Here is another fresh Faygoluvers.net exclusive interview with the legendary Waylon Reavis!  As his band A Killer’s Confession continues to rock venues across the States. The Ex-Faces (Mushroomhead Alumni) have announced a full on Spring/Summer 2026 tour due to continuous sold out shows.  Plus, A Killer’s Confession will be direct support for the Kottonmouth Kings upcoming 30th Anniversary tour alongside Kung Fu Vampire! While A Killer’s Confession ‘Victim’  trilogy continues to scorch head phones!  Please enjoy this informative interview with the masked nu-metal pioneer, Waylon Reavis, below!

Chad Thomas Carsten: You’ve been pursuing music for nearly thirty years now. What keeps your creativity and longevity in music flowing after all this time?

Waylon Reavis: Being the fact that I just want to do something different, it’s not about fame anymore to me. It’s about creating something that’s going to have longevity. So, just being creative and having fun while I’m doing it. When you really boil it down to it, it’s about having fun. If you’re not having fun doing this, why are you doing it in the first place? And you know, it’s like, I’m on my third album in three years, you know? I’ve done an album every year and I’ve done a concept album. So, it’s made it— It’s hard, but it’s also made it easy because I never have finished the story yet. So, I got more to say. And so, like each album was, you know, the first album was hard to put down the first— You know, the foundation of the trilogy. That was the hardest part. ‘Victim 2’ came out and, you know, we kind of dove deeper into it. And then now we’re at the culmination and we’re having some fun with it.

CTC: How precisely did the audience react to the first wave of A Killer’s Confession shows?

WR: It was a mixed reaction, you know? It wasn’t Mushroom, man. I went a different direction when we first started, took the mask off. Granted I’m back in it now, but that’s what the fans wanted. I had to like trial and error, a lot of this. And I think we finally found a winning recipe and we’re sticking to it. And it’s been— You know, anything worth doing is going to be hard and this is worth doing and it’s been hard. So, that’s the best way I can put that.

CTC: You created a trilogy of albums as A Killer’s Confession. Let’s get into that a little bit, the concept and themes and what life moments may have inspired it?!

WR: When I left Mushroomhead, I worked in a facility, a state ward facility that took in children from sexual abuse, abuse, and trafficking. And I got a real dose of education of what’s going on in the system. So, that’s where this whole trilogy has come from, is like a guy like myself, who maybe is not as mentally stable and finally cracking under watching people get away with just pretty much murder. And he takes justice into his own hands and that’s what the ‘Victim Trilogy’ is. And the thing about it is, like I said, he’s mentally unstable so he has a split personality. So, like he’s fighting with himself because he’s got a dark side and a light side and the light side is like, “We can’t do this, we need to let the system handle it” and the other side is like, “Well, the system’s failed. So, justice needs to be taken care of.”.

CTC: You recently chose to cover two classic tracks. First was, I believe,  Sepultura’s “Roots, Bloody, Roots”!

WR: Oh, yes. That’s just my personal love letter to Max (Cavalera) and Sepultura being like, “I love you”. That’s all that was. Just me showing respect to them. And that is, you know, doing my version of it, I didn’t care if it went anywhere. That was just a personal love letter and letting them know how much they meant to me in my youth and coming up.

CTC: That must have been a really influential album (for you), the ‘Roots” album in general is influential.

WR: Oh, ‘Roots’ was an amazing album. I love ‘Chaos A.D’. I thought about doing “Refuse, Resist” first. I thought about doing that and I was like, “No, let’s just do Roots.” You know, Because Roots has got that bounce and it’s just so cool!

CTC: Can you recall when you first sat down and wherever you were when you first listened to the “Roots” album in full?

WR: I was in my first band. And my buddy, his dad, had MTV at his house and most of us in my county did not have MTV. They had VH1 because the county didn’t want MTV. So, there’s one cable station. So, you didn’t get, you know, MTV, you got VH1. And we’d go to his dad’s who had satellite and he would record Headbanger’s Ball and we would watch it constantly. And when we all— And this was back in the day, I remember when ‘Roots’ came out, we all went to— it was called On Cue. And we went, got in line, picked that thing up and everybody just went to their cars and all you did was hear, was hear that through every car. It was great! I remember exactly where I was when I first heard it.

CTC: And out of all the Nirvana songs, you decided to cover  the 1993 classic “Heart Shaped Box”.  Phenomenal cover! I was blown away. I’m not just saying that.

WR: Thank you. We wanted to throw a twist on it, but Evan McKeever and I, my vocal producer that I go to Nashville to work with, we knew that it was a big deal. And we also knew that we had to do it in such a way that showed respect. And I mean, this is a classic. This is an absolute— It helped change the whole music industry type song. And we were like, “Don’t fuck this up.” And I’m like, “I want to put a darker take on it.” And so, that’s why we did the multi-layer vocals, because in reality, to tie it in with the concept, I wanted— You ever have a song stuck in your head?

CTC: Oh yeah! How I get songs out of my head is like by listening to them again. It’s weird. I don’t know why you have to do that, but I know what you mean, because it’ll be stuck in your head for like hours. Like I need to listen to it. And then finally it goes away. *Laughs*

WR: In ‘Victim 2’, if you go watch the video, you’ll see there’s two singers. It’s both me. I’m in two different masks. I’m in my original ‘Victim 1’ mask and then my ‘Victim 2’ mask. But it’s done on purpose because one’s singing one harmony and the other is singing the other part. So, that’s why it’s layered like that, is him in his head singing both parts in harmonies with the dark side and the light side singing the same song. And that’s why it has that sound and it has that more dark sound because it’s got the low, the lower voice, which we— When Disturbed did “The Sound of Silence”, he did ( David Draiman) it in that low voice. I loved it. I was like, “That’s brilliant.” Because “The Sound of Silence”, it’s a higher register song and he did that lower register. I was like, “We do that, and then we bring the other character in doing the higher voice of it.” And that it made all that. So, in reality, it’s two people singing it. But it’s the two personalities.

CTC: Yeah. You guys did your own unique spin on it. Like with Marilyn Manson’s 1995 cover of the Eurythmics’ 1983 hit “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This); when you put your own original spin on it and it kind of becomes like its own thing, you know?

WR: And at the same time, you know, I wanted it to be its own thing, but I wanted to show respect. It’s Nirvana. It’s Kurt. It’s his legacy. He was such an influential person in my life and, you know, in my generation of coming up. I remember when everything went down and when he came in and just like, it changed everything. Hair Metal ended, like this guy with a three chord progression ended all of it and showed anew. You know, to show respect to that, you’ve got to care about it. And we did. We did. We said, “We cannot fuck this up. We have to do it properly”.

CTC: Musically, what do you hope to accomplish with A Killer’s Confession in the next five years, something you haven’t did musically?

WR: I just want to continue to do and have fun. I like being underground. I do. I don’t ever see us being a TMZ, a MTV, a Grammy. I don’t see that and nor do I want it. I don’t care for that stuff. I don’t care for fame. I don’t. That’s why I wear a mask. I don’t care for any of that. I’m here to entertain you, but I love the underground because it’s like, I feel like I got more freedom. I got more— I can talk about the subjects I’m talking about. You know, I’m not going to be canceled for standing up for truths that a lot of people try to hide. I just see us continuing down the path we’re on and being that underground band, that underground solid rock that will always be there. When I hang it up, I feel like we could be one of those bands who are like, “Man, it was just a great experience and people remember us keeping it real.”

CTC: With EX-Faces announcing a massive Spring/Summer 2026 tour, due to a high fan demand because shows have been selling out-

WR: Oh my God. Which is crazy.

CTC: Which era of Mushroomhead material do you look forward to performing from your very own era, every night, and why?

WR: I love singing “Save Us” for the crowd every night. It’s been over a decade since I’ve heard these crowds sing it to me. When I sing it and they sing it back to me, when we did it in our Christmas show, we did the first EX-Face show, when they sang it back to me, it was like, I’ve never stopped doing it and I’m really looking forward to that every night, being able to just put the mic out there and hear that song sung back to me!

CTC: Yeah, it’s a powerful song, helps people get through their daily struggles.

WR: Yes, and you know what I mean, I want to hear that. That’s what I’m looking forward to most. I love doing all the old school stuff with J and I told him, I said, “You give me that, I’ll sing whatever song you want. I’ll sing whatever they want. Just give me that one and we’re good to go.” I’m not going to be selfish. You know, I don’t want to be just like, “We only do my era,” but I got so many band members from different eras. I got to do all their parts and it’s like, “Whatever you want.” I say to everybody, “What do you need from me and what’s best for the team?”.

CTC: Will members of EX-Faces ever create like an EP or LP together, maybe not underneath that name, but like…

WR: We would do it under that name if we did. We discussed it, we don’t know yet, we don’t know yet. Let’s see how all of this goes and, you know, it’s like we’re putting on an old pair of shoes again. We got to make sure we can still walk in it.  And we’re doing good so far, but we got to make sure that, you know, everything’s right. Everything has to be right for this because the way we’re doing this is completely different than the way we did it before and— *Slight Pause*

CTC: Because you guys are in charge.

WR: We are in charge and we’re taking care of each other and that’s it. Like, it’s on the back of the— If anybody out there bought the JMann and I, shirt, we are our brother’s keeper. We are one-hundred percent looking out for each other.

CTC: Brotherhood, man.

WR: It is, it’s a complete brotherhood.

CTC: A Killer’s Confession are about to embark on a tour with Kottonmouth Kings! The 30th anniversary of the Kottonmouth Kings! Kung Fu Vampire is on that tour as well. How did that come together? I know that Mushroomhead and Kottonmouth Kings may have like crossed paths during the Gathering, but I don’t think anybody from that era has ever toured with the Kottonmouth Kings?!

WR: Never. This is new for me. It was my agent. My agent came up and said, “Hey, you want to do this?” I’m like, “Sure. Yes, I want to do it! And we’re there, you know, because it’s like a lot of times it comes to you through your agent. You know, it’s not like I’m out here being like, “Well, I want to tour with this band. I want to tour with this band.” Offers come in and be like, “Do you want to do this? Do you want this?” And they offer that. I’m like, “Yeah, let’s do it. Let’s see how that goes.”

CTC: It’s really cool because like Kottonmouth Kings are deeply embedded in the Juggalo culture.  And being that you’re going to be on tour with such an underground respected band. I mean, they do hip-hop, punk rock, and they get into political marijuana themes. But like, it’s just cool to see that underground connection like that.

WR: It’s cool, man, for me, because, you know, it’s like it helps me take our message, which I know you know about what our message is. I got to say it here, you won’t get canceled, will you?

CTC: No.

Waylon Reavis and Chad T. Carsten after the FLH interview in Orange, County, Florida

WR: “Save a Kid, Kill a Pedophile”. That’s our message. And it helps me awaken people to the terrors of the world. And we’re doing it in a way where we’re trying to enlighten you and bring back the old stranger danger. Keep your eye on your kids. You know,  we’re not telling you like to go out and be a vigilante. We’re telling you- it’s about waking people up and keeping an eye because there are some sick fucks out there and you need to protect these children because they’re going missing every day. And we want you to like, by saying a message like that, it gets your attention. And then maybe you’ll look at your children like “Let’s hold ’em little closer”, because if somebody has to say something like that, there’s a problem.

CTC: Right. And like you hear all this crazy stuff with Daycare Centers.

WR: DTA, don’t trust anybody with your children. You can’t. You can’t trust anyone, you know, anyone anymore. And you’ve got to keep your eye out because people are people are so self-centered and live in their own universe that there’s no consequences. They just do what they want anymore. And it’s not going to stop until we as a people be like, “You act like this, see what happens, fuck around, find out,” you know?

CTC: You’re a cancer survivor.

WR: Yes.

CTC: And I know it’s a touchy subject because people go through crazy different emotions. I can’t even imagine what it’s like to go through it. Could you shine some light on how to remain positive and keep at your goals while battling such a vicious disease?

WR: First of all, I was very lucky. They found mine at a very, very, very early stage. Like what my doctor explained to me is like “This popped up like a week ago.” Like it was found instantly. Like it was, you know, look like somebody from above was looking down on me when it happened. So, I just had to have one surgery. They removed it. It didn’t spread. You know, I was good, you know? But just stay positive— You got to understand, I lost my mother and my father, lost my father to the same cancer. You know, it’s like it was very much something that runs in our family. So, I had to get checked constantly because they say it’s the most common cancer you can get for a male. And guys, listen to me, don’t be afraid to go to the doctor and get yourself checked because after 40, this is something you need to really pay attention to. But if they can find it, it’s very easily maintained.

It’s when you don’t check up on it, and you let it turn into stage four, is when it gets you. You know, so like it’s a very scary thing, but you’ve just got to understand it’s like you’re only here once, you know? And in life it’s got ups and it has downs and you got to take both of them in stride. And Rocky said it best. “It’s not how hard you can get it, it’s how many times you can get up”. And those are one of those situations. You just got to keep— Get up and you got to keep moving and stay positive, because we’re given today. We’re here right now, but we’re never promised tomorrow. And you got to remember that every day and enjoy this gift of life because you only get one shot at it. So, make the best of it, you know? No matter what the situation is, go out there, stand in the sunshine, enjoy this gift. It is a gift every day. And some people have a hard time in this world, you know, and it’s hard, but you’ve got to remember, it’s like as long as you’re six feet up, there is a chance for change.

It also helps to have people that love you around you. You’re being reminded that you’re loved and you’ve got something worth fighting for. And sometimes a lot of people don’t have that and you just got to be your own best friend and you got to love yourself. But you also got to remember, man, there’s a lot of beautiful things out here. Go enjoy them. Go enjoy them. Now stop. Don’t be in such a hurry. Get off your phone. Stop and smell the roses every once in a while because you’re going to regret if you don’t.

CTC: Clown of Slipknot has expressed his own perspective with artificial intelligence, the rise of it, he has not shied away about from embracing AI. What’s your opinion on AI in general invading the entertainment world?

*Editors Note*:
“Exact quote from The Escapist with Clown, “What’s the difference between me pulling out my pocket producer… or me trying to get a famous producer that might not even work with me and could potentially cost me $150,000… who will only give me one or two ways – I’m not mentioning any names!”

WR: It’s laziness. Be creative. Be creative. It’s like… It’s laziness. It’s lazy. I don’t give a damn what a computer can do. I can still pull out a map and Atlas and not use a GPS. Be self-sufficient. The one thing with AI is that it loses the human element, I’ll never embrace it. It’s not for AKC. It’s not something that that I think is a tool. I don’t think it’s a tool. I think it’s laziness. If you can’t sit there and be creative enough to come up with this idea in your head and express the art of it, what are you doing? It’s like you’re taking that— You’re like, “Oh, I’m just going to hit a button. It’s going to be in two seconds. And there it’s done”. And it’s like, well, the fun is the journey. Because like while you’re trying to create this, you might create 15 other things on your way to doing that. So, you’re losing that. And if you’re using it to write lyrics, you can only do what’s been done because it can only do what it can find.
It’s never going to have that human imagine, it’s never going to think outside the box. So, fuck AI, like straight up, fuck it. Fuck Siri, fuck Alexa, fuck all that shit. You don’t need that. Get up. You don’t need Google either. You know, how about this right here? It’s called being Jeopardy smart. Take the knowledge you’re taught and hold it. So you don’t have to go to Google and be like, “When was the war of 1812?”

Read about stuff. It’s like you have a brain and I don’t care what anybody says, it is more powerful than any computer on this planet and you are not feeding it. And you’re not like— Instead of trying to develop a new technology so you can become more like that movie, what is it? “Wall-E”, where everybody’s just sitting in a chair and everything does it for them and just become— You know, get so lazy the world goes to shit. Like you don’t want that. Or you don’t want to follow down the path of “Idiocracy” where you’re just this dumb thing and you have your smartphone think for you. Do you really want to be that? Experience life for your own. You don’t need all this extra bullshit, like sitting there, like dictating your life and what you should do. You know, you should be thinking for yourself at all times.

CTC: Thank you for that perspective. Because I was just curious. Because some musicians have said it could be a tool just to help with basic things. They don’t want to use it to fully create a whole song, just for like figuring out something their stuck on or maybe a member is absent for a day, something to fill in. *Shrugs*

WR: No, that’s what your brain’s for, right? Because if you have to have something else figure it out for you, you shouldn’t be here in the first place. And I’m not dissing Clown. I’m not dissing anybody when I say that. If he wants to experiment with that, that’s fine. But Clown’s a hell of an artist. Slipknot’s an amazing group. So, it kind of shocks me that he would, you know… they’re innovators.

CTC: Me, in my opinion, I think AI should only be used to solve unsolved murders and diseases. That’s my opinion.

WR: I’ll agree with that. I will agree with that because AI won’t be interested in the profit. It’s going to come along with it because remember this guys, there is no profit in a cure. There’s profit for treatment.

CTC: Yeah, it’s, it’s a fucked up world we live in. Final question, where do you see yourself? A decade from now, what do you want to keep doing with music?

WR: I see myself retiring in a decade. I see myself being done. You know, I’ve had my time in the sun, I’ve had my time in the rain. I see myself in ten years, sitting back enjoying my grandchildren, being with my wife sitting on a porch, and like I said, take it every day for what it is.

CTC: Final Shout outs!

WR: Love you guys, man! Get up and go do something. Enjoy life, man. It’s a gift.

Support A Killer’s Confession via https://akcglobalrecords.com/

*Cover Photo of Waylon Reavis by Naustalgic Photography*