Hot Graves is a Gainesville-based D-beat/black metal combo making its way to Beelzebub's Cave this Saturday for a punk-and-metal meeting of the minds. Earlier today, Crossfade contributor Liz Tracy reported on Slashpine -- also performing at the Cave -- and its Florida-centric black metal ideology.
Hot Graves has a similarly calculated aesthetic mission, but supplant Slashpine's post-rock and stoner tendencies for straight-ahead-gallop thrash. And instead of the swamp, Hot Graves draws inspiration from its namesake.
Crossfade: Historically (and excluding glam) punk and metal have gotten along pretty well. Why is that? Are they ultimately the same genre (aggressive rock), or are there true distinctions?
Mykel Colby (guitar and vocals): I don't really know. But since I was a kid, I have always loved both. The same aggression that drew me to metal and punk, also drew me to N.W.A. and Public Enemy. In fact, when I was younger, my differential between the two was basically: punk guitarists aren't as shreddy as metal guitarists players. Always treading the line between these things, truly.
In terms of your day-to-day experiences, is your life more black metal or dbeat?
My life is a cornucopia ov [this is a kvlt spelling of the preposition "of"] experiences and attitudes that could never be summed up in such a way. It would be more jazz, if anything.
Your bandcamp's aesthetic is pretty metal, but also kind of psychedelic. Does Hot Graves take any influence from psychedelia?
No, not really.
Are you prepared for how hot Miami is right now? The breeze feels like steam
Man, it's fucking hot up here, shooooot. It was 110° F here with the heat index yesterday. I'm a be half naked and trying to get up in some water anyways.
How might a grave become hot?
A grave is hot when it is fresh (before the body becomes cold), and therefore more erotically appealing to the desecrator in question.
Hot Graves, with Shroud Eater, Guerrilleros de Nadie, and Slashpine. Saturday, July 16. Beelzebub's Cave, 164 NW 20th St., Miami. The show starts at 8 p.m. and cover costs $5. Visit facebook.com/beelzebubscave.
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