Any metal band emerging from San Francisco’s Bay Area has a fair amount to live up to. Fortunately, Mudface have already struck upon a winning formula: balls-out heavy metal with big choruses, muscular grooves and plenty of thrash-fuelled grit. As showcased on new album The Bane Of Existence, this band aim to get the basics right and honour a grand legacy with a truckload of passion.
“Some of those legendary guys are our friends. Ted [Aguilar] from Death Angel and I started this band,” says vocalist Chris Dinsmore. “All of these bands gave the Bay Area its rich thrash and metal history. We’ve got a lot of respect for them and have learned a lot about what being in a band takes. No compromises, be yourself!”
Despite a knack for enormous hooks that recall Five Finger Death Punch at their most bullish, Mudface aren’t peddling meat and potatoes. There are shades of everything from Deftones atmospherics to classic metal within their sound. As Chris explains, having a distinctive identity and a broad palette is the way forward.
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“What makes music special is the limitless possibilities that allow you to create and explore,” he says. “I get really bored of hearing 10 bands in a row that all sound alike. It’s like eating pizza every day. You’re like ‘I fucking love pizza!’ until about a week in, and then you’re like, ‘Fuck pizza!’”
With tentative plans to cross the Atlantic this year, Mudface are committed to adding a dash of spice to the diets of mainstream rock and metal fans everywhere. Until they launch a full scale assault on the world’s ears, the band’s recent video for album highlight Hellfoot neatly sums up the philosophy behind these dogged riff-wielders’ irresistibly thunderous songs.
“Hellfoot is about choices,” Chris states. “I believe your life’s path is carved by the choices you make. Sometimes you live, learn and become a better person because of past mistakes. Sometimes you refuse to learn and you suffer the consequences. Sometimes those choices are made for you, good or bad. It comes down to how you handle the cards you’re dealt.”
What's the difference between Bay Area and East Coast thrash?
