Breaking out of the acoustic trend we've been riding for a while, I'm incredibly excited that on this episode we ascend the jagged, soaring peaks of transcendental, ambient, brutal death metal for a conversation with Cody Drasser of Long Island's wyrdest purveyors of brutality, Afterbirth.

All the more special, we had this conversation on Cody's 48th birthday, and I'm pleased to report he is "still alive, still playing death metal, still doing the thing". In fact, there's a genre shattering new Afterbirth album entitled "In But Not Of" coming out on Willowtip Records this Friday, October 20th.

We chat about how he got into metal by "borrowing" some Iron Maiden albums he found in (Afterbirth bassist; also of the band Helmet) David Case's older brother's record collection. Seeing the music video for "Betrayer" by Kreator at a sleepover when he was a kid, and a friend's immediate feeling of repulsion to the band, was another key touchpoint in nurturing his love for auditory malevolence.

We also cover the beautiful, albeit somewhat heartbreaking story of how he ended up with his first guitar, teaching himself to play, and briefly taking lessons from the guy who would later evolve into Bumblefoot (probably most well known for his brief stint in Guns 'n Roses).

But we talk about so much more - Afterbirth's strange, almost esoteric or, dare I say, "spiritual" sound, the importance of not trying to be explicitly "different" or a novelty act, but simultaneously not trying to fit into any kind of pre-existing musical template, and most crucially, creating art that is uncensored, honest and authentic. As Cody says "I don't know if there's any intention other than just being real".

Anyway, there's so much more we talk about, so give it a listen - Cody is easily one of the most kind, thoughtful, down to earth, and insightful players I've ever had the opportunity to interview.

It's difficult to fully express how much Afterbirth's music means to me. To date, I have heard nothing that makes me feel anything quite like this band do. They are certainly not for everyone, and I'm sure the vocals will be a challenge for anyone unfamiliar with death metal, but if you've got an open mind and a taste for that which is both esoteric and malevolent, definitely check them out, and either way, give this here conversation a listen!