Guitarist. Vocalist. Denizen of the slow and low. Ladies and gentlemen (and I use the term loosely), Mr. Bryan Reed from Doomsday Profit.
What is your full name?
Bryan Reed
Do you have any aliases?
Nope.
If you had an alias what might it be?
I have no idea. I’m a staunch believer that you shouldn’t pick your own nickname, so it’s out of my hands.
What bands are you actively involved with?
Doomsday Profit.
What was the first instrument that you played?
In the most literal sense, probably a pair of maracas or a tambourine in preschool. I played trumpet in the middle school band. And later on, I fiddled around on bass for a while before I decided to pick up a guitar.
Tell me about one of your first musical memories?
When I was about 13, I made friends with a kid who was into skateboarding and punk rock. He played me MXPX’s cover of the Social Distortion song “Sick Boy” and it dragged me straight into the punk-rock wormhole. I’ve been chasing all different stripes of heavy, aggressive music ever since.
What was the name of the first band you were in?
I was in a band in high school called The Doomsters — borrowing a line from the Thomas Hardy poem “Hap.” I guess I’ve been fated to be in a “Doom” band from the beginning.
Tell me about the genesis of Doomsday Profit.
At some point in 2018 or so, I got the itch to pick up guitar again after not playing at all for a few years. As soon as I got comfortable playing power chords again, I started writing riffs with Ryan Sweeney, our bassist. I’d been into doom and sludge metal for years without ever really trying to play it, but something about playing slow and low just felt right when I got back into playing.
I started devouring Does It Doom videos and learning Sabbath, Electric Wizard, and Saint Vitus riffs, mutating them, and finding that with Ryan’s input, my bastard riffs started to feel like they could become songs. That’s when we started to put a lineup together.
We played our first show in September of 2019 as a trio with Tradd Yancey (ex-Crystal Spiders) on drums. He brought in Kevin See to add more dynamics and give my primitive riffing a complementary lead guitar. We’ve been evolving ever since.
We recorded the new album with David Ruiz (Antiquity) on drums, and have since added Nat Parkinson (Zealotrous, Hattricks) to the throne and started writing new songs for the next era of the band.
What inspired the name Doomsday Profit?
As we were starting to develop the concept of this band, I was deep into Thou’s Magus and David Wallis-Wells’ book The Uninhabitable Earth. Ryan and I were both feeling anxiety around the climate crisis and the rise of far-right ideologies during the first Trump administration. As we were digging deep into doom metal, we were fusing that ominous sound and sensibility with a real sense of dread and anger about climate change, inequality, the specter of war, and, soon after we got going, we got to add a global pandemic to the list!
In all these cases, it feels like we can see what’s coming, but as long as there’s money to be made from burning oil and exploiting people and the environment, nobody in power is going to fix anything — not as long as they can profit from our doom.
Plus, we love puns.
How long did it take you to write and record your new self-titled full length album?
Some of the songs go back to the very beginning. “Doomsday Profit” was one that I wrote lyrics for back in 2018, but we never quite worked out the arrangement until David joined the band in 2023. “Monument to Nothing” is another one that we’d been sitting on for a long time, until we felt ready to record it. Others, like “Sin Eater” and “Terror Cycle” were written in 2024, just before we went into the studio to record them.
So, in a sense, this album covers a span of about six years.
Recording was done in about a week, broken up into a couple long weekends. Mixing took longer, as we went through a few different iterations before settling on the final mix. Then we just had to figure out how we wanted to release it.
We’ve tried to not let this one sit for too long, but it still feels like forever ago when we recorded it, and we’re already itching to start laying down some of our newer ideas.
If you could insert yourself into any one band what band would it be and why?
Doomsday Profit. I’ve loved more bands than I can count, and I’m sure I’ll find plenty more to love as time goes on. But at this moment, Doomsday Profit is the only band I want to be in. We’re making exactly the type of music I want to be making, pushing in a lot of directions I’m excited to explore, and doing it with a group of guys I feel absolutely comfortable and confident in as musicians and as friends.
Have you ever heard a song and immediately wished you had written it? If so… What was the song and artist?
I’ve taken so many ideas from so many different songs, it’s impossible to single out just one. Recently I’ve gone back to a few songs, like “Refuse/Resist” by Sepultura and “The Pressure Keeps Me Alive” by Kowloon Walled City, and just been awed by how powerful they are, and tried to find a similar feeling in the riffs I’m fiddling with at home. I have not been anywhere close to successful yet.
Do you have any non-metal musical inspirations?
Tons. We all listen to a very broad cross-section of music, and you’re as likely to hear psych-rock, jam bands, crust punk, or Americana as metal in the van. Speaking just for myself, I’m really inspired by Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Jason Molina, and surf music.
What’s a non-metal song that you'd like to do a cover of?
I think it’d be fun to do a really gnarly, droning version of “Rumble” by Link Wray.
What band have you played with that has really impressed you with their live show?
Thou was probably the heaviest sounding band I’ve ever seen, and Bryan Funck has this really piercing stare on stage that is just electrifying. REZN and USX were both really great at making a sound that fills the space and takes you somewhere else. But, as far as bands that maybe folks aren’t as familiar with, I’d say it’s been awesome to see bands like Cosmic Reaper, Mean Green, Bongfoot, and Skull Servant develop and push us to get better.
Do you have a favorite venue to play at?
I love playing small rooms with really cool vibes, so The Odd in Asheville, Monstercade in Winston-Salem, and Sugey’s Bar in Charleston are always a treat to play. The Milestone in Charlotte is a landmark, and I love seeing all the old graffiti and stickers from literally generations of bands. At home, we’re spoiled for great venues like The Cave, Local 506, The Pour House, Kings, Chapel of Bones, etc.
Do you have a pre-show ritual?
Anything to shed some of the nervous energy. I usually end up walking — pacing, really — all over the venue and talking to folks before we play. Right before we go on stage I try to take a few minutes off on my own to stretch my hands and get focused.
What is your favorite thing about touring?
There’s nothing like being on stage with my best friends. It’s always amazing when you look out and see those moments when a song really resonates with people in the audience, but even if we’re playing to an empty room, I just like getting loud and yelling my head off with my dudes.
What is your least favorite thing about touring?
The travel can be taxing, especially when the weather doesn’t cooperate or we’re anywhere near Atlanta traffic. We’ve had to navigate some bad rains and snow on a few jaunts, but I mostly enjoy the time in the van. We usually have some good playlists and plenty of time just to chat about whatever.
Is there a city that you love to hit while on tour?
We’ve been lucky in that we almost always feel at home in our usual circuit. Asheville, Boone, Winston-Salem, Richmond, Charlotte, Wilmington, Columbia, Charleston, Athens, Atlanta, and Savannah have all treated us very well. There are definitely some venues that win on vibes, though. Monstercade in Winston-Salem, The Odd in Asheville, and Sugey’s Bar in Charleston are some awesome, small venues with killer art and inclusive vibes.
What’s the weirdest experience you’ve had on the road?
There was the one guy in Chattanooga who gave us $20 and then told us multiple times, with increasing incredulity, about how Rob Halford was once married to a woman. Or, time we played in Duluth, Ga. where we met a self-proclaimed “Weed Wizard,” a guy selling moonshine out of the trunk of his car, and a bartender who seemed determined to go home with Cosmic Reaper (to the point that she tried to sneak into their vehicle at the end of the night). There’s always some interesting characters out there — which generally only makes it more fun. We haven’t run into any real jerks.
The year is 2010. Where are you at and what are you listening to?
I’m living in Raleigh, working my first full-time office job, and going to punk shows as much as humanly possible. I’m obsessed with Double Negative’s second album, Daydreamnation, and Corrosion of Conformity’s discography — particularly Animosity, Blind, and Deliverance.
What advice would you give young musicians that are just starting out in the music business?
This is supposed to be fun. Don’t stop being a fan.
What is an absolute band killer?
Lack of communication. We operate on a “consensus of fun,” where if anyone’s not having a good time, or feeling like the band is intruding on their work or family life too much, we recalibrate our plans. But this depends on being really upfront and honest with each other.
Have you ever recorded a song that you really didn’t like, but somebody else in the band really did?
Generally, the songs we don’t like get scrapped before they get finished. But I think each of us definitely has songs we like more than others, and the rankings don’t always align. But at this point, we have enough material to just back-burner any song if we’re not all stoked on it for whatever reason.
If you were to start your own music festival what would be the name of that festival and who would be the three headlining bands?
Well, being from North Carolina, we’d do a BBQ and music fest and call it “Slow & Low.” I’d love to have Weedeater, Thou, and Corrosion of Conformity at the top of the bill.
What’s the longest time you’ve gone without bathing?
No more than a couple days. I tend to sweat a lot, so daily showers are crucial.
What’s one thing that most people don’t know about you?
I mean, most people don’t know me at all
Is the Fistful of DOOM show in the top 10 of your favorite music podcasts?
Of course!
Do unicorns sleep standing up?
I just rewatched the old Charlie the Unicorn video, where he goes to Candy Mountain and (spoiler alert) gets his kidneys stolen. In that video, Charlie is clearly depicted sleeping lying down. So, I’m going to say no, unicorns do not sleep standing up.
Give me three albums that I should listen to immediately, if not sooner.
I’ll give you three North Carolina sludge metal and crust punk favorites:
Facedowninshit - Nothing Positive, Only Negative
Seven Foot Spleen - Enter Therapy
Żegota - Namasté
You’re driving cross-country and you can only listen to one album the whole time. What album will it be?
Probably a long Crazy Horse live album like Weld or Way Down In The Rust Bucket. Those shows were just hit after hit, with plenty of noisy jamming along the way. It’s great driving music.
You are writing a book about your life thus far. What is the title of that book?
Life of Bryan.
What is your favorite song by Taylor Swift?
Kevin is our resident pop-head, so you’d probably get a more in-depth and thoughtful response from him. But from me, you’ll get “You Belong With Me,” because it’s the first one I could recall. I’m not a hater, but I’m not very well traveled throughout the Taylor-verse.
Slipknot or Rammstein (if you had to choose)?
Slipknot.
Doobies or Boobies (if you had to pick one)?
I love rock ‘n’ roll even without the sex and drugs.
Waffles or Pancakes (if you had to pick one)?
Just going with my gut here: Waffles.
Star Wars or Star Trek (if you had to choose)?
Star Trek if I’m feeling optimistic. Star Wars more often.
Favorite band t-shirt you own?
Bifocal Media, here in Raleigh, commissioned Errol Engelbrecht (who drew the original back in the ‘80s), to do an updated version of Corrosion of Conformity’s nuclear skull logo. That’s one of my favorites. I just got a rad His Hero Is Gone shirt with the art from Fifteen Counts of Arson, though, so that’s been in heavy rotation.
Favorite meal?
Not much beats a good burrito.
Favorite book?
The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallis-Wells has certainly left a lasting impression.
Favorite movie?
Top 3: Point Break (the 1991 original, of course), This is Spinal Tap, and Robo-Cop (the 1987 original, of course).
Favorite album?
Impossible question. But a few I can’t imagine not having immediate access to would include The Wu-Tang Clan’s Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), At The Gates’ Slaughter of the Soul, The Stooges’ Raw Power, and Neil Young and Crazy Horse’s Weld.
Favorite video game?
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater
Favorite Professional Wrestler?
I grew up in Charlotte across the street from Arn Anderson. So he’s really the only acceptable answer for me. Although his son, Brock, has now joined the family business, so there’s a new contender for sure.
Many, many thanks to Bryan for taking the time to answer my questions. I appreciate you doing so. As for the rest of you lot, click on over and wrap your ears around the slow and low goodness of Doomsday Profit’s self-titled release (immediately, if not sooner). You can thank me later.
~El Pedo Caliente (aka Uncle Jameson from the Fistful of DOOM show)
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