We caught up with John Kevill, frontman of the relentless thrash metal band Warbringer, for a raw and candid conversation before their show in Orangevale. From wild tour stories and label deals to barbecues and Starcraft, this is one of the most unfiltered interviews you’ll read.
Capital Chaos TV:
I have John from Warbringer here—I’m very delighted to meet you. Thank you so much for meeting with us. It’s quite a pleasure! Hello, everyone! Have you played in Sacramento before?
John (Warbringer):
Yeah, we’ve played this venue once before, back in 2008 with Overkill and M.H. I think that was the only time.
Capital Chaos TV:
I know one of the things you guys did to start out was a lot of groundwork—passing out CDs, doing local shows, house shows. Do you think that’s still the best way for bands to get started?
John:
Yeah, just like you said, I think that is the only way. So it’s simultaneously the best and the worst… but it’s the only possibility. You’ve just got to play shows until your band is tight enough that it kicks ass live. Until then, no one’s really going to care—because there are a lot of bands. You have to get out there and make yourself known, even on a small level, before anybody really notices.
Capital Chaos TV:
You’re signed to Century Media Records—what kind of doors has that opened for you?
John:
All kinds. I mean, if you’re looking at our band as a career, then step one is getting a record deal. Steps two through eleven are everything that comes after you have it. We’ve just been grinding—recording, touring. For the past four or five years, maybe longer, we’ve been out there. I think we’re on our 14th or 15th tour, maybe more, and working on our third record.
Capital Chaos TV:
What do you do in your free time?
John:
Play Starcraft.
Capital Chaos TV:
Very nice.
John:
Yeah, to be honest… I smoke weed and play Starcraft. I mean, it’s California.
Capital Chaos TV:
Where are you from?
John:
Well, I’m only home for like a week or two at a time. If I was home for a few months, I’d probably get a job and make a little money, and I have done that before. But if I’m home for just a week and the shows are on weekends—what else am I going to do? Play games, drink some beers, hang with friends, and grill as much as possible. I love barbecuing.
Capital Chaos TV:
Are you guys all from L.A. or the general area?
John:
Yeah, general area. I’m in Chatsworth, in the Valley. The Laux brothers are in Newbury Park. I used to live in Moorpark. Carlos is in the Valley too. Adam’s in Ventura. We used to say we were from Ventura because that’s where we practiced, but that ended when Ryan Bates left the band. Now we just say we’re from Los Angeles—it’s easier. It’s a pretty broad area anyway, like an 80-mile radius.
Capital Chaos TV:
So what does Warbringer mean? How did you come up with the name?
John:
Oh man, not a great story. We were brainstorming in the garage and came up with it after like two hours of nothing working. We were just sick of trying, and it sounded cool. So we kept it. That’s really it.
Capital Chaos TV:
You’ve toured with some big names. Is there anyone you’d love to tour with that you haven’t yet?
John:
Yeah—Judas Priest. That would be the top for me. Priest is one of my favorite bands.
Capital Chaos TV:
You played with one of my favorites—Landmine Marathon. Their lead singer is amazing and intimidating. What was it like touring with her?
John:
She’s cool as hell. She’s actually really into sci-fi. She gave me a copy of Ender’s Game, which I hadn’t read since I was a kid, and we talked about it a bunch. She’s really cool.
Capital Chaos TV:
What do you guys have planned for this year?
John:
Lots of touring. The next one is in the U.S. with Iced Earth and Symphony X. And there’s more that hasn’t been announced yet. We’re pretty much touring all year.
Capital Chaos TV:
Very nice! And what was it like recording with… was it Zack Ohren?
John:
That was for the second record. The third record, which we just did, was with Steve Evetts—and it was great.
Capital Chaos TV:
Who writes your material?
John:
The band, collectively. We just do it in a natural way—nothing forced.
Capital Chaos TV:
What’s the message behind your music? What do you want people to know?
John:
We play fast, aggressive thrash metal designed to kick as much ass and destroy as much as possible. That’s what we do.
Capital Chaos TV:
Who are some of your favorite bands? What’s in your CD player right now?
John:
I listen to a lot of thrash, but my all-time favorites are more heavy, power, and speed metal—Judas Priest, Saxon, Virgin Steele, Manilla Road, and Viking-era Bathory. Those are some of my go-tos.
Capital Chaos TV:
Have you had any bad experiences while touring? Horror stories?
John:
Yeah, definitely. We’ve had to chase a promoter to his house once. The show was supposed to be at a strip club, but it got canceled. They figured out you can’t really shake your ass to blast beats, so they pulled all the metal shows. Another promoter offered to host it at a 21+ venue, which wasn’t ideal. Our manager warned against it, but we did it anyway. The guy didn’t have the money, and I had to get serious—he literally tried to hand me an IOU. I was like, “Is this a [expletive] IOU? Are you kidding me?” His girlfriend, a stripper, says, “Don’t worry, I can make that in a night,” and I’m like, “Well, you better start working!”
Capital Chaos TV:
Wow!
John:
Yeah. We’ve dealt with our fair share of sleazy promoters. That’s just one department of horror. Then you have strange people doing strange things in strange places.
Capital Chaos TV:
Any other weird stories?
John:
Sure. One time we played Slim’s in San Francisco—during the New Folsom Street Fair. It was insane. People doing all kinds of graphic stuff out in public. One guy had a fishing pole with a dollar tied to it. One of our guys goes to grab it, and he reels it in… trench coat opens… well, you can imagine. Just totally bizarre stuff.
Capital Chaos TV:
That’s definitely a first!
John:
Yeah, it was one of those “what did I just see?” moments. Things that can’t be unseen.
Capital Chaos TV:
I heard you wrote one of your albums in two months and recorded it in 12 days?
John:
Yeah. Ten songs plus maybe one or two bonus tracks. Had to stick to the schedule—couldn’t miss shows. It was intense but necessary.
Capital Chaos TV:
Any final words for the fans?
John:
Hey, world! Thanks for all the support. Keep listening to metal, keep going to shows, keep banging your heads. And don’t puss out and say you’re “over metal.” That’s lame. If you do that—you’re a poser.
Capital Chaos TV:
Agreed! I really want to thank you for meeting with me. That whole “outgrowing metal” thing reminds me of someone walking into a tattoo shop and picking a design off the wall with no meaning behind it.
John:
Exactly. I try to keep the same excitement I had when I first discovered heavy metal. My family wasn’t into it—I got into it as a teenager, and it completely changed my life. I had no skill or experience, but I had to be in a metal band. So I found one, worked with the guys, and made it happen. That’s been my life for the last eight years.
Capital Chaos TV:
That’s awesome—and we’re glad you’re sharing that passion with the world.
John:
Thanks. There are a lot of great bands out there—we just try to make the best music we can and keep soldiering on for the cause.
Formed in 2004, Warbringer has become a mainstay in the modern thrash scene with their unrelenting energy and throwback aggression. With multiple albums under their belt and years of global touring, the band continues to evolve while staying true to the roots of heavy metal.
Watch the full video interview below
Categories: Interviews, Music, warbringer
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