With the release of their debut EP Maiden Voyage right around the corner, Atlanta-based metal duo MOON DESTROYS are more ready than ever to bring their tunes to Earth. Featuring Juan Montoya (ex-Torche) and Evan Diprima (ex-Royal Thunder), the two gents recently recorded the EP at Aria Recording Studio with engineer/producer Joey Jones, and filmed the whole process of tracking guitars! It’s a great look into how the band achieves their equally heavy and atmospheric sound, so buckle up!
From guitarist/bassist Juan Montoya:
“First of all, I really enjoy spending time in Atlanta and it always stimulates my creative juices. I’m more inclined to try different ideas there. We went into an excruciating two-day rehearsal before the recording and managed to make sense of the riffs… Which I recorded on my phone’s voice memo beforehand. I wrote a majority of them on a very boring family holiday break. The session went smoother than I imagined! Producer/Engineer Joey Jones is a pleasure to work with and is a riot. Really good guy.”
Here’s the gear he was rocking:
- GUITARS: 1979 Gibson Explorer E2 named “Blue Giant”, 1990 Gibson Les Paul Custom (“Elvira”), 1983 Gibson Explorer, Fender Esquire Tele
- PEDALS: Sanford & Sonny BlueBeard Fuzz/Distortion, Boss DS-1 Keeley Mod, MXR EVH90, Line 6 DL4, and MORE
- AMPS: Marshall JCM800 2 Channel 100 watt (Late 80’s), Marshall JCM800 2203KK 100 watt, Bogner Shiva 80 watt
- CABS: Marshall 1960B Reissue 4×12 w/ Celestion Greenback 25 watt speakers (salt & pepper grill), Mesa Recto 4×12, Bogner 2×12 open back
From drummer/bassist Evan Diprima:
“The ‘Maiden Voyage’ writing and recording process was a killer time. Juan flew up, we wrote for 36 hours straight, then went in and laid down track after track with our bro and Producer/Engineer Joey Jones at his own Aria Recording Studio. Joey has always been the man when it comes to getting all-natural, chunky drum sounds. We used the C&C 7 ply Mahogany kit with reverse round over edges and my trusty 2009 Dunnett Classic Titanium Snare. We went hard, to say the least!”
And here’s what was included in Evan’s setup (gear pics below):
- DRUM SHELLS: 2009 Dunnett Classic Titanium 6.5×14 Snare Drum ( personally named “Pika” by Ronn Dunnett himself), 2015 C&C Player Date II
- DRUM SHELL SIZES: 14×24 (24”) kick, 14×10 (14”) rack tom, 16×18 (18”) floor tom, 6.5×14 (14”) snare drum
- HEADS: Mad mix – Remo Emperor Coated, Remo Powerstroke 3 Clear, Remo Ambassador Clear, Evans EC2 Clear
- CYMBALS: Zildjian K Dark Medium Ride 22in, Dream Energy Crash/Ride 21in, Zildjian K Hats 14in.
And last but not least, Engineer/Producer Joey Jones had this to say:
“I’m all about getting the best tones possible because it establishes the right vibe so everyone feels comfortable to perform their best. It’s all about mutual trust essentially. I’m so thankful Juan and Evan trusted me to help bring their vision to life. I loved playing on this record and exploring different textures with guitars and synths. Mixing was a whole other awesome journey into a creative headspace. There were no limits.”
And his gear list included:
- Kush Audio Clariphonic MS
- Calrec M3 analog console
- LOTS of outboard gear
Don’t forget to check out the band’s new single “Blue Giant” above (featuring Troy Sanders of MASTODON), and be sure to pre-order Maiden Voyage before it drops on March 27th, 2020.
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