Drummer Adam Capilouto of Tyranis is proud of their earnest-as-fuck thrash metal. According to him, that is what metal is about: You do give a shit—about the quality of the music. The three piece, made up of Capilouto, guitarist Adam Duncan and bassist Frank Cabrera, have a record out called Out On Bail. Tyranis, whose first album was also released by Burger Records, is the anomaly in Burger’s garage-band roster. 

Apparently, this is because Sean Bohrman watched Tyranis perform in Orange years ago when (ahem) certain members were coming off a Hell's Bells trip. Bohrman thought they were good enough to release, so once he’d established Burger Records, he got in touch with them. Capilouto talks about growing up in Orange County, thrashing out as a threepiece and why living in Southern California is great for bands.

Hometown and current residence: The entire band was born and raised in the city of Orange, California. Frank and I still live in Orange.  Up until a couple of weeks ago, so did Adam Duncan, but he just moved to Tustin.

How did Tyranis come together?

In junior high I had been jamming with original bassist Eddie Westre in an early incarnation of Tyranis. Later, in high school, we needed another guitar player. I was walking down the street and I could hear Metallica blasting out of someone’s garage. I wandered around the neighborhood until I found the source, and it was Adam Duncan lifting weights in his garage. I had known Adam since elementary school, but I always thought he was a dickhead jock, not a rockin’ dude. Anyway, we hung out and by the end of the week he was in the band. Frank came into the band a bit later. Adam Duncan met him at Santa Ana College, and he was a roadie for about a year. Eventually Eddie had a drug induced freak-out and Frank has played bass ever since.  

Where did your name come from?

Eddie came up with the name Tyranis. We were originally called Tyrant, but we found out there were about 10 other bands named Tyrant. Tyranis is the Druid god of thunder, I believe. Anyway, we considered that appropriate due to the thunderous nature of our music.

What inspired your album Out on Bail?

Sex, drugs, and rock and roll! Just kidding. Basically the last few years had been a mess for the three of us.  We had managed to get the first album out, but we couldn’t stay out of trouble and each of us had to deal with various legal issues.  Once everyone was in the clear, we were able to get our shit back together. We decided it was necessary to put out a new album to celebrate our newfound freedom. That is why the album has the courtroom/legal theme.

What's your earliest memory of liking music?

My dad has been in the same rock band,the Glass Family Electric Band, since the ‘60s. I used to watch them practice as a little kid, so that was fun. When I was eight I was obsessed with Weird Al and the Sebastian tracks on the Little Mermaid soundtrack. Then my older sister got me into Motley Crue when I was 10. Finally, my older brother started listening to punk and heavier metal like Metallica, and by sixth grade, I was hooked.  

When did you realize you wanted to rock out for life?

The moment I realized I wanted to play music for a living was when I looked at the back cover of the Metallica album Master of Puppets. I had just started playing drums and there is a shot from behind Lars’ drum set looking out into an arena full of people going nuts. I thought, “Holy shit, I want to play this music to those people!”

Which musicians influence and inspire Tyranis?

Our tastes our varied, but some obvious ones would be Metallica, Megadeth, Black Sabbath, anything hard rock and metal really. Seventies metal. I was obsessed with the NWOBHM for a while. The list is endless.

Do your day jobs help you make music?

I coach gymnastics, Frank works at a clothing warehouse, and Adam Duncan works as some sort of loan dude. My job is conducive to rocking because I don’t go to work until about 3 p.m. so I can stay up late and then play drums in the afternoon until I have to go to work. As for the other guys, I’m not sure, but I know Adam D. has to wake up early.  Sucks for him.

What's your favorite venue to play in? Why?

The Galaxy/Observatory is usually pretty cool. The sound is great, they treat the bands well for the most part, and the crowd really gets into it. Backyard parties rule too, because there are no rules, at least until the cops show up.

Least favorite?

I’ll start with my least favorite. Anywhere in Hollywood really. You have to pay to park, you almost never get paid, your set is 20 minutes, and the whole time the promoter is telling you to hurry up. Plus, most of the other bands seem really fake.   

What are Tyranis’ band highlights so far?

Probably putting this new album out. It was such a struggle to get to the point that we could even try to do a second album and we were very ambitious with both the music and the artwork and packaging. The whole thing was such a challenge, but when it was finally done it was really satisfying. Also, since it has come out there have been a lot of good things happening for us, so it seems like it was really a boost for the band.

What personal experiences mark your musical creation/process?

Our creative process is relatively democratic, with everyone throwing their ideas into the ring and then arguing until we are all happy with the final product. I guess as a band, we have never really liked the idea of a song being “my” song or “your” song. They are Tyranis’ songs. Once they enter the band room, they belong to everyone and everyone contributes.  We work together. If we didn’t, we would have failed a long time ago.

Does living in Southern California influence your music in a good or bad way?

A great way! It’s sunny and warm.  As a result there have been lots of pool parties to play at, and hanging out at the beach and all that kind of stuff. That vibe gets into the music.  Its heavy and dark, but it still makes you want to have a good time.