Interview Methane

Swedish-American thrashers Methane return with Demolate, their most aggressive album yet. Frontman Tim Scott discusses the band's evolution, musical influences, recording process, and future touring plans in this exclusive interview.

1. Methane was formed in Sweden in 2012 by American-born brothers Tim Scott and Dylan Campbell alongside Swedish musicians. What brought you together initially, and what was the musical vision behind creating Methane?

Dylan and I had always wanted to play together. We jammed on and off when I lived in the States, then he moved to Sweden in 2012 and we finally did it. I called Jimi, who I knew from the local scene. He was as tired of death metal as I was. We started as a groove metal band, more Pantera and Black Label Society than thrash, just looking for something with a different feel. That was the vision at the start. Something that hit hard but wasn’t what we’d been doing.

2. Your sound combines Bay Area thrash metal riffs with the attitude and aggression of New York hardcore, while also incorporating groove metal elements. How would you describe the Methane sound today, and how has it evolved since your early releases?

Today it’s crossover thrash with a hardcore heart. Bay Area crunch and speed, New York hardcore groove and attitude, and the aggression that comes from playing death metal for years. In 2017 with The Devil’s Own we were still chasing that groove metal thing. Kill It With Fire pulled us back toward thrash. Demolate is where it all locked in. We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel. We’re just playing brutal thrash metal the way we hear it.

3. Your latest album, Demolate, was released on October 2, 2026, through Fireflash Records. What can you tell us about the writing and recording process, and what makes this album different from your previous work?

We started writing in 2023 in the rehearsal studio. Riffs came from all of us. Jimi, Markus, me. Richard would throw a drum beat at it and we’d build a structure, then rip it down and rebuild it until it worked. Sometimes the lyrics came after, sometimes we shaped the song around them. In the studio we recorded the old school way, drums, guitars, bass, all together, with Jonas Arnberg at Sellnoise Studios. He’s basically the fifth member. What makes Demolate different is we stopped playing it safe. It’s tighter, meaner, and faster. We took more chances and it shows.

4. Demolate continues your crossover thrash direction. What themes, ideas, or experiences influenced the lyrics and overall atmosphere of the album?

A lot of it is one guy’s life from the start. 360 Degrees of Destruction is a young kid discovering music and getting thrown into the pit. From there it follows the rock and roll lifestyle, the army, becoming a super soldier, coming out the other side as a serial killer, and the end where he destroys the world. It’s one man’s descent from start to finish. There’s a lot of irony behind the humor, and a lot of depth in the lyrics if you’re looking for it. I didn’t want to spell it out. I wanted everyone to take them exactly how they want.

5. You have cited bands such as Slayer, Pantera, and Lamb of God among your influences. Which artists or records had the biggest impact on the way Methane developed its sound, and are there any newer bands currently inspiring you?

Slayer’s Reign in Blood taught me that speed and precision can be brutal without being sloppy. Pantera gave us the groove and the attitude. Lamb of God showed how modern metal can still hit like a truck. Newer bands like Warbringer and Havok keep the old school spirit alive with new energy. That’s what we try to do too.

6. Tim, your background includes playing with the cult death metal band Revenant and HatePlow. How has your experience in death metal influenced your approach to Methane’s heavier and more aggressive sound?

Revenant and HatePlow taught me that the guitar tone has to be thick and ugly, not clean, not pretty. The vocal ferocity comes from that world too. But thrash is about speed and groove, so I keep the death metal beast on a leash. It shows its teeth, but it doesn’t take over.

7. Methane has shared stages with bands including The Haunted, Warbringer, Whiplash, Nervosa, and F.K.Ü. Which live experiences or tours have been particularly memorable for the band, and what do you enjoy most about playing in front of an audience?

A show in Budapest stands out. We were on tour with Massacre, but that night they were playing a festival we weren’t invited to, so we took a detour and played a club in a basement somewhere in Budapest. One of the opening acts was actual belly dancers, dancing to Motley Crue and AC/DC. Totally crazy. But the crowd that came went off, and the mosh pit was pretty violent. That one sticks with you. Another great one was when we were out doing gigs with Nervosa in Europe. We landed at Little Devil in the Netherlands and played a sold out show with Warbringer. That was pretty memorable. And of course the home shows are always a big part of it. The local crowd tears the club apart every time. What I enjoy most is the pit. It’s a family. You look like chaos from the outside, but inside everybody helps everybody up.

8. Methane began with releases such as Southern Metaland Spit On Your Grave, followed by The Devil’s Own in 2017 and Kill It With Fire in 2023. Looking back, what do you think has changed the most about the band since those early days?

In 2017 we were coming out of death metal bands and really just wanted something groove. We started playing Pantera and Black Label Society type groove metal, but underneath it all we were old thrash metal kids with thrash in our souls. Kill It With Fire was us coming back to thrash, and Demolate is where we finally fused it with our love for New York hardcore and punk. The biggest change is confidence. We stopped trying to be something else and just became Methane.

9. You have built your career while being based in Sweden but with strong American roots and influences. How do these two musical and cultural backgrounds come together in Methane’s identity?

It created something that doesn’t belong to either place. The Bay Area gave us the crunch and the speed. Sweden gave us the cold, the atmosphere, the darkness. In the studio it felt like two different bloodlines mixing into something new. The result is Methane, and it couldn’t have come from anywhere else.

10. With Demolate now out in the world, what are the next goals for Methane? Are there particular tours, festivals, collaborations, or musical directions you would like to explore next?

Get Demolate on the road. Swedish shows in November with Prestige, Sweden with Artillery in January, Metal Open Air in Germany in May, and more tours into 2027. There are also rumors about coming over to the US for the third time next year, in November. Japan and Asia are a big goal too, China included. We want the new songs tested in front of people.

methanemetal.com