https://www.facebook.com/metalmustangdetroit
Sounds like: Metalcore/Groove Metal
From: Michigan
1. How did you get started with music and how did you develop your sound? How did the name "Metal Mustang" come about and is there any meaning to it?
Our band Metal Mustang consists of four members: Christopher Nigel, Julia Mogylevski-Castillo, Ron Rolling , and Kyle Utterbeck. The band originated our musical endeavors in various bands around the metro Detroit Michigan area. Metal Mustang officially formed in spring 2022, but has gone through some member changes until it was finalized in summer 2024. Christopher Nigel and Julia M. Castillo are the founding members and Kyle and Ron joined in mid 2024. Julia Mogylevski-Castillo and Christoper Nigel met in Europe and have known each other since 2014 and cooperated as a duo prior to the band formation. The development of our sound was determined by Christopher deeply philosophical, and truly poetic lyrics. Each song he writes has ambiguous meaning, involves cultural, personal, and societal issues of today’s world. Julia Mogylevski Castillo’s guitar riffs are always powerful and lyrical, sometimes chuggier, and sometimes more melodic to convey the song's overall message. The style of our band is reinforced by Ron Rollins pounding drums with fills and accents to complement the music and convey power. Kyle Utterbecks bass lines are defined and thundering, his harsh vocals compliment Christopher Nigel’s lead vocals and accentuate the underline hidden messages of our songs. Our songs fit in metal core metal groove genre and are straight forward heavy beats with multiple tempo, time, and key signature changes. The name Metal Mustang came about from the fact that Detroit is the birthplace of the Ford Mustang and also horse racing is big in Michigan. The speed and muscle with stamina and direction pumping to the finish line at the head of the track like a Metal Mustang. That's us.
2. What do you want people to take away from your music?
We want our audience to feel the emotion and the power in our message. We would like to bring back the excitement and overwhelming energy that Metal music had when it was originally created by bands in the glorious days of loud amplifiers and screaming powerful vocals and guitars. We bring a new sound to Metal that is reminiscent of the past thrash Metal bands. We cover important social, cultural, and deeply personal topics in our music and lyrics that are slightly on the dark side but at the same time ethereal and enticing to many, many people. Our songs are about real life situations and some that are deep in the minds of young people who are dealing with today's world. We are literally the same people as the listeners themselves, we live our lives the way they do. We happen to have the ability to blast it out loud in an attractive and hypnotic way.
3. How would you describe your sound to the average listener?
Our sound is dark and melodic with powerful and dramatic lyrics with undertones of life torment as well as its indulgent pleasures to the brink of the end. We can describe our sound as an explosive mixture of metalcore with various breakdowns, tempo, and key signature changes. We also represent thrash metal in songs like “Bulletproof”, “Hitchhiker” and “A Candle In The Dark”. All of those songs have a classic heavy metal drive, heavy double-kick drum beats with shredding guitars. Powerful vocals delivered with a wide range and supported with harsh vocals . We also have a groove/prog metal sound like in the songs “Six Feet Down”,” A Flash In The Pan”, ”Stepping Stones” , “There Are Days” that combine djent sound consisting of different time signatures of five over four beats, slower guitar riffs, and melodic and harsh singing. The track “Lake Of Tears” is dedicated to the tragedy of war soldiers and victims of the war in Ukraine 2014- to present, also conflicts in Syria, Afghanistan, and Iran.
4. Who are three bands you’d like to tour with?
We would like to tour with Disturbed, Bullet For My Valentine, and I Prevail.
5. What's your thoughts on AI generated music?
AI generated music is cyber technology in our views and those who create are not so much musicians as they are programmers and data manipulators. We consider it a completely inhuman and not an art form or even music.
6. What’s your take on the current state of Metal?
The state of Metal music has changed as technology has changed. The Metal sound went underground for some time but is finding a huge resurgence. More young people are turned on by the older classic Metal bands like Megadeath, Metallica, and Black Sabbath now more than ever. That gives local rising talents like Metal Mustang a chance to open up to a brand-new audience that is growing and turn them on to the classic power of Metal with a new twist. Hopefully it will make some Metal Legends proud of us.
7. What’s the current music scene like there in Michigan?
The current local music scene is growing fast in Michigan. Lots of newer emerging bands, along with the return of some seasoned artists. Some bands have a more polished and rehearsed sound, some are extremely raw. Some of the clubs are very selective in the bands they would like to work with, however there are a number of local concert clubs that are supporting original Metal bands. If your band shines with the great musicianship, performance level, and talented content of your music you could definitely find places to play. There are a number of local tribute bands, but luckily people tend to support original artists more readily.
8. What’s your take on the royalties that streaming services pay out to artists?
The royalties seem to be on the light side but hasn’t that always been the case. All of our material/songs/lyrics are copyright by A.S.C.A.P. Christopher Nigel receives royalties from his library of material over the decades. Metal Mustang plans to release an L.P. each year.
9. What’s next for Metal Mustang?
The next for Metal Mustang is the release of an upcoming L.P. “And They’re Off” that we have been diligently working on since summer 2022. We are very excited about this release and the impact it will have not only on our local music scene but on the World stage. We are currently performing in many of the major concert clubs in and around the Michigan area. We are branching out to Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio.
10. Any shoutouts?
Our greatest shoutout is to Paul Smash Cobb and “Reliant Concerts” from the Detroit area, for keeping the rock and metal music scene in Michigan and the Midwest alive and thriving. Also, to Scott Boatright for inviting local talent to his live streamed podcast “11 Mile Sessions Live” on NRM Streamcast. The last is we are extremely happy with our recording engineer and producer of our L.P. “And They’re Off” Mark Stewart from Raydon Studios. Our supporters and fans who make it all worthwhile and fun as hell.
