A Canadian death metal band is taking a chain axe to the face of bigotry. It says so on their Bandcamp page. World Eaters also note they “Love metal, hate fascism.” The death metal band is from Guelph, Ontario and its power drummer is trans-femme, Winter Stomp.
Tall, beautiful and powerful, she is changing the hyper-cis-masc face of the genre, one performance at a time. "I feel like me simply existing in that space and, you know, just hitting the drums as hard as I can creates a positive force,” said Stomp. “If you just let trans people be, then we can do some pretty cool stuff.”
Stomp's role in the death metal scene aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of Reduced Inequalities and Gender Equality. By challenging the hyper-cis-masc norms of the genre, Stomp promotes inclusion and equality within the music industry. Her presence and advocacy for trans rights help break down barriers, fostering a more equitable environment, her journey inspiring countless queer and trans youth in the process.
The acceptance she has experienced in the community tracks for her. She says queer folks are drawn to becoming metalheads, even if everyone doesn’t agree on everything. "We're just about making music and being a positive force,” she said. “Metal at its core is a genre that's always been built on the backs of outcasts and social rejects. And I feel like that's where there is a lot of queer camaraderie.”
Stacie Robinson is the vocalist for Bad Egg, a hardcore punk band that tours the same circuit as World Eaters. “Growing up in the punk scene, I was lucky enough to engage in a community of folks with very progressive, or even radical, ideals,” they said. “With that being said, the majority of bands I grew up listening to were still predominantly made up of cis, white men, and it was a lot trickier to find diverse bands that I could identify with. So I think that for queer folks, like myself, it's been incredibly important to see more femme, queer, and trans people in the heavy music scene.”
Robinson also sees a growing interest in heavy music among young people, including those from the queer community. “On top of being an absolute beast of a drummer, I think Winter brings representation to a music scene that is growing rapidly, and Winter and other trans folks in the community play a huge role in this growth,” they said. “I think it's incredibly important that queer and trans youth can identify with the musicians they see performing. It provides a space they can feel safe in, and hopefully, it encourages them to get more involved in music.”
Winter Stomp in concert. Video courtesy Pamela Steele/Arts Help.
Besides redefining the cornerstones of what makes up much of the death metal genre, World Eaters pushes back against bigotry happening in the community. “With our merch and within the liner notes on the cassettes, we always put messages of ‘no transphobia, no racism, only riffs,’ because that’s what we're about. In a lot of regards, queer people tend to be outcasts socially,” said Stomp. “Even in Canada, even in a small town like this one that I'm living in. It’s semi-rural and there's a lot of conservative mindset around here.”
She joined World Eaters in the summer of 2021 and worked with the band’s founder, Dave Gupta, to fill its roster with the current five members. Their first show was in December 2022.“And it's just been snowballing from there.” They have played in DIY punk pop-up venues and bars in Ontario and Montreal and hope to tour the East Coast. Their EPs are available for download on Bandcamp.
“The band started out as what's known as Bolt Thrower worship. This band from the late ‘80s and early ‘90s played old-school death metal. Their music is based on the tabletop RPG. Warhammer 40k. And it's kind of like Risk and Dungeons & Dragons, but more futuristic. A lot of our songs are about the same kind of lore from the same game.”
Gupta, on guitar and vocals, is the main songwriter, but Stomp writes a lot of the drum parts. The release they are working on now will include influences from all band members. Adam Ujhelyi is the main vocalist, Michael Siegrist is on bass and Jacob Duke is on lead guitar. “We will have our consistent sound but explore some different ideas. So it's not just the same mid-tempo, double kick runs on everything.”
Death metal remains the core, but they are exploring some variety. “Some of the songs are a little bit more like thrash metal. A little bit more melodic death metal.” Their main haunt is the self-proclaimed “quirky, upscale dive bar” Jimmy Jazz in Guelph. “I love that place. Because entry is free. And I see a lot of queer acts play there. There’s a real eclectic mix of music going on down there.”
Stomp also plays guitar and bass and appreciates metal for its cohesiveness. “Metal has such impact when things are very in sync when the whole band is playing together, when the drums and the bass are locked in. The fills and crash accents the drummer is playing sync up with the guitar riffs. You know, when the band just kind of locks in. That’s when it really punches hard.”
People approach her after shows and tell her she inspires them. “I'm kind of honoured to be a part of that, just the idea that other people are watching me do my thing. And seeing them being legitimately inspired and wanting to do similar stuff—not necessarily like looking up to me as a drummer, but … wanting to chase their dreams a little bit harder. I think that's really beautiful.”