Known Demise is the new project from instrumentalist Garry Brents and vocalist Destin Taylor. In the wake of the release of their debut album, we caught up with them about who they are and how the project came together.
Who are you?
Garry Brents is better known as both one man metalcore act Memorrhage and the producer behind avant-metal project Gonemage, as well as the primary instrumentalist for Cara Neir. He's half-Filpino, and outside of music he's a longtime Magic: The Gathering player and competitor. His favorite color is purple.
Destin Taylor is the lead vocalist for cybergrind duo hitbox (see also our feature on hitbox guitarist Joseph Fox from a few days ago). Outside of me, he works in mental healthcare at a group home and is a father of two.
How did you get into listening to metal? Who are your favorite heavy music acts?
Brents started seeking out metal when he was 12; the first band he really loved was Korn, and from there he got into other classic nu metal bands. Destin has multiple father figures who themselves love metal and introduced it to him and his biological father plays in a groove/nu metal band.
Brents's Current Top 5: Korn, Linkin Park, Fear Factory, Darkthrone, and Nasum.
Taylor's Current Top 2.5: System of a Down, The Blood Brothers, and the new Frail Body album.
What are your most memorable experiences playing live?
Brents was the live bassist for Texas blackened crust band Wildspeaker from 2016-2018 in live settings and remembers opening for English pop punk band Funeral Shakes in December 2016 at a venue in North Carolina.
Taylor performs live with Abuse Repression (whose vocalist Luc we've interviewed previously); their first show was opening for Amygdala with Jonathan Livingston Seagull at a taco shop in a gig put together by Luc's sister, who sang for JLS and now sings for DeadWhiteLily.
What about in the crowd? Any experiences that changed your lives?
Taylor was at The Chariot's second to last show, where he was picked up, thrown, and crowd surfed and all the bands performed one song together. Brents saw Rotten Sound in 2013 and describes it as "the heaviest [he] ever felt;" a friend of his jumped off the stage and knocked his glasses off and he had to drive home with another friend's pair.
What are your thoughts on going hard in the pit?
Brents used to be a mosher but now prefers seeing the energy rather than being a part of it; Taylor likes to occupy the wall of the pit and prefers the energy of a quick hit.
How did Known Demise come about?
Brents was looking for a vocalist for the instrumentals that became Sick and Blue and Cold and put out a call. Taylor was looking to stretch his legs recording vocals for a project other than hitbox and made the connection.
What influenced you directly in the making of the album?
Instrumentally, it's supposed to be a reimagined mix of late 90s metalcore, Coal Chamber, and Vision of Disorder. Taylor mostly tried to mimic Coal Chamber's vocal patterns but an homage to Disturbed in there too.
What's your favorite child - er, song on the album?
They both agree: Tunnel Vision.
Any other projects in the works?
Brents says not to expect the next Memorrhage record until "August at best", and that he has a few other unnamed projects in the works for late 2024 onwards. Taylor says that both hitbox and Abuse Repression are working on their next records but Known Demise will likely be his last release of this year.
Who's your dream collaboration (other than Coal Chamber, obviously)?
Taylor: Serj Tankien
Brents: Jonathan Davis
Thoughts on the broader nu metalcore movement? Any bands you're particularly fans of?
Brents says he believes it's "on the rise" and hopes that other bands will draw from Known Demise's sound. His current favorite bands are Tallah and Vein.fm, while Taylor cites /papercut.
Known Demise curated the following Spotify playlist of their personal inspirations:
You can also listen to Brents's half on Apple Music and Taylor's half on Tidal.
Known Demise's debut album, Sick and Blue and Cold, is available now on streaming services and on Bandcamp.