MEGATON COMMUNION Talk New Album 'THREE OF CUPS,' Working With CURRAN MURPHY, Doom Metal, Gear And More
MEGATON COMMUNION recently joined The Zach Moonshine Show on Metal Devastation Radio for an extensive conversation covering the band's upcoming sophomore album, Three Of Cups , working with Curran Murphy of VENOM INC., their evolving lineup, recording techniques, gear, songwriting, Delta Doom Fest, and the increasingly bizarre world of social media.
The band is preparing to release Three Of Cups on September 11, 2026 through Black Doomba Records , with the pre-order and pre-save campaign scheduled to launch August 28.
The first taste of the album arrived with the single "Evil Speak," a track that immediately caught Zach Moonshine's attention.
"The riffs, the vocals, the drums, the bass, the guitar, everything, man. The production. It's just on another level."
According to MEGATON COMMUNION, several important changes took place between the band's previous release and Three Of Cups , including a change behind the drum kit and a different approach to recording.
WORKING WITH CURRAN MURPHY
One of the biggest elements of Three Of Cups is the involvement of Curran Murphy , known for his work with VENOM INC. and his extensive career as a guitarist, producer and gear builder.
Murphy produced the new MEGATON COMMUNION album, contributing not only behind the console but also helping the band rethink portions of its recording process.
"He doesn't want to take over," MEGATON COMMUNION explained. "He doesn't try to tell you exactly what to do. But when you're in there, he's like, 'I think maybe you should do this. Maybe we approach it this way.'"
That collaborative approach proved to be a perfect fit.
"Nine times out of 10, it's exactly what we're looking for."
The band also described Murphy as incredibly humble despite his extensive experience and accomplishments.
"He's just one of the guys, man, just hanging out," the band said.
The recording process itself was also approached differently than on MEGATON COMMUNION's previous album.
The drums were recorded live, once again without a click track, in an effort to preserve the organic feel of the band's music. From there, guitarist Derek tracked his rhythm parts using two different amplifiers, while the lead tones were created using two additional amps.
For the rhythm guitars, the band used a Mesa/Boogie Rectifier and a Marshall Vintage Modern . The leads featured a Fender Pro Sonic and a Soldano SLO-100 , with the latter combination running in stereo.
The resulting approach helped give Three Of Cups a guitar sound that combines modern punch with vintage atmosphere.
"The Mesa delivers a modern kind of dry low end... but for our style, we have a lot of airy ambient guitar in our music as well. And the Marshall carries over that vintage tone."
The band also revealed that the bass was recorded with an equally elaborate setup, including an Orange rig, a 2x15 cabinet and an 8x10, with moving blankets used to capture and contain the low-end energy in the recording room.
"YOU DON'T REALLY NEED A LOT OF HIGH GAIN"
Despite MEGATON COMMUNION's doom and stoner-metal leanings, guitarist Derek doesn't rely on a traditional fuzz-heavy setup.
In fact, there isn't a fuzz pedal on his board.
There isn't even a distortion pedal.
Instead, the band relies on amplifier gain and drive pedals to create its crushing sound.
"You don't really need a lot of super fast and high gain to make heavy music. You just got to write the heavy riffs."
The band compared its approach to the classic sound of SOUNDGARDEN, pointing out that some of the heaviest guitar tones aren't necessarily built around extreme amounts of gain.
The bass setup is similarly stripped down. The bassist uses a Rickenbacker , an Orange bass head and an EarthQuaker Devices Plumes boost, keeping the rig deliberately simple.
The conversation naturally turned into a celebration of the Rickenbacker bass, with Moonshine recalling the influence of players like Lemmy Kilmister and Cliff Burton .
A NEW DRUMMER AND A SPINAL TAP RECRUITMENT PITCH
MEGATON COMMUNION's new drummer Ken joined the band in March 2025 following the departure of Ryan.
The lineup change turned out to be a major positive for the band.
Ken brought a different drumming style to the group and had already been familiar with the band's material. He quickly learned the songs and stepped into the lineup, eventually contributing heavily to the new material that would become Three Of Cups .
But the story behind his recruitment is something straight out of a SPINAL TAP movie.
Ken had previously been unable to join the band because he was caring for his wife, who was battling cancer. She ultimately passed away, and after taking time to deal with the loss, Ken eventually reached back out.
His message to MEGATON COMMUNION was simple:
"If anything ever happens to your drummer, a Spinal Tap happens and he spontaneously combusts or dies in a freak gardening accident, I want that guy's job."
Not long afterward, the band and Ryan parted ways due to differences regarding touring commitments.
Ken was ready.
He jumped into rehearsals, learned the material and hit the road with MEGATON COMMUNION.
The band also praised Ken's personality, describing him as hilarious and suggesting that he could have a future in stand-up comedy.
Fans can even catch him showing off that personality in the video for "Evil Speak."
THE MEANING BEHIND 'THREE OF CUPS'
The title Three Of Cups comes from the tarot card of the same name, and its meaning became a major inspiration for the album.
The card represents friendship, celebration, community, teamwork, belonging and the bonds that develop between people.
For MEGATON COMMUNION, those themes became especially meaningful following the band's lineup changes and the challenges involved in creating the new album.
The band described the record as a celebration of everything that came together to make the album possible, including the members' talents, personalities and shared commitment.
"It's a celebration of all the stuff that comes together, our talents, our personalities and everything."
Although the songs explore darker subjects, the overall message isn't one of surrender.
The album deals with hardships, betrayal, toxic relationships, manipulation and the struggles of modern life, but the band says the larger message is about overcoming those challenges.
"Even though the songs on the album touch on some dark topics and some struggles in life, at the end... brighter days ahead and celebrating is always going to be the thing that drives us forward."
DARK THEMES AND A DESERT CENTIPEDE
One of the album's more unusual songs is "Desert Centipede."
The idea came from MEGATON COMMUNION's fascination with videos created by people who deliberately allow dangerous insects and animals to bite or sting them for internet views.
After seeing a video featuring a desert centipede, the concept stuck.
But the song isn't literally about an insect.
Instead, the desert centipede becomes a metaphor for getting involved with something or someone you probably shouldn't.
"If I didn't tell you, that's what the song was about. If you read the lyrics, it's about somebody you probably shouldn't have a relationship with."
Other songs on Three Of Cups tackle themes including betrayal, people talking behind your back, two-faced relationships and the feeling that a small group of people in positions of power can make life unnecessarily difficult for everyone else.
The result is an album rooted in real-world frustrations while still maintaining the band's heavy, riff-driven identity.
"ECHOES IN TIME" IS NEXT
Following "Evil Speak," MEGATON COMMUNION is preparing to release another video for "Echoes In Time."
The band filmed the video in early August following a short run of shows.
While "Echoes In Time" remains heavy, the band says it highlights another side of MEGATON COMMUNION.
"It's heavy, but it's got melody."
The group sees "Evil Speak" and "Echoes In Time" as complementary introductions to Three Of Cups , giving listeners a better idea of the range contained throughout the album.
DELTA DOOM FEST COMES TO MEMPHIS
MEGATON COMMUNION will also make its Memphis debut at Delta Doom Fest , taking place October 17 at Growlers in Memphis, Tennessee.
The lineup includes Tommy Stewart's Dyerwulf, Ninja Witch, Red Sun Sermon, Stonewielder, Ponddigger, Megaton Communion, Burnt Witch and Ruined God .
The band said it immediately wanted to be involved once the event began coming together.
"We've never played Memphis. I've heard great things about playing all these shows in Tennessee, so we weren't going to pass up on that."
The festival will also give MEGATON COMMUNION an opportunity to debut new songs from Three Of Cups that audiences haven't heard yet.
The band is planning to bring new merchandise to the event, including shirts and special items connected to the new album.
One particularly cool piece of merchandise will be a deck of playing cards featuring the Three Of Cups artwork, tying directly into the album's tarot inspiration.
WHEN FACEBOOK BANS YOUR BAND NAME
Perhaps one of the most frustrating stories discussed during the interview involved the band's battle with Facebook.
MEGATON COMMUNION's Facebook page was repeatedly restricted, eventually forcing the band to delete the original page and attempt to start over.
When the band created a new page using the name MEGATON COMMUNION, it was immediately flagged.
Facebook's eventual response?
"Megaton Communion, the name itself implies violence and it's permanently banned from the Meta platform."
As a result, the band lost its Facebook, Instagram and TikTok presence.
The group eventually created MTC Music as its Facebook presence and launched its own website, megatoncommunion.com , ensuring the band would have a platform it actually controlled.
The situation led to a larger discussion about the importance of social media for independent musicians, even when artists are increasingly frustrated with the platforms themselves.
For an underground band, social media isn't simply about posting memes and collecting followers. It's also about giving media outlets, radio stations, promoters and fans an easy way to find and tag the band.
As MEGATON COMMUNION put it, if you make your information too difficult to access, you're doing yourself a disservice.
A BAND THAT IS STILL HUSTLING
MEGATON COMMUNION has a busy schedule ahead, including shows in Grand Rapids, Michigan; Meadville, Pennsylvania; Youngstown, Ohio; Spartanburg, South Carolina and additional dates throughout the remainder of the year.
Some of those appearances are benefit events supporting families dealing with cancer and programs helping veterans.
The band emphasized that supporting veterans and charitable causes is important to them, particularly because the sacrifices made by service members affect not only the individuals who serve but their entire families.
Meanwhile, the band is balancing touring and recording with their regular day jobs.
"We should probably get like a Red Bull sponsorship," they joked.
With Three Of Cups arriving September 11, another video on the way, Delta Doom Fest on the horizon and more touring being planned for 2027, MEGATON COMMUNION has plenty of momentum heading into the next chapter.
And through all the lineup changes, recording challenges, social media headaches and miles on the road, the band says the most important thing remains simple:
"We stay true to ourselves in the way that we write."
That's exactly what makes Three Of Cups worth watching.
MEGATON COMMUNION isn't trying to reinvent heavy music for the sake of it. They're taking the riffs, atmosphere, groove and heaviness they already do well, adding new chemistry, new ideas and a carefully constructed production approach, and pushing it forward.
Three Of Cups arrives September 11 through Black Doomba Records .
Until then, crank up "Evil Speak," keep an ear out for "Echoes In Time," and catch MEGATON COMMUNION on the road.
The underground is alive and well.
And apparently, Facebook still thinks the name MEGATON COMMUNION is too fucking dangerous.
MEGATON COMMUNION:
Three Of Cups
September 11, 2026
Black Doomba Records
Delta Doom Fest:
October 17, 2026
Growlers, Memphis, Tennessee
Check out the full show now on Mixcloud:
Track List:
Battle Of The Bands Top Six Winners:
1 - Okl's FruitLoops - Scream Of Silence
2 - Soul Of Sheol - Paradise Is Not For Us
3 - Rage of Justice - Digital Prison
4 - Heidbekka - Völva
5 - Leach - Serpent Of Time
6 - Mistress - Terrified eyes
The Zach Moonshine Intro
7 - Ozzy Osbourne - Never Say Die
8 - Ola Englund - DOGMA PROGMA
9 - Smoulder - Water Wars
10 - DOWN - Blood Oath
11 - Megaton Communion - Evil Speak
Megaton Communion - Interview featuring Evil Speak/DisBelief
12 - Narcotic Wasteland - Fentanyl Zombie Apocalypse
13 - Maidenhead - Maximum Clonage
14 - Tårfödd - Totalt Mörker
15 - Burnt Witch - We Hate You - (Electric Wizard Cover)
16 - Surtur's Awakening - Yggdrasil i Flammor/Helvetets Revenanter
17 - Hellripper - Blakk Satanik Fvkkstorm
18 - Korpse - Now You_ve Got Something To Die For
19 - Necrocene - Ordinary Enemy
20 - Thy Legacy - Seven Witches
21 - HKSPK - rot in despair
22 - Watain - Angel Of Disease (Morbid Angel Cover)/Morbid Visions (Sepultura Cover)/Stellarvore Live
23 - Brutal Death Fuck - Sodomized On The Crucifix/Elizabeth/The Devils Whiskey
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