Exclusive Interview: Disarmageddon talk “No Liberty”!

After a two year hiatus, what makes a South African Thrash outfit decide to dust down their instruments, get back into the rehearsal space and put together a debut album? “After the pandemic eased up around the middle of 2022, Matt contacted Ash and decided to try to reform the band. We had released Detonator the year before and it was well received. We knew we had something special with this band. Matt wrote three initial songs and asked Lance to re-join. Jay was asked to do vocals for the new album, giving him the perfect opportunity to get back into what he really loves. Desmond had already emigrated to New Zealand, so we still needed a drummer to complete the line-up. By some insane luck, Ash met Calvin through a friend and asked him to try out on drums. We got audition videos from him effortlessly tearing apart Suffocation and Slayer songs and we knew he had great talent, and after the rest of us met him we all got along well. You can never really resist the call for too long! At first, Lance was sloppy though and had his work cut out for him. And now here we are.”

What was it like having new drummer Calvin Meyer on board? How did that affect the dynamic of the group? “After meeting and jamming with Calvin we knew he was perfect for the band. He has given us all a massive energy boost. His insane stamina and meticulous attention to detail has helped us evolve into a much tighter and well-oiled machine. He’s a great guy and we all get along like a metal family. Calvin has made his presence known from the beginning, showing the band his dedication and putting out just as hard as any drummer in the genre today. He fits right in, pretty much since the first jam session we had. It didn’t have a negative impact at all! Plus he’s an amazing player. Bringing in a new drummer into any fold can be quite tricky at times, but Calvin’s skills has proven otherwise.”

We always say that even in the digital age, the first bite is with the eye and it has to be said that the artwork which adorns “No Liberty” is incredible! How did you go about choosing Adil Muhammad to work with and what do you feel the piece says about the project? “Matt had the initial vision for the cover design in mind based on the theme of the album, so we just had to find a talented artist that matched the style we wanted. Lance created the prototype design and found Adil online. We decided to commission the artwork this time. Lance was looking for an artist and his style just caught his eye as perfect for the album! Lance shared with the band and everyone agreed. Adil did a fantastic job. We really liked his portfolio, so it was a pretty easy decision to commission his services”

If we’re the product of our genes and our influences, who are your influences and what are in your jeans? “Matt is influenced heavily by 80’s metal. Particularly thrash, power, doom, prog and old-school death metal. Bands like Anthrax, Flotsam & Jetsam, Heathen, Fates Warning, Death, Sorcerer, Iced Earth, King Diamond and loads more have shaped the way he plays and writes music. Jay cites Thin Lizzy, Black Sabbath, Dio, Guns n Roses, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Halloween, Anthrax, Flotsam and Jetsam and Vio-lence as some of his influences. Way back Lance listened to lots of punk, in the skating days. When it came to guitar, he always was a huge Children of Bodom fan, as they were one of the early bands that got him into metal. He also likes Death Metal like Death of course, Obituary and Monstrosity. Power metal and NWOBHM are great too! As for Thrash, he likes bands like Anthrax, Sodom, Solstice, Evildead and Demolition Hammer. He’s also a big fan of Annihilator. Aura Noir is another great band, great old school stuff, check them out! The same applies to Ash and Calvin. Overall, we all love very similar bands within the metal sphere and it shows through our music. There are many more, too many to list here”

What are your aspirations for the project? Touring Europe? Playing a major festival? Gain an endorsement? Appear on the cover of Metal Hammer Magazine? “It would be a dream to play big festivals in Europe in front of thousands of fans who truly love old-school metal. To write and play music for a living is a major aspiration of Matt’s. Jay hopes for us to gain a huge international following and have the opportunity to tour Europe and the USA. Calvin and Lance agree that touring Europe is definitely one we want to accomplish. As for Ash, he wants us to take this band all the way.”

What’s next for Disarmageddon? “We really want to keep spreading our music as far and wide as we can. We’ll keep writing and releasing new albums and content online for our growing fanbase and hope it continues to gain traction.”

“No Liberty” by Disarmageddon was released on 1st March 2024 and is available over at bandcamp.