God, Wolves and Livin' on The Edge: An Interview with Doc Coyle

Doc Coyle is a musician that has had a very in-depth and passionate desire to play music. From the punishing and heavy complexity of God Forbid, to joining the modern metal, djent-influence sound of Bad Wolves to debuting his first solo single this year. Along with that, he also hosts his own podcast, featuring unique guests spanning all different genres in the metal scene. Not afraid to speak his mind on social media, Doc is a one-man wrecking crew of living the metal lifestyle and creating some heavy metal across all different styles. 

I sat down with Doc and talked about his musical career. How God Forbid formed and the struggles he faced with his brother leaving and the end of the band. We talk about his time with Bad Wolves, the launch of his first solo single and his goals for his podcast The Ex-Man with Doc Coyle.

LAMBGOAT: What got you into playing guitar?

COYLE: When I was around 12 years old, I discovered MTV and really got into bands like Guns N Roses, Metallica, Megadeth, etc. Slash playing the guitar solos in "November Rain" as the song's apex just really captivated me. No one was cooler than Slash and his melodic way of playing was mesmerizing. I would say that along with Queen being featured in the film Wayne's World with "Bohemian Rhapsody", the idea of the guitar being a lead instrument in these powerful and moving songs I think just spoke to me. And somehow I got my hands on a beat-up acoustic guitar and started trying to figure it out on my own. I didn't know what I was doing, but my dad saw my interest and "got me" an Ibanez Les Paul as a middle school graduation gift. The guitar was actually his girlfriend's at the time, so it was a loaner, but it got me and my brother well on the road to actually learning how to play. From that point, guitar became everything.

LG: How did God Forbid form?

COYLE: We all grew up in around New Brunswick, NJ. My brother and I were still in high school when we met drummer, Corey Pierce, and soon to be vocalist, Byron Davis, through a mutual friend in 1996. Byron was a guitar player but then switched to bass, and their buddy Robby sang in a very early version of the band called Manifest Destiny. We were a pretty terrible basement band that made a few demos and played a few shows over the next couple of years. Eventually, Byron became the vocalist, but the band didn't really become God Forbid until our bass player, John "Beeker" Outcalt joined up in 1998. I can say the day probably when the sound met up with the name was when Byron got pulled over by the cops and was really pissed off and we wrote the song "Mind Eraser" in a garage, which was the most extreme thing we'd done up that point. We also started not to suck as much, and had discovered the hardcore scene around that time and that really influenced our sound, which was more inspired by traditional metal before that.

LG: When your brother Dallas left the band in 2009, was it hard to carry on the band without him? Was it a mutual split?

COYLE: It was extremely hard for a lot of reasons. He quit the day we were supposed to leave for a tour opening for Lamb of God, one of the biggest tours we'd ever done. We had just released our brand-new album, Earthsblood, and had a slate of awesome tours all lined up - The LoG tour, our first-ever European festival run, and Mayhem Fest. So, we had to just keep it moving, and Kris Norris (ex-Darkest Hour) came in and saved our butt. Dallas quit over the phone in an argument with me and there was a chance he said he would come back to do the tour, but we had some conditions he wouldn't agree to, so I guess you could say it was mutual in the end. The toughest part was that my brother was the most important person in my life at that point and one day he was just gone. And I had to knuckle up and just carry on, take over his vocal parts as the 2nd singer. We even played 3-4 shows as a 4-piece which we never did before. So, I think the emotional aspect of it took a long time to fully hit me, and when it did, I kind of had a breakdown later that year when all the touring ended. Also, it's important to remember that we were the same 5 guys for 12 years at that point. We were more a family than a business. The idea of changing the chemistry was hard to think about because I think we were a band that was better than the sum of its parts, and his talent and presence were always going to be missed.

LG: You left God Forbid in 2013, with the band breaking up shortly after your departure. When did you know your time with GF was done?

COYLE: I went through a rough semi-midlife crisis in late 2009-2010, and I think that was the first time in my adult life that I thought about not being in God Forbid. The band had always been the most important thing to me, and I started to realize I wasn't a fully formed adult. All of my self-worth was tied to the band, and that was really unhealthy. I had started doing other projects and experimenting with different styles of music. But guitarist, Matt Wicklund (ex-Himsa), ended up joining the band, and Matt's creativity and enthusiasm reinvigorated my investment in the band. We cleaned house, got new management and label, and made a very cool album called Equilibrium which came out in 2012. We had a mixed bag as far as touring, and I think it began to dawn on us that maybe people just generally weren't as interested in the band. But ultimately what became the first step in shutting things down was that the finances of being in the band became unmanageable, and I told the guys I had to step away from touring to stabilize my life. I was basically homeless at the end of our last tour we did in 2012. We tried to start doing some limited stuff in 2013, but the communication just broke down. We had some band meetings that just went nowhere. There was a correspondence that pushed me over the edge and told the guys I was quitting. But in a weird way, I think the failed communication was a result of several of us truly wanting to move on to the next chapters of our lives.

LG: After the dissolution of GF, you joined Bad Wolves. How did you get involved with them? 

COYLE: I moved to Los Angeles in 2014 to pursue my music career as a free agent so to speak, to see if I had what it took to make it as a pro player. John Boecklin, who was just about to quit playing drums in Devildriver was pretty much my best friend when I moved to LA. Devildriver even gave me a ride to LA on their bus when my car broke down driving across the country. John started to show me demos of the new project he was working on which would eventually become Bad Wolves. He wanted me to join up back then, but I wasn't ready. The music was pretty crazy and they didn't have a singer. I was focused on doing more rock stuff and my own band, Vagus Nerve, at the time. Over the next couple of years, I did a handful of projects, but John kept showing me the music as it was developing. It really came together when Tommy Vext joined up on vocals, and around that time, the guy who started the band with John, Max Karon, decided to quit. So, a guitarist spot opened up, and they asked me again to join up again in 2016. I didn't really have much going on and I thought the music was very special, so I said yes. The band was called I of Tongues at this time. It wasn't changed to Bad Wolves until 2017 right around we released the first single, "Learn To Live".

LG: How was writing for Bad Wolves different than GF? Any ease or challenges?

COYLE: I should note that I am not the primary songwriter in Bad Wolves whereas in God Forbid, was probably the most prominent writer, at least on the music side of things. The biggest challenge was stepping into something that was kind of established in terms of the way they were already working. I didn't want to disrupt something that was already effective. I only contributed to a few songs on the first album and did a couple of guitar solos, and then on the 2nd album, I was a lot more involved. One major challenge was trying to write in the band's voice, which wasn't my natural writing style. It's a lot more modern and djent influenced. The guitars are tuned very low and there was a really groove sense that was unique to the band. As we have evolved through the years with each album, the thing I struggle with is just understanding I am more of a role player, to speak in sports terms. When you're a role player, you have to support the project and put the song first over your own ego or need to make it about yourself. John is the main songwriter and kind of the leader in the studio and I've learned a lot from seeing how he and the other producers and songwriters we've worked do things. The hardest thing in these environments is being objective so that the best idea wins. Not just your idea. 

LG: Bad Wolves' newest album, Die About It, came out in 2023. How has the fans reaction been to the new material?

COYLE: It's tough to say in terms of a commercial sense, but I really believe it's the band's best album top-to-bottom. I think our previous album Dear Monsters was really good, but I feel like we played it safe. Die About It, while still focused on giant hooks and what we're known for, we stretched our legs creatively to not be stifled by formula. I think it's mostly been noticeable at our live shows, where it feels like the new songs just have a lot more teeth and connectivity live. On our current co-headline tour, half of the songs are from Die About It. And we did that on purpose. We want to stand on who we are in this moment. Songs like the title track, "NDA", and "Masquerade", really make a statement and it's been super fun to present them live and feel the feedback from the crowd.

LG: You also have the project Vagnus Nerve. Can you tell us about that project? Is the project still active?

COYLE: I would have to say it's dormant at the time. I stay in touch with all of the guys as much as I can. I really love them, but we're all spread out. Basically, it started back in New Jersey when I was still in God Forbid as a progressive rock band. And it was the style of music I was completely passionate about creating. It really started around 2012 when I had a bunch of material I'd written for another project that fell apart and I met the singer, Ravi, through a mutual friend. And Ravi is brilliant as a singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. And we connected on just doing something for art's sake and to just connect with other human beings through music. I have really fond memories of putting the band together because everyone involved is such good people. Essentially, we released an EP in 2016 and did a handful of shows, but everyone being spread out made it tough to be super active. After the EP released, I wrote a few more songs to try and get something else out in, but the creative wasn't clicking for whatever reason, and then I joined Bad Wolves and everything had to go on the back burner. But I still hold out that we can do something else at some point.

LG: You released your first solo single, a cover of Aerosmith's "Livin on The Edge", this year. What made you decide to cover that song?

COYLE: During the pandemic, Bad Wolves were doing covers for our Patreon page, and it came up to do that song, so I worked on the instrumental and it was never completed with vocals. So, fast forward to early 2021 and we are without a singer. I suggested using some guest singers on some of the cover songs so we could still keep creating content for the Patreon, and then John suggested I sing on it. I have recorded tons of vocals, but never as the lead vocal. So, I did it and it came out great (at least I thought). Way better than I thought it would. Then the band decided not to release the song, so I paid for the recording session and told them I was keeping the track for myself. I should note I have been obsessed with this song forever. I love 90s-era Aerosmith, so the entire process of working on it was incredible. It felt very natural.

LG: What made you decide to release it under your own name instead of your other projects?

COYLE: I think one thing I've noticed being a guitarist in a band is that if you aren't Eddie Van Halen or like a Tosin Abasi-type figure who is known as a virtuoso, you are kind of seen as a background player. And I think this idea of personal branding, especially as social media has become such a bigger part of our jobs as musicians, it's really important to have projects and properties with your name on them. So, people understand that you are your own entity. Doing this was scary as hell because I wasn't sure if anyone would like it. You are really putting yourself out there, but I love the idea of having something where every creative choice is something I own, good or bad. It's on me.

LG: Will the success of the cover, will you be releasing a solo album?

COYLE: In many ways, I think have to at this point. It would be pretty disappointing if this was all I did. Truth be told, I don't have some burning desire to be a solo artist, but I do see it as a challenge I owe to myself to explore to see what a solo Doc Coyle album even sounds like. I think what scares me a little is not making the music, it's all the work that goes into marketing and promoting records. I feel like I could make all kinds of music for many projects, but the promotion for all that stuff really wears me out. And I feel like I've been doing that constantly for the last few years.

LG: In 2022, GF announced that they reunited and are performing live again. How did the reunion come together?

COYLE: We had all been in touch going back a few years, and we would Zoom calls just to catch up and be friends and started to slowly have chats about playing again. Then in 2022, we got a great offer to perform at the Blue Ridge Rock Festival, and everyone agreed. Everyone was coming back except Dallas, but Byron had the idea to reach out to Nick Hipa (ex-As I Lay Dying). When Nick got on board, it really made everything seem right. That first rehearsal back was really special. It was a new but amazing chemistry and the power of the songs felt very cathartic.

LG: Is their plan to continue performing in 2025? Maybe new music?

COYLE: There are some ideas about performing in 2025 but nothing is locked in. We get offers all the time, but it's not easy with everyone's family obligations and work schedules. As far as new music, I have a lot of material I've been sitting on for a while that I just need to lay down and start sharing with the guys. We haven't yet figured out the writing process with everyone being spread out all over the country. We used to write in a very old-school way - 5 guys in a room working things out. As time went on, we got more modern with demos written on computers, but we always played the music together as a band and refined it as a unit. So if we're going to write, we have to figure some things out. No promises.

LG: With your podcast, The Ex-Man with Doc Coyle, you've interviewed acts like Chris Daughtry, Phil Labonte of All That Remains, and Kittie. Do you have any dream guests you haven't had on the show yet?

COYLE: The only guys I wanted that I didn't get were mostly Metallica-related - Jason Newstead, Dave Mustaine, and Kirk Hammett, who I play with in a band. I was working to getting Kirk on, but we just couldn't figure it out schedule-wise. I also harassed Sean Martin (ex-Hatebreed, Twitching Tongues) for years to come on the show, but he just wouldn't do it. And Jeff from Poison The Well ducked me forever. I'm also disappointed I never got anyone from Glassjaw on the show. The truth is the show is on an unannounced hiatus at the moment which I will eventually address. I want to focus on all this damn music I've been too busy to write in the next year, so I have to take that time from somewhere. I will talk more about it soon.