What Is Derision Cult?
DERISION CULT is industrial rock from Chicago, built from guitars, machines, black humor, programmed rhythm, and the uneasy feeling that the warning signs were probably there the whole time.
Founded in 2014 by Dave McAnally, Derision Cult returned after a long hiatus from music and a conversation with the frontman of DIE WARZAU that reframed how Dave thought about art, authenticity, and what it means to make something on purpose.
The current lineup is Dave McAnally, Sean Payne, Brad Huston, and Jesse Hunt. Together, they make loud, guitar-driven industrial rock with one foot in classic machine music and the other in whatever bad idea survived the room.
The Current Lineup
Dave McAnally
Vocals / guitar. Founder of Derision Cult and guitarist for PIG on the 2026 Hurt People Hurt North American tour.
Sean Payne
Synths / programming / production. Chicago-based producer, Glitch Mode Recordings mainstay, and member of Cyanotic.
Brad Huston
Guitars / additional programming / engineering. Adds the other wall of noise and helps keep the machine from flying apart.
Jesse Hunt
Drums. Also a member of Pigface and a host of Midwest industrial projects. Dancing. Lots of Dancing.
The Name
The name comes from a critic's review of The Room, which described the film's fanbase as a “cult of derision.”
The idea that mass mockery could transform something into a beloved phenomenon stuck with Dave, particularly as he watched brands start engineering outrage as a growth strategy. That tension between authenticity and manipulation became a recurring theme in the music.
Glitch Mode Recordings
DERISION CULT signed with Glitch Mode Recordings in 2021 and has since worked with Chris Connelly of Pigface, Martin Atkins of Nine Inch Nails, Stabbing Westward, Cyanotic, and others from the industrial and noise rock underground.
The sound draws from metal, new and classic industrial, and even outlaw country, balancing guitar aggression, programmed rhythm, and atmospheric texture.
Mercenary Notes Pt. 2
Album Credits
- Produced by: Sean Payne
- Recording Studio: Glitch Mode Recordings
- Engineered by: Brad Huston
- Mastered by: Sean Payne and Brad Huston
- Album Artwork: Jim Marcus
Featured Guests
- Reeves Gabrels (David Bowie, The Cure): Lead guitars on “Warning Signs” and “Radiation Blues”
- Pete Berwick: Vocals on “Joker’s Wild (And Kings Are Dead)” and “Influence”
- Ronaldo Rodriguez: Organ on “Joker’s Wild (And Kings Are Dead)”
- Justin Broadrick (Godflesh, Jesu): Remix of “Warning Signs”
- Cyanotic: Remix of “Radiation Blues”
Start Here
Start with Warning Signs, dig into the videos, follow the band, or get in touch.