Zach Rivizzigno is one of the desert’s hardest-working guitarists, with an expansive skillset allowing him to leap from one extreme to the next. Rivizzigno can be found shredding with an indie, pop-punk and J-rock flair in Tourists; playing with a brutal and aggressively complex grindcore vengeance in Layer.0; and crafting unique and experimental yet brutal death metal in his solo project Cytoplasm. He recently became a full-time member of emotive-metalcore outfit He Films the Clouds, and he’s a member of the Los Angeles-based prog-metal band Dreamer.
What was the first concert you attended?
It’s hard to tell, because my dad took me to concerts when I was a baby, before I was even cognizant. It was probably either Incubus, Tom Petty or John Mayer. My first concert I went to by myself as a teen was for Monuments, Entheos and The Contortionist.
What was the first album you owned?
So many CDs I’ve had are hand-me-downs. My dad gave me a lot of Bruce Springsteen, Audioslave, Incubus and Aerosmith CDs. The first album I bought with my own money was probs Rage Against the Machine’s Evil Empire.
What bands are you listening to right now?
Mk.gee, Maruta, Hate Eternal, Defeated Sanity, Weeping, Triac, If These Trees Could Talk, Biosphere, Squarepusher, From Indian Lakes, Belmont, fromjoy, Gxllium, and Humanity’s Last Breath.
What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get?
I don’t particularly enjoy most Top 40 radio stuff. I’m not a fan of most arena rock, electro swing, K-pop or those overly melodic Swedish styles of metal—you know, the ones that sound like Iron Maiden. I don’t like those rock bands that sound like Ford truck commercial music, nor do I like bands that rely on viral social media moments to gain traction, sacrificing depth and substance in their music in the process. There are exceptions to all of these, though.
What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?
Ulcerate or Gorguts.
What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?
A lot of the music I like, most people would hate, but I ain’t guilty about it in the slightest!
What’s your favorite music venue?
To be honest, I can’t think of any.
What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head?
The chorus in “Are You Looking Up” by Mk.gee.
What band or artist changed your life? How?
Chon. They’re one of the few bands that made me realize that guitar music was still alive and well.
You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking?
I’d ask either Guthrie Govan or Allan Holdsworth if there is a way to get as good as them without losing my sanity.
What song would you like played at your funeral?
“Bye.” by J Dilla.
Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?
I don’t REALLY have one, but for the sake of the question, I will say either Periphery’s first album, or Candiria’s The Process of Self-Development, just because both combine so many different styles of music that I love.
What song should everyone listen to right now?
Escape the algorithm, and find your own song. Go on Bandcamp or YouTube, or even to a music store, and listen to a new song you’ve never heard before, in a genre you’ve never explored. Use the search bar to satisfy your curiosity. Have an open mind, and just observe how you feel when you listen to it.
