Trivium singer Matt Heafy has very a lot cemented himself as not only a steel icon, however a gaming sensation, making his involvement in Funcom’s rhythm-based FPS recreation Steel Hellsinger an ideal match. The performer and Twitch streamer has scored visitor spots in The Elder Scrolls and Martial Arts Tycoon, however he calls his Hellsinger debut really “particular”.
The music trade has taken fairly the hit over the previous few years, with steel bands like Trivium having to drop recording and touring. So, whereas world restrictions prompted havoc for musicians, Heafy took to livestreaming on Twitch as a strategy to hold performing, and to sit back out whereas taking part in video games. Naturally, he accrued fairly the next within the course of.
As days turned months and months turned years, Funcom reached out to Heafy to star in Steel: Hellsinger, the writer’s new rhythm-shooter hybrid that additionally stars the likes of Arch Enemy’s Alissa White-Gluz and System of a Down’s Serj Tankian.
I caught up with Heafy at Gamescom simply earlier than he took to the European stage for the primary time in over two years. The free present (in case you had been fortunate sufficient to be a Gamescom attendee) turned one of many conference’s most extremely anticipated occasions, regardless of Heafy nonetheless being considerably stunned that he had flown all the best way to Cologne to “do one, 5 and a half minute tune.”
“It’s superb to see my two worlds mix,” he says with a smile. “I’ve been into gaming longer than I’ve been into music, so to see this lastly come to fruition is nice. Steel: Hellsinger giving me my first shot is superb.”
There’s been lots of preparation to get right here, although, as Heafy recollects that he first recorded his observe for the sport, This Devastation, two years in the past. “Listening again and prepping for the [Gamescom] present I used to be like, ‘are you able to let me redo the screaming,’ so I really redid all of the screaming. That exhibits how particular it feels – I mentioned that I needed to redo my vocals for this recreation!”
He additionally praises Hellsinger for its spectacular solid of steel titans, “they’re undoubtedly doing it in another way by getting huge names in steel concerned; it’s actually nice. I’ve at all times mentioned that steel must be in video games, and it’s at all times so unusual that it’s not. You type of count on it, however you don’t see it that usually.
“So to see Hellsinger seize some superb singers – and I’m not speaking about myself right here – is absolutely superior.”
Due to the pandemic, Heafy didn’t have an opportunity to fulfill his co-stars till the Gamescom occasion. “[I] recorded all the things from my home.” With fun he recollects, “I had the Two Feathers staff [the studio providing music for Hellsinger] on my telephone on Facetime.” Regardless of this, he practised This Devastation for 3 months. “I don’t go into issues half-heartedly,” he says, “after I’m signing up for one thing I be sure to present it my all.”
The Steel Hellsinger launch date is pegged for 15 September 2022, and we will’t wait to pop heads to Heafy’s vocals whereas making an attempt to (very badly) replicate his screaming. Till then, although, you’ll want to take a look at the finest rhythm video games on PC in 2022 to get some follow in and comply with in Matt’s footsteps.
