Skeletonwitch has come a long way since their first show on a homemade stage in their front yard, performing for a crowd of drunken University students, but it comes as no surprise when you take a look at their musical skill, talent for songwriting and hard work ethic.

The five-piece metal act is preparing to storm Canada in the beginning of July – and do a little camping along the way – then head back to their native U.S. for the much-anticipated Ozzfest. It doesn’t stop there, though, as they won’t see home soil again until late in September after completing an extensive European trip as well.

An interview with guitarist Scott Hedrick gives us a look into this finely-tuned touring machine, what keeps them sane, on the road and able to create such heavy, thrash-inspired metal that has fans coming back for more.

“Touring is very hard to get started, it doesn’t just happen. It sound’s cliché, but it has a lot to do with persistence and hard work,” Hedrick says, stressing that it’s not about waiting around until someone notices you, but instead going out there and doing whatever it takes to make a name for yourself and make people notice.

“We just kept sending out press kits we had put together ourselves hoping someone would take us on.”

It all paid off in the end, however, as Skeletonwitch is currently signed with Prosthetic Records, alongside bands such as Gojira, Testament and Animals as Leaders.

You may have noticed the resurgence of thrash metal in your local scene and otherwise these last few years, and Skeletonwitch has been deemed a member of this “revivial” due to their clear thrash influences, although Hedrick says he sees things differently.

“These newer bands try to release stuff that sounds like Destruction’s next album, or lost albums from older bands.”

Thrash may be one part of their music, but it is certainly far from the being the whole.

“I sometimes want to ask (reviewers) if they even listened to the record we sent before they wrote the review, ‘Did you even get what we were doing?’” Hedrick says with a laugh.

Skeletonwitch incorporates a lot of black, thrash, death and Nordic metal into their music to create their unique sound. This band really has something for everybody, and they pull it off with precision.

The song creation process is very collaborative, with the entire band throwing ideas back and forth until it turns into something they like. Each member starts off with a bit of something and tosses it into the pot, until a fine musical mixture is formed.

“We call Nate (Garnette, guitar) the chef and we all throw in the ingredients,” Hedrick comments. “Everyone has as much say as they want to.”

It’s obvious that these guys can cook up a storm, as shown by their latest and third full-length album, Breathing The Fire [Prosthetic Records, 2009]. With riffs like finely toasted bread, lyrics like crisp lettuce and a range of influences like finely chosen condiments combined to create the perfect Skeletonwitch. But all food related imagery aside, there’s a power behind this album that had garnered a lot of attention from metal fans.

According to Hedrick, the song on the album he personally enjoyed working on the most is “Repulsion Salvation.”

“It’s a good representation of all that we do. I wrote most of the ‘death metal’ part.”

Hedrick says it’s something they are looking forward to sharing with Canadian metal fans also, but doesn’t have many expectations for the tour in the “Great White North,” hoping just to do what they do best and have a good time.

“Canadian crowds have always been awesome; I’m excited to do (the tour) and am hoping for the best.”

Skeletonwitch hasn’t run into too many difficulties while touring, aside from the minor troubles that usually spawn from a crowded van that sees it’s fair share of travel time from city to city.

And while on the road in Canada, the band prefers hitting up some of the country’s many camp grounds as a way to relax between shows, but that’s not to say they aren’t having fun otherwise.

Hedrick recalls a particular instance when his beloved box of crackers were stolen from him at a pit stop that will remind him to always keep an eye on his possessions when on the road.

“They took my box of Wheat Thins and put it under the tire and yelled ‘Crushed beyond dust!’ as we drove away,” he laughs. “It’s not really a ritual, but it’s more of a common occurrence.”

This madness is not limited to just food items, but whatever is “crushed beyond dust” must be replaced willingly by the thief in question.

When Hedrick and the other band members are not busy writing, recording or touring – and laying waste to poor defenseless crackers – they stay active in their local Ohio music scene. Working at bars, record shops and working as artists, it’s clear that their ability for multi-tasking shines through in more than just their music.

“Derrick (Nau, drums) actually does a lot of the artwork for the band in his spare time,” comments Hedrick.

Artwork is something that is rather important to Skeletonwitch, with a wide range of merchandise, album covers, posters and vinyl art, to boot.

“We select artists based on what we think will fit with the band,” says Hedrick, “sometimes fans send us their artwork; sometimes we contact the artists too.”

There’s another revival Skeletonwitch is as a part of as well, when you look at the amount of vinyl the band has put out, something that showcases their music as well as their taste in art styles.

The band is re-releasing their first EP, Worship the Witch [2006] in four art styles featuring work from artist John Bailey.

“Personally, I’m a fan of vinyl; it’s more visual. I love it when bands release vinyl, so why not do it ourselves?” Hedrick asks.

Whether it’s the love of the art, the music, or the party atmosphere, Skeletonwitch knows how to get it done. They will be practicing their craft in Alberta on July 10 in Edmonton and July 11 in Calgary.