High Command: The Impending Crusade
Kevin Fitzgerald of HIGH COMMAND is a more timid individual than his musical output lets on. Having formed the band in the first half of the decade and released their first demos by 2016, the Worcester, Massachusetts heavyweights soon established themselves as one of the more unique offerings the new wave of modern thrash has to offer.
Given the relative youth with which HIGH COMMAND currently bathe in, speaking with Kevin to understand the story to where they band are now seemed like the logical place to start. “We’ve all been friends for as long as I can remember. Our background is definitely in hardcore punk, I’m pretty sure everyone of us played in different bands at the time, and eventually got to a point where a few of our bands weren’t doing too much or had just split.” Kevin adds, “so we were all at a bar once, or something like that, and we tossed around the idea of starting this band that sounded like our favourite records.” There are no prizes for guessing that those albums mentioned include the likes of SLAYER’s entire back catalogue and choice cuts like Ride The Lightning to name but a few.
“That’s what I love about thrash. It’s music to have fun too,” is what Kevin has to say regarding the group’s choice to change their focus from their background in hardcore and punk to the thrash sound, but also about their medieval, middle-aged aggression and fantastical aesthetic. The consistent artwork and violent lyrical work has been a key reason for HIGH COMMAND standing out from the crowd as well as they do. Where POWER TRIP and the now defunct RED DEATH were purveyors of political tinged attacks on the status quo, HIGH COMMAND has been leading the charge alongside bands like ENFORCED and INHUMAN NATURE to stand up for the silly bone that runs deep within the genre. Kevin even explains his position further, adding “I’m not very good at writing lyrics like that. I have a lot more fun just writing the swords and sorcery sort of thing.”
With riffs and song writing the likes of which fill the HIGH COMMAND debut of last year and the double track EP they dropped this year, it’s difficult not to argue how much fun there is to be had with HIGH COMMAND both on a musical level and a narrative one. With the consistent imagery of their ram horned knight finding its way on multiple artworks, the band are rife with creativity and potential to inject some interesting and deep narratives into their music is something that is truly exciting. Despite his relative lack of confidence in his social commentary, Kevin does admit to seeing himself grow and develop as a lyricist as his music career progresses, and is using the current writing sessions for a new HIGH COMMAND album as ample opportunity to practice.
With the momentum the band are gathering thanks to their creative energy and unique standing as a distinctly silly band, it comes as a surprise when Kevin reveals that this is a first time ride for him as a vocalist and frontman. “I was playing drums in bands, this is the first band I’ve sung in.” He explains, and the pitched screams that echo throughout Beyond the Walls of Desolation suggests another but a first time vocalist. The confidence that oozes from the full body armour coating the performances that have put HIGH COMMAND on the radar of festivals like Damnation also suggest anything but a first time frontman. It offers an even deeper level of excitement for the future of HIGH COMMAND and paints them as a band that could well surge to the very front of the scene if they are able to capitalise upon the interest surrounding them currently.
This year [2020] has been a kick in the balls universally for the music industry, with bands breaking up left, right, and centre, as well as the tragic and far too soon passing of Riley Gale highlighting a brutal toll on the alternative music scene specifically. If ENFORCED can impress with their impending Kill Grid album and HIGH COMMAND are able to capitalise upon the momentum gathered by their debut then there is really no reason to think these two acts could swiftly lead the international charge for the thrash scene. Kevin has a humility about him that feels grounded, and when you tie that in with the outlandish nature of the band he plays in and it makes HIGH COMMAND not just a kick ass metal band but an endearing group of friends just looking for a seriously good time. If there was any band that could get a crowd utterly salivating for the next riff, or the next dive bomb, then its HIGH COMMAND, and their impending crusade should be welcomed with open arms.
Everlasting Torment is out now via Southern Lord Recordings.
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