Dallas Brutal Death
Origin: Dallas, Texas (2017)
Line up
Vocals - Thickneck Taylor
Guitar - Austin Douglass
Bass - Mark Chandler
Drums - Brennan Shackelford
Guitar - Vaughn Stoffey
Eminent Proclivity Promotions: Hey guys, I had spoken with you a while back. I asked for this interview because I know you are definitely moving forward at an accelerated pace. Let’s get these updates.
How long has this line up held steady?
Thickneck- “Vaughn joined us about a year ago, and our boy Mark came into the fold about three months ago. Fortunately for us, these dudes have come to play so we haven't missed a step since the lineup change originally happened.”
Your single “Skewered” was released in 2017. In 2018 a demo was released, but at the time there were four of you, correct?
Thickneck- “Yeah we dropped that on Christmas Day of 2017, at the time the lineup consisted of Brennan, Austin, Mike Leach (bass player for CESSPOOL OF CORRUPTION/ DEMONSEED), and myself.”
Later in 2020 your first video “Purification through Perforation” was created. A track off the EP “Matriarchal Despoilment.” What was it like creating that first video, and more importantly, individually… the feelings involved as you introduced it to world?
Thickneck- “That was a great night. Lots of close homies came out and we just partied it up till it was time to shoot. Our buddy Steve Salter of Upgraded Underground did a great job shooting it and I personally was very pleased with the reactions we got when the video debuted on Slam Worldwide. Lotta shit happened between 2017 and 2020, so us being able finally drop something for the fans was really rewarding.”
Brennan- “Shooting that video was really fun since it was shot at a house party with a bunch of our friends. When the video was released it was very exciting because we were finally able to show what we're made of to a larger audience thanks to Slam Worldwide.”
Can you give us an update on a release date for the next full length album “She Died A Virgin?” Brennan- “We're hoping for a fall 2022 release. Mark is recording his bass tracks currently and Thickneck is writing lyrics for a few songs. The rough mixes with guitar and drums we've gotten from Tony Tipton already sound crushing!”
Thickneck- “Yeah, it's gonna end up being my fault if we don't hit that deadline cause I'm still writing the lyrics for the album, haha, but it's coming soon!”
Who is the lyricist for this coming album?
Thickneck- “I write everything so if you hate the lyrics or the topics we talk about, direct that shit at me, hahaha!”
When in practice and coming together in harmony, do you guys just all know each other’s language and follow rhythm?
Austin- “We've pretty much clicked from day one as close musicians and friends, it’s never been an issue in the creating process.”
Vaughn- “I think we also share a lot of similar influences and references for this particular style of brutal Death metal, so that translates over into how we move as a band musically. Everyone in this band has a strong grasp on independent time, so then it’s a matter of listening to each other rather than ourselves. I know for me, I’m always more tuned into how Brennan and Austin are phrasing the riffs during the set than my own playing.”
Brennan- “Yeah, we try to maintain a very good lock up and feel as a band. We don't play to a click track/metronome so that we can keep a good "human" feel. We know each other's tendencies in terms of playing faster or slower and are always listening to each other.”
You guys look to be a handful of fun!!! I can imagine a day in practice with you. I know I got my ticket in a safe for SUFFOCATION during The forces of Hostility tour, June 11, 2022 at Trees. Are you guys ready to show them how Texas is still going hard and heavy?
Austin- “Oh yes, we definitely can't wait to show the crowd how we do our thing.”
Brennan- “Yes indeed! SUFFOCATION is one of our favorite bands and we look up to them immensely. It will be a real pleasure to open for them and demonstrate our next generation brutality. We're going to be playing a couple new songs so be sure to get there early!”
Thickneck- “Yeah, playing with SUFFOCATION is gonna be super sick. Those dudes have influenced all of us individually for a long time and to share the stage with them is something I'm super stoked on.”
Mark- “I'm actually super excited to FINALLY play in Texas after years of touring and never actually making it down that way. More importantly stoked to play with these boys and let the madness commence!”
Being from Dallas, Texas. I know REVILED has a tour set up for June 22 -28, 2022 ending at the Chicago Domination Fest. Tell us about these cities out of state you will be hitting. Also include the bands that are set to travel with REVILED?
Thickneck- “We're gonna be hitting the road with our good friends in PUTRID WOMB and ARCHITECTURAL GENOCIDE, which we absolutely can't wait for cause we love partying with those dudes. Tour starts at Haltom Theater on July 22nd and we got SCAPHISM, ASPHYXIATION INFECTA, EMPTY SHELL, DEMONSEED, and ASTYANAX jamming with us that night. Gonna be an absolute banger. After that we have Oklahoma City, OK with PEELING FLESH; Kansas City, KS with SAPROGENOUS and DAMNED BY THE POPE; MENOMONIE, WI with SEXUAL ATROCITIES; Lafayette, IN with HANDSOME PRICK. Then, we top it all off with CDF 7 with fucking GORGASM and TO VIOLENTLY VOMIT. Safe to say it's gonna be a sick week and we are extremely excited for it.”
What’s it like for each of you as individuals actually performing outside of Texas?
Thickneck- “I love playing for people we've never met cause they're usually like "what in the fuck?" when they hear the speed that we come in with from the first song in the set haha. It's a great feeling being able to get a room full of people, who have no obligation to be there, to fucking rock out with us. Then getting to have brews and hang and meet new homies, that's what it's all about for me.”
Vaughn- “I think we’re at a point now where it’s important to take a new version of this band and take it to the brutal Death fans live, as excited as I am for the new album and its impact, I think ultimately, it’s about the live experience. If you can deliver your music to an audience live and in the moment, the spirit and energy of the music resonates more with them.”
Brennan- “For me it's very rewarding to take the show to a new set of people that have never heard much like what we do. We play our hometown often enough that it feels like a completely new experience every time we play out. It breathes new life into the music and we play better, I think. The energy we get back from the crowds in new places makes it very exciting and I think the crowd and us both want to come back for more!”
Austin- “At this point it’s like another day at the office, but I enjoy every opportunity we get to share our music with the people.”
I want to go into a little more depth because I know you got a huge following. I would like to talk about Gored in the Heart of Texas Fest going on September 23-24, 2022 at Haltom Theater. That’s like 25 mean ass bands in one city. You guys seem to get a crowd roaring. How does sharing a stage with most of metal’s meanest on this weekend make you feel? Individually?
Thickneck- “We've been very fortunate to have had the opportunities to build friendships and connections with a lot of the bands that inspired us to play this music. So, being able to have bands like BRODEQUIN/ MALIGNANCY come down to TX and play my festival is truly an honor. I'm extremely blessed to have a good team around me and very much look forward to making DFW the home of Brutal Death in TX.”
Brennan- “Yeah, playing with bands we look up to is always very sick and is the best part of doing this. Similar to opening the SUFFOCATION show, it's a great opportunity for us to show off our new breed of brutality to the people who made us want to do it in the first place!”
Austin- “It’s an honor to play with such amazing classic acts, and displaying our brand of brutality.”
I have recently been presented with the honors of grabbing a few quick interviews at Gored in the Heart of Texas Fest. Let me tell you what an honor this going to be for Eminent Proclivity Promotions. Stuff’s about to get real for Texas. Can you tell me what monster mode you must’ve been going through as you built this massive line up?
Thickneck- “Honestly, I don't really know how this happened, haha. I know that Miguel from Chicago Domination Fest and I talked about me maybe making this an annual thing after I put on the first edition of Gored back in 2021 (it was only 9 bands last year), then like 3 days later I had 26 bands booked. He was definitely a huge help (my Death Fest Master Yoda haha) and I'm extremely excited to have this platform to bring Brutal Death back to DFW. I have had a few bands that had to cancel here and there, and they've already all been replaced with bands of the same quality and extremity, so for the most part this has been a very smooth first go at this massive two day thing
I know I have friends in Las Vegas heading this way for Gored. They hit me up in regards to tickets. They were directed to the event page. Will you clarify some ticket information and how we can grab the goodies?
Thickneck- “Of course! So tickets are on sale now at goredintheheartoftexasfest.bigcartel.com
We have single day passes, two day passes, and a VIP bundle that come with a two day pass, a fest exclusive Gored in the Heart T-shirt, and giant Gored in the Heart wall flag.”
Ok so, I know that in my own experience, reaching out to other promoters trying get bands I worked with some exposure. I had to take things and build my own shows. What was your thought process and visions for Thickneck Productions but also your brothers in REVILED and many other bands you now bring opportunity for?
Thickneck- “Honestly, I just want DFW to be a pulsating hub of brutality and I want to give sick bands, whether they're well known or not, a place to display what they have to offer the Brutal Death scene. I'm not trying to build a massive brand or make money off this, I just want to book sick bands, pay them what they deserve, and hang out homies and listen to blast beats for six hours, haha.”
So, the sky is endless right now for REVILED. Can you each tell me your strengths you bring as you move forward to keeping REVILED going?
Thickneck- So I handle the booking and the correspondence with our lable Ablated Records, print shops, all that crap. I'm also the bozo who posts all the goofy shit you see on our social media accounts, haha
Alongside that since I write the lyrics I have a heavy hand in the art we get made cause. Well, it was my idea haha.
Brennan- Outside of drumming I take on a lot of logistics and business alongside Thickneck.
Austin- Continually raising my bar personally as a musician to create faster, sicker, better Brutal Death metal by studying multiple styles of music at any given moment.
Vaughn- I think coming into this band and being the kind of musician that can adapt to the musical style these guys have been developing for the past few years, internalizing it, and then trying to contribute to it compositionally. Everyone in this band has been super supportive and receptive to any ideas I’ve brought to the table, but I think ultimately, my strength in the band right now is the ability to integrate my own perception of Brutal Death metal into a band that already had a strong musical identity and not getting in the way
Mark- “I try to bring a different approach to bass playing and want to bring that to the REVILED Camp. Keeping it brutal of course but also changing things up from the ‘norm’ Slaps, taps and brrrrappps are all a part of my arsenal which I will be applying and improving on to make the future that much more exciting, interesting, and of course, brutal.
Also bringing the extreme dad New Balance, jorts, and mowing.”
Words of Encouragement:
Any words for REVILED followers?
Thickneck- “We really appreciate your continued support these past five years. We've had some ups and downs over the last few years, but you guys have stuck with us and we're gonna make sure you're gonna be glad you did. Our upcoming album "She Died a Virgin" is my thank you letter to all you sickos out there, haha, so check that shit out when it drops on Ablated Records!”
Brennan- “Keep your eyes peeled for "She Died a Virgin" on Ablated Records, and always listen to more DISGORGE, DEFEATED SANITY, and DEEDS OF FLESH!”
Austin- Stay sick always
Mark- Really excited to get together with these talented, down to earth dude and see what the future holds. I'm very proud of what they accomplished before me and am excited to see and hear what people think about what our hard work has accomplished on this new album. See you out there!
Any words of encouragement for musicians just now stepping into the scene?
Mark- “Stick to yourself but put yourself out there. Never know when your little band from Cambridge Ontario, Canada will allow you to play with people all over the world including my sick brothers in REVILED Skylar, Brennan, Austin, and Vaughn.”
Brennan- “Keep it fucking sick and blast always!”
Austin- “Practice hard, and stay sick.”
Thickneck- “Don't be a dick, be a dude. Also, don't play black Metal.”
Thank you REVILED.
Follow me at Eminent Proclivity Promotions for more details on the Gored in the Heart of Texas Fest video interview. More TBA.
Huge thank you to Scriptorium Magazine.
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