Nate Yarrow, the dynamic frontman of Hamilton, Ontario's Zero Tolerance, is leading a new generation of thrash metal. Formed in 2022, the band quickly turned heads with their ferocious debut EP, Tender Is the Flesh. In this interview, Nate delves into the band's beginnings, influences, and creative journey.
Serial Metalbums: Could you introduce Zero Tolerance to the readers of my blog and share how the band came together? What was the initial motivation behind forming the band, and how have your personal experiences shaped your musical journey so far?
Zero Tolerance: We are a Thrash Metal band from Hamilton, Ontario. We formed in 2022. Our frontman Nate and drummer Eon both started learning their instruments in summer of 2021. After jamming together for a while we decided to form a band. That’s when Eon asked his sister Eve to join for rhythm guitar. We went through a few bassist until finding Evan who went to our shows before he joined the band. Our personal experiences have greatly shaped the band. First off, Eon and Eve’s dad (Metal Dave) is a metal guitarist who used to play in metal bands in the late 80’s early 90’s. The one he was in for a while was Dogs with Jobs and he was on their second album. This has both shaped Eon and Eve’s musical knowledge. Nate’s dad has been a drummer for around 40 years and was his influence into rock and some metal classics. Evans' dad was also a drummer and he played for hardcore bands in the 90’s.
Serial Metalbums: The name "Zero Tolerance" evokes a strong attitude or philosophy. Why did you choose this name for the band? Does it represent a specific statement, a cultural reference, or simply an idea that resonated with your artistic vision?
Zero Tolerance: We really like what we can do with the band name. It does limit us into the cliche metal category by using something that involves common metal stereotypes and themes. It was more so an idea that resonated with us and we also took some inspiration from Death’s song: Zero Tolerance.
Serial Metalbums: How would you describe your musical style to someone who hasn’t heard your music yet? Which artists, albums, or movements have had the biggest influence on your sound and artistic approach?
Zero Tolerance: Our musical style is simple. Thrash metal. Pure raging thrash. If you like anything fast then we are the band you’re looking for. Some artists that we take inspiration from are; Death, Sepultura Kreator, Destruction, Sodom etc. So far our biggest influences on the Tender is the Flesh EP was definitely Death and Sepultura. Our brand new single Death by Thrash tailors to more of a speed metal sound like early Kreator or Exciter.
Serial Metalbums: Your debut EP, Tender Is the Flesh, was released in 2024 and marks an exciting milestone for the band. What was the main concept or ideas behind this EP? Did you have a specific theme in mind from the beginning, or was it something that naturally developed during the writing process? And can you talk us about the process of recording this EP?
Zero Tolerance: The main concept behind this EP was the title track. The song was about a couple who owned a morgue. The story about them was they would take out the organs from the deceased and sell them illegally. This sparked an idea that our guitarist Eve had for the cover. She thought it would be cool to have the table like a body going into the morgue with a creature looking over it (hence the eyes you see behind the bars). The EP does flow nicely as we use similar notes throughout it. The recording process of this EP was a big learning experience and was a lot of fun. We recorded this DIY at Metal Daves studio. We tracked drums over christmas of 2023, and didn’t get to guitars until months later as all our schedules were super busy with school. It was also a big learning experience as it really showed us how every small mistake does matter and can be noticed.
Serial Metalbums: Since the release of Tender Is the Flesh, what kind of feedback have you received from fans and fanzine? Have there been any surprising comments or ones that confirmed something you wanted to express through your music?
Zero Tolerance: We have gotten nothing but amazing feedback from everyone. People loved the songs, and especially the artwork. Currently our song Written to Die has blown up and has over 5.4K streams on Spotify which to us is an achievement in itself. A lot of the comments we get that relate to our music is “just keep doing it” which is exactly what we plan on doing. We have no vision to stop what we are doing.
Serial Metalbums: Now that a new single Death by Thrash has been released, are you already thinking about your next musical projects? Are there any ideas or stylistic directions you’d like to explore for a future album or EP?
Zero Tolerance: We have been thinking about our next musical project before Death by Thrash was even released. Our next musical direction is definitely better material than anything we’ve put out so far. We are super excited to get our album going and released to you all sometime in the future.
Serial Metalbums: If you had the opportunity to collaborate with any artist or band that inspires you, regardless of their genre or fame, who would it be and why? Do you think such a collaboration could enrich your sound or open up new creative possibilities?
Zero Tolerance: As a band, we would choose to collaborate with Gary Holt from Exodus. Being that he is a great rhythm and lead player, this would open up ideas to different riffs and solos we would probably not think of. Even to have his advice in the studio would be crucial. He has the mindset and has lived through the early thrash movement which would give us great insight into how to write an amazing album. Thank you for reaching out to us with these amazing questions!