Between crushing riffs, heavy grooves and an attitude deeply rooted in the spirit of rock’n’roll, Carbellion continue to define their own path as purveyors of what they call “American Heavy Rock.” The American band now returns with This Is Our Style, an album that blends heavy rock, stoner, sludge, punk and grunge without following formulas, arriving November 13 via Eclipse Records.

By Sandra Pinto

We spoke with guitarist Brandon Bauer about Carbellion’s identity, the songwriting and recording process, their musical influences, and the importance of creating music that is not only heard, but physically felt.

“This Is Our Style” is a very direct title. Is the album title meant as a statement of identity — a way of saying that Carbellion know exactly who they are?
In a sense yes. We’ve really shaped a blend of the many different styles and influences musically and personally that exist between the 5 guys in the band. We always try to let every guy’s ideas help influence the outcome of not just the songs on the album, but every aspect of the project itself. From the first riffs played to the final packaging, which definitely makes a Carbellion record our identity. The title is also very simple in some aspects. It’s a statement on our love for muscle cars, motorcycles, good times and all things rock n roll.

What was the starting point for This Is Our Style? Did the album come together naturally, or did you enter the studio with a clear idea of what you wanted it to sound like?
Most every Carbellion record from the beginning starts with riffs, lyric ideas and getting in the rehearsal room together and just playing. “This is our style” was hammered out basically the same way. Some guys had ideas for pretty near completed songs and other songs started with
just one riff. Nonetheless, on how they start out, they still become a group effort towards the final product. We had a rough idea of how we wanted the record to sound at the end but the final version came together very organically.

Carbellion sit somewhere between heavy rock, stoner and sludge. How would you describe your sound to someone hearing the band for the first time?
It’s always been hard for us to describe ourselves. At times we have a very heavy edge on some tracks. Straight rock n roll or fringes of punk on others and at times even our grunge influences come thru. That’s why we’ve have tagged ourselves American Heavy Rock since the early days. It seem to fit us well.

Your music is often mentioned alongside bands such as Clutch, Corrosion of Conformity and Monster Magnet. Do you see those bands as influences, comparisons, or simply part of the same musical family?
Well, I have to say you picked the three easiest bands to answer this question. So, thanks for that. Even with our vast differences in listening habits and personal musical influences, every guy in Carbellion would probably say those three bands are an influence on some level. How
can they not be, all three are legends in this style and have done so much to bring heavy rock to the masses.

What do you think separates Carbellion from the other bands working within the current heavy rock and stoner scene?
That is one thing I love about those genres of music. So many of the bands in the scene separate themselves purely by being themselves, and I think Carbellion is no different. There are no rules or formulas that are followed or forced upon you when you write. So, a style or
sound just becomes your own.

The album was produced by Chris Djuricic, whose credits include Nonpoint, Soil and Jungle Rot. What did he bring to Carbellion that you were looking for in a producer?
We have worked with Chris on and off going back to our first album. He also produced our last album ,Weapons Of Choice, and those sessions went very well. We were really happy with the outcome of that record so when it came to recording This Is Our Style, it was a pretty easy
decision to work with him again.

Was there anything about the recording process with Chris Djuricic that challenged you as musicians or pushed the band outside its comfort zone?
Having recorded with him before we always kinda know what we’re in for. He is great at pushing the entire band to get the best out of us. But also understands the band enough to know what’s just not going to work for us. We always go in thinking we have a pretty good idea how the final product will sound, but he always comes in with new ideas and directions that work great and make the songs shine. It’s cool to have a good working relationship.

Andy VanDette handled the mastering, with an impressive list of credits including Beastie Boys, Porcupine Tree and Rush. How important was it for you to have someone with that experience shaping the final sound of the album?
Again, Andy is someone we have worked with many times. We are so fortunate to have him part of the process for so long. His professionalism and amazing attention to detail makes it pretty worry free when he’s in charge of the final masters. He has always nailed the sonic heaviness we are searching for each record. This Is Our Style is no different, it’s got the exact sound we wanted.

The album features eleven songs. Did you deliberately build the record as a complete listening experience, or did the tracklist simply emerge from the songs you had written?
There is no real tie in from song to song in a lyrical or “story” sense. But we always try to lay out the tracks to give an album the best vibe possible. That’s the same theory we went with for this record. Try to lay the songs in an order that have a great flow and take the listener on a ride. Several guys in the band are still very much into vinyl so we like to lay tracks out like an album  that gets played front to back.

Stoner and sludge are often associated with huge riffs, heavy grooves and a certain rawness. What makes a great riff, in your opinion?
There are so many different ways to look at a riff. Technicality, heaviness, power, groove and also importantly, tone. But I guess the best way to describe a great riff is how it feels. If a riff can make you feel any overwhelming emotion, that’s a great freaking riff imo.

There is a strong physical quality to heavy rock — music that you don’t just hear but actually feel. Is that something you consciously try to create with Carbellion?
100%. Carbellion has always been a physical live show and that’s an extension of the music. If a song doesn’t get us moving in the rehearsal room when we’re writing it, it usually hits the cutting room floor.

After spending so much time writing and recording this album, is there one song on This Is Our Style that you feel represents Carbellion better than any other? Why?
That’s a hard question to answer. With every album we’ve written that song has changed for me from time to time and I feel the new songs will be the same. And with the diversity in some of our songs it’s hard to say any one song represents us. It’s the entire collective that shapes who we are.

The album arrives on November 13 through Eclipse Records. What does signing with a label like Eclipse mean for the band at this stage of your career?
This is our second release with Eclipse. They have been a great partner for us. So many doors have opened and exposure into places we’ve had difficulty getting into in the past. Eclipse and their entire team have been great at spreading the American Heavy Rock worldwide.

Heavy rock and stoner music have developed a very loyal international audience. What do you think continues to attract people to this sound in an age dominated by streaming, algorithms and rapidly changing musical trends?
IMO it’s a breed of music that’s very real to the roots. It’s a few guys or girls with live drums, tube amps, pedal boards, beer-soaked guitars and a passion to perform. You put yourself out there every night on stage and on every record and I think there’s a large following of people
who still love and respect that. I know I do.

Finally, when people finish listening to This Is Our Style, what do you hope they understand about Carbellion that they might not have understood before pressing play?
That’s a good question. I guess I’d hope they realize there is something on this record for most people who like heavier music. There are some ebbs and flows on this record. We took some chances on things that maybe in the past we wouldn’t have. But the main thing is I hope they
understand the volume needs to be up loud. Our records always sound better when at neighbor annoying levels.