yeah. All happens for a reason. You know, and now I live in Florida. So Florida, California, and New Jersey, New York, they're all three different planets. Yeah, yeah. Well, as a kid, we'd take our vacations just driving through the states. We did that down to Florida, down California coast. Nice. I love the states, yeah. I remember back when I used to drive into Canada without a passport. Oh, yeah. Like, those were the days. Wow. I mean, like the idea that not have to use a passport for Mexico or Canada, I think we should bring that back like Europe is, you know?

3:02 Yeah, that makes sense. And I actually, I love your country. I've been to different parts. I love Montreal. I was just up there for Warped Tour. Oh, yeah. And, you know, I used to be in the investment business. Mm-hmm. And I had a Canadian futures license. So I had to go to Toronto, actually study, take a class and take the test there. And I have to say your country is much more protective of consumers in the financial markets than mine is because our licenses here, we take, I call it multiple guests tests or multiple choice.

3:44 And you could still pass maybe if you don't even know the information, but, What I had to take in Toronto was like essay and fill in the blank. Like if you didn't know your information, you didn't know the financial business or anything about it, there's no way you would pass. And I think that's the way it should be. Yeah. How long ago was that? Oh, you're talking like early 90s. Yeah. Okay. I wonder if it's still the same. Yeah, right? Because I know it's stricter here. So I gotta think it's stricter there, but you never know. Like with, with everything that ever goes on in all these years and political climates that change constantly, you know, exactly. Just like music, you know, music is constantly evolving and changing and.

4:40 Either go with it or you die with it. And, uh, seems here you've gone with it because, uh, You've been playing this project together for this album. Like forever, you know? I guess it seems like it. So tell me a little bit about how it started and why it took all this time to get here. Well, I think my brother and I started jamming since we were like 12 and 14. I'm older. We both started on the drum kit, but after like six months, my brother moved to the guitar. And then we just started jamming ACDC and stuff like that. And then we got Metallica, Megadeth, Testament, you know, was it the Much Music had the power hour at the time?

5:33 I used to love Much Music. I liked it better than MTV. Yeah. And then, yeah, so we'd videotape, you know, our favorite tunes and stuff and he sells, but who's buying? from Megadeth. That was before Metallica had the one video. So it was like this giant buildup to that, that album. So, but yeah, Testament, Exodus, Overkill, stuff like that. Uh, mid eighties, late, late eighties, somewhere in there. That's all my jam. I saw Metallica and Slayer's first show ever. In fact, I just saw Slayer the other day at Rock, Oklahoma. Oh, nice. Yeah. It never gets old. I've seen them like over a thousand times. It never gets old.

6:14 I've seen them a few times. I saw them on the Clash of the Titans tour. Nice. I think that was my first real concert. So, Megadeth, Anthrax, Alice in Chains, first album. There was like 12 people in the stands for them. Right? And they blew up. Exactly. Exactly. And, you know, it is interesting how the Bay Area, the thrash scene... would do shows with Alice in Chains, and they so didn't fit. And it's almost like Alice in Chains and the rest of the grunge took over. That's true, yeah. Well, yeah, well, we just, I guess from before, I was just saying that, you know, we jam as teenagers, and then we fight, we jam, we fight, jam and fight. And then we kind of went our separate ways. And then my brother studied music in school.

7:12 I guess we kind of floated around for a while until our mid-20s. My brother caught on first, but he went to Mohawk College for classical guitar. And I realized, oh, if he can do it, I can do it. So I really worked at playing guitar for a few years. And then I went and studied classical guitar. And then, you know, metal never goes away. I played guitar, but I was more of a drummer. But when I left home, I had nowhere to play. So I picked up guitar, I guess, and just wanted to play as fast as I could and had no idea what I was really doing. So until I sat down and learned classical music. And then I guess it was 28, I went to a four-year program, Mohawk College. And in my last couple of years, I really got into writing. And I guess it was more from my brother's influence and his wife, Ruth, who's also in the band. uh you know they're they're doctorates in music they went the whole way where i only took the four-year course so you know they're basically my teachers as far as writing and uh i just kind of mixed the two where you have i wrote all my harmonies and everything on the classical guitar and then i put all the punchier stuff underneath the chunky stuff uh roost more of the I guess the harmonies that she plays, she's always outlining the chords, like arpeggiating. And then all the other stuff seems to fit along with that.

8:43 So it's more chromatic, I guess, in some ways. But there's some straightforward, basic, you know, hard-hitting grooves and stuff like that as well. But it seemed to just grow from note to note instead of riff to riff. So. Yeah, I think, yeah, I had the structure of it figured out. Like I got a three album structure figured out on the classical guitar, like as far as like a basic story of what I wanted. Somehow I could see it. So I just jotted it down and then just been picking apart through the years. And then the last, I guess, 10, 12 years, maybe my brother and his wife were back in town and we started jamming. And now it's, it's, It's like a machine now where they're over twice a week and we jam for two and a half, three hours each day. We've got a good bass player, Dustin Smith. He's stuck with us for the last 10 years. Nice. He's 16 years younger than me, so he brings some new life into the band. He's got a lot of passion and we always push each other.

9:55 So i think that's cool too like when you bring somebody younger in the band i think it gives a different perspective that gives you more appeal to multi-generations then. Exactly yeah and he's introduced me to all sorts of new new metal like uh i guess adversarial comes to mind you know them toronto. Band I've heard of them, but I don't really know them, know them. I think of like the next step of like Morbid Angel. It's more, you know, it's gotten away from the over-produced sound and it's just straightforward, you know, like barbaric. They play as fast as they can and it's incredible stuff.

10:37 I love it. Well, what I love about everything you're saying is that basically. you know, most people don't know. They think metal is just noise and bad musicians, people outside the community. And really metal is a derivative of classical music anyway. Yeah. And then death metal specifically, especially nowadays is some, there's some of the best musicians and they are trained musicians and very technical and, Opposed to, you know, the origination of metal of basically you didn't know what you were doing type of thing.

11:22 Yeah. It just meshes together. Exactly. And I think, you know, it's funny because a lot of people outside metal wouldn't think like this, but I think the faster you're able to play, the kind of better you are, at least as long as you're doing it right. Like there's playing fast and like, being off key or whatever, but if you're, you know, you're a musician that knows what you're doing, like it's really hard to play that fast. It is. You have to be born with it in some way. No doubt. No doubt. Like I started on, I started on drums like you, I played drums for nine years, but I never really got good, but I didn't practice enough.

12:10 I didn't do enough. And you know, the whole, rubbing your head while rubbing your stomach thing was kind of what comes to mind with drums because you really gotta be coronated and then i went to guitar okay and i have so much respect for guitarists because like just even doing scales like first of all i hated it second of all like. It was not easy. It's not even easy to play a chord. Even if you know the chord, like if you're off by a little bit, it's going to sound like crap. And I think until you actually do it for yourself, like so many people, they play air guitar, you know, and, but actually putting your fingers on there, you don't realize how hard it is to even just do a few chords.

13:03 Oh yeah, for sure. Yeah. It takes a, you know, uh, a lot of time, you know, and practice dedication. Next thing you know, it just settles in like a language. I find. Yeah, exactly. I'll never, sorry, go ahead. No, you go ahead. I was just going to say, I'll never be as good as any of these, the greats, you know, but I feel like I can put myself somewhere in the middle, you know, but I'm kind of trades too. So I, you know, drums, guitar, bass, I sing and I love to write. So, I think I get bored and I move around in a circle and then join it all together. So that makes sense. You see, you were smart because I think that's what happened to me. It's like, I remember Randy Rhodes was my idol. And then I found out he practiced like eight hours a day. And first, and first of all, I was like, I probably don't have eight hours a day to practice. Second of all, I would get bored with doing scales and all that practice stuff. So to me, that probably knocked me out of being a musician cause I got bored with stuff.

14:12 And so the fact that I think you're smart enough that you're diversifying, that makes it interesting and fun. Yeah. And it keeps me busy, you know, and it keeps it interesting. So yeah. And I'm, you know, I focus more on the writing side of it maybe where I'm, I'm always trying to improve my technique and, uh, you know, and find the fun in doing scales and stuff like that. And that usually turns into ideas anyways. So, you know, I've always, I'm a lefty, so it's always been easy for me just to be creative, I guess, and go with the flow where it was harder for me to be, stay disciplined. And I had to really force myself, you know, to build that into me where I do practice. And then after a while it becomes addictive. Next thing you know, that's what you want to do all the time. You don't feel right unless you do.

15:07 And it's funny you say you're a lefty because I'm a lefty too. Nice. Except, you know how it is. I actually started learning as lefty and taking lessons. Nobody wanted to give you a lefty lesson. So I mean, I learned as righty, you know, and I sit and think about it now. Even when I air guitar, I do it as a righty, not a lefty. Because I think about it's almost better to do the opposite because I think as righty playing, it gives the left hand to be able to do that quicker. You know, I can't imagine my right being as quick at doing any kind of leads on the guitar.

15:52 Well, it's been a battle with the right hand to get it to do what I want it to do, you know, but, you know, with the same motion over and over it's muscle memory. Next thing you know, it locks in, but I'll never be as smooth as my left. So, and I just play and ideas come out and then I work it out afterwards with a technique. So, but you know, after a while they join and then you have a happy place somewhere in the middle, you know, where I'll never be like the Marty Freemans or that, but you know, I, I think I created my own sound some kind. So, That's what counts. Like, to me, it's about the unique sound, especially today, because I find there's so many metal bands and so many subgenres and microgenres that some of those subgenres, those bands sound exactly the same because they're using a formula.

16:45 Yeah, exactly. Metal was never a formula. Anthrax, Megadeth, Metallica, and Slayer did not sound like the same bands, neither Exodus, Testament, none of them. Yeah. They didn't sound like they were in even the same genre sometimes, you know? So, and I think that's what makes it interesting. Cause listen, why do I want to listen to the same band at different from different bands? You know, the beauty of it is having different bands. Yeah. You get the, the personality of the writers. Right. And then instead of just an idea, you know, it's actually them, you know? Exactly. And metal was always experimentation to me, okay? You know, so like when I did first start playing guitar, I remember my dad yelling from the other room, you should give that up, you suck. And he didn't get what I was doing. I wasn't even playing when he was doing that. I was trying to see what sounds I could make out of that guitar, you know?

17:45 Yeah, that's a big part of it. Exactly. That's how you get the uniqueness in your own style, you know? Yeah. And going back to the lefty thing, I did want to say one other thing too. There's only one other thing that I do both lefty and righty, but I'm still better lefty. And I had to start off righty was hockey. Oh, nice. Yeah. Again, you can't really find, it's not easy to find the lefty stick. That's true. Yeah. It's hard to find anything lefty. I know. Right. It's like even I played baseball for nine years and I played first base and pitcher and outfield because no other position can a lefty really play well.

18:28 Like if you're playing the rest. Of the infield, you got to like turn around to throw it to first base and catcher. They put me at catcher once, never again. Like lefties have no business being catcher. Okay. I've never really been a sports guy. I tried it, but no. But if I have, you know, any one of those sports like hockey, golf, anything, I'm a true left. You know? Yeah. Even on the drum set, I played on a right-handed kit, but lefty where my hands weren't crossed over and leading right. Right. My left. And then I was screwed up when I came to my roles because my right had to lead. So I flipped everything around. So I played right. And then now I guess I'm ambidextrous so I can play both ways.

19:16 So I I had to really work out that right hand on the guitar and drums. It'll never be as free as my left, but it's solid now. All this time. Well, there you go. See, now that I know about the band name, what we were talking about before, I like even more the name of the video. Oh, that is... Yeah, that is like the coolest thing ever. You know, cause it just like, I love that play on words and that is a ferocious song. I love that song. I love the description.

19:58 I saw a dizzying title track from your, your upcoming debut album. Yeah. Uh, you know, which, which obviously it, it came out July 1st, but your, your description before that, like that dizzying really caught my attention. Okay. Nice. So all the chromatic runs and that sounds like a tornado. Right. So, yeah. And then, and then you have the like multi vocal thing going on. So that's, See, I think that is one thing I think about metal today is that there's so many bands with multiple vocalists.

20:39 I just think it adds depth to the song. Yeah. Like Origin does that really well. It's a great band. They got the real low and the real high. Yeah. I can't get the real highs like Ruth can where she gets the real riffing. It like pierces your ears. And then Dustin, our bass player, he gets the real lows. And Dan's just kind of more like a rabid dog, I guess. Well, yeah, it does add more to it. And people are special in their own way of how they sing. So you take a band like Slayer. Imagine if you did have other vocalists, or even now. Tom can't hit those high notes anymore like he did in the 80s.

21:28 So if you had another vocalist that could hit those high notes, I think that would add depth to the songs even now. For sure. It wouldn't be Slayer though. No, it wouldn't. But we need his screams. Like there's certain songs that when I see them live now, I'm like, as soon as it hits those parts, I'm like waiting for it. Cause I saw him so many times in the eighties with the screams. And I'm like, Oh, Where'd that go? Yeah, well, better not to do it than do it half-assed, I guess. Well, and you know the deal. Back then, nobody knew how to scream, so everybody was doing it wrong. I sang thrash metal for a while, and I blew out my voice because I didn't know what I was doing.

22:17 I was just screaming. But good singers don't really just scream. Like Courtney LaPlante, her technique, I'm in awe of her, of spirit box. Cause I watch, I watch her mouth and it like opens up almost like a snake opens up. Their whole jaw. Okay. And it's kind of wild when I watch her and it's like no effort for. Her to scream. I don't know spirit box very well. They are. I do believe they are Canadian too. Okay. You'll have to check about. She, she goes back and forth from, you know, female, you know, soothing vocal to this brutal, you know, like people like her and Tatiana from ginger, you know, it's the same type of thing where that going back and forth, but definitely check out it for nothing else. Checking out her, like a live video, her technique when she goes into those screams. Cause it's like, It's like, wow, she really does know what she's doing. And I think that's key because how are you... I think about it too. How are you going to do an hour or a couple hours set or even half an hour where you're just straining your throat because you don't know what you're doing?

23:39 Oh, yeah. Well, you can only do that for so long and then it doesn't work. Exactly. And I think that's probably why Tom can't scream anymore because... of not having that technique back then. Yeah. You know, I think more people have it now. Yeah. So. Oh, for sure. Tell us a little more about the album, uh, and how people can check it out, get it, how they can buy your merch. Also, if you have any and, uh, how they can connect to you on socials and all that good stuff. Yeah. Well, I got the lyric video on YouTube. Uh, just metal aliens. And I got my Facebook page band camp.

24:26 You can download the album. It's also on iTunes. I'm just getting organized. I got, uh, tons of shirts and posters, CDs and tapes. Um, I'm going to put online for sale and yeah, I think you can even hear us on Spotify. I haven't checked that one out yet, so it's on there though. Well, there you go. And, And I love a quote I saw of yours that says the interplay between vocalists is quick dizzying and hypnotizing. The music is incrementally and constantly gaining momentum, driving the track to a spiraling frenzy by the final descent.

25:10 Yeah. You can tell that you're a writer. Oh yeah. Thanks. Right there. But like, what a great description. that enough makes me want to listen. Oh, that's great. That description right there. I love that kind of stuff. Uh, and so is there anything else you want to tell the listeners about that we haven't covered already about what you have going on about your music or anything in the future? Uh, sure. Yeah. Well, the, the album, it's also very cathartic. Uh, you know, it's all based off personal experiences and, uh, Also, the last 15 years with YouTube, you get to research other people and what they've been through and realize how many stories are out there. Left-hand path, meditation, act one, and then no worse death than the loss of all hope and confrontation with God is the second act. And then cure for judgment, holy health is the third act.

26:15 So it's like flip sides, like, I guess the tarot card. So like, uh, left-hand path is more like the victims having enough and like, uh, uh, joining together. And then by the end of it, it's ready for dedication. And then it's like going after the perpetrator and it's more like a psychic attack. So, uh, giving back a hundred thousand fold what they gave to them. So. Just seeing everything in the news with Epstein and stuff like that and just what people go through. I've come close to evil a few times. Just a little touch of it here and there. You meet the wrong person or in the wrong place, wrong time. You really get to see what human nature is and how easy it is to destroy somebody's life. Those two songs are uh, you know, it's like biblical in some ways. It's supposed to scare the shit out of you.

27:20 Yeah. So, and then with no worse death, holy hell, or sorry, no worse death confrontation. That's a build, big buildup. Well, no worse death is, uh, more to do with severe depression and, uh, suicidal ideology. And then confrontations more from, uh, I guess, panic and, uh, the ups and downs of manic episodes, extreme highs, extreme lows, and then leads into suicide. And then there's the big, at the end with the chorus and everything, it's the, the realization, you know, and then the sorry part. And then it, it slows down and like the heartbeat stops. And then that's going to lead into the second album. I won't give away that one too much, but the second album is already laid out.

28:13 We've already, uh, we're already rehearsing six of the songs out of the eight and it's more to do with the afterlife. So, and it, it trails off of confrontation and there, there is going to be a part two to dedication as well. And it's more for the victims in hell this time. So we're, they were cursed to hell and now they're there and never will leave. So, uh, and then here for judgment was, uh, you see it a lot nowadays, just how easy this get brainwashed. Oh yeah. Oh, it's ridiculous. Everything's a cult. So, but, uh, I can't, I used to be part of, uh, I, a yoga, a yoga class, like, uh, something like that, you know?

29:03 And then, uh, I worked for the guy for about six to eight months. And you just realize that I was in a cult and all these people are, you know, scared to death. And he's going around telling everybody they're going to die unless they do as he says. And I was like, oh, I got to get the fuck out of here. And as I left, he said, well, you will die if you leave and spread all these rumors. I was going to fail in life. The song explains it, you know, but this is my big fuck you to him. Nice. He was a big name in the yoga world too. So I'm not going to give away who he is, but he's a piece of shit. so anyways and holy hell is the extension off of that and it really gives it to him it's like a personal letter just to him and people like that so.

29:51 And there are a lot of them you know like i'm also a motivational speaker and i went from being a student to being in that world. And I realized how many of them did not walk their talk. Now, a lot of the things that they say I believe in and have helped me in life so I can separate it for sure. But to be blunt. Just like you said, some pieces of shit and, and the people that prey on people's emotions. I, I remember when, I used to be in the financial business and then I went into the motivational business and some of the top speakers in the world wanted to take me on tour and they're like, we're going to teach you how to clean people's pockets in a seminar. And I was like, yeah, thanks, but no thanks. If I wanted to do that, I would have stayed in the financial business. You just shouldn't play with people's emotions and their goals and dreams and stuff like that and It's a shame because some of the things like yoga is a good thing. Psychic stuff can be a good thing, but then you have these bad apples that give it a bad name.

31:09 Yeah. It spoils the bunch. Exactly. A million percent. Yes. I did learn a lot from those times. Like as far as breathing and you know, getting centered and relaxed, I had to learn to separate the two. So yeah, that's my point. Yeah, exactly. I still believe in a lot of stuff that some of those people taught. I just don't believe in them. And you have to learn how to separate that. Yeah, exactly. So I would say it was a great lesson, you know, so really opened my eyes. So and a lot of those people, they got caught into it and they never left.

31:52 So exactly. So well, kudos to you for bailing from that world. Yeah. And then creating this great music. Yeah. I was, uh, yeah. Reg, regaining, you know, like, uh, you weren't allowed to feel any sort of emotion or anything. So this was definitely like becoming human and just putting every, everything into the album. I love that. Cause, cause music is some of the best therapy. Yeah. It's definitely all about emotion and passion.

32:33 I teach for a living I teach at Long and McQuaid's it's a big chain across Canada here I got a couple days a week there and I teach for my brother and his wife as well they have their own music studio so it's a constant in my life whether I'm teaching it or playing or writing I can't get enough of it so I got a ton of great students and You watch them grow through the years and then... Yeah, it's just amazing. It's a wonderful tool. I think everybody should learn. Absolutely. Or some sort of art.

33:14 Totally. And what you were saying about what you do, that's all that matters. If you love what you do, it's not a job. Exactly, yeah. I'm pretty happy all around. Well, there you go. I love it. And maybe. Maybe that, I'll say bluntly, asshole helped you to get there without knowing it. Yeah. I guess he deserves a thank you. He got a song. A thank you, fuck you. Yeah. You know, but yeah, I mean, I think sometimes we learn from the evil shit more than the good shit sometimes. Yeah.

33:54 Yeah, well, you can't have the good without the bad. Gotta find a balance somewhere. 100%. Well, I hope everybody checks out your music because it is definitely ferocious, but fucking amazing. So thank you for making such great music and going through that whole path to get here. And thanks for being on The Adventures of Pipe Man. I appreciate it. Thanks, King. Thank you for listening to The Adventures of Pipe Man. On W4CUI Radio.