The Deathgrave guitarist, Autopsy member, and Oakland recording engineer talks tacos, sideburns, DIY metal, AI, vintage Explorers, and why the underground still refuses to die. Buy us a Coffee on Ko-fi https://ko-fi.com/capitalchaostv

There are few things more Oakland than spending the afternoon talking extreme metal and the evening deciding whether to hit the Buzzard.

For Greg Wilkinson, guitarist and founding member of Deathgrave, the Bay Area’s chaotic musical ecosystem isn’t simply a backdrop—it’s part of the band’s DNA. From Deathgrave’s genre-blurring new album Hell Is Evil to his work behind the mixing desk, Wilkinson has spent years operating in the intersection of punk, death metal, grindcore, noise, and the fiercely DIY culture that keeps underground music alive.

He’s also a member of legendary death metal band Autopsy, making his schedule a particularly busy one. Between recording sessions, touring, shows, and preparing new material, Wilkinson remains deeply connected to the Bay Area scene he calls home.

In this conversation with Zoran Theodorovic, Wilkinson discusses the making of Hella’s Evil, Oakland’s metal community, Deathgrave’s political side, the art behind the band’s records, his obsession with Gibson Explorers, the continuing DIY spirit of underground music, and why he sees the current AI boom as a serious threat to artists.

DEATHGRAVE’s Hell Is Evil was mixed and mastered at Wilkinson’s Earhammer Studio and includes guest and backup vocals by Chris Reifert on “Hard To Swallow” and art
by Max Rain.

Escape this dreadful reality for the next 32 minutes and dive headfirst into DEATHGRAVE’s most ambitious album to date. The riffs are thick enough to keep you afloat.

The record was released in CD and digital formats as well as vinyl in the following color variants:

Half Deep Purple / Half Black Ice W/ Purple, Black + Silver Splatter
Deep Purple

Hell Is Evil Track Listing:

1. Hell Is Evil
2. Hard To Swallow
3. I Am Here
4. Born From Death
5. Smaller And Smaller
6. It’s Only Midnight
7. Yaws 3D
8. Your Pain Is Ready
9. Won’t See You In Heaven
10. 27B/6

DEATHGRAVE Live:
9/11/2026 Great American Music Hall – San Francisco, CA w/ Necrot, Iron Lung
11/13/2026 Cafe Colonial – Sacramento, CA w/ Devil Master

Categories: Interviews

Tags: DEATHGRAVE, Dig Dirkler, interview, tankcrimes, Zoran Theodorovic