Thy Will Be Done Singer on Playing Orion Festival, New EP + More

There is no question that every band on Metallica's Orion Music + More bill was ecstatic to be playing the festival. Try finding one more giddy than J. Costa, the lead singer of Thy Will Be Done, and you'll most likely come up empty handed. Costa and the band started things out on Sunday with an explosive set at Atlantic City's Bader Field.

Talking about what it means to be a part of the festival and the obstacles Thy Will Be Done has faced over the years, Costa took some time to share his excitement with Loudwire.

You opened the day on the Damage Inc. stage. How did the show go?

Absolutely amazing. The crowd was amazing, the sound was awesome. I am elated.

You seem happy.

Why not? I can't complain, man. Life is awesome.

How does it feel to be a part of Orion?

Surreal. I can't put it into words. This has been one of the greatest days of our lives as a band. We're absolutely stoked to be here.

Do you remember the day you found out Metallica selected you for the festival?

I ran around the house! I got the email and didn't believe it was real. I had to check the authenticity of the email before I replied. I ran around the house for about 5 minutes screaming and then about 2 minutes after the screaming I sent an email back and said, "Yes, yes, Thy Will Be Done is available to play for Metallica. Yes. Thank you."

There are a lot of bands to choose from in the world of hard rock and metal. What sets Thy Will Be Done apart from others?

I think what's different about us is the fact that we aren't trying to mimic anything as much as we're trying to emulate our influences. All the greatest riffs have been played, but it's our approach to it. We try to be true to ourselves. That's what's important. Everything we put out is a representation of our expression. We're all individuals. The moment you forget that is when you lose the integrity of what you have.

You guys do have an old-school sound. You mention influences. Who are some of your influences?

Sabbath. Metallica obviously. Those are our biggest influences. Testament, Anthrax, Slayer, of course Pantera. Those are the bands we grew up on. But we also love bands like Alice in Chains. If it's got a great riff and has a great hook and moves us, then that's what we're into. It's got to be honest and pure.

What are some of the obstacles you've faced along the road to get you to where you are today?

It's been difficult, man. You know, for us, we go into this not expecting everything but just giving everything. You have to go in there and just work for what you want. That's how I was raised. Nothing comes free. You have to work for it. Sometimes the conditions can be rough. Traveling across the country you don't always get a shower, you don't always get to eat, but you have to go up there and perform because that's what you love to do. I'm not doing it for any other reason. We do it because we feel we need to, because we love it. It's our natural high.

Where do you call home?

I personally call Rhode Island home. The band is from all over New England. We've got one guy from New Hampshire and three guys from Massachusetts.

What's the metal scene like in New England?

There is definitely a scene, it depends on where you go. We've got a lot of great New England bands that have helped open the doors for us. My good friend, my bro, Jamey Jasta from Hatebreed is from Connecticut, representing. From there, it's bands like Shadows Fall out of Massachusetts. Of course Killswitch Engage, Unearth, they've just opened the doors for New England bands.

'Ancient of Days' is your most recent album, but it came out in 2009. Is there new music in the works?

We've got a brand new EP that's coming out at the end of August and a brand new single out on June 26 [available for purchase here]. People are really digging it and we're loving it. The EP sets up for the next full-length record. All the pre-production is already completed. We'll have it out in the Spring of next year hopefully.

You've got Orion, the single, the EP; what's next for Thy Will Be Done?

We're going to Japan for a two week tour. We've got some stuff in the U.S. We're doing the Ride for Dime [Dimebag Darrell] in Philly, we're actually headlining that. We're honored we got asked to headlined that. We're just going to be hitting it as hard as we can and representing. We're just telling people what Thy Will Be Done is all about!

Get a Preview of Thy Will Be Done's EP, set for release in August