Words by Paige Cobos
One of the hallmark music genres to come out of the 80’s and 90’s was industrial metal. Bands like Nine Inch Nails and Ministry paved the way for an angrier beat driven sound that almost seemed like an omen of times to come. Fast forward to 2025, the genre is alive and just as fearsome as ever with Black Magnet unleashing their own crushing synth riffed sound with their second album Megamantra.
Sitting down with the creator of Black Magnet, James Hammontree, he spoke about expanding the band, the music video production process, and how touring life is the fuel to the hungry fire of creativity.
Off Shelf: It has been a few years since the last album Body Prophecy, how has the creative journey been so far with Megamantra now released into the world?
James Hammontree: The project began as a solo effort mostly out of necessity—industrial music was something I could create on my own, and honestly, there wasn’t much interest from other musicians in what I was doing at the time. But once I found the right people who understood and aligned with the vision, expanding into a full band felt completely natural. Starting solo actually helped—it gave Jared and Ryne a strong foundation to build from. Since they’ve joined, the quality of what we put out has only improved. Collaborating with them has taken a lot of the weight off my shoulders and lets me focus more on capturing the spirit of each song.
OS: Megamantra feels and sounds bigger and badder than anything you guys have written before. What would you say was the fuel to the fire in the creation of this album?
JH: The record is essentially a statement—a mantra—about building personal power through the thought patterns of the subconscious mind. I wanted the album to reflect that inner transformation, both musically and personally. I was diving deep into occult and new thought literature from authors like Neville Goddard, Florence Scovel Shinn, James Allen, and Mitch Horowitz. That whole world of shaping reality through thought became the philosophical core of Megamantra. Each song became its own mantra in that process, contributing to the overall message of overcoming and evolving.
OS: This is your first album with your own label Federal Prisoner. What has it been like to balance both worlds of being a musician and a label owner?
JH: I don’t own Federal Prisoner, but I do play in Greg Puciato’s solo band, and he co-runs the label with Jesse Draxler. I’ve developed a close working relationship with both of them. They approached Megamantra from a place of genuine interest in the project, and that kind of artist-to-artist collaboration has been amazing! It’s a huge honor to be in their circle and to release this album through a label that actually understands and supports the vision.
OS: ‘Endless’ is the single from Megamantra and it is a fearsome showcase of what Black Magnet is now. As a musician, what makes a perfect first single for a new album?
JH: Music exists far beyond language—it’s hard to ever fully explain what makes a song “right.” I think a strong single should feel like a self-contained world, something that invites questions and answers them within its own universe. There’s a metaphysical element to writing a great single—if it were easy, everyone would do it. For me, a first single should capture the essence of the album while offering a glimpse of what lies beneath the surface.
OS: Already you have released two music videos for the singles ‘Endless’ and ‘Better than Love’. How has shooting music videos been for this particular album?
JH: It’s been super fun! Both videos were shot by our friend, Sky Wall. For “Endless,” we blacked out our practice space with trash bags, projected visuals over ourselves while playing live, and blended it with Jesse Draxler’s 3D car crash collages and real-life riot footage. It created this chaotic, immersive feel. For “Better Than Love,” we filmed live in our basement and mixed it with footage of me singing in a filthy bathtub, eating corn on the cob, birthday cake, and Spaghetti-Os out of a giant baby bottle—it was insane. I love making videos. They’re a lost art, and people tend to take them way too seriously. We try to do the opposite.
OS: Switching gears to touring, you guys have been openers for some big acts such as 3TEETH and Code Orange to name a few. How has the touring life been up to this point?
JH: We absolutely love touring! We try to hit the road anytime a solid opportunity comes up. If we could tour full-time, we would. That’s really where the band thrives—live performance is where the energy and vision of the project become fully realized. We have a short run in September, and a much longer tour planned for next year that hasn’t been announced yet. It’s going to be a good one.
OS: Do you feel performing live adds to the creative flow of writing music in the studio?
JH: Absolutely! Songs evolve so much more once they’ve been played live. Sometimes I wish we could record them after touring for a year. Being in that high-energy, unpredictable environment unlocks a different kind of creativity than just writing in a practice space. Both settings have their strengths, but the live setting is where we really tap into something primal and unknown.
OS: What is your dream tour line up to feature next to?
JH: Nine Inch Nails, hands down. But there are a lot of artists I’d love to share a stage with—Godflesh, Deftones, Korn, 3TEETH, Ghostemane. I’m more interested in touring with artists I truly admire than just sticking to our direct genre lane.
OS: Finally, who is featured on your greatest of all-time industrial metal act Mount Rushmore?
JH: Genesis P-Orridge, Al Jourgensen, Ogre, and Trent Reznor.