HATEBEAK is a death metal band with a parrot singer. Their music promises to cause you to release your bowels through face-crushing guitars, drumming, bass so low it could suction out your stomach through your throat, and guttural vocals that simply cannot be human.
Waldo, their parrot, provides lyrics for them. Blake Harrison and Mark Sloan remain reluctant to discuss this unique approach to their band music making.
They’re from Baltimore
Blake Harrison and Mark Sloan knew they would be making history when they formed Hatebeak. Though the idea of an African grey parrot fronting a death metal band may sound farfetched, they managed to bring it about and release several albums; their most recent offering being Number of the Beak which features Waldo squawking his way through songs about torture and bloodshed – no easy task when considering that parrots have an average intelligence level comparable to three-year-old children!
Hatebeak stands apart from many modern metal bands by having no ego attached to their music. Their members create, record and perform for the sheer love of it rather than pleasing fans or themselves. Hatebeak have previously played alongside bands like Dying Fetus and Covenance; currently their lineup consists of drummer Tyler Gallagher, bassist Mike Beasley, vocalist Waldo and Tyler Gallagher (drummer/vocalist). Together they are currently working on an album.
Death metal is an extreme musical genre spanning various subgenres. From heavy, doom-laden riffs to The Stooges’ primal fury, Death metal encompasses it all – no wonder some have called it “savage and schizophrenic.”
Though Hatebeak may be hard to catch live in the U.S., they will embark on a European tour in April that will cover some of Europe’s major metal capitals and feature fellow metal acts Xentrix, Nocturnal Grave, and Icarus Witch among others.
In addition to their full-length album, this band has also released three split albums and are looking forward to releasing a live DVD later this year. Alongside music, this group also promotes their own line of bird toys which provide birds with exercise and fun activities with their owners while providing people with information on these products as well as tips for keeping pets healthy and happy. Their website can also serve as an excellent source of information regarding bird toys as well as giving tips for keeping your own pet happy and healthy!
They’re signed to Reptilian Records
Hatebeak, a death metal band formed by Waldo the parrot and led by guitarist James Ritchfield has found an unconventional way of spreading their name through viral videos online. Their video has since gone viral on social media with over one million views on YouTube despite Waldo not understanding what he is singing but imitating melodies and other sounds, prompting some critics to worry that the parrot was exploited for financial gain; however, this information has yet to be made available by Hatebeak on how much they made off this viral campaign.
Since 2004, The band has achieved great success since their formation. Since then, they’ve released several records – such as their sophomore effort Birdseeds of Vengeance and a split album with Longmont Potion Castle. Their music is dark, frenetic, complex with distorted guitars and extreme vocals; its improvisational approach to songwriting sets it apart from other metal bands.
Hatebeak remains true to their independent roots while remaining relevant on the underground scene. Although they haven’t signed with any major labels yet, Hatebeak have garnered an impressive fan base due to their unique sound.
The band has quickly made waves within noise rock and hardcore scenes, while also garnering recognition on an international metal scene. They’ve appeared on multiple metal compilations. At present, they are working on their debut full-length album which they hope to release sometime this year; until then their single “I’m Gonna Kill You” can be found online at YouTube or iTunes for listening pleasure. Besides music, the band also have a shop in downtown Baltimore selling merchandise; open to the public on Saturdays; next event being hosted at Windup Space in early 2019.
They’re a grindcore band
After nearly 10 years of releasing split albums, Death Metal band with a parrot singer have finally released a full-length LP called Number of the Beak through Reptilian Records. It includes their previous material along with nine brand new tracks that combine grindcore heaviness with metal vocal intensity for an immersive listening experience.
The band was established in 2003 as an effort to advocate animal welfare and adoption. Furthermore, they aim to explore heavy metal music through interviews with bands like Alice Cooper, Ozzy Osbourne and Gene Simmons; all members are human despite their unique lineup.
Not content to just produce music, the band also advocates for animal rights and conservation through activism and public education. They even established an animal welfare foundation! Comprised of animal advocates as well as musicians passionate about metal music, this collective promotes animal rights while simultaneously producing amazing tunes.
One of the band’s most-viewed videos, “Ant Rap”, first premiered on YouTube in 2010. It features an Australian Sulphur-crested parrot that sounds similar to Waldo singing along to their song, “Suicide Machine”.
This metal video has become one of the most watched metal videos on YouTube, having been watched over 1.3 million times – not only due to the song but also for the incredible acrobatic antics included with it.
Even though they have yet to tour, this band has earned themselves a strong following within the underground metal scene through social media and humorous take on metal music. Now they hope to build on that success with their forthcoming LP release.
While many may view it with suspicion, punk is becoming an increasingly popular form of music. Known for its harsh riffs, intense drumming, and aggressive bass lines – as well as sometimes offensive lyrics – punk music has quickly become one of the most beloved forms of rock music today.
They’re a thrash band
Hatebeak may seem an unlikely choice as a metal vocalist, but they make it work! With songs like Beak of Putrefaction and God of Empty Nest – not for faint of heart! Composed by Blake Harrison (Pig Destroyer) and Mark Sloan with 21-year old African grey parrot Waldo on vocal duties who never tours to prevent traumatizing Waldo but his screeches fit right in with their grindcore sound!
Parrots are known for their impressive mimicking capabilities and have even been shown to understand complex words, with some species even rivalling dolphins or great apes in terms of intelligence. One cockatoo even went viral on TikTok with over two million likes and over 40,800 comments; unfortunately this video wasn’t real and its message wasn’t authentic as its subject wasn’t actually singing Death Metal music!
It seems the parrot is using a voice sample from a YouTube video of another cockatoo reciting “Let the bodies hit the floor,” an old Drowning Pool song, while also repeating other unintelligible phrases.
Reykjavik has come under scrutiny for claiming his cockatoo can sing death metal, although this seems highly unlikely as these birds generally can only mimic riffs rather than understand lyrics and complex melodies. More likely than not, its possible that Reykjavik simply imitated the sounds of its own music instead of understanding their significance.
Other bands have taken inspiration from animals to make music, including The Metal Shakespeare Company of Portland – composed of pitbull terriers who performed grindcore under their collective moniker of “The Metal Shakespeare Company.” Their performances combined heavy metal with William Shakespearean works and their songs were both memorable and absurd. Other animal-based metal acts include Alestorm which blends pirate themes into power metal songs as well as The Screaming Eagles who use sounds of wolves to compose music.