Doomed Confessionary: Joseph Rudell (Fuzz Evil)

Photos by Shay Smith // Salsaman Photography

Sierra Vista, Arizona based Fuzz Evil is a chug-heavy band that tames the fuzziest guitar and bass tones on the planet and wields them to blast a monolithic speaker-ripping fuzzpocalypse for your ears and soul. The tracks are raw and dirty in ‘The Stooges-like’ fashion with soaring soulful vocals.

Inspired by bands like QOTSA, Royal Blood, Fu Manchu, and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, the Rudell brothers Wayne and Joey have cut their teeth grinding shows up and down the west coast with their high energy fuzz rock, and establishing themselves as a prominent and upcoming act in the heavy rock genre. The band has shared the stage with legendary acts like Uriah Heep, Nik Turner’s Hawkwind, Eagles Of Death Metal, Fu Manchu, Truckfighters, Acid King, Dead Meadow, Fatso Jetson, Crobot and many more.

In 2018 they recorded their »High On You« record with producer Paul Fig (Alice In Chains, Slipknot) at Dave Grohl’s legendary Studio 606. Fuzz Evil’s track »The Strut« from »High On You« later went on to be used in the hit TV show NCIS: Los Angeles. The band released their 3rd record »New Blood« in September 2023.

In 2024 the band added guitarist Preston Jenning and Cajun Adam on drums to move forward as a four-piece. In late February 2024 the band was signed by the US label Desert Records. Fuzz Evil are currently gearing up to release their new album »Smear Merchants« March 21th, 2025 via Desert Records.

Can you say a few words about your band?
Hi I’m Joseph Rudell, the bass player, and one of the founding members of Fuzz Evil, with my brother Wayne Rudell. Fuzz Evil is a heavy, fuzz-driven band from Southern Arizona. Established in 2014, Originally as a three-piece, we’ve recently expanded to a four-piece adding Cajun Adam and Preston Jennings. Our 4th and latest album, »Smear Merchants«, showcases a unique adventure, different than anything we’ve done previously. We write, record, and produce everything ourselves, which gives us total creative control and the freedom to experiment. The new record is a journey – seamless transitions, subtle time-signature shifts, and an intricate use of effects, created to be experienced all together in a single sitting. At our core, we’re about raw energy, Good hooks, heavy riffs, and making music that takes listeners on a ride.

What was the biggest challenge for the band?
First off, I think I’d like to just say that we’re definitely not a group of people that see challenges as something negative. Something being a challenge just means that navigating a solution is more rewarding. On that note, I’d say one of the recent adventures we been on was transitioning from a trio to a four-piece. Bringing in new members meant adjusting our dynamics and incorporating new ideas. But ultimately, it made our sound bigger and more layered.

What can you be most proud of so far?
Honestly, »Smear Merchants« is the most ambitious thing we’ve done yet. It’s our most experimental, intense, and genre-breaking effort to date. Everything – every riff, effect, transition – was shaped thoughtfully. We weren’t afraid to push our sound, introduce new elements, or challenge ourselves. Seeing the album come to life and get recognition, like The Obelisk just recently calling it our “best and farthest-reaching work,” is something we’re really proud of.

Beyond that, we’re proud of the journey itself – touring, playing alongside some of our favorite bands, and still being here making music after all these years.

What was your biggest regret?
Antoine Lavoisier (The Father of Modern chemistry) said “In nature, nothing is created, nothing is lost, everything changes.” I’m a firm believer in the principles of conservation. I don’t regret much. Everything we do or don’t do is just part of the process and shaped where we are today. We’ve had to make difficult decisions and likely missed opportunities, but honestly It’s the journey that matters. On both the LP and the cassette of »Smear Merchants«, the Sides are labelled as Journey A and Journey B. This really is something close to my heart. Journey before destination. Haha, This is a dead give away to anyone that is a Brandon Sanderson fan, that I’m pretty invested in the Stormlight Archive.

What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
There are a few that stand out. Playing with Eagles Of Death Metal at the Rialto in Tucson was incredible – packed venue, wild energy, and a backstage rager with Jesse, and Danger Ehren from Jackass. However, we’ve played hundreds of shows over the years and honestly I have fond memories for most of them. We got some really cool ones planned this year. We’re just rocking with Pentagram here Feb 11th, 2025.

As for tours, our first West Coast tour, with Orgo on drums, was a blast. It was just pure shenanigans every night. Pretty much every show on that tour had unreal energy. It was also that tour where we had a show at, the now late, Starlite Lounge in Sacramento (pretty sure Covid killed that venue, which is sad). That night The Mad Alchemist surprised us by setting up a psychedelic light show. That, the support bands, and the cool people we met really made that an unforgettable show.

Honestly though, I couldn’t write this without mentioning our home scene. We have such a good group of bands and fans down here in southern Arizona. Everyone is very supportive. Regardless of genre or day of the week the show is, people come out to support. They are a good portion of the reason why we’ve expanded over the years.

What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
Honestly, in line with the question above, I’m always surprised by the unwavering support of the fans. It’s unreal to hit the road and run into people that know and love your music thousands of miles from home. The internet is such a cool tool for being able to share music and moving from the digital world to meeting people in person is a treat and continues to be one of the biggest motivators to write and playing music for us.

What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
Great question, and you know. I feel like I got a great answer for you in this playlist Wayne put together a couple weeks ago. This is our take on the top new doom, stoner, and psych bands in 2025 so far. Listen HERE.

What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
This will be different for everyone in the band, but for me it was “If you’re selling oranges on a street full of people selling oranges, what makes people stop at YOUR orange stand?”
This has always stuck with me. The music industry is crowded. You can write great music, but if no one hears it, it does not matter. Standing out takes more than just talent – it’s about creating an experience, taking risks, and putting yourself out there in a way that grabs people’s attention.

What are your guilty pleasures?
No time for guilty pleasures? Sleeping maybe? Outside of Fuzz Evil, I am a graphic designer/artist. I have a constant stream of graphic work for bands, labels, promotors, etc… I just recently did 3 flyers for the Planet Desert Rock Weekend in Las Vegas. Outside of the graphic work I was also the audio engineer that recorded, produced, and mixed the Smear Merchants album. With all that said. I enjoy cooking and I’m always happy to get down on a game of Hearthstone Battlegrounds.

Can you say something more about the current music scene in Southern Arizona?
Southern Arizona has always had a strong punk and heavy rock presence. Bands like ours mix those influences with stoner rock and doom elements, but you can hear that old-school hardcore energy in a lot of bands around here. The DIY scene is still alive and thriving!

Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
So far we got the following shows/tours set up:
● Mar 21 – »Smear Merchants« Album Release –
Late March/Early Apr: »Smear Merchants« Release Show
● May 15 – 24, 2025: We’ll be taking a trip up the coast from California to Washington, and down through Idaho and Utah back to AZ. This is mostly booked, but we haven’t official announced it yet!

Likely an additional tour in the Fall (still working that out).

What are your plans for the future as a band?
Right now, we’re focused on getting »Smear Merchants« into as many ears as possible. That means playing live, pushing content, and looking for new ways to connect with listeners.

Long-term? We just want to keep making music that excites us. If that means going heavier, we’ll go heavier. If that means getting weird, we’ll do that too.

How can people best support your band?
The easiest way? Listen, share, and engage. Follow us on the socials, stream the album, tell your friends, and come out to a show.

If you want to learn more about the band go to fuzzevil.com. All of our socials can be accessed from linktr.ee/fuzzevil.
Buying merch and vinyl helps too. Every bit of support goes straight back into making music. And if you see us online, comment, tag us, or share a track. Those little things actually make a difference.

Do you have any message for your listeners?
First off, thank you. Whether you’re an OG from the early days or just discovering »Smear Merchants«, we appreciate every single one of you.

We put everything we have into this album, and we hope it takes you somewhere – whether that’s headbanging in your car or zoning out on a psychedelic trip.

Stay loud. Stay weird. And keep pushing boundaries. We’ll see you on the road.

Links:
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify | YouTube

Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well