Roots of Resilience: From ages three to seven I lived in Covelo, CA. right outside The Round Valley rez. in Medicino County. Where the Pomo, Yuki and other tribes the government shoved together like mismatched puzzle pieces. As a child to hippy parents I was also was one that didn’t fit anywhere. We breated the same air and saw the same mountains. This was my first exposure to life’s injustices.
At seven, we moved to Colorado. My parents-still hippies-bought me cheap sand paintings and a Kachina doll from a gas station off 160. I kept the doll in my room for years. That’s when I first felt it: not the art, not the colors-the mystery behind why anyone would make something so beautiful just to leave it in the desert. That doll started my obsession with Native mysticism. No lectures. Just quiet questions from a kid who didn’t fit anywhere-yet somehow fit right there.New Jersey in my teens: lakes, towns, roads with Indian names-Hackensack, Raritan-like echoes from people who’d been here forever. Early 20s in Florida, the Seminoles were right down the road. And the Plains Indians? I’ve followed their art, collected a few pieces. It’s not casual. It’s like… I can’t unsee it. And Blood Red Sky is where I finally said something. #NativeAmericanHeritage
A True Friendship: When I started Methane, I met Bobby Steele-the Navajo Rambo. Native American actor, radio host, metal guy with zero chill. We clicked instantly: same sick jokes, same dark laughs. We poke each other about our teams, he bleeds orange, I bleed black and silver. And when it came to Blood Red Sky? I could trust him to be honest with me. So he became the cultural advisor: every symbol, every line, he made sure it rang true. Couldn’t have done it without him.
#BobbySteele #MetalFamily
Symbolism in Blood Red Sky: In Blood Red Sky I wanted the lyrics to hit like a war drum-one beat for every tribe that had their land stolen, their kids taken, their stories buried. But then it turns: that same drum becomes their heartbeat, still going. Because survival isn’t quiet. It’s loud. It’s metal. #BloodRedSky #KeepTheSpiritAlive
Fanboy Moments: Huge shoutout to Blood Feast. Back when I was sixteen or seventeen in Jersey, Kill For Pleasure was non-stop on my CD player, my friends and I just worshipped that album. They were local gods. I even shared a stage with them once in Parasyte opening for them at Ramapo Valley College, eighty-seven or eighty-eight-total thrill. And years later, Methane played with them at Rage of Armageddon Festival in Brooklyn. Full circle. Then CJ Scioscia drops a solo on Blood Red Sky. Dreams you didn’t dare dream.
#BloodFeast #FullCircle
Uniting Voices: Blood Red Sky is more than just a song-it’s a battle cry for resilience and hope. With my friends, with Bobby, with CJ, with every riff-we’re making damn sure those voices don’t fade. It’s an honor. Let’s thrash together. Keep the spirit alive.
Richard “Owlheade” Fredriksson Joins Thrash Metal Protagonists Methane as Full-Time Drummer
[Stockholm,Sweden] – Swedish thrash metal juggernaut Methane has officially announced the addition of Richard “Owlheade” Fredriksson as their full-time drummer. Richard, who has been impressing audiences with his focused power on the skins since joining Methane on their European tour in 2023 alongside Massacre (US DM), is now the band’s eighth drummer, stepping into a role filled with high expectations and legacy.
Richard’s journey to Methane began at a gig where his former band, Flamedriven, opened for Methane. It was during this performance that he was introduced to band members Tim, Jimi, and Markus, leading to his eventual place in the lineup. With a background in Swedish thrash band Arsenite and groove metal group Flamedriven, Richard brings a wealth of experience and energy to the band.
Currently, Richard is in the studio recording the band’s highly anticipated third album, which promises to deliver a punishing, faster, and more brutal crossover version of Methane’s thrashing style, appealing to fans of the genre and beyond.
With its eigth drummerIn the spirit of legendary rock comedy Spinal Tap, Methane continues to defy convention and push the boundaries of thrash metal while maintaining a sense of humor and fun in their performances. With Richard “Owlheade” Fredriksson now officially part of the band, fans can expect nothing short of explosive energy and unforgettable shows.
Methane is set to demolish stages across Sweden this May, supporting legendary acts F.K.Ü. and Mezzrow. The upcoming tour dates include:
Anthrax, one of the Big Four of Thrash Metal and the sole representitive of the east coast, being from New York City, has always had a unique sound and approach to thier thrash metal oppossed to the other titans of the genre from the Bay Area Metallica, Testament , Megadeth etc..and its Tueutonic counterparts from Germany like Sodom and Kreator. This month. Methane shredderJimi Masterbo got to honor his boyhood heros by guest curating the Thrashed playlist on Spotify
I Stumbled upon Anthrax 1984 on a mixed cassette tape I had received. MetalThrashing Mad totally floored me. Scott Ian has always been in my top four guitarists and is a very big reason why I became a guitarist. Anthrax always had good riffy songs. High energy and a large portion of humor. I have been hugely inspired by this in my own songwriting. There are so many good songs so I had a hard time choosing a few, but here are my best today. I invite you to stream the Thrashed playlist, follow and share it to your friends and help me celebrate Anthrax this month!
photo Mike Cameron/Redferns, Getty Image
1. Caught In A Mosh
“I Love how it builds up from the guitar hero chord strikes at the beginning, how the bass comes in and the drum chaos into the verse.Grab a drink and stage drive into the nearest bush. Mosh!”
2 Metal Thrashing Mad
The first time I heard it in 1984, in my room when I was 9 years , I grabbed an acoustic guitar and got down on my knees and just screamed.
“When I was old enough to grow a beard I started growing my goat beard, just like Scott Ian, hahaha and I still having that.”
3 Belly of the Beast
Could be one of the coolest guitar intros ever. Scott Ian is the riff Master. Always liked the way Anthrax builds songs. Cool, nice riffs. Nice little details. This definately need to be added to the playlist .
Scott Ian (born Scott Ian RosenfeldDecember 31, 1963 in NYC ),best known as the rhythm guitarist, lyricist and co-founder of the thrash metal band Anthrax, of which he is the sole continuous member. Ian is also the guitarist, lyricist, and a founding member of the crossover thrash band Stormtroopers of Death, – Wikipedia
Photo credits: Unknown
“He (Ian) has written lots of awesome riffs and songs over the years. Both with Anthrax and of course S.O.D. His attack, chugg and tightness in his left hand with the brilliant notes and riffs in his right hand. He is the riff master from hell! I always have that in my mind when I playing guitar. It’s got to be tight as hell, on the records and when I play live.”
4 Got The Time
A perfect song to convert into a thrash cover from Joe Jackson‘s original, with its bass intro, bass sound, stress, guitar chew, hockey chorus, chorus. MOSH!
“Anthrax has fun on stage. That’s another thing i admire and try to steel from Anthrax for my performance with Methane. The audience vibes with you when you are haveíng fun on the stage. Scott has his own style on stage, a real New York Hardcore feeling, moshing and guitar slinging, always a good show.”
photo by Explosiv, Graz Austria
5 Bring the Noise a classic that is still very good. This one has spun hard over the years.
Jimi Masterbo (born Jimi Wallin April 10, 1975 in Sweden), lead guitarist, and co-founder of the thrash metal band Methane. Jimi was also the guitarist, and a founding member of the Swedish death metal band Hell Patrol.
Artist: Methane | Fotografa: Nicolette Radoi | Date: 11 July 2023 | Venue: Slaughter Club | City: Paderno Dugnano (MI)
Methane announce the release of a new brimstone engulfed album for early 2023. Hailing from Sweden with American born singer/bassist Tim Scott, formerly of cult acclaimed NJ death metal band Revenant, has chosen January 27, 2023 as the release date of its heavy groove laden thrash metal album “Kill It With Fire“.
Cover Art BY: Eka Saputra Pzychopart
The album reverberates unapologetic thrash metal guitar riffing courtesy of guitarists Jimi Masterbo and Markus Grundstrom paired with the intense drumming of newly inducted drummer Jonathan Fundin . The album also features a colaboration with CJ Scioscia from New York City area thrash legends Blood Feast, who shreds a solo on track 5 ‘A Blood Red Sky’. Kill It With Fire was produced, mixed and mastered by Jonas Arnberg at Sellnoise Studio in Sweden.
Tim commented in a press release “The lyrics for the album have a dark irony about our contemporary societal woes and some deeply personal songs as well, of life and all its miseries. The music on the album sounds brutal we really got a sick mix of old school thrash and heavy pit provoking groove riffs.”
Thin the Herd is the first single from the album originally released in 2019 now Methane have just finished shooting a new video to be released sometime in January.
The music video depicts today’s society, social media junkies hopped up Facebook likes. The idea for the song came from a day Tim was going through his friends list, deleting people that had no reason to be there. ” I was culling them, deleting someone from your page is worse than death for some people. I think we are all going fuckin’ crazy. Its a virus and we’re all infected”
Kill It With Fire Tracklist:
1- “Kill It With Fire”
2- “Accuser (of the brethren)”
3- “Declare Chaos”
4- “Shock and Awe”
5- “A Blood Red Sky” ( feat. CJ Scioscia of Blood Feast)
As we prepare for a new era of Methane, we have great news for all of our friends and followers on Facebook. Starting Friday September 23 we will be uploading our entire vlog catalogue up on our Official Facebook Page. We will upload a new video every Friday at noon EST / 6 PM CEST. This will inculde Live videos, our tour vlog “Mobil Moshpit” a series where we take you on the road with us, “Thrash Tards” our series of everything Thrash Metal, Playthroughs. You can still see all of our Methane Vlog videos on our Youtube channel.
The first video out is a professional drum playthrough video with drummer Hans Karlin (ex- Letters from the Colony) who played with the band for awhile. The video was filmed and edited at Sellnoise Studios by Jonas Arnberg, who also is currently mixing and mastering a new Methane album. Watch it here on Facebook.
During the month of September we ran a contest to win a METHANE Thin The Herd U.S. tour t-shirt. The contest came about because we want to show our appreciation for all of you who support us by sharing our music and posts. The contest was #Tag5friends. Particpents tagged 5 friends in The Thin The Herd YouTube and Spotify posts on our Facebook page, then we drew random names from a hat on a live Facebook feed.
Congrats to :
Jessica Vesterberg of Sandviken Sweden and Diana Heinemann from Germany. Below is a photo of Jessica with her new shirt! Thank You!!
If you would like to help us out join our 72 Crew street team group on Facebook. We will be running moe contests in the future.
2019 was an epic year for us and Methane! We released Thin The Herd , the first single and music video off our upcomming album ‘Kill It With Fire‘. The single was released on Sweden’s Big Balls Productions. We also got to come meet alot of you guys on tour in Berlin, Estonia, Lativia , here at home in Sweden and an Amazing tour on the West Coast in the U.S. with Incarnit. Methane started a Metal Vlog on Youtube ( Check it out here) and have searched high and low for a solution to our very own Spinal Tap drummer situation. Big specail thanks to Juuso Laukanen (Intact) for destroying drum skins with us live and Jonas Arnberg (Fimbutyr) in the studio.
2020 is already getting exciting, we have plans for new releases and booking tours and festivals that we will announce very soon. We thank everyone of you who have supported us on social media, who have come to shows, shared our music, bought a t-shirt or just threw up your horns, we are truely greatful and wish everyone a Happy New Year , lets blow 2020 up!
Tim, Jimi and Markus have made thier own Top lists from 2019 with tour memories to share with you metalheads. We would love to hear your Methane memories from 2019 please give us a comment with a photo or memory we shared together.
Tim’ Best 10
Photo – Kim Sellstedt
Best drink – Redwine and Fireball We created an awesome drink on the boat to Estonia. We are still trying to come up with a name for it, but it definatly is a new Methane mainstay on our ferry rides across the Baltic sea.
Mosh Pit Of The Year We had some good pits but the The Girl mosh Pit om Halloween at the 5 Star Bar was priceless. A group of girls ran on to the floor while we were playing dressed up for Halloween, they were brutal AF, it was amazing.
Best discription of Methane While on tour in the U.S. , Sam from Big Balls Productions who had never met us asked the guys in Incarnit about what we were like. William Fossheim who was playing bass in Incarnit replied “Its like touring with pirates.” . I think that was a complement.
Coolest Castle – Rakvere Castle, Rakvere Estonia We get to sight see while we are out driving around looking for the next club. In Estonia we hit up 2 really cool castles a castle in Narva on the border of Russia and an amazing castles ruins in Rakvere. The gig in Rakvere at Kära Kants Rock Club was also an incredible night.
Dance moves of the year – Juuso’s Robot Dance Juuso was getting jiggy with it all year with his robot dance. He is a master of moves, he broke out the robot dance first at Blackland in Berlin and it followed us everywhere! In Riga, even a robot mosh pit broke out. Thrashtards for life!
Biggest Hole Visted– The Grand Canyon Like I said we do get see some awesome things on the road. Even some big holes in the ground, we saw Window Rock on the Navajo Rez, an old haunted cave in 2 guns Arizona but the biggest most impressive was ofcourse The Grand Canyon. I guess you can say Arizone is “Holy” .
Best gig food –Burritos in San Diego . Probably one of the most important things when we are out is getting something to eat. Some promoters really think of thier artists and feed us. Julie Knight Zucker from Knight Time Entertainment is one of those amazing music people. She hooked us up with some bad ass burritos in San Diego.
Latest After Party – Greeley Colorado. Well I’m not 100% if it was the latest but maybe more the strangest. We went back to Draghoria’s rehearsal studio after the gig with members for the band and Incarnit. Things got a little crazy to say the least.
Grumpiest On Tour – Dylan. Markus wasn’t able to follow us out the states on this last tour, but fortunately we got original founding member Dylan Campbell to jump in and play with us. He gets my grumpy award, because he wasn’t super happy when I would scream while he was sleeping.
Coldest Beer – Burning Run Fest Berlin. Not sure if the beer was cold or just because it was a warm outdoor fest. But good times were had and beer was involved with our brothers in Edge of Ever.
Jimi’s Top 10 of 2019
Srangest Gig – Los Angeles in Alley Studio
Funnest gig 2019 Blackland Berlin Germany Moxi Denver USA Kära kants Rakvere Estonia Rockbar Karlstad Sweden
Mosh pit of the year Moxi Denver 5 stat bar Los Angeles girl mosh Rockbar Karlstad
The grumpiest sound engineer Tucson
The drunkest boat trip The ferry Stockholm- Tallinn
Best promoter, food and love… Regena Dungan Srackangast of Decibel of Reign in Tucsin AZ.
Drink of the year Redwine – Fireball
The oh no I can’t follow you guys home I forgot my passport and I am stuck here award. Tim couldn’t leave Germany when he left is passport somewhere.
Markus’ Top Ten of 2019
10. Driving the car from Narva, Estiona having no idea how the speeding cameras were looking like. Got busted, however the ticket fee was not too bad, luckily.
9. Narva, Estonia as a city. Probably one of the stranges places I have been to on this planet. Estonia on one side of the river, Russia on the other side. Also, if there are 70 000 people living in Narva, where were they?
8. One of the best places we visited in 2019 was definitly Berlin. What a wonderful city. I would love to go back there again soon.
7. During the shooting of “Thin the Herd” I was so hungover. Worst shooting day ever, but the result was amazing.
6. The stage we played on at one of the shows in Berlin was slightly tilting towards my side, making it impossible to move without almost falling. Also, the feeling of everything on the stage would fall towards me due to the tilting. Scary stuff.
5. Moshpit in Karlstad. The moshpit that occured during our show in Karlstad, Sweden was absolutely nuts. The hade to clean in front of the stage after the show because there were so much beer and broken glass. That is how to have a thrash metal gig.
4. Old man mosh pit in Rakvere, Estonia. I’m not kidding when I say that there was a man, must have been over 50 or 60 years old having a fucking great show. He was moshpiting with himself for about 30 minutes. That made me so happy, and a little bit scared too.
3. When we played in our hometown and started the song “thin the herd” I have an important role in the intro. When i was starting to play it on the guitar the sound was gone. I was looking on my guitar and my ampifier but everything looked fine. After about 7 seconds (when the intro was totaly ruined), I saw that my tuning pedal was turned on, which makes the guitar muted. That was so embarrasing.
2. Live in Riga, Latvia. Tim did something so funny on stage that I started laughing loud. I could not stop. I was litterally louging for 4 minutes, non stop while trying not to screw up on guitar. Loved it.
1. Girl moshpit in the USA? I could not attend to that tour unfortunatelly. I saw a video when the band was playing in Los Angeles i think. I was wathcing the band playing, sounded good and everything semmed to be in order. Suddenly, the camera was turned away from the band and started filming the audience. There was I think 4 or five girls (cannot remeber exactly) that started a moshpit. I looked wuite violent too. They were not really dressed as “Metalheads” either. It all semmed so strange. But, I laughed so hard. I cannot think how the gyus felt when that happened, Must be no.1 strangest and best thing happend in 2019.
Last Friday we released Thin The Herd on Big Balls Productions. We are extreemly greatful for the amazing response the song is getting! Here are some brutal reviews the song is getting along with some METAL AF playlists. We thank everyone who has been sharing the song and adding to your playlists. If you find any we haven’t seen yet please let us know.
Ever Metal Playlists on YouTube and Spotify
This weekend we are celebrating the release with 2 gigs in Sweden as a start to our Thin The Herd Tour which will take us to Estonia, Latvia and The U.S. You can keep tabs and see some on the road videos on our YouTube Vlog.
RAGING REALITY RECATION VIDEO TO THIN THE HERD
For you guys who have been trying to follow our, real life Spinal Tap, drummer situation, We would like to present Peter Andersson from Bollnäs, Sweden. Peter has been reheasersing with us for awhile now and will be playing his first Methane gig tomorrow, Friday OCt. 4, at our release party in Borlänge, Sweden with INCARNIT. You can get a glimpse of him later today on our YouTube Vlog. while Juuso Laukanen wil be crushing live with us for our Baltic gigs. Tour Dates
Down The Front Review‘ guitars that chug harder than a sailor with his first beer on shore leave. ‘
It’s official! Methane will be releasing a new single and video for ‘ Thin The Herd’ . We have been teasing Thin the Herd with live videos for awhile now as we have added into our live set awhile back. Thin the Herd is a precurser to a new album to be released 2020 and marks a heavier, more honest sound that we have been looking for.
Thin the Herd will be released on Friday, September 27 through Sweden’s recusant Big Balls Productions. We are extreemely excited to unleash a new tougher , agressive song, it’s been way too long since we put something new out.
Markus and Jonas describe ‘Thin The Herd’
WARNING! Your minds are being controlled. The human race is infected. The plague is being spread in your social media feed. There is only one cure. No quarter will be given. It’s time to THIN THE HERD.
We plan to tour extensivly for this song while smithing new plans for releasing more music. We would like to extend a warm welcome to all of our friends and supporters to our release event at The House of Blues in Borlänge, Sweden on Friday October 4. We have invited Incarnit, an energetic hard hitting thrash band to share this night with us, It will be a rager of a party!
In October 2018 Olle Ekman left the band and we have been racing to find a new permanent drummer. Juuso Laukkanen from Estonian groove metalers Intact has been filling in for live duties. But Jonas Arnberg from Fimbultyr ,a Viking Blackmetal band from our area in Sweden, took over for studio details. Jonas not only plays the drums but recorded, mixed snd mastered the sessions at his studio , Sellnoise Studio.
Eka Saptura
The cover for Thin The Herd was created Indonesian metal artist Eka Saptura for Pzychoart ,who has done work for Suicidal Silence among others. Eka took our vision and nailed to the cross in almost no time.
The cover depicts the lyrical theme of he song blended with gut wrenching colors and crisp apocalyptic graphics giving us a haunting underground thrash metal feeling.
We are looking forward to seeing you guys out on the road this fall and next year.
See you in the pit ~ Tim, Jimi and Markus
Watch the live version of Methane’s Thin The Herd filmed at Northern Blasphemy Fest in Stockholm, Sweden October 13, 2018 (Olle’s Last gig)
Yes! We have been in the studio working on new material and are almost ready to release a brand new beast.
The band has been in Sellnoise Studio with Jonas Arnberg at the helm. Jonas has not only put down the drum tracks but also mixed and mastered our next release. Jonas got an awesome mix with a brutal, tight sound with a live feeling, he nailed that sound we have been out after for along time. Everything is pretty much done for these 3 face punching groove metal songs with titles of, Thin The Herd, A Blood Red Sky and Down in the Gutter. Jimi has shredded his solos and Tim has screamed his last scream. We are just putting the final touches on the masters.
Episode 2 of Methane’s Metal Vlog “Sellnoise Studio”
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We will be releasing more info about what is comming out and where you can get it, in the next couple of weeks. The new material shows a clear progression and maturity in Methane’s music writing, mixing big fat grooves with furious thrash metal riffs at the same time keeping our Southern Metal attitude intact.
We can also let you know we are planning a Raging Release Party in our home town in Borlänge, Sweden and will be releasing some exciting tour news very soon as well. ~Tim, Jimi and Markus
