Schedule
The Ground Shaker
In 2016, two old friends who had lost touch for years reconnected, and memories came flooding back instantly: more than 30 years earlier, they had fought—one with a boxing glove, the other with a kitchen glove. Since then, they had each followed their own path, guitar in hand. Dav was already playing in a band with his friend Ray (bass), while Giro was returning from a productive 10-year exile between London (where he won the Best Guitarist award at Tech Music School in 2009) and Los Angeles. Just ten days later, Giro arrived at their first rehearsal with a full album composed, which would become Down The Hatch. The Ground Shaker was born—more metal than ever.
Giro then convinced his longtime friend Björn to join the band with his solid drumming skills. Björn, formerly the drummer of P.M.T (who played alongside bands like Korn and Marilyn Manson), was genuinely excited to be part of this new project.
In January 2017, The Ground Shaker entered the studio in Switzerland to record their first album. The album was mixed by Johann Meyer at Silver Cord Studio in New York (Gojira’s studio) and mastered by Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street Studio in Sweden. In 2018, they began a series of shows in French-speaking Switzerland. Then the COVID pandemic hit, forcing the band to cancel their tour dates.
During this forced break, Björn realized he no longer had the passion to continue, while Giro and Dav were determined to record a second album that would take them to the next level. Bat Ducora, former drummer of Meltdown and Feurzeug, auditioned and immediately joined the band, confirming his commitment with a concert in early September 2020.
The band decided to use this pause to work on their second album, broadening their horizons toward a more melodic rock sound and aiming to return to the stage with “something powerful.” Once the tracks were composed and pre-produced, they called on renowned professionals. Marc Le Goff (ex-Shake Shake Go) enthusiastically collaborated, along with Johann Meyer (FOH Gojira) and the famous Ted Jensen (Rolling Stones, Green Day, Muse, Deftones, etc.) for mastering.
The album Rogue Asylum was completed in May 2022 and is set for release in March 2023. In July 2022, Ray decided to quit music to focus on his personal life. Vortex Ram took his place after an impressive audition.
In June 2023, Bat announced he was expecting a child and that his family would be his priority. After intense auditions, the band happily welcomed Smash as their new drummer.
The Ground Shaker aims to make a name for themselves with their new songs and become one of Switzerland’s biggest acts in their genre. In August 2022, they signed with one of Switzerland’s most renowned booking agencies, The Best Of Underground, run by Vincent Dévaud. Since then, the band has played larger venues and supported Nazareth on their 2023 tour.
Currently, the band is working on new singles to break into the mainstream, and with the support of their new tour manager Jon Wyler from Erkonos Industries, they are preparing for a worldwide tour in 2025, starting in Japan and China in April!
- Friday 12 September 2025
- 12:00 AM
- Scanner Bistro