Localized: Alghoul

With heavy doom from SWARMER and blackened thrash from Alghoul, plus a healthy dose of metalcore from opener Distant Lands, the October edition of SLUG Localized is not for the faint of heart. Monday, October 20 at Urban Lounge will be a chaotic night of growls and riffs starting at 8 p.m. Sponsored by Riso-Geist and Helper Beer, the show costs just $5 for entry. Get your tickets here!

Rising from the depths of the dark, brutalistic crypts of classic metal subgenres stirs an amalgamation of thrash and black metal — the legendary local band Alghoul. Formed in 2021, Alghoul launched their musical career with unparalleled speed and motivation through a blurred series of songwriting and demo-dropping via cassette tapes. “We combined the aggression of thrash and the dark side of black metal to give it a cool, sharp edge,” says lead singer Jake Vancil.

Naming their band after the infamous and feared monstrosity from The Witcher series, Alghoul mirrors their intensity through melodious chaos. “Our music is very dark, with a hungry and ferocious feel to it. That creature is a good representation of what the band is,” Vancil says.

“We combined the aggression of thrash and the dark side of black metal to give it a cool, sharp edge.”

“It invokes European folklore, imagery and nomenclature,” says drummer Derrik Schroeder.

With fierce chaos ensued fierce drive. Within the first year of their formation, Alghoul performed in Salt City Nights at Aces High Saloon. “It was awesome. We had a really good turnout. There were a lot of people getting into the music, getting rowdy in the crowd, buying a lot of our merchandise. There was a really good response from everyone, so it was a good start for us,” Vancil says.

Shortly after their first show, Alghoul journeyed on a week-long tour, visiting surrounding states like Oregon, California and Nevada. “We jumped on a tour with a band called Gravewitch based out of Oregon. They messaged us saying they’re a similar band to us and would like to have us join their tour,” Vancil says.

One cracked radiator in the tour van and a $9 bottle of J-B Weld later, Alghoul returned home and performed with various local bands like Bonestorm, Acid Hologram and Chasmlurk in shows like Prikfest — becoming a staple of their genre in the Utah metal scene.

“I always had an infatuation with guitar and would daydream about playing it and was about 13 when I got one.”

“Coming to Utah and joining the metal scene here has been awesome,” says rhythm guitarist Tryygon, having moved from New Mexico.

“I never listened to metal growing up,” says lead guitarist Jeremy Dukes. “I listened to classical music and played first chair for trumpet in my adolescence. I always had an infatuation with guitar and would daydream about playing it and was about 13 when I got one. I worked at a bakery as a teen and one of my coworkers lent me the discography of Megadeth. It changed my life. I went and bought a Jackson King V and it made me want to play faster and heavier because it filled a void that I didn’t know was missing.”

Focusing on releasing an album and new incense scent for the winter, Alghoul aims to venture on another tour to different states in 2026 (with radiator intact). They hope to get into a festival like Hell’s Heroes in Texas. “There are going to be a lot of failed attempts and empty venues,” Vancil says. “You’ve got to think about what you’re trying to get out of it. The satisfaction I get from performing is almost like a drug to me. I get on stage and it’s like the weight of everything in life is just released. I like to give everyone a memorable time.”

From being theater kids, first-chair trumpeters, playing around with drumsticks or being influenced by commercials, the members of Alghoul hail from numerous backgrounds while sharing a common theme — an undying passion for their musical career.

“Passion is everything,” Tryygon says. “If you believe what you’re doing and you believe in the music and you believe in the people, it doesn’t matter how big you get because there’s always going to be somebody who loves what you do — and that’s success already.”

Follow Alghoul on Instagram for the latest updates on shows and new releases at @alghoulmetal.

Read more from past Localized features:
L0calized: DJ VI:BRA
Localized: Kirk Dath Band