THE BEAST

Robex Lundgren Musik Blogg Interviews the band Madrost!

Have any of you played in other bands?
Tanner: We all have played in bands previous to Madrost (Muh-drawst) starting in the mid 2000’s. During those times it was more on the death metal and grind core side of things as far as our previous bands go.

What are your names? / Who plays what?
Tanner Poppitt: Vocals and Guitar
Necro Nick: Guitar
Richard Orellana: Vocals and Bass
Mark Rivas: Drums

Have you had other previous members?
Tanner: We have had a few lineup changes in the past but this current lineup is our strongest and most determined for sure.

Where are you from?
Tanner: Madrost is from all over the Southern California region

What year did the band form?
Tanner: July 2007 is when the band formed

What's your style of genre?
Tanner: Nowadays we categorize us as more of a progressive death/thrash metal band but started out as a full on death metal outfit.

What inspires you?
Tanner: It just depends on what aspect really. In terms of musical inspirations go, that ranges from metal to grindcore to jazz to progressive music to pretty much everything in and between the spectrum of music.

Are you looking for a booking agency, and what are your thoughts around that?
Tanner: We absolutely are looking for a booking agent to help us achieve a goal of ours. That would be for us to finally head out and tour Europe for the first time. I think it is a great thing to bring outside people on board who know what to do and how to get things done in specific fields that us as the band members cannot complete on our own.

Are you looking for a label, and what are your thoughts around that?
Tanner: We are always looking to get to that next step. No Life Til Metal Records has been nothing but awesome to work with and we look forward to seeing what will happen next for us in the near future.

What are your songs about?
Tanner: I tend to write lyrics that are left up too interpretations. I think it is not my place to try and pinpoint what specific songs are about because it defeats the purpose of what it could mean to other people.

Who does the composing and writes the lyrics?
Tanner: Necro Nick and myself do most of the music writing. I write all of the lyrics and structure every song together to show the guys and it seems to be working that way.

Do you compose in a certain environment?
Tanner: Yes, I will go to Necro Nick’s house to write and we just knock out a song pretty much each day that we write together.

Have you done any covers live?
Tanner: Oh man, I believe the last cover we ever did live was at Thrash’s De Mayo 6 in 2013 where we played Hirax’s “Bombs of Death” and that seemed to go over extremely well for us only playing it that one time.

What are the least and most people to attend one of your gigs?
Tanner: Usually that ranges from literally nobody to a couple hundred people. It just depends on who is playing and at what time we play during that night.

What ages are most of your concert attendants?
Tanner: I would say right around the age os 25 give or take ha

Do you always play the same songs live, or do you vary?
Tanner: No, only speaking fro myself i can tell you that it gets tiring playing the same tracks live and feels like a job. We tend to mix it up and have fun live these days.

Do you have a regular place you play live often?
Tanner: Not particularly, we tend to tour more so then play local gigs. Malones is a favorite spot to play for me personally.  

What was your first gig like?
Tanner: My first gig was in my backyard. My dad built a stage with lights on plywood and PVC piping. We played all covers and eventually got the cops called on us twice throughout the night

What was your latest gig?
Tanner: Our latest show was in November of 2019 where we played our brothers in Infirmity at your record release show for their “Descendants of Sodom” record. That show ruled and cant thank them enough for that opportunity!

Where have you played live this year?
Tanner: We have not played in 2020. We were supposed to in June/July but for obvious reasons that did not happen.

When did you start to sell merchandise, and what do you have for sale?
Tanner: We started to sell merchandise pretty much right out of the gate. I remember our first t-shirt was with just our old school Madrost(Mu-drawst) logo and sold out immediately. Madrost.bandcamp.com is our main site that sells CD’s, vinyls, t shirts, patches, you name it!

Where can people buy your merchandise?
Tanner: Madrost.bandcamp.com is our main site for merchandise. If you want the physical CDs and Vinyls of the “Charring the Rotting Earth” record. For the moment, they are available at www.nolifetilmetalrecords.com

What do you think about people downloading music instead of buying records nowadays?
Tanner: I honestly do not worry about those people. Nowadays with streaming and what not, it doesn’t interest me. I am old school at heart so if there is a band that I like and hear a song off their bandcamp or youtube channel, then I attempt to track down a physical copy and own that piece of music. Plus it helps me get it onto my own radio shows (Razor Radio and Poppitt’s Corner) so they are on another platform.

How do you think the music industry has changed because of this?
Tanner: The music industry has changed drastically just from streaming. It is now a singles world as oppose to an album world. Nothing I myself can do about it but it is interesting to witness. I just keep doing what I want to do and do not worry about the outside is doing.

What do you think of my work?
Tanner: I think what you are doing is hugely important to us next generation of metal bands. We all need these platforms to help us get out there to the masses and see what comes back our way. Thank you for doing what you do.

How do you think and know that this interview will help you in the music business?
Tanner: Anything helps at this point for us bands. We know a lot of the bigger platforms will not touch a lot of unsigned and indie bands. With that said, you are taking a chance with each band that you interview and aren’t influenced by an outside source. You interview who you want to interview because you hopefully think the music is worth being heard.

Do you have any role models or idols?
Tanner: Tons of role models. Frank Marino from Mahogany Rush is a huge one for me. The best guitar player of all time in my opinion.

Why do you think that they exist?
Tanner: I think they exist as a reminder that there is hope for us musicians to become the next inspiration to the next generation. They remind us that it is ok to fail as much as it is to succeed.

Is it easier to find inspiration from older bands, or bands that are more active today?
Tanner: Honestly, both. We still enjoy the classics and get excited when a new band does something different. We try to be that band with each album.

What have been your biggest obstacles?
Tanner: Getting noticed has been our biggest obstacle. We hope to break that barrier for us soon enough but it just can't come any sooner ha.

What advice would you give other bands or artists?
Tanner: Be careful with who you work with. Make sure you plan everything out and achieve the goals you set in place for yourself. Start small.

Do you have any new material?
Tanner: Nothing new at the moment. Right now we are just wanting to promote “Charring the Rotting Earth” which is coming out at the end of September 2020

What are your web sites?
Tanner: Madrost.bandcamp.com is our main site for merchandise. If you want the physical CDs and Vinyls of the “Charring the Rotting Earth” record. For the moment, they are available at www.nolifetilmetalrecords.com

Do you have something to add?
Tanner: Thank you very much for taking the time to interview us and help make this album a success. Appreciate all the support and we will see you on the road!

Founded in the summer of 2007, MADROST is a Southern California based progressive death thrash act with a focus on precision songwriting and energetic diverse approach to their sound. Influenced by the likes of Metal Church, Death, ELP, Believer, Exhumed and Iron Maiden , the band has transformed from the simplistic death thrash style to incorporating a wide range of other instruments and time signatures into their version of extreme metal.

For fans of Toxic Holocaust, The Crown, Vader, Nevalra

With the release of 2012’s Maleficent album, the world had gained a small taste of what was to come for the bands overall sound and career. A standard death thrash style album, but was only further developed with 2014’s sophomore release Into the Aquatic Sector . The same year, the band had been on a few tours and was starting to gain more support within the metal scene world wide. It wasn’t until 2017’s The Essence of Time Matches No Flesh that the band really saw a huge jump in popularity. Incorporating more of a progressive element into their sound and getting reviewed by such magazines as Decibel , the band had really come together and found their sound.

2020’s Charring the Rotting Earth saw MADROST not only working with No Life Til Metal Records for the first time, but the band was not afraid to incorporate more symphonic elements into their sound. With the help of keyboardist Sam Meador (Xanthochroid) making a huge presence on the album, the band is on the pathway to a new sound that is sure to be remembered and taken to the next level.

Track Listing:
01 - The Serpent’s Quest
02 - To Prevail the Wicked
03 - Dying Thoughts
04 - Impossible Dreams
05 - A Violent End to Life
06 - Pulverized
07 - Charring the Rotting Earth

Lineup:
Tanner Poppitt: Vocals and Guitar
Necro Nick: Guitar
Richard Orellana: Vocals and Bass
Mark Rivas: Drums
Keyboards: Sam Meador courtesy of Xanthochroid

Music by Tanner Poppitt and Necro Nick
Except Pulverized by Tanner Poppitt and Mark Rivas
Lyrics by Tanner Poppitt
Artwork by Tony Koehl
Produced and Recorded by Madrost
Mixed and Mastered by Hannes Grossman

CD Pre-order:
https://roxxrecords.com/collections/nltm-2019-releases/products/madrost-charring-the-rotting-earth-cd

LP Pre-order:
https://roxxrecords.com/collections/nltm-2019-releases/products/madrost-charring-the-rotting-earth-lp 

Follow the band here:

www.facebook.com/madrost
madrost.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/madrost_official/