Metalhead. Thrasher. Guitarist. Bassist. Reviewer. Interviewer.
Since discovering heavy metal (particularly thrash metal) at the beginning of my teens, music has been a massive part of my life. I love listening to and playing music all the time – it’s a daily occurrence. For the past few years I’ve found myself playing bass for amateur musical theatre shows which I enjoy very much – it’s not metal, but it’s still good fun and I want to make a career out of it. I’m also keen to get a death/thrash metal band going, and play in a rock/pop covers band (playing weddings, parties etc) like my old high school band.
When not playing music or contributing to Moshville, I work hard in a pub kitchen – every rocker, metalhead and punk needs plenty of good food and booze right?
From: Glasgow, Scotland
Preferred Genres: Old-Skool Thrash, Old-Skool Death Metal, NWOBHM, Classic 70s Hard Rock and Prog – Anything Old-Skool! I also enjoy a little of other kinds of metal, classical, 80’s alt/synth stuff and show tunes from time to time.
Favourite Bands: Sodom, Death, Pestilence, Dark Angel, Sabbat (UK), Kreator, Sepultura, Devin Townsend (everything he’s done).
Favourite Albums: Sodom – Persecution Mania, Agent Orange, and Better Off Dead; Pestilence – Testimony of the Ancients; Death – Scream Bloody Gore, Leprosy, and Human; Dark Angel – Darkness Descends and Time Does Not Heal; Sabbat (UK) – History of a Time to Come and Dreamweaver (Reflections of Our Yesterdays); Kreator – Pleasure to Kill and Extreme Aggression; Sepultura – Schizophrenia and Beneath the Remains; Devin Townsend – Ocean Machine: Biomech and Ki (DTP); Master’s Hammer – Jilemnicky Okultista; and Camel – Moonmadness.
There’s too many albums I love but I think if I had a selection of records that I could only listen to for the rest of my life, I think it would be these ones!
Favourite Venues: Audio (Glasgow) and Classic Grand (Glasgow).
First Gig: The Black Crusade Tour featuring Machine Head, Trivium, Dragonforce, Arch Enemy and Shadows Fall in Glasgow SECC (20th November 2007).
Favourite Gigs: Sodom (Camden Underworld, London, 20th February 2015), Kreator (QMU, Glasgow, 21st December 2014), Sabaton/Tyr (QMU, Glasgow, 5th December 2014), Destruction (Audio, Glasgow, 10th October 2014), Flotsam and Jetsam (Bloodstock Festival, 7th August 2014), Finntroll/Tyr (1st October 2013), Devin Townsend Project (Garage, Glasgow, 30th April 2013).
Favourite Drinks: Tea, Beer (Hobgoblin, Staropramen, Tyskie, Krombacher, Brewdog’s Punk IPA, Brewdog’s Libertine Black Ale, Estrella Damm and The Orkney Brewery’s Dark Island), Whisky (Glenfiddich 12 with ice – I’m still learning about whisky).
Favourite Food: Anything greasy and unhealthy – cheese, bacon, chorizo, haggis, pizza (especially with all of the aforementioned ingredients incorporated). I also make a mean Czech style beef goulash and my roast potatoes (for whatever dish desired) are the business.
Twitter – @Sean_Merrigan