Former Leechmilk Guitarist Inspired by Aztec Religion for Sons of Tonatiuh

There was no shortage of sun gods in Aztec sun worship, but Tonatiuh was the most adored and feared with estimations of over 20,000 people sacrificed in reverence to the deity. It's almost surprising no band has taken a name from the sun of the current age before. "I've always had an interest in Native American cultures," vocalist/guitarist Dan Caycedo told Noisecreep on the design of Sons of Tonatiuh. "In one way it's getting people to think about native cultures a little more, but I know that's not always going to be the case. Somebody listens to music, they just hear the music."

The music of Sons of Tonatiuh displays the kind of brutal efficiency that takes on various elements of the darkened and shadowed, but the band's more sludge-inducing moments bear a likeness to Caycedo's old band, Leechmilk.

"[In Leechmilk] I couldn't write a riff to save my life," the guitarist explained. "After that band broke up and I did something else, and then something else, I started to understand the structure of it. It's simple but there is a lot of feeling to it."

Since forming and going through numerous member changes, Caycedo is the only original member. The band has wasted no time getting out on the road though, leaving their hometown of Atlanta the rarest place for them to play. "You always have your hometown. We can play Atlanta whenever we want, but what I feel is important is getting out there."

"One thing about our live sets," bassist Mike Tunno says, "we are so much in the moment -- the feeling of it makes no two shows the same." Of course that difference sometimes isn't by their control, as was made evident on the bands first West Coast tour when they were forced to play instrumental for a few shows. "We went to some places and, 'Oh by the way, there is no PA.'" Tunno recalled. These weren't DIY hole in the walls, either. But when an unsigned band self-books a tour of that size, these types of shows will happen.

Caycedo jokes that if you want to know how to book a bad West Coast run, talk to him. "It doesn't mean we don't want to go back. We need to regroup and decide we can't go balls out like that or we're going to kill ourselves."

After a recent tour, Caycedo admitted to an understanding as the band pulled up home to see four or five other bands at tour's end as well. "I started to realize it doesn't matter where you play, there is competition wherever you look. It's a matter of sticking together, doing your time, getting out there, and eventually someone's gonna be, 'These guys are OK.'"

The band's debut just came out in CD form via Hydro-Phonic Records, but the band released the 12-inch vinyl version themselves, not wanting to wait for a label to foot the bill. When the foursome with into The Jam Room with Jay Matheson (Baroness, Kylesa), the goal was to capture the live show -- not make a cleaned-up, glittery album. "If we want to make it sound like us, we [have to record it] live and intense. I just can't stand doing that drummer then chords then play on top of that, then play on top of that. It loses its feeling."