IATT: The Band Critics Call "The Artist's Artist" | Full Interview :The Metal Maniacs Podcast

Nobody pronounces their name right, so they changed it to "IATT". We sat down with I Am The Trireme — the Philly blackened-prog band critics call "the artist's artist" — to break down five albums, one wild recording retreat, and their upcoming genre-smashing epic.

I Am The Trireme (IATT) doesn't make easy records. Since 2015's debut Gnosis: Never Follow the Light, this Philadelphia-based extreme metal band has built a discography that fuses black metal aggression, progressive death metal complexity, orchestral arrangements, and — on more than one occasion — literal saxophone solos, into something no other band in the underground is doing. In this episode, vocalist/bassist Jay Briscoe join The Metal Maniacs to walk through the full IATT story: how the band started, what the name actually means, and the writing process behind albums like Nomenclature (a concept record about the horrors of primitive 1700s medicine), Magnum Opus (built around alchemy and the philosopher's stone), and their most ambitious project yet, Etheric Realms of the Night — an album about the subconscious and nightmares, accompanied by a full companion film.

We also get into the making of An Ode To Solace, recorded in an isolated Pennsylvania mountain cabin where the band captured wind and wildlife field recordings and wove them directly into the song. Jay talks influences (including Dissection), the shift from vocals-only to vocals/bass, their approach to writing dense progressive arrangements, how they handle creative disagreements in the studio, practice habits, and what's next — including upcoming tour dates with Narcotic Wasteland, Visitant, Summoners Circle, and Gravewitch.

If you're into bands like Opeth, Dissection, Ne Obliviscaris, or anything that blends black metal with progressive songwriting and orchestral texture, this is required listening — and required watching.

Topics Covered: 00:00 – Intro — The origin of IATT and the meaning behind the name — Member history and lineup changes — Gnosis: Never Follow the Light (2015) and the "Trusty Noose" sample — St. Vitus Dance EP and self-recording — Nomenclature (2019): primitive medicine, occultism, and songwriting breakdown — Magnum Opus (2022): pandemic-era writing and alchemical themes — Ascending Into Oblivion (2025 Version): revisiting Gnosis a decade later — An Ode To Solace: the mountain cabin recording session — Etheric Realms of the Night (2026): the album-length film and nightmare concept — Dissection and early extreme metal influences — Writing process, riff development, and handling creative disagreements — Practice schedule and production approach — Upcoming shows and touring — What's next for IATT

This is an underground spotlight episode — if you've never heard of IATT before, this is your entry point into one of the most genuinely original bands in modern extreme metal.

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