Magnets For Maniacs, a four-piece metal band hailing from Connecticut, is taking risk in the realm of sound, pushing the boundaries of genre while staying true to its authentic sound. The band’s upcoming album, Snakes & Cynics, features seven powerful tracks including their recent single, “872.”
Known for their high energy performances and unique blend of thrash, groove, and heavy metal, Magnets For Maniacs has been playing shows and festivals throughout the state and beyond. Bringing their raw, intense energy to the stage are Jay Corradino (vocals), Brandon Artz (bass), Justin Annello (drums), and Anthony Barna (guitar). The band members not only share a passion for hard-hitting music—they all contribute to the creative process as well.
“We really do get along. A band is like a relationship—you have to communicate and be on the same page,” tells Magnets For Maniacs. Brandon and Jay’s friendship dates to childhood, when they were 12 years old and beginning to explore music. They met Justin in 2018, when they ran into him at a concert and were coincidentally in need of a new drummer. Anthony, on guitar, is the newest member and fits right into the group, creating fresh material that seamlessly makes sense for the band.
Magnets For Maniacs is driven to make music that is powerful and meaningful at the same time. They often speak to personal struggles in their music, resonating with their fanbase. “The themes on this album are diverse,” shares the band. “There are a lot of different themes within the songs on the album. The majority stem from our own personal experiences.”
“Lyrically, the songs are very deep and personal to things we’ve gone through and experienced. Stylistically, the album is energetic, passionate, and the byproduct of all of the support we’ve received from people over time,” Brandon adds.
Magnets For Maniacs has a streamlined approach for music yet maintains a level of flexibility that allows for input from every band member throughout the creative process. “We’ll wind up doing instrumentals first, and it’s really organic in the sense that I’ve seen other bands and artists only let one person take control of writing for example. For us, anyone is free to contribute anything. We value everyone’s opinions equally.”
As far as lyrical composition goes on their upcoming album, Magnets For Maniacs’ Brandon and Jay wrote the majority of the lyrics, allowing space for input. “There have been songs like our single, ‘872,’ and ‘Weight of the World,’ that I didn’t touch one bit lyrically,” shares Brandon. “Then songs like ‘Goodbye’ and ‘All Eyes North’—I wrote because they spoke to me. We just let it happen how it happens.”
“One song we’re excited for is ‘Headshot,’ because it was one of the first songs we wrote and put out as a single forever ago. We decided to rerecord it in the studio with a different producer than the first time. He tore the song apart and put it back together. We’re re-releasing it on the album and we’re excited to see how people who heard the old version react to it now.”
While the band is wholly committed to writing powerful, authentic music that resonates with listeners, their greatest joy is performing to live audiences. “While we love writing music, performing is the fun part. Our performing periods come in waves—we’ll take a step back to promote new music and then start booking shows like crazy when the time is right. And when we think we need to step back and write, we do that, too. It all comes in cycles.”
At the end of the day, Magnets For Maniacs wants to thank everyone who has been a part of the band’s success these past five years and counting. “This album is really a thank you note to the people who have supported us. We encourage people to keep up to date with us on social media since we’re doing more now than ever.”
Make sure to stay connected to Magnets For Maniacs on all platforms for new music, videos, and social posts.
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