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Interviews: Job For A Cowboy

One of the most exciting extreme bands to come out of America for years...

One of the most exciting extreme bands to come out of America for years, Job For A Cowboy whipped up quite a fuss with their debut EP. Now they're delivering the killer blow with their fantastic album 'Genesis'...

"I was just a total geek at high school, I just used to study and play guitar," laughs Job For A Cowboy's guitarist and founding member Ravi Bhadriraju. "I had no social life and I still can't believe that I am not studying and right now I'm in Europe playing - it's been amazing, I had no idea what to expect!"

The barely-out-of-his-teens axeman is chatting to Rock Sound prior to the last show of a mammoth European trek with label mates Unearth. And by Jove have the boys done good!

You see, Job For A Cowboy are easily the most exciting extreme band to come out of the US of A in a long time. No gimmicks, no hype, just a not-so-slow organic build through the help of Myspace and good old-fashioned touring that has seen this quintet become something truly special.

Effectively Job For A Cowboy - something of a light-hearted nod to the ranch-country surroundings of their home base just outside of Phoenix - are nothing more than a death metal band, playing aggressive extreme music. This is no fashion statement. Interestingly though, fashion outlet Hot Topic has sold over 40,000 JFAC shirts this year alone, and the quintet's debut EP continues to sell like the proverbial hotcakes via said site. Ravi claims that he struggles to get his head around this popularity.

"It still blows my mind," he says. "I don't think about that stuff, it's amazing, but we're just a bunch of dudes playing death metal. We just play as hard as we can and with everything we have every night. I don't know what it is about us and whether we play it any better or worse than others."

The band's debut album proper 'Genesis' will make you shit your pants. It's undeniably brutal, its musicianship is second to none, and with an antichrist-like theme running throughout, it will certainly appeal to old and new death school-ers everywhere. The best new extreme band in America? Take a listen and decide for yourselves!

Know It All
Line-Up: Jonny Davy (vocals), Ravi Bhadriraju (guitar), Bobby Thompson (guitar), Brent Riggs (bass), Jon 'The Charn' Rice (drums)
From: Glendale, AZ
Sounds Like: Death metal, pure and simple.
Current Release: 'Genesis' (album, Metal Blade. Out May 23)
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Darren Sadler