Loathe is a challenging listen. In 10 years, they’ve released three dissimilar albums, a pair of pulverizing EPs, and a couple reinventive, collaborative covers (with Sleep Token and Teenage Wrist) of their own material, proving they thrive on juxtaposition and keeping your ears off guard. The Liverpool foursome morph from blissful dream state to Nightmare on Elm Street and everything in between. Their sound can be familiar like an old friend but thrilling like a first date.
From the ashes of Our Imbalance’s pure metalcore madness—featuring guitarist/vocalist Erik Bickerstaffe, vocalist Kadeem France, and drummer Sean Radcliffe before recruiting guitarist Connor Sweeney and bassist Shayne Smith—rose the reformation that became the experimental Loathe in 2014. (Current bassist Feisal El-Khazragi replaced Smith in 2018 and Sweeney left the band in 2021.)
Nu-metal bounce, djent precision, shoegaze shimmer, post-hardcore chaos, synth segues, barbwire breakdowns, moody melodies, and singalong choruses aren’t groundbreaking elements. But how they make them gel and grate against each other is what makes Loathe special. In a matter of minutes, they can make you scream, cry, and then dance before inciting you to do all three at once. The difference is in the disparate.
Their creative applications of the past, present, and future keep them ahead of the audience providing a deep musical menu. If you don’t like the first Loathe song you hear, there’s a chance the next one will be your favorite.
“The four of us have very differing influences, but when we work together, we create something very unique,” contends Bickerstaffe.
Even Bickerstaffe’s guitar choices are at odds. He wants the heaviest sound possible but avoids using 7- or 8-string guitars because of their brash tones and jagged aesthetics. He prefers to swing the sledgehammer in a classic costume of a Gretsch Jet (and formerly a Jazzmaster).
“We wanted a British-rock sound that pushes further into modern extreme-metal influence when we were writing. I don’t like anything too metallic or sharp sounding. For the band we are and what we’re trying to do musically, it’s not the right thing,” states Bickerstaffe.
It’s been over four years since their heralded I Let It In and It Took Everything,and the fans are growing impatient. The band is aware of the wait and are concerned with impressing themselves rather than capitalizing on the attention.
“There’s music in the world the four of us as individuals miss hearing, and we want to be the people that create that in our own style. Hopefully, people who agree with us are along for the ride, and if not, that’s absolutely cool. We’ve been through a lot, and we’re working really hard together to make sure the music that we put out is exactly what we want to put out. We’ll let it speak for itself when we release it,” explains Bickerstaffe.
Before Loathe’s opening slot supporting Knocked Loose on May 1 at Nashville’s Marathon Music Works, Bickerstaffe carved out some time to talk with PG’s Chris Kies. Bickerstaffe details the obtainable instruments that help him deliver both deathly and dreamy moments, why he shies away from the metallic edges of metal, and what fans should expect from the ever-evolving outfit’s new music.
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Baritone Is the New 7
Bickerstaffe started playing an ESP 7-string Stephen Carpenter model until his drummer Sean Radcliffe suggested he use a Bass VI like the Beatles to better fit the band’s sound and vision.
He played a Squier Vintage Modified Jazzmaster for years before landing on this current Gretsch G5260 Electromatic Jet Baritone that’s been getting it done since releasing 2020’s I Let It In and It Took Everything. It’s all stock aside from the nut filed open to hold Bickerstaffe’s monstrous .105 nickel bass string in the low-E position. The other five strings are from a pack of D’Addario EXL157 Medium Nickel Wound Electric Baritone set (.014–.018–.026w–.044–.056). He moves between a custom E (E–A–E–A–D–F#) and standard B tunings, and the .105 bass string helps keep the tension in a similar range.
Twisted Tele
For gentler songs like “Is It Really You?” and “Screaming,” Bickerstaffe turns to this Fender Player Telecaster that rides in a tuning utilizing the five highest strings of drop D with a low-A (A–D–A–D–G–B).
Come Fly with Me
Touring in the U.K. and on headlining runs, Bickerstaffe always opts for tube heads. He originally went with Hiwatt DR504s before moving onto Marshall JCM800s. Ideally, he’d bring a multiple-amp setup onstage to use the strength of each head (independently and combined) throughout a set depending on the song’s mood. Opening for Knocked Loose on this run, he simplified matters, relying on a Fractal Audio Axe-Fx III that leans heavily on a modded JCM800 amp model. Most of the utilitarian effects needed each night are provided by the Axe-Fx III, however, Bickerstaffe does have an inspiration station below. The Two Notes Torpedo Captor X is not being used right now since he’s not using amps or cabs and the Sennheiser EW 100 G4-Ci1 Wireless Guitar System relieves his need for cables.
Eric Bickerstaffe's Pedalboard
To keep things interesting and fun, Bickerstaffe does still tour with a proper pedalboard, but you’ll notice it’s more a place for experimentation than execution because several pedals are on their way in or out as they’re not being powered or in the chain. As of May 1 in Nashville, these are the tone twisters Erik had on deck: EarthQuaker Devices Zoar, Behringer SF300 Super Fuzz, 141FX Pillager, Third Man Mantic Flex, Electro-Harmonix Mel9, Boss HM-2 Heavy Metal, DigiTech Whammy Ricochet, Behringer FX600 Digital Multi-FX (his first pedal), EarthQuaker Devices Rainbow Machine, Electro-Harmonix Freeze, and a Boss TU-3 Chromatic Tuner. And there is one crucial pedal that he prefers over the Axe-Fx III option and that’s the DigiTech Whammy and its octave blend.
Shop Erik Bickerstaffe's Rig
Gretsch G5260 Electromatic Jet Baritone
Fender Player Telecaster
EarthQuaker Devices Zoar
Behringer SF300 Super Fuzz
Electro-Harmonix Mel9
Boss HM-2 Heavy Metal
DigiTech Whammy Ricochet
Behringer FX600 Digital Multi-FX
EarthQuaker Devices Rainbow Machine
DigiTech Whammy
Electro-Harmonix Freeze
Boss TU-3 Chromatic Tuner
Two Notes Torpedo Captor X
Sennheiser EW 100 G4-Ci1 Wireless Guitar System
D’Addario EXL157 Medium Nickel Wound Electric Baritone Set
Dream Theater L to R: John Myung, Jordan Rudess, James LaBrie, Mike Portnoy, John Petrucci
The European leg consists of stops in 23 cities and kicks off on October 20th and runs through November 24th. Dream Theater will be performing classics and fan favorites from their catalog.
“This tour is going to be incredibly special for all of us! Each show will surely be filled with anticipation and a variety of emotions. We can’t wait to step on stage together once again and begin this historic celebration of 40 years with everyone this Fall. This is just the beginning, and we will have plenty of more exciting Dream Theater news to share in the coming months,” explains Dream Theater.
An Evening With Dream Theater 40th Anniversary Tour 2024 – 2025
October 20 – London, England – The O2
October 22 – Berlin, Germany – Uber Eats Music Hall
October 23 – Koln, Germany – Palladium
October 25 – Milan, Italy – Forum
October 26 – Rome, Italy – Palazzo dello Sport
October 28 – Munich, Germany – Zenith
October 29 – Zagreb, Croatia – Arena Zagreb
November 1 – Budapest, Hungary – Budapest Arena
November 2 – Prague – Czech Republic – Fortuna Arena
November 3 – Lodz, Poland – Atlas Arena
November 6 – Helsinki, Finland – Metro Areena
November 8 – Stockholm. Sweden – Waterfront
November 9 – Oslo, Norway – Spektrum
November 10 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Poolen
November 12 – Luxembourg – Rockhal
November 13 – Zurich, Switzerland – The Hall
November 14 – Lyon, France – Halle Tony Garnier
November 16 – Lisbon, Portugal – MEO Arena
November 17 – Madrid, Spain – La Cubierta de Leganés
November 20 – Stuttgart, Germany – Beethovensaal
November 21 – Frankfurt, Germany – Jahrhundderthalle
November 23 – Paris, France – Adidas Arena
Dream Theater has been in their DTHQ studio working on their 16th studio album and the first with Portnoy since 2009’s Black Clouds & Silver Linings. More information on the upcoming release will be unveiled in the future.
For more information, please visit dreamtheater.net.
![Rig Rundown: Periphery [2023]](https://www.premierguitar.com/media-library/rig-rundown-periphery-s-jake-bowen-mark-holcomb-misha-mansoor-2023.jpg?id=33635214&width=1245&height=700&quality=85&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0)
Our third Rig Rundown with Periphery’s Jake Bowen, Mark Holcomb, and Misha Mansoor—at Nashville’s Marathon Music Works on April 2—caught the band on their final tour stop for a spring run in support of the brand-spankin’-new Periphery V: Djent Is Not a Genre. Our time with the triumvirate of tone reminded us that these fellas never rest their ears. They know gear and how to make it work for them. That’s why each of them has spent extensive time in several R&D collaborations with some of the biggest, most influential companies in guitardom. This time Bowen, Holcomb, and Mansoor all dish on the evolutions of their signature gear and how everything meshes and molds together for the greater, Transformer-like machine that is Periphery. Whether it’s going up to 27 frets, utilizing Alnico 8 magnets, or adding an Evertune bridge to compensate for deeply dropped tunings, this trio of tone hounds will sniff it out. Let’s dig in!
Brought to you by D’Addario XPND Pedalboard.
Final Fantasy 27
Jake Bowen busted out this blue belle first because it’s his most-recent signature—an Ibanez JBM9999 that features a basswood body in their RGA shape, a 5-piece maple-walnut neck, a bound-ebony fretboard, a 25.5" scale that crams in 27 frets, Gotoh MG-T locking tuners, and Ibanez’s Gibraltar Elite bridge, plus it comes loaded with a fresh set of Bowen’s latest signature DiMarzio Mirage humbuckers. The neck model is a custom-voiced, Strat-style, single-coil-sized humbucker that incorporates some finessed tones via the 5-way. Position one and five are standard and individually engage the bridge and neck humbuckers (respectively). Position four puts the neck humbucker into parallel mode. The center slot gets both humbuckers involved, while position two selects the bridge side of the neck humbucker and the neck side of the bridge humbucker. The reason Jake opted for the single-coil-sized humbucker was to inspire fans who want to swap in their favorite single-coil pickups without any extra routing.
Ibanez is known for their wild combinations of letters and numbers for product cataloging, but the 9999s have a significance to Bowen … beyond sounding like an injury law firm’s phone number. He’s a superfan of the Final Fantasy world and 9999 is the max damage you can get in the earlier games, so Bowen requested that gamer Easter egg and they obliged. All his 6-string signatures take Horizon Devices Progressive Tension Heavy 6 strings (.010–.014–.019–.030–.042–.058).
Back in Black
Bowen commissioned this sleek JBM9999 from Ibanez’s L.A. Custom Shop. It matches all the previous model’s accoutrements but shakes it up by including an Evertune bridge. That appointment means it comfortably rides in G–G–C–F–A–D tuning and sees the stage for “Reptile” and “Zagreus.”
The Mojo Machine
This JBM9999 has a few different wrinkles than the previous two. It has a roasted-maple neck and fretboard, and while the single-coil-sized neck humbucker looks like another Mirage model, it’s actually DiMarzio’s The Chopper. That pickup worked as a starting point when Bowen was testing out their rail hum-canceling Strat pickups, and that ultimately led him to the voicing of his signature Mirage version.
Knight in White Satin
Lastly, here’s Jake’s signature Ibanez JBM100 7-string, stocked with his original signature DiMarzio Titan ’buckers, that was shown off in the 2017 Rundown. His first standard sig model was generally done in a matte black finish, but he wanted something special and felt the gold pickup covers would really pop with a white finish. The JBM100s have a mahogany body/maple top configuration.
A $200 Private Stock PRS?!
Back in 2016, Mark Holcomb ordered this 7-string custom from PRS’ Private Stock team. It’s based on his 2015 signature model, but with all of Paul Reed Smith’s bells and whistles. A few things make this guitar unique to PRS’ signature artist roster in that it has a 26.5" scale length, a flat 20" radius on the fretboard, and Holcomb’s first signature Seymour Duncan Alpha & Omega humbuckers.
When it was built, PRS sent the special instrument via FedEx (signature required), and it was left by the delivery person without Holcomb’s John Hancock outside his Austin, Texas home. It was swiped by a porch pirate and assumed to be gone forever. Mark rallied his online followers to get the word out and a fan recognized it in a flea market 60 miles south of Austin. The kicker: It was being sold for $200! The fan bought the guitar and returned it to Mark. The best part, Holcomb didn’t let the sloppy bandit deter him from touring with it as he uses it on “Ragnarok” and other low-tuned riffers. He laces all his 7-strings with Progressive Tension Heavy 7 (.010–.014–.018–.028–.039–.050–.065).
Holcomb Burst
For any Periphery songs that only require a standard 6-string attack, he shoulders his brand-new 2023 PRS SE Mark Holcomb that is off-the-shelf stock. Ingredients include a mahogany body topped with a quilted maple top that incorporates an elegant violin carve, a satin maple neck with 24 frets, an ebony fretboard with a flat 20" radius, a 25.5" scale length, and this one leaves the factory with Holcomb’s just-released Seymour Duncan Scarlet & Scourge humbuckers. Controls are just a 3-way pickup selector, master volume, and push/pull tone knob for coil splitting. Holcomb puts Horizon Devices Progressive Tension Heavy 6 strings on all standard guitars.
7th Heaven
This is Holcomb’s PRS SE SVN signature that is identical to its little brother, but has the added string and a 26.5" scale.
Evertune Eviscerater
For the set opener “Reptile,” Holcomb enlists this PRS SE SVN signature that was modded with an Evertune bridge to accommodate “the stupid-low G tuning” that Mark stumbled upon while riffing away on vacation in Spain.
Reptilian Rocker
For the band’s rumbling G–G–C–F–A–D tuning, Misha Mansoor grabs this Jackson USA Misha Mansoor Signature Juggernaut HT6. Its DNA starts with a caramelized basswood body, caramelized quartersawn maple neck and fretboard, 24 jumbo stainless-steel frets, a Graph Tech TUSQ XL nut, a 25.5" scale, Hipshot open-gear locking tuners, and Misha’s signature Bare Knuckle Ragnarok humbuckers. He puts Horizon Devices Progressive Tension Heavy 6 strings on it. And it has a retro-fitted Evertune to keep things tight, prompting Mansoor to commented that “this tour is the most in-tune ‘Reptile’ has ever sounded. It’s been wonderful.” He notes that he recorded nearly all his parts for Periphery’s last two albums with this silver siren.
Orange You Glad
A few years back, Mansoor listed a bunch of gear on Reverb during an equipment purge. He almost listed this one but had second thoughts and is very glad he didn’t. His tech Vinnie gave it some serious TLC and it’s back in the rotation. A cool tidbit about this first-generation Jackson USA Misha Mansoor Signature Juggernaut HT7 is that it has a stunning quilted maple cap sitting over a roasted basswood body. There was a slight blemish on its top, so to salvage the build Misha suggested painting over the quilt, but leaving the edges exposed for a quilted binding effect. It sees work for “Ragnarok,” in their unique variation of drop-A-flat tuning (F#–D#–G#–C#–F#–A#–D#).
Snobs Need Not Apply
Another staple for Mansoor during Periphery’s live set is this import Jackson Pro Series Signature Misha Mansoor Juggernaut HT7 in shimmery blue sky burst. Many of the same appointments are here: a basswood body and a caramelized maple neck and fretboard. The stock models roar with a set of Jackson MM1 humbuckers, but Mansoor opted to upgrade with a set of Bare Knuckle Ragnaroks.
Easy Peasy
“This thing just shreds, man. It’s just so easy to play and it doesn’t fight me for the little note-y bits in ‘Marigold.’” The set closer puts this matte Jackson USA Misha Mansoor Signature Juggernaut HT6 into drop-C tuning. Mansoor is a mega car enthusiast and Formula 1 fan, so he had Jackson put this one in matte red to match Ferrari finishes.
Pass the Scalpel, Please
This might look yet another Jackson USA Misha Mansoor Signature Juggernaut HT6 with a basswood core and quilted maple top, but it has a mahogany body and flame maple cap for a darker sound and heftier weight. Misha’s signature Bare Knuckle Juggernauts give this baby a bite. Mansoor says the Ragnaroks are a sledgehammer, whereas the Juggernauts are a precision tool.
All in the Family
Misha and Jake have nearly identical setups and patches when it comes to amps and effects. Both are using Peavey Invective120 heads—a design alliance with Mansoor—that each run their own Fractal Audio Axe-Fx II XL+ units through a Peavey Invective 412 and out to FOH. The cabinets are loaded with two pairs of Celestion speakers: Vintage 30s and Creambacks. Mark uses a Fractal Audio Axe-Fx II XL+, but his is juiced by a Seymour Duncan PowerStage 700. He also has a Peavey Invective 412 cabinet onstage. In addition to live stage audio via 4x12s, each guitarist relies on Sennheiser EW IEM G4 Wireless In-Ear Monitor and side fills for a complete sound. And the three amigos plug their shred sticks into Shure ULXD4Q Wireless Units.
