Former Megadeth Members Announce New Band, Act of Defiance

Arizona is no stranger to Megadeth drama. So when guitarist Chris Broderick and drummer Shawn Drover officially left the band last year, metal fans anxiously wondered what musical endeavor they would dive into next.

Enter the aptly named Act of Defiance.

The former Megadeth members revealed that this new hard rock act would also include vocalist Henry Derek (from Scar the Martyr), and bassist Matt Bachand (from Shadows Fall). Signed to Metal Blade Records, the band is working on their debut album with world-renowned producer Zuess (Hatebreed, Rob Zombie). From the get-go, I wondered what the project would sound like. Would you hear that Megadeth-y vibe? Or would they lean more towards commercial metal?

See also: 15 Best Guitarists in the Phoenix Metal Scene Right Now

Luckily, Broderick's description of the band's sound is exactly what I was hoping for. He describes it as "a killer mix of thrash and modern metal" with "a unique combination ranging from thrash to classical influences."

"What thrills me the most is the fact that myself, Chris Broderick, Henry Derek and Matt Bachand all have in common is that from the get-go, we wanted this band to be 100 percent pure heavy metal," Drover says. "No compromises, no ulterior motives other than making the best heavy metal music we can."

The former Megadeth members, along with Derek and Bachand, seem all-around pumped about this project, down to praising the support that Metal Blade Records provides their artists. Nowadays, you don't hear many artists lovin' on their labels.

"Having our new band, Act of Defiance, sign with Metal Blade Records is a real thrill for me," explains Drover. "I started my musical career with Brian Slagel and the Metal Blade family many years ago, so to come full circle at this point is a real musical home-coming, of sorts. I couldn't be happier about that."

The band aims to have its debut album released sometime in summer 2015.

"Shawn just finished tracking drums the first week of February and his performance and tones are simply incredible," says Broderick. "I have started tracking rhythms and leads, as well as working with Henry to get final vocal takes while Matt will record bass at his studio."

Bachand has stated that the positive energy between the four Act of Defiance members in such a short amount of time has been nothing short of incredible, while Derek has talked about how supportive the members are of each other, and the label of them.

Here's a rough sneak peek at what we can expect from Act of Defiance. This little musical taste is a snippet of a song called "Throwback."

Only time will tell if they create good music or not, but I'd say that they seem primed for making some fresh heavy metal. I wonder what Dave Mustaine will have to say now?

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