Doomed Confessionary: Cameron Kellenberger (Carbellion)
Carbellion is a five-piece heavy rock band hailing from Caledonia, Wisconsin.
Heavy rock and roll is born of something you can’t put into words. It’s the greasy dirt found under a mechanic’s fingernails as they finish the last car of the day and the sweat-stained shirt stuck to a blue-collar worker’s back as they grind through their third consecutive twelve-hour shift. It’s the feeling of tearing down an open road late at night with the song that make you feel truly free while the person you love rides shotgun. Rock and roll is a sensation we both chase and earn, and it’s the stories of those living life caught in the in between that Carbellion seeks to reach through their music.
Formed in Southeastern Wisconsin in 2004 with the idea they were better together than apart, the men of Carbellion have been forging an original path in music since day one. The members – Brandon Bauer (guitar), Cameron Kellenberger (vocals), Brent Nimz (drums), Jamie Damrow (lead guitar), Steve Sheppard (bass guitar) – fuse elements of grunge and thrash with a traditional rock structure to deliver driving anthems of lives lived on the outer rim of society.
Their sound follows in the tradition of forward-thinking groups like Clutch and Alice In Chains, but with hooks and melodies ready for radio. Weapons of Choice, Carbellion’s third full-length album, pulls from nearly twenty years of experience to deliver the group’s most compelling release to date. It was released on Eclipse Records / Qumran Records on March 17th, 2023.
Can you say a few words about your band?
Absolutely! We formed Carbellion way back in 2004 thinking that we’d cross over metal heaviness with rock n’ roll riffs and vocal delivery. We’ve been evolving that vision of “American Heavy Rock” ever since.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
Honestly, for so many years it was finding the time run the band at a semi-pro level of commitment while building secondary work careers and starting families. We didn’t get label help for many years and are still self-managed so finding that balance of time has always been a challenge.
What can you be most proud of so far?
There are so many milestones when you look back across our 20 years! A couple stand out… Our first self promoted US tour in 2009, playing the House of Blues Sunset in LA for Live Nation’s 2008 Battle of the Bands finals, having our latest release »Weapons Of Choice« be our most successful record 19 years into the band history, and lastly touring outside of the US for the first time this last June in the UK.
What was your biggest regret?
It’s hard to have regrets when you love what you’re doing as much as we do. I’d say my biggest regret with the band is that we didn’t achieve our full potential earlier on when it was easier to make personal life sacrifices to take it to the next level.
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
That’s really tough. I’ve always considered opening for Motörhead at the Rave in Milwaukee many years ago a high point. I think our last tour in June, the Petrol & Pints UK tour, was our most ambitious. There is likely a few more I’m not remembering easily.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
Probably seeing the rapid shift of digital music formats and media swallow CDs and FM radio. It happened so fast and changed how everything is done. Now everyone has access to everything instantly. There isn’t mystery or discovery of new music and bands the same way that it was. It did level the playing field for new bands to get their music out there for free or a low cost which is good. In the end, nobody is getting paid for having people listen to their music if it isn’t being played live, resulting in a physical sale of a record or t-shirt, or tied to publishing with TV/movies/video games though.
Photo by Sara Hays
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
Here is the list of the most recent music I’ve purchased and have on my iPhone in order from newest to oldest:
• We Three Kings (By Royal Appointment)
• Circle Of Rhinos (A Cursed Lullaby)
• In We Fall (Inner Self)
• Hermano (When The Moon Was High)
• Crobot (Obsidian)
• Big Iron (Tiny Little Pieces)
• Copperworm (Angst)
• Valley Of The Sun (Quintessence)
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
Probably to “Get in the Van” and hone your skills live. Building synergy with the people you are playing with in different live environments gets you communicating musically at a higher level. It makes songwriting easier more organically than just rehearsing. It also gets the name out there to keep new and old fans engaged.
What are your guilty pleasures?
Outside of music, I’d say it’s high quality liquor, hotrods (motorcycles, muscle cars, trucks, etc), and dark humor.
Can you say something more about current music scene in Caledonia / Wisconsin?
It’s kind of weird. Carbellion has been up and down in the Wisconsin music scene where we are based but never very big locally for very long. We’ve always been a little more well known and received in outside of the Midwest in the US and abroad. We don’t really “kiss the ring” as they say of the local music scene aristocracy or play games begging to get on the biggest shows. It’s not a sense of entitlement or anything. It’s just that we’ve toured all over, released more than 5 studio recordings, had records deals with three different indie labels, etc. so why should we get in the trenches fighting with the brand new bands trying to get into the local clubs and festivals? We put in the work as a pro-level band both playing live and with our business acumen.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
We are taking the first half of 2025 mostly off from playing live to focus on the new record we are writing. That’s not to say we won’t play any shows to keep our chops up, but nothing planned. In the Summer/Fall we have the feelers out to some festivals and concert opportunities though…
What are your plans for the future as a band?
We’ll be releasing a new record in late 2025 or early 2026. After that we’ll tour behind it including revisiting the UK and Europe. Look for the release of new singles and music videos leading up to the next album coming out too.
Do you have any special plans for New Year’s Eve?
I’ll personally be going to the NHL Winter Classic at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Not sure about the rest of the boys in Carbellion. We never really play on NYE as it’s more for the cover and tribute bands – lol!
How can people best support your band?
If you dig what we do then we encourage people to visit our bandcamp site at carbellion.bandcamp.com. You can also go listen to us on all the streaming platforms via this link: ffm.to/crbwpn.
Do you have any message for your listeners?
Sure, please support live music. Go out and see your favorite artists play live. Go out and see new bands you’ve heard good things about. When you’re there, buy something from the merch table. That’s what keeps fuel in the tour vehicles and money to record the next albums. Talk to your friends and family about new music you are into. All of it adds up.
Links:
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Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well