By Jacqueline Radakovich & Mitch West
In the concrete jungle of New York, where dreams are forged in the crucible of ambition, a thunderous roar emerges from the underground. Brotality, a trio of metal alchemists, has concocted a potion of sound that's as intoxicating as it is brutal. Brothers Bryce and Reece Maopolski, along with drummer John Haring, have taken the raw ore of thrash metal's glory days and smelted it with modern melodies and progressive grooves. The result? A sonic alloy that's "infectiously energetic," "irresponsibly groovy," and "infinitely heavy." We had the chance to ask the guys a few questions before the come to rock Lincoln's 1867 Bar on 7/18!
You're set to unleash your sonic assault on the Good Life at Lincoln's 1867. Have you left any lasting Brotality-shaped craters in the Midwest before, or is this your maiden voyage into Cornhusker territory?
Reece - We’ve played all over the Midwest actually, and we’ve found that it has some of the best shows and scenes to offer. For the past few years on each of our summer tours we have centered our shows around the Midwest, hitting clubs and festivals through Missouri, Indiana, Nebraska, etc. On this current tour we focused especially on the Midwest, as our past tours have taught us that those shows often feel like a home away from home.
As mentioned in your bio you have "infectious energy" and play "irresponsible grooves." Can you elaborate on how you create this unique energy in your music, both in the songwriting and performance aspects?
John - We try to conjure an "infectious energy" by bringing forward as much of our personalities and individual musicality as possible. We feel that the more personal we make our music, the more people can resonate with it. In every facet of what we do, we try to grant ourselves absolute freedom to push ourselves where our passion takes us. If anyone ever has an idea for anything, no matter how crazy, we try to hear them out. When we allow each other to expand on themselves, we can be more creative and unique as a whole.
I feel a key aspect of this is our volume. This project is the first opportunity I've had to consistently be as loud as I want, hitting as hard as I want, not just to be loud for the sake of it, but because it's how I feel. In most other environments, I'm forced to hold back. We practice at live volume, sometimes louder. It just feels right, for all of us, to let our instruments shake the world with as much energy as we're willing to give.
In general, we refuse to allow any opacity between the raw expression in our heads and what an audience sees and hears. When we write, we're usually thinking about it constantly. When we have a part of a song where I'm not 100% sold on the groove, I obsess over it mentally until I've figured out what's going to make it hit. When we perform, we put in as much energy as we physically can to accurately personify what we've written. Ultimately, it's just how we feel music should be, and it's exactly what we want to do and how we want to do it, without compromise.
Let's dive into the beast that is 'It Feeds'. How did it all come together?
Bryce - It Feeds has been in the works for the past two years now. After The Woods Will End You, John stepped into the band as our new drummer, and we took time to really put on the producer hat for ourselves. With each release we feel that we have been further defining what the Brotality “sound” is, and It Feeds is no exception. It focuses heavily on groove; laying down crushing and bouncing riffs that just stick in your head, and we feel like this is a defining characteristic of our sound. It was an absolute blast to be fully independent for this release as well, retaining full artistic control and direction. In short- It Feeds is our latest effort to further hone in on our own sound, which is ever-evolving as we grow as musicians, but It Feeds is a perfect encapsulation of everything that gets us excited about music at this point in our lives.
New York has always been a powerhouse that breeds good rock bands. Who are some bands that deserve more credit? What local bands do you feel should get more attention?
Reece - Firing Squad is a killer thrash band from our college town who we absolutely love playing shows with. A lot of our local scene is actually in northeast Pennsylvania, specifically the Scranton area. A few of our favorite bands from PA are Cruel Bomb and Dissentience; pummeling riffs written by the nicest guys in the world. Also, Dedwurm from Cincinnati are one of the sickest, most interesting bands we’ve ever played with. They’re criminally underrated and their 10+ minute prog/circus metal songs are insanely creative and endlessly fun.
You've played on some interesting stages and in some great locations through the years, which ones stand out the most? Do you have a favorite venue?
Bryce - Festivals are always incredible, especially fests like Creation Fest and Uprise Fest because I had been attending those as a fan since I was a child, so to be on the other side of things can still feel surreal sometimes. In terms of venues, I love The Foundry in Lakewood, Ohio because I grew up watching live sets of tons of my favorite bands like Kublai Khan, Varials, END, and more playing on that stage. For those same reasons, Legends in Cincinnati. I’d also love to shout out Mulligan’s Pub in Grand Rapids, MI and The Crucible in Madison, WI for always having incredible energy and just being an absolute hoot overall.
Since 2016, what have been some of the most unexpected things to happen at a show or most memorable experiences?
Bryce - One of the most ridiculous memories I can think of was playing in a Barnes & Nobles, midday, while the store was open! A promoter brought us in, we said yes, and many poor souls that just wanted a book had to endure very loud metal.
John - We played at this venue in Mississippi that was formerly a machine shop during world war 2, if I’m correct. The building was pretty much just a big metal cube. It was a cool place, but wildly lacking in ventilation of any kind. Towards the end of our set, I started feeling an insane shock run from my hand, all the way up my arm, and down my spine, every time I hit the snare, one of the craziest things I've ever felt. I've never passed out before, so I didn't know that that’s apparently what was about to happen. I finished the set okay, thankfully, but I was pretty much completely incapacitated and heaving for a good 20 minutes after.
Take us to the moment that happens when you hit the stage. What goes through your mind when you are in front of a crowd?
Reece - Time to go insane. Honestly, we really just try to lock into all the energy that’s been building up all day and push it out onto that stage. In our genre of music, it’s SO important to try our best to reveal the passion and emotion we channel in our songs at every show. We don’t want to be that band that plays punishing riffs and stands still with an occasional head nod. We’re a heavy, energetic band, so it’s vital that we show it live.
John - I’m usually just quadruple-checking everything that can go wrong with my kit. With how hard we all play, we will quickly find every fault in every piece of gear on stage. Aside from that, I know I don't technically black out, but I almost always sort of detach from my brain and let the music and muscle memory on the kit do its thing. I'll occasionally lock back in to remind myself I need water and to breathe, but other than that, I just clear my head as much as I possibly can.
As brothers in a band, how do you channel sibling dynamics into your creative process? Any memorable "Bro-tality" moments in the studio or on tour?
Reece - I would say it’s largely unintentional, but there are many moments where Bryce and I just lock in without even having to speak. We’ve been playing in live bands together since we were 9 and 10 years old, so there’s a certain chemistry that’s been built up that helps us to understand each other’s ideas and creative inspirations in a heartbeat. Whenever Bryce is writing new riffs, every single time he is excited about one, I am too. A lot of our favorite bands and albums are the same, so when all those inspirations coalesce into our own songs, we are totally on the same page.
Bryce was honored as one of the Best Guitarists of 2022. What's a guitar technique or effect you've been experimenting with lately that pushes your sound in new directions?
Bryce - So I don’t want to give too much away here because I’m still prototyping everything, but during my last semester in college I worked with a professor of mine to create an insane effects module that integrates into my guitar rig. Through this I have been getting some sounds I would have never imagined (in the most fun way possible), and I’m really stoked to continue dialing it in each night on tour. In terms of actual guitar techniques, I’ve really been trying to hone my ability to “step-out”. I’m very influenced by jazz and fusion musicians who can seem to make any note sound perfect, all while giving you the craziest stank face, so I’ve been actively trying to step out of the key in a way that is the perfect amount of jarring and unsettling.
Following the wrap of this tour, what else should people know about?
We are very active with live performances and you’ll be able to find us playing regionally all over the northeast for the remainder of 2024. We have also been writing a lot of new music that we anticipate will closely follow the release of It Feeds. To stay fully up-to-date, make sure you follow us on Instagram or Facebook, as we post consistent updates, live footage, and exclusive content over there frequently!
Last, let's end on this: For those kids out there whose fingers are still getting acquainted with power chords, whose voices are just learning to unleash that primal scream, and who are taking their first steps into the thunderous world of heavy music - what wisdom would you share?
Reece - Ask yourself: are you in it for just the music? Is your only motivation to be successful, to have a ton of fans, to play big stages? If so, you’ll probably be easily discouraged and habitually let down. For us, it has to be bigger than the music. At each show, we take a break in our set to tell everyone that they are loved eternally, that there is hope beyond their current struggles, and that they are not alone. If our hearts weren’t dedicated to a purpose beyond just jamming songs, then the handful of empty shows and back room stages would be defeating. Do it for a purpose beyond the songs and beyond even yourself, and no matter the venue or measly income, you will find fulfillment in loving and helping others.
Thats a wrap! Be sure to check out their latest EP 'It Feeds' on Spotify and if you can make the trip, witness Brotality rock in-person when they come close during their It Feeds Tour 2024! Get your tickets HERE.
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