HEADBANGER’S KITCHEN INTERVIEW

Head over to HEADBANGER'S KITCHEN!

Sahil Makhija, is a renowned face in the Indian Heavy Metal culture, being a part of it for almost a decade now (probably more). He is the founder of Demonstealer Records as well as the frontman for established bands, the likes of Demonic Resurrection, a black metal act, who have had successful stints at revered platforms across Europe, such as the Bloodstock Festival, under their belt, alongside Reptilian Death, a death metal act with their debut album “The Dawn of Consummation and Emergence”, that was just released a couple of months back, doing the rounds. Sahil fronts another band known as Workshop, which specializes in a genre called Humor Metal, which has toilet humour inspired comedic anthems in both English and Hindi.

Not so long ago, Sahil had unveiled his next initiative called “Headbanger’s Kitchen” a cookery cum talk-show where the biggest names from the industry as well as the flag-bearers of Indian Metal have made appearances. Thus, without much more delay The Circle Pit decided to catch up with the Demonstealer to get the gist of his latest efforts. If you need another incentive before you head over to the official Youtube channel, then here are some of the artists he has hosted on his show: TesseracT, George Kollias, Lamb of God, Gojira, Karnivool, Hacride, Undying Inc., Andy James, etc. Need more? We think not.
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SM = Sahil Makhija
AD = Arkadeep Deb

AD - Greetings from team Circle Pit, Sahil. How busy has the Demonstealer been these days? What’s cooking?

SM - Greetings. I’ve been fairly busy these days. I’m mixing the new Demonic Resurrection album currently and am driving myself mad to make it sound the best that the band has ever sounded. Also the new Reptilian Death album has released worldwide via Old School Metal Records and there is lot of work on that front as well as working on DR and RD tours for 2014 in UK/Europe.

AD - Give us a little background story to what is “Headbanger Kitchen”.

SM - I’ve always been fond of good food and I started cooking at a very young age. It was mostly because I like to eat and I am quite a fussy eater so perhaps to make food that suits my palette I started cooking. I did even aspire to be a chef but I got derailed by my love for heavy metal music. I started a food blog on Facebook couple of years ago and after lots of positive feedback I decided to make video episodes of these recipes and that turned into Headbanger’s Kitchen. I got to mix my love for food and heavy metal into one show.

AD - The question on all our minds, how does an accomplished musician shift gears from fronting as many bands as you do to hosting a cookery show alongside managing all these acts?

SM - I honestly don’t know the answer. I just do what I have to do. I’m a normal person all the time really it’s just about performing. I wanted to be an actor as a child and perhaps that lets me switch different roles easily. I don’t know really I’m just shooting theories in the dark here.

AD - What made you realize the prospects of having a Heavy Metal inspired cookery show of your own?

SM - I don’t think I’ve realized anything yet. I just am a creative person and I like doing things so when the idea came around we did it. Perhaps one day it will become something more than what it is now and if it does I’ll be pleased as punch.

AD - “Headbanger’s Kitchen” is primarily about a new recipe themed around the musician guest on the episode. Who are the artists who have guest- appeared on your episodes so far?

SM - We’ve had about 20 guests so far right from International Metal stars like Mark and Randy from Lamb Of God to local heros like Vinay and Sunneith from Bhayanak Maut. LINK.

AD - When you started “Headbanger’s Kitchen” did you envision it to be an established web-show that runs on for seasons or was it more like a one-time idea that just struck gold?

SM - I just had a vision to do the show. There was no plan for number of episodes or how many years or anything. For me I don’t think that way, when I start something I generally plan to run it till the day I die. It may not always be active and regular but it’s there. So we’ve been taking things as they come.

AD - There must have been some amazing moments on the sets with so many revered figures from the industry gracing the episodes. We would love to hear an anecdote or two from the sets.

SM - I had a blast shooting all the episodes and each guest was awesome. One of the funniest things was in the early days we used to shoot the cooking and interview sections today and I was interviewing Scribe who showed up 5 hours early! Needless to say they were locked away in my brother’s room where I’m not sure what they did but let us just say it resulted in a hilarious interview. Similar thing happened with Jack from Bevar Sea.

AD - How far do you plan to take the “Headbanger’s Kitchen” concept? What can be expected from the show next? Is a televised rendition on the cards?

SM - We are working on crowd funding for a new season of 12 episodes. Currently there are no plans for TV. We’re open to offers but there are none as of now. We’re going to follow the same format as now. However we are always open to suggestions.

AD - As a chef, you must have some preferences which you come back to regularly? Which dishes would those be? We would also love to hear the Demonstealer list his favourite dishes as well as the one’s he recommends for people with a demanding taste-bud.

SM - My all time favourite dish is a nice juicy grilled steak with either fries or a baked potato with butter and sour cream. Recently after my vacation to Italy I’ve been going quite crazy over pasta as well. So I do enjoy a nice basic tomato based pasta or a simple olive oil, salt and pepper or a spaghetti carbonara. There is so much great food in the world.

AD - The Indian cuisine has also found space on the “Headbanger’s Kitchen”, keeping in mind the episode “Heaviest ChholeBhature of the Universe” featuring Gojira. Given the global conception that Indian Cuisine centres around tongue-melting spices, how has been the reception to this particular episode been? Do you plan to portray the other sides to the Indian cuisine as well?

SM - I will be very honest. I’m not big on Indian food because I personally don’t like too much spice in my food. I started cooking Indian food only because I realized it makes no sense to feed my international guests food that they might get to eat regularly. Like why feed Gojira a burger or a steak? So I started learning to cook Indian food and to be honest I’m enjoying it a lot and I love learning new dishes. Also because I’m cooking it I get to keep the spice level low which makes it more enjoyable for me. The amount of Indian food I cook next season will depend on how many international guest s are there on the show. LINK.

AD - While most musicians resort to crowd-funding and as such, you have initiated a novel business initiative where foodies can get their hands on the fine specimens of your personalized recipes, with a Payable-on-delivery financing system to boot. How often do you conduct these? Is it bankable stand-alone enterprise or just a mere spin off from the “Headbanger’s Kitchen” segment?

SM - I am actually resorting to crowd funding as well. After the show started going online people wanted to taste the food and so I started doing take away orders from home. People got to eat the food and I make a little cash on the side. Most of it goes into the production of the show itself. It’s great PR for the show as well and honestly I do it occasionally. I didn’t cook for 6months of this year because I was so busy with my albums. Now I had a few weekends off so I started again. It all depends really.

AD - Being a jack of all trades, as well as being the master of every single one is no mean feat to achieve. How do you balance all these roles and still find time for yourself as well as your other obligations such as family, health, etc.?

SM - Well I don’t think I’m a master of anything really. I just learnt to manage my time and these days I’ve had the good luck and great employers Furtados Music who allow me to work from home. So it’s just about having the right priorities.

AD - You have been balancing your role as the frontman of your black metal act Demonic Resurrection, your humour metal band Workshop, the brains behind Reptilian Death and running the Demonstealer Records label. It comes as no surprise that with your outspoken views on the interwebs, your constant love and hate relation with the fans, and your phenomenal marketing skills and peer skills, you are identified as somewhat of an icon in the Indian Heavy Metal culture. With so many feathers on the chef hat, how does it feel to be an icon in his own right, from the Indian Heavy Metal scene?

SM - Honestly I really don’t feel like any icon or anything. I just do what I love doing and whatever that brings along with it so be it. There are pros and cons to everything. What a lot of people never understood is that I just do what I need to do to follow my dreams.

AD - Coming back to the topic of “love and hate” relation with the fans, you have been known to communicate your fans personally. While it is an admirable quality, and there are several perks to being a musician that keeps his audience close to hand, there are times when most musicians feel that the fans overstep the boundaries they are entitled to with respect to having an opinion and voicing/imposing it. How do you address this issue with your fans?

SM - I just learnt to use the block and delete button on facebook. For me I believe whatever I might have as a musician today is because of fans who listen to our music so I try and make sure I at least acknowledge and speak to them when they message. I guess you got to take everything based on your interaction with that person and not generalize.

AD - Frontman, brilliant composer/musician, label-owner, accomplished chef, what’s next for the Demonstealer?

SM - Thank you for the kind words. For now just releasing the new DR album and touring my ass off in 2014 with Workshop, RD and DR. I also hope to start recording my solo album in 2014. There may be exceptions to every theory but making an honest confession, most of us, the average Metalhead, plan to go out and get hammered on a weekend night, while on the other hand, some of the busiest minds in the industry, get busier over splitting another cluster of hair hashing out the next platform to share the “Metal” tag with. I might be the last person to make this article about didactic messages usually found in Aesop’s but there’s much to be learnt and added to our respective CV’s, taking after Sahil’s example. Whetting your appetite for more, always, I suppose is the underlying message, in this scenario.
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Links: Facebook // Youtube

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.

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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

ANIMALS AS LEADERS TALK NEW ALBUM + MUCH MORE!

We sat down with Animals As Leaders in the green room at The Fillmore last month to talk some music. I had the chance to ask a few questions about their highly anticipated, upcoming album along with some questions about side projects and Summer Slaughter. You may be pleasantly surprised by some of the details including a brand new project between Javier Reyes and Ben from The Dillinger Escape Plan. Tune in.

Links: Facebook // Twitter // iTunes

MASTODON INTERVIEW

We had the chance to talk with Mastodon's drummer Brann Dailor at Mayhem Fest this summer. Very cool dude. Go ahead and watch the interview down below. We've also included two of his favorite songs to play from Mastodon's latest album "The Hunter". Check 'em out!

Links: Facebook // Twitter // iTunes

THE BRIDAL PROCESSION INTERVIEW

We recently interviewed Steve Garner, vocalist of the heavy hitters from The Bridal Procession. We has them as our Artist of the Week not too long ago and for good reason. They deliver some fierce, technical death metal with notable progressive elements. Read up and learn. We've also included some metal tunes for you to enjoy \m/
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SG = Steve Garner
MT = Mike Thall

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

SG - Tuan and I created the band in early 2007. We were and still are to this day best friends and really wanted to try our hands on something different we could do together. He was a 21 years old guitarist and I was just a 16 years old kid from a poor family so I picked up the cheapest instrument there is, vocals! And that's how it all started.

MT - How did you choose The Bridal Procession as your name?

SG - Back then we found it fitting to use a bridal procession as metaphor to represent our society. During a bridal procession, very different people living very different lives are united in one place. Most of them have an history together and reasons why life separated them. Hypocrisy and fakes smiles are kings amongst the happiest place.

MT - You dropped a new album "Descent Into Arcologies" this year. Can you tell us what went into making it?

SG - Well, it's obviously been a very long and treacherous road. At first, it was the simplest process. The album took us about two months to write and all in all a month to record, that was back in 2011. It's what came after that ruined everything. Dozens of delays with multiple different mixers, then picking one and getting screwed over, juggling with our other bands/projects/jobs, not finding a new drummer, which resulted in us having a finished album in early 2012 and not seeing it released for an entire year…So we released it ourselves recently with the kind agreement from our former label.

MT - You had significant cameos from Aaron Matts and Nick Arthur. How did these come about?

SG - I featured on Betraying The Martyrs' "When You're Alone" at first so it made sense to invite Aaron in return on one of our tracks. As for Nick Arthur, I was simply a big fan of Molotov Solution for years myself and I asked him directly. He gave a very great review to our debut album back in 2011 so he knew us already and he was excited.

MT - Any favorite tracks from the album?

SG - I think we all have our favorite ones but as far as musicianship goes, the instrumental track "A Solar Symbiosis" is our favorite. But Subterranean Abomination is definitely our favorite "full band" track.

MT - How has the response been so far?

SG - It's been great. I honestly haven't seen much negative comments about the album itself. A lot of shit came from the wait and set backs we put the public through but musically I haven't heard negative reviews.

MT - I gotta say you have awesome artwork. Is there a story / concept behind it?

SG - It's mainly reflecting the storyline of my lyrics, yes. If you read through each song you'll find that they're all linked together from start to finish even if I drift off a little sometimes to more actual subjects they're still happening within the story. The album's concept is a direct follow up to our debut album (which was about our society and planet's impending death). It's what happens after the apocalypse. The life of those who survived and how even after all this, people would do the same mistakes again and fall back into the vile arms of tyranny.

MT - What inspires your music?

SG - As a lyricist, my inspiration truly comes from our everyday life. How us, citizens of the world, are slowly stripped away from our rights and our dignity. We're strangled 24/7 with a slightly stronger grip every day and yet if it's not a global reaction, nothing can change our situation. Our society's leaders are centuries-long well oiled machines that have much different plans than the well being of the people.

MT - What are your thoughts on the French metal scene?

SG - It's producing great bands these days that's for sure but the public isn't changing. Turnouts are still relatively poor except if it's a big tour coming to town.

MT - Any bands you would recommend?

SG - Betraying The Martyrs are definitely great flag holders right now. Other bands off the top of my head would be The Algorithm, Chunk No Captain Chunk, Upheaval and the obvious Gojira, Gorod etc!

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

SG - Collectively our answer would probably be Opeth and Between The Buried And Me.

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

SG - One sticks out off the top of my head. We were booked to play a show in Germany whilst on tour in Europe with the american band LIGEIA back in '09. When we arrived at the address given to us, we found a huge destroyed factory-like place. All windows smashed, nothing inside it but obvious rests of slaughterhouse work, no stage, but a P.A on one side of the factory. Obviously we had very low hopes on this being a good show because it was about 5 degrees inside, no sign of any fan around and let's face it, shit was scary. Comes show time, 400 kids turn up, most in costumes, start the craziest pits, smash the little amount of windows that were left, buy most of our merch stocks and make it the craziest show of the tour. Looks can be deceiving.

MT - Favorite song to play live?

SG - We all have a favorite one but I think Shroud of the End off our debut album is in everyone's top 3 for sure! Short, fun to play and it gets the crowd going everytime. Other than that, maybe A Paradoxical Utopia from our new album because on our last UK tour it was the intro track and it was definitely a big kick in the teeth for the public and ourselves.

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

SG - We're obviously not an active touring band anymore and have been on hiatus since October 2012. We will not get back on stage but we're considering writing a new EP at the end of the year. A very special occasion to get the fans involved this time is in the works. Time will tell!

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

SG - Thanks for sticking with us along the years. It's been a very bumpy ride and those who stayed on board are like family to us. Keep supporting the artists you love.

MT - That's all we have. Thanks for your time!
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Links: Facebook // Twitter // Merch

THY ART IS MURDER SPEAK OUT (INTERVIEW)

Recently the deathcore devastators from down under exposed it all in an interview where CJ McMahon (Vocals) and Sean Delander (Bass) detailed some insightful and humorous information regarding various topics such as, the evolution behind the maturity of their menacing sound, what it is like touring in America VS. Europe, the facts that led to their expulsion from Orlando, Florida’s Summer Slaughter, their hopeful plans for future domination of planet Earth, and so much more that you have to see for yourself. The interview was conducted by TheLocalExperienceFL.

Get to clicking that "play button" below and be sure be keep your ears open and your fists raised to the carnage that is Thy Art Is Murder.

-\M/eyer

Links: Facebook // Twitter // iTunes

BORN OF OSIRIS INTERVIEW

To celebrate the release of "Tomorrow We Die ∆live" today, here's the first of our Mayhem Festival interviews with none other than the legends in Born of Osiris! Unfortunately we had issues with the camera overheating, so things were cut short. But there's still some good info and laughs in there so give it a watch.

We also have interviews with Mastodon and Battlecross incoming so stay tuned! In the mean time, grab "Tomorrow We Die ∆live" and mosh.

Links: Facebook // Twitter // iTunes

THE KOREA - ARTIST OF THE WEEK CONTEST / INTERVIEW!

In association with our friends at Rogue Records America, we're proud to present The Korea as our Artist of the Week! It might be the end of that week but the fun has only just begun!

We're giving you the chance to win some very cool prizes. In particular, we're giving away an AWESOME t-shirt and 10 free downloads of The Korea's latest EP "Saturnus". Check the contest info below!

We also conducted an in-depth interview with the band. Read up and learn! Also be sure to enjoy the music provided.

ENTER TO WIN
1. Must like The Korea
2. Must like The Circle Pit
3. Must share this post and tag both The Korea 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 7/16 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.

__________________________________________________________________________________


TK = The Korea (answered collectively)
MT = Mike Thall

  
MT - We’re here with Russian metal kings, The Korea. First and foremost, thanks for your time.

TK - Hello to all of you! Let's start our conversation.

MT - Sounds like a plan. Let’s start from the very beginning. How did The Korea get started?

TK - The Korea started at the beginning of 2000 when Kuznetsov brothers Alexander and Sergey made their mind to put together a band and invited Evgeny Potekhin and Stas Rozhdestvensky to join them. This was the first lineup of The Korea. The music was a mix of chaotic-hardcore, metal-core and some other interesting moments.

MT - Now, you guys are called The Korea, you reside in Russia, and you’re signed to Rogue Records America. How does it feel to be pioneers in international conference metal?

TK - It is a pleasure to work with the guys from over the ocean in Rogue who love music as much as we do. And for us it is also a great honor to bring the music to our audience all around the planet.

MT - How did you go about choosing the band name?

TK - Alexander already had this name in his head and even once offered it to his friends, (a band from our city) the band however, preferred some other name so when it came time to create a name for our band we took Korea without any hesitation… yes, it was just Korea, without the “The”” added, since then our music transformed so the name had to transform a bit as well.

MT - How did you get involved with Rogue Records America?

TK - We started working with Rogue Records America about a year ago. At that moment we were recording “Saturnus”. We received an offer and after thinking it over and discussing it all together we decided to join the RRA family and have absolutely no regrets about it we are all working together for the same thing.

MT - Definitely great people to work with. You’ve been around for awhile, but the band really gained international attention with the release of 2011’s “Chariots of the Gods”. Great record. Can you tell us about that album and what went into making it?

TK - At first we were not even thinking of going abroad with our previous albums because we were promoting the band around our own country and just trying to handle that.. But we felt “Chariots of the Gods” was worth going abroad with because it was done very precisely and took a lot of time and attention. To us it felt like we did a good job, and the album felt like a great start for a new chapter of the band history!! We decided to change the character and the sound of the band completely, what we were actually doing from one album to another. But this time all the changes were global. We got a new vocalist, Evgeny is now solely focused on guitar….Etc..etc…

For us this lineup of the band is the best and strongest one! The album itself creates this chaotic atmosphere, contains some apocalyptic elements and of course it is also about love. It is like one big story!!!

MT - Very cool. You recently dropped a new EP “Saturnus”. Can you tell us about your new sound?

TK - This EP is an experiment from A to B! We tried to go down into the gloom and create something more than “Chariots of the Gods”. We experimented with vocal, guitar sounds, structure of the songs themselves. We even recorded a remake for an older track “Poles” from the first album!!

MT - How do you feel about the response to the new EP?

TK - We think that it was taken as a beginning of our new age and now people are waiting for new songs. So, this summer we will focus on cooking something nice for you ;)

MT - Tasty. What was it like transitioning between “Chariots of the Gods” and “Saturnus”?

TK - We are just moving down the Styx River to the valleys of the Underworld and nobody knows where it will bring us. Maybe we'll end up at some other dimension and then we will create something really hard and powerful. Or may be it will bring us up to the sky as in the “Zion” chorus. (laughs)

MT - Sounds like a trip either way! Rumor has it you wrote the EP to test the waters for writing a new album. Is there anything you can tell us about your music in the works?

TK - Yes, in a way these rumors are true. We are really interested to know what our fans are waiting for from us. But now it is too early to uncover the mystery as soon as we get something down, we’ll make sure to send it to you first so you can let us know what you think.

MT - Awesome! Who or what inspires your music?

TK - Lots of books, movies, sometimes art and of course music. All kinds of music. From Cannibal Corpse to Bjork! But if we speak about books that would be science fiction! A lot of what we write about is from the books we all read on our downtime. We love to write fantasy and sci fi stories in our songs, and it reflects in our artwork and videos. It’s funny because we see posts from people saying we are part of some conspiracy or we are in league with so and so….and it makes us laugh because everything we write about is about what we read and see in these worlds (books and movies).

MT - Heard you guys have been having quite the stretch touring of late. This includes a fight in Poland and some cancellations. Could you tell us about that?

TK - Yes, sometimes the internet is a blessing and it’s also a curse, in this instance in Poland it was a curse because what was posted was a twisted version of the truth and by the time we actually had the ability to address it…it was already too late in a way. People had already made their opinion, we’d like to state here that we would NEVER fight or cancel because of a small audience at a show!! That’s just not how we are, some shows were cancelled due to the booking agent / venue management mistakes and they just didn’t care to fix or live up to their responsibilities. We couldn’t play because we had no idea of the schedule where we could unload, setup, etc etc etc. Nothing was organized and it would have just created more chaos if we tried to play. As for the “fight with a fan” it wasn’t a fan of any of the bands playing that night, just someone who happened to be at the venue, had a real issue with Russians and was drunk enough that he wanted to express that…so he did. The promoter we guess decided to make this story even louder than our concert!!) And of course we were the bad guys. People can do a very good job causing disruption and having people focus on something else when they do not want you focused on the real issue. We’re sure he’s a good promoter sadly he just focused on the wrong thing to promote ……(Laughs)

MT - That aside, what’s the craziest thing that has ever happened to you on the road or at a show?

TK - So, we would say that it was when our vocalist went out on stage absolutely naked. It was during a concert with our friends in Noostrack that was touring with us! Ilya came out with nothing but sneakers and glasses on, it was great. A short time later during our last Eurotour concert in Moscow our Bus Driver decided he wanted in on the action and came out to a packed house totally nude!!! :)
He stayed on for the rest of the set naked which really threw Ilya for a loop…it was great.

MT - What are your plans for the second half of 2013?

TK - Now we are planning our concerts for the second part of 2013, collecting ideas for a new video and getting ready to get together in the studio and record something amazing for everyone!
Pretty soon we are leaving for the Far East of Russia to meet our fans there for the first time! So that’s going to be exciting as well.

MT - Those are all the questions we have. Thanks again. Any shout outs you want to give?

TK - Thank you so much for the interview! Remember there is tons of amazing new music out there from indie artists all over the world, support them and Peace for all of you.
Much love from The Korea, See you on tour!!!

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