Podcasts · Music

Defender of the Riff

Knotfest, Daniel Dekay

29 episodes · Explicit

Defender of the Riff brings your favorite musicians to chat and riff with Daniel Dekay in this interview and performance show where the guests discuss their musical journeys to where they are today whilst playing key pieces from their influences and careers along the way.

Episodes

  1. Nick Hexum (311)

    · 23 min · Explicit

    In this episode, Hexum dives back to his first musical influences which were based on his mother's record collection, a mainstream musical education hearing a lot of Ray Charles music, and hearing The Clash for the…

  2. Ian D'Sa (BILLY TALENT)

    · 28 min · Explicit

    Throughout, Ian riffs to some tunes ranging from heavy to surprising, and he also shares who his first musical idols were and how he started learning guitar by playing covers when he was a teenager, before he finishes…

  3. Brendon Small (DETHKLOK)

    · 34 min · Explicit

    Dethklok's incredible mind-altering tour with Babymetal is discussed along with what it's like being on the road with a band like Dethklok, and Brendon also discusses his influences and demonstrates some of the riffs…

  4. Chris Davis (THE GHOST INSIDE)

    · 32 min · Explicit

    In this episode, Davis describes how he joined the band and his prior gigs, his first memories of being inspired to pick up the guitar, his legends of the game, and plays some of his favorite riffs to demo his style…

  5. Blake Ibanez (POWER TRIP / FUGITIVE)

    · 1 h 04 min · Explicit

    Blake takes us on an in-depth journey of his musical upbringing and discusses the importance MTV played in shaping his tastes. He also shreds some of the legendary Thrash, Crossover & NYHC riffs that inspired him to…

  6. Grant Truesdell (UNLEASH THE ARCHERS)

    · 57 min · Explicit

    This episode not only has many stories spoken in riffs but digs deeper below the surface into the philosophy of how Grant aims to make the most out of every day on this earth. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company.…

  7. Grodius Maximus (GWAR)

    · 35 min · Explicit

    Grodius remembers his first guitar and the first weird riffs that got him into heavy music, and runs through his completely alien pedalboard that he uses on live shows today. He showcases his love for obscure noises as…

  8. Robb Flynn (MACHINE HEAD)

    · 1 h 03 min · Explicit

    Robb throws right back to the start of his career with Forbidden and Vio-lence, leaving to form Machine Head in his 20s, and details the trials and tribulations into building the band to one of the biggest in the metal…

  9. Mike Leon (SOULFLY)

    · 39 min · Explicit

    Mike presents his Signature ESP bass and details what it changes tone-wise from his previous collection, as well as the uniqueness of its design that makes every bass in the series different. The bassist dives back…

  10. John Campbell (LAMB OF GOD)

    · 11 min · Explicit

    John also remembers back to wanting to play drums when he was a kid, until he shifted towards bass and where that eventually took him to where he is as an icon of one of metal's finest now! Hosted by Simplecast, an…

  11. Wayne Lozinak (HATEBREED)

    · 19 min · Explicit

    Wayne dives back into his childhood and teenage years first discovering heavy music through the punk rock scene, and how that lead him to owning his very first electric guitar, and discusses the riffs and original…

  12. Gene Hoglan

    · 36 min · Explicit

    Gene dives back into his connection to the six-string, starting playing the instrument when he was around 15 to borrowing an acoustic and playing Pink Floyd riffs, through to thrashing to bands like Exodus and Death…

  13. Shane Clark (3 INCHES OF BLOOD)

    · 44 min · Explicit

    Shane dives back to growing up in a house surrounded by music where his dad played guitar with friends, and the first mixtape he got as a kid, which featured Dio, Scorpions, and Van Halen, and how those influences…

  14. Cody Chavez (DRAIN)

    · 1 h 04 min · Explicit

    Throughout, Daniel & Cody riff together to some of their favorite bands and reminisce over their growing up being introduced to heavy music and first picking up a guitar. Cody details his own personal inspirations,…

  15. Josh Baines (MALEVOLENCE)

    · 51 min · Explicit

    Throughout, Daniel & Josh riff together to some of their favorite bands and reminisce over their growing up being introduced to heavy music and first picking up a guitar. Josh tells us his love for the Drop D Tuning…

  16. Alex Skolnick (TESTAMENT)

    · 30 min · Explicit

    In this episode, Skolnick dives back to his first musical influences being seen on television, until his first metal shows which were Exodus & Slayer. The discussion leads to where Alex is right now, playing for one of…

  17. Mick Thomson (SLIPKNOT)

    · 29 min · Explicit

    In this episode, Thomson recounts how he first got into metal, his influences and respected peers, and plays a few of his favorite riffs that created and continues to shape his playing style. Hosted by Simplecast, an…

  18. Niklas Karlsson (ORBIT CULTURE)

    · 46 min · Explicit

    The guitarist dives back into his early love of the instrument and how he discovered he had a passion for music, being inspired by the legend that is James Hetfield, but also from a band he saw when he was 14 that made…

  19. Connor Grodzicki & Jeremiah Pugh (VENDED)

    · 22 min · Explicit

    In this episode, Jeremiah and Connor tell of how they started the band and their initial inspirations, their wide music taste and guitar heroes, and demonstrate some of their favorite riffs that they've written and…

  20. Derrick Schneider (TALLAH)

    · 21 min · Explicit

    Derrick discusses where his love for heavy music came from, discovering John Petrucci and progressive music when he was a teenager, and his path to becoming a professional musician himself. Derrick also shows his love…

  21. Timmy Moreno (SEEYOUSPACECOWBOY)

    · 18 min · Explicit

    The conversation stretches over Timmy's early musical influences and how they've bled into SYSC's music and his love for chugging guitar parts. Timmy rips through his favorite go-to riffs plus the ones that have shaped…

  22. Chase Wilson (OV SULFUR)

    · 25 min · Explicit

    On this new episode of Defender of the Riff, Knotfest host Daniel Dekay talks to Chase Wilson of Ov Sulfur. The conversation stretches over Chase's first love for bands like Linkin Park and Trivium, his early falling…

  23. Sean Rosario (DRAGGED UNDER)

    · 23 min · Explicit

    The conversation stretches over Sean's early love for heavy music coming from his dad who was in a rock band himself, and Sean also discusses his own history and relationship with his instrument, leading to him…

  24. Chris Wiseman (CURRENTS)

    · 21 min · Explicit

    Chris discusses his early influences that lead him to learning the guitar, surrounded by a family of musicians at home. Talk about what goes on in the studio and how that's taken to the stage ensues, and the guys also…

  25. Sabian Lynch & Scottie Simpson (ALPHA WOLF)

    · 24 min · Explicit

    The guys discuss how they got into heavy music, meeting when they were teenagers in a Parkway Drive cover band and their admiration for that band still, and they also reflect on their ability to bring their favorite…

  26. Sophie Lloyd

    · 2 h 00 min · Explicit

    Sophie dives into what originally made her pick up a guitar to putting her talent out there online, the traction she picked up from that and where its led to, her signature instruments and gear and way more. Hosted by…

  27. Dan Sugarman (ICE NINE KILLS)

    · 1 h 59 min · Explicit

    Dan divulges how he got into streaming during Covid times, his journey to joining Ice Nine Kills with other projects along the way, originally learning scales from choirs and a heap more. Hosted by Simplecast, an…

  28. Charlie Engen (FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH)

    · 1 h 49 min · Explicit

    Charlie chats through his musical upbringing in the family and what led him to drumming and metal, the benefits of streaming in lockdown, the academics of music and teaching and much more. Hosted by Simplecast, an…

  29. VMan (SLIPKNOT)

    · 2 h 11 min · Explicit

    He details his development within the nucleus of Slipknot, his musical upbringing starting with clarinet into piano and eventually progressing to classical guitar at age 11 where he would discover Guns N' Roses' Use…

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