Story & Lesson Highlights with Cyanide818

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Cyanide818. Check out our conversation below.

Cyanide818, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
Honestly, yeah — we just played at the GardenAmp in Santa Ana for a Halloween show with four other bands (shoutout to the bands Slaytanic, Maiden United and High Priest). That show had everything: chaos, comedy, nerves, adrenaline, all of it. We had this moment before going on where we all looked at each other like, “This is actually happening.” And the second we hit that first riff and heard the crowd go off, it was one of those “damn… we’re proud of this” moments.

But the funny moments? There were plenty. Our backstage energy is always a mix of cracking jokes, forgetting what we’re supposed to say in promos, and hyping each other up.

The proud moments hit in between all the chaos. Looking out from the stage and seeing people headbanging, singing every word…that hit different. It reminded us that we’re not just playing music we love — we’re building a family, a community, a place where people come to let loose and feel alive.

Playing GardenAmp was one of those nights where we all went home like:
“Yeah… we’re doing something real here.”

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
We’re Cyanide818 — a Metallica cover band from the San Fernando Valley and Coachella Valley. What started as cousins jamming in a garage turned into a full-force live experience built on family, passion, and pure thrash energy.
As musicians, we grew up with Metallica as our soundtrack — learning the riffs, the tone, the aggression, and the soul behind every song. Today, we bring that same intensity to every stage we step on. We’re not just playing the songs; we’re recreating the feeling — the pits, the adrenaline, the community. Our shows are loud, sweaty, unpredictable, and real.

What makes us unique is our chemistry. We’re family first, bandmates second. That connection translates onstage — the energy bounces between us and the crowd, and every show becomes its own moment. No tracks, no shortcuts — just raw musicianship and the love of metal.

Right now we’re focused on growing the Cyanide818 experience — more shows, more content, more behind-the-scenes, and connecting with the Metallica family across SoCal. Every stage, from local venues to major events, is an opportunity to bring people together the way metal did for us growing up.
We’re just getting started, and we’re excited for what’s next.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
One of the biggest moments that shaped the way we see the world wasn’t a single event — it was the first time we stepped on stage together and heard a crowd singing Metallica riffs back at us. We grew up playing in garages, learning songs by ear, messing up, getting better, and dreaming of moments like that.

That first real show hit us hard. It made us realize two things:
(1) music really connects people in a way nothing else does, and
(2) the hours of practice, frustration, late nights, the traveling since now 3 of the band members are in Coachella Valley and sacrifice are all worth it when you see a room full of strangers turn into one giant family because of a song.

It also grounded us. It reminded us that no matter how crazy life gets, the stage is where we feel the most like ourselves. And the support from the metal community taught us to stay humble, work hard, and never take any moment for granted

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Don’t overthink it. Keep playing. Every late-night jam, every garage rehearsal, every mistake, every riff you think sounds ‘whatever’ — it all matters. You don’t see it now, but those moments become the foundation of everything you’re about to build. Trust the process, trust the music, and trust yourself. And most importantly… don’t let anyone talk you out of doing what you love. Pick up the guitar, hit those drums, step up to the mic — you’re meant for this

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
As a band, what you see on stage is absolutely a real part of who we are — the energy, the chaos, the passion, the intensity. That’s us turned all the way up. But like anyone, there’s more behind the scenes too. Offstage we’re family, cousins, friends — we joke around, we argue, we grind, and we push each other to be better. The public version of us is the amplified version — the version that comes alive under the lights, feeds off the crowd, and taps into that shared love for metal. We’re not pretending to be something we’re not; we’re just showing the side of ourselves that feels the most free. The version you see on stage is real — it’s just the heaviest, loudest, most unapologetic part of who we are. And honestly, that’s why we do this. It lets us be the truest version of ourselves for 45 minutes at a time.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
Honestly? We’re doing what we were born to do. None of us grew up being told, “Hey, you should become musicians,” or “Start a Metallica tribute band.” If anything, we were told to get stable jobs, follow a safer path, and keep music as a hobby. But the thing about music—especially metal—is that it doesn’t stay a hobby if it’s in your blood. It becomes a calling.

All four of us found ourselves pulled back to the stage over and over. Even in the moments when life was pushing us in different directions, the riffs, the energy, our cousin bond, the connection we have on stage us playing… that’s the part that felt natural. Nothing about what we’re doing now was handed to us or mapped out—we had to create it, shape it, and fight for it.

So no… we’re not doing what we were told to do.

We’re doing what we were meant to do.

What we feel in our bones.

What makes us come alive.

This band.
This music.
This chaos.

That’s the real calling. The rest was just noise.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cyanide818?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Cyanide_818

Image Credits
Photo 1-9: Stephanie Rivera