Spirit Bomb Riffs & Blood-Spattered Truth - Gareth Gras on Tone, Chaos & the Ormsby Connection

The Australian guitarist and producer turns raw honesty into high-gain alchemy, one blood-spattered riff at a time.

“I guess you could say I have been a Metalhead my whole life,” says Gareth Gras, the Australian guitarist, producer, and driving force behind his solo work and Johnny Roadkill. His introduction to metal came early, growing up in a home soundtracked by Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. But everything changed at 15, when a friend handed him a burnt CD filled with Carcass, Death, Bolt Thrower, and Morbid Angel. “Not long after I started going to local shows and was hooked.”

His musical upbringing was as eclectic as it was electric. “Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Mars Volta, Jimi Hendrix, Carcass, Morbid Angel, Nevermore, John Frusciante, Jeff Loomis, Paul Gilbert,” he rattles off — a list that explains a playing style equal parts groove, grit, and virtuosity.

Gareth's first guitar came out of necessity. “As a Lefty guitars were hard to come by especially with next to no budget,” he remembers. “My parents got me the cheapest nylon string at the store when I first showed interest by doing music class at high school.” Later, a beat-up Samick Strat from a friend’s garage became his companion. “I am so glad I kept that thing, so much nostalgia. I keep it in playing order and even did my first re-fret job on it last year.”

These days, the tools are sharper — and louder. “Depending on the song/tuning it's usually my Ormsby Custom shop SX Floyd Rose or my Run 8 Copper Top SX. Both are incredibly comfortable to play, versatile and can get whatever sound I need without much tweaking.” When asked to sum up his tone, he doesn’t hesitate: “Tight high gain with solid dose of nastiness.”

Tone, for Gareth, begins in the player. “You can't get a good sound from a player who doesn't express themselves and really throw their personal feel into the song. Having said that you also can't make a crappy guitar sound great,” he says. “Nothing will beat someone who means it with a solid tool for crafting their art.”

His songwriting process is fluid, chaotic, and honest. “I usually hit record and noodle around until something sticks out and build from there,” he admits. “Sometimes I will just have an entire song idea pop into my head and have to sing it into my phone before it disappears into the ether.” But he thrives in collaboration: “I am best at working with someone to flesh out an idea into a complete song.”

Tuning? “I wouldn't say it defines my sound but my go to is Eb Standard/Drop C# with a bunch of legato.”

The Ormsby relationship goes deep — all the way back to his dream build. “Designing my dream guitar is how I first got in contact with Ormsby,” he recalls. “It would essentially be the same as my custom shop SX Floyd Rose but maybe without the Blood spatter writing on the back. Then again everyone loves a good Genital Grinding...”

Live, Gareth is all feel. “I try to switch my brain off from the real world and focus on checking my gear is setup correctly,” he says. “I find the more you think about what you are doing the worse you play. Instead I try to focus on feeling the performance and engaging the crowd.” His most memorable show? “Probably opening for Wednesday 13 back in 2018. It's not every day you get to share a stage with a band who's logo is tattooed on you.”

But behind the adrenaline is a sobering reality. “Playing is the fun and easy part,” he says. “What you are really paying for is all the trouble it takes to put a show together.”

When the crowd is right, Gareth transforms. “A good crowd is like a source of unlimited power,” he explains. “If the crowd is into it, I feel like I can play beyond my abilities without even trying. It brings out this flow state where I am playing at my best but I feel like a spectator, it's almost automatic. Like Goku from DBZ doing a spirit bomb — the more people give, the bigger it gets and the more I can give back.”

And as for chaos on the road? “One time I was filling in for a band because a member had been arrested a few days before,” he says. “By the end of the night the promoter had cancelled the entire show — three bands into a nine band line-up. So of course we all went on a pub crawl that eventually ended in the singer getting arrested for ‘inciting a riot.’”

Beyond the riffs and stage smoke, Gareth sees metal as something deeper. “Community, Acceptance, Camaraderie,” he says. “I know no matter where I am in the world if there are a bunch of Metalheads around we can all hang out without knowing each other before.”

The balance between shred and soul? Simple. “Practice,” he says. “If you have the muscle memory down for the technical elements, you can feel confident in your ability and focus on the show concentrating on feeling in the moment.”

When asked how he sees himself, Gareth doesn’t split hairs. “I believe everyone is an artist and storyteller, they just need to find the right medium to express themselves and let it happen. Music has always been my medium, a way of communicating that transcends language. What more could you ask for?”

And when creativity stalls? “Purpose and deadlines,” he says. “I find writing with a project/artist in mind helps me narrow down the plethora of options avoiding option paralysis.”

Gareth doesn’t entertain Plan B. “Not to get too cheesy and morbid but I have no idea. I am not sure I would still be around; music quite literally gave me something to live for.”

His message? “It’s ok to think for yourself and embrace being different.” His goal? “Excited, Energized.” His advice? “Learn as much as you can about the business side, be easy to work with and never talk shit on anyone.” His vision of the future of metal? “Honestly, I have no idea and that is exciting.” What’s next? “At the moment I am flat out Producing, Mixing and Mastering for other artists but who knows when inspiration could strike and more of my own music could be released.”

Gear Rundown:

Ormsby Custom Shop SX Floyd Rose

Ormsby Run 8 SX Copper Top

Ormsby Run 2 TX Chameleon

Ormsby Run 1 Hype 7 string Violent Crumble

Amps: EVH - 5150 MKIII 100W (with Bias mod by Phoenix Custom) Ceriatone - King Kong 50w (self built from kit)

Effects/Plugins: Phoenix Custom Sun King, self modded MXR phase 90, self modded Buddah Wah, DIY Overdrive