Starkill and The Rise of Death Metal

Starkill, a death metal powerhouse band that has been taking North America by storm on its recent tour, clearly takes inspiration from dying stars when it comes to both its name and its sound. Despite its unique name, the band members are also major cannabis enthusiasts. CULTURE caught up with Parker Jameson, vocalist, guitarist and keyboardist, to talk about the new record, Shadow Sleep, the direction of the band’s music and why cannabis should be legal.

How did the band get started?

The band basically was the project of me and Spencer [Weidner, Jameson’s brother, drums] in our early high school days. We had been jamming over bands like Nightwish, Dragonforce, Trivium, all that stuff, and tried out various band names. Then we eventually attracted the attention of Century Media and settled on the name Starkill. Shaun [Andruchuk, bass, backing vocals] and Tony [Keathley, rhythm guitar] joined the band very shortly after the first album dropped, and this since then, late 2013, the lineup has remained consistent. [Sarah Lynn Collier, vocals, has since joined the band as well.]

Who are some of your biggest influences?

We’re pretty all over the place. Bands like Epica, Amorphis and Arch Enemy are the obvious ones, but we’re all into everything from Van Halen to Paramore to Muse.

How would you define your sound?

Our current sound and direction started forming on our second release, Virus of the Mind, and really took shape on Shadow Sleep. It’s just melodic metal. There’s an equal amount of clean and screamed vocals, lots of shreddy guitar solos and just catchy and epic choruses.

Do you have any new music or projects in the works?

We just recently finished doing a Foo Fighters cover in the studio, so that’s gonna be coming out soon, and we are also very heavy into pre-production for our next album, which will be featuring Sarah Lynn Collier, our newest full-time member, much more than on Shadow Sleep. We strive to make each album distinct and different from our previous releases, and the new stuff is definitely more cinematic than anything we’ve done before.

How is the tour going so far? Where are you now and where are you headed next?

The tour has been great so far. We are in Detroit right now, having just completed three killer shows in Canada, and will be doing a bunch more central and southwestern Canadian dates before dipping back into America again.

How do you feel about cannabis legalization so far? What could be done better or differently?

I think it should absolutely be legalized and I think the general population is also edging away from the weird, old-minded view that pot is dangerous, and that’s awesome. Current culture has made it more mainstream and viewed as normal, and I think it’s really just a waiting game for the younger, more accepting generations to just outnumber the older ones.

Do you ever use cannabis for musical inspiration?

Shaun and Tony do, just to chill and riff and draw out weird riffs and get lost in guitar land for as long as it takes. Myself, not really. I need to be stone sober to focus on guitar and song construction.

Do you ever work cannabis into your music as a theme?

Nope. Not that I have anything against bands that do. I think those themes tend to be great for chill, more relaxed music, and our music definitely fits neither of those adjectives.

Why do you think the metal scene and cannabis go hand in hand?

I think it’s mostly because of metal music and pot being both being viewed as counterculture items. It makes sense to see both commonly paired. That said, I think in more recent times, pot and metal are about as common as pot and any other music, since both metal and pot in general are both substantially more accepted and recognized in today’s younger generations.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Just to remember to see and support your favorite bands, no matter how big or small. The live scene is still the heart of this industry, and every fan’s presence is felt and appreciated on all levels.

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