It has been over 12 years since the release of the last mainline entry in the Grand Theft Auto franchise. In that stretch, Jon Mackey has seen the beginning and end of his previous band Vatican—including a pair of full-length albums and a number of EPs and singles—as well as the start of a new chapter, joining up with Portland metalcore act Dying Wish. Though the most recent addition to the quintet, he has already appeared on two releases, 2023’s Symptoms of Survival and 2025’s Flesh Stays Together. In the period that it has taken to develop the hotly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI—delayed once again to November 19, 2026, but at this point, who the hell knows—Mackey has lived a full musical life with much more to come. Adding to that list of accomplishments today is readying up as the latest player character in the Kill Feed arcade.
Truthfully, the bassist’s dedication to the scene has required a considerable amount of time away from the controller. His years in Vatican may have been spent with fellow devotees to the medium, but his focus was on his craft, working long hours whenever he wasn’t touring to afford their next journey on the road. Even if GTA VI never experienced a delay, the New Yorker-now-Floridian might not yet have had the opportunity to experience the upcoming crime saga set in Vice City, the in-universe analog of Miami. Settled into his role in Dying Wish and now the proud owner of a PS5, Mackey is ready to dive in, with one title in particular happily accepting the lion’s share of attention. The co-nerds of Decibel have done their homework and are happy to say that he belongs here.
Flesh Stays Together is available now via Sharp Tone Records and can be purchased here.
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