EXIVIOUS - ARTIST OF THE WEEK INTERVIEW

We're honored to have Exivious as our Artist of the Week! It's been about four years since the release of the damn near flawless Exivious self-titled debut. What was originally a Cynic / Textures side project has experienced a few line up changes in that time but has still emerged strong. Now they're on the loose again with their sophomore full-length "Liminal"! And if you haven't got to listen yet, it is PHENOMENAL!

We had the chance to interview the lead guitarist Tymon Kruidenier (ex-Cynic). Read up below and jam the tracks!
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TK = Tymon Kruidenier
MT = Mike Thall

MT - How did the band get started up?

TK - As a lot of bands get started I guess. I was a young metal head with an electric guitar and wanted to start my own band. But that was all the way back in 1997, when I just started playing actually. It wasn't until 2005 that the modern day Exivious was born. At that point, I knew pretty well where I wanted to go with Exivious, I spent years trying to figure out what it was that I wanted to do. So when I finally found the right musicians to work with in 2005, we took some years to gel and pinpoint the exact direction we wanted to go in. And that's where it really started.

MT - How did you come up with the name Exivious?

TK - It's a little embarrassing to explain, but my excuse is that I came up with it when I was 17 years old. Exivious doesn't mean anything, it just popped into my head during an English lesson at school. We debated changing the name, back when we released our first album. But we figured we already build up a bit of a name in the underground scene, so we decided to stick with it. An added bonus though, is that it's very easy to look us up on the internet. Literally all hits on a Google search for Exivious are related to the band haha.

MT - You guys have a new album dropping THIS WEEK! Can you tell us about it?

TK - Yes, finally! I held the CD in my hands for the first time 3 days ago. It's an awesome feeling to finish such a long process. We pretty much spent the last 2 to 3 years putting this thing together. But yeah, what can I tell you about it? It's a more balanced album, it's heavier, it's softer, it's more dynamic, it's more epic and even though I hate the word, it's a lot more mature than our debut. We are quite happy with it ourselves!

MT - Any songs in particular we should be watching out for?

TK - Each song on Liminal really has its own identity and story to tell. I'm excited about all of them for different reasons. Triguna, composed by Michel, is the most abstract song on the album with a very intense ending. One's Glow is a very energetic and rhythmic song with an awesome drum solo by Yuma. Immanent is a very groovy song with some really big and epic parts in it. I hope there's something for everyone on Liminal!

MT - What was it like transitioning from your debut to the new album?

TK - Very natural and easy actually. The first album took a long time because we were still searching for an identity. With Liminal, we already knew very well what we liked about our sound, what we didn't like so much, what new influences we wanted to add to our sound, etc. So it really was a matter of sitting down and letting the ideas flow. There were the occasional struggles of course, but that comes with the territory of being a perfectionist.

MT - You're among the select bands to run a successful crowdfunding campaign. How does it feel to have that kind of support?

TK - Amazing! We might not have millions of followers, being in this niche type of music, but the followers we do have are really dedicated and loyal. And we're very grateful for that! We worked our asses off to try and create something special with Liminal. It's very exciting to send it out to our backers next week, I really hope they'll like it!

MT - Who or what inspires your music?

TK - Who or what doesn't? We love to get inspired by abstract things like emotions, dreams, situations, nature or just life in general. It's quite challenging to try and capture these concepts in instrumental music, but very rewarding. Other than that, we inspire each other in the band. And then there's all the great music out there to get inspired by.

MT - What was it like transitioning from Cynic to Exivious?

TK - Freedom! To do exactly what I want to do, music wise and business wise. And to do all of this with 3 great and likeminded friends who happen to be great musicians. Don't get me wrong, I'm very grateful for my time with Cynic. I gained tons of experience and had so much fun. But having said that; I'm a bad follower. I always have a clear idea on how to do things and on how to improve things. That wasn't my place in Cynic. With Exivious we're all on the same page, we share similar goals, similar tastes in music and we're just great friends. I'm very happy with where Exivious is at right now.

MT - Rumor has it Exivious may be going full-time. Any light you can shed on this?

TK - We'll always have our side projects, because that's just fun to do. And me and Yuma are both working as producers and engineers as well, work that we love to do. But Exivious has priority over everything else at this point, so we're hoping to treat Exivious pretty much as a full-time commitment.

MT - Have you toured much?

TK - Not yet! After we released our debut, Robin and I were touring all the time with Cynic, so we didn't have the chance to gig with Exivious. When we quit Cynic, we did 1 European tour with Exivious, supporting Obscura and Gorod and then got to work for Liminal. So now that Liminal is done and almost out, we're hoping to finally do some proper touring with this band!

MT - Any favorite shows?

TK - I loved playing at Brutal Assault in 2011, an open air festival in Czech Republic. Such a great atmosphere! And there were some awesome shows on our last tour as well. I remember the show in London (Underworld), the show in Haarlem (Patronaat) and the one in Prague (Black Pes) as some of my favorites. I usually prefer smaller, more intimate venues, for the type of music we play.

MT - What's the craziest thing that has happened to you at a show or on the road?

TK - Traveling all the way to India with Robin, for a gig with Cynic at a festival, only to find out Paul & Sean couldn't make it due to visa problems. We got put up in this ridiculously big villa that was part of a resort with a swimming pool and an awesome buffet (3 times a day). So we then agreed on playing some kind of ambient set, just Robin and me. We prepared some interesting ambient versions of Cynic and Exivious songs, only to find out the entire festival got cancelled the next day! So all we did was eat ridiculous amounts of food, 3 times a day, and then fly back home hahaha.

MT - If you could tour with any bands in the world, who would you take the stage with?

TK - I'd love to tour with bands like Devin Townsend Project or Opeth. It would be awesome to share our music with a bigger crowd. But it would also be fun to see what would happen if we would support a post-rock band like God Is An Astronaut. Touring is fun anyways and what's most important to me, is that the guys in the bands you're touring with are cool. So as long as that's in order, it's all good!

MT - What do you guys do for fun?

TK - Play the guitar, compose new songs, play gigs... but I'm guessing that's pretty obvious. Other than that, I love to tinker with computers and other geeky things. I love to think, to travel, to read interesting articles and to watch good movies. I also love spending time with friends and my parents and siblings. Nothing out of the ordinary really. And the other dudes are just as boring as I am.

MT - Favorite alcoholic beverage?

TK - Belgian special beers. Dubbel, tripel, quadrupel... they're all awesome!

MT - Is there anything you want to say to the fans out there?

TK - Thanks for taking the time to read this and I'm hoping you'll dig our new album! And if you're one of the people who supported us by backing our crowd-funding campaign: thank you once again!
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Links: Facebook // Twitter // Official Website // iTunes

PLINI INTERVIEW

There are plenty of incredible solo artists in the world, but Plini may have taken the cake for 2013. This is why we had him featured as our Artist of the Week not too long ago. His latest EP "Sweet Nothings" (review here) and it's predecessor "Other Things" (review here) both came out this year in absolute triumph. They bring a number of elements in an awe-inspiring instrumental package including bits of Fusion, Prog Rock / Metal,  healthy experimentation, etc.

We recently conducted an interview with the one and only Plini. Be sure to read up and learn below!

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P = Plini
MT = Mike Thall

MT - You just dropped an excellent new EP "Sweet Nothings" to follow up "Other Things". What all went into creating those?

P - A fair bit of time and a lot of sitting around! The writing and recording of the first 80% of both releases only took a day or two per song, but I get scared when something is almost “finished” and hesitate to call it done. The stuff on Sweet Nothings was actually close to finished a few months before I recorded Other Things - I was just more confident to put out the stuff on Other Things (most of the orchestral parts on Sweet Nothings didn’t exist until a couple weeks before I released it) so it got to come out first!

MT - What was is like transitioning between the two releases?

P - I had a lot better of an idea of what to do/how to do it with “Sweet Nothings”, because for whatever reason, the reception of the music and art of “Other Things” far exceeded my expectations, so it was kinda like “oh yeah I’ll do it like that again, that worked last time...” And then the reception of Sweet Nothings exceed my expectations yet again!

MT - Is there anything you can tell us about the third EP in the "Other Things" trilogy?

P - Right now it only exists in my memory and a couple of very short clip. But I feel like overall it will be bigger and more dense, but also smaller and frail. The heaviest, but also the softest, and definitely the best. You will buy it.

MT - How did the EPs get their names?

P - It was going to be an album - “Things” - and “Other Things” (as a sorta bonus EP) but I decided to arrange it into a story/trilogy and not emphasise one or the other. So yeah.

MT - Any favorite songs from the new EP?

P - I like how Tarred & Feathered came out, it was purely acoustic guitars and drums until a week or so before releasing it I decided to go all out. I also love the solos Gru and Stevo did, and Luke’s playing (especially the ending) on Sweet Nothings. But I basically have a love/hate relationship with everything I write, so it’s hard to pick a fave.

MT - How has the response been?

P - Stupidly good, very surreal. Having a box of CDs that I made in my room and sending them to addresses all over the world to make people happy is one of the strangest and most awesome things I’ve ever done. Also discovering that some of the musicians I really admire have somehow found my music and enjoy it/share it with their fans is CRAZY.

MT - How did you get your name, Plini?

P - It was from a book (The Glass Bead Game) my mum was reading when I was a baby.

MT - How did your solo career get started up?

P - I wouldn’t call it a career just yet... but I started recording stuff a few years ago and eventually felt optimistic enough to put it online (back in the days of myspace and soundclick, good times). People seemed to enjoy it, shit happens!

MT - How do you typically go about writing music?

P - I fuck around a lot until something worthwhile happens and then I see where I can go with it! Normally it’s a guitar riff with a drum feel. Then I just keep building it up until it feels like anymore would be too much. After the first half a minute or so is written I tend to get a picture in my head of the overall form of the song, which I then arrange it to.

MT - Who or what inspires ya?

P - People, music, art, nature, science, feelings. The main musical ones at the moment are Steven Wilson, Ulf Wakenius, Justin Timberlake and CHON.

MT - Do you play live at all?

P - I played at my high school once.

MT - Did anything crazy happen at that show?

P - People clapped, I was surprised.

MT - I'm not! If you could collab with any artists in the world, who would they be?

P - The ones that (I hope) will happen soon are Sithu Aye, Mario from CHON, Aaron from Intervals... and many more. A couple of dream collabs would be like Steven Wilson or Kimbra or something.

MT - What are your plans for the rest of 2013 / early 2014?

P - Got a little side project I’ve been working on for a while that will be coming out at the end of November and then I’m having a lil holiday. After that I’m gonna get stuck into figuring out how the trilogy ends!

MT - Here's the fun round... Plini plise take my moni?

P - With pleasure!

MT - Anything you want to say to the fans out there?

P - You all rule and I am extremely grateful and can’t wait to release more music and hopefully start touring and meeting you lovely people soon! <3

MT - Thanks for your time! Seriously... take my money

P - Seriously... I will. And you’re welcome!

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Links: Facebook // Bandcamp // Merch

VILDHJARTA - ARTIST OF THE WEEK INTERVIEW

We're incredibly proud to present the one and only Vildhjarta as our Artist of the Week! This Swedish metal unit has bent minds and shattered ear drums with their dark, forward thinking brand of Progressive Metal. This is especially true of their latest release "Thousands of Evils" (read our review here).

We had the opportunity to catch up with guitarist / songwriter Daniel Bergström and pull an in-depth interview with the band (conducted by our writer with this tattoo!). Read up, learn, and blast the music below.

Thall.

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DB = Daniel Bergström
AD = Arkadeep Deb


AD - Ahoy from the fanb0is at TheCirclePit. How are they hanging guys?

DB - They be 0’s are trippin like baaoows on the .66 mate

AD - “Thousands of Evils" just released. Give us a little backstory to the album, any memorable anecdote you would like to share from the days you spent writing the album and in the studio?

DB - We went through alot of personal issues this time around, very much because of the concepts we had chosen to dwell into so i guess for some members of le band it’s a pretty personal chunk of music. We of course had our fair share of haardfests (with icelandic pronunciation) too.

AD - Could you list out the gear you had used this time around and how it influenced the recording procedure for the album?

DB - I don’t know all the gear we used but we always try to keep it as simple as possible.

It’s also the first time we worked with an outside producer for the mix (Christian Svedin) who also mastered it. We’ll probably continue working like that.

AD - So how does the song-writing process unfold for you guys? Do you still compose bit by bit and assist eachother via e-mail at the same rate as before? With chops as supreme as you lot when do you realize that you have enough instrumental wizardry to rock our socks off? Do you follow the policy of “less is more”or do you keep working on a composition till it’s pushing its final form?

DB - Theres really no formula we follow. One thing we always end up doing is scrapping alot however which often results in songs being stripped to the core, this tendency sort of got out of hands on this ep which lead to some interesting songs i think. It’s like we slaughter the riffs til you end up only having a few per song that you work around. Same goes for the vocals.

This time around we cut down alot on the ambiences too, trying to keep things as sterile as possible.

AD - You must have a lot of ideas and material that does not find its way into the album, do you usually wait for a composition where the said idea would pan out better or do you just plain discard it as something that will in all probability never fit on a Vildhjarta album?

DB - We never really count things out i guess it’s just more inspiring to keep writing new things.

The idea of having an acoustic song is one we’ve always had for example, we have alot of material like that we just havnt gotten around to using.

AD - How would you describe Vildhjarta’s journey so far from the days of “Omnislash” to “Thousands of Evils”? What changed in between? How do you define the transition from breakneck mosh anthems like “When The Sky Drops Dead” to calculative, headbanger-friendly compositions like “Regnar Bensin"?

DB - Our music is more sad now then before i guess, which i like. It’s not like we rule out ever playing songs like when the sky drops its just not the type of music we are into right now.

We use alot slower tempos now and our songs mostly consists of 4/4 drums which i guess you can tell by now we are suckers for ^^

AD - “Måsstaden” was a concept album with a story that would attract the cult horror/fantasy lover in every Metalhead; guessing from the album title and artwork “Thousands of Evils” has an equally enthralling (“enthalling”) story behind it too. If so, would you narrate it for us?

DB - It doesnt stick to a red line like måsstaden did, like it has no story you follow. It’s more overworked ideas that got scaled down alot, stripping things down to the core as i mentioned before. The title thousands of evils originates from a russian drink but we dont really go into explaining the things we write about.

AD - Your music videos act as quite the thought-provoking expansion set to the concepts you portray in your music; have you planned anything as such for promoting “Thousands of Evils”?

DB - We’d like to make a video for thousands but we’ll see what happens. Theres also been interest for playthrough videos so we’ll try to get around doing some of that too.

AD - Releasing new material after a gap of almost two years to fans with such monumental expectations would be a pressure that would drive many up the wall. How did Vildhjarta handle that as a collective unit of supremely skilled musicians?

DB - We dont really feel we have anything to live up to, we’ve released music before and if people liked that they may like our new stuff too, some don’t and i guess that makes sense you know.

We arent really into spending alot of time on promotion to get our name out, or to grow something bigger. Right now theres a demand for us to tour and as long as people wants to support us doing that we’ll keep doing it.

AD - How outspoken or otherwise are you when it comes to subjects like genre-bashing on the Internet and biasing across genres or lumping bands into specific genres?

DB - We never engage in things like that i guess, theres just no interest for us to bash or hate on anyone, or to defend anything. People need to chill out and just enjoy each other instead.

AD - While we are on subjects related to the Internet, “Thousands of Evils” was leaked much prior to its release date; how do you feel about the impact of Internet on the music industry, besides the obvious “helped-us-reach-new-fans”and “killed-our-business”stance; as professional musicians do you believe that there is a grey area in this matter?

DB - To me theres no grey area about it. Copyright laws for music is crap for the music but i cant really get into this. Our EP leaked because someone was interested in hearing it, it’s pretty much that simple.

AD - How would you react to the fact that some of your fans (including myself) consider you a “Thinking-man’s Metal band” that doesn’t just depend on aggression and heaviness to get their point across? Do you usually draw inspiration from established thinking-man’s-Metal-bands the likes of ISIS and Tool?

DB - I’ve only heard a little of ISIS and they’re cool, i like some of Tools songs and i can def see why some people are crazy into their music. We do like concepts and i guess we have that in common with Tool for example. We like to think of concepts for our music especially now that we are working with rickard westman for the art whos fantastic, he inspires us with everything he sends back to us.

AD - With bands popping in every nook and corner there are tons of “one-hit-wonders”or bands that completely fail to strike a chord with its target audience. As a band that has permeated cultures and nations as far away as India and beyond in such a short span of time, what would your suggestion be to the nascent musicians?

DB - Keep making the music you feel the need to make!

AD - Did all of you always plan to be a musician once you got into touch with the Metalhead inside you or did it happen gradually with the progression in your respective area of expertise?

DB - We dont really call ourselves musicians i guess, we do music but we’re not trying to make a living off of it or have the need to show things off. Right now we are releasing music through a label and doing live shows, tours and ofc you learn alot of things how the industry works when you do that as well as how to travel. We really do like playing live at times so hopefully we can continue to do that for a bit. Planning is something we are terribly bad at.

AD - What’s next for Vildhjarta? Where do you wish to tour next?

DB - We are going to north america next week for 6 weeks after that we have some offers we are looking at so there will be more tours we’ll see when. Id love to do soviet again and perhaps another eu round. We always write music and we’ve had a concept laying around for long we are picking up again so there will be new music too.

AD - Have you given a thought to collaborating with other musicians for any of your material? Is there any such possibility in the future?

DB - We’ve done it on both måsstaden and thousands. thousands of evils. We worked with a friend of ours named Patrik Marchente who did the orchestral pieces. More collaborations on thousands were planned but failed in the end. Theres many people id like doing music with but it’s hard to find time and space for it.

AD - As a budding musician, I often face difficulty in balancing the melodic and heavy side to a composition and find myself listening to Post-rock artists or a Death Metal band, respectively, waiting for inspiration to strike. How do you balance it so easily?

DB - Inspiration is hard and i have to say im alot less inspired now then i was few years ago, it’s hard to find, not that there arent people around making music thats insanely good its just hard to find that very thing that makes you go ffffffffffffffffff you know. Meshuggah have done it many times for me and i keep coming back to them, which i know the rest of the guys in the band do too.

As far as balance go, i like keeping things so simple its silly even tho it can be a massive wall of sound, or just something soloing quietly.

AD - Will Vildhjarta always be dealing with subjects like psychosis/inner-turmoil/fantasy or do you visualize writing songs about broader topics like war, politics and even religion for that matter?

DB - We have involved all of those concepts but we havnt singled any of them out and focused on it. I dont really see us doing an album about war, or displaying some political stance or religion hatred. We just analyze it, accept it and try to leave it eventually, we try not to tell people what to do and how to think in the things we write about. Music is the dance of emotions and you have to be thoughtful with it.

AD - Which Non-Metal bands/artists would we find on your playlist at the moment?

DB - Lately theres been alot of doors and messiaen, theres a swedish band named dungen you should really check out. i also keep coming back to gaming music, final fantasy, metal gear etc.

AD - Sweden’s responsible for some of the most respectable names in Metal that always draw gasps of awe from most; how’s the Heavy Metal scenario there right currently? What about the Hardcore circuit there?

DB - Im not the right person to ask i think, meshuggah doesnt get the attention they deserve id say.

sweden seems to make alot of music in alot of genres and thats cool lovely country too come chill dawg

AD - Which new artists would you recommend us listening to? With the end of the year approaching soon, what would your Top 10 albums/EP for the year be?

DB - If you like our music you should check out humanitys last breath

AD - This is probably the part where all of us erupt in giant roars of “THALL” Would you like to add anything else to that?

DB - see you on the road. thall.

Links: Facebook // Twitter // iTunes

REVOCATION - ARTIST OF THE WEEK INTERVIEW

Revocation is our Artist of the Week! By far and away one of the best modern thrash bands, this Boston four-piece is a force to be reckoned with. Pouring out skill and personality, this band is only getting started on their path to world domination \m/

We conducted an interview with the lead guitarist / vocalist David Davidson. Read up below and learn from the master.

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DD = David Davidson
MT = Mason Trisolino


MT - What's it like playing in a speedo?

DD - It's very liberating, I feel so aero dynamic on stage.

MT - How can I grow a beard?

DD - Live in a van and drink PBR for a month straight, it'll grow soon enough.

MT - What is your approach to songwriting? Is it a group effort, is one of the members a primary songwriter?

DD - Generally, one person takes charge of the song, either myself or Dan, and we arrange most of it on our own. Once the basic structure feels like it's nearing completion it get's brought into the practice space and then we jam on it for awhile. As we rehearse it everyone gives their input from there and we make little tweaks and adjustments to it. Me and Dan haven't co-written a song yet but it's something that we've talked about and will hopefully do in the future.

MT - Tell me about Hot on the Heels, Will that ever be a thing again?

DD - HOTH was an 80's metal/rock project that featured myself and Phil as well as James from Random Acts of Violence on bass and Devon from Sexcrement on vocals. We put out a 3 song demo and played a handful of gigs. It was fun while it lasted but everyone's so busy that we never really did much more with it. We haven't jammed in forever and I think everyone forgets the songs so not sure if there will be a reunion anytime soon. It would be fun to do a show again as a one off if we have the time.

MT - What’s your approach to writing solos? Do you focus on improvisation or our your solos more theory based?

DD - I improvise over the solo sections and record my takes until I hear something that jumps out at me. I do have an understanding of theory since I studied a great deal of it in high school and college but when I write I try my best to not think about it and just try and make music. Sometimes I have to think about it though if the solo section changes keys or if it comes from a more exotic type of scale.

MT - What parts of the world bring out the best crowds to Revocation shows? If we’re talking US, what regions or states even?

DD - Japan had really awesome crowds and totally rabid fans so they're in my top 5 for sure. As far as the states go obviously Boston since we are from there so the shows are always really good for us. New York shows are always killer for us as well, there's just a great scene for metal there in general. Montreal and Toronto are great too. Hopefully in the future we can play South America, I hear the shows there are pretty nuts.

MT - Why was the Teratogenesis EP made as an individual EP rather than being included in the song-writing sessions new self-titled album?

DD - When Scion approached us they only wanted an EP's worth of material. Scion was funding the whole thing and they've released a bunch of EP's so far so we felt it would be a win win for us and our fans since we could release it for free.

MT - What kind of music do you listen to on the road and at home? All metal all the time? Or a mix of genres and styles?

DD - Currently I'm listening to some tracks off the new Gigan record and it sounds killer. I do listen to a great deal of metal but I also listen to a lot of jazz and classical as well. I think it's good to mix it up, sometimes you just need a break from blast beats.

MT - Many people think self-titling a record says something significant about the record or time period the band made it in. Does your newest records Self-titled status come from any intended meaning, or did you just run out of badass album titles?

DD - We chose to self title it because we all feel this is our strongest material to date and we also feel that as a unit we are functioning better than ever. 

MT - Are you guys beer drinkers? Or are you hard liquor guys?

DD - Both. I enjoy good beer and the occasional gin and tonic from time to time.

MT - What contemporary bands, that you think are similar in some way to Revocation, are killing it right now?

DD - I really dig Vektor a lot. I think they are bringing something fresh to the thrash metal genre and they seem to be gaining a good following.

MT - Any songs stick out as favorites for you on the new record?

DD - I dig them all for different reasons but top 3 would probably be Archfiend, Invidious and Fracked.

MT - What are your plans for the rest of 2013 and into 2014?

DD - We're doing back to back tours in Europe and then the US up until mid November. After that we'll probably just lay low and write some more music for the rest of 2013. Not sure what 2014 will hold yet, too early to tell.

MT - I just saw you perform on the Summer Slaughter Tour, what was that experience like?

DD - It was an amazing experience. Even though the days were long and we had to do night drives every other night we had a blast. It was like heavy metal summer camp, you're with your buddies all day drinking and grilling in the parking lot and then you get to play a killer show in front of hundreds of fans. We'd love to do it again, hopefully in a bus next time though.

MT - How difficult was it squeezing every essential song and everything you guys wanted to play into the tiny time slot you guys had?

DD - Very difficult, we have 4 full lengths and an EP out now so when you only have a 25 minute set you have to make some sacrifices.

MT - Anything you want to say to the fans?

DD - Thanks for the support! Come out to a show and say what's up!

Links: Facebook // Merch // iTunes 

PERIPHERY - ARTIST OF THE WEEK CONTEST / INTERVIEW

Better late than never, right? Not too long ago we featured Periphery as our Artist of the Week. This time... it's personal. For those who don't know, Periphery is a cutting edge Progressive Metal band known as a major influence to many. They are largely responsible for popularizing the "djent" movement around the world. This traveling troupe of troubadours triumphantly trumps... okay I'm done.

To celebrate this occasion we have an awesome contest going on in association with Periphery and Sumerian Records. There will be a total of three winners. We're giving away two shirts and the band's full CD catalog (Periphery, Icarus EP, and Periphery II). Look down below for instructions on how to enter.

We also had the chance to interview the band's incredible singer Spencer Sotelo. His voice goes up like an angel and down like a wounded ox. Read up on the interview to learn some more.

Periphery... Love that shit!

ENTER TO WIN
1. Must like Periphery 
2. Must like The Circle Pit
3. Must share this post and tag both Periphery 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 Monday 9/23 at 9 PM EST!

*We will contact the winner.
*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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SS = Spencer Sotelo
MT = Mike Thall

  
MT - What did you have for breakfast this morning?

SS - A Panera breakfast sandwich and a protein shake.

MT - Is there any future for Peripheroth?

SS - I think once the band starts dying off, we can use that as a sweet gimmick to revitalize interest in our band.... Expect face paint and black metal voice on stage every night when we are fat, old and washed up.

MT - You came out with your sophomore album "Periphery II: This Time It's Personal" last year. Can you tell us what went into making that record?

SS - That album was written and recorded on the opposite end of the spectrum in comparison to our self titled. We wrote it as a collective band instead of one person writing the majority of the music and then took it to an actual studio. It sounds completely different sonically and artistically.... I think for the better!

MT - How did it get the title “This Time It’s Personal”?

SS - We wanted it to have a shitty action sequel-esque title for laughs. I think it worked out pretty well!

MT - Any favorite songs from that album?

SS - Personally, I like Ragnarok, Facepalm Mute, The Gods Must Be Crazy, Erised and Froggin' Bullfish the most.

MT - You've had your upcoming concept album "Juggernaut" in the works for quite some time. Can you tell us about it?

SS - You already know all I can tell you about it.... We just started putting together ideas for it and nothing is set in stone yet.

MT - Fair enough. If you could punch anyone in the face, who would it be?

SS - My grandma! Jk.... Probably the person who invented the word twerk. I fucking hate that word!

MT - Me too... Fuck that guy! If you could collab with any artists in the world, who would you work with?

SS - That's easy! Mike Patton and Corey Taylor in the same song.

MT - You have "This Tour Is Personal" coming up with one helluva line-up. How stoked are you for that?

SS - I'm mainly excited about getting to watch Twelve Foot Ninja crush it every night.... Oh and doing whip-its with BOO lol.

MT - What's the craziest thing that has ever happened to you on tour?

SS - I smacked my face on a security guard's head while head-banging on stage and received a nasty concussion. That was pretty fun... I had to wear sun glasses to night clubs for a straight week after it so I didn't scare people. I didn't think I'd ever have an eye swollen shut in my lifetime, but oh boy was I wrong.

MT - If you could tour with any bands in the world, what would the line-up be?

SS - Metallica and Megadeth. I'd just like to see how awkward things would get behind the scenes between Mustaine and Metallica hahaha. You need entertainment when you're on the road! Either them or like John Mayer.... I love his music and you can't beat the spread of women at his shows

MT - Any upcoming artists you would recommend?

SS - Definitely Twelve Foot Ninja. Check them out if you haven't already done so.

MT - What's your favorite alcoholic beverage?

SS - A good ol' glass of Bourbon on the rocks or neat.

MT - Here's the fun round... How about them juggies?

SS - I'm all about those juggies if in fact you are referring to the ones I think you are.

MT - Indeed I am. Anything you want to say to the fans out there?

SS - Yup.... They need to bring our Periphery ketchup and mustard shirts to the shows this fall and we'll be holding the first ever condiment wall of death every night. Oh and also, thanks for the support you guys!

Links: Facebook // Twitter // iTunes

THE SAFETY FIRE - ARTIST OF THE WEEK CONTEST / INTERVIEW

FUCK THE SAFETY FIRE

We're stoked to have some of the UK's finest as our Artist of the Week. The Safety Fire are a force to be reckoned with. Their brand of Progressive Metal is both incredibly unique and consistent in itself (I mean that in the best way possible). The level of talent and forward thinking here is damn hard to match. If you haven't listened yet, indulge your ears with the music at the bottom and you'll hear what I mean.

We had to celebrate this occasion with regard to our followers so we've included a special opportunity. Look below and you'll see the contest / instructions with your chance to win one of three CDs we're giving away with the band. The album is The Safety Fire's latest progsterpiece "Mouth of Swords". Get with it or get lost.

We also had the opportunity to interview one of the band's brilliant guitarists, Derya Nagle. Read up and learn as we get in-depth. Good info for longtime fans and newcomers alike.

ENTER TO WIN
1. Must like The Safety Fire
2. Must like The Circle Pit
3. Must share this post and tag both The Safety Fire 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 9/17 at 9PM 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.

__________________________________________________________________________________


DN = Derya Nagle
MT = Mike Thall

MT - You doing alright? Heard you had an accident.

DN - I was indeed in an accident, but fortunately, all is well. After a few operations my face and somewhat returned to normal.

MT - Good to hear man. FUCK THE SAFETY FIRE. How did that get started up?

DN - We were playing Download festival last year, and I said if we saw Chris Jericho to ask him to say it. So that was a running theme for that weekend, and we put out this video. Some people seemed to catch on to it, and it has become a standard thing for our fans.

MT - You just dropped a new album "Mouth Of Swords" merely a year after your debut "Grind The Ocean". What was is like transitioning between those records?

DN - We had written and recorded Grind The Ocean about 6 months before we released it, so by the time we got round to writing Mouth of Swords we were all extremely excited to get back into a creative mindset. I think after touring for a year, we had learned more about ourselves as musicians, and I had personally definitely developed as a songwriter and a producer, so all in all I think that turned into a more focused output.

MT - How did the album get it's name?

DN - It was a working title I had for the opening track, and we just felt it encapsulated the vibe of the album. I suppose the name has some representation of love and death and those themes run through the album.

MT - Any favorite songs from the new album?

DN - Really tough question, I'm extremely proud of every track on the album. I would probably say Old Souls, or Beware the Leopard (Jagwar). Getting Tommy to guest on the album was a huge deal for us, and it is still somewhat of a surprise to hear him on the album.

MT - How has the response been?

DN - The response has been amazing so far. I think the real test for us is going out and playing live and seeing the reaction from the crowd directly. Reviews from blogs, magazines and fans have all been really positive.

MT - How can I grow a mustache?

DN - Many months of patience, and self belief. There will be hard times, but the eventual glory will be worth it.

MT - How did The Safety Fire get started up?

DN - We started as a bunch of friends in school...and that was 10 years ago. Somewhere along the lines we decided we were going to be serious about the whole thing, and started to think about what we were doing musically and everything else that goes with that. It's been a long road, but we have had a lot of fun.

MT - How did the band get it's name?

DN - After 6 months of discussing band names, and many long nights at the pub, we eventually came to the name...not exactly sure why, but it was the first name we all agreed upon, so we stuck with it.

MT - How does the band typically go about writing music?

DN - I'm the main songwriter, and I usually start writing by just playing guitar until I start to form some kind of motif. I'll record my ideas then start working on structures and arrangement with harmonies, rhythmic ideas and what not. Eventually I'll have a pretty fully developed demo idea which I'll bring to the band and we'll fine tune things a little before myself and Sean get together to write and record the vocals together.

MT - What would you say are the band's main musical influences?

DN - I think the main influences for us are bands like Deftones, Tool, Kaki King, Soundgarden, Prince, Peter Gabriel, Alice in Chains, Bjork, Between the Buried And Me, Karnivool..the list goes on and on. There are influences from hip hop, fusion, electronic music. It's really hard to write a list which covers everything.

MT - I heard you're going for a cruise soon. How stoked are you for that?

DN - Supremely hyped for that show! I actually met Mike Portnoy the other day and told him when I got the email from him offering the show I said I thought I had accidentally signed up to the Mike Portnoy forums. Suffice to say, it was rather surreal.

MT - That's awesome. What's the craziest thing that's happened to you on tour?

DN - Calvin once ate five sandwiches. That is about as crazy as I can talk about.

MT - Understandable. If you could tour with any bands in the world. What would the line-up be?

DN - Deftones, Mastodon, Karnivool, Us.

MT - What are your plans for the rest of 2013 / early 2014?

DN - We tour the US with BTBAM, The Faceless and The Contortionist in September and October. We will be back in the US for the cruise and will be touring as much as is humanly possible.

MT - What is your favorite alcoholic beverage?

DN - Bourbon and ginger ale.

MT - Do you have any show rituals?

DN - Stretch out. Drink plenty of water. Practice some high kicks and eat a banana.

MT - Here's the fun round... What does Yellowism mean to you?

DN - X-ism Street Fighter Alpha III. Good times.

MT - Anything you want to say to the fans out there?

DN - Thank you. Come say hi, give us a high five. Good time.

Links: Facebook // Twitter // Official Website

AURAS CONTEST / INTERVIEW!

We're holding an bigass promotion with our friends in Auras. They were our Artist of the Week not too long ago, and for good reason. This Canadian four-piece pulls off some razor tight playing, showing off technical skill and musicianship on all fronts. Most definitely a band to watch out for.

Onto the bigass promotion... We have a contest live via our Facebook App, giving you a chance to win some very cool stuff. Check the picture just below and you'll see what I'm talking about.

We also conducted an in-depth interview with the guys! Read up and learn.

ENTER HERE.

We launched a brand new contest App.

*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.

__________________________________________________________________________________

AH = Aaron Hallman
MT = Mike Thall

MT - How did the band get started up?

AH - Josh originally started the band back in 2008. It began as more of a basement project and then slowly grew into a more serious project as lineup changes occurred. Our current lineup was established in mid-2011.

MT - What went into making "Panacea"?

AH - Our EP Panacea took us a fairly long time to compile. We spent a lot of time writing and revising our ideas. We also had a fairly flexible producer in Chris Cosentino, which allowed us to experiment with ideas in the studio and spend time editing previously recorded sections. In general, our EP took a considerable amount of time and effort from every member of our band.

MT - How was the response?

AH - We didn’t really know what to expect leading up to the release, but we were really happy with how the EP was received. There was a fair amount of positive feedback and some very useful constructive criticism as well. We are always open to feedback and really appreciated when people shared their ideas with us.

MT - Is there a concept behind the Panacea artwork?

AH - When it came to the album art, we wanted to have something that symbolized the concept behind the album. The complex and colorful “floating piece of land” centered in the artwork is intended to symbolize the complexity and diversity associated with developing solutions for the major problems we face in this world. The artist, Daniel Wagner (D-Dub Designs) did an incredible job illustrating the general meaning behind our EP.

MT - You just dropped a single called "Adverse Condition". Can you tell us a bit about that?

AH - Adverse Condition was our first attempt at song writing on 7 string guitars. We wanted to push the boundaries of our song writing and really focus on our strengths. With this track, we really put a lot of time into the pre-production process so that we were able to perform the song in the studio and capture a more natural sound overall.

MT - Any more new music in the works?

AH - We are currently working on compiling a full-length album; the release will take place sometime in mid-2014 if all goes as planned. There is also the possibility of a single or two being released in the mean time. We are always writing and working on new material.

MT - What inspires your music?

AH - Each member of the band listens to a fairly diverse collection of artists that we definitely draw some influence from. Ultimately, we care about making music that we are passionate about and that we love to play.

MT - How was that Ever Forthright tour?

AH - Our tour with Ever Forthright was honestly one of the most incredible experiences in each of our lives. It was an absolute honor sharing the stage with such a talented and inspirational group of musicians. It was also an essential experience for our band, as it was our first tour. At this point, we are all very excited to get out on the road again.

MT - Favorite songs to play live?

AH - We really enjoyed playing our newest track Adverse Condition this past tour, as it is fresh to us. However, we also love playing our song Cascade as it usually generates the most crowd reaction and is the first song we wrote as a band.

MT - If you could play with any bands in the world, what would the lineup be?

AH - Our ideal tour lineup would probably include: Disperse, The Contortionist, Tesseract and Meshuggah. These are bands that we have a massive amount of respect for and would love watching live day after day.

MT - Plans for rest of 2013 and 2014?

AH - At this point, we are mainly focused on developing material for our full-length album that we hope to have out in mid-2014. We also have initial plans to record another single fairly soon and potentially shoot a music video for that track. Once we have the full-length ready, we hope to tour in support of its release and travel as far as it can take us.

MT - If you were stuck eating one kind of food on tour, what would it be?

AH - We would have to make the relatively healthy choice and go with sandwiches/wraps.

MT - Aaand that's all folks.

Links: Facebook // Twitter // Bandcamp // Merch

SEAN HALL - ARTIST OF THE WEEK CONTEST / INTERVIEW

Better late than never, right? We recently had the man Sean Hall (ex-Elitist) as our first ever Solo Artist of the Week and we're here to celebrate it! Sean is a ridiculously talented musician / artist tackling a number of projects at all times. His most recent musical effort "Beneath The Solace" is beyond nuts. If you haven't listened yet, get on it!

Speak of the devil, here's a chance to win a free download of said music! In association with Sean, we're giving away a total of 10 free downloads to 10 lucky winners. Go ahead and see how to enter below.

We've also included an in-depth interview for your informative pleasure.

ENTER HERE.

We launched a brand new contest App.

*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.

__________________________________________________________________________________


SH = Sean Hall
MT = Mike Thall

MT - We’re here with our first ever solo Artist of the Week, Sean Hall! How’s it going man?

SH - Great man! Stoked to be the first solo artist of the week! Got some downtime so thought it'd be a good time to start this interview!

MT - Let’s start off with the big news. You just dropped a beastly EP “Beneath The Solace” last month. Can you tell us about what went into making it?

SH - Of course man, It dropped July 16th, My process seems to always seem like its going to go smoothly, but of course never does hah. When i started writing the album I knew i didn't want to go the DJENT route like my last album Terrestrial. Tons of kids wanted that i know, But i knew if i made another DJENT album , Majority of kids would probably just say its not as good as the first. Personally i felt Terrestrial was lacking in true composition, and a good foundation of skills i knew i had. So this album, went i started writing my first thought was, lose the 7 string, go back to my roots with a 6 string. Then tuning i knew i wanted heavy but clarity so i did drop B. Actually when i first started writing the album i thought i was catering to vocals, cause i was working with JT Cavey at first with the first single CLOCKS "which is now Embers". I wasn't totally satisfied with the rest of the material coming out that JT and I were producing. Even JT thought the his vocals weren't catering enough for the songs. So we decided to part ways. Then i picked up Bryan West on vocals to see if that would work. He got me a rough mix of what is now Awaken the Sleeper, and i must say it was kick ass. But his time frame wasn't working for me. He was in another band, has a job etc.. So wasn't able to produce the songs fast enough for when i wanted to release. So after all the vocal tryouts and work going into them, I eventually decided instrumental was the way to go. Expect obviously Winter & Eden: The Descent, in which Julian does clean vocals. Those were previously done, which i loved so i left in the album. I recorded all of it with Julian, using a ErnieBall Music Man 6 string. Which i have to say is one of my favorite guitars. Tracking really only took about 2 weeks. Then the rest was up to Jules, Probably would of have had this album release much sooner if i knew i wasn't doing vocals haha.

MT - How has the response been?

SH - Response has been overall positive! I won't have my iTunes reports till next month so i won't know exactly how well its been doing, but i also released on Bandcamp. The stats on that seem to be doing pretty well. But my stats and reviews have always been on iTunes. I think kids seem to like it because it has the old Elitist - Caves vibes to it. Personally when i was writing it, I wanted to give that sense of old Elitist. Plus
more Sean Hall. Which i think shows.

MT - Any favorite tracks?

SH - Hmm… I try to listen to it as a listener , not the composer. I always try to write music "I'D" listen to. My favorite track to listen to is probably Passage: The Traveler, I love the lead melodies and feel of that song. Now playing wise, I love playing Passage, and Awaken the Sleeper.
Sleeper has an overall easy groove you can play. Lots of sequences i created for easy playing. I believe i will be doing a play along for that song first, and releases the tabs for that.

MT - How did you go about choosing the title “Beneath The Solace”?

SH - I'm sure most people can agree , when something good happens in their life. Sometime things tend to be too good to be true. I was having some tough times with some personal issues, when i thought something was getting better, then there was something beneath the solace of feeling good. Sometimes things underlining the happiness can be too good to be true.

MT - What was it like transitioning between your debut “Terrestrial” to “Beneath The Solace”?

SH - As i mentioned before, i didn't really want to do another Djent album. Honestly, it was super easy. Djent was brand new to me writing wise. "even though people said old elitist was, i dont agree" Beneath went back to my roots, I wanted something i was totally proud of, and i feel like i accomplished that regardless of what people think of the album. I'm super happy with what i put out.

MT - Throwing back further, what was it like transitioning from playing in a band like Elitist to being a solo artist?

SH - I was super bummed when i parted ways with Elitist, Some things were disclosed, Some things weren't. I just didn't have it in me to start from scratch again with a band. I worked for about 3 years in Elitist building that band from the ground up, then had it all taken away. My thought was i don't want to stop doing music, music is my first love and will always be my first love regardless of being a tattoo artist now. It was super hard having to make an album all by myself at first. I had some help from Julian, and Diego from Volumes, "who produced and engineered terrestrial" I also had a ton of loyal fans it turned out that supported me every step of the way. I value my fans so much, and try to respond to each and everyone of them, because without them i would be nothing.

MT - You’re basically an artistic jack of all trades dabbling in not only music, but tattoo artistry, painting, and graphic design. Are there any other hidden talents? And how did you get involved in so many artistic trades?

SH - I started tattooing about 3-4 years ago, painting a year 1/2 ago, but i went to school for graphic design in college. I thought thats what i was going to do for a living besides music. But i HATED being in front of a computer for 14 hours a day doing photoshop and stuff. I've always loved art though, getting tattooed etc. So got an apprenticeship when i was still in The Fortune Teller, and been tattooing ever since. Luckily i had that to fall back onto haha. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but i'm an awesome chef. I LOVE food. If i wasn't doing tattooing or music/art. I told myself i'd be a chef. I love BBQING and cooking. But yes, I paint, Tattoo, Graphic Design, Amateur 3d modeling, Watercolor, Fine Arts, and i can write and play several instruments. Always been that way ever since i was a kid. Never happy with one medium of artistry.

MT - Who or what inspires your art?

SH - I'm constantly looking for new inspiration. I'm a student looking to expand everyday. Get better and become a master at what i do. I'm really into Oil painting now, and there's TONS of people who inspire me everyday. As far as music, My all time favorite guitarists would probably be Aj Minette & Guthrie Govan. I personally know AJ, he was my guitar instructor for years, and i seriously owe most of what i know to him. He played for The Human Abstract and i was lucky enough to be taught by him.

MT - If you could collab with any artist(s), dead or alive, who would you work with? (not limited to music)

SH - Good question. I'd LOVE to make a song with AJ, "which i might some day" fingers crossed haha. I'd love to go back to the old days and paint with all the amazing painters back then and pick there brain. I love old paintings, Van Gogh, Leonardo di Vinci. all those amazing people changed art forever.

MT - Rumor has it you’re a nerd. If you could chill with any fictional character for a day, who would it be?

SH - Oh jeez, theres so many! haha probably the toughest question so far. If this could happen, I'd probably hang out with hang with Marty Mcfly, Who wouldn't want to travel back in time and stir some shit up!

MT - What are your plans for the rest of 2013, early 2014?

SH - Well as the old saying goes, idle hands are the devils workshop. So i always try to be doing something artistic. I'm already working on another single, which is done being written and should be recorded soon. Then will probably make another Ep, after that. But as of now, the single. Then take some time and relax hopefully and enjoy the fruits of my labor.

MT - Is there anything you want to say to your fans before we wrap up here?

SH - Thank you all so much for supporting me this past year, It's seriously been the only reason i've kept my music going. To have such nice fans pay such nice compliments really makes all my hard work seem worth it. Keep on the look out for my new single coming soon!

Links: Facebook // Youtube // Bandcamp

ÆNIMUS - ARTIST OF THE WEEK CONTEST / INTERVIEW!

ÆNIMUS is one of those bands that leaves their Deathcore contemporaries in the dust. With forward thinking and some truly awesome chops, they're proving to be one of the more promising groups coming from the underground. This is most definitely a band to watch out for.

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!

ENTER TO WIN
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.

__________________________________________________________________________________


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

FALLUJAH - ARTIST OF THE WEEK CONTEST / INTERVIEW!

Yeah, we're a bit late on this one but shit happens. FALLUJAH is the name. Get with it or get lost. This band is Atmospheric Death Metal greatness coming straight from San Francisco, CA. Expect next level skill, heaviness, extreme technicality, forward thinking creativity, and of course mind swallowing atmosphere.

We were proud to host them as Artist of the Week and of course we gotta celebrate. So here's a chance to win some free stuff! Read the contest details below and you might just walk away with a Fallujah shot glass or a free download on the incredible EP "Nomadic". By the way, I personally own a Fallujah shot glass and it has served me well \m/

Also be sure to check the interview we conducted with vocalist Alex Hofmann for all kinds of in-depth info on Fallujah.

ENTER TO WIN
1. Must like Fallujah
2. Must like The Circle Pit
3. Must share this post and tag both Fallujah 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 Sunday 8/4 at 9 PM EST!

*We will contact the winner.
*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.

__________________________________________________________________________________


AH = Alex Hofmann
MT = Mike Thall

MT - Let’s start from the beginning. How did the band get started up?

AH - Scott and I (Alex) met in high school, we jammed once freshman year then chilled for a bit, then later on in sophomore year got back together and wanted to make music still. Our bassist, vocalist and drummer were all other guys at our schools; and things simply went form there.

MT - Moving forward, you dropped a monster of an EP called “Nomadic” this year. What went into creating that beast?

AH - Basically we wanted to release new tracks to hold people over until the full length comes out. Our label (like most metal labels) doesn’t exactly like to stray from the path on release formats, so the tracks had to be turned into an EP, so we wrote them both and realized the best way to savor both songs is to add an intermission or palette cleanser of sorts in the middle that harnessed the more atmospheric qualities. It got turned into an EP and we called it Nomadic for a number of reasons. Both tracks were a bit longer than the songs on the Harvest Wombs  as we wanted to achieve more with the songs and give people a more dynamic product.

MT - What was it like transitioning between an album like “The Harvest Wombs” and “Nomadic”?

AH - There really wasn't much of a transition in the terms of our writing style and mentality. A lot has happened in our lives and experiences, so the new material is a reflection of natural transition as oppose to a demand to “sound different” as some bands are pressured to do.

MT - Does “Nomadic” hint at the direction of your future music?

AH - Yes and no, I can say now that nothing that Fallujah does will ever recycle from the old. In a certain way we want Nomadic to stand on its own. Id be greatly disappointed if our next album was just a longer Nomadic. What it does hint at is the more melodic, atmospheric and clean elements that the music will harness. The extremely brutal elements become a bit stale to us, even in the live environment. The music will still be death metal, but dont expect brutal slams or technical riff salad without direction or melodious structure.

MT - Who or what inspires you?

AH - This questions depends on who you ask, personally the most musically inspiring thing for me us music that isnt metal. I think the best way to make fresh sounding songs, progressions or melodies Is by looking where no one thinks to look or inspiration. Right now, I dont think metal bands can afford to be incestuous with their influence if they hope to have anyone caring 5 years from now. Looking to a fusion track, a shoegaze track, or a house track opens up way more doors than going back to what you know; no one ever reinvented the hamburger with meat, cheese and bread.

MT - What are your plans for the rest of 2013?

AH - Basically we are finishing the new album up, trying to get it done by winter time and have it out early next year, but who knows if that will happen. We are touring through the US and Canada through November with bands I cant really announce yet.

MT - What’s your favorite song to play live?

AH - Hard to say, The Dead Sea is really fun in my opinion. If not that then we would probably all agree Assemblage of Wolves we really enjoy, thats why we end with it. Were always eager to play new music though.

MT - What is the craziest thing that has ever happened to you at a show or on the road?

AH - I drunkenly danced in front of a crowd of gay dudes, drag queens and transexuals at a speakeasy in Lake Charles Louisiana when I was 19. Fallujah was on tour with Diskreet and we accidently stumbled upon the place after leaving this other bar/nightclub on a day off. Twas a liberating experience.

MT - Sounds like it. If you could tour with any bands in the world, who would you hit the road with?

AH - Deftones, The Smiths, Converge, Animosity, Steve Vai, and personally someone ridiculous like Skrillex or Ltj Bukem.

MT - Now for a serious question... WHY IS THE RUM GONE?

AH - Because Beer is better.

MT - Have to agree with you there. Speaking of beer, it's Friday and our work here is done.

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