Metal Inside(r) Home Quarantine is Metal Insider’s new column during this time of isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We asked artists five questions on what’s been keeping them busy ranging from their favorite movies, food they’ve been eating, music they’ve been listening to and more. We caught up with Lycanthro’s James Delbridge as he’s been spending this time working on new music.
What have you been doing to pass time during Quarantine?
We have pretty much been using the time to work on new music and to get tighter as a band. Just after the pandemic hit, we lost 2 members so we had all the time in the world to find new guys and to get tight with them. We’ve pretty much been using the time to get them up to speed on our songs while recording demos, bouncing ideas for new songs around, and getting tighter as friends. Other than that, it’s been mainly practicing and improving our skills as musicians, along with watching a ton of Netflix!
Have you been listening to any music or have any playlists worth checking out?
I have discovered some amazing bands during the past year that I slept on for years. The most notable bands would be Haken, The Agonist, and Savage Circus. I’m a huge progressive rock/metal fan and Haken is like if Dream Theater and Gentle Giant had an unholy lovechild. They have one tune that I love called “Cockroach King,’ which both musically, and visually in the music video, is like the dark version of “Bohemian Rhapsody” and it’s amazing and different. In the case of The Agonist, we had the opportunity to open for them a few times but it never happened due to our schedule. When I heard them I instantly regretted not playing with them when we had the chance! I fell in love with Vicky Psarakis’s voice and their entire “Orphans” album is one of the best melodic death metal albums I’ve ever heard. Finally, Savage Circus is a power metal supergroup that consists of members from bands such as Blind Guardian, Iron Savior, Persuader, and Storm Warrior. Our drummer Panos introduced them to me and I have to say it is some of the best, and most underrated, power metal I’ve ever heard. Their track “Evil Eyes” is especially memorable. Overall, I would strongly recommend checking out all of these bands if you haven’t already.
A lot of people have been spending this time cooking including making their own bread, what food have you been prepping during this time?
In terms of cooking, I have been using this time to try recipes that I haven’t been able to try before. Some of the dishes I have tried making over the past little while include loaded baked potatoes, tuna melts, and various kinds of grilled cheese. But, the dish I am the proudest of that has always turned out the best is my Philly Cheesesteak! It’s so simple to make and almost impossible to screw up and it comes out amazing every time!
In terms of entertainment, what movies, TV shows, books, or games have been keeping you busy?
I’m really big into anime and during this time I have revisited a lot of my favourite shows from when I was in high school like FullMetal Alchemist Brotherhood, Scrapped Princess, and Future Diary. Along with those I’ve been exploring some anime shows that I’ve slept on for a while like “Now and Then, Here and There”, Fruits Basket, and Bubblegum Crisis. All of which I highly recommend. Aside from anime, I’ve been really liking a lot of the well-known Netflix originals like American Vandal, Cobra Kai, and Dark. All of which I can see have gained their popularity for a reason, the writing in those shows are some of the best I’ve ever seen! Finally, I’ve been really getting into a lot of darker documentary series like Dark Side of the Ring, The Night Stalker, and The Yorkshire Ripper. I highly recommend those if you are into disturbing true crime documentaries.
What advice do you have for your fans in isolation during this time?
I think during this time if there’s something you’ve always wanted to pick up like an instrument or art, now’s the time to get started. These are things that seem very daunting at first, but now you have all the time in the world to start learning and improving your desired craft from there. Secondly, I would say now’s a great time to work on yourself as a person. If you struggle with anything like anxiety, depression, or general insecurities, now would be a great time to seek help. Being alone during these times causes us to look inward and it is a great time to start more mentally healthy habits that someone like a therapist can help a lot with. Finally, I would say reach out to all your friends and check on them regularly. Not even just your friends, but also just people you know. Everyone is going through these times differently and you never know who needs help or someone to talk to, and they will appreciate it.
