Metal Anarchy

Time for the next edition of Metal Anarchy’s “new music showcase,” the feature where I introduce you to bands that readers of this site may find interesting. This time I have an exclusive Q&A with Renegade Cartel.

METAL ANARCHY: Tell me a little about your band:

RENEGADE CARTEL: The energy showed from day one. After looking for gigs on Craigslist, Stephen had found that Vic needed a singer for his new rock band. Stephen wrote vocals and lyrics to two demo tracks and the connection started immediately! The original bassist and drummer quickly quit as things happened and they couldn’t commit. So over 4 drummers, 3 bassists, 2 rhythm guitarists, and about 4 years, the band finally settled on a power trio. Stephen on vocals and bass, Vic on guitar, and Rob on drums. Rob originally filled in for a gig, but then became a full time member soon after. We released our self titled EP in May of 2018 and we are finally releasing our full length album on October 31st 2019..

METAL ANARCHY: Who are your main influences?

RENEGADE CARTEL: We are inspired by lots of music. Guns N’ Roses, Led Zeppelin, The Black Crowes, Metallica, Black Sabbath, B’z, Iron Maiden, KISS, Slash, Alter Bridge, The Beatles, Van Halen, and King’s X. Just tons of rock artists. I’d say Vic’s heroes are Slash, Jimmy Page, Rich Robinson, Eddie Van Halen, and Marc Ford. Stephen’s are Myles Kennedy, Koshi Inaba, James Hetfield, and dUg Pinnick. Rob’s biggest influences are Peter Criss, Nicko McBrain, Tommy Lee, Tommy Aldridge, Alex Van Halen, and John Bonham.

METAL ANARCHY: What is your latest release and why should readers of this site check it out?

RENEGADE CARTEL: We released our first single “Break Your Chains” from our upcoming debut album. It’s a groovy, hard rock tune, that actually dates back to the earliest rehearsals, and it totally gets us fired up. The full record comes out on October 31st, at the start of the Dia de Muertos celebrations. It’s called “Dear World” and it’s jam packed with 15 tracks running over 75 minutes. It includes some of our earliest tunes, all the way up to our latest stuff. There is hard rock, metal, classic rock, blues and more, so be sure to listen through it and see what you like the most. There’s something for everyone!

METAL ANARCHY: What can people expect when they go to your live shows?

RENEGADE CARTEL: So, being a three piece, we obviously don’t have the luxury of doing two guitars, or anything embellished on the record. We decided to produce the record a bit with the intent of someday having more members or support members. We wanted the record to sound like our ideal sound. Now, just because we’re three people, doesn’t mean we don’t fill that stage up with sound. One of the things we’re most proud of is the fact that we powerhouse it and make it sound sonically full. Being a huge King’s X fan has helped that immensely. dUg Pinnick helped guide my transition from rhythm guitar to bass with minimal losses, but we like to have a good balance of knock down the walls hard rock and a nice blues shuffle to unwind with.

METAL ANARCHY: Where do you see your band heading in 5 years?

RENEGADE CARTEL: Everyone says pro. I mean, we totally want to quit our 9 to 5s but we know it’s not that easy. It takes an incredible amount of time and work. And sometimes luck. But we’d love to be releasing our second record and tour around the world with some badass bands. Who knows, maybe we can. I’m all for it! Even if we don’t get noticed, we’ll still be writing new tunes and rocking the local scene! We love it too much to ever let it go.