Chris Soutsos, Chris Thrasher, the Heavy Metal Hockey guy, or maybe even just the most excellent owner of Thrashed. If you are a metalhead, you probably recognize him. He is an entertainer, business owner, and absolute fucking legend in the metal scene. It was an absolute honor to interview him. Now, put your battle vests on, slam back a beer, and let’s fucking go!
Metal Legend From The Blackout
Tell the audience a little about yourself.
WHUDDUP, my name is Chris: I’m CEO/founder of THRASHED, I’ve been an active YouTuber since 2015 & thrash is my jam. Along with my main man Glaze we run THRASHEDTV together.
You are one of the most recognizable faces with younger metalheads. Did you ever expect to have a fanbase when you starting first working on content?
Hell no hahaha. When I made my debut in September 2015 & I went viral I thought nothing of it at the time of filming. It was just something fun to do on a day off. At the time I had just stopped playing in a band, and in my mind (at the time) that was the only way to garner a following in metal outside of the seldom YouTubers on the platform that I knew of at the time. So I was thoroughly surprised, and grateful to have the following that I do through my YouTube content.
Dude You Gotta Check This Place Out, I Just Got SLAYER Engraved Into My Arm
What got you into metal? Was it a certain experience or band?
I get this question a lot, I truly believe we’re a product of our environment. I’m a ’93, growing up you still had banger playlists on video games like the old NHL games, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, and even if some of it was just hard rock or punk it always satiated that need for something more aggressive. Growing up an avid hockey fan as well, attending games or on my way to games there was never a shortage of pump up music in arena or whatever I downloaded onto a blank CD at the time. The earliest recollection I have of being really into music was when I heard Elvis around the age of 5 or 6, to me that was rock n’ roll & it just snowballed (as a result of my environment) to AC/DC, Queen, Meat Loaf, Metallica, etc…
Do you like horror films? What are your top three favorite horror films?
Fuck yeah I do! Army of Darkness, Brain Dead/Dead Alive, the 1990 IT mini series with Tim Curry or Terrifier 2. Just saw 1408 recently and it slapped (the original ending is better, director’s cut is poverty).
You’ve been a YouTube star and now you’re a business owner. What are your future plans? Do you have any long term goals?
Currently picking up my bass more often, my objective is to start hammering out some bass covers this year. Long term I want to go on the road with Glaze with as many bands as we can, being on the road with Exodus twice this past year since starting THRASHED has certainly been a sick start. I want to continue doing memorable merch drops with hats, shirts, jerseys and more collabs with rad artists.
It's a beautiful day to find some posers to dispose of...
Your last few videos on your channel, THRASHEDTV, talks about you going on tour with Exodus. How did this even happen? When meeting big names in the metal community does it ever psych you out? Have you ever geeked out meeting someone?
So Gary Holt has been following me since 2019 & is a fan of the content hahaha. When they weren’t able to get their merch vendor over the border I got wind of it from a friend of mine in the industry & they took me out fall 2022. Then when they came back through with Anthrax/Black Label Gary just texted me asking if I wanted to go out on the road with them again. The first run with Exodus when one of the band mates would be explaining something to me about setting up my table I’d have to check the fandom at the door and just focus on being a contributing crew member. All the Exodus dudes are rad as fuck, and the more people you meet in metal the more you realize they’re just normal dudes who have to shit as soon as they wake up on tour. The only time I geeked out was when I was 18 and met Dez from DevilDriver for the Metal Alliance tour 2012 VIP. At the time I needed a fake ID just to get in & I was a huge fan of DevilDriver (I eventually fell off around 2015-16ish). I fully body checked my buddy out of the way I was with who said “I’m gonna meet him first” followed by the most awkward voice crack of my young adult life at the time.
Is there anyone you haven’t gotten to meet that you really want to?
Auston Matthews (Papi).
When coming up with new content, do you take the time to write ‘scripts’ or do you improvise as you go? If you do write, what does that writing process look like?
I’m moreso of an improve kinda guy, I’ll think about what I want to say/how I want to deliver it leading up to shooting with some notes but other than that I speak off the cuff. These days it’s Glaze & I bouncing ideas off each other over messenger and figuring out what we wanna do on a given weekend.
What would you say it takes to become a successful influencer?
Be honest with your audience, don’t lead people on, be transparent with the good and the bad in your life.
Heavy Metal, Hockey, and Beers
How do think the metal scene is now? Do you think we are entering a new golden era or do you feel that metal is on the decline? What do you think it’ll take to get us to a golden era?
I’ve had this conversation a few times recently. On a bigger scale: as someone living in Canada, post COVID I’ve noticed a significant decline in the number of tours that pass through here. Especially with inflation it’s not getting any easier. I gotta say, as cringe as some of the headliners may have been for the latter Mayhem or Summer Slaughter Festivals, the fact that there’s no touring festival circuit any longer severely impacts the scene. With bands like Slayer calling it quits, or even Alexi Laiho’s passing/the end of Bodom I notice there aren’t as many bigger headliners/shows as when I was younger. With all that being said, I truly believe we are living in the best era of music and metal. I think the industry is going through growing pains right now, but it also falls into its own traps with having shit legacy bands that won’t get off the stage to make way for the next generation of bands out there. My biggest concern is in 10-15 years there’s no way we’ll have: Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, or Metallica doing arena tours. Outside of them, I don’t see any other metal bands that can capture arenas/stadiums like the aforementioned. INB4 “bUt gHoSt,” they’re still not metal. Cope.
Who is your biggest inspiration when you are working on your projects?
My early “Chris Thrash” character, the “perpetually drunk/angry at the world persona” is an amalgamation of: Ricky from Trailer Park Boys, a bit of George Costanza angry, and a bit of drunk and on drugs hahaha. In terms of comedy I’m a huge Larry David fan, It’s Always Sunny, or any stoner esque comedy like “I Think You Should Leave” or peak adult swim back in the day at 4 am.
When running your merch company, are there any obstacles that you’ve run into that you didn’t expect from the top? What skills do you think you need to have to run a business like this?
Budgeting. Whenever you start a business you need: land, labor, or capital. For the type of content I do I can set up wherever, work my own hours, but even with merch sales you’re constantly putting money into it. I started THRASHED out of necessity during the pandemic, if I could offer any piece of advice save up as much as you can. I honestly think if you’ve ever been in a band, sold merch, or goddamn drugs you can learn more about business that degree. And that’s coming from someone with an undergrad and a post grad, the best life lessons are out there for you to live.
Who would win in a battle to the death, Michael Myers or Leatherface?
Tie Domi cold clocks both of them while Terrance Hobbs tags their respective wives.
Chris The Thrash God
What do you think is the future of metal? Do you have any fear that a new sound will be adopted and called ‘metal’ and popularized, or do you think that metal will continue refining its current sound?
I’m confident in the new waive of bands coming, be it: trad, death metal, thrash, power metal. I don’t fear metal being stolen by the mainstream, if you look at the (mainstream) music industry & normies interests people don’t have the same respect for instruments/bands like they did in the “glory days” of the 80’s or 90’s.
What do you think about artists, such as rappers or electronic music, that make merch that resembles metal merch?
Objectively, as someone who is an avid metalhead it looks goofy as fuck. By the same token, you can’t help but admire the fact that metal has become such an iconic look & culture that normies want to tear off a piece of it for themselves.
To people who look up to you and are inspired, what are some parting words of inspiration that you can offer them?
Stay true to your authentic self, open yourself up to new experiences in life, don’t be afraid to immerse yourself in other music/interests, everything compliments one another. Deathcore sucks, no karate in the pit, and keep the spirit alive. Smoke trees and get drunk in parking lots with your friends too.
To stay up to date with Chris by clicking the listed links: Cameo, Chris Thrash Instagram, Chris Thrash Twitter, Chris Thrash Facebook, Official Thrashed Website, ThrashedTV YouTube Channel, Thrashed TV on Instagram, Thrashed Shop on Facebook, Thrashed Shop on Twitter, and ThrashedTV on Twitch.
