NARROWSBURG, NY — Brotality, the metal band with deep local roots, is marking this year with a number of milestones: a new EP, a 19-city tour that kicks off on July 9 (not to mention a June 14 performance at the Kingdom Come Festival in Greentown, IN)—and two college graduations.

Brothers Bryce (guitar/vocals) and Reece (bass/vocals) Maopolski and their friend John Haring (drums) are ready for a summer of music. And Bryce and John are contemplating the next stage of their lives.

“After four years of grinding out schoolwork while GRINDING out riffs and nasty grooves, they’re ready to throw their diplomas in the trash and pursue their impossible dreams of becoming lifelong musicians,” the band posted on Instagram. 

“All jokes aside, we are so stoked for the next chapter of Brotality as we aim to hit the road harder than ever before,” they added. “Bryce and John have made SO many awesome memories and learned a ton over these past few years.” Bryce graduated from SUNY Oneonta and John from SUNY New Paltz. 

First on the summer’s agenda is the Kingdom Come Festival, and that’s followed up by the release of “It Feeds” on Friday, June 28. The EP is composed of five songs, three of which (“It Feeds,” “Black Abandon” and “Cryptic Worship”) are out there now, waiting to be streamed wherever you do that. 

And then they’re touring, crisscrossing the Midwest and stopping at Arkansas and Virginia before heading back to Scranton, PA (August 3) and Oneonta (August 4). 

Heady times for a band that’s young-of-age. But talk to them and you hear the serious message behind the riffs.

“In all of our lyrics, I aim to convey a message of hope despite the overwhelming darkness of the world,” said Reece. “People tend to assume that all metal is steeped in darkness and evil imagery. We’ve found that this is false more often than not, and we’ve seen genuine compassion and love expressed within the metal community.”

The metal Brotality plays tears up the stereotype and dumps it in the trash. 

“Every night from the stage we share a message of hope and love, telling people that God loves them unconditionally,” Reece said. “We’ve watched people across the country connect with our message and share their own stories, because they are seeking compassion from someone.”

If you check out their Facebook page, scroll down to the video posted in the morning on May 23. The guys are playing… lecture halls. In college. (Was that a professor applauding? I couldn’t tell.) Bryce is prowling the tables and their fellow students are recording and yelling. There’s a lot of loud sound, because it’s metal well played, and the band is obviously having a great time along with the audience. 

Several of their videos are filmed at the Armory in Oneonta, taking full advantage of the dark creepiness. Check out the video for “It Feeds,” filmed in the armory’s puppet room. “It’s one of many awesome rooms” there, Reece said. He thanked their friend Kaler Carpenter, the head of youth center Club Odyssey, who arranged it. (The puppet room, because of course you’re wondering, stores floats for the town’s parades.) 

For a band that has juggled school and their love of music, the guys have a track record: two EPs, two albums and a lot of singles, as well as plenty of awards. Already.

Inspiration? Classic metal such as Metallica, Ozzy Osborne, Megadeth and Pantera, Reece said. Modern bands too (see if you can spot the influences in the music) and “completely non-metal artists,” he added. “We love to blend these old and new inspirations as much as possible,” creating a unique sound. 

Metal fans old and new will have plenty of chances to hear them. The tour (see the full schedule on Instagram @brotalityband) hits states from Ohio to Arkansas, New York to Nebraska.

Bryce, Reece and John are obviously having a fantastic time but as with a lot of metal, there’s that serious side too. “Being able to offer a glimpse of the hope that we have found individually has been the most beautiful part of our journey as musicians,” Reece said.

Find Brotality on your favorite streaming platforms, on YouTube @brotality6217, on Rottweiler Records’ YouTube channel and on social media at www.brotalityband.