MADZILLA

It gets mighty hot in Vegas, both literally and figuratively, but the City That Never Sleeps seems to be a little short on quality metal bands. Here comes MADZILLA to rectify that situation!

Not to be confused with a dreadful pop diva using the same name, MADZILLA performs a rare feat in that they are heavy enough for underground metallers yet tuneful enough to appeal to a wider audience. Their sound can be compared to the more modern iterations of MEGADETH and METALLICA but including traces of classic metal ala PRIEST and QUEENSRYCHE and even radio friendly stuff like DISTURBED. Around since 2018, they’ve already toured with heavy hitters like SAXON and SOULFLY and played in international markets throughout Europe, Mexico and South America. For many, though, their new album “A Deadly Threat” will be their first encounter with MADZILLA.

The spokesman for the band is guitarist/vocalist David Cabezas so that was the fellow I made a beeline for to get the lowdown on this new force in metal. Time to ante up and talk to the man himself…

WORMWOOD CHRONICLES: Greetings and hails, David! MADZILLA will be a new name to many of our readers. I understand the band formed in 2018. Was this the first “real” gig for you guys or do you have a history with other bands or projects?

DAVID CABEZAS: Hi, thank you for taking the time to speak with me, I’m thrilled to be a part of this.

MADZILLA actually started as a personal project I had for myself, after playing for several years with different bands I never really felt I fit into. I found Daniel, our bass player, through an ad on Craigslist, and he had been in a similar situation as myself for the longest time, so we instantly clicked and started working together.Luis and Ian had previously played in some cover, and tribute bands. Ian for example played in a MEGADETH tribute band called FATAL ILLUSIONS.

But this really is the first gig where we all feel it’s the right path, and we all feel like a family.

WC: What was the “trigger” band that got you in this style of music? I hear strong overtones of METALLICA and MEGADETH in your style.

DC: Each of us has a different story to tell, every musician finds his path in different ways, but we all agree that early in our lives we decided music was the path. Listening to METALLICA’s “…And Justice For All” album did it for me. I had never heard anything like it before, that record is the reason I got into metal. It opened up my mind to a whole new world.

WC: Is there any musical influence that would maybe not be as obvious to a listener?

DC: GOJIRA probably, it’s one of Luis’s biggest influences. If you listen to the drums on songs like “Despair”, or even some of our older singles, like “Your Nemesis”, it’s a bit more obvious that it has GOJIRA influences.

WC:Your band is from Las Vegas, which is a fairly unique location for a metal band. What kind of metal scene exists there and how did the city influence your music?

DC: This is an interesting question, because the metal scene in Vegas has grown quite a bit since after Covid. A lot of newer bands started popping up after the world reopened, and it’s kept expanding ever since. I think it also got a pretty good push because many new venues opened after the lockdown, so it lead everything in that direction.

Another reason why the scene in Vegas has evolved is the amount of people moving here in the most recent year, from places like California, and other States nearby. The local scene has an influence on every band, as you can’t really become a touring band without having first been part of the local scene. And as such, you get a lot of growth from playing alongside other locals, and going to see other bands in town. Therefore, we owe a good deal of our style and sound to the Vegas Metal Scene for sure.

WC: For a young band, you’ve played some pretty major shows live. Which gig stands out the most for you?

DC: Tokio Marine Hall in São Paulo, Brazil, as part of the tour we did in South America supporting SAXON!! It’s the largest crowd we’ve played for so far, over 5 000 people that night! It’s still mesmerizing to think about that night.

WC: You did a tour with SOUFLY during the heart of the pandemic era. That had to be a pretty strange experience. How did that help shape the band?

DC: We were lucky, we played the last show on that run one week before the world shut down! It was destined to work out I suppose. 

Max Cavalera has helped shape this band quite a bit, I must say. That tour was a unique experience, and Max and his crew welcomed us with open arms. They have really acted as mentors to us, not only on that tour, but once the world reopened we met again at the Warlando Metal Fest 2021, and just recently as we supported GO AHEAD AND DIE last month. We have learned so much from Max, and we hope our paths meet again soon.

WC: You played in South America and Mexico with the mighty SAXON. What was the energy like there? I’ve been told that South American crowds are like what America was in the 80’s...off the hook.

DC: There are no words to describe it! The metal scene in Latin America is so powerful!! Every city is thirsty for metal, and everyone is always open to new music. It was awesome!!

WC:  What is the songwriting process like for the band? Are you the “general” that calls the shots or does everybody take part?

DC: Not sure if the “general” label fits, hahaha, but I do call a few of the shots. What I mean is that songs usually start with a riff or two I bring to writing sessions. From there, I usually get together with Luis to loop some riffs while he works on drum parts, and actually figure out all the parts of the songs. But everyone always contributes with ideas and arrangements. There are also songs that Ian or Daniel brought the original draft, and I just helped shape them a bit.

WC:  Where are you coming from lyrically? “A Deadly Threat” seems to be a cautionary tale about society. Things seems reality based for MADZILLA.

DC: Usually the lyrics talk about real life experiences I have had or encountered at some point. Most times I write about my own problems, fears, and feelings.

‘A Deadly Threat’ is probably one of the few singles I have written that is a bit less personal, but like you are mentioning, the whole album is a cautionary tale about society.The single really does describe what I have seen and experienced when traveling to different countries, and how no matter where your are, or who you are surrounded by, there always seems to be some kind of greedy/power hungry entity within every society, that ends up making things far more complicated than they actually need to be.

There’s a lot of unnecessary suffering going on around the world, that could easily be avoided if we all dialed down the “need for more” that we instinctively have. 

With that in mind, the ‘A Deadly Threat’ album is a short story, that narrates the journey of a power hungry being, who brings destruction and devastation everywhere he goes, with the goal of ruling everything. However, once he has actually achieved his dystopian goal, because of so much destruction and death, he ends up ruling an empty world, as there is nothing left. A lot of the lyrics on the album describe the feelings this being feels once he comes to this realization.

We can make ‘A Deadly Threat’ only a story, and not breaking news. All we need to do is be a little kinder.

WC: Is there one song off the new album that has special meaning for you, that you’re especially proud of?

DC: “Warfare Within”. I tend to keep my troubles bottled up inside me. I’ve never been good at sharing how I feel with others, or ask anyone for help, even if I clearly need it. I guess the actual thought behind it has always been to not be a burden to anyone else; “These are my problems, I got myself into this mess, so I’ll fix it”. “Warfare Within” describes this exactly, and how it really can become war inside one’s mind. I always use my songs as a channel to let those troubles out. I do hope that MADZILLA’s music can help other do the same.

WC: I’d say the band is on the border between classic metal in the vein of PRIEST and MAIDEN and melodic thrash like MEGADETH and TESTAMENT. Would you agree?

DC: Definitely! 

WC: How do you see MADZILLA evolving in the future? Are you in a pretty comfortable groove or is there room for major changes?

DC: We like and are proud of what we have achieved musically, but we are not in any way satisfied. MADZILLA will always evolve, because we are all very thirsty for knowledge, and we’ll always work on expanding our capabilities! So stay tuned, MADZILLAhas a lot more to offer!

WC: What are some of your current live plans?

DC: We’ll be supporting the legendary TARJA in Costa Rica and El Salvador in May 2024! 

WC: If you could have dinner with any 3 people from history, who would they be?

DC: Jimi Hendrix, the soccer player Pele, and Steve Jobs. We like people who are innovative, and help the world by bringing joy with new ideas and new ways of living and enjoying life!

WC:  Have you ever had a “Spinal Tap” moment where things went haywire that you could share with us?

DC: Oh man! So many hahaha!My amp’s power tubes blew up one time, onstage! And I mean… I played the first chord of the show’s intro and boom, bye bye tubes!

Every moment that has been difficult has taught us something, I think we are the band we are because of everything that has gone wrong at some point. 

WC: Any last words or messages?

DC: Thank you for taking the time to talk to me, and listen to my random stories! I’m grateful to have been here! Come see us on our next tours when we reach a city nearby!! We do guarantee you will have fun!!

MADZILLA