Shattered Sun has come a long way from Alice, Texas. A small town with a population of 20,000, west of Corpus Christi and south of Austin, that’s where lead vocalist Marcos Leal, guitarist Daniel Trejo, drummer Robert Garza, keyboardist Henry Garza, and bassist Joseph Guajardo grew up, listening to Metallica, Pantera, Korn, Kiss and Judas Priest. Getting inspiration and picking up instruments to play like their idols was easy; so was getting gigs at a local VFW hall and performing at backyard house gigs.

It was a natural segue to writing their own songs; what was harder was making a name for themselves as a metal band nationally, which is what the Shattered Sun has done in the past few years. (Guitarist Jesse Santos solidified the lineup in 2013.) They’ve signed wtih Victory Records, recently come off a tour opening for Testament and Exodus; on Saturday, June 27, they join the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, which kicks off in San Diego and finishes in Dallas in August. Guitarist Santos talks about Shattered Sun’s debut album, Hope Within Hatred, and what’s next for the metal up-and-comers.

Hometown: I was born in Calallen, Texas (The rest of the band is from Alice, Texas)

Current residence: Portland, Texas. These towns are all relatively close together and close to Corpus Christi, Texas.

How did you meet everyone in Shattered Sun?

I've known the guys in Shattered Sun for quite some time prior to joining them. Playing alongside them in my other band, we would always get along and hang out after our sets and shoot the shit. When I heard that they were seeking a new guitarist, I contacted Marcos about setting up an audition without hesitation.

Where did your name come from?

The name of the band was derived from an Unearth song.

I read in an interview that Shattered Sun was discovered by a series of fortunate events. Can you explain that?

A rather unfortunate event led to the series of fortunate ones. This was before I joined Shattered, but it was a shady booking agent that screwed over the guys and left them stranded in the middle of California with no money to do anything. They got some help from Mike (Sarkisyan) from Spineshank and formed a great friendship with him. Later down the road, he flew in to help the guys do preproduction for what would be our debut album, Hope Within Hatred.

More time passed and the songs go through some more polishing. I join the band and the title track is ready to be released. Mike from Spineshank contacted who would be our now-manager, Maria Fererro and she fell in love with it. Coincidentally, she was in contact with Johnny Z and Chuck Billy (of Testament) about forming a new management group (Breaking Bands LLC) and suggested they take us under their wing and build us from the ground up. The rest is history and here we are and I couldn't be happier with the outcome.

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

I think it applies to any place you live. It's all about how you take in the environment around you. Whether it be good or bad; what you take from that and mend it into your music is ultimately a good thing. It's a form of catharsis that truly expresses what you got from that. Which in the end creates room for new sources of inspiration (good or bad) to take place and repeat the cycle.

Arnold Garza

Your debut album’s title, Hope Within Hatred, is very uplifting for a metal band. Can you explain the themes behind the songs in your album and the album name?

All the song titles and meanings were crafted by our singer Marcos, and everyone has their own way of interpreting the songs and the album. Personally, I get a positive vibe of fighting through waves of negativity meant to break you down and keep you down from the songs—which in turn resulted in what would be considered the overall uplifting vibe from the album.

Who does Shattered Sun get compared to a lot?

I would say Shattered Sun's music gets compared a lot to bands like Unearth, August Burns Red and Darkest Hour and many more from that mid-2000's wave of American metal.

How would you describe your music to someone who's never heard it before?

It has speed, groove and catchiness all bundled into what we dub ourselves Shattered Sun. If you don't like it, that's cool. No harm taken. But if you like it and dig what you hear, it means the world to us and you will not be disappointed by our album and live performance.

What are your day jobs? Do they help you make music?

For the longest time I slaved at Wal-Mart. I completely hated that place and was on the verge of madness from basically nothing happening in my life. I just stopped going there and never looked back. I now work a bunch of odd jobs, sometimes in Alice helping out over at Marcos' dad's place. I also work as a door guy at a local venue in Corpus Christi, House of Rock. They have some of the coolest people you will ever meet, and are completely supportive of my music career.

You've toured with Testament and Exodus. What was that like?

It was an unforgettable experience that I will cherish for as long as I live. Everyone and their crews were kickass and showed us how it's done and that's some damn good invaluable knowledge.

What are you most looking forward to on the Rockstar Mayhem tour?

Meeting and getting to know all the bands we’re gonna share the stage and road with. Meeting friends and fans old and new and, of course, touring with King Diamond and Slayer for a month is monumental!