Bio

He is regularly called “grandpa” by bandmates and friends alike, but Beyond Dishonor’s Mike Lock shakes the name off just as he has shaken the notion that you cannot be over 30 and playing metalcore. He proves time and again that experience and practice can be a steady and driving force toward success in the somewhat unpredictable and fragmented world of modern metal. Mike maintains a rigorous practice schedule when not on the road, and can often be seen stretching before a performance, providing an indicator of what is to come. “I am about as active as a drummer can get that still can stay steady and in the pocket” he explains, leading many to refer to him by his other nickname, The Machine. Of course, if you ask him, the overly humble side emerges. “That name comes from the countless surgeries I have had in the past and all the metal left in my chest…it still sets off the metal detectors at the airport, no pun intended.”

Beyond Dishonor has squeezed every creative ounce from Mike for their recent full-length release, travesty. What started as a joke amongst band members has emerged as a fully formed concept album that fuses their obsession with film and pop culture and their desire to break away from the current mold of metalcore – without straying too far. Many of the rhythmic patterns found on this album can be traced back to Mike’s background in the sciences and his fascination with the application of mathematics to music. Producer Jay Grosse of 1021 Studios likened it to a movie twist – trying to determine where and when each instance on the album occurs is half the fun of listening to it. Mike also insisted on keeping as much natural drum tone and quantizing as little as possible on this album. He explains, “those little screw-ups, those minor nuances are what I loved about drums and drum sounds in the 70’s-90’s era metal, why would I replace everything I just slaved over?”