43
Mettal Maffia forges its own sound
By John Benson
When local band Mettal Maffia released its Ferocious Records debut effort, “Wake the World,” last summer, the band was feeling confident.
The new album showcased the group’s maturation from nu-metal posers to matured musicians playing music that could only be described as its self-coined genre, hybrid metal.
Soon after, lead guitarist Ronnie Lee Roepke announced he was leaving, and the rest of Mettal Maffia, which was formerly known as Gingerspittz, questioned its future. Then an unlikely hero emerged to not only save the group but inspire it to greater heights.
“We lost a lot of faith with everything we invested our time into,” said Mettal Maffia singer Bob Hacker, a 2001 Western Reserve High School graduate. “But this ended up being a blessing. We picked up Tommy Church of Mushroomhead to play lead. He was filling in for us when we played a showcase at the House of Blues. Then he committed two months ago. He wants to be in with us.”
He added, “It’s insane how much of a good time it is.”
Even though Mettal Maffia is now sharing Church with Mushroomhead, Hacker said the band is making it work, juggling schedules and tour dates.
As for “Wake the World,” Hacker said the album is almost a night-and-day affair compared with its previous work. Standout tracks include the title track that features hints of dub step, glitch and nu-metal, as well as “Ride.” The latter has guest appearances by Mushroomhead’s Waylon Reavis and Jeffrey Nothing.
“Early on we were very ambitious but maybe a little ignorant just because we didn’t know any better,” said Hacker, a Berlin Center resident. “Before, we were playing simple riffs and relying on keyboards a lot to create the melodies while the vocals were very repetitive.
“Now we have a hybrid style where we can literally take anything — country, blues, jazz, R&B — and put the Mettal Maffia touch to it. This album really opened up a world for me.”
Therein lies the band’s description of hybrid metal, which is an amalgamation incorporating everything from screamo and dub-step to nu metal. Hacker said it’s a way to honestly embrace the octet’s influences while at the same time creating its own sound.
Mettal Maffia will play two shows, opening for Mushroomhead, this weekend: Friday at The Outpost in Kent and Saturday at The Cove in Geneva on the Lake.