James Coppolino is the drummer for Los Angeles based death metal titans, Abysmal Dawn. He has been playing drums for ten years and first cut his teeth playing in local metal bands such as Syrebris and Insentient. James has a background in marching band drums and has been a private teacher and worked in various music schools since 2006. In 2013 he taught as the head of percussion at North Valley Military Institute, before leaving to focus full-time on his music career.
Stream and Purchase ‘Phylogenesis’ here: https://som.lnk.to/AbysmalPhylogenesis
James Coppolino’s Gear:
Pearl Session Studio Classic Birch/Kapur 10”, 12”, 16”, 22”
Sensitone Stainless Steel Snare 6” x 14”
Soultone Cymbals
20″ Natural Big Bell Ride
20″ Gospel China
14” Gospel Crash
16″ Gospel Crash
08” Gospel Splash
09″ Gospel Splash
13″ Vintage Old-School Patina Hi-hat
Trick Drums Dominator Double Pedal
Remo 14″ Emperor Coated (snare) Powerstroke 4 clear (toms)
Powerstroke Pro (kick)
Vic-Firth 2B Nylon tip Drumsticks
Album Credits:
- Mixed by Charles Elliott at Tastemaker Audio
- Mastered by Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street Studios
- Rhythm guitars and vocals tracked and produced by Mike Bear with Charles Elliott at Tastemaker Audio
- Lead guitars, bass, additional vocals, and guitar re-amping tracked and produced by Charles Elliott at Tastemaker Audio
- Drums tracked at Trench Studios by John Haddad with Charles Elliott
- Editing by Mike Bear and Charles Elliott
Video Credits:
- Filmed and recorded at Trench Studios
- Mixed and mastered by Charles Elliott at Tastemaker Audio
- Video and recording assistance by John Haddad
Abysmal Dawn Social Links:
www.facebook.com/abysmaldawn
www.instagram.com/abysmaldawn
www.twitter.com/abysmaldawn
https://abysmaldawn.bandcamp.com/
*Photo by Tom Delgado
Abysmal Dawn recorded Phylogenesis over a multi-year timeframe. In fact, Coppolino’s drums were tracked as far back as 2017 with long-time collaborator John Haddad at Trench Studios. The rhythm guitars and vocals, as produced by Mike Bear and Elliott, were also done at Tastemaker Audio the same year. So, some of Phylogenesis goes back, but the parts are no less lethal. Slowly but surely, the group’s newest and greatest materialized, with Elliott finishing the lead guitars, bass, additional vocals, re-amping, and mixing sessions in 2019, again at Tastemaker Audio. Abysmal Dawn then packaged up their fifth for mastering ace Tony Lindgren (Rotting Christ) to handle at Fascination Street Studios in Sweden. Contemporary yet absolutely remorseless, Abysmal Dawn’s Phylogenesis is death metal for a new age. “We took our time and went to few studios this time around, so it’s a bit of a laundry list,” Elliott says.
“John Haddad engineered the drums at Trench Studios. John has been involved with all our records in some form since From Ashes. Mike Bear helped track and produce the vast majority of my vocals and rhythm guitars out of my studio. Mike produced both Leveling the Plane of Existence (2010) and Obsolescence. I tracked and produced all the leads, bass parts, and other odds and ends and mixed the album as well. Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street Studios mastered the record in the end.”
As for Abysmal Dawn’s next steps, the quartet awaits the release of Phylogenesis. With past support coming from the Village Voice, Decibel, PopMatters, and Pandora, as well as the group’s rabidly-devoted fanbase, the future of death metal is in good hands.
Abysmal Dawn Lineup:
Charles Elliott (guitar/vocals)
Eliseo Garcia (bass/additional vocals)
James Coppolino (drums)
Vito Petroni (guitars)
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