He tells the Guardian: "What I love the most about the metal community is the sense of community that comes along with it. Unlike other genres there's a support system and common sense of appreciation for what we are all striving to achieve.

"It feels like when one of us crosses over and wins, we all win. We are, collectively, kind of treated like bastard stepchildren by the rest of the music world, so any time we get to fly the flag in their faces, to me that means that more people are hearing what I consider real music.