In honor of this, we have brought them on as our Artist of the Week! You know what that means...
We're currently hosting a contest alongside this San Francisco death unit and the legendary Rebel Pyro Management. This is a great chance to win some of that FREE greatness! Enter via the directions below for a chance to win a shirt / CD combo or a free download!
We also conducted an in-depth interview with the band. Read up!
1. Must like Ænimus
2. Must like The Circle Pit
3. Must share this post and tag both Ænimus and The Circle Pit
BONUS
1. Like the post for a second vote
2. Comment on the post for a third vote
This contest ends Tuesday 8/6 at 9 PM EST!
*We will contact the winners
*By participating, you acknowledge that you completely release Facebook of all responsibility. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook.
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A = ÆNIMUS (Answered by Sean Swafford and Seth Stephens)
MT = Mike Thall
MT - We’re hosting the beastly Ænimus as our Artist of the Week! How the hell are you guys?
A - Great man! We are hella excited to be the Circle Pit’s Artist of the Week!!
MT - You dudes are about to unleash your debut album “Transcend Reality”. Can you tell us about what went into making it?
A - Well, we first started writing the album all together but soon noticed that it was taking way too long as we couldn’t always be together at the same time. So we decided to write on our own and collaborate when we were able to get together. We wrote the album using Guitar Pro which is a tablature/notation program. It really allowed us to think outside of the box and write without limitations. It also helped us grow as musicians a lot! We were writing material that was definitely above our playing capabilities at the time which pushed us to practice and become better players.
MT - Why did you choose the title “Transcend Reality”?
A - The title was a lyric that fit the theme of the album. Through adversity and perseverance one can redefine, change or even have a new perception of their reality. In this specific lyric, it’s more trying to identify reality from the original perception so that it can be changed.
MT - Any favorite tracks we should watch out for?
Seth - My personal favorite track on the album is The Final Delirium.
Sean - Mine would have to be Masterpiece.
MT - Let’s throw it back a bit. How did the band get started up?
A - Matt, Seth and our previous guitarist Jash were in a band together for many years. After that band called it a day, they decided to start up Ænimus. We found Brian (a.k.a Deebs) searching on craigslist. We quickly realized that Brian was a great guitarist and we asked him to join the band. We were still in search of a drummer when we started to record our self titled demo with Nick Botelho of NB Recording. Nick enjoyed the music so much that he decided to audition on drums. His style blew us away and we then asked him to also join the band. We had decided from the inception of the band that we would write with three guitars, but had trouble finding anyone who could keep up with Brian and Jash. That’s when our manager suggested contacting Sean (Swafford, ex-Smashface). We jammed with Sean a couple times and he clicked perfectly with the band, and he also happens to be an amazing guitarist, so we also asked him to join the band.
MT - What caused you to choose the name Ænimus?
A - Ænimus is a Jungian psychology term that refers to the masculine subconscious. Good terms being logic, ambition, and drive. The bad being animosity or hate. We wanted a powerful name that would reflect the content of the musicianship and lyrics.
MT - I know it’s not what you’re going for, but do you get compared with Assassin’s Creed often?
A - Not nearly as much as Tool but yes every once in a while someone will ask us.
MT - Who or what inspires your music?
A - There are many bands that inspire our music. Some of them are: All Shall Perish, Veil of Maya, Periphery, Meshuggah, The Black Dahlia Murder...
MT - You’re currently an Independent band. Any plans to get with a record label?
A - Right now we are working hard to establish ourselves by touring as often as we can to support the new album. It would definitely be great if a label decided to back what we’re doing.
MT - Your heading on tour with Sisyphean Conscience. Can you tell us about that?
A - We are super excited to hit the road with our Dads in Sisyphean Conscience! They are all super great guys, a really awesome band and we couldn’t be more stoked to take them out on our album release tour. We played a show with them in Portland on our last tour, and they blew us away with their solid performance and great musicianship, so we knew we had to hit the road with them soon.
MT - What’s your favorite song to play live?
Sean - Heavy Lies the Crown
Seth - Black Malice Alchemy
MT - What is the craziest thing that has ever happened to you at a show or on the road?
A - Definitely our stop in Portland, OR at VooDoo Donuts, when Sean decided to do their Donut Challenge! He had to eat a donut the size of SIX donuts in under 90 seconds with one glass of water. Needless to say he failed and it was hilarious!
MT - If you could choose any bands to tour with, what would the line-up be?
A - Meshuggah, Whitechapel, All Shall Perish, Veil of Maya, Obscura, Ænimus,
MT - I would go to that show... twice. What are your plans for the rest of 2013 after dropping “Transcend Reality”?
A - We are planning more tours and eventually starting the writing process for our next album.
MT - Here’s the fun round… What would you do for a Klondike Bar?
A - I would get me an oversized guitar, gain forty pounds and be the next D while making the commitment to wakin' up at the crack a' noon, for deep-knee rock squats! Seven or eight at a time! In a row! I’d commit to rock-hard tasty abs washer-board style! Glistening in the sun, wakin' up, goin' okay, it's time to rock your fuckin' socks off. And all we ask in return is so precious little. All we're askin' you to do is drop trou and squeeze out a Cleveland Steamer on my chest….. a.k.a a Klondike Bar!
MT - This man loves his Klondike Bars. Yet again, thanks for your time guys. Those are the questions we have. Any shout outs you want to give?
A - Thank you to our manager Anthony for all the hard work that went into making our Album Release a total success. All of our Sponsors for believing in us. Ryan Downey at The Artery Foundation and Nuclear Blast Records for being cool with Eddie (from All Shall Perish) making a guest vocal appearance on our song Heavy Lies the Crown. You guys for all the coverage, the Artist of the Week spot and taking the time to interview us. And most importantly, all our fans that have supported us and pre-ordered our album! We could not have done any of this without their support!
Links: Facebook // Merch // Bandcamp
