Nicole Brice
Feb 13, 2025
Grey Areas isn’t just a band; they are a movement.
It's always a thrill to unearth a new band from Louisiana, each one a unique sonic journey. Recently, I stumbled upon the metal band Grey Areas from DeRidder, Louisiana. Their first single, ‘Burial,’ is a testament to their distinct sound that instantly captivated me.
‘Burial’ was released on August 23, 2024. It is a healthy blend of metal and metalcore with progressive elements and a melody. With hard-hitting vocals and a strong opening – the song starts jamming early and is a solid tune sure to get your head nodding.
The band is comprised of like-minded musicians with tenacity, personality, and ambition. Brad Nesbitt plays the drums, Cody Alexander plays the bass, Randy Taylor is the vocalist, and Xander Lee plays the guitar.
With new music set to release in April, Grey Areas is steadily letting those creative juices flow to drive their vision forward. More than just a typical metal band, Grey Areas' music has an underlying message of unity and hope. They want to illuminate things that are not always black and white in a world filled with chaos and to do so, have created Hope Fest, which will take place on Saturday, April 12, 2025, at the DeRidder Fairgrounds Pavillion – a local original music festival designed to give back to those in need, with proceeds being directly donated to Foundations Sober Living House in Lake Charles, LA. With the recent addition of Randy Taylor from Twisted eXistence on vocals, Grey Areas has solidified their line-up with a powerhouse frontman destined to light the stage on fire with his explosive vocals.
What struck me immediately about Grey Areas was their unwavering professionalism and genuine kindness. They are a group of guys you'd love to hang out with, and Mixed Alt Mag had the privilege of a lengthy chat with them. Take a moment to get to know them better.
MaM: What other musical projects have you been involved in?
Cody: Brad and I were in the band Southern Death Toll.
Brad: It was classic death metal – hard and fast … thrashy. We had a solid ten-year run with that.
MaM: So, what led to the formation of Grey Areas?
Xander: I was in some groups back in the day, too, so this was in 2010 when we realized we all had something musically in common, but in 2023, we decided to do something and jam.
MaM: How did you decide on the genre of music to play? I listened to ‘Burials,’ and it has so many influences. You can’t categorize it. You’ve got some prog, death metal, regular metal, and thrash … but it’s truly unique. I actually saw a comment on your Facebook page recently, too, where someone mentioned you are one of the most creative bands out there. I can honestly agree with what I’ve heard so far. Who are some of your influences musically?
Xander: Black Label Society, Pantera, Slipknot – pretty much anything metalcore.
Randy: Killswitch Engage, Pantera … bands that incorporate some clean singing with some screaming.
Cody: I agree with the metalcore bands, but I’ll branch out and listen to various genres and artists. A little rhythm and blues, a little rap … I like to funk it up a bit.
MaM: Growing up, how did you know you would end up playing the instruments you currently play? For instance, Brad, how did you decide to become a drummer?
Brad: I was a bass player first and didn’t realize I wanted to be a drummer until I suffered an injury. My arm became paralyzed, so playing drums was a type of physical therapy that stuck with me. It just became my thing, I guess. It was constant motion, and it still is therapy, honestly. I think I got good at it.
Xander: My parents were always playing music growing up, and something about guitar – or just the sound – it stood out to me. I always just wanted to play and make noise.
Randy: I started playing guitar at about ten and just stuck with it. I still play guitar for another band, Twisted eXistence, too. I’ve known Xander for a couple of years now, and when he told me about Grey Areas, I started coming to the shows. Once their last singer departed, things just came together. Vocals are a relatively new concept, but it’s fun so far, and I’m just winging it.
MaM: It was just a natural fit. See how things work out.
Cody: It came out of necessity. When I was about eight or ten, I started taking guitar lessons, and my dad was a drummer in a church band. I couldn’t touch drums but had always wanted to play guitar. The church band needed a bass player, so I swapped over to that when I was a teenager, and it naturally came together. I’ve played church music, country, and metal.
MaM: What have you worked on since the single dropped in August? Any new music?
Xander: Absolutely.
Cody: We’re still pushing for the whole album. We’ve been practicing and have the structure of the new songs. We're also trying to get the old set fully recorded.
MaM: When can we expect that?
Xander: Maybe the end of 2025, but we’re not quite sure yet. Very soon, though.
MaM: Are any shows coming up for 2025?
Xander: So far, we’ve been invited to Eclipse Fest 2025.
MaM: Hell yeah! It's a great festival that Nick Cline does.
Xander: Yeah, we’re excited to play that. We’ve some other shows in March, and then we have a festival we’re putting on called Hope Fest in DeRidder in April. This will be our first big event.
Randy: It’ll be big for rock and metal, especially for this town and this area because it’s a rural area—very country. The metalheads are out there, though.
Xander: When we were younger, if you wanted to go to a concert, it was either Lafayette, Houston, or New Orleans, two to three hours away. This will bring it all closer to home.
MaM: So, let’s talk about the new single. Your sound is so strong on this track, and now, with the addition of Randy on vocals, I can’t wait to see the band's progression and how your sound evolves. How do you keep yourselves in a creative mindset to write new music? Is there something you do to influence that creative vibe?
Xander: Not really, to be honest. My writing methods are not traditional. I like to improvise when we jam. I’ll come up with a ton of stuff in a session, but sometimes it just doesn’t stick. When I find something that works, I’ll try to find something that fits with it, and then it all builds. It’s a long process sometimes. We don’t try to force anything.
Brad: We just let it create itself.
MaM: Yeah, that’s what you’ve indeed got to do. Don’t force creativity.
Randy: Yeah, once Xander has his piece done, and we have the guitar riff, we can map out the drum patterns, etc. My notes on my cell phone are loaded with words and phrases. Catchy stuff. If it fits, it fits.
MaM: What would you like listeners to know about your music if they discover it for the first time?
Randy: It’s authentic. We’re not trying to copy anyone. We’re just trying to put our ideas out there.
Xander: I want it to speak to people going through things in the grey. What society doesn’t deem typical — grey issues.
MaM: If music doesn’t speak to or inspire me somehow, then I won’t be interested. I get that.
Xander: We want to have fun and inspire people. It's as simple as that.
As Grey Areas continues to carve their path through the underground Louisiana music scene, they stand poised to bring their heavy, brooding sound to the masses. They embody the modern metal landscape, blending complexity, emotion, and, most importantly, authenticity in a way that feels distinctly Southern while planted in the global metal scene. Grey Areas isn’t just a band; they are a movement. They represent the boldness of Louisiana’s musical spirit, reinterpreted through the lens of metal, and as their fanbase grows, it’s clear that this band will leave a lasting impact on the genre for years to come.
For more information on Hope Fest coming up in April, visit:
For more info about Grey Areas:
Grey Areas | Instagram, Facebook, TikTok | Linktree
Upcoming shows:
*All photos by Gary Governale
Questions or comments? Want to be featured? Reach out to us at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com.