Strap in. Asymmetrical, the first new LP from Drugs Of Faith in almost a decade and a half, arrives on February 21st through Selfmadegod Records. And let me tell ya, it is intense. A project featuring the likes of guitarist/vocalist Richard Johnson (Enemy Soil, Agoraphobic Nosebleed), bassist Ivan Khilko (Immanent Voiceless), and drummer Ethan Griffiths (Embra) is about to kick out a 10-track collection that covers a blistering 21 minutes. Like I said, their punk/grind fusion… it’s intense. It’s fast. And it also fucking rules. So to get us prepped for the release of Asymmetrical, give the responses to our Profile questions a read below. As always, the Bandcamp embed is down there too, should you want a quick preview of what’s coming. Enjoy!

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How and when did you first get into playing music, or metal more specifically, and how did your band get its start?

My father bought me a guitar and a little practice amp when I was in high school. After that I eventually started playing with a few friends at their houses, just doing covers of metal and rock songs. A friend I was previously in a band with and I started Drugs of Faith. We wrote a couple of songs and eventually did a demo using my drum machine, and, you know, it went from there.

Any pushback from family/those close to you?

No, my folks were very supportive of me.

How would you describe your band and what you play to someone who is completely in the dark?

When I talk to someone who doesn’t have a point of reference about it, I just say we’re a metal band.

Is there anything about your upcoming album or about your band that no one will find in any interview or review that you care to divulge?

I had to think about this for a minute. I had a project with a couple other guys and it wasn’t going anywhere so I took a bunch of riffs I wrote from it and used them in Drugs of Faith. Some of that is on our new album. Those guys and I eventually finished that project after years had gone by.

Any funny stories from playing shows / tours / festivals, etc?

One time in an earlier incarnation of the band we were playing a show and were on the last song. The end of the song wasn’t working and the drummer gave up: he stopped playing, got up, and threw his sticks into the crowd. I busted out laughing.

What do you see as some of the great things happening in and around the metal scene (yours or just in general) and what are some of the worst things happening right now?

There’s a lot of bands in our area and people go to shows, depending on who’s playing and where and when it is. There’s a few different options for trying to book a show around here and that’s great. The thing I find strange about metal in general is the revival of old styles. It’s very popular now to be a retro band. This sort of thing happens all the time, things going in cycles.

Most folks have passions for a cause or causes that are close to them. What, if any, are some of the most important issues (social/political/humorous/etc.) for you / your band and how do you insert those issues into your music?

I’ve posted about a few different causes from the band accounts, things that we all generally agree on. We’re generally progressive-minded people. I personally donate to worthy causes, sign petitions, write letters and postcards about issues.

Do you guys have day jobs or hobbies you want to share?

Yeah, we all work at very different jobs. My main hobby is I have a music blog.

What advice do you have for music critics and outlets out there? How can we all better serve the genre in the eyes of a hard-working musician?

I thought about this question and I don’t have any constructive criticism except for the reliance on numbering systems. I understand that it’s part of the music industry, so a label can say an album got 5 out of 5 stars or whatever, but I think that the number ratings are sometimes inconsistent with the actual reviews and sometimes reviewers are too quick to hand out high numbers.

Any specific long term goal(s) in mind?

We’ve been a band for a long time and we just take things one release, one string of shows, at a time.

When you’re not obsessing over your own material, what are some of your favorite albums to listen to currently?

Lately I’ve been listening to Opeth, Sacrifice, and Entombed, to name three.

What is the near future outlook for you or your band? Any specific events on the horizon that the masses should be aware of?

We have a show booked in D.C. after our new record comes out and we’re working on another one. We were talking about doing one of those strings of love dates. We want to start working on a new cover song and write some new tunes.

Summarize your band in one word.

Oy. Um … I’ll just go back to that generic word I used earlier: metal.

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Many thanks to Richard and Drugs Of Faith for the time!

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Asymmetrical will be available on February 21st through Selfmadegod Records and Malokul. For more information on Drugs Of Faith, head over to their website.