Photo by Frances Koehn 

Among the resilient field of bands to find their footing post-pandemic, Oklahoma aggressors Peeling Flesh have maintained an upward trajectory since their 2021 start and have never looked back. 

Navigating the rigors of being a touring band, the collective had a important leg up on the competition in that they operated with a level of self-assuredness that most younger artists don't start with - they have to discover. For the guys in Peeling Flesh, the aim was always singular - groove-heavy slam done Sooner style - anything else was just a bonus.  

To quote the great Andre 3000, "Spaceships, don't come equipped with rearview mirrors, they dip..." And such was the case for Peeling Flesh. Operating with no expectations other than to ride hard for their Oklahoman-brand of slam, the band quickly earned the allegiance of their home base. What seemed to take the band by surprise is how effective their brand of heft would be outside of their immediate periphery.

Fusing the bravado of hip hop with the extremity of death metal, the wallop of slam and the diligence of hardcore, the band earned solid buzz by the time their PF Radio EP dropped in 2023. All of two years in, name and the credentials where already well-respected and Peeling Flesh was quickly ascending from regional heroes to genre firebrand. 

The arrival of 2024's The G Code was the kind of debut album that left no doubt. Fueled by the hellacious, guttural spit of Damonteal Harris, the band's competent balance of technicality and sonic devastation wasn't just brutal - it had swag. The Oklahoma collective had built something that was both heavy and stylish simultaneously. 

From the wide array of samples that paid homage to hip hop royalty and cult cinema iconography, to the arsenal of blast beats, breakdowns and locomotive-like groove, Peeling Flesh was the band that slotted perfectly among the death metal traditionalists, hardcore purists and hip-hop fanatics. 

Set to unleash their sophomore, self-titled album later this month, the band on the brink of breakout success in the world of extreme music are taking inventory of just how far they have come. Setting out only to shine a light on Oklahoman-built slam, the band will readily admit that their success wasn't anything they could have anticipated, but it is something they are especially grateful for. 

Speaking with vocalist Damonteal Harris, the frontman discussed how their Oklahoma roots are crucial to their foundation as a band. He also weighed in on the surreality of performing on massive festival stages, the common stylistic ground between slam and hip hop and how Peeling Flesh is of the school of "If you stay ready, you ain't got to get ready..." 

We should probably start here. You got a pretty legendary co-sign from punk icon Keith Morris. What kind of stock do you put into things like that? 

Damonteal Harris - It means the world to us. We heard about it at sound and fury and we wanted to chat it up with him but he couldn't find him.

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When it comes to Peeling Flesh, what comes first the sample or the song? 

DH - A little bit of both. But it's mainly the song that comes first. We just have a lot of samples up our sleeves that we've been waiting to use for ages.

Considering how relentless the band has been on the road, how difficult was it to work on new music and still keep such a strong pace on tour? 

DH - We have the most insane backlog of songs and that definitely helps. Our group chat is full of hundreds of demos. Being on the road with amazing bands always inspires us to go home and write. So there's never any moment where we're not thinking about writing.

Sanguisugabogg, Missing Link, Extermination Dismemberment - did you have an idea of who you wanted to collab with when building these songs even before it all came together?

DH - Absolutely! When we're writing we for the most part know exactly who we hear on that exact part. Then we send it off and they kill it way beyond our expectations. Shoutout to everyone who laid down a part on the album. They all went crazy

The success of Peeling Flesh has been upward from the jump. Did you anticipate this kind reception coming out of the pandemic? 

DH - We didn't expect ANY of this. We all just sit down and said "we want to start a slam band" and it evolved into this. Extremely grateful but this was never the plan. I'm very happy with how it turned out though. I'm still in awe that so many people dig what me and the guys do.

Over the last couple of years especially, what has been the “oh shit” kind of moment where you have been forced to recognize how far the band has come? 

DH - Honestly every single show gives me that oh shit moment. I'm just happy to be here. We've been playing a lot of HUGE fest lately and it always blows my mind that we do absolutely amazing at those kind of things. Fest people please keep throwing us on these insane fests.

You have mentioned previously how hip hop and slam have parallels. What are those for you? Is it more about attitude, swagger? 

DH - Yes. But the most important is the groove. They both blend and mesh so well because of the groove and rhythm and it's how we do what we do when it comes to song structure. The groove between both is literally cohesive. They go hand in hand.

Oklahoma isn’t necessarily the first place you think of when it comes to extreme music but how important is home when it comes to the identity and integrity of PeelingFlesh? 

DH - We're nothing without our Oklahoman friends and family. If it wasn't for our very first show at Mass Movement Community Arts I honestly don't even know where we would be.

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The self-titled release from Peeling Flesh arrives November 27th via Unique Leader Records. Order the album - HERE

The band will also ride out on a European run of tour dates to kick off 2027. The trek will feature support from Snuffed On Sight, Corpse Pile and Girl of Glass. See a list of confirmed dates and cities below.