Shovelhead A.D., a metal trio from Richmond, Virginia, formed in 2022, blends thrash and groove metal influences. The band comprises Shelby Brown (drums), Chuck Weatherman (vocals, guitars), and Matt Terry (bass). Their debut album, "New South Hill," released in 2023, established their presence in the metal scene. They followed up with "Timeless Old" in December 2024, further showcasing their dynamic sound.
First off, I want to thank you for taking the time to do this interview. I happened to come across your band through one of our writers here at Decibel Warfare. Discovering Shovelhead A.D. is a great start to 2025.
Shelby: My pleasure, and thanks for the kind words!
Origins
How did you come up with the band name?
Shelby: When Chuck and I got together we went through a number of band name ideas to see what resonated with us. Chuck came up with the name Shovelhead and I suggested we add on A.D. and thus we had our name!
Shovelhead A.D. formed in 2022, a challenging era for the metal scene. What motivated you to start this journey, and how did the band’s lineup come together?
Shelby: I had been looking for a band for a while and had posted an ad online. Chuck saw my ad and responded. We talked online for a bit and decided to meet up. Once we did we really connected over our love for Metallica and Pantera. And we really gelled musically. We went through a few bass players before we got hooked up with Matt. But once he came into the fold we know he was a great fit for us. Matt came out and saw us do a show where Chucks brother William was filling in for us because we had lost our bass player. At a latter date he came out to our rehearsal space and jammed with us. We hit it off immediately.
Did any of you play in other bands before forming Shovelhead A.D.? If so, can you share something about those experiences, including any releases or memorable moments?
Shelby: I’ve played in a number of different bands over the years. I played with Service of Shadows in 2014-2015 (progressive metal) and Tond in 2016-2017 (black metal) and I was in a band called Overveillence (thrash) in 2018-2019 that released an EP. But I’ve been playing in bands since 1994. Chuck played in a band with his brothers (The Weatherman Duo). Matt played in a Rock band called Soul Fuel and an acoustic rock band called Jason E Call Band.
What was your upbringing like, and when did you first experience loud, powerful music? Do you recall your earliest concerts and how they shaped you?
Shelby: I had no siblings so I credit my cousins for turning me on to heavy music. They really got me going with the new wave of British heavy metal bands like Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, but also hair metal bands like Mötley Crüe, Ratt and Wasp and stuff like Ozzy, Quiet Riot and Fastway. From there I was off to the races and things just got heavier with thrash, death, and black metal, not to mention my prog metal era! My first concert was Prong opening for Danzig in 1994. It’s still the most insane show I have ever been to. The craziest mosh pits I’ve ever seen, even in between the bands when the PA music was playing people were slamming. I still tell stories from that show to this day!
Chuck: My older brother showed me Metallica. and then Metallica again. Made me want to play guitar.
Matt: My neighbor was a few years older. Heard "One" by Metallica, "Man in the Box" by Alice In Chains and "You Could be Mine" by Guns and Roses. First concert was Plumb and Jars of Clay a few years later.
How would you describe the music scene in your hometown during your formative years? Which bands and venues influenced your journey, and what are some of your fondest memories?
Shelby: I grew up in a little coal mining town in West Virginia until I was 13 so there was no music scene whatsoever when it came to live music. But, there were a lot of metal fans in my town, so we used to listen to music all the time. Later on, I moved to Virginia to another really small town with no scene, but music was constantly in my ears. Between listening to tapes and CDs constantly, headbangers ball on MTV was a major thing for me which exposed me to many great metal bands. Later on when I got older, I was able to drive myself to shows in Baltimore, DC, and Northern Virginia which had lots of great bands coming through on the regular.
Chuck: Every one was either playing bluegrass or southern growing up. Then we had our metal CDs back at home. Skynyrd, Metallica, ZZ Top, and Pantera. Core memory is me and my brother blasting Metallicas $5.98 ep in his CD player.
Matt: Everyone in Richmond seemed to love alternative music. I only saw third eye blind, our lady peace and eve 6 at browns island but I remember the kids in bands in high school playing at local spots like Twisters and Alley Cats.
Thrash metal has evolved significantly since its origins in the 1980s. Which eras or bands have influenced your sound, and how have you incorporated those elements into your unique style?
Shelby: Metallica is a big band for all of us. Old and new. Also, Pantera, Slayer, Megadeth, Lamb Of God and Testament are thrash Influences. But I’d say we draw the most from old school thrash when it comes to that aspect of our style.
Timeless Old
I listened to "Timeless Old" in its entirety a couple of times on the second day of 2025, and I was blown away by its crushing and groovy riffs. The production quality has noticeably improved compared to your debut, "New South Hill." Can you tell us more about the production process for the new album and what changes you made to achieve this enhanced sound?
Shelby: Thanks! When we started writing for the new record we knew we wanted to step everything up. And that definitely included the production. So we started looking at various studios in the Richmond area and landed on Full Circle Recording. We heard some examples of the music coming out of there and were really impressed. We worked with Dan Uphoff and were very happy, not only with the final results but with how easy he made the whole recording process. We wanted an organic but still modern sound, not overly produced but still sharp. I think we achieved that!
The album has a number of great hits, but two songs really captured my attention “Paralysis (Nocturnal)” and “Shell Shock”. Can you walk us through the creative process of both songs and the motivation behind them?
Chuck: Paralysis (Nocturnal) is more about the fear and terror of sleep paralysis and my own dealings with terrors of the night which a lot of people can relate to. The riffs and the music is meant to evoke a bit of anxiety as it moves from a thundering, dynamic, heavy riff section in the beginning, into a melodic and uneasy yet bouncy verse that lays the platform for the vocal lines. This is followed immediately by a fast chorus that lends itself to be more like those terrors of the night, accompanied by the fear and uneasiness that comes with that. These sections going in and out after about 4 minutes could be the end of the song, but instead leads to a calm and somewhat hopeful interlude. This interlude crescendoes into a big melodic guitar solo mirroring the light at the end of a tunnel. Or the light of waking up and realizing the salvation of your own consciousness in the morning, then descending into a big heavy riff section in the same key and progression as the interlude, but with more gravitas and fortitude with the powerful bass and drums thumping behind it. After this sections resolution, it resolves then with that same intro riff coming back in to show that we may just fight this battle all again the next night.
As for Shell Shock, the lyrics are much more involved with a post-war veteran coming home to mixed emotions from those around him and even his own mind of what he’s seen and what he’s done. Some of the cooler groovier riffs are in this song that really try to push the idea of something really driving the veterans mind to search further into what reality is for him post-war. The final outro section feel, primarily driven by the drum patterns and bass guitar movements, paint the picture of chaos, and how his reality is as fragile as it seems and the mind racing across the field of what was and what should have been. The odd time signatures and tags in the section are meant to make you feel like you are on the edge of your seat.
For those who haven’t listened to your music, what message or mood were you trying to convey across the album?
Shelby: I would say a mood of driving intensity with interludes of calm. Peaks and valleys. We want our music to be memorable and make you feel something as you listen. We want to get that passion that we put into the music into your heart and soul.
How do you see the issues and themes of today compared to those from 40 years ago when Thrash Metal first came into the scene?
Shelby: I’d say it’s more wide open topic wise. In yesteryear I would say the topics were a little bit more confined. A lot of political commentary primarily. There were other themes, but that was a big one. I think nowadays it’s more open when it comes to what people tend to write about. Political themes still definitely play a part in thrash, but I think people are more likely to write about life struggles that they deal with or any issue that’s on their mind at the moment that they feel strongly about.
If you had to compare "Timeless Old" to a classic thrash album, which one would it be, and why?
I would say Master Of Puppets by Metallica. The reason I would say that is because of the diversity on the album musically and lyrically. Just like Master Of Puppets the album is definitely not one dimensional. It has dynamics. So people can continue to listen to it again and again and get something out of it. It takes you on a journey.
The Industry
Have you considered releasing physical media like vinyl and/or cassettes? Are these options prohibitive from a cost perspective? Or do you see a market for them among your fans?
Shelby: Timeless Old is available on CD. We have considered doing some prints on vinyl, but that remains to be seen. We try to balance everything from the perspective of what our fans may want, and what is affordable for us to be able to get it into their hands at a reasonable price.
Touring is critical for bands like yours, yet economics and logistics make it harder than ever. How has this impacted Shovelhead A.D., and what are your thoughts on the current state of live music?
Shelby: At the moment we are primarily focusing on building a strong fan base in our local area as well as doing weekend runs to venues within a 5 to 6 hour distance to build in other states as well. We do have plans in the works though to set up a tour in the coming future. Ultimately, our goal is to continue to build our live audience locally, regionally, and nationally, as well as internationally. We are extremely cognizant of the delicate balance financially when it comes to touring. So we take our steps very carefully to where we are able to sustain what we do long-term.
As far as the live music scene goes, I think it’s getting better. I think it’s still recovering from when everything was locked down for a number of years. But as time goes on, it seems that more and more people are coming out to support live music again which is great.
If you were to go on a tour, what geographic areas would you want to cover and why?
Shelby: From where we are, I think our first number of runs will be headed south, because that makes the most sense. North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida all have really good metal scenes. And we’ve already played some shows going south so we have more connections there. From there we definitely want to start expanding up North and then ultimately spiral out in all directions until we are covering as many regions as possible.
Do you think larger, more mainstream thrash metal bands should take younger bands under their wings? How might that shape the future of the genre?
Shelby: I definitely think that more mainstream bands should reach down and help out the up-and-coming bands. Even if that just means making it possible for them to open up shows at selected dates. Because most smaller bands are working on a very tight budget trying to get our music out there and to get recognition for what we do to build a fan base. I think when you reach a place of success that you should always pay it forward by helping other people because there’s no doubt that people helped you to get where you are. Of course no one owes anyone else anything, but I think it would be a kind gesture for more well-known bands to help out bands that are trying to build from the ground up. And I know that some bigger bands do that because we have experienced it first hand.
The Future
With "Timeless Old" behind you, what’s next for the band? Are there plans for new material or touring?
Shelby: We are always writing. Chuck in particular is a riff machine! So he’s always coming up with ideas. As soon as we completed recording the new album he was already bringing in new song ideas! Matt and myself also contribute our ideas as we get them as well riff wise. Since I don’t play a stringed instrument I just sing my riff ideas to my phone and send them to Chuck and he always takes them and makes them sound better! Matt shows his ideas through his bass which is usually pretty easy to transfer to guitar if need be. I’m always coming up with different beat ideas and Matt is always coming up with creative Bass lines as well. And any of those ideas can spark the inspiration for a song. And with the mountain of riffs that Chuck always has we are definitely never short on new song ideas.
What does success look like for Shovelhead A.D., and how do you stay true to your vision in such a turbulent industry?
Shelby: At this point, I would say success for us is getting our music out there in front of as many people as we can online and live. We have really stepped up our online presence lately. Playing as many shows for as many people as we can is also a big part of that strategy. We don’t just want fans, we really do want to connect with folks and make friendships that last with the people that come to our shows. We always enjoy hanging out and talking with everybody because we really value the people who take the time and spend the money to come see us play.
As far as staying true to our vision, I think it’s just about doing what you do and not worrying about trends or influences. Not trying to keep up with what is considered popular, but sticking to your guns and playing the music that you love and writing the music that’s in your heart. We always want to evolve and grow as individual musicians, and as a band. We really don’t put limitations on ourselves, so if it’s something we really want to do musically, we just go for it. As long as what you’re doing is genuine I think that will resonate with people.
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