Megaton Communion are a Cleveland heavy rock trio: Derrick on guitar, Joe on bass and vocals, and Ken Gosselin on drums. Their album Three of Cups, released on September 11 through Black Doomba Records, was recorded with Curran Murphy at Custom Audio Mutation Studio and opens with “Evil Speak.” Built around friendship, resilience and growth, it ties the heavy music of their home city to the sound of desert and stoner rock.
The record also follows a change in the band itself, with Ken taking over the drum seat. Below, Megaton Communion talk about how that change shaped the album’s title, the amplifiers and studio choices behind its tone, how a three-piece shares the groove, and why Cleveland’s hard seasons still echo in their riffs.
EV: Why did Three of Cups become the right title for a record built around friendship, resilience and growth?
Megaton Communion: The band had gone through a lineup change with Ryan leaving the band and Ken taking over on drums. The bond that was created in the wake of the change was strong and inspiring. Three of Cups seemed like the perfect title.
EV: Which experience first turned those ideas from general themes into an actual song for this album?
Megaton Communion: I think we’ve all experienced relationships that fell apart,whether personal or business. There always seems to be some sort of fallout from it. There’s also our current social and economic struggles in everyday life that are weighing us down. Despite the negatives, I do believe there are positives that we can gravitate to and find hope and happiness. I think this carries over on the album
EV: “Evil Speak” introduces the record. What does it reveal about Three of Cups, and what does it deliberately leave out?
Megaton Communion: It reveals that the record is going to take you on an emotional and musical journey. It leaves out some of the elements of the story in the lyrical content and allows the listener to relate to the song in their own way through their own experiences.
EV: What did Curran Murphy bring to the sessions at Custom Audio Mutation Studio that changed the direction of a song?
Megaton Communion: Curran Murphy is a very knowledgeable and charismatic person. His energy is very contagious and that definitely carried over to the album. There were four different amplifiers used for the guitars on this album: a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier,Soldano SLO, Fender Pro Sonic and Marshall vintage modern . The bass cabs were housed in a moving blanket tent and the drums had a wall built encompassing them to help create the tone of the album. The echo effect on “Evil Speak” before the breakdown was something Curran thought should be added.
EV: How do Derrick’s guitar, Joe’s bass and vocals, and Ken Gosselin’s drums divide responsibility for the groove in a three-piece?
Megaton Communion: This was something we developed early on. The key for us is not pushing too much gain on the bass and guitar. It allows everything to be articulate and breath. Add pounding technical drums and clean vocals and you get our signature sound.
EV: When a riff is especially heavy, how do you decide how much melodic space the vocal still needs?
Megaton Communion: This is a trial and error process. We may play a song a certain way in rehearsal for a couple of months and decide that something needs to be changed, maybe a riff is wearing out its welcome and needs less repeating or the vocals seem rushed. We all provide the input for that.
EV: The campaign connects Cleveland heavy rock with desert and stoner rock. Where does your home city enter a sound often associated with a very different landscape?
Megaton Communion: The Cleveland heavy music scene has been thriving for decades. It’s a hard working blue collar town that gets its fair share of harsh seasonal changes. We wear that like a badge of honor. I believe our rugged and resilient attitudes carry over into the sonic riffs that reverberate over Lake Erie. The people in Cleveland are amazing as well. They definitely inspire us to do our best.
EV: What did the years of collaboration before this album teach you about disagreeing productively in the studio?
Megaton Communion: We all get along very well. Every member is humble and respectful but very capable of delivering a heavy ball busting. We all take that very well too. It really makes this whole process a fun journey.
EV: How did working with Black Doomba Records affect the way you prepared this release for listeners?
Megaton Communion: Tommy is a very intelligent and organized business man. He put together the marketing campaign, staging the steps up to release. It started with the title release,then album art and followed with video singles prior to pre-order. He promotes very well and puts a ton of work into Black Doomba. We’re grateful for everything he does.
EV: Now that the September 11 release date has passed, what part of the album’s story has changed through listeners’ responses, and what comes next?
Megaton Communion: I think the album is staying the course the way we intended. It seems to be reaching a wide range of audiences,which is great. Next is tour dates for 2027 and we’ll have something special happening this winter. That announcement will come later. We look forward to seeing everyone on the road. Cheers and rock on!
Three of Cups is out now on Black Doomba Records and available on Bandcamp. With tour dates planned for 2027 and an announcement promised for this winter, follow Megaton Communion on Exposed Vocals for what comes next.
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