Hot Facts with Art Of Shock

Los Angeles based thrash metal band Art Of Shock announces their rescheduled 2021 tour dates for the Sepultura North American Quadra Tour and recently released their debut full-length album, Dark Angeles via Century Media Records. Naturally, I wanted to know all the hot facts.

1. Name one fact that defines the beginning of your career.

Art: When my brother, Adrian, and I moved to Los Angeles, just a few weeks in, Adrian booked a gig at the Whiskey A Go Go with just two weeks to prepare. We didn’t have a full band. We had no gear, no practice space. We had just a few songs and an idea. So, the defining moment is, that in the span of two weeks we got it all and we pulled it off! Since then, we’ve never said no to a good challenge and that’s one of the core values that define our band.

2. Name an unexpected hardship that you had to face when you were starting out.

Art: Having to tour the country with a crew of people that wasn’t cut for it and to see them falling like flies, just on the first week. I know that’s on us, but we had no money and no experience at the moment. Live and learn!

3. Name the funniest thing that has ever happened to the band so far.

Art: Really early on, I remember a show we played at the Viper Room. The curtain opens and on the first few seconds of the first song my main guitar dies! I played it cool for a few verses. Then as soon as I could, I jumped to the side of the stage to get my spare guitar (at that point in time we had no crew and those two guitars were my only material possessions). So, I made my way back to the microphone and jumped back into the song. Again, a few seconds later my spare guitar just falls on the floor and the head breaks (I had forgotten to put the strap-locks on!) At that point there wasn’t much I could do, so I just grabbed the mic and started singing. Luckily for me, there was a catwalk installed from a burlesque show the night before. So I just literally kicked away the guitar that was on the floor and stormed into the catwalk as if that was part of the show! Well, we see it as comedy now but when it happened it was almost a tragedy!

4. Name one thing that motivates you to keep going.

Art: My motivation is that I’ve found my passion, what I really like in life. Why would I want to do anything else?

5. Name one thing that differentiates Dark Angeles.

Art: It depends on what you wanna differentiate it from. The band (not it’s individuals) was born and raised on the streets of Hollywood, playing the Sunset Strip and partying at the Rainbow. We took a lot of inspiration from the Hollywood experience and that could be different from many other modern metal releases. Another thing could be, the way we mix textures and atmospheres and we add elements that are not necessarily obvious to the general. We might be trashy at the core, but if you listen to the album you’ll hear all those other elements- death, black, punk rock, growls, screams and clean vocals- with a very wide range sprinkled all over the record.

6. Name one band that you worked/toured with and surprised you pleasantly.

Art: Huntress! Jill [Janus] was one of the first people that genuinely supported us in Hollywood. For a few years, almost every time that Huntress had a homecoming show, she would put us on the bill. Feeling that kinship and support and then seeing them work on and off stage, is for sure one of my most cherished memories. We learned a lot from them. We were very lucky to have been able to witness them blossoming into the humongous beautiful beast that they became. We will forever miss Jill.

7. Name one thing that actually shocks you in the music industry.

Art: Nothing really. All the things that could be “shocking” are actually very predictable. Many of the stories you’ve heard are probably true!

8. Name one thing about each band member that describes their personality.

Nick is an outdoorsman. He’s from Colorado and loves outdoor sports and activities.

Adrian is an eternal kid, always collecting toys, video games, and basketball shoes.

Brice is really into fitness and he loves movies

And as for me (Art) I’m really into creating. I like to hole up in my studio, developing new ideas.

9. Name one thing that ‘casts a shadow’ in your music dreams.

Art: Time. I’ve come to the painful realization that there’s not enough time in this life, to do absolutely everything that I’d like to do. But I’ve come to terms with that idea at this point. I want to focus a hundred percent into what can be done today.

10. Name the best and most appreciated way your fans could support you now.

Art: Reading this piece is one of them! Also, go check our album on all digital platforms. If you like it, buying would be highly appreciated! You can also get your hands on some cool ass merch on our website.