Alexei Rodriguez is a Puerto Rican drummer. He is known for his time in the metal band
Prong (NYC/LA), Canadian
heavy metal band
3 Inches of Blood
3 Inches of Blood is a Canadian heavy metal band formed in 1999 in Victoria, British Columbia. After disbanding in 2015, they reunited in 2023 with a line-up of Cam Pipes, Justin Hagberg, Shane Clark, Nick Cates, and Ash Pearson. Their music ...
(Vancouver, BC),
metalcore
Metalcore is a broadly defined fusion genre combining elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk, originating in the 1990s United States and becoming popular in the 2000s. Metalcore typically has aggressive verses and melodic choruses, combined ...
band
Walls of Jericho (Detroit, MI), as well as
Trial
In law, a trial is a coming together of parties to a dispute, to present information (in the form of evidence) in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to adjudicate claims or disputes. One form of tribunal is a court. The tribunal, w ...
(Seattle, WA) and
anarcho-punk
Anarcho-punk (also known as anarchist punk or peace punk) is an ideological subgenre of punk rock that promotes anarchism. Some use the term broadly to refer to any punk music with anarchist lyrical content, which may figure in crust punk, ha ...
/
hardcore outfit Catharsis (North Carolina). In May of 2024, Rodriguez was charged with defacing property to intimidate and larceny (in connection with a vandalization incident at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Boston). After further investigation, Rodriguez was also charged with assault for the purpose of intimidation, assault with a dangerous weapon and violation of constitutional rights with regards to an motor vehicle harassment incident on April 30.
Career
In 1989, Rodriguez met his classmate and future bandmate, B.Diablo, and the two began to play music together the following year. After graduating in 1992, the two began conspiring to form Catharsis, which came to full fruition in 1994, borrowing two of their friends from local ska band, Otis Reem to complete the lineup. Following two early demo tapes in 1992 and 1994, the band completed their first official EP, ''eponymous''(1995), followed by two full-length albums, ''Samsara'' (1997) and ''Passion'' (1999), as well as split EPs with Gehenna (Reno/San Diego), Newspeak (Brazil), and
Newborn
In common terminology, a baby is the very young offspring of adult human beings, while infant (from the Latin word ''infans'', meaning 'baby' or 'child') is a formal or specialised synonym. The terms may also be used to refer to Juvenile (orga ...
. As with his bandmates, Rodriguez opted for pseudonyms on most of said releases. With Ümlaut, a parodical anarcho-crust band featuring members of Catharsis he also played on an EP, ''Finland'' (1999), and on a full-length album titled ''Havok Wreakers'' (2001), again under an assumed name (Barøn Bürri Von Blixen). In 2002, Rodriguez contributed lead and backing vocals to Finnish hardcore/punk band
Endstand
Endstand was a hardcore punk band from Finland
Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia ...
on two tracks from their split-EP with Kafka. In 1999, Rodriguez performed on the full-length album ''Are These Our Lives?'' (via
Equal Vision Records
Equal Vision Records is an independent record label based in Albany, New York. It was founded in the early 1990s by Ray Cappo, the singer for the punk bands Youth of Today, Shelter, and Better Than a Thousand.
Initially, the label existed sol ...
) with Seattle
hardcore outfit
Trial
In law, a trial is a coming together of parties to a dispute, to present information (in the form of evidence) in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to adjudicate claims or disputes. One form of tribunal is a court. The tribunal, w ...
, under the assumed name Jesus L. Pecador.
In 2003, Rodriguez moved to Detroit to start a new band with former members of
Walls of Jericho, a Detroit-based
metalcore
Metalcore is a broadly defined fusion genre combining elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk, originating in the 1990s United States and becoming popular in the 2000s. Metalcore typically has aggressive verses and melodic choruses, combined ...
band, although in order to begin touring sooner, the group opted to continue under the same name, and retain many songs written in their previous incarnation with drummer
Wes Keely. He played on WOJ's second full-length album ''All Hail the Dead'' in 2004, as well as on the live video footage from the ''Hellfest 2003'' DVD, and the music video for the single, ''There's No 'I' in 'Fuck You. He was recruited into
3 Inches of Blood
3 Inches of Blood is a Canadian heavy metal band formed in 1999 in Victoria, British Columbia. After disbanding in 2015, they reunited in 2023 with a line-up of Cam Pipes, Justin Hagberg, Shane Clark, Nick Cates, and Ash Pearson. Their music ...
in 2005, by their bassist and his former Trial bandmate after the departure of their second drummer, Matt Wood. Rodriguez recorded one album and one EP with 3 Inches of Blood, ''
Fire Up the Blades
''Fire Up the Blades'' is the third studio album by Canadian heavy metal band 3 Inches of Blood. It was released on 26 June 2007 by Roadrunner Records and is the band's final release through the label. It is also the first release by the band to ...
'' and ''Trial of Champions'', respectively, before being fired from the band for assaulting
Saxon
The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...
drummer
Nigel Glockler in November 2007 (although Rodriguez was himself beaten up by bouncers following this incident).
Days after tracking drums for the 3 Inches of Blood album, Fire Up The Blades, he also tracked a full-length album with German friends
Robin Staps (
The Ocean Collective) and Matthias Dabrowski (Nothing, Mönster, Costa's Cake House), which was unfortunately shelved before its completion, due to The Ocean's frantic touring schedule and the difficulties in finding an adequate singer.
While briefly residing in Los Angeles, Rodriguez met
Tommy Victor
Thomas Michael Victor (born 1961/1962) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer. He is best known as the lead singer and guitarist for heavy metal band Prong, which he founded in New York City in 1986, as well as the guitaris ...
(
Prong,
Danzig,
Ministry), who invited him to play drums for a remix Victor contributed to
KMFDM
KMFDM (originally Kein Mehrheit Für Die Mitleid, loosely translated by the band as "no pity for the majority") is a multinational industrial rock band from Hamburg led by Sascha Konietzko, who founded the band in 1984 as a performance art proje ...
's album ''
Krieg'', as well as to join an updated version of Prong with Victor and bassist
Tony Campos
Antonio Campos (born March 8, 1973) is an American musician. He is the current bassist for the industrial metal bands Static-X and Fear Factory and the vocalist and bassist for the extreme metal band Asesino. He has previously played with Prong ...
(
Static-X
Static-X is an American industrial metal band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1994. The line-up has fluctuated over the years, but was long-held constant with band founder, frontman, vocalist and rhythm guitarist Wayne Static until his d ...
,
Asesino,
Ministry). The line-up did two American tours with
Soulfly
Soulfly is an American heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Phoenix, Arizona in 1997. Soulfly is led by former Sepultura frontman Max Cavalera, who formed the band after he left the Brazilian group in 1996. To date the band has release ...
and another with
Fear Factory
Fear Factory is an American industrial metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1989. Throughout the band's career, they have released ten full-length albums and have evolved through a succession of sounds, all in their main style of industrial met ...
.
In 2009, Rodriguez joined former Trial bandmate Timm McIntosh (ex-
Champion
A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, Competition, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional/provincial/state, national, continental and world champi ...
, ex-Amendment Eighteen), playing drums for his new band, Wait in Vain's debut full-length, ''Seasons'' on Panic! Records, which picked up musically where Trial had left off. Wait in Vain also joined Trial at the ''Burning Fight'' festival in Chicago in 2009, where Trial (including the late 3 Inches of Blood bassist Brian Redman) performed to a sold-out audience at
The Metro, alongside fellow 90's hardcore stalwarts
Unbroken and 80's icons Killing Time, among others.
That same year, he also anonymously tracked drums for Taiwan's most popular
black metal
Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with tr ...
band,
Chthonic
In Greek mythology, deities referred to as chthonic () or chthonian () were gods or spirits who inhabited the underworld or existed in or under the earth, and were typically associated with death or fertility. The terms "chthonic" and "chthonian" ...
on their third full-length, ''
Mirror of Retribution'', which was recorded by
Volbeat
Volbeat are a Danish Rock music, rock band formed in Copenhagen in 2001. They play a fusion of rock and roll and Heavy metal music, heavy metal. Their current line-up consists of vocalist and rhythm guitarist Michael Poulsen, drummer Jon Lars ...
and former
Anthrax
Anthrax is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Bacillus anthracis'' or ''Bacillus cereus'' biovar ''anthracis''. Infection typically occurs by contact with the skin, inhalation, or intestinal absorption. Symptom onset occurs between one ...
guitarist,
Rob Caggiano
Robert Caggiano (born November 7, 1974) is an American guitarist and record producer. Caggiano is known as the lead guitarist of the Danish rock band Volbeat from 2013 to 2023 and of thrash metal band Anthrax from 2001–2005 and 2007–2013. ...
.
In between Prong tours, Rodriguez met Los Angeles-based
black metal
Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with tr ...
act Hail the Night and recorded an EP with them entitled ''No God We Trust (NGWT)'', which was shelved before its release. Citing a serious political differences (i.e., racism,
xenophobia
Xenophobia (from (), 'strange, foreign, or alien', and (), 'fear') is the fear or dislike of anything that is perceived as being foreign or strange. It is an expression that is based on the perception that a conflict exists between an in-gr ...
) with the frontman, Rodriguez cut ties with them shortly thereafter.
During a subsequent
Prong run with
Static-X
Static-X is an American industrial metal band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1994. The line-up has fluctuated over the years, but was long-held constant with band founder, frontman, vocalist and rhythm guitarist Wayne Static until his d ...
, Prong was forced to cancel two weeks of appearances in the middle due to financial complications resulting from mismanagement, and during the break, Rodriguez suffered a hand injury and flew home. At that point his drum tech (and future replacement)
Art Cruz
Arthur Robert T Peyton Cruz (born May 27, 1988) is an American musician, currently the drummer of Heavy metal music, heavy metal band Lamb of God (band), Lamb of God. He is a former drummer of Winds of Plague and Prong (band), Prong.
Early life ...
(
Lamb of God
Lamb of God (; , ) is a Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, title for Jesus that appears in the Gospel of John. It appears at wikisource:Bible (American Standard)/John#1:29, John 1:29, where John the Baptist sees Jesus and exclaims, " ...
,
Winds of Plague
Winds of Plague is an American deathcore band from Upland, California. Formed in 2002, the band is known for being the first of several deathcore bands to incorporate symphonic elements into their music.
The band's name is derived from a sect ...
) took over for the remainder. Rodriguez then soon announced his decision to leave the band, but not before embarking on one final European tour. He recorded two full-length albums with Prong, ''
Carved into Stone'' and ''Unleashed in the West: Live in Berlin''.
In 2011, Rodriguez again joined with a former Trial alum, Greg Bennick on the debut full-length, ''Of Roots & Wings'', by Vancouver-based act Between Earth & Sky. The band also featured Sean Lande (Strain, By a Thread) and Happy Kreter (
Gob) on guitar, and was recorded by Blair Calibaba (Strain, By a Thread) and Paul Forgues (
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style made them ...
,
Hatebreed
Hatebreed is an American metalcore/ hardcore band from Bridgeport, Connecticut, formed in 1994. The band released its debut album ''Satisfaction Is the Death of Desire'' in 1997, which gave the band a cult following. The band signed to Universa ...
).
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rodriguez, Alexei
Musicians from San Juan, Puerto Rico
Living people
Puerto Rican musicians
American rock drummers
Prong (band) members
Year of birth missing (living people)
Walls of Jericho (band) members
3 Inches of Blood members