By Staff | March 19, 2026

Taylor Destroy, the powerhouse vocalist for Aspect Iris, has carved a unique space for herself in the metal scene through sheer tenacity and raw talent. After overcoming struggles that forced her away from the industry, she made a triumphant return, gaining 100,000 followers and widespread acclaim following a single viral cover. Her vocal prowess is characterized by a sophisticated, self-taught hybrid of fry and false chord screaming, a technique further refined during her collaboration with renowned producer Landon Tewers. Taylor’s artistry is deeply personal, drawing lyrical inspiration from the grit of the upstate NY music scene and her profound experiences with motherhood—particularly the emotional intensity of a traumatic childbirth. A staunch advocate for LGBTQ+ and trans rights, she actively challenges industry stereotypes, using her commanding stage presence to ensure metal remains an inclusive and high-energy environment for everyone.

Welcome Taylor! You woke up to 100k followers after a single cover. Beyond the numbers, how did that immediate, massive validation change the way you viewed the gatekeepers who originally pushed you out of the scene?

Thank you for having me! When that first wave of support hit, I was honestly so overwhelmed with happiness I cried. There’s a video somewhere of me sobbing while thanking everyone. One thing that really hit me emotionally was that my YouTube the platform I was heavily bullied off of years ago, gained over 1,000 subscribers overnight. Seeing support flood into the place that once pushed me away tugged on all my heartstrings.

Times have seriously changed, and it makes me so happy seeing women in this community finally being supported the way they deserve.

As for the “gatekeepers” and haters? I look at them like NPCs now. Most of them are just sitting behind fake profiles trying to get a reaction so they can feel like they did something important that day. But honestly, “haters make you famous” is real. Every time they comment, share, or complain about my content because they’re mad, it pushes my algorithm and puts my music in front of even more people. So… joke’s on them.

Recording with Landon Tewers is a pretty big achievement. What was the most ego-checking or eye-opening thing you learned about your own vocal capabilities while working with him?

Landon is such a gem and was incredible to work with. He pushed me vocally in ways I hadn’t pushed myself before. Whenever I got discouraged, he reminded me who I am and didn’t let me give up. And when I started getting nervous in the booth, he’d start messing with my vocals and make me sound like a chipmunk just to make me laugh and loosen up.

One of the coolest things I learned from him was about my screaming technique. I always thought I was doing a typical fry scream, but Landon pointed out that I actually mix fry and false chord techniques together. I had no idea I was doing that, so it was really cool having him open my eyes to my own voice. Overall, Landon is a phenomenal producer, and if anyone ever gets the opportunity to work with him, don’t hesitate.

Also, fun fact! He loves The Office. Because I was so thankful for everything he did for me and my boys, I made him a “World’s Best Producer” mug inspired by the show.

The 518 has a gritty, hardworking reputation. How has the local culture of the Capital District influenced the DIY work ethic of Aspect Iris?

The 518 scene made me who I am today. We have some incredibly hardworking musicians and people in this community. For example, Mike Valente, the owner of Empire Live and Empire Underground, and a part of the band Brick By Brick. When I was a teenager and young adult, I was deep in the scene doing band photography and videography at his old venue, Bogie’s. Mike was always grinding and doing everything he could to help the artists around him, and he still continues to do that to this day.

We also have people like Tim Lynch at The Recording Company putting out amazing production for both local and well-known bands. And then there’s bands like Downswing who completely busted their asses doing everything themselves and are now reaching new heights in the industry.

There are so many others I could mention, but those are just a few examples of the hardworking spirit of the upstate scene. Growing up around that level of dedication and passion definitely shaped me. It pushed me to grind and work for everything myself. Without those experiences and that community, I truly wouldn’t be where I am today.

You’ve mentioned that hearing Chester Bennington at age 10 changed everything. Now that you’re the one behind the mic, how do you balance paying homage to that classic nu-metal influence with the modern Aspect Iris sound?

My parents raised me on metal, so I grew up listening to bands like Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, and Slipknot. But something really clicked in me when I first heard Chester Bennington. I was in the car with my dad when “In The End” came on. I must’ve been around seven years old. I remember looking at him and saying, “I want to do that.” After that, I’d go home, blast music on my radio, and perform concerts for my stuffed animals.

Around age ten, I was at a friend’s birthday party where everyone was trying to do their “best metal scream.” When I did mine, my friends told me it was actually good. So I went home and started practicing nonstop. The rest is history. Funny little side story - I actually auditioned for American Idol when I was 15. My audition never aired, but you can see my emo ass in a couple background clips. I bring it up because on the entire drive there and back, my dad and I were blasting and singing through Linkin Park albums together. That’s a core memory I’ll never forget.

As far as influence goes, Linkin Park shaped me a lot lyrically. I also grew up rapping, so if you read the lyrics to most of my songs, they’re basically written like rap verses. A great example of that is our song “Nitroglycerin”.

Having your music played during New York Fashion Week is a unique crossover for a metal band. Do you feel like metal is finally breaking its underground only mold and becoming a broader cultural statement?

I actually got to attend the event and sit front row, which was surreal. Watching models walk down the runway to our song “Angels to Ashes” was one of those moments where you’re like, “Is this real life?”

But yes, I absolutely see metal becoming more accepted in mainstream spaces again. Seeing Knocked Loose and Poppy perform on Jimmy Kimmel, and then Spiritbox performing at the Grammys … those moments were huge for the genre. It made me feel proud to be part of this scene.

Many musicians struggle with the algorithm. How do you ensure that being a content creator feeds your artistry rather than draining the energy you need for songwriting and performing?

I’m going to be 100% honest here. That struggle is actually why I stepped away from music and content creation for a few years.

The algorithm is incredibly demanding. If you miss one day of posting, it can feel like missing a week of work. It sets you back so quickly. For me personally, that pressure started making me fall out of love with music. It wasn’t just the algorithm either. Some experiences I had with people in the industry left a bad taste in my mouth. At a certain point I realized numbers don’t mean shit if you’re not happy. I was losing the part of myself that loved music the most. So I stepped back to protect my mental health and to rediscover why I loved making music in the first place.

Now that I’ve found that love again, I’m preparing to come back full force in the next month with a big arsenal of content I’ve built up. The difference this time is that I’m only creating things that genuinely make me happy.

You’ve been vocal about being a plus-size woman in a genre that historically has had a very specific aesthetic for frontwomen. What is the most common misconception people have about your stage presence before they actually see you perform?

I think the biggest misconception is that people assume they already know what I’m going to sound like or how I’m going to perform before I even step on stage. There’s this weird stereotype that heavier women in metal can’t keep up or that we don’t have the same intensity as everyone else. But once people actually see me perform, that idea disappears really fast.

I don’t hold back. I scream, I move, I give everything I have to the performance. My size has absolutely nothing to do with my power or my presence on stage. If anything, I think it makes it even more impactful for women to see someone who doesn’t fit the industry standard going all out on stage. And honestly? I hope it helps other women all shapes and sizes realize they belong here too. Because growing up I didn’t feel like I did.

You are a firm supporter of LGBTQ+ and trans rights. In a scene that can sometimes still feel old school, how do you handle the responsibility of making your shows a safe, inclusive space for everyone?

Aspect Iris hasn’t played many shows yet. With two members in New York and two members in Canada, writing and practicing across two different countries has been really difficult. Recently our guitarist Nick and drummer Tyler stepped down from the band. The logistics of traveling back and forth were a big factor, but they’re also understandably nervous about coming to the U.S. with everything going on politically right now. It was a really emotional goodbye…we all cried. I love those guys so much, but they have to do what’s best for them.

Once we find new members and start playing regularly, the way I’ll keep shows safe is the same way I do online. By calling out shitty behavior immediately. I’m not someone who stays quiet when something isn’t right. The people who support me stand for the same values I do. So if someone ever tried to bring homophobia or transphobia into one of our shows, they wouldn’t just be dealing with the band. They’d be dealing with the entire community in that room.

Has becoming a mother changed the grit or the themes of your lyrics? Do you find yourself screaming for different reasons now than you did at 19?

Absolutely. Honestly, becoming a mother was probably the most metal thing I’ve ever done. I haven’t talked about this publicly yet, but we almost lost our daughter when she was born. She was extremely sick and there were moments where we didn’t know if she was going to make it. But she’s my tough little badass, and she pulled through. That experience changed everything about how I write.

I find myself writing about the fear and pain of having my baby ripped away right after birth and not being able to hold her. There was even a moment where I pushed myself too hard trying to see her right after my C-section and I collapsed in the NICU. The staff surrounded me putting smelling salts in my face trying to keep me awake while my body was convulsing, and even through all of that I was crying and screaming trying to get back to my baby. Childbirth and those moments in the hospital were the most brutal and emotional experiences of my life. And that level of raw emotion is definitely showing up in the music I’m writing now.

You’ve already checked off bucket-list items like Epitaph sharing your work. What is the dream goal you’ve set for Aspect Iris over the next two years?

With new members that are hopefully more local, we want to come back swinging. More music, more shows, and ultimately touring. There were a lot of opportunities we had to turn down before because the logistics just weren’t realistic. As heartbreaking as it was to say goodbye to our Canadian boys, the new structure will hopefully make it easier for us to pursue everything we originally set out to do.

I’m really excited to see where the next couple years take us.

Anyone out there you'd like to thank?

First, I want to thank one of my best friends, K Enagonio from The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. If it wasn’t for them, I probably never would have come back to music after being bullied out of the scene. They believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself and kept pushing me forward. Go check them out absolutely killing it as the new screamer for Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.

Next, my best friend Kasey Karlsen from Deadlands. There isn’t a more genuine and supportive human on this planet. She helped pull me out of the dark when I stepped away from everything, and I’m forever grateful for her friendship. She deserves everything in this world, so check out her band if you haven’t yet.

I also want to thank my parents for putting up with my loud ass screaming all these years and for always encouraging me to chase my dreams. Having supportive parents in a genre like this I think is a special thing.

And of course my amazing partner Adrian (PepeLeFaqyou/Adrioxas) for loving and supporting me through every stage of my life and for being such an incredible father to our daughter.

Lastly, thank you to Raph and knifetwister records for taking the time to talk with me and for amplifying not just my voice, but the voices of so many people in our community. What you’re doing is really important, and I appreciate it.

Taylor Destroy:
https://beacons.ai/taylordestroy

Aspect Iris:
https://beacons.ai/aspectiris
https://aspectirisband.com/

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