Hatebeak

Hatebeak is a conceptual death metal project formed in 2003 in Baltimore, Maryland, by Blake Harrison (Pig Destroyer) and Mark Sloan. The band gained international notoriety for featuring Waldo, an African Grey parrot, as their sole vocalist.

Musically, they occupy the space between traditional death metal and chaotic grindcore, utilizing high-speed blast beats and heavily distorted, dissonant guitar work. Because Waldo's well-being is a priority, the band famously never tours or performs live, existing purely as a studio project. , 'The Number of the Beak' referencing Iron Maiden), situating them as a satirical but technically proficient force within the extreme music community. They are frequently grouped with Caninus (a band fronted by dogs) as pioneers of the 'animal-core' niche. Critically, they are viewed as a clever deconstruction of death metal vocal tropes, proving that the genre's sonic intensity can be achieved through non-human means while maintaining a cult following among crate-diggers and fans of outsider art.