HERETIC drummer Sean Scott McCormick discusses the making of Shape Of Things To Come in a complete interview with Zach Moonshine, available on YouTube. The conversation examines the Los Angeles band’s independent recording approach, its traditional heavy metal and power metal foundation, and McCormick’s experiences on the road.
The 12-track album is available now through Candlepower Records. Its material ranges from faster songs to slower, heavier pieces. In the interview, McCormick discusses working with guitarist Brian Korban and producer Steve Watson, with artwork supplied by Tom Berg, and the band’s intention to retain its musical foundation without an overly polished sound.
McCormick, who has been with HERETIC for approximately nine years, also addresses the creative process and the importance of preserving the sound and attitude behind the band’s music. HERETIC plans videos for two album tracks, including the title track, “Shape Of Things To Come,” and is considering future live opportunities.
The discussion places the current album within a history reaching back to Southern California’s metal scene of the 1980s. That background includes HERETIC’s appearance on Metal Blade Records’ Metal Massacre VII compilation, Torture Knows No Boundary and the 1988 album Breaking Point. McCormick and Moonshine also discuss the band’s connections with Metal Church and its history with Reverend.
Another part of the interview focuses on McCormick’s time with BONFIRE, the AC/DC tribute band dedicated to the Bon Scott era. He recalls its recent seven-week tour with Zakk Wylde, describing packed venues, the crowds and Wylde’s efforts to make the tour happen.
McCormick also recounts how BONFIRE’s vocalist was invited to an undisclosed location to jam with AC/DC for a couple of days while Brian Johnson was experiencing vocal problems. The story forms part of a broader conversation about musicians and experiences across more than four decades of metal.
The interview returns to discovering music through record stores, album artwork, magazines and late-night radio. Artists discussed include Venom, Metallica, Celtic Frost, Mercyful Fate, Kreator, Slayer and Anthrax, alongside memories of seeing Nasty Savage, Motörhead, Overkill and Slayer.
The interview featured in the November 6 edition of The Zach Moonshine Show. Metal Devastation Radio reports 183,694 worldwide listeners for that broadcast, which also included its Battle of the Bands Top Six and selections spanning heavy metal, thrash, doom, death metal and sludge. The supplied announcement also lists the interview on Spotify and the full broadcast on Mixcloud.
