Under the Influence – Duskwood

Wolfmother by Wolfmother had a massive influence on the younger version of us. It was a gateway to historical hard rock, and we played the shit out of it when it came out, and could play every track on the guitar (and drums) for that album. I don’t think anything they’ve done since has topped it, and there’s no track that gets skipped when we listen to it.

Though vastly different to our sound and style, the album that I feel has massively shaped my influence in heavy music is Shogun by Trivium. It’s a masterpiece in composition, packed with riffs, solos, and beautiful imagery that all combines to make the perfect album in my opinion.

Super Van Vacation by 1000mods is, to me, the perfect desert/stoner album. It ebbs and flows with infectious riffs, backed by fantastic tones and wondefully roomy drums. Definitely an album that has inspired our riff writing sessions over the years, and is a comfort pick to kick back with a spin.

Welcome to Sky Valley by Kyuss has probably had the most influence on our band as a whole. With its legendary riffs and the iconic vocals, most people can probably hear this album’s influencing grasp weave its way through our Duskwood catalogue.

Vocally, powerful performances on albums such as Dirt by Alice in Chains, City of Evil by Avenged Sevenfold, and all things Chris Cornell, have really inspired me to expand outside my comfortable vocal range, and helped to discover new levels in performance in both live and studio settings.