As country and metal continue their long flirtation, Devil’s Cut are staking a louder, rowdier claim with their debut album Roadkill.
The Louisville band’s first full-length record arrives April 24 via MNRK Heavy, blending metalcore’s weight with country storytelling and imagery. The album’s lead single, “Drink With The Devil,” dropped recently alongside a music video, offering an early look at the group’s high-energy, crossover sound.
Singer Trey Landrum said the band’s identity is rooted in both sides of that divide.
“We grew up on Tim McGraw and Garth Brooks, but we love Metallica and Pantera,” he said. “We’re metal with hints of country, but we’re doing it differently; fucking with it and making it our own.”
SWOMP caught up with Landrum for an interview, where he dives deeper into that balance, the band’s Kentucky roots and how Roadkill came together during a focused writing stint in Nashville with a team of experienced collaborators.
Listen, below:
The project traces back to a 2018 conversation with manager Cody Ash, who encouraged the band to fully embrace a hybrid of country and heavy music. Early releases, including a 2019 cover of “Tequila” and the 2022 single “Insomnia,” helped build momentum online, leading to millions of streams and touring slots alongside acts spanning both genres.
Now rounded out by guitarist Zach McConnell, drummer Trap and bassist Bailey Jones, Devil’s Cut lean into what they call a distinctly Southern identity — one that mixes heavy riffs with twang-inflected vocals and imagery drawn from rural life.
Produced by Evan McKeever, Roadkill moves between party-ready anthems and more reflective tracks, a contrast Landrum describes in simple terms.
“Roadkill is two totally different ends of the spectrum,” he said. “Either sad, ‘I-want-to-cry’ songs or ‘hey man, I want to have a beer and shoot guns in the woods with my friends!’”
The band plans to release a video for every track on the album while spending much of 2026 on the road, continuing to build a fan base drawn to their unfiltered mix of country attitude and metal intensity.
Check out their music videos on YouTube, here.
Photo Credit: Perri Leigh