Kentucky Thrashers Belushi Speed Ball are set to release their new album entitled Stellkira on May 10th. The band’s vocalist Vinny Crastellano took the time to talk with Metal Express Radio about their upcoming album, working with Joel Grind of Toxic Holocaust, their upcoming show at the Milwaukee Metal Fest, and more. Check out the chat below!
Metal Express Radio: Your band, Belushi Speed Ball are set to release their third album entitled Stellkira on May 10th, what can you tell fans about the upcoming release?
Crastellano: We are so excited for our newest album, Stellkira! Specifically engineered for fans of generic cliche pizza thrash. Finally the pinnacle of crossover performance. Sure to add some extra patches to that ol’ jean vest. Honestly we feel that it is our finest album to date, which is not a hard bar to surpass. Grab your drink, break that hat bill to the sky, and get ready to P-A-R-T… WHY?!? Because you gotta.
MER: How was the writing and recording process being your third album with your band?
Crastellano: We work with producer and sound engineer, Chase Bensing, and have been for the past 10 years. We have the formula dialed in so well when it comes to our studio process. Chase also contributes additional guitars and is very much involved in helping Belushi’s vision become a reality. The most exciting full-time addition to this album is our new lead guitarist, Jamison Land (former Beefcake the Mighty). Jamison has been an absolute blessing to collaborate with and has contributed some incredible guitar work. Daniel Neel‘s drumming is always top notch, and he has provided a lot of insight on the album mix. Lastly, we reached out to the man himself, Joel Grind, to master Stellkira. This will be our third album working with Joel, and he really is a master of his craft.
MER: How would you compare this album to your previous two albums?
Crastellano: Honestly, we are so proud of our last two albums. We feel this is a STRONG follow up that is a worthy addition to the Belushi discography. Belushi Speed Ball is all about having fun, and this album is definitely our most fun to date.
MER: You recently released a single entitled “My Favorite Color Is Pizza”, what kind of feedback have you received?
Crastellano: We actually released this song on a physical piece of Pizza, which we sealed in resin to preserve freshness. The overall response has been incredible. The fans have reached out to us and embraced pizza with open arms. We definitely are not the first band to write about pizza, but Attilla and Horse the Band walked so we could run! Also, shout out to Australian thrash maniacs “Pizza Death”, they are light years ahead of everyone. HAIL PIZZA!
MER: If you could pair a certain type of beer, and pizza to the new album, what would the paring be and why?
Crastellano: Spinelli’s Pizza in Louisville, actually made a Belushi pizza just for this song! The toppings are pepperoni, salami, giardiniera, and ricotta. We highly reccomend a slice of that to pair with a nice ice-cold la croix. The hipser faygo is the way to go, Whoop Whoop. It’s the only way to truly be in our mindset and transcend humanity.
MER: Later this month, your band is set to play the Milwaukee Metal Fest along with bands such as Testament, Mr. Bungle, and Hatebreed to name a few, what are your expectations on the upcoming festival?
Crastellano: We are so excited about Milwaukee Metal Fest! It really is a dream come true. I actually grew up in Milwaukee, my first show I ever played 20 years ago was at “The Rave”. This festival is my homecoming and it is so cool to see everything come full circle. One of the dopest things I got to do, was call my mom, Marlys (who still lives in Milwaukee), and tell her I’m playing this festival. She was so proud of me, and that really meant the world to me. Jamey Jasta is so connected and in tune to heavy music, he has done an outstanding job bringing this Wisconsin staple back! It really is an absolute honor to be able to share the stage with some of our favorite bands of all time. We are bringing our “A” game and we are going to do our best to contribute to the overall experience for the fans!
MER: What other plans do you see for you and your band for the rest of the year?
Crastellano: We have a lot of shows and festivals lined up thanks to the greatest booking agent ever, Josh Rosenstein of Tone Deaf Touring. Not everything is announced yet, but people can catch us at Muddy Roots, THE NEW ENGLAND DEATH METAL FUN TIME BONANZA, and Obscene Extreme in the Czech Republic.
MER: Who are some of your favorite band’s from the New Wave of Thrash Metal?
Crastellano: This is tough because Thrash is my favorite genre of music. I can’t list them all, but to name a few: Municipal Waste, Toxic Holocaust, Ghoul, Cruel Bomb, Nemesis, Reavers, Enforced, Chemicide, Pizza Death, Hellripper, Graveripper, Terrifier, Mutard, Chemicaust, Traitor, Condition Critical, and Mindtaker.
MER: Who do you hope to tour with and why?
Crastellano: We love heavy music, and it would be sick to go on tour with any of the bands above. We are always open to party and to make new friends. We hopefully will get to party with Cancer Christ in the future and we absolutely love them!
MER: Out of your band’s three albums, what is one you would suggest to a new fan and why?
Crastellano: Stellkira, because you need to BUY THE NEW ALBUM!
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