Episode 37 | Zack Austin
Halloween is in August this year apparently. This episode is filled with chilling sounds and an overall soundscape that brings a haunting tone. A specific goal for the last while has been to make each episode as an offering to the guest and I make them special for them. Zack Austin is a death metal drummer who is all about the dark side. Hell, we even use a song by Devourment to cap off the episode.
So we kick things off by discussing the incredible “GHOUL” snare drum that was just built for him by Mike at Predator Percussion. Zack had just received the coffee nut wood 14”x 6.5” snare drum and he couldn’t be happier with it. We discuss the sounds, the looks and the special hand carved Jack O’ Latern faces that are featured on it. This drum has been in the making for quite a while and now that it has arrived, Zack is like a kid at Christmas about it.
Moving along, we discuss how Zack’s sound has changed over the years through his influences and his evolution of gear. Zack has a very unique setup with beautiful Istanbul Agop cymbals, DW Drums and of course his centrepiece snare from Predator Percussion. It isn’t often that I discuss gear on this podcast, but this had to be explored with Zack and we learn a lot about his setup and why he selected the gear he owns.
With a popular Instagram account comes many many questions from fans. We explore a few questions submitted by fans but prior to that I had to ask what Zack is asked about most often, to which he replies….SPEED and how you develop it. This section of the podcast is loaded with incredibly valuable advice and knowledge from one of the very best blasters in the game. There is definitely something to be learned from Zack in this respect, as he has spent many years developing his speed and endurance to play with the level or control and precision that he does.
So there was something that Zack and I had prepared ahead of time and it concerns literature. A particular book that Zack swears by for advice on living your life and gaining perspective. It is titled Emanuel’s Book - A Manual for Living Comfortably in the Cosmos. I had requested that Zack look up an excerpt from this book and expand on how it may factor into his life. I knew that by exploring this with Zack would lead to some very interesting conversation and I wasn’t disappointed….this is definitely the highlight to the interview and again, YOU WILL LEARN SOMETHING FROM THIS.
Closing things out I ask Zack a million dollar question. If your favourite band asked you to do a 30 week tour for $30,000, would you do it? You will have to listen to his response because it says a lot about who he is as a person.
Despite Zack’s love for the macabre, he is a very positive and uplifting person. He clearly enjoys the creativity of darker subject matter and he likes the high energy of death metal but it doesn’t mean that Zack is a reflection of his musical interests. This is one of the best hangs I have had on the show and we just had a blast on here. It was an absolute treat featuring Zack and I wish him all the best in his future on and off the kit.
Music by: Devourment
Song: Festering Vomitous Mass
DrumGAB
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