Diabology is a thrash metal band from Los Angeles, CA. Members Jesse Bergen (guitar and vocals), Basil Pav (guitar), Dezzy Treu (bass), and Matthew Morales (drums), met up on the rock school circuit. They were united by a love of metal and the desire to break out of the rock school circuit to start working on original material. Defying the many subgenres of metal, they choose to simply call their music thrash, a tribute to the old school sounds of the late eighties, with a young and refreshing voice.
In 2020, after years of honing their skills in LA’s underground scene, the band released their debut LP, “Nobody Believes Me”, to much fanfare. The album was featured in countless magazines and received a fair amount of radio play. The icing on the cake was when their song ‘Defiling Innocents’ made it to the top of Kerrang’s American Excess Spotify playlist.
Two years later, the band followed up their debut with “Father of Serpents”. Produced by Dave Kaminsky (Stone Healer, Fires in the Distance) and mastered by Ryan Williams (The Black Dahlia Murder, Metal Blade Records), the band’s sophomore LP solidified their success and earned features in Metal Injection, No Clean Singing, and Knotfest.
The band recently completed their “Shedding Skins” tour, a 9-day excursion tearing through the American southwest. These young, hungry thrashers are showing no signs of slowing down. Watch out for this group of up and comers in your town.
Guitarist and vocalist Jesse Bergen kindly took the time to respond to a few questions from Decibel Warfare.
Hey there, big shoutout for joining us for this interview. I've had the pleasure of tuning into your debut record, "Father of Serpents," and I must say, it's a solid and robust album packed with absolute bangers. Let's dive into the origins – can you walk us through how the band came together?
Thanks for having me! I formed the band in 2016 when I was 13 years old. Both my parents are metalheads, so I grew up surrounded by heavy music. I started taking guitar lessons at a rock school when I was 7, where I learned all the classics. By the time I was 13, I wanted to move on and start making my own original music, so me and some of my metalhead friends from the school got together and started jamming, and Diabology was born.
Could you shed some light on the creative process that guided the creation of "Father of Serpents"? How does your collaborative dynamic come into play during this process?
The primary songwriters on the album were me and Jack, our other guitarist at the time. We would both bring in songs to the band; sometimes they were mostly complete, other times it was just a few riffs. Either way, everyone would then chip in and add their own ideas, fills, solos, etc. Vocals/lyrics always come last for us, after the instrumentals are done.
I must express my enthusiasm in witnessing the emergence of a youthful thrash metal band in today's music landscape. Given that many new and young groups tend to gravitate towards various genres, with thrash not necessarily taking the lead, I'm intrigued. Could you elaborate on your influences as a young thrash metal band? Were you drawn to the original 80s thrash metal pioneers, who themselves were influenced by a fusion of NWOBHM, Classic Metal, Classic Rock, and a touch of punk? Or did the second-generation thrash metal bands such as Havok, Municipal Waste, and Toxic Holocaust play a more significant role in shaping your musical direction?
Both play a big role! The older bands definitely are what got me into thrash, but some of the best live shows I've seen have come from more recent, 2nd wave bands. It's hard to say which is more significant; both have been very impactful.
Could you provide us with your insights into today's music scene, as seen through your perspective? How do you go about exploring new music? Furthermore, how do you engage in sharing the music you discover?
Today's music scene is largely influenced by social media, which has its pros and cons; it's easier than ever to share and discover music online, but there are also a lot of bands just trying to do anything to get famous on social media. I don't find social media algorithms to be very effective at recommending music though. I still find and share most of the music I like directly through word of mouth.
Within the realm of thrash metal, there's a spectrum ranging from punk-influenced to those embracing elements of death metal. In which direction do you perceive your band leaning? How would you personally characterize and define the unique thrash metal sound you bring to the table?
We definitely started out on the punk side of the spectrum, which is evident in our first album "Nobody Believes Me," but in recent years we've been leaning more into death metal and melodic influences. Our sound takes influence from black metal, doom metal, hardcore punk, classical music... the list goes on. We like to experiment and blend different styles, we don't confine ourselves to playing straight thrash.
Sustaining the vitality of thrash metal over an extended period is quite a challenge. How do you believe it's possible to infuse a sense of freshness into the genre despite its longstanding presence? Do you envision the possibility of it fading away, or do you think there's a risk of it becoming stagnant?
Do I think it will fade? No. Not every band has to reinvent the wheel; as long as there are talented musicians putting on energetic thrash shows, people will come out and drink and mosh. As for stagnating, I do feel that thrash as a genre is often stagnant. Very few bands really push the boundaries of the genre, which is exactly what we push ourselves to do in our music.
Is it a common observation that many thrash bands tend to disregard newer acts by labeling them as "not on par with Slayer," or is this perspective less prevalent?
I hear that more from older metal heads since they witnessed Slayer in their prime and they have a lot of nostalgia. Among younger metalheads, you're more likely to hear "those guys are just copying Slayer!"
Which trends within the realm of heavy metal today do you find less appealing?
I feel that quite a bit of modern metal is overproduced. I want grit and emotion and sick riffs, and a lot of the current mainstream metal is too clean and formulaic for my taste.
In what ways does the current state of global affairs impact you, and how does this influence find its way into your music and creative expressions?
More often than not, current events just make me angry. I try to channel that anger into our music.
What personally motivates each of you and energizes you to start your day?
Music. Every morning I listen to music, I practice music, I teach music, and I promote my music. It really is my life.
What's on the horizon for your band? Are there any upcoming tour plans or new material in the works?
Since releasing our 2nd album last fall, we've been going on a series of small tours. We recently went out to Texas, which was one of the best experiences of my life. We have another tour coming up this September in the Bay Area, and we're planning more, so stay tuned!
Managing your personal lives alongside the demands of the band must be a challenge. How do you strike that balance?
I'm still trying to figure it out. I would play shows every day if I could, but there are so many other factors to balance. I guess it's about knowing your worth as a band and picking your battles.
Looking ahead, what are the ultimate goals you aim to achieve in the long term as a band?
Being able to make a living by going around and playing music that I love with my friends. After that? World Domination!
For more on Diabology, visit the following links: Instagram | Spotify | Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter
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