Headlining Deathchester: An Interview With I Destroyer

By Staff | July 12, 2026

Photo credit: Jason Santos (all photos)

You can catch a lot of great bands at Hardcore in the 914, the monthly show put on by NYHC Comics, and one band that really blew us away was White Plains’ own I Destroyer. Their music features heavy, shredding guitar, complex bass lines and drums so fast that we actually had to ask how many BPM Michael could play (and now we regret asking, as you’ll see). While their proposed “Deathchester Festival” may or may not come to fruition, there’s no question these guys are out there representing the 914 to the fullest. We had a chance to sit down with them for a wide ranging interview covering backline misunderstandings, restaurant encounters, and how a self-described “lazy as fuck” band can put out the energy that they do.

Welcome! So, what made you finally settle on I Destroyer as the band name after sitting on that unreleased 2008 track?

Mike: This goes back to when it was just Leonard and I in the band. We had the song I Destroyer written but didn’t have a name yet. One night we decided to get together, head over to Lazy Boy Saloon, and brain storm name ideas. We sat down and threw caution to the wind, putting out whatever ideas came into our minds. We went through name after name, whether we thought it would fit or not, until we landed on something that felt right. At some point, “I Destroyer” came into my mind, and it’s safe to say that Len liked it. He put a fist in the air, and started chanting the name, putting himself in the place of a future, would-be fan. In that moment, I Destroyer was born.

How did your opening slots for acts like Dying Fetus and Origin shape your approach to live performance?

Jack: Honestly, we really just learned that we needed to play tighter and to keep the energy going throughout the show. I wish we had a more interesting answer. WE DO have an interesting story attached to it, about how we even got to play with Dying Fetus.

We were offered a show at The Loft, a smaller venue just upstairs from The Chance in Poughkeepsie. Unfortunately that day, there was a miscommunication. We thought the venue was going to provide a house drum kit. It did not, and Michael didn’t have a drum kit at the time. Even worse, none of the other bands were willing to let us use their kit for our set. Mike was driving up separately but Michael and I were there already, thinking we had to drop out of the show. Dejected, we were about to get out of the car to tell whoever it was that we couldn’t play the show, but then we looked up. Walking towards the venue, in our direction, was someone wearing something that looked familiar. It took me a second, and then it came to me, “wait a minute, that’s our merch!”. It was our friend Bailey, he saw us when we played a battle of the bands at Dingbatz a couple of months back. He was excited to see us, and us him, but we had to break the news. As we were explaining the situation, the drummer of another band on the bill, Waster, heard what was going on and simply asked if we’d like to use his drum kit. We were so grateful, and so we played our set with Michael behind his golden (literally) drums. Then, not even 30 minutes after our set, Mike came up to Michael and I and asked if we’d like to play with Dying Fetus. In his hand, was a stack of tickets with their name, and I Destroyer written right underneath. Apparently, Bailey knew some of the promoters for the venue and was kind enough to whisper our name into their ears. Thanks to him, and thanks to Waster, one of our worst days turned into one of our brightest.

How did you keep the group intact through the 2020 lockdown after playing only one show pre-COVID?

Jack/Mike: Given that we were still in our early stages as a full group, our focus was still on writing songs and tightening our playing. Plus, we still didn’t really know the ropes of playing live (we’re still figuring that out!). All we really knew was that we wanted to keep playing and that’s what we did. As soon as things started to open up, we headed straight back to our home base, Highline Music Studio in Thornwood. Shoutout, by the way, to Jimmy who runs the place, he’s been there every step of the way and is a big part of the I Destroyer family.

At some point, Dingbatz in Clifton, NJ, put out a mass email for bands that wanted to play live. We caught wind of that and hopped on board. One show led to another and we were fortunate enough to share the stage with many local and established bands. As time went on, some of the names got bigger and bigger. Some of the bands we opened up for at Dingbatz include Byzantine, Flaw, Edema, Misery Index, and Origin.

What shifted in your songwriting or chemistry when Jack moved from drums to guitar?

Jack: Kinda everything. I’m gonna be honest here, I’m not really a drummer. To make it make sense, I’ll give you the context of how I even joined as a drummer.

I used to work at a restaurant in Hartsdale called Bareburger. At the time, Len was a supervisor there. Fun fact, the singer of Within the Ruins also used to work there, before I did, though. Members of bands Jotunheim and The Car Bomb Parade (link to our interview with them) would dine there as well. Anyway, I knew that Len was a metalhead, and he knew that I was. I don’t think he knew that I played any instruments at the time, though. At some point, I told Len I was getting a new guitar (a Schecter Demon 7, which is still my main). He asked if I also played drums, to which I said kinda, sorta, not really. I played marching and concert percussion when I was in Woodlands High School, but I never played anything like a drum kit. Len then asked if I could keep a beat and I half-heartedly said “sure!”. And like that, I became part of the band. That didn’t last long because I kinda sucked. After Len left, though, I moved over to guitar, my first real instrument anyway, and the rest is history. Most of our songs are a combination of Mike and I writing guitar and bass, with Michael adding his own flavor into the mix. To put it simply, it just works. Once we get going, the songs start writing themselves.

Another fun fact, Len used to hook up his phone to the restaurant’s speakers after closing and would often play Electric Wizard. And that’s why my guitar’s name is Count Drugula.

Why did you choose to stay quiet as a band while real life intervened, rather than finding temporary replacements?

Jack/Mike: You mean aside from the fact that it would’ve been a pain in the ass and that we’re lazy as fuck?

The real answer, we think, is that the secret sauce that makes I Destroyer what it is, is the combination of all three of us. Not only are we lucky enough to have personalities and work ethics that go well together, but we also bring different musical backgrounds to the pot that mix to make something we feel is special. Michael Karnage has a background of nu metal, alternative rock/metal, and metalcore. Before his first practice with us, he said that Chris Adler was a big influence on him. And then at practice he almost immediately started playing blast beats. That’s when Mike and I gave each other the look and said, without words, “oh damn, he’s it”.

Jack: My influences come from a lot of different genres. Before joining, the heaviest band I really listened to was Lamb of God. Maybe a little Whitechapel and Thy Art is Murder, too. Throughout high school, though, my favorite band was without a doubt Avenged Sevenfold. Some other bands that bring me back to that time and undoubtedly have an influence on me are System of a Down, Rammstein, and even Pink Floyd. Joining the band really introduced me to the heavier side of things and got me into some even bigger influences like old school Behemoth, Belphegor, Electric Wizard, and Hate.

Side note, why the hell do I know so many people named Mike?

Mike: My influences come from a lot of genres ranging to classic rock and metal, to hardcore, to nu and alternative metal, to brutal death and black metal. Given that I’m a little older than Jack and Michael, though, the really cool thing is that I lived through the evolution of a large chunk of metal as it was happening. Hell, I remember when burning and trading CD’s was how you found new bands. That’s how I even started playing in bands. Back during high school, a friend had a death metal band and wanted me to sing. I didn’t know much about death metal vocals at the time, so he gave me a copy of a Gorerotted CD to get an idea of what his band was like. I burned my own copy of it, and that’s what I used to get my death metal chops.

Jack: BY THE WAY. Mike does all of our artwork. That’s our album covers, merch, and many of the posters for shows we played. HIT HIM UP for some artwork! (mpizzuti@yahoo.com)

What specific goals are you targeting for your upcoming shows, videos, and recordings after The Murdered Opus?

Fame, money, and bitches. No, we actually gave up on that dream a long time ago :’).

Honestly, we just want to play more shows, put out more videos and other content, make new fans, and connect with more people.

We saw you guys play at Hardcore at the 914 and have to know - how many BPM can Michael actually get up to?

Michael: I don’t fucking know. If we’re talking about drums, it depends on how much caffeine I’ve had and how hard these two push me during practice (please donate to the monster energy fund, Jack drinks them too).

But if by BPM, you’re talking about when I’m by myself in my room, it depends on how hot your mom is (editor’s note: ouch).

There aren't many (or perhaps any) venues to play in White Plains, but if you had to play somewhere - a diner, a park, anywhere in the city - where would that be and why?

Jack: Uhhhhhhh. You’re right when you say that there aren’t a whole lot of places in White Plains that metal bands are known for playing. The first place that comes to my mind, though, is Smash Music in Mamaroneck Ave (right where Sam Ash used to be). I’ve been there a few times, it’s always nice to talk to the owner. They hold open mic nights there and are open to metal bands. I’ve told the owner I’d message him about it about 3 times but I didn’t. I can be incredibly lazy. Help. Pls. Other places in White Plains that come to mind are Liberty Park and Wolf & Warrior Brewery. Outside of White Plains itself, though, places that come to mind are Captain Lawrence Brewery, Yonkers Brewing (shoutout to Hardcore in the 914!) and one day, if it gets to that point, it would be a dream to have some kind of festival at the Westchester County Center.

SPEAKING of which, another very close member of the I Destroyer family is our friend Ian Lopez (Jimmy and him really are the 4th and 5th man of the band). A dream he’s always had is to have just that kind of festival featuring metal and hardcore bands from Westchester and surrounding areas. It will be called DEATHCHESTER.

Anyone you’d like to thank for their support?

First of all, we owe a debt of gratitude to our friends and family for always being there and supporting us through everything along the way. Jimmy at Highline Studios for always supporting us from the beginning. Randy from Pasquarella Recordings for recording, mixing, and mastering all of our releases (@pasquarellarecordings). Danny of New York Weightlifting Academy for being one of our most die-hard fans and hosting some incredibly kick-ass shows at the gym (@ny_weightlifting_academy, @danny_casey). Michelle for booking so many of our shows at Dingbatz (@michelle_dingbatz). Ralph of The Kingsland Presents for putting us on some of the biggest shows we’ve played. Nicky D of Alden booking for always having a spot for us at the Seven Crest (@aldenbookingcompany). Tim for putting us on so many shows just across the bridge in Nyack (@tripsquadproductionz). Lee and Debo from Hardcore in the 914 for supporting us and keeping metal and hardcore alive in the 914 (@hardcoreinthe914, @nyhccomics). Band Dan for always having a spot for us at the Cellar in Hamden, CT. Bailey for being a die hard fan, being there for us all the way from Jersey to Poughkeepsie, and also being the main reason we played probably our biggest show to date. Jerry of Lokane for always looking out for us and being the man who put us on our first show back in the day (@jerry_animus_r). Pablo C for working with us in our super early days, supporting us, and putting us on some kick-ass shows too! Thank you to Ian for encouraging and supporting us, and being our roadie! Thank you to Jason S for supporting us, always showing up, and taking some sick-ass photos of us (@j110s). Thank you to Alberto for your support, for always being so enthusiastic about us, and also taking some incredible photos of us (@ominous.void). Thank you to all the bands who’ve supported us along the way, especially Death Island (@deathislandofficial), Scumbag (@scumbag_ny), Scarlet King (@scarletkingband), Lokane (@lokaneofficial), and Torn Open (@tornopendeathcore). Lastly, thank you to every single person who listened to us, bought a ticket or merch, came to a show, or supported us in any way, shape, or form. You are the reason we’re able to keep doing this and we wouldn't be able to do it without you.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/idestroyernydm

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/idestroyernydm

Bandcamp: https://idestroyernydm.bandcamp.com

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5nNaRqSzTZdCjpgzxMbDC8