[ 30,322 views ]

Keir Gilchrist

Whelm

Phalanx

If you've watched the Netflix series,, it may interest you to know that the star of the show isn't just a successful actor--he also fronts two different extreme metal bands.On coming-of-age 'dramedy'plays Sam Gardner, an 18-year-old on the autism spectrum struggling with the challenges of becoming an independent adult. Now in its third season, the show also features veteran actors Jennifer Jason Leigh and Michael Rapaport as Gardner's parents.In real life, English-born Canadian Gilchrist is the vocalist of crusty grindcore outfit, as well as death metal unit. According to a new feature on Bandcamp , Gilchrist is relatively new to the frontman role. His potential was spotted by Whelm guitarist and vocalist Sean "Lord Spew" Glaze, who met Gilchrist at a barbecue and theorized that his "natural charisma and background as an actor" would yield dividends both on stage and in the studio."We started jokingly calling Whelm 'pop grind,'" says Glaze. "We are focusing on trying to write catchy parts—catchy choruses in the middle of chaos."Eventually, Gilchrist added to his résumé by helping form Los Angeles death metal quartet Phalanx. "Phalanx, from the beginning, has sort of had like a trudging/marching [thing]: like an army marching through a swamp of dead people," Gilchrist tells Bandcamp.Perhaps the biggest challenge for Gilchrist thus far has been keeping his body free of mosh pit injuries for his TV role. Showing up on set hoarse and with a black eye (as he once did following a Full of Hell show) is not a highly regarded approach for aspiring actors.Check out the full feature on Bandcamp , and be sure to sample both bands. Oh, and maybe tune into