VCTMS is a three-piece metalcore band from the Chicagoland area, and like most bands, it started in someone’s basement playing cover songs. The original lineup at the time is also not the one you see on stage today. Original drummer and one of the founders, Meredith Henderson, is still present and is the one who first invited their current vocalist, John Matalone, to join the group. He began as the bassist, and then, as he said, one thing led to another, and he is now the current lead vocalist. Their guitarist, Mike Clampitt, was not able to make it to the interview, so this was with Henderson and Matalone only. Sorry, Mike, because you do get thrown under the bus about leaving your tuner on if we can’t hear you playing, maybe you should fix that.
Anyways, this band has gone through phases, and I was not around to watch the band through the different transitions, but I’m sure if I spoke to some die-hard fans, they would speak highly of the changes over time. My introduction to this group was in February 2025 because my husband was a massive fan. He had seen them in 2024, opening for Born of Osiris at the very same venue where I got to see them perform. I cannot express how much I love The X-Ray Arcade in Cudahy, Wisconsin. This little hole-in-the-wall place holds a home in my heart and discoveries of new favorite artists that can only be found in the local DIY scene.
Even then, this band has made a name for itself around the scene by doing their own headlining runs and opening for big-name artists like Pierce the Veil. Getting to hear these stories about their journey, or as Matalone says, “a slow burn of a process,” but the journey is part of that, as I’m sure many other bands can note; there have been ups and downs to get to where they are now.
VCTMS currently has five full EPs and a couple of smaller ones out on streaming platforms — each can be identified as a volume since it’s meant to highlight the different times. A lot of these songs are just written here and there; there is no exact writing process for how they create their magic. It’s a very collaborative process with songwriters, Henderson, and other features that are in the basement or a studio. It’s a very open process, and I think sometimes music needs that. Nowadays, it sometimes feels like artists stick to a routine, which is fine, but then it makes every track sound exactly the same to me, just with different words. For bands that want a super distinct, instant recognizability to their fans, again, it makes sense, but sometimes I think it’s always cool when bands are like, “there’s no method to it.” Music and art are subjective; there is no right or wrong way to create it.
So, I asked them both which songs they think could use a little more love, which ended up turning into a discussion on which songs they think could be loved less. Ironically, the most popular fan-chosen songs are not always the band’s favorites, whether it’s because they dislike playing them or it was a silly little jam that they came up with, not knowing how big it was going to blow up. Unfortunately for most of those groups, the song ends up being the encore song because they know how disappointed some of the audience in the room would be if the song were not played. I’ve come to an understanding that, while that track might be the fan favorite, I think the artists are allowed to not play it, even if it’s a case of “but it’s their number one hit.” If anything, that should make you realize how sick of playing that one over and over might make them.
Matalone mentions that he has a strong dislike for the song “tourniquet” because it’s one of the popular songs and an older track from before his time with the band. He also notes that when “Volume II: Inside the Mind” was released, he was still trying to find his footing with the band. He states that everyone is their own worst critic and claims his vocals are not 100% when it comes to playing it. His favorite track is “Between The Tragedy Deadly Flowers Bloom,” and as Henderson laughed at this mention, it is because of his own bias, as he wrote that song specifically. Which, hey, if anyone is going to be your own worst critic but also your number one cheerleader, you can be both to yourself.
Henderson chimed in, saying the older tracks and volumes are not especially her favorite to play. Her picks for favorites and tracks that need more love are the ones that bring more enjoyment in playing live. I totally get that, because sometimes it does feel like the drummer is pushed aside more since they have a farther position on stage, and that could not be more wrong. The drummer is just as essential as the vocals because they are the main ones keeping the count and beat. Discussing the topic of comparison to favorites, ones that need more love, and the tracks that could use less sparked so much because, as I said, this band has been around for over a decade, so the number of songs in their repertoire is a lot. She pulled up Spotify and provided a whole list of their songs that people should listen to more.
Here they are:
- “New Face // Same Loneliness”
- “Suddenly Everything Changed”
- “Tapeworm”
- “Demon // Limbs”
- “Twist the Rage”
- “Burn Victim”
You have your assignment now, guys — go stream these songs and give them some more love that they deserve.
Additionally, both of them agree that the time when the earlier tracks came out was when they were much younger and didn’t care as much about playing them. Over time, that makes sense; we grow and we change, and sometimes we just don’t care to make the past as much a part of our lives because that’s all it is — the past.
So, speaking of the future, not all that long ago they came out with two new singles titled “devil’s/speak” and “burning/bones,”which can only mean one thing, and that one thing is that a new EP is definitely in the works. It is in the plans for them to have a full-length EP by the end of this year, so keep those eyes open for new music, because there will be more!
Final note about the future: They are preparing to tour with JILUKA this spring, , so you should make sure to hit up one of those shows if you can. Knowing both of those bands, you are in for a phenomenal show that will absolutely not disappoint. Tickets are flying, because last I heard, the Milwaukee show had just twenty tickets remaining, so don’t wait, act fast, because otherwise you might miss out on the show.
VCTMS is a cool group, and you should definitely give them a listen, starting with the songs Henderson thinks are the best of the best. I don’t think you can really go wrong with listening to one of the very minds that started the band.
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