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The Story of Slaughter to Prevail: The Masked Russian Deathcore Band

The Metalverse

Apr 30, 2024 — 3 min read

The Story of Slaughter to Prevail

The Start of Slaughter to Prevail

Slaughter to Prevail started back in 2014 in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Aleksandr Shikolai (known by the stage name Alex Terrible) was growing popular for his signature low growls and his Vocal Covers of popular songs with metal screams that racked up millions of views. British guitarist and songwriter, Jack Simmons (formerly of deathcore band Acrania) saw one of Alex Terrible's vocal covers and immediately reached out to the 20-year-old Alex Terrible.

At the time, Alex Terrible barely spoke English. Despite the language barrier and Alex being in Russia while Simmins was in Britain, the 2 musicians quickly discovered they both had a passion for heavy music and the drive to create a successful band. Alex Terrible and Jake Simmons sent emails back and forth, working on music regardless of their language and location differences. With Simmons and Terrible being the main driving forces behind Slaughter to Prevail's music and creative process, the band recruits hired musicians for live shows with the current lineup being - Mike Petrov (bass), Evgeny Noviko (drums), and Dmitry Mamedov (guitar).

Slaughter to Prevail's Early Work

STP released their debut 7-song release "Chapters of Misery" in 2015. The EP displayed an exciting and intensely violent slamming deathcore sound which picked up enough steam to draw the attention of Sumerian Records, who signed the band in 2016. With Alex Terrible's already established online fanbase through his YouTube channel, Slaughter to Prevail's early success, and a new signing with Sumerian Records, the band had an explosive start in the music industry.

STP released their 1st full-length album "Misery Sermon" in 2017. The band toured with bands like Cannibal Corpse and received early offers to play with acts like Suicide Silence and Dying Fetus which, unfortunately, they were unable to play due to problems with Russia freezing American Visas.

Despite trouble touring initially, Slaughter to Prevail was able to tour with Whitechapel, Chelsea Grin, and Oceano in 2018.

The Rise of Slaughter to Prevail

In 2020, Slaughter to Prevail released their song "Demolisher" which skyrocketed the Russian Deathcore outfit's popularity. Alex Terrible's impossibly deep guttural vocals drew widespread attention. Alex Terrible became known for screaming during the breakdown of "Demolisher" live without a mic and still being loud enough for the entire venue to hear him. Videos of their live shows went viral with huge creators reacting to the videos and media outlets like Loudwire and Metal Injection naming Slaughter to Prevail as one of the best metal bands of 2020/2021.

In 2021 STP released another high-performing single "Baba Yaga" which was named one of the best metal songs of the year. In August, Slaughter to Prevail released their second album "Kostolom" with Sumerian Records to excellent reception. Slaughter to Prevails groovy deathcore sound with insanely low vocals, explosive drum tones, crushing riffage, and intermixed Russian lyrics, grew them a large and dedicated fanbase.

Slaughter to Prevail Moves From Russia

In 2022 the whole band moved to Orlando, Florida. Alex Terrible stated in interviews that he had been moving constantly in Russia trying to find an area he would fall in love with. After relocating multiple times, Alex Terrible started the process of getting an American Visa. Just as he received his passport, the Russian-Ukranian war started and Alex was unable to leave Poland, where he was staying at the time. After a few months, Alex was finally able to travel and all of Slaughter to Prevail officially relocated to Florida.

In 2022, STP released their song "1984" and Alex spoke out about the meaning behind the track and how he strongly disagreed with Russia's conflict with Ukraine.

Now located in Florida, Slaughter to Prevail has access to more touring opportunities and a central location for all of the band members.

Modern Slaughter to Prevail

Since 2022, Slaughter to Prevail has released 2 singles, "Viking" in 2023 and "Conflict" in February of 2024. STP has grown into one of the biggest names in deathcore and leaves fans looking forward to a new album.

Alex Terrible has amassed a huge online following and displays his interests like bare-knuckle boxing, guns, sports cars, wrestling bears, and more. Alex's extreme lifestyle has attracted millions of followers and his straightforward personality has charmed much of the metal community.

What's Next For Slaughter to Prevail?

With a relatively small discography and about 10 years in the scene, Slaughter to Prevail has already accomplished incredible success. With some of the most energetic live shows in the business, STP is growing exponentially and leaves fans excited to see where the deathcore act will go next.

If you haven't listened to Slaughter to Prevail yet, we recommend starting with "Demolisher".