Jon Padgett is a professional--though lapsed--ventriloquist who lives in New Orleans with his spouse, their daughter and two cats. Padgett is a Senior Editor of Vastarien: a source of critical study and creative response to the corpus of Thomas Ligotti. He has work out or forthcoming in Pseudopod, Lovecraft eZine, Xnoybis, Antenna::Signals and The Junk Merchants: A Literary Salute to William S. Burroughs.

Dead Last is a genre-defying band hailing from the shadows of a mysterious pub. Blending elements from nu metal, doom metal, black metal, death metal, hardcore punk, power metal, gothic rock, blues, folk, country, R&B, Hip-Hop, alternative, experimental rock, ambient, and classical influences. Drawing inspiration from legends like Type O Negative, Isaac Albéniz, Boards of Canada, Aphex Twin, Pink Floyd, and Slayer, to modern giants like Trivium, Spirit Box, and Sevendust, Dead Last creates a sonic experience that is as diverse as it is darkly captivating. The band’s enigmatic presence is amplified by their handcrafted signature masks, each adorned with unique features that reflect their stage personas.

At the helm is Count Rockula, the charismatic lead singer and multi-instrumentalist, whose vampire masks and versatile talents command the stage.

Behind him, Dick Fitzwell, the towering drummer who traditionally wears a demonic mask, drives the beat with relentless power.

On keyboards, the exotic April Showers. Whose goddess-like visage and kitty masks add a haunting melody to the mix.

The bassist, Hugh Mann, with his angry demeanor and dog-faced masks, lays down thunderous grooves that shake the foundations.

The rhythm guitar is in the capable hands of the youthful maestro, the suave and swoon-inducing, Young Lad. Whose lightning-fast picking is a blur of precision, marked by a heart shape on all of his masks.

Rounding out the ensemble is, Allison Chayns. The alluring DJ with steampunk goggles and masks. Her masterful programming and spinning, combined with her captivating stage presence, add a layer of mystique and rhythm that completes Dead Last’s otherworldly soundscape.

The band’s formation is shrouded in a tale of fog and fate. On a dark and foggy night, six musicians found themselves in an eerie, deserted pub, somewhere deep within the forests of the Scottish Highlands. Stranded by the impenetrable mist, they jammed together to pass the time, forging an unbreakable bond. Since that fateful night, they have been inseparable, and where you see one member, the others are always near. Their story, steeped in rumors of dark arts and supernatural origins.

As a self-proclaimed secret society, Dead Last is poised to unleash their debut album soon, continuing to release music that captivates and mystifies. Their impromptu shows at undisclosed locations only add to their legend, leaving fans both thrilled and spellbound. Some say they lost their minds that night; others believe they never left the pub alive, becoming spectral beings bound by music and mystery. 

Follow Dead Last on their journey through the shadows, where destiny calls, and the music never dies.

Escape From Saturn is a collage of experimental melodic industrial metalcore. It is the solo recording project of Robert S. Wilson, former singer of Indianapolis-based bands Lift, Godtrip, and Burning Alive as well as the Nashville-based band Kobayashi.

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