INTERVIEW: Jinjer set to headline Metal Injection Festival in Brooklyn
Image courtesy of Metal Injection / Provided by Adrenaline PR with permission.
The Brooklyn Monarch and Meadows are set to host the revamped Metal Injection Festival the weekend of Sept. 21-22. Many heavy metal bands will be jamming out to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Metal Injection, one of the most important metal news sources of all time. Among the performers are Jinjer, Converge, 3 Inches of Blood and God Forbid playing a special Gone Forever set.
All in all, the festival promises two days with more than 30 bands across three stages. The music will be nonstop with sets from Hanabie., Cave In, Pallid Veil and Rivers of Nihil, among many others.
At the center of the festival is Frank Godla, CEO of Metal Injection and organizer of the festival. Recently he exchanged emails with Hollywood Soapbox to preview the upcoming concert extravaganza. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
Can you believe it has been 20 years of Metal Injection?
Hah! Some days it feels like I started this 40 years ago and others only 10 days ago. Fast living means not having the time to look back too often, but I’m really stoked we made it this far whenever I do take the time to think about it. We couldn’t have done it without the support of our audience, naturally. So thank you!
What did day one of Metal Injection look like?
Believe it or not, although we’re celebrating 20 years of the website, the company goes back a bit further to 2003. We started as a TV show titled Metal Injection that would air on Brooklyn cable access television. Yup, just like Wayne’s World. So day one might have been the moment we went down to the TV station to hand off a super VHS tape that I bounced, after editing footage off my mother’s Hi8 camcorder to create the first several episodes. We thought it was so cool and creative at the time, but definitely cringe worthy looking back today. I guess that’s the blessing and the curse of being DIY about things; you set the terms of your own creation, but you also have to live with the growing pains.
What can fans expect at this year’s festival?
I’m super proud of the fact this year will feature all sorts of exclusive, first-time and once-in-a-lifetime events — from the recently reunited God Forbid playing Gone Forever for the first time every in its entirety, to 3 Inches of Blood reunited and performing on the East Coast for the first time in over a decade, to the world debut full set of Pallid Veil, which features hand-selected musicians I chose like Luc Lemay of Gorguts, Dave Davidson of Revocation, Liam Wilson of Dillinger Escape Plan / In Flames and Elliot Hoffman of Carbomb. Plus super amazing only area appearances from Jinjer, Converge, Hanabie. and so many more! We’ll be taking over two full venues that include indoor and outdoor spaces, so more than anything I think folks can expect a good damn time, with bands that are having as much fun as they are. I really try to make these festivals something unique for the fans and artists alike.
What do you like about headliner Jinjer?
If you have ever had the pleasure to watch Jinjer perform live, you already know they are a massive force that dominates every stage they walk on. It’s truly a sight to be seen, heard and felt. Off stage, they are some of the warmest and sweetest people you can spend time with. Between these two, I can’t think of a single reason I wouldn’t want them to be part of this!
How did you get the God Forbid guys to join the festival?
Metal Injection and God Forbid go way back to our origins, so it felt perfect to have them part of this year’s lineup, which also acts as our 20th anniversary party of sorts. I have always stayed in touch with Doc Coyle, even through their hiatus, and supported everything he does. He’s a close friend, an incredible musician, and a brilliant mind as far as I’m concerned. The rest of the band are equally unfuckwithable, and I championed their return real hard. Having them perform Gone Forever all the way through, which is also 20 years old, is a match made in hell!
Is the metal scene strong in 2024?
Honestly, it’s the strongest it has ever been in the history of music as far as I’m concerned. That statement might ruffle some feathers with anyone who sold records before Napster, but I can’t think of another time in history that the world at least knew metal existed in the commercial sense. Whether you’re looking at fashion trends, celebrities discussing their closet love of the genre, metal making it into film and TV, more artists charting, artists collabs with pop stars and some bands crossing over into the mainstream with their genre fluid approach, I like to think we’re doing pretty cool things in the metal scene!
What new metal bands are you watching closely?
Oh man! There are honestly way too many we’re stoked about that seriously run the gamut of style, so in an effort to keep this on brand, I’ll shout out the newer bands I booked on this year’s Metal Injection Festival, like Hue, a brilliant band out of DC that has all the urban fun, hooks and style I’m super excited about; Johnny Booth, a hard hitting group I love that’ll make you wonder why everything else in your playlist is so weak; Jesus Wept, making their East Coast debut and a must see for any ’90s death metal fan; Shockwithdrawal, which is basically a grind blast beat glory hole; Del Judas, a dark and vibey singer-songwriter that may bring out the inner goth in you; VËRMÏNDÖG, NYC Slayer style thrash you’ll want to eat up … just to name a few.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
The Metal Injection Festival is set for Sept. 21-22 at Brooklyn’s Monarch and Meadows. Click here for more information and tickets.
