A Dirty Dozen with TORCHLIGHT PARADE – September 2025

According to a recent press release: “Torchlight Parade is an electrifying rock band hailing from St. Louis, known for fusing heavy riffs with theatrical flair. The band’s unique journey began in a morgue with Matt Engel, an embalmer and singer, and his brother Doug Engel, a hearse driver and lead guitarist. The lineup also includes Samuel Engel (bass), Doug’s son and Matt’s nephew, along with his best friend Gavin Martin (drums). Together, they’ve created a distinctive sound that has earned them the opportunity to open for rock legends. With family ties at the heart of their music and a passion for bold performances, Torchlight Parade is excited to bring their electrifying energy to new stages.” We get the band to discuss new music, influences, and more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release. What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through? Are there any hidden nuggets you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

Children of the Night is inspired by classic movie monsters. It’s intense and theatrical, with standout tracks like “Howlin’ Wolf,” “Vampire Night,” and “Haddonfield.” Perfect for your Halloween playlist and a great album to download this spooky season.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

We all fell in love with the power of live performance early on — there was a moment we realized we wanted to make people feel something unforgettable on stage. Matt and Doug grew up on the best of 70’s and 80’s rock and metal, passing that love on to the next generation. Doug’s son Samuel grew up learning it too, and he met his best friend Gavin at School of Rock. That mix of father, uncle, son, and best friend makes the band feel like one tight unit both on stage and off.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

Bands like Kiss and Alice Cooper shaped our sound — they don’t just give music, they give a full theatrical show, and seeing performances like that really lit the fire for us.

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

We’d love to work with a band or artist that brings theatrical energy and heavy vibes, someone who matches our monster-movie chaos.

5. What is your favorite activity when out of the studio and/or not on tour? What do you like to do to unwind?

When we’re not performing or in the studio, we practice music and performances, go to concerts, write music, watch movies, and spend time with our families.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

We call it Mortuary Metal — circus-like theatrical chaos meets hard rock, inspired by monsters and horror stories. And yeah, we’re more than just a ‘Halloween band.’

7. When your band is hanging out together, who cooks, who gets the drinks in, and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

We practice in a literal gothic castle and hang out there, as well as at other local venues where we play and watch other bands.

8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?

We’ve been lucky to play with incredible bands — Stryper, Tantric, Chipz Enuff, Metal Church, Autograph, LA Guns, Quiet Riot, Faster Pussycat, Bang Tango, Jim Dandy / Black Oak Arkansas, Doyle, Anvil, Last in Line, and Ryan Roxie. Each show was surreal, and standing on stage with legends really hits you.

9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

Feeling the crowd react live is the best. If we couldn’t play music, we’d want to do some other kind of performance where we could still entertain and connect with people.

10. What is one question you have always wanted an interviewer to ask – and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?

We wish someone would ask how we create songs in a funeral home setting—answer: like mad scientists. Tired of: What’s your favorite song? — we change our minds constantly.

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over,” even if it didn’t change your current situation?

Nothing to change. We’ve had several band members over the years and found that keeping it family makes traveling and scheduling much easier.

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

We’d love to be part of the recording sessions for Black Sabbath’s Paranoid, Alice Cooper’s Billion Dollar Babies, Kiss’ Destroyer, Iron Maiden’s The Number of the Beast, and Twisted Sister’s Stay Hungry. Each of these albums shaped heavy metal and theatrical rock in its own way, and being part of that process would be an incredible experience, inspiring everything we do with Torchlight Parade.

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Category: Interviews