PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
I recently had the opportunity to email interview Nick,Cody and Kosta from the thrash metal band Hatriot fronted by Steve Souza,ex vocalist from Testament and Exodus.
For a debut album Hatriot sound very tight. Are you pleased with how the album turned out?
Thank you very much. We are very pleased with how the album came out. We love its energy and its tone. Juan Urteaga did a very good job. It was a great experience and we think the fans will be pleased as well.
Nicholas -Heroes Of Origin is an excellent album and my highlight is your drum work on it. For an 18yr old it is a pounding performance. How long have you been playing and who are you influenced by?
First off, thank you very much for saying that. It really means a lot to me. I have been playing for about eight years now. My biggest influence has to be Dave McClain from Machine Head, who is a very underrated drummer. Every time I see him live his performance is on point.
Next up would be Dave Lombardo from Slayer. I always try to model my drumming after his hard pounding, fast like style. Last but not least is John Tempesta, a legendary Bay Area drummer who is currently in The Cult. He is such a solid drummer. I have loved everything he has done.
Nicholas and Cody – Growing up with your father’s music, did both of you ever imagine you would be playing in the same band together? Is there more pressure playing with him or less than if you were playing in another band?
Cody- I never saw us all to be in the same band, but I knew we would be involved with music. There is some pressure because people assume there’s nepotism, but Nick and I both had to try out for our spots. We earned our place in Hatriot.
Nick – When I was a kid I always wanted to be in a band with my dad. It’s like a dream come true, but to piggy back on what Cody said, we both had to try out for our positions. I was up against three other dudes, and even though I am his son, I had to earn my spot. I knew I wanted it more and I worked hard to learn the material and to have everything down when I came in to audition.
Cody – How long have you been playing bass guitar and who are your influences?
I have been playing bass for about ten years now. My first influences when I was younger was Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers and Paul Gray from Slipknot. When I got older I started learning more technical playing styles, studying players like Alex Webster from Cannibal Corpse and Ryan Williams from The Black Dahlia Murder.
Kosta – How did you come to join Hatriot, how long have you been playing guitar and who are your influences?
I started playing guitar when I was 12 years old. I am, and have always been, heavily influenced by Bay Area thrash, as well as bands like Death, Sepultura, Pestilence, and so on. The way Zetro and I met and decided to form Hatriot started back when I was playing in band in Modesto and Zetro watched us. After we were done playing he approached me and we started talking about metal and exchanged numbers.
I had quit my band shortly after due to some personal differences and then got a phone call from Zetro. He was curious to see what I had written so I went over and showed him some songs. He wrote lyrics to them and we demoed them out. The music was received very well by people that he trusted so since that day we have Hatriot.
What are your favourite live and studio albums of all time and why?
The band’s favourite live album is probably Slayer “Decade Of Aggression.” The way they go through songs and just brutalize the crowd is simply amazing. How tight they are live is also something really to marvel at.
I (Kosta) have a lot of studio albums that influence me, but just to name a few I will say Death “Symbolic,” Slayer “Reign In Blood,” Megadeth “Countdown To Extinction,” Metallica “And Justice For All,” Sepultura “Beneath The Remains,” Pestilence “Testimony Of The Ancients,” and Morbid Angel “Altars Of Madness.” I could go on and on.
Do you plan on playing any UK dates in 2013?
We hope to play everywhere ASAP. Right now we are shopping for a good booking agent.
Will there be any Exodus covers in the set?
We have covered some Exodus and Legacy songs at past shows. We may play them live in the future, or we may not. A lot of it depends on how long of a set we get to play. We will be playing as much off of “Heroes Of Origin” as possible, and if there’s any time left over we may do a cover or two.
