The Madison metal band celebrates its new album with a March 10 show at the High Noon Saloon.
Droids Attack are, from left to right, Darwin Samspon, Tony Brungraber, and Brad Van.
Madison band Droids Attack hail from the school of metal that values reliability—in its burly, thick-toned riffs, sense of geeked-up grandiosity, and occasional dash of crude humor. (This is a band that, for better or worse, once titled a song “The Great Wall Of ‘Gina.”) But there’s still space to refresh and reinvigorate while working within that style, and they find it on their fourth album, Sci-Fi Or Die, which they’ll celebrate with a March 10 show at the High Noon Saloon. Guitarist/vocalist Brad Van joined me this week to discuss the album’s lyrical themes—from vomiting fish monsters to Sumerian alien myths—the changes in the band’s lineup and instrumental dynamics, and arriving at the album’s heavy but also bright and full-sounding guitar tones.
We also took a few minutes to catch up on Van’s side business restoring vintage arcade games. Mark Riechers wrote last fall about Van pulling his games from Rossi’s Vintage Arcade and Pizzeria in Monona, but since then Van has found a new home for his games on the West Side.
Also, I’ve been fending off bronchitis, so pardon me for sounding like a goose trapped in a culvert this week.
Don’t forget to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and catch WORT-FM’s weeknight news show In Our Backyard, which partners with us to produce these. Thanks to Dylan Brogan for producing this interview.
