Savage New Times feels like a culmination of years of dedication—what was the vision behind this album, and how did you push yourselves creatively this time around?

Hey, what’s up! I’m hyped to be back talking with y’all about music, and especially the upcoming new album. Yeah, we feel this record is finally a full vision of this band in every possible way. It was about going in and having fun, and enjoying the fact that Lennon and Layne are becoming incredible music writers, as well as just the band growing in every single aspect. It’s nice that we’re able to do each album without pressure or the obligation to replicate our first or second record, which were huge hits—we’re not forever chasing that. So we just got to go in, have fun, create, and open our vision of pushing the band forward. That’s exactly what you get on this record: everything we’ve learned through the years and the tightness we’ve been able to create on all levels.

Richie, being part of metal royalty through Max Cavalera, how has that legacy influenced your journey with INCITE, and how do you maintain your own identity within it?

I think it pushed me to work harder than anybody else around me. I love to work, and coming from what my name means in metal, I definitely had to prove that I was in music for the love, and because it’s who I am—not because that’s the easy route in life. Metalheads will distinguish who’s in it for the love and who’s in it just for the cash grab or fame. So for me, it’s always been about being myself, working hard, and trusting that the metalheads will respond to that. I’m honored to be the one carrying on the Cavalera legacy and pushing it further and farther.

You’ve toured relentlessly across the globe—from Russia to South America. How has playing to such diverse audiences shaped INCITE’s sound and performance over the years?

It’s allowed us to grow a lot more organically. You see what metalheads respond to better in terms of what you’re doing musically. So for us, it’s always been an educational lesson—whether we’re noticing the shirts they’re wearing, the feeling they’re getting from the music, or which bands are getting them fired up. It’s always been a great barometer for us to maybe stay ahead of the curve and understand where the shifts are going to happen in music.

Layne Richardson recently joined the band on guitar. What fresh energy or perspective has he brought to both the studio and live shows?

Oh, he’s brought so much to this band. He’s everything we’ve been missing in that fourth member to accompany Lennon, El, and me. We’ve been together for 13+ years, 4 records, thousands of shows, and just never really had that fourth guy. With Layne, we have that—his hunger, his drive, his humbleness, his grind, and his work ethic. On top of that, for him to be such an incredible musician and bring as much as he did to the table for this new record—from the piano, to 12-string guitars, to the soloing, and the tone. He’s brought incredible energy to our stage that matches each guy, and it’s the perfect fit for this band. I’m beyond excited.

INCITE has always walked a fine line between groove and thrash. How do you balance brutality with groove, especially in tracks like “No Mercy No Forgiveness” or “Just a Rat”?

I think what makes us able to do that so fluently is the fact that we never set out to be any of those specific subgenres or niches. We set out to be a heavy metal band—like Pantera, Lamb of God, Devildriver, Machine Head, etc. Those music styles resonated with our vision of what we wanted to create, rather than just a specific style. It makes it really easy for us to create songs that are either insane rippers or intensely groovy and melodic. We like to blend and keep things fun, fresh, and organic.

Working with producer Steve Evetts and mixer Arthur Rizk brought heavyweight experience to the table. How did their involvement influence the final sound of Savage New Times?

Yeah, actually Steve Evetts handled producing, engineering, and mixing, and Arthur Rizk handled the mastering. With Steve, it’s always been an incredible working relationship and friendship—he’s worked with us on four records in a row. It’s been a very smooth, friendly, but also challenging experience making our records with him. We always feel like he’s an extra band member. He knows what our vision is, what our music should sound and feel like, and he doesn’t let us get comfortable—he continues to push us. I think you really hear that on the records he’s done with us—each one getting better than the last, and especially the production sounding absolutely insane on this record.

You’ve faced some gritty touring moments—like driving 500 miles through a blizzard just to make a show. What keeps that fire alive through the toughest moments on the road?

Being in a band and facing all the things that you do—whether it’s traveling, playing the show, or the million other things you deal with—I’ve always loved that stuff. I love working to fix things, I love finding solutions to problems, I love the grind of it. I love the unknown that you experience even after all these years. I don’t ever find myself losing the fire. It’s more just losing the love of being gone so much.

From The Slaughter in 2009 to now, what’s the biggest way INCITE has evolved—musically, personally, or philosophically—as you release Savage New Times?

I think in almost every way we’ve grown since our first record. We’ve been through so much, we’ve grown so close, and I think that’s reflected in how each album has gotten better and better. We’ve obviously grown up from young, angry teenagers into working-class, grinding adults who definitely have a different perspective on the world and on music in general. We’ve grown to love and continue wanting to be better. You can always push even further, so that definitely fuels us to keep going and enjoy these later years of the band.

INCITE’s Savage New Times drops soon—don’t miss what might be their most complete and intense offering to date.

Catch INCITE on tour and stream wherever you get your music.