In this explosive 95th installment of The Metal Maniacs Podcast, Jay and Modd sit down with one of the Midwest’s loudest and most inventive duos—Bronson Arm—for an unfiltered conversation that dives deep into noise rock, creative process, and the beautiful weirdness of being a two-piece powerhouse.

🔥 Meet the Architects of Controlled Chaos

Blake Francis Bickel – Baritone Guitar, Vocals, Recording, Mastering

Garrett Michael Yates – Drums, Sonic Backbone

Hailing from the underground sludge and noise scenes, Bronson Arm has crafted a sound that’s aggressive, weird, sometimes beautiful, and always undeniably theirs. In this episode, we discuss their origin story, how two people can make enough noise to level a city block, and why their musical chemistry is the secret weapon behind the band’s signature sound.

🎧 Discography Rundown

We go deep into Bronson Arm’s releases, including:

🟪 TOSSER (2021) – A gritty collection of early singles, now available on cassette. Raw and self-recorded, this collection captures the early stages of their sonic identity. Mixed by Robert Cheek (EXEX Audio), mastered by Blake Bickel.

🟪 Self-Titled (Jan 12, 2024) – A genre-jumping journey through sludge, grunge, surf tones, and chaotic noise. Tracks like:

This record saw additional sonic layering from Ike Turner, Disco Behemoth, and Aaron Marko, with mixing by Robert Cheek and mastering again handled by Blake at Dynamic Sound Service.

🟪 Casket Schwagg (May 9, 2025) – Their upcoming full-length is both a politically charged and musically elevated evolution. Tracks like Casket Schwagg, Wrong Energy, and Obscenity in the Milk show the band sharpening their tools and expanding their voice without losing their raw edge. Engineered by Addison Eilers (Analog Time Machine), mixed by Brandon Eggleston, and once again mastered by Blake.

💬 Topics We Dive Into:

Why two members? How that dynamic influences writing, live performance, and creative control.

Their story: What pulled them into music in the first place, and how they found each other.

Writing as a duo: How do you create big, full, experimental records with just two core players? We break down their riff-first approach, vocal layering, and structuring chaos.

Staying creative: How they keep evolving, fight burnout, and find new sonic spaces within their setup.

Guitar tones, live rigs, tunings: Blake nerds out on gear, and we love it.

Drum tone and approach: Garrett’s consistency and groove anchor the noise and provide contrast.

Recording and mastering your own work: Blake’s dual role as musician and mastering engineer.

Signing to Learning Curve Records: How it happened, and how it has shaped their current trajectory.

Advice for emerging experimental bands: What they’ve learned and what they'd tell others blazing a weird path.

💡 Why You Should Listen

Bronson Arm isn’t just another noise rock band—they’re craftsmen of sonic unpredictability, building from the ground up without filler, fluff, or compromise. If you love bands that toe the line between melody and madness, and want to understand what goes into building that from scratch, this is a must-listen episode.

Follow them- linktr.ee/BronsonArm

Mixed By: Robert Cheek / Brandon Eggleston

Mastered By: Blake Bickel @ Dynamic Sound Service

Label: Learning Curve Records

📸 Cover/Promo Photos by: Tim Arrowtop, Blake Bickel

🔊 More at: dynamicsoundservice.com | analogtimemachine

🎙️ The Metal Maniacs Podcast

Episode 95— Hosted by Jay Ingersoll and Modd

📲 Follow us: https://linktr.ee/metalmaniacsmi

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