By Staff | October 31, 2025

Violent By Nature (VBN) is a thrash metal band from the underbelly of Los Angeles. VBN blends elements of old school speed thrash metal and hardcore aggressive punk styles; making them known for their blistering tempos, aggressive vocals, and high speed technical guitar riffs and solos.

VBN consists of founding member and frontman Thor Thatcher on lead vocals and lead guitar, Dylan Segatore on bass and backing vocals, Jose Garcia on drums, and newest member David Salcedo on guitar and backing vocals.

Music written by lead guitarist and vocalist Thor Thatcher, VBN is hitting the road supporting their debut album “Live and Die in LA,” captivating audiences with their energetic stage presence and powerful high speed musicianship, they are a true representation of LA metal.

Tell us about your latest release, and how it's different from your previous releases, if at all.

With our debut album To Live And Die in LA, it just happens that these songs are most of the tracks from when as a band we were recording demos, as well as self produced singles and EPs. So to answer your question on how it differs from previous releases. It's mainly in the production of Carlos Cruz at his studio and my vocals, as well as the musicians on the recording throwing in their own flare.

How has the unique history and energy of the Los Angeles metal scene — especially the legacy of bands like Slayer and Dark Angel — influenced your sound and approach to thrash?

Well, some bands have definitely left more of a mark on this city and myself. I can't deny the influence that specifically the Big 4 left for me as picking up techniques from them is a major part of my way to playing the guitar. I do pick up little things from other bands songs here and there and trying to meld it in with what I do to keep things fresh and different, but it's surprisingly not a lot of LA bands, it's mainly Central US, East Coast, and foreign bands that have put a huge influence. Sodom, Annihilator, early Sepultura, Mad Ball, Power Trip, and Morbid Saint to name a few.

What's your take on the current state of the LA metal scene? Is it still a breeding ground for raw, aggressive music like thrash, or do you feel it's dominated by other genres?

There are a ton of awesome young bands as well as bands that have been at it for a while here in LA that deserve so much more credit than the scene here gives them. I've noticed with the cliques that make up the scene here, they're more likely to go see the "legacy" acts or younger acts that people who have weight tell them to like instead of looking at arguably great bands for one reason or another.

Do you feel a sense of responsibility to carry the torch for the original '80s LA thrash sound, or are you consciously trying to break new ground and forge a different path?

I guess you could say a bit of both, I'm definitely here to do my own thing but there's a responsibility to those who broke ground before you in music. So yeah respect and uphold what came before me but also bring my own stylings and touches to the table.

What are your favorite local venues to play in LA, and why does that space feel right for a thrash show?

We haven't played this place in a while but there's a small music hall in South LA that goes by the name 33rd Hill that's perfect for the old school punk and underground look and feel with it being a smaller venue with a short stage. There's also a bar in downtown called the Slipper Clutch, it may be a little small with a small stage but the sound, lighting, affordable drinks, and crowd there make this place definitely worth playing as an up and coming touring or local acts.

Which contemporary LA bands (not necessarily thrash) are you most excited about right now, and have you found a strong sense of community with them?

I've definitely gotten a few bands that make me feel like family but most of them not being a part of the thrash scene. The support I've gotten from members of Revulsion, Pagan Ritual, Kumsumption, Sacred Origin, the Kaotics, Dismantle, Satan's Grasp, Nox Sinister, and quite a few others has been great over the years. I hope they feel the same way about myself.

Your riffs are known for being incredibly fast and technical. Who writes the majority of the music, and what is your process for balancing sheer speed with memorable hooks?

I wouldn't call our riffs technical but that may be from the bands around me having much more complicated riffs than myself. To answer your question, I wrote a majority of the lyrics and all of the riffs on To Live And Die in LA and I always try to have a part of the songs have a part that people can grab on to. I want people to be able to sing along, mosh, and even have the drunkest most trashed person be able to have the gears in their brain click to what's being played.

How do you ensure your production sound captures the raw intensity of thrash metal while still having the clarity required for modern listening?

That's honestly all the magic of Carlos Cruz. Part of it is definitely the fact that we didn't use a metronome as it just didn't fit the feel of the songs. Thinking back to that recording session it would also be that we recorded all of our parts in four and a half days, partially due to budget restrictions, but doing most of the instruments in less than 3 takes and doubling all of the vocals added some anxiety to the performance and depth to the songs.

Lyrically, what is the primary source of fuel for your music? Do you focus on political commentary, social decay, personal rage, or traditional horror/dystopian themes?

With this record it's a bit of everything you've mentioned, Creature of the Night is about Richard Ramirez, Plagued Society is about how life in LA truly is, WW3 is well... self explanatory, speed freak is just about shows and fun. So the topics go all over the place. Same can be said for our upcoming releases that we're working on.

Which track on your latest album best represents the band's collective identity right now, and why?

If I were to pick one song from the current record to represent the current lineup I would say Afterbirth as it's one of the fastest and most unrelenting songs on the record. It's morbid lyrics surround abortion, the way the riffs are, and the non-stop train that is the drums make it the most fitting for all of us.

Thrash relies heavily on the drumming to drive the pace. What techniques does your drummer, Jose Garcia, like to focus on?

Besides drum beats or techniques you'd commonly hear on metal, thrash, punk, d-beat recordings Jose is a primarily death metal drummer who's quite versatile with other styles as he is an MI graduate. The drummer on the record was a black and death metal drummer who was very jazz influenced and Jose understands that has its place in my song writing. But I want to add that with the person on the record I was spending a lot of time trying to get him to play less, Jose understands that sometimes less is more.

Beyond the obvious "Big Four" bands, what are some of the deep-cut or non-metal influences that unexpectedly contribute to your songwriting?

I accidentally answered this in a previous question but to expand from what I previously said Destruction, Morbid Angel, Sarcofago, Vio-lence, Demolition Hammer, Terror, and a local act we've played shows with Chainwolf to name a few more.

If you had to pick one essential piece of gear—a specific amp, guitar model, or pedal—that defines your signature tone, what would it be?

Well the amp I used on the record was a Carving V3M but that was stolen shortly after finishing up in the studio, but the other amps I've used that fit well with our sound is the EVH 5150 iconic which I have basically no effects in front of for my main tone but a venue in NorCals bad electrical fried that amp, a Crate Blue Voodoo 120h with a big muff in front of it which was heavy in tone and in size (my back thanks me for not using it anymore), and currently I'm using an Orange Gain Baby with a tube screamer in front of it and I finally feel like I've found the perfect tone for everything moving forward.

How do you manage to keep your material fresh and evolving without abandoning the core elements of the thrash genre that your fans expect?

Well our fans are a little bit from every scene, I think they care more about the energy from us live. To speak about the songs specifically, I think it's the fact that I listen to a lot of the punk, hardcore, and other genres that our friends and fans listen to which bleeds into my music and helps them connect.

Which specific thrash albums from the past would you say had the single greatest impact on you deciding to form this band?

Metallica's Ride The Lightning, hands down.

What is the most important element for you in translating your recorded intensity into a live performance?

I think it's more making sure our lives intensity is coming through the recordings, I'm definitely giving myself a pat on the back in saying that the record is great but our live performances put the energy to a completely different unrelenting level.

Thrash shows are legendary for mosh pits and stage diving. What's the most memorable or chaotic live moment you've ever experienced or witnessed at one of your gigs?

It's hard to pinpoint one specific moment, throughout the years I've been injured numerous times from the crowds at our shows. Every toe broken, chipped tooth, injured hand, fingers, wrists, and a pretty severe injury to my neck. All from pits, stage divers, and so on. I'm also a registered minister so I perform "beer baptisms" on stage.

As a touring band, what are the biggest challenges you face today in sustaining a career strictly focused on a genre like thrash metal?

Transportation is always a concern for playing out of town, but a big concern is that promoters only want to put us with other thrash bands when we've historically done well at punk, hardcore, death metal, grind, and mixed genre shows. As much as I love thrash too many of the smaller bands take similar directions with how they write, play, and present themselves so those shows when not having a band with bigger pull can fall short of the intended result.

Looking ahead, what is the one dream venue or festival you are determined to play, and what's the next major goal you've set for the band?

Obviously there's all the far fetched dreams of opening for Megadeth, playing Wacken, and other bands or events of that magnitude. But honestly we're going to be grinding at expanding our hold in areas we've played before and breaking new ground in any way possibly. It's open season on anything and everything we can get our hands on.

Anyone you'd like to thank?

I'd like to thank our manager Cristina for all the hard work she's been putting in and all the opportunities she's been and will continue to bring our way. I'd like to thank my current bandmates for putting in some hard work and being down to keep this train rolling with me. I'd like to thank my friends who are occasionally our road crew and merch attendants for their support and believing in what I'm doing. And last but not least my parents but specifically my Father Eric Thatcher for loaning me the money to record my record and supporting my decision to have a shot at music.

Check them out at https://www.violentbynature.com
Special thanks to Cristina Helgoth

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