This year marked the second year of the Warriors of Metal summer festival in Ross County, Ohio. Despite the strange weather, I braved the stifling heat inside the accommodations provided to speak with my good friend, John Fucking Dayton: percussion powerhouse of Chillicothe, Ohio's thrash metal miscreants Age of Distrust. Admired by his local peers and wise beyond his eighteen years, he and I discussed the perils-and possibilities-of pioneering a metal festival in such inhospitable territory, and his band's plans to bring the brothers of metal back from beyond the grave.

Nate: Well, here we are at Warriors of Metal, in this ninety-degree trailer! It's great to talk to you, as always!

• John: You too.

Nate: So, you guys are playing tomorrow, right?

• John: At Six O'Clock.

Nate: Cool. How are you guys approaching this particular gig?

• John: I'm waiting on people to show up right now…

Nate: I know what you mean!

• John: I was hoping to see seas of people!

Nate: Yeah, oceans of people waiting on the metal!

• John: I think that this is going to be another one of those "all of the bands come and hang out" things, but I don't know, we'll have to wait and see.

Nate: Definitely. Do you think this will be a high point, or is it just another gig for you guys?

• John: If all goes well, this could be a very high point.

Nate: How so?

• John: Well, There have been problems with the PA, but the promotion was good. Whenever Jar (Lunarium Bassist Jarloc Darkstar) is around, we usually pull something out of our asses pretty quickly!

Nate: No kidding! He's a real miracle worker when it comes to this sort of thing…

• John: He hasn't been to sleep yet…

Nate: And knowing Jar, I don't imagine he will. It's always interesting to see something like this festival come together, especially on such short notice.

• John: Yeah, we didn't have a lot of time to put all of this together.

Nate: So how do you feel about the lineup for this festival?

• John: I'm pumped. There are a lot of bands here that I would probably not have had a chance to see otherwise.

Nate: Yeah, I know. I was disappointed when Lunarium's show at Nightmare Music II fell through, because I really wanted to see Aska…

• John: …And now they're coming here…

Nate: And we get to see them rock out! Also, how familiar are you with Twisted Tower Dire?

• John: The four or five songs I heard online kicked major ass.

Nate: Definitely. The older I get the more I appreciate old-fashioned, no-frills headbanging music.

• John: Yeah, just fuckin' metal.

Nate: No kidding. It's going to be great to finally see a true metal festival in the southern Ohio area, it's definitely needed it!---

• John: Yeah, they've had smaller events around here before, but the lineups just don't compare to what we have here. At All!

Nate: I agree. I mean, the metalheads in this area just didn't have anywhere to go.

• John: Yeah, they didn't have anything to look forward to, unless they wanted to drive to Columbus, or Portsmouth, but who wants to do that?

Nate: Going to concerts these days can be difficult at times with the economy the way it is.

• John: Particularly for younger fans.

Nate: Even the older fans have trouble from time to time. That's why I hope this festival is a success.

• John: It will be, just because it happened. I think with more promotion and more time next year's Warriors Of Metal will kick major ass!

Nate: Absolutely! So tell me a bit more about this MetalX festival you guys played in Cincinnati.

• John: That was a hell of a show, but Visions Left(Thrash band from Circleville, Ohio) should not have opened. Wreckt kicked ass, and the sound guy was great. They packed the place; too, there were at least three hundred people there.

Nate: Nice. It's always good to see a crowd. I've watched you guys a lot, and I know you really feed off of crowds. Particularly Matt (Harper, Bass/Vocals), if the crowd's on, he's on.

• John: Yeah, definitely.

Nate: So, looking beyond today-and I've been curious for some time--Where do you see the future of Age Of Distrust?

• John: Really, I could care less about a label, or a big fancy contract, or a big pile of cash-I want to play a show in a different are every night, make enough cash to live on, travel, shower, and eat, but I just want to spread our music to everyone.

Nate: And that's probably the noblest way to go about it…

• John: That's the only way to go about it, in my opinion…

Nate: Indeed. You work your ass off and try to do the best you can. And honestly, a life focused upon service will benefit us all in the long run, particularly you guys, if you offer your music to the fans and don't expect anything in return. I know you and I share similar Wiccan spiritual beliefs, and Karma is definitely an important force to consider when you have something you want to share with the world.

• John: I agree.

Nate: Well, it's hot in here, and there's work to be done on the stage, so I'll end with this: Do you have one final thought for all the people who will be reading this interview?

• John: Take your time, breathe slowly, and keep it metal! Some people will understand the meaning behind the first two, some might not…

Nate: But the latter of those is the best advice I've heard all day!

Related links:

www.myspace.com/ageofdistrust