FIRE IT UP – THUNDEROR
Art: Daniel Porta
Bio: Thunderor is an 80s-infused heavy metal band formed in 2020 by Skull Fist band members JJ Tartaglia and Jonny Nesta, plus Oscar Rangel (ex-Annihilator) on bass. Together they deliver hook-driven anthems to the calibre that has come to be expected by a Canadian power trio. Since 2019, drummer JJ Tartaglia has felt a calling that grew stronger daily. Being a member of several prominent metal bands over the last decade, the time had come to take his quest even further. He would share a vision, feeling, and message he could deliver only with his voice. Fueled by his passion for adventure, JJ began to work on drum arrangements and piano pieces that would become the skeletons of the Thunderor songs. Fall of 2021 would see the release of the 1st single ‘How we Roll’, immediately garnering a worldwide audience. The debut album ‘Fire it Up’ was released on February 25, 2022, charting at #1 on Earshot’s National Loud Chart in Canada. The band has toured throughout Canada, Europe and Mexico, supporting major acts such as Airbourne, UDO, and more. If you’ve ever felt a longing for escape, a thirst for adventure wrapped in romance and danger, allow Thunderor to be your soundtrack.
The lyrics are my actual attitude towards life. I never thought about whether it should be retro or anything like that. It’s about conveying emotions, the foremost being longing for adventure. I’ve felt that my entire life and still do to this day. Just the need to “get out there”. Like there is a lifetime of adventure waiting in every passing moment, you need to seize it. Romance, danger, friends, dreams. It’s all just there waiting for you. Some Skull Fist-inspired lyrics are hidden there, too; maybe some die-hards will notice. Also, a lot of Bruce Springsteen; I didn’t realise how much of an impact his lyrics had on me until I wrote the lyrics myself.
We’re still experimenting with our writing process; we like to jam stuff out. So for the songs Jonny and I write together, we do jams and record them. After that, I’ll listen back, pick things out, and piece them together. But we also write stuff on our own and then collaborate after, especially in different parts of the world, like this winter.
The Razor’s Edge by AC/DC was the beginning for me. That album drew me to heavier music when I was young. My parents would refer to Brian Johnson as “the singer with the sore throat”. But we all enjoyed it, and it changed my life for me. After that, I explored my Dad’s cassette collection Metallica, Pantera, Morbid Angel, and Death. My early heroes were Angus Young, Chris Slade, and Vinnie Paul.
I like having a clear head; generally, it’s more just getting the momentum going. Sometimes I can sit there for a long time and just nothing but roadblocks. So it’s all about getting on a role for me. I gotta say Trevor from Haunt has just been crushing it for years now, with his writing and production all on his own and releasing a crazy amount of material in a short time. That’s super inspiring for me. Also, Jarvis from Night Demon, not only for creativity but also his drive and business sense and what he’s contributing to the scene, it’s super cool and motivates me.
Rhythm is the language of the heart, and music is the language of the soul to me. It is more of a spiritual thing. To play music is to share emotions with the listeners; at least, that’s what I aim to do when I play.
https://Thunderor.bandcamp.com
