Behind the influence: Devin Wade, Dylan Monahan and Gritty
I posed a question on social media recently to do an article series on musicians in the Irish and international scenes, ill probably do this once a month, it’s a way to dig in and see behind the stage presence of some really cool bands, these are 3 responses I received.
Devin Wade
The Guitarist for the Nashville based blackened deathcore band ‘Confront the elders’ Devin says the 3 most influential bands to him were ‘Lorna shore’ ‘Mental Cruelty’ and ‘Enterprise Earth’
Bands logo - Artist unknown
“All three bands have given me tons of inspiration on my writing. Mental Cruelty’s amazing black metal riffs and choir arrangements, Enterprise Earths solos, heavy rhythm and memorable chorus’s, however Lorna shore has the biggest influence out of the three when it comes to my writing. The way they are able to take you on a journey from front to back on a record is a true art.” he said when asked about the bands influence on him.
Confront the elders - Photo credit unknown
Continuing he states “The insane drumming, fast riffs, slamming breakdowns, massive choruses, amazing orchestral arrangements and beautiful solos from Lorna are everything I strive to be like in my writing, all these bands are absolute powerhouses and I hope to help bring my band to their level of writing! I cant thank those bands enough for what they do and the impact they had on the metal scene. They are true artists”
Devin Wade
You can check Devins influences out on Confront the elders new track ‘Blood moon’ on spotify and check the band on social media
Dylan Monahan
If you’ve been in the Irish scene a while you probably already know ex infectious and currently solo bassist Dylan Monahan either from Fibbers or just around the internet. His 3 most influential bands were ‘Sabaton’ ‘Avenged sevenfold’ and ‘Killswitch engage’.
Performing in Fibbers back in 2018
He said about these bands “I base my vocal range on a baritone with a mix of heavy vocals and the same goes for the way I play, I do play my bass on the stage and in the studio”
Dylan Monahan
Gritty
Vocalist and guitarist of Irish experimental industrial band The Psychological Enhancement Gritty named his 3 most influential bands as ‘Nine inch nails’ ‘Swans’ and ‘Pigface’
Band rehearsals
He said about the bands mentioned “Nine inch nails are an influence on production and lyrical style, songs are written as universal as possible to help the listener be personally immersed, Swans are an influential performance and how music is improvised, Pigface are the most prolific and successful example of an industrial supergroup, I want to do the same but with the music focusing on mental health”. You can hear all Grittys influences on the bands soundcloud and check them out on social media.
So I just want to thank the musicians who reached out and gave their influences, this was a fun thing to write out and work on.