Our first Meet The Band spotlight of 2023 shines on the Texas death metal band Throat Locust. They just released the EP Dragged Through Glass. Vocalist Gil Perez, guitarists Alex Gregory and Eric Calvert and bassist Adrian Cavazos introduce us to their band.
Chad Bowar: Give us a brief history of Throat Locust.
Eric Calvert: It started as a project with some good friends looking to create heavy and pit inducing metal. Love of metal vintage and modern and wanting to cut our own path in this scene!
Describe the songwriting process for Dragged Through Glass.
Eric: Alex and I started trading riffs early in the year building and idea of what we wanted. Rob lives about an hour away so I made a few treks out to him so we could build a structure to it while adjusting the riffs a little as they go then Gil was the next to enter and helped us shape the songs more and give them life.
What will be your strongest memory of the recording of the EP?
Gil Perez: Rob having such trouble recording “Corruption” will always live rent free in my brain. (laughs) It was definitely a fun experience though and I wouldn’t change a thing that transpired.
Eric: Gil bringing me his last beer as me and Rob worked on that song.
How would you characterize its style/sound/genre?
Gil: Old school death metal with huge chunky riffs, thunderous drums, and gutteral vocals! We’re definitely trying to redefine this genre while still showing respect and honor to those that came before.
What lyrical topics do you cover?
Gil: Our lyrics are about the cutthroat way of the world and how the human race as a whole has become more of a disadvantage to the world rather than a positive and productive force. We also make it a point to write about how death is inevitable and that we’re all on borrowed time.
What led you to go the independent route for the EP release?
Eric: We’re a new band and since this is a demo it’ll take a moment to get on people’s radar, but we hope land a deal with a label soon for our next release.
What are your goals and expectations for the album?
Alwx Gregory: My goal for the full-length album is to expand our sound into new territories that we haven’t visited yet. Draw from our influences in Carcass, to add some disgusting melodies, add a splash more of the Scandinavian influences I’ve really come to love from Dismember and Entombed, but most of all, do it our own way. Not forgetting that groove for which we are becoming known.
What has been your most memorable Throat Locust live show?
Eric: Our first one, we lit that place up! It’s on YouTube by It Just Gets Worse, you should check it out.
What are your upcoming show/tour plans?
We have a SXSW set, two festivals and a Texas run in the works.
How did you get started in music?
Gil: I didn’t try actually playing an instrument until I was 8, but my parents took notice of my interest and put me in a guitar class in school at 10 years old. I hated the guitar class because it was all classical stuff and not the juicy brutal stuff I was wanting to rip. I never noticed how much I actually learned from that class because it taught me tuning, chords, picking technique, timing, and finger movement. After that class I never stopped playing, and then eventually I joined my first actual band called Desecrated Remains as the vocalist at 17.
Alex: I started as an absolute dork playing the alto saxophone in my junior high band class. I’ve always been very passionate about music, and eventually that lead to learning the guitar (albeit playing poorly). I had a number of very influential older friends in high school who introduced me to all that death metal, thrash metal, black metal, and grind core had to offer in the early 2000s and I never looked back.
Adrian Cavazos: When I was 22 I was the vocalist for a local death metal band called Enslave the Grave.
Eric: Growing up we always had music in the house, but I started on viola in elementary school and by middle school I was playing guitar. I took classical guitar in middle and then by high school I was acting like an idiot and stating bands with buddies.
Who were your early influences and inspirations?
Alex: My early guitar playing inspirations were all about lead players and bands that could really fuckin’ rip: Megadeth, Slayer, Death, Liiva-era Arch Enemy, Soilwork, Carcass, Dying Fetus, and many in between.
Eric: Pantera, early Sepultura, the Cliff ’Em All VHS and random good stuff like Brutal Truth, Vision of Disorder, Hatebreed and more starting in middle school, then I got into death metal like Obituary, Morbid Angel, Bolt Thrower and Death.
What’s the metal scene like in the Corpus Christi area?
Eric: The recent years have gotten a lot heavier! Adrian mentions some really great bands below that you should check out!
What are some of your non-musical interests and hobbies?
Alex: I mostly just chill and watch movies or hang out with my kids. Sometimes I’ll build Gunpla models or tinker with retro gaming consoles if I can find the time. I’m also a fairly casual collector of NECA action figures and ’90s era cartoon VHS tapes.
Adrian: Collect figures and watch UFC. I also enjoy being a vet tech as a career.
Eric: I make toys, resin figures and currently building a 96 Evo with a mid 90’s Paughco frame.
Anything else you’d like to mention or promote?
Adrian: Shout out to Jerry and Erica of Hellgrimm, locals Switchblade Jesus, Filth Embedded, Votan, Swisher Coffin, Alien Usurper, Summoning Beyond the Grave and Conscientious.
(interview published January 7, 2023)
Listen To Throat Locust – Dragged Through Glass EP
