Interview with EXOGENY
Welcome to the FILTHY DOGS OF METAL Webzine.
Let’s start from the beginning. Tell us the story behind EXOGENY. When and how was the band formed, who are the members, and what was the initial idea behind the band?
Jay: I'm Jay vocalist and lead guitarist, there’s Brendan the drummer, Will the bassist, and Danny also lead guitarist. Brendan and I met in 2021 through a mutual friend, sometime later Brendan introduced me to Danny and I immediately tried him out. He had the chops but I didn’t have the patience to teach the songs we had written at that time so we just focused on writing. When me and Brendan started itching to get out and play I called up Danny and we got to playing, we still didn’t have a bassist and it came time to find one, by complete chance a friend of mine drops that they have a brother that plays bass while I’m showing them a side project I was working on and we tried him, went out for some beers asked if he’d wanna come back and he said yeah, we finally had our four piece. At 4am one day Danny has an epiphany comes to the rest of us and just goes “EXOGENY, ITS PERFECT” and that was that, we had our name, we had our guys and the idea was simple, just play fast heavy shit and try to be the best we can be at it.
You have recently unleashed your demo, ''Fatal Omens''. How has the underground reacted to it so far? What kind of feedback have you received from fans, fanzines, webzines, and the press?
The underground's response has been overwhelmingly positive, we did a limited physical CD run at our debut show and to our genuine surprise we sold every copy, and with the demo now on streaming platforms, we’re seeing it reach more people who have been super supportive in our local scene. Not just fans but, we’re also feeling a lot of support from other bands in our scene and even from outside of NY, it's been very cool seeing how well the music has connected with people. Filthy Dogs of Metal is the First webzine to react to our demo and offer an interview, so feedback like that has been very encouraging and we hope to keep earning these opportunities to talk about our music. Fatal Omens is a very fresh release yet it seems like it's already made a strong statement in the underground, which is something we were hoping to achieve when putting it together, so seeing that unfold in real time has been an awesome experience.
Let’s talk about the lyrical side of EXOGENY. What are the main themes behind ''Fatal Omens''? Where do you draw your inspiration from when writing lyrics?
Jay: The main theme of Fatal Omens is death, every song revolves around death one way or another. The inspiration just comes from whatever interests us, the imagery of WW1 trench warfare has always interested me so I wrote “Fog of War” trying to capture the chaos and brutality of it. Brendan wrote out the story for “Necromantial Offerings” and I got to writing the lyrics for it. I had written the intro melody for “Dawn of the Apocalypse” all the way back in 2020 and thought it sounded apocalyptic so might as well write about the literal biblical apocalypse. “Bound by Oblivion” is a much more personal one being the only song solely accredited to me, coming from a dark time in life it’s all about fighting your demons and losing to them. My dad died unexpectedly and it didn’t make any sense, I hated my job and was feeling an intense lack of meaning and purpose so instead of laying down and crying about it I wanted to make those feelings useful, I wrote the song, Brendan came up with the name and here we are.
Are you currently looking for a record label, or would you rather keep things DIY? What does the underground spirit mean to you, and how important is independence for EXOGENY?
We’re open to working with a label as long as we feel that the conditions are right and that a good connection is made, and while DIY can be a hassle, independence is very important to us as well. For us the underground spirit means a few things such as remaining an active part of your scene, the never ending search for more metal, and being honest even if the truth hurts sometimes, this kind of spirit is what keeps the underground alive and sets the bar for bands that want to make something special; Metal is more than a hobby, it's a way of life.
Every band has its share of crazy moments. Do you have any funny, bizarre, or totally insane story from the recording of ''Fatal Omens'' or from one of your live shows that you would like to share with us?
Danny: We’re so new on the scene that I think we haven't really had a moment where something absurd happened while recording or playing live, the craziest thing we might seen so far was this awesome dude we met in the scene who ran around with our band stickers on his nipples at a home festival here in Brooklyn called Rage of Armageddon, super chill and nice guy, we knocked a few back with him on a different occasion. Although now that I think about it, me and Will lost our credit cards the night we recorded
the demo, after celebrating with way too many cold ones.
Will: Funniest I can think of is from a rehearsal leading up to the show. I forgot what the argument was about but I do remember Danny ragebaiting Jay about playing and singing at the same time. I wish we recorded that rehearsal set after where Danny took over. Complete chaos that had us dying laughing.
The physical format is still an important part of the underground Metal culture. What is your personal choice: vinyl, cassette, CD, or digital? And what makes that particular format special to you?
Jay: I like digital, physical is important too, you bought it, you own it, no one can take that from you. Everyone has a phone though, and being able to listen to anything anywhere is pretty cool.
Danny: Yeah I agree, I think digital is really cool because you can have it with you anywhere, I'm a huge fan of that, but my favorite physical format would have to be CDs. Maybe because of the time I grew up in, but every time I get one it feels a little nostalgic and I always get a kick out of hearing the CD player running.
EXOGENY is a Thrash Metal band. Which bands and albums had the biggest impact on you? What are the records that made you want to pick up a guitar and play Thrash Metal?
Jay: Metallica, Death, and Slayer have had the biggest impact on me. And Justice for All, World Painted Blood, and Spiritual Healing have been most influential to the way I go about writing.
Danny: For Thrash Metal, Exodus ‘Bonded by Blood’ made a huge impression on me when I first heard it. It's the band that bridged me into a metal guitar style and to move away from the hard rock/blues style I had. After that, bands like Demolition Hammer / Dark Angel / Protector / Num Skull really influence me when I think about what style of Thrash I’d like to take after.
Brendan: I’ve pulled influence from many areas, but for Exogeny I always leaned toward the dark side of thrash on the brink of death-thrash, or even death metal, but not quite. Devastation, Vulcano and Flames (GR) to name a few- also Possessed. Sepultura is a big influence as well - especially the “unholy trinity” of Schizophrenia/Beneath the Remains/Arise. Their gritty, yet meaningful writing befit Jay’s riff style so I just tried to feed into it.
Will: I mean as a bassist it was impossible for me to not listen to and be inspired by the Cliff Burton era of Metallica, Geezer Butler with Black Sabbath, or Rex Brown from Pantera growing up. More recently there’s been a lot of Sepultura, Atheist, Death and Bolt Thrower inspiring me in different ways.
There is always a price to pay for following the Metal path. What do you think a band has to sacrifice in order to survive and eventually succeed? Have you personally sacrificed anything for EXOGENY?
Danny: In our experience time and money have been our biggest sacrifices, that being said, we all agree it's been super worth it and we don't know if there’s any true key to success, but if you live and breathe the music that's all that really matters. Fortunately none of us have had to make major personal sacrifices, but we do understand how important it is to remain relevant in the underground, it's really important to connect with your scene and build real friendships. We owe a lot to our local scene because I had spent years as a fan and in that time a lot of dear friendships were made, so the embrace EXOGENY received as soon as there were ripples in the water about us made a huge difference in how we have progressed. If anything is being sacrificed it's our livers but we’re totally cool with that, perks of the trade.
Will: My credit score and sleep schedule. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
A great live show can turn a good band into a killer band. What does the ultimate EXOGENY live show look like in your minds? Have you already played a gig that gave you that feeling?
Our first gig just about covered it, we were so blown away by the response we got, we always imagined it would be a killer gig but our expectations were exceeded. People were moshing, stage diving, bodies flying, and there was still a stacked bill to look forward to after. What would top that as an ultimate EXOGENY show right now? It probably looks like being on a bill with our fellow east coast contemporaries, there’s a lot of cool bands rising up from the the east coast, you’ve got Vigil, Deceptor, Electrocutioner, Desolus, all real violent sounding bands who it would be an absolute pleasure to share the stage with and join in on this east coast invasion.
AI is becoming increasingly present in music production and the creative process. What is your take on it? Do you see AI as a useful tool, a threat to musicians, or something that has no place in Metal?
Jay: Ai can be useful when used right. People using Ai to make songs that have to steal from god knows how many artists, or using Ai to generate album art is stupid l and I don’t think there’s anyplace for that in metal or any music really.
Danny: I believe AI as a tool is pretty cool and useful, but I don't think I see it as a threat to musicians, at least definitely not Metal Musicians, this genre demands the Human element because it’s more than an auditory experience for the bands and the fans, you don’t know Metal until you’re there in person. Metal in my opinion is a very primal experience and as long as we don’t lose that primitive connection, AI won’t be a threat to Metal.
Will: It’s what separates actual artists from the rest. If you’re using it to build context on ideas you want to pursue or research avenues you’d want to check out first yourself, it adds to the creative process. If you’re asking it to come up with actual parts of a composition, it’s as unartistic and uncreative as the person who couldn’t do it in the First place. Use it to make your own decisions, not make them for you.
Today there are countless new Thrash Metal bands. What does a band need to have in order to develop its own identity instead of simply sounding like another band from the past?
Bands need to understand the difference between taking influence and copying, practicing as a band and on your own is also very essential to developing a sound, as well as deeply understanding the genre and style you are trying to aim for, it's almost a hard task not to rehash what's already been done before but it’s definitely still possible. A lot of modern thrash seems to suffer from a lot of the same mixing styles, tones, and even writing styles, it can sound too formulaic at times and it’s something we’ve noticed that makes bands start to blend in with each other. Thrash was built on the idea of WHO can be the most aggressive and violent while retaining a unique identity, the genre is at its best when the riffs punch hard and the speed is unrelenting, overproducing raw power defeats the purpose of thrash.
The Internet and digital platforms have completely changed the underground. Do you think platforms such as YouTube, Bandcamp and streaming services are helping new Thrash bands, or are they making things even more difficult? What is, in your opinion, the best way for an underground band to spread its music today?
Digital platforms definitely help new Thrash bands, even older ones, they actually help too well, uploading your music online is rather easy and pretty accessible so the world sees countless bands uploaded every day. Back then bands had their own struggles with getting their music out into the world and then being noticed, nowadays it may be easy to share your music, but still just as hard to be noticed because of how many bands are being uploaded every day. It’s just part of the game, while it can be challenging to make yourself constantly stand out, this type of friendly competition is what pushes bands to do all sorts of cool things to promote and showcase themselves and that's another important aspect of the underground. In our experience, getting your music on streaming platforms is clearly the dominant way to spread your music, our demo garnered us a lot more attention after it became available to stream, while physical media is coveted in the underground, the music proliferates more effectively digitally.
You are experiencing the underground from the inside. What advice would you give to a young Thrash Metal band just starting out? What should they absolutely do, and what mistakes should they avoid at all costs?
The timeless advice we could give is practice, practice, practice. We spent a lot of time preparing for our debut and demo release, we got the word out as much as possible, which means it's important to get familiarized with your scene, not just to be seen but to understand what the metal maniacs are hungry for. Being present and keeping your finger on the pulse of the underground is half the battle and what better way to spend your time anyway, another thing that was helpful for us was not waiting too long to release music and get on stage. We hit the stage and dropped a demo within 2-3 months of going public, and whether 2-3 months is fast or slow nowadays, it gave us enough time to prepare and establish a presence in the underground consciousness. Now mistakes to avoid? With songwriting, don’t rush to get the song “finished.” That’s how you end up with songs that sound promising but ultimately fall flat. Let’s say you have a good chorus, or verse, but you know the song is missing that one bridge- wait. The way to defeat writer’s block isn’t to force it. In the olden days, Jay and Brendan called it “put it back on the shelf”– move on to writing something else, regain the creative spark, then pick it back up again.
New York has always had a strong and distinctive Metal and Hardcore tradition. What is happening in the current New York Underground Metal Scene? Which bands, fanzines, webzines, venues, or Metal clubs should our readers check out?
The NYC Metal scene has been rather active as of late, a lot of bands have come through town and our local acts seem to be picking up steam. We’ve got a lot of cool upcoming bands like Mutant, Electrocutioner, Finix, there’s us and a few other acts that are on the horizon, all bringing their own unique brands of poser proof Metal. Right now it seems like all the action can be found scattered around Brooklyn and Queens, our underground has found a home at The Meadows, The Woodshop, and Brooklyn Monarch, Lucky 13 Saloon has also been kind to us, in Queens a place called Juan Bar has been on the rise as well as a few other gems.
Forget the press releases for a moment. What does Metal really mean to you? And if you had to name 10 Metal albums that run through your veins, which records would make the list?
Jay: I think Metal is the ultimate in musical expression, I feel no other genre has been able to produce the range of emotions Metal can make you feel. Master of Puppets, And Justice for All, The Eye, Abigail, God Hates Us All, Rust in Peace, Beneath the Remains, Iowa, Symbolic, and Valley of the Damned are in my list.
Danny: To me Metal is a way of life, and like religion or sports, Metal should be practiced as such. I find it extremely liberating and one of the purest forms of music anyone could experience, as long as we’re talking about the real underground sound, not that tik tok thrash bullshit or that posercore garbage. Top 10 Metal albums that run in my veins, if i had to pick would be: Bonded by Blood, Epidemic of Violence, Capture the Night, Hell and High Water, Lonely Hero, Ritually Abused, Summary Execution at Dawn, Leave Scars, The Son of Odin, Red Raw and Bleeding.
Will: Metal to me is a genre that has to be unapologetic. The local scene shows that better than anyone. Off the top, Chaos A.D., Cowboys from Hell, When the Kite String Pops, Human, The Bleeding, Morbid Tales, Black Sabbath self-titled, Mercenary, Piece of Time come to mind. And just to argue with Danny, Alice In Chains self-titled as my all time number one.
Brendan: Metal is about the expression of one’s darkest feelings without fear of fading into obscurity as an artist. The DIY ethos and low production barrier it takes to create metal means there is a massive archive of worthwhile music to explore. Discovering a hidden gem is like finding a sacred artifact, because I know this recording captured someone’s unfiltered imagination. But while enjoying metal is deeply personal, it can also be communal. Metal is about having fun. Albums: Fear of Tomorrow, Ample Destruction, all of King Diamond’s discography.
The Hellenic Metal Scene has developed a very distinctive identity over the years. Are you familiar with it? Do you know any Greek bands, old or new, that have caught your attention?
Brendan: I’m familiar with the black metal scene from Greece (the boring slow bands everyone talks about like Rotting Christ and Varathron) but I’m more so a fan of the legendary thrash band Flames. In my opinion they’re one of the most slept on bands with a deep discography who held the true thrash spirit.
What does the future hold for EXOGENY? Are you already working on new material? Can we expect more releases, live shows, or perhaps a full-length album?
The future holds a lot in store for us, we are definitely working on new material and finishing up older material for an album we hope to release during 2027, we also want to work on releasing a single in the meantime, we’ve got plenty of ideas and material for people to look forward to. As of this interview, we have a malevolent gig coming up with Deceased, Vigil, Tombstoner, and Phantasmal Rot in December. We’re so amped to share the stage with these sick bands and we hope that we get to continue paying killer gigs like these.
That’s all from us. Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions. Any final words, messages, or shout-outs for the readers and maniacs supporting the underground? The last words are yours!
Total poser death!
By Steve the Filthy Dog.
EXOGENY CONTACT:
https://www.instagram.com/exogenythrashnyc/
https://exogenythrash.bandcamp.com/album/fatal-omens-demo