The Cleric Interview — ”Creep Show’

I'll admit. I'm biased towards Cleric, the gnarly metal band -- think Dillinger Escape Plan going mano-a-mano with Converge circa 1998 -- because they hail from Philly, which is the metropolis I align myself with and call home, as I grew up five miles from it, albeit on the Jersey side. So when three of the band's four members stopped by for an intimate ''Creep Show' episode, we traded stories about the City of Brotherly Sludge -- er, Love! It was instant BFF-dom!

We enjoyed frank, impassioned discussions not about cheese steaks, but our beloved Phillies and our confidence that they will make a third World Series appearance in a row, dealing with nightstick-happy cops during the glorious 2008 World Series celebration and how their guitarist, a mysterious, shadowy and ultimately MIA figure named Matt who spends his time fighting crimes ... against music, by teaching his charges to play metal, as opposed to, say, Disturbed!

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The boys also revealed how they attended an arts summer camp in upstate New York where Maroon 5's Adam Levine served as their camp counsellor. And no, I'm not making this up. Levine even tried to barter with Nick, trading a shirt for a baseball cap. Hipster actress/singer Zooey Deschanel and Dillinger Escape Plan's Ben Weinman also attended this same camp. It all proves the point that attending a performing arts summer camp breeds some of the most artistically aggressive metal there is.

Make sure to watch the episode in its fun-filled entirety, as the band reveals the special prizes you can win by entering a contest on their website. I even offered up the cookie-baking skills of Noisecreep boss Seth W. as part of the prize package -- without asking him of course. But he didn't mind. Neither did Cleric, who will win you over with their charming personalities in this EP.

Their album, 'Regressions,' is out April 27. We promise, you won't be disappointed.