The Abominable Iron Sloth



Abominable Iron Sloth vocalist and guitarist Justin Godfrey isn't just a talented metal musician. He also pans for gold! He even gave Noisecreep the 411 on the process.

"You just have to dig three or four feet down, preferably on the downstream side of something like a large rock or tree stump," Godfrey told Noisecreep. "You throw dirt into a pan and swirl it around. In the process, the heavier gold settles at the bottom while you wash off the sediment. I find it helps to wear waders and drink medicinal hash."

The gold he unearths is dust and flakes, and Godfrey admitted "it would be difficult to make a living off of it unless you just lived in the woods full-time and didn't mind a lot of canned goods. It's mostly just a fun way to spend time in the woods, which I like."

Indeed, he started to pan for gold to pass the time. "There's really not much else to do in rural Northern California besides the outdoors. So almost every weekend, I drive an hour into the mountains or down a canyon," Godfrey said. "I've been fishing and hunting for years, but I became interested in gold panning last year after seeing some gold claim signs scattered around the forest."

Godfrey also lives simply, residing in the woods at times. "Well I do have a 40-acre placer gold claim which covers about a half mile of Bush creek," he said. "The claim entitles me to the mineral rights on the land which is in Plumas National Forest. I'm also allowed to camp there and shoot guns as long as I'm actively prospecting some while I'm there."

But what about the amenities and comforts of home, you know, like toilets? "I have a 20-gallon drum half-buried in the ground that I use for a toilet," he said. "My van also has solar panels on the roof which power a fridge and some other s--- so I can stay out there a while."

Abominable Iron Sloth's latest album, 'The Id Will Overcome,' is out now.

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