Interviews: DEVASTATOR

On this new occasion, we have had the opportunity to interview the  Thrash Metal/Black Metal band, DEVASTATOR, from the UK. Check out the interview and follow the band on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

1. Where did you get the idea for the band name, you planned it or came just like that?

The name came a year after the early incarnations of what would become the band today were jamming covers in the rehearsal rooms. In the early days we were not the most productive band, we spent our time getting drunk and playing Sodom covers, very poorly might we add!

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

Originally the aim was to sound more like a Bay Area Thrash band but as time went on, members came and gone and skeletons of songs started to materialise we found we were far more in tune with our Teutonic Thrash influences and when a shared admiration for Venom was made clear our musical direction was set almost on its own.

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?

Yes and no. Jack knew Richard and they discussed forming what would eventually become Devastator after a handful of line up, name and direction changes. Tom was in an old-school Death Metal band and Chris was fronting his longtime Heavy Metal worship band in the small local metal scene here in Derby but they knew each other and drank in the same pubs and clubs as you do. Eventually both of those bands fell through though, Tom put his full focus on Devastator and eventually took over lead vocals as well as bass and Chris joined the band after watching the three-piece perform live at the debut show, the rest is history.

4. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

Everything we do stems from our shared passion to create, as a unit we work incredibly well together, we are fans of this obnoxious music and we want to create music that we would want to hear.

5. Each band members favourite band?

Jack: Metallica, I was bought up on the ‘Black Album’, my taste developed from there. My Dad was a huge influence on what I love to listen to today bands like Motorhead, Motley Crue, Nirvana bands like that. Slipknot were huge on me though, I wouldn’t be a drummer if it wasn’t for Joey Jordison, period.

Chris: Has to be Motörhead, after seeing them live as a teenager I was changed forever, the sheer noise and power that a three-piece could create was mindblowling to me. Other influences come from 80s Thrash bands, like Kreator, Testament, Exodus, Slayer and the like.

Rich: My favourite metal band is Dethklok, I had never heard melodic lead playing like that in an extreme metal band. As I’ve gotten an older I have learnt to heavily appreciate and examine a wide variety of different musical styles outside of metal; John Coltrane, Beethoven, Jason Becker and Freddy Hubbard all spring to mind.

Tom: Like Chris, Motörhead was my first love, the raw energy and uncompromising ‘f*ck you’ rock and roll sound and attitude was like nothing I had ever heard before. Not too long after I shown Venom by a friend in school and that was it for me, anything extreme whether it was Punk, Crust, Thrash, Death, Black or Grind I loved it all the same. I soon discovered Bathory, Celtic Frost/Hellhammer, Sepultura, Slayer of course, Sarcofago, Discharge and others, I never looked back.

6. Where was your last gig?

The last show we performed was back in February at the Chameleon in Nottingham, one of our stomping grounds, it was a great show, set up by our close friend Phil Core who runs Torturous Promotions, he always sorts us out. Sadly, due to the COVID pandemic we have yet to get back on the live stage.

7. Where would you like to act?

How long do you have? There are so many places we would to play, the Bloodstock Festival, the Download Festival, the Wacken Open Air Festival as well as touring mainland Europe and of course the United States! We could go on and on!

8. Who would you like to feature with?

Once again, how long do you have? The list would be endless but some of our heroes for sure like Venom Inc, Sodom, Megadeth, Metallica, Destruction, Kreator. Even our peers and friends in the underground too like Hellripper, Hellfekted, Beyond Your Design and Abduction to name few from the UK. We actually have a mini-tour booked with two of those bands but unfortunately we think we may have to postpone due to the ongoing situation here in Britain.

9. Who not?

Listen, a show is a show. We’ll play with anyone, anytime, anywhere. 

10. Suffer from stage fright? Any tips for beating it?

Stage fright is a great thing; it gives you all the adrenaline you need. Take the bull by the horns, there is nothing to be afraid of. Though working in a band is a little easier than being on your own, you have that constant support from your band members, but still, embrace the stage fright, it’s good for you.

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

As collective we wear our influences on our sleeves, bands like Venom, Bathory, Sodom, Destruction, Kreator, Celtic Frost and of course Motörhead. But there is also some unexpected stuff like Mercyful Fate, Thin Lizzy and even Van Halen to some extent, you can hear pieces of those bands in us, especially in the guitar work.

12. What’s the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for?

To be honest, photographs are still a strange thing for us. Don’t get us wrong, we love it as much as the next group of guys but none of us have really experienced a lot in terms of stuff like that outside of this band.

13. What do you think of your fans?

Simply incredible. There is no other real way to put it.

14. What do you think of our site?

That’s a mighty fine website you got there, is it Wix?

15. Something add?

Thank you to everyone who has supported this band from the very beginning, we are so grateful for the reception that the new singles from the album have received so far. We would like to say a big thank you to our driver, merch guy and all around great guy Big Ralph, without him we wouldn’t be doing anything let alone sitting here doing this interview with you. Check out all our socials, you can find us on Facebook and Instagram, check out our official Bandcamp for new merchandise coming soon and our latest single “Spiritual Warfare” available on all streaming platforms and digital download! Our debut album “Baptised in Blasphemy” is available for pre-order now on Clobber Record’s webstore and will be out worldwide on July 10 th