Wednesday, October 1, 2008

I-Def-I interview with Erin Fox




Interview with British artist I-Def_I

Tell us about the circumstances that gotten I-DEF-I this far along the way. Which factors do you feel to be most important in progressing to the level of international attention so swiftly?

Well since day 1 we’ve been determined to take the band as far as we possibly can, the first thing I think when I wake up is literally ‘What do I need to do to for the band today’, and it’s a mentality we all share. But while we’ve certainly worked hard, locking ourselves away for months at time writing and rehearsing, and then pounding our way round the UK as an unknown band, giving up virtually everything else in our lives to pursue the dream, we’ve also had some amazing luck. As an unsigned band we landed tours with Killing Joke and Fear Factory, as well as playing a one off show with Stone Sour, which certainly isn’t the way it normally goes! There are a lot of factors that have been important to us getting to this stage, we’ve learnt a lot of lessons the hard way as we’ve come along, we’ve honed our live performance and we’re constantly striving to be better musicians, better songwriters, we’re as DIY as it’s possible to be and we’re more than happy with that. And now we’re ready to take on the world.

Do you consciously take into consideration the overall vibe the group gives off or are is I-DEF-I a group that is purely spontaneous?

No, we’ve never tried to contrive anything about I-DEF-I, it’s just who we are, our personalities are always going to show in our music as well as our live shows.

Recently, Kerrang! Labeled your new album Bloodlust Casualty as “Monstrously well-hung.” Do you believe that this is in fact a true statement?

Haha yeah, it’s got massive balls too! 

Why?

We took everything we’ve been though, all the personal lows, all the dark times, all the anger, all the frustration and channeled it straight into ‘Bloodlust’, monstrously well-hung might may be a bold statement, but it feels kinda fitting.

In addition, the new EP was greatly praised in the K! review, garnering an illustrious 4K rating. How do you feel about such accolades being placed upon your work?

Obviously it’s great to have the biggest metal magazine in the world saying great things about us, and on a personal level it’s really cool. We’re happy that people understand what we’re doing and appreciate it, but it certainly doesn’t mean we’re going to be content to sit back and relax or let up pushing ourselves.

Do you have a tendency to get mashed a bit after shows or do you feel too paggered for partying? If so, is it arduous to contend with a touch of the morning after the night before following a concert?

Well I normally don’t get the chance, I’m pretty much always driving the van! We always have a good time at shows though, it’s great to get out, play some metal, meet up with some old friends, a whole load of new (and sometimes crazy) people and end up in a whole load of random situations. When we get the chance to party properly it does tend to get pretty messy pretty quickly…mornings on the road are never pretty either way, nothing like waking up in the van with a bass amp sticking in your back, someone’s foot in your mouth and a thin coat of ice on your sleeping bag! 

Your first run of “Bloodlust Casualty” sold out on the day of release. What is the difference between yours and every other bloody band in the UK? Why are the fans so excited about the music of I-Def-I?

I think there are a few reasons; partly the UK scene has, with a few notable exceptions, been pretty much stagnant for the last 5 or so years, with bands seeming happy to jump on the next generic bandwagon and pound out the same tunes in the same style. As a result most of the UK has been looking to the US for good music, you guys have been dominating us! There are some great bands coming up over here now though, I think the UK’s finally ready to make a long overdue resurgence.

Do you feel biased in answering that at all?

In some ways, of course! I love my band and I believe in my music, and ultimately we’re writing the music we want to hear and play, so I’m excited as much as anyone! But on the other hand as a fan of heavy music I’ve been crying out for some great new heavy bands that aren’t just churning out the same whiney vocals, the same E/C chord progression and the same sped up Maiden riff over the top.

You’re in the process of writing a new full-length record. What type of progression can fans expect from the new material?

We’re still mostly on working titles, but we’re not too far off having all the material nailed now, it’s sounding immense! We’re covering a lot more ground with the new tunes, and our own sound has taken another evolutionary step, I really can’t wait to get recording these tracks and take them out on the road, they’re gonna scare the hell out of everyone.

The EP is already gathering attention worldwide. Are more of the shows packed out than in the past? Can fans expect that the band will be undertaking major touring upon completion of the proper record?

We’re planning a full tour of the UK and Europe in the summer, really looking forward to getting properly back out on the road, but it’s great to have some time to concentrate on writing right now as well. Every show we’ve played this year has been totally rammed, which is awesome. We’ve done a lot of the hard work over the years playing tiny venues in weird towns to 3 people and a dog, but over the last year it’s been building and building, and this year it’s just exploding.

Do you feel that the attitude of the band members has been primarily responsible for the measure of success you have enjoyed thus far?

Absolutely, all of us have given up virtually everything else in our lives to commit to the band 100%, we’ve been though some of the darkest times over the couple of years both on a personal level and as a band, and our determination and inexorable commitment has been a big part of pulling us through where a lot of bands would have given up and died. But it’s not just that, we’ve got some great people working with us, and a lot of support from friends and fans alike, and we couldn’t have got through the last year without them.

H.I.M Video Lovin'

In just seven short years, the Finnish musical juggernaut H.I.M. has managed to amass an impressive collection of excellent video clips which are represented here on this bleakly romantic group’s first video collection. Being that the band recently signed with Sire Records, you might think that the band’s former label, Universal Records, would have taken steps to make the audio portion of this DVD sound a bit better, in hopes that this would be a definitive release. Sadly, this is not the case and the audio here is quite substandard. The label obviously rushed to issue this collection in time for Christmas consumption, opting for the quick sales attached to the timeliness of the release as opposed to making an effort to issue the highest quality product possible. Hopefully, Warner Brothers will be able to concentrate on issuing a product with the proper audio quality in the future. That said, the disc is still a decent value for the price, with this compendium selling at a retail price of $9.99, it is difficult to say that the audio factor alone should be the fan’s primary reason for owning this material. 

The band’s twelve visually entertaining videos comprise the main reason for checking this work out. You will find some interesting tidbits in the bonus features that certainly add value to the package in some form. The clips of Bam and Ville goofing around bring a laugh and the behind the scenes goofiness has some entertainment value, but the skateboarding clips are a bit misplaced. As amusing as Bam can be, he is a bit overrated due to his enormous over-exposure on MTV and it is a far stretch to include clips of Bam skateboarding on the package. It is understandable that He and Ville are helping to promote each other, and of course, Bam now directs much of the band’s current video footage. Regardless, these outtakes are in the enhanced content, so you don’t have to watch these parts if the skater’s antics do not interest you. The interview segments included with Ville are very interesting as well and provide a great amount of insight as to his artistic intent and focus, as well as a bit of the history behind the band. There is also an egg on this disc that is quite amusing, check around and you will discover how to locate it. It is well worth the trouble.

H.I.M. comes across very, very well on a visual level. Ville possesses an intensity and charisma which translates very well through this medium, making for music videos which are as entertaining as they are artistically creative. The band’s ubiquitous Heartagram logo is present throughout the collection of clips. This stark impression implies the darkly emotive leanings of the group’s music wonderfully. Symbols can be even more powerful than the original intent of their definitions and this combination of romanticism with occult imagery is uniquely suggestive.

Actress Juliette Lewis takes on the role of Ville Valo’s love interest in the Bam Magera directed “Buried Alive By Love” clip. Shots of the group playing in front of a bold and particularly massive eight foot chrome Heartagram look that much edgier when shot with anamorphic Super8 film, giving the clip a grainy, reckless feel. Filmed in the L.A. Theatre in Los Angeles, the setting is a lush, extravagant atmosphere which relays the group’s image quite nicely. Ville constantly redefines himself visually, yet always maintains his dark, cryptically romantic persona. His leering glances pair up perfectly with his intense vocal delivery on this tune. Each of the band members is a strong visual performer as well and as about half of the shots in this video are directly focused on the group, it makes the clip all the more entertaining to look at. In summary, this vid is a standard rock piece, alternating between the flirting of Lewis and Valo and glimpses of the group in full-on action. 

“The Funeral Of Hearts” was filmed in Norway and Lapland by Director Stefan Lindfors contains one of the group’s most striking chorus parts and musically, this song is rife with strong melodies and Valo’s upfront, soulful crooning. In this clip, H.I.M. maintains an image similar to a black metal band as Valo canoes through the Arctic Ocean just off the coast of Norway. The backdrop of the iced over lake the band performs on, manifests a stunning visual. The film’s imagery contains representations of Satan and several wolves. At one point, Valo’s face morphs into that of a wolf. Obviously, this was a very cold shoot. The band’s dressed in cold winter gear and Valo looks as blue and pale as a corpse. His evil sneering and suggestive stares add to the mystique of his persona. During portions of the clip, the sleeved vocalist walks through forests in the company of a wolf and these forests are fully ablaze by the end of the video. Several small bonfires burn across the frozen Lapland lake as the group rolls through the cut. The appearance of the Heartagram in this clip occurs twice, as it is carved into a tree and displayed several times. Then, toward the end of the film, as cameras pan to an aerial shot of many ignited white candles, the symbol is portrayed burning in flaming grandiosity! This song is easily the best overall cut from “Love Metal” and the video really does the track justice.

 The video for one of H.I.M.’s most mesmerizing compositions, the somber ballad “Gone With The Sin”, was filmed in the UK and Germany. The German issued clip is not the one that you’ll find here, as many of the scenes in that edit were projected onto nude bodies, making the film a bit too controversial for American audiences. The version included here is a vivid viewing experience nonetheless, as Valo strolls through a graveyard nestled inside a forest which has been toned over with sharp colors. Purple skies hang overhead as Valo wanders throughout the burial site. Bright green meadows and colorful flowers provide a powerful contrast to the image of Valo, who is cast in black and white tones, along with the grave markers over the course of the video. The song is rather melancholy as the singer issues mournful, romantic poetry. The Heartagram finally appears at the clip’s finale upon a gravestone where the vocalist is burying a bottle of Jack Daniel’s whiskey, but in the clip on this disc, he instead lays roses at the headstone. This excellent footage was shot by Director Ercin Filizli in 2000 and does not feature any of the other members of the group, with the focus completely on Valo.

One of two live assemblages on the collection, “Heartache Every Moment” portrays the band in an arena setting. Shot during the group’s 2001 “Deep Shadows And Brilliant Highlights” European tour, this video does a nice job of capturing the band in a live setting. The crowd shots are certainly a testament to the crowd’s massive European popularity. Parts of the footage are taken from the Koln live performance in specific and the group gives us a glimpse here of what they can accomplish with a rather large production. At times, Valo is reminiscent of a modern day Jim Morrison, prowling the stage like a panther as the crowd joyously sings with the group in unison. The four to one screen effects that pop up throughout the clip give the listener a great deal to look at. The Heartagram appears in this film at the very introduction as the end of a scepter on an MYV video award. Bassist Mige Amour proves himself to be a very entertaining live performer in this video, with shots of the four stringer pulling off some powerful on stage antics. All in all, this is an enjoyable clip that is shot and assembled in the style of the big arena metal videos of the 1980’s. 

“In Joy And Sorrow” is one of the deeper forays into somberness that H.I.M. have written and the track is beautifully offset by a brooding, dark video that begins with Valo sitting in a chair and reading from a page. This film begins in black and white and colors fade in throughout out the clip with red being a crucial thematic color. It is uncertain if he is reading the song’s lyrics or a letter from a lover, however, shortly into the piece, he ignites the page into flames. The Heartagram is immediately visible, etched into the wall in the background. In this clip, Valo closely resembles a young Alice Cooper. His long, brown locks and thick, black eye makeup create this similarity. Valo wears his famous black leather jacket with the words “Your Petty Face Is Going To Hell” scrawled across the back of the garment in while, painted letters. The rest of the ensemble are somewhat subdued in the clip, but remain visible. Bright floodlights glowing bright, hot white emanate from the speaker cabinets as the shadowy atmosphere lends a mysterious tone as they place much of the set in shadows. Directed by John Hillcoat, this clip was shot in the City of London in 2001. Near the end of the video, Valo looks simply possessed near the end of this clip, as if he has left his body completely. This video definitely gives an interesting vision of this tuneful, eerie track.

Created for the “Join Me In Death” single release and the issuance of “Razorblade Romance” in the UK, the “Ice version” of the “Join Me In Death” video is by far superior to the alternate version. The frozen set was created in a London studio and is a breathtaking landscape and easily the most creative and fitting theme contained in any H.I.M. video. The release of this video in particular, was highly controversial in the UK, where the group came under fire in regard to the track’s Shakespearean lyrics in which Valo begs of his lover to commit suicide in a “Romeo and Juliet’ fashion. The vocalist takes on a completely glammed out appearance in this clip, complete with fur coat, heavy purple eye shadow and bright, glossy, pink lipstick. The female model is incased in Ice near the beginning of the film, as Valo sits as a northern prince upon an icy throne. Above his head, etched in ice, is a glowing symbol that eventually morphs into a Heartagram. The viewer will find that Director Bill Yuckich has a spectacular eye for creating dramatic content that is nothing short of captivating. The group looks especially at home in this type of environment, with guitarist Lily Lazer taking on the impression of a complete rock star as he pouts and dances with his frozen axe. The crimson colored robe worn by Valo later in the clip contrasts the icy blue backdrop magnificently. Without a doubt, this is by far the most visually impacting clip that H.I.M. has filmed to date. If you buy this compilation for no other reason, get it for “Join Me In Death”


The group recorded the clip for “Poison Girl” at the onset of their German tour of 2000 in Berlin. This video very much contains the same feeling as the one produced for “Heartache Every Moment”, with bluish spots raining down light upon Valo and his boys. In this video, the singer dances around often coming off as an evil Billy Idol, although Valo’s current hairstyle causes his to look even more like the punk metal icon. “Poison Girl” is a very gothic sounding cut aurally that is easily singable, so naturally the crowd if packed with young ladies who are attending to gawk at the enigmatic crooner, packed tightly toward the stage front. Valo mockingly throws goats at the onlookers and makes plenty of suggestive glances toward the onlookers. Although this is a strong and definitely popular song, it is probably the weaker of the two live vids. Here, you will find the Heartagram gracing the bass drum somewhat inconspicuously as they rarely show a frontal clip of Gas Lipstick’s drumkit.

“Pretending” is a great song, yet probably one of the least creative visually of all of the themed videos the band has done. The band members sway vertically up and down as they play the cut in a rocking, dizzying effect. Although this effect is cool, it makes for a rather one-dimensional music video. The clip is very stripped down and focuses on the members performing individually on the swaying platform, for the most part. The track is a straight ahead rocker with a decent hook featuring pitch bending, spacey keyboard effects that have become synonymous with the group’s sound. This clip was shot in May of 2001 by Director Kevin Godley in London, England. Shot at Saint Elaia’s, this architecture makes for an interesting backdrop. Perhaps the story of how the clip was created is even more interesting than the actual video itself. The band members were securely strapped in place upon a piece of steel attached to a rigging that was eight foot square and stood ten feet from the ground. Cameras were specially fitted to the aperture and aimed at specific angles in order to obtain the rocking effect you see in the video. See if you can find the Heartagram.

A Billy Idol influence is most noticeable in the music of “Right Here In My Arms”, a straight ahead rocking track that has some distinct similarities to Idol’s music that is hard to ignore. The song is entertaining nonetheless, and this clip makes for decent eye candy as the band is performing inside of a glass housing which contains an interesting grid pattern that is definitely an original visual statement. As many pin spots burn in the ceiling of the structure, Valo peers through the glass at the seductive looking model Ninja Sarasalo as she gazes through the illuminated glasswork. The 16 year old model mimics Valo’s movements including some motions simulating sexual activity as the group bashes out the cut. You will find the Heartagram easily visible throughout this video on Lipstick’s bass drum. While’s Valo’s attention is focused on Sarasalo, the group have a bit of fun, making gestures and acting like rock stars in general. The song carries a distinct metallic riff powered by Lily Lazer that is sharp, biting and memorable. “Right Here In My Arms” was shot in the group’s hometown of Helsinki, Finland by Director Pasi Pauni in February of 2000 and is, on the whole a very entertaining view.

Bam Magera directed the group’s clip for 2003’s “The Sacrament”, which is also culled from the group’s “Love Metal” release. The track is one of the more well arranged of H.I.M.’s up-tempo material, featuring an instantly recognizable guitar bend just before the track breaks into it’s explosive chorus. Magera did a fairly job with the video, which was shot at the Castle Ploskovice, located in Litomeoice, Czech Republic. Bassist Mige was actually reprimanded by the administrator of this facility for resting on a piece of antique furniture that was brought to the set for the shoot. Model Vanda Vasatkova is the distraught looking, forlorn female in the clip. The Czech model didn’t speak English, so it took her a bit of time to become comfortable in posing for the scene in the film where she is lying on a bed in her underwear. Her visual features give the video a distinctly European aura. The video opens with Valo sitting on the steps of the castle, gazing into the distance with a lost and lonely look in his eyes, which are enhanced to appear to be a very deep blue with either contact lens or digital effects. The Heartagram is visible in Valo’s tattoo if you care to look.

Shot in an old hotel in Finland by Director Miko Pifkanen back in 1999, “When Love And Death Embrace” has a gloomy feel which resonates throughout the entire video. Featuring abstract shots of leaking sinks, peeling paint and empty coat racks, the viewer is given the impression of decay. The worn down structure gives the song a fantastic medium of despair. Everything is shot in dark tones. Although the video is somewhat basic, it communicates the emotion of the track quite nicely. Valo scribes lyrics while listening to a recording on a reel-to-reel tape player as cigarettes burn away in the ashtray. Overall it is quite a dark and somber video which is not geared toward commercial appeal. There is no Heartagram in this clip.

H.I.M. takes on Chris Isaak’s tuneful “Wicked Game.” There are three versions of this video available, but the particular one on this DVD is generally referred to as the “Rude Version.” Valo is out walking on a rainy evening and enters a UK strip joint called “On The Rocks”. The club is filled with middle aged and older men gawking at an older lady as she strips. The other members of H.I.M. are on a stage which evokes a 50’s atmosphere and each of the band members are clothed in gold, sparkling jackets and sporting greaser haircuts (except for Gas) as they play the cut, entertaining the crowd. Valo sings the song from the crowd as the worn looking stripper performs her routine. At one point, Valo ventures into the restroom, where used toilets are overflowing and spilling rapidly onto the floor. The vocalist stares into a dirty mirror as he belts out the song’s familiar lyrics. At the end of this video, Valo is thrown back out into the rain by a rough looking doorman. The band performs this cover version quite well and certainly heavier than the familiar, memorable original. You will not find a Heartagram in this clip. As a poignant close, Valo issues the warning “Remember, he loves no one.”

Hell Within Feature

Hell Within Feature

by: Erin Fox

Complete and utter sonic devastation. This phrase perfectly sums up the immensely powerful musical force that is Hell Within. It simply cannot be denied that this aggressive young quintet of highly talented metal musicians is among the finest groups in the metalcore scene today. Hell Within craft hard hitting, aurally commanding compositions that are packed with intense emotions and an up front, driving forcefulness that is certain to appeal to any devotee of hard edged sonic mayhem. Since their formation in 1998 under the moniker Twytch, Hell Within has created a tremendous stir in the underground metal arena, beginning in their home state of Massachusetts and extending to thousands of metal fans on an international level.

Long renowned for their tremendously incendiary live performances, Hell Within have had the honor of sharing the stage with some of the biggest names in metal today including Disturbed, Shadows Fall, Hatebreed, Candria, Diecast and Sworn Enemy. Fans flock to the Boston based group's performances en masse to experience the jarring fret board wizardry of axe duo Isaias Martinez and Tony Zimmerman. Having assembled a rabid fan base regionally, the group hit the studio to record their first full length effort, the self titled “Twytch” album. Twytch entered the recording studio yet again in 2003 to lay down tracks for the 'Hatred' EP. With the issuance of this duo of hard hitting platters, the group embarked on extensive tours of the East Coast, gaining legions of fans through their dead on, highly entertaining live performances.

At this point in the band's career, the members decided that the time was right to move into an even heavier direction with their music. To complement this new direction, the group re christened the band with a moniker that would better describe the sound, focus and personality of the ensemble. From this point forward, the collective of artists would be known as Hell Within. Soon thereafter, the group attracted the attention of the most rapidly rising metal label in Europe, Germany's Lifeforce Records. Lifeforce has issued some of the most impressive metalcore albums from a roster of highly revered artists such as Trivium, Deadsoil and Hand To Hand. The label saw a high degree of potential in Hell Within and quickly signed the group to a recording contract.

The initial result of this partnership is Hell Within's dynamic and vociferous Lifeforce Records debut entitled "Asylum Of The Human Predator". This ten track metalcore masterpiece is emphasized by the forward thrusting rhythms of bassist Joe "The Ham" Martinez and drummer Brian "Bubba" Joyce. "Asylum Of The Human Predator" includes genre defining songs such as the enigmatically technically brutal "Godspeed To Your Deathbed", the wild wolverine assault of "Merchants Of The Blood Trade" and the standout track "Redemption...Is A Cold Body", a cut which is already garnering much attention in the relevant metal press. This groundbreaking record was recorded at was recorded at Prism Sound Studio (Tribe of Judah, Godsmack) with studio wizard John Ellis at the helm. "Asylum Of The Human Predator" was mixed by highly acclaimed knob turner Zeuss (Hatebreed, Shadows Fall) and mastered by Alan Douches (God Forbid, Unearth). This combination of recording and studio masterminds captured the essence of the Hell Within perfectly and the result is nothing less than pure, unadulterated metal mayhem. Distribution through the mighty Victory Records ensures that the release will be easily obtainable by metal lovers everywhere. With an intense original sound that will certainly be of appeal to fans of thrash, death metal, hardcore and metalcore alike, Hell Within have crafted an album that will stand as a monument in the hardcore metal annals. The stunningly brilliant dynamics inherent in vocalist Matt McChesney's singing are the centerpiece of an album that is at once voracious and superbly executed. When combined with the relentless nature group's instrumentation, the result is tremendous.


Watch for Hell Within to be featured very prominently in the metal press with a total of 200 print and 400 e zines to cover this astounding metal milestone. Hell Within will be featured in an upcoming issue of the highly touted Revolver Magazine, bringing their tremendous presence to thousands of fans nationwide in the hottest metal print publication in the US. The group will support this punishingly heavy new release with a US tour that will take the band to some of the best metal venues in the nation. This explosive tour will kick off at the most prestigious hard music event in the US, the New England Metal and Hardcore Fest in Worcester, MA. Undoubtedly, the band's loyal regional fanbase will turn out in droves to see their metal heroes grace the stage at this enormous event! Watch for Hell Within to annihilate listeners across the US in summer 2005 as they bring their brand of musical destruction to the metal masses.





Interview: MASTERY

Mastery has exploded out of the gate with a high-powered EP on Spinerazor Records entitled “Lethal Legacy.” Having received considerable attention in the metal press, including high-profile write-ups in Decibel, Metal Maniacs and Brave Words and Bloody Knuckles, Mastery has proven that a decidedly great metal release can in fact, be issued sans frontman. Fans beholden to the sounds of classic thrash metal bands like Megadeth and Death Angel will be immediately drawn to the intense sounds on this initial offering, but the following responses from drummer Kevan Roy and guitarist Markus Armellini indicate that even more massive metal accomplishments are surely on the horizon…


Erin Fox: Your “Lethal Legacy” disc is about to be re-released via Spinerazor Records. As of late, the EP has been highly acclaimed in the press. How do you feel about all of the attention surrounding the band at this point?

Markus: It feels great to see that our idea of putting out an instrumental album is going over so well! As far as we know, nobody has really done this kind of thing before and so we weren’t sure what reaction we’d be getting.

Kevan: Yeah, it’s been quite humbling actually! We obviously believe very strongly in the path we’ve chosen here, but at the same time there really isn’t a benchmark in this style of metal to know how we might be received, so it’s been absolutely awesome to get the kind of attention we have been getting!




Being that you have now achieved certain notoriety for playing metal without a singer, do you expect that you will continue forward as an instrumental group for the foreseeable future? Why?

Markus: With all the positive feedback we’ve been getting, it wouldn’t be a good move to get a singer now, especially when the album hasn’t even been released yet. We’re definitely confident enough to say that we will continue on this path for the foreseeable future. Unless an opportunity with a singer that we couldn’t refuse presents itself, we’re not changing who we are.  

Kevan: Yeah, with the response we’ve gotten from the fans, and how it has been received in the media, we have essentially broken this mold of how an aggressive metal band is “supposed” to be put together. That means the bar has been raised even higher for any would-be singers that wanted to give this a try with us. I think some bands add a singer to their mix…ANY singer….because that’s just what you do, you have a singer, and often they’re difficult to find! For us, we’ve established that we don’t necessarily need a singer, which means unless someone can make us sound substantially better, we’re not going to mess with the recipe simply because we need one more member. 




What was it like to record the EP with Kevan at the helm as opposed to an outside producer? Did you feel more comfortable with a member of the band overseeing the recording as opposed to an outsider?

Markus: As with everything there’s advantages and disadvantages to having a member of the band taking on a lot of the responsibility in the process of making a record. We all had a good idea what we wanted to achieve production wise with Lethal Legacy. Kevan has a lot of the know-how on the engineering side of things and so we felt confident enough to have him in the driver’s seat.

Kevan: Well, personally, I thought it was a GREAT choice! Ha!
 




Your compositions require the knowledge and execution of a wide variety of techniques. How is it that the technical aspect inherent in your songwriting came to be so prevalent?

Markus: We’ve all been influenced by a variety of bands and some aspects like technique or the progressiveness of the songwriting, so I’m sure that is coming through in our own writing style. 



Guitar solos are a key part of the band’s overall appeal. Do you think that metal needs to return to having more guitar solos? Do you believe that being a master of your instrument is critical to being in a successful metal band?

Kevan: I don’t think one needs to be a “master” on their instrument to be successful, necessarily. I mean, there are lots…and this is in no way a criticism…but there are lots of songwriters who would not be considered technical masters on their instrument. However they have the gift of being able to write catchy riffs and progressions that earn them millions! So I think technical proficiency and success are only loosely connected. That being said, for us, and for what we feel we need to get out of us musically right now, we do strive for that technical proficiency as well as good songwriting. As far as guitar solos go, I don’t know if metal as a whole needs to have more soloing, but I know we love it!

Markus: Yeah, solos always stand out in a song because they have the power to change the mood and feel within seconds. It’s definitely something we’ll keep putting in our songs. And being a master of your instrument is not guaranteeing you anything nowadays, but it sure helps!





What single event has had the greatest impact on your career as a metal musician thus far?

Markus: I would have to say that when we made the decision to move forward without a singer is responsible for where we’re at right now.

Kevan: Yeah I would have to agree. It was a real leap of faith to sorta go against the grain on that issue, early on. And we definitely got some resistance from some of the so-called “industry people” that we talked to in the beginning, who more or less responded to us that they would talk to us “when you’re a complete band.” The idea of an instrumental metal band was just something you don’t do!? But, we had a clear vision of what we wanted to put out there, and the response we’ve gotten so far says it all! That’s also what created the awesome association we have now with Spencer Cage and Spinerazor records. Cage was able to see our vision the way we did very early on, before anyone even knew our name yet….so that was key.











Which bands do you believe to be your contemporaries in the realm of heavy metal today? Why would you choose these bands above others? What factors do you find to be most appealing in a metal band’s sound?


Kevan: Wow, tough question! For me, the most appealing factor in a band’s sound is definitely the gritty, almost abrasive sound of the guitars…but with body! It’s all personal taste, but that’s one of my biggest complaints with a lot of the Death metal style…the guitar sound is so scooped in the mids, that they seem to lack a lot of the presence and almost become tinny in the high end just so they can be heard in the mix. I love a sound where the guitars just rip my face off! The other extreme in a lot of current metal is a guitar sound that is so saturated in the mids that they lose some of that grit though. But again, it’s all personal taste and each has their place. As for who our contemporaries would be…again, without having a singer, I think it’s difficult to compare us directly with the big acts that are out there now!? But as far as playing style goes, some of the bands that I think we should share a stage with, would be bands like Into Eternity, Lamb of God, Unearth, Megadeth…bands like that. Oh, and of course SSSSSSLAYAHHHHH!! Yeah!




Being that the band does not have a frontman, so to speak, what types of things does Mastery do in a live situation to ensure that the crowd is able to interact with the experience?

Markus: It starts with a good set list. It’s key to keep the audience’s attention throughout the show and as long as we play with intensity and high energy, we don’t seem to have any problems keeping the crowd interested. Even better yet, come to one of our shows and you’ll see first hand!





Will you be going on tour to support the EP, or have you already started to work on the full-length release? Can we expect anything different from the next album or will your basic songwriting style remain the same?

Markus: We’re working on putting a North American tour together right now. Once we have more details we’ll post them on our website www.masterymetal.com and at www.myspace.com/masterymetal.

In regards to the next album, it’s still a little early to comment on that now , but one thing is for sure, it’s always about raising the bar on the next one! 




What is the one thing that you want heavy metal fans out there to know about the mission of the band?

Kevan: Hmmm…I think it might be that deep down our secret mission is to sell out as quickly as possible and make millions so that we can become lazy and just write cheesy ballads for mainstream radio play!! Ha!! Yeah rrrrrrrrrright!!!!!! In all seriousness, I don’t know if we really have a specific mission. Right now we’re just doing what feels right to us, trying to express ourselves the way WE want to….without conformity. How far this instrumental thing we’re doing will go!?!....that’s up to the heavy metal fans! But if there is one thing we want them to know, it’s that we very much appreciate all the support we have gotten from them!