Tyler Brownfield explores new musical ideas with Hell Diablo

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After a long journey, local musician Tyler Brownfield, has returned with a new musical project, Hell Diablo.

 Brownfield, who was in popular psychobilly band the Phantom Creeps about 10 years ago, joined forces with Taylor Ackerman  with a new musical project Hell Diablo, which has just released their debut  Cd “Blood Is the New Black.”

Tyler Brownfield is excited to bring his new musical project Hell Diablo to life. Photo by Richard Amery

 He noted the last Phantom Creeps show was around 2011. He moved to Calgary in 2013 and then Vancouver, where he embarked on a lot of projects including working with Billy Hopeless of the Vancouver punk band the Black Halos.

 

 Brownfield returned to Lethbridge in 2016 and decided he wanted to make music again, as he’d  been working a on a lot of different ideas for riffs and songs.

“ I’ve always played guitar, though I usually lay bass in bands. I’ve been playing a lot of guitar. And played a couple shows just me and my guitar,” Brownfield said.

 “When I got back here, I wanted to make music again, but couldn’t find the right people, then Taylor heard me talking about it at a house party,” Brownfield said, adding initially Hell Diablo was only supposed to be a recording  project, featuring Brownfield  on vocals, rhythm guitar and bass an Ackerman adding everything else including drums , lead guitar, background vocals and keyboards. They recruited  Shawn Worden to play bass and John Brooks to play drums for the CD release party and hopefully  future gigs.

 

 “I was talking to John Brooks about my project when I was in his shop Caravan Records, and said he could play drums,” Brownfield said, adding he knew Shawn Worden played with Dave McCann and asked them both to join for the CD release party.

He noted the sound deviates from the psychobilly of the Phantom Creeps. Brownfield noted some of his influences for the Hell Diablo CD include AC DC as well as more gothic country like  Those Poor Bastards, and original los Angels Cow punk band the Gun Club and Hank II, though Hell Diablo os far removed from country music., while Ackerman noted his part was influenced by Eagles of death metal, Black Mountain and Queens of the Stone Age.

 

“It’s more Thin Lizzybilly, he said, adding he and Ackerman re-recorded two Phantom Creeps songs and “The Bright Side” a  Those Poor Bastards song the Creeps used to cover for the Hell Diablo CD.

But the new band’s sound incorporates a lot of different influences.

“ A couple of the songs are more psychedelic rock, the rest are stoner rock,” Taylor Ackerman said, adding he enjoyed being able to play some s stoner rock and psychedelic  rock licks, which don’t always fit into his usual musical milieu.

 

“And I still listen to a lot of punk music,” Brownfield said.

 

 Ackerman is pleased  with how the project turned out.

“It’s a pretty cool project. It’s a great first step,” Ackerman said.

 

“ I love how it turned out,” said Ackerman, who also just released his own third CD in two years with Taylor Ackerman’s Global Acid Reset.

 

 They have their own gig on Friday, Dec. 11 at the Slice.

Brownfield noted Hell Diablo has already receIved positive response on Spotify.

“ I’’ve even got people in the United Kingdom who really like it,” he enthused.

 He is planning on future Hell Diablo shows, hopefully with the band, whose members all play with numerous other local musicians. He has plans to play a few shows next January and February.

 Hell Diablo is available on all platforms including Spotify and  Bandcamp.

— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor

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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 08 December 2021 17:00 )