Ready to ‘Destroy’: An Interview with Brett Walker of Kaupe
By Staff on October 16, 2025
Ready to ‘Destroy’: An Interview
with Brett Walker of Kaupe
By Justin Smulison
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Interviewing Brett Walker from Kaupe ahead of their upcoming album Destroyer of Worlds was
a long time coming. I was already captivated by the band’s independently released previous
record, 2021’s Cognitive Dissonance, which fused punishing grooves with synth-driven
atmosphere. So hearing that Destroyer of Worlds – which will be released Oct. 18 on digital and
physical formats via Morbid Subculture – would push even further into that cinematic, genre-
bending space had my attention.
This isn’t just another heavy record—it’s a bold evolution. For the first time, Kaupe introduces
vocals and sample art into their dystopian soundscape, featuring collaborators like Scott
Angelacos, Matt Decker, and Viewer Discretion. Brett described how this new approach doesn’t
dilute the instrumental identity of the band but rather expands it, turning sound into
storytelling on a whole new scale.
As you will hear in the interview, tracks like “Unresolved Trauma” and “All That Is Left Is Sin,”
embody what I’ve always admired about Kaupe: their ability to make complex arrangements
feel alive, cinematic, and strangely human. The title track alone—with its shifting time
signatures and sense of apocalyptic grandeur—sounds like a machine uprising set to music.
I had a blast speaking with with Brett about how these songs came together and how the
lineup’s consistency from the prior record fueled a strong step forward for this quartet.
They also have two shows coming up to celebrate Destroyer’s release, so if you are in Florida,
head over to The Atlantic in Gainesville on Oct. 18 and Will’s Pub in Orlando on Nov. 1. Tell
them you heard clips of the album here at RadioRadioX.
KAUPE:
Brett Walker – Guitar
Marc Larabel – Drums
Pete Medrano – Bass
Patrick Ross – Keys
Connect with KAUPE:
Bandcamp: https://kaupe.bandcamp.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KaupeBand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaupeband/
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@kaupeband7490
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6Pl9nD4kJTHY0vIeSrZsKC?si=Ec213tffRqucNP0bmr
1hQg
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/kaupe/1437836230
RadioRadioX