This Wisconsin death metal crew are all about beer, cheese, and serial murder.
Welcome to the latest installment of USA: The Underground Sounds of America, our series that shines a spotlight on the most underrated rock, metal, punk, and hardcore bands in the United States. Each week, we ask one band member to answer five unique questions so you can get to know them better. Because if you aren’t already a fan of the artist featured below… you should be.
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Horror, death, and murder are some of metal’s most well-tread territory, but somehow Casket Robbery are making them sound as fresh as a newly-dug grave. The Madison, Wisconsin-based quintet make music that’s undoubtedly steeped in all things macabre and bloody. But in the years since releasing their 2016 debut full-length Evolution Of Evil, the band have taken things in a scathing, exciting direction. As their riffs become both more brutal and more listenable, and as they delve into timeless terrors like the Black Death, it’s becoming clear that Casket Robbery are moving forward in a realm that often has issues with stagnancy.
“I think really it’s just how the band is growing,” says vocalist Megan Orvold. “We’re kind of locking into our groove and running with it. It's dark, it's brutal, and it's unrelenting. I get to be this terrifying little creature on stage night after night and the rest of the dudes get to just let it all out. We all love what we’re doing right now. We’re having a blast.”
The band’s new single, From Hell, sees Casket Robbery's sound finally reaching a perfect mixture of power and polish. The song, centered around the Jack The Ripper murders, still simmers with the band’s signature morbidity and heaviness. But added to that is cohesive songwriting and driving melody that moves away from typical head-down rage and makes the song hard to stop listening to on repeat. For Megan, the focus on a specific tale of horror fuels the darkness of her storytelling, while guitarist, programmer, and Casket songwriter Cory Scheider’s love of all things evil and depraved adds to the track’s overall atmosphere.
“Musically, Cory really takes a lot from the visuals from horror movies and from my lyrics,” says Megan. “Lyrically, for myself, it’s been a lot of fun kind of delving into everything, from specific stories to broader topics. I do think I prefer examining the specific stories and getting my own creative take on them, though. It’s been a lot of fun and has pushed me out of my comfort zone for sure. With this new stuff i’ve tried to go a little deeper, a little darker, and a lot more messed up.”
Thirsty for hot blood and a cold one, we asked Casket Robbery about the most twisted, unholy topic in the world: living in Wisconsin.
1) If you had to play a newcomer one Casket Robbery song to introduce them to the band, what would it be and why?
I think I would pick our newest single, From Hell. It shows the evolution of the band -- it’s dark, it’s spooky, it's super energetic, it’s just in-your-face Casket. Even the lyrics on it, while very dark...keep that classic tongue-in-cheek horror/humor thing that has always been a part of our band.
2) If Casket Robbery could put together a dream tour, who would be on it?
Oh, that’s a fun question. I think I would pick Carach Angren, Jungle Rot, Cannibal Corpse, Immolation (we got to spend the day with them at Full Terror Assault last year and they are just awesome dudes who blew me away on stage), and honestly, probably Butcher Babies, cause it would be fun as all hell and they are some of the most supportive people in music that I’ve ever met.
3) Why release From Hell as a stand-alone track? Is it going to be part of a new album?
We have had an extremely busy two years after the release of our last EP The Ascension, so we chose to really focus on touring and bringing our live show to as many places as possible. Because of this, we have not released any new music since The Ascension, and we knew we had to (and have been DYING TO) lock down and get some new music out there. We know our fans are hungry for some new Casket, so we spent most of the winter and spring taking a break from shows and really developing and focusing on writing.
From the songs we have written, we all really wanted From Hell to be our single, to give everyone a little taste of the new stuff thats coming. Since the Ascension EP, our drummer Alex [Simpson] has hopped on, and his influences have definitely been felt on all of the new tracks. So yes, From Hell will be a part of our new album, most likely as a bonus track, but it's just a little something to show that its coming. That being said, we are doing a few regional 'Summer From Hell' dates this summer, and have included quite a few new songs into our set, so come check them out if you’d like a sneak peek!
4) Does being from Madison, or Wisconsin in general, influence your music, and if so, how?
Oh, definitely. We actually have a shirt/sticker design that says 'Beer, Cheese, Serial Killers,' with the WI outline and our logo, so it's definitely something we embrace (and it's actually one of our best sellers!). Wisconsin has a rich history with serial killers, and while we are not a 'serial killer band,' we are a horror-centric band...they definitely have influenced certain Casket songs, more-so in the earlier Casket material, but have always been some crowd favorites!
5) Finally, what’s a horror movie Casket Robbery would want to re-score, and why?
Oh, wow, tough question! All of those '80s ones would be so much fun -- they’re so cheesy and we could do so much with them! It would be a blast! If I had to pick one, it would probably be something like Re-animator...Cory would absolutely love that. I think it has the perfect blend of cheesiness and just crazy horror that we could really run with (plus, its an awesome movie).
Casket Robbery's music is available via their Bandcamp. Catch Casket Robbery live at one of the following dates below:
July 2019
25 - Green Bay, WI - SV2 Pub & Grill
26 - Kenosha, WI - Hattrix
27 - Menomonie, WI - Zymurder Fest
August 2019
08 - Rhinelander, WI - Project Mayhem
09 - New Germany, MN - Cerberus Fest
17 - Sioux Falls, SD - Eat Your Face Metal Feast
