Hot New Band: Audiotopsy

After enjoying considerable success as a member of both Mudvayne and Hellyeah, guitarist Greg Tribbett could be forgiven for thinking that he has already enjoyed his allotted 15 minutes of fame in the metal world.

One listen to Natural Causes, the debut album by Greg’s new band Audiotopsy, should be enough to convince most fans of contemporary heaviness that his third crack at the musical whip is every bit as potent as his previous efforts. Joined by his Mudvayne comrade, drummer Matt McDonough, former Skrape vocalist Billy Keeton and bassist Perry Stern, Greg firmly believes that Audiotopsy emerged from a simple case of stars aligning.

“The band came together in barely a month!” he laughs. “I’ve known Billy since 2000, when Skrape did some shows with Mudvayne. He was the first guy I thought of to front this project, so I called him up and he was totally into it. He was doing his own thing with Perry, so they basically came as a package and me and Matt were elated. I believe it was meant to be. Straight away, the vibe was happening and everyone was happy. It’s been great, man.”

Although pointedly melodic and subtly redolent of everyone from Jane’s Addiction and Alice In Chains to Deftones and Slipknot (at their most anthemic), Natural Causes looks certain to surprise a lot of people. While many of their peers either regurgitate their most successful ideas or vanish altogether, Audiotopsy have struck upon an exhilaratingly fresh and distinctive sound that dares to go against the modern rock and metal grain.

“The business nowadays needs a fresh band, man, and that’s what we want to be,” Greg avows. “I think everything out now is very stale. All the bands sound alike and there’s been nothing new in 10 years – that really motivated me to make something fresh, and I think we did it with this record. We have great songs, a cool name and killer artwork… I think people are gonna be really receptive. It’s rock’n’roll, man!”

A weatherbeaten road veteran, Greg has already paid his dues and clearly knows what to expect when he takes his new project to the people for the first time. What Audiotopsy represent more than anything, however, is a clean slate.

“I’ve been waiting a long time to make a record like this,” Greg says. “We may not change the face of music, but I hope we change people’s attitudes to what they’re listening to today. This is my third band and I consider myself very lucky to have the opportunity to be in a band like this.”

Natural Causes is out on August 28 via Napalm

Dom Lawson began his inauspicious career as a music journalist in 1999. He wrote for Kerrang! for seven years, before moving to Metal Hammer and Prog Magazine in 2007. His primary interests are heavy metal, progressive rock, coffee, snooker and despair. He is politically homeless and has an excellent beard.