Returning to the garden with Leaving Eden

Oct2

Two years on we have linked back up with Leaving Eden songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Eric Gynan to catch up with the band. Already renowned for their ear grabbing, imagination stoking rock sound, the band is poised to release its new album this month. One highly anticipated release we join Eric to look into its body and character with more besides…

Hello and thanks for taking time out to talk with us.

Howdy Eric Gynan here from the band Leaving Eden, Boston Mass area USA. It’s great to talk with you again. I think it was a couple years ago when we chatted last.

To remind people can you first introduce the band and give us some background to how it all?

Myself and Eve are the co-founders of Leaving Eden We had some songs; I’ve always been recording so we wanted to play some of these live. I think one must make a choice as to what they want to do with their life. It takes sacrifice, let downs and one must have a thick skin. Let’s face it most artists are different than others, so not only is there issues with all the variables outside the band, but from within too. I think the current line-up is great where everyone sees the bigger picture.

What are the musical backgrounds to you all; previous bands, projects etc…

Yes myself and Eve were in a band before leaving Eden. The band was regionally successful, but it usually comes down to the members. I remember for instance the drummer wanted no part of having a female in the band. He just hated it. Well, I saw the bigger picture, and after the first 100 people came up to me and told me how great Eve was, I knew I had to really do something about it…Shortly after we formed Leaving Eden.

Tell us about the band name?

We thought that this planet being the entire Garden of Eden has become corrupt full of Deceit and Hate so we thought wouldn’t it be nice to go somewhere else that’s the name leaving Eden.

Did you have a particular aim for the band initially and also in what you wanted it and your sound to offer?

Originally we wanted two female singers that never seemed to work out. Eve was really 2nd to none when it came to a front person, so anyone else up there trying to almost compete was pretty much a ridiculous situation. Now we do have another female, but she plays keys and sings backup vocals so it’s different now. I can’t stress enough how important it is to have not only the right people for the right sound, but the right personalities for perseverance.

Do the same things still drive the band when it was fresh-faced or have they evolved over time?

I think so. I think we are a little more reality oriented and understand more the barriers and pitfalls associated with the business. I think more so now we’re happy doing what we’re doing instead of being unhappy about not achieving our goals to the fullest.

How do you see the evolution of the band’s sound since starting out?

I think first and foremost you must always be listening to what’s out there what’s current what’s new and changing with the times. Also, one must try and be a trendsetter. It’s the new artists that forge the future, the ones out there in the gutters so to speak who are really at the pinnacle. As I said, for me I listen and get these songs kind of fully produced in my mind’s eye and I just go with the flow.

So it is a more organic movement of sound than deliberately wanting to try new things or an equally sided process?

Good question maybe both. We always want to try new things but also I think organically speaking the band naturally moves in a particular direction.

You said you eagerly listen to the sounds out there; are particular inspirations which have impacted not only on the band’s music but your personal approach and ideas to creating music?

I think playing I’m sharing the stage with many of the best bands in the world has definitely been a great influence on us. Leaving Eden has toured the USA, UK and Canada sharing the stage with hundreds of the biggest national bands in the world including; Lacuna Coil, In This Moment, Black Sabbath (Heaven & Hell), Ronnie James Dio, Rob Zombie, 5 Finger DeathPunch, Disturbed, Marilyn Manson, Alice Cooper, Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZTop, Puddle of Mudd, Korn, Killswitch Engage, Buckcherry (Jefferson Starship, Big Brother and The Holding Company, Country Joe, 10 Years After, 40th Anniversary Woodstock) Shinedown, Dropkick Murphy’s, Alice in Chains, Papa Roach, Bret Michaels, Halestorm,Theory of a Deadman, Avenged Sevenfold, Seether, Hell Yeah, Trapt, Dope, Soil, Fuel, Queensryche, Saving Abel, Hinder, Damage Plan, 7Dust, Sebastian Bach, SoulFly, Days of the New, NonPoint, DrowningPool, The Misfits, The Butcher Babies, Collective Soul, MushroomHead, Mudvayne, Chevelle, Godsmack, Powerman 5000, 10Years, Taproot, Gin Blossoms, Michael Schenker (UFO, MSG & The Scorpions) Herman Rarebell (The Scorpions), Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden), Kittie, One eyed doll, Uncle Kracker, Tremonti (Creed/Alterbridge) Lamb of god, Slayer, Stone Sour, Motorhead, Blackstone Cherry, HOOKERS & BLOW Featuring GUNS N’ ROSES, QUIET RIOT, W.A.S.P. Members, Steven Tyler, Ted Nugent, Lita Ford, LA Guns, Trixter, Warrant, Apocalyptic Review (featuring members of Godsmack) Adelitas Way, Scott Stapp (The voice of Creed), Gemini Syndrome, Pop Evil, Ratt, Anthrax, Testament, Napalm Death & many more..

How does the songwriting work within the band; is there a particular process?

Yes I think it’s best for me as the songwriter to make a connection with the universe and listen because there’s always songs out there trying to come in; it depends if they come while I’m sleeping and I have the ability to wake up from that and go record something or if it comes while just almost meditating and communicating again with the universe and just listening.

How about the sparks to the lyrical side of your songs?

It’s definitely drawn from reality; all the lyrics are based on what’s happening at the time. Good, bad or indifferent I’m constantly writing lyrics so it’s going back to those and using them for music that I may already have written or writing the music around those lyrics. The skies aren’t always blue, thus our song Skies of Grey. “It’s not too late to open your eyes and sail through skies of grey”. “We’ve been screwed overcharged underpaid and abused, we’ve been exploited avoided and falsely accused, we’ve been cut down let down fucked around, tied and bound but NOTHING could take the music away”. From our Tied and Bound album.

Tell us about the band’s latest release?

Our latest release would be our last album Out of the Ashes (Recorded/mixed By Johnny K. (Disturbed, Pop Evil, Staind, 3 Doors Down,) Mastered by Brad Blackwood (Sevendust, Dave Mathews, Adelitas way, Korn) and produced by myself reinterpreted by Leaving Eden.) We also released a single, Jailbreak and it is going to be on our new album to be released October 19th 2018 called Descending again through Dark Star Records/Sony Music worldwide.

Our new album to be released, Descending, I’m excited about this album because it was recorded at Leaving Eden Studios. We were able to take all the time we needed and really craft this album to exactly what we wanted it to be. I did a premix on it and sent it off to Bob St John for the Final Mix and Mastering. Bob is a Grammy award-winning engineer and has done bands like Duran Duran, Extreme, Collective Soul, Steven Tyler…Such a great guy to work with too.

Can you give us some insight to the themes and premise behind Descending and its songs.

The title Descending, is taken from a song off the album called Shallow Waters. Shallow Waters is very cool because it’s one of those songs where I woke up from a dream and the song was playing in my head; this happens a lot most of the time I can’t pull myself out but this time I was able to. It’s great when you can hear songs already produced in your dreams, takes a lot of work out of it. It definitely comes from somewhere else. We wanted to have different genres such as heavy, acoustic, different key changes and tempos, really trying to have such diversity. We even got some songs you can dance to the beat.

Are you a band which goes into the studio with songs pretty much in their final state or prefer to develop them as you record?

Yes because studio time is so expensive it’s really best to have it all complete so we have typically recorded the entire album in our studio first working out all the bugs and adding everything we want to add so that when it comes time in the studio we know exactly what we’re doing because there’s usually not as much time as you need, so you try to prepare for that. In the case of our Descending album soon-to-be-released we actually recorded this completely in our studio so we had the time to really craft what we believe is a great album.

Tell us about the live side to the band, presumably the favourite aspect of the band?

Yes when I have always said that Leaving Eden is best seen and heard live. There’s a lot of energy sharing that goes on with the crowd. We don’t look at it like hey man look at me I’m a rock star check me out I’m too cool man, rather quite the opposite. It’s like hey we’re all here together all night to have a good time so let’s party together and let’s have some fun together. We are all involved in this.

You obviously know how hard it is for any new band to make an impact regionally let alone nationally and further afield. How have you found it with Leaving Eden?

Really I think with the onslaught of the internet anywhere you are you can really make a mark. I get it that making a mark by playing the venues that’s in your own region could make a difference. The reality is that if you’re good, fresh, have really put some time into the band look and made a great recording then it doesn’t really matter where you are. You can get it out there with a good publicist, good radio guy, good record label and good distribution also good management. We’ve pretty much always taken care of all of this on our own and hiring certain people and companies. I think it all works together. The most important thing for us is we will play anywhere anyhow anyway, so long as we can because this is what we love to do

You mentioned the internet. How do you work and weave your social media sites to use them most effectively?

The internet is very important to any band because that’s where people are getting most of their information now from and you can do it for free and make an impact on different social media platforms for sure. At the end of the day it comes down to a song, is the song good; is it one somebody wants to listen to? Our song Out Of The Ashes says digging deeper underground faster than the speed of sound. What that means is I feel we’ve always been an underground type band, you know really building its base of friends organically so an underground band able to, with the click of a mouse be in China for instance so that is faster than the speed of sound. It’s definitely referencing the internet and for that you can’t even quantify how important it is when talking about streaming on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon. You know that’s the way people are listening to the music they’re not going out and spending money to pay for music when they can listen to it for free or maybe $10 a month. Now this doesn’t really pay the artist much but if your song caught on and you had millions of listeners every day well then you would be making a lot of money so it’s really the same, only different is the means. People will still buy CDs more at a gig than anywhere else.

Once again a big thanks for sharing time with us; anything you would like to add?

Well, without our friends, we got nothing so we hope to make new friends here and hope they enjoy learning more about Leaving Eden. We definitely want to say Thanx Much and Peace!!

https://www.leavingeden.com/ https://www.facebook.com/bandleavingeden https://www.instagram.com/leavingedenofficial/ https://twitter.com/Leavingeden https://www.youtube.com/user/leavingedenband

Pete RingMaster 02/10/2018

U-Foes – No More No More

Sep24

Live @ Fru Lundgreen, Trondheim, Norway

It may say No More No More but ears swiftly demanded the opposite once falling under the sonic hail and brimstone of the new single from Norwegian outfit U-Foes. The track is an insatiable slice of noise punk infested hardcore which batters and tempts with increasing rigour; nagging, harassing, and pleasing in equal measure.

Rising from the ashes of hardcore outfit Silence the Foe, Oslo hailing U-Foes is the trio of made up of guitarist Marcus Forsgren (The Lionheart Brothers, Jaga Jazzist, Bror Forsgren), drummer Peter Rudolfsen (The Lionheart Brothers), and long-time friend of The RR, vocalist Anders Voldrønning (Shevils). Embracing aspects of their earlier work together and on-going projects, the threesome have twisted all elements into a whole new trespass of sound with plenty more fresh and creative animosity loaded craft involved.

A teaser of the band’s debut album due for release in November, No More No More is a carnal assault of sound; a track as primal and feral as it is skilfully manipulated and manipulative. It scowls with contempt from the first caustic surge of guitar, its sound a scuzzy yet precise blur inciting just as irritable intent from senses harrying rhythms. Voldrønning’s familiar roar intensifies the antipathy of sound and emotion, sharing greater toxicity to the wounds already incurred from the band’s raucous enterprise. Even so there is an infectious side to it all which quickly had hips swinging and limbs punching with zeal.

However you drape the track, it is rock ‘n’ roll rock at its primal best; punk rock to arouse the senses and spirit and the sign of big exciting thing to come from that impending album and we suspect for the band itself in its wake.

Check out the video for No More No More on our Video Selector page, the single available now on Marw Melodee Music.

https://www.facebook.com/ufoesofficial/ http://u-foes.com/

Pete RingMaster 24/09/2018

Finding The Guiding Light with Tom Brumpton

Sep8

Tom Brumpton is a well-known and respected vocalist/musician primarily through his time with UK progressive/technical metallers Akarusa Yami and his PR work and support with Polymath. He is also an adventurously talented film director and is poised to step behind the camera for his new project The Guiding Light. Tom has kindly given us some of his time to talk about his new film sharing the background to its inception and creation, his previous work in music and film and how to get involved in the crowd funding campaign for a proposition which is already stirring imaginations and excitement alike.

Hi Tom, our big thanks for taking time out to talk with us.

You have just launched a crowd funding campaign for your new project The Guiding Light. A great many of us will know you for your musical prowess especially as co –founder and former vocalist of Akarusa Yami and as promoter of a great many artists. The Guiding Light is a short film you are directing. Before we talk about the film, how did you first get into film making?

Thanks for the kind words, dude. The first film I directed was The Samaritan in 2015. Adam Luff, our screenwriter, and I did everything on that. It was a little mad. From there, we shot a few other bits, including a short film called Nurture of The Beast in 2016. It got picked up by a dozen film festivals and won a few awards. Our success on that laid the groundwork and gave us the confidence to make The Guiding Light.

You mentioned the new film was written by Adam Luff. Tell us a bit about Adam.

As I mentioned, Adam and I have done three short films together now. This is our fourth time working together. Adam is my best friend. We’ve known each other since we were three years old, and we’re both 32 now. He’s an award-winning screenwriter who spent time studying screenwriting in San Francisco and he’s currently working on a few projects with production companies around the world. He’s a very talented guy

That previous project together, Nurture of the Beast, received a handful of award nominations; this included one for Best Actor for you. Are you appearing in The Guiding Light as well as directing it?

I might be in the movie *laughs*! I will leave it at that. My main focus on this is that of director and producer. We talked about me being having a role in the film but felt that with everything else going on it made more sense to focus on things behind the camera.

Who is appearing in the film?

Our lead actresses are Jessica Messenger, who plays Barbara. She’s a Derby based actress and dancer who’s done a ton of great films, including Rats with Lawrence Harvey (Human Centipede 2) and Nicolas Vince (Hellraiser). We also have Martina Lopez as Angela. As soon as we saw her showreel we knew she was perfect for the role. We also have a few other amazing actors and actresses in voiceover roles, but we’re still finalising those right now.

Can you give us some insight into The Guiding Light; its story inside and outside of the film and the seeds to its invention?

Outside of the film, a big influence on the film was the death of my aunt Pat in April 2016. I spent a year coming to terms with that before speaking with Adam about making a new film, which became The Guiding Light. While we were prepping The Guiding Light another aunt of my mine, Kath, passed away. I lost a few more people I knew passed away through 2017. As time passed, it just made me more resolute to make the film and put a very dark chapter to bed.

The plot of the film follows Barbara, a world champion dancer living with auto-immune disease. Following her retirement she’s struck down by an aggressive case of pneumonia and left on the verge of death. It is here, guided by her sister Angela, that she begins reliving her happiest days before facing her pending mortality

We started talking about the movie in May 2017 shortly after coming back from the Cannes Film Festival. The whole experience was really eye opening and inspiring, and it made us stop and decide to make another film. I was getting into a better place emotionally after Pat’s death, and I felt more capable of dealing with the topic.

Obviously having worked with Adam a lot you truly know and understand his writing but how did the two of you approach and come together in thought to a story rising from such intimate experiences?

I think it comes from knowing and living with each other for so long. We’ve been friends most of our lives, and there’s an understanding there. When we sat down to start fleshing the idea out, it was a pretty easy experience. We went to a bar, grabbed some coffees and got to work. The whole thing came together very quickly, which was wonderful. Adam knew all about what had been going on with my family, and knowing me, he knew how to navigate the situation. I don’t think it would’ve been possible to do this if that understanding wasn’t there.

What has inspired the look and tone you are giving the film and indeed your directing style?

The two films I keep coming back to are The Neon Demon and La La Land. La La Land’s big sprawling dance numbers are epic, beautiful and full of life while The Neon Demon is visually stunning, with incredible lighting and music, but its haunting. I’m aiming for The Guiding Light to sit somewhere between the two in terms of tone, visuals and spectacle.

Previous films you have co-directed, The Guiding Light your first one alone? Has that brought any particular difficulties or indeed given you a freedom?

This is my first time directing a short film solo, yes. It’s been a massive learning curve, but I’ve enjoyed it a lot. There are always ups and downs on stuff like this, but I’m glad I’ve tackled it and I’m very glad I’ve had such a great support network around me. It wouldn’t be possible otherwise.

We mentioned Akarusa Yami earlier. I assume there are a great many differences between making films and music but are there any similarities which your previous adventures have helped with?

I’ve described filmmaking as like making six albums all at once. I think the biggest comparison is that it’s a great big collaboration. While on most albums I’ve done had a dozen people involved, maximum, we’re looking at a cast and crew of around 40 people on this. It’s much bigger than making an album, but at its core the rule is always the same; hear people out, have a clear vision and do your best.

Are you also involved with the soundtrack of The Guiding Light?

I have left that in the hands of a far more capable man *laughs*! Our composer, Alex Norman, is an amazing songwriter and his work has been used by Marvel Studios, Universal Pictures, 20th Century Fox and beyond. What we’re going for is a really big blend. There’s ambient music, drone music, soul music, beach pop and stadium ballads going on. If done right, it’ll be a really interesting mix. I can’t wait to see what Alex does.

How deep into the process of making the film are you?

We’re coming to the end of pre-production now and we’re set to start filming on September 23rd. I’m nervous, excited and cannot wait to get on set. There’s still a ton of work to do, and I imagine we’ll be working on things right up until the day of shooting. That being said, we have a wonderful cast and crew, and everyone so far has been very supportive.

You have launched a crowd funding campaign as we mentioned, would you give us the details for that?

Absolutely, you can find everything on the campaign at the link below! We’ve got a bunch of cool perks available, including badges, posters, tickets to VIP screenings, links to the film and the soundtrack!

Do you have a date for the release of The Guiding Light scheduled and once out where will people first be able to see it?

We don’t have a release date as of yet, no. The plan is to arrange a premiere at a big European festival, but I don’t want to say too much until everything is confirmed. Once that’s done, it’s on to the festival circuit. The difference between the music industry, where usually singles and records drop a few months after they’re finished, a film will usually go on to do the festival circuit, which it can do for a year or two before it gets a proper release. It’s not uncommon for a film made in 2015 not to see the light of day until 2018, as an example.

Before we part can we briefly talk about your musical side? Firstly what sparked your departure not only from Akarusa Yami but pretty much from being a visual presence making music?

Sure! In all honesty, I just wasn’t enjoying being on stage anymore. It wasn’t fun for me. I loved the guys, and I loved the adventure, but my heart wasn’t in it. I’m a firm believer that if you’re not enjoying being up on stage then you should quit. Once I finished with Akarusa Yami, every time I considered making music again I felt kind of numb. I didn’t feel excited to pick up a guitar or a microphone or write lyrics or anything. The plan was always to wrap things up with the band after my last show with them in Trondheim, Norway in October 2015 and move in to filmmaking.

I heard a rumour though that you have briefly linked up with former band mate Tom Clarke on his new project?

Yeah, Tom asked me to sing on a track a while ago. I don’t know if what I did will make the final cut, but I’m proud of what we did and whether I’m on the album or not, I’m sure it’ll be great. He’s super psyched about the album, and he should be. It’s a great record.

The first of a few new adventures back in music aside from your great PR work or is film where your creative destiny is?

I’m still running Polymath (PR) and will be for the foreseeable future. A new band isn’t on the table, really. I like doing the odd song with bands here and there, that’s fun. But a full band takes a lot of time and commitment, and in all of this it’s made me think long and hard about where I want to go career wise and directing is definitely what I want to do. This has been a great experience.

Once again Tom big thanks for chatting with us. Any last words you would like to leave us?

Thanks so much for your time, and a big thank you to everyone who’s donated, shared and contributed to the film so far. It means the world to us.

Watch a teaser for the film @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDmA4WFmWuA&feature=youtu.be and check out the crowd funding campaign via Indiegogo @ https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-guiding-light-short-film-women-horror/x/18779834#/

Pete RingMaster 08/09/2018

Power of Diversity: exploring the world of Scarleth

Jul7

The Ukrainian metal scene is not the most active on our radar but we can introduce you to one band which more than warrants attention. It is Kiev hailing melodic metallers Scarleth. The past decade has seen them share stages at numerous shows and festivals with the likes of Blind Guardian, Rage, Ensiferum, Rotting Christ, Leaves’ Eyes, and Kalmah. Embracing an array of rich flavours their sound has grown into an ear grabbing proposition which will reveal another fresh breath in the quintet’s upcoming new album. We had the pleasure to find out more about the band, release, and more with guitarist Victor.

Hello and thanks for taking time out to talk with us.

Hello! Nice to talk to you 🙂 I’m Victor, leader and founder of the band.

Can you first introduce the band and give us some background to how it all started and how you all came together?

The band was formed in 2005 by myself (Victor Morozov). First line-up included both of my sisters (Renata – vocals, Nina – keyboards).

After that, numerous line-up changes took place until current line-up has finally appeared:

Victor Morozov – guitar

Yana Kovalskaya – keyboards

Ekaterina Kapshuk – vocals

Igor Chumak – bass

Philipp Kharouk – drums

The band was originally formed in Donetsk, Ukraine. Basically, it was my idea to form a band. As a teenager, I was impressed by such bands as Deep Purple and Black Sabbath, so I wanted to form my own band. Ritchie Blackmore was my hero, he is the reason I picked up guitar to play.

Have you been/are involved in other bands before? If so has that had any impact on what you are doing now?

SCARLETH is the first and the only band for Victor and Ekaterina, both of them haven’t played in other bands before.

Yana was in the following bands before SCARLETH: Stella Vespera (2009–2012), Luna Dream (2012-2014), Dante (2013-2015).

Philipp was part of these bands before he joined SCARLETH: B.W.N., Trapped In Tremble, Maleficar, Vyhr Grez, Kolard, Body Juice.

Igor played in few bands before SCARLETH, but that was too long ago to remember their names 🙂

Current line-up of SCARLETH has been around for about 2 years now.

I don’t think previous bands influenced us in any way; Scarleth has its own style which is constantly evolving.

What inspired the band name?

SCARLET was just a cool simple name which came to my sister’s mind 🙂 I only added “h” to the end of the word, so it looks more “metal”.

We also like this name because it doesn’t limit our musical style in any way. We can play anything we want under this title.

Was there any specific idea behind the forming of the band and also in what you wanted it and your sound to offer?

At the start, band was planned as cover band. But right after the start, our own songs begin to appear, so we’ve had short time with cover songs.

As for sound, we always wanted to sound different to others that is why we try to include as many different elements as possible to our songs.

And the same ideas and inspirations still drive the band when it was fresh-faced?

It’s the same – passion for music and wish to give good music to our fans and listeners. We never placed money or fame as main driving-force. Making good music which we like and playing it is most important for us.

Since your early days, how would you say your sound has evolved?

It became heavier, more modern. The new album will be even more into this direction. But also it will touch pop-metal genre which is new for us. It will be interesting record, so don’t forget to buy it when it will be released and support our band.

And that has been an organic movement of sound or more the band deliberately wanting to try new things?

That is natural – we do not plan any changes. We just evolve as people, and our music evolves together with us. And this is really interesting journey. We are happy to be who we are.

You mentioned your own specific spark to make music and presumably across the band there is a wide range of inspirations; are there any in particular which have impacted not only on the band’s music but your personal approach and ideas to creating and playing music?

I think life itself is main source of inspiration. Travelling, movies, computer games, anything we do – has its influence.

As for bands who has impact on us I can say – Within Temptation, Black Sabbath, Amaranthe.

Is there a particular process to the songwriting within the band?

Yes. We start with simple melodic idea or riff then create song structure. Lyrics are created after that. Most of our songs are written this way. But not all of them, there are always exceptions.

Where do you, more often than not, draw the inspirations to the lyrical side of your songs?

From life situations, from something that really grabs our souls. It may be scene from movie or just something happened to us on the road. Just about anything. Life has so many unexpected moments, you know 🙂

Could you give us some background to your new album?

Our latest release is called The Silver Lining, which was released back in 2015. It includes nine tracks we are really proud of, I think these are the best we’ve done so far.

All the tracks on the CD are very different to each other, so if you like diversity in music – we can really recommend to give it a try.

Album was recorded in Kiev in Morton Studio. Max Morton is our good friend; he is really professional sound engineer and sound producer, so we should thank him for great sound on this CD.

Give us some insight to the themes and premise behind its songs.

I think you are asking about lyrics? Lyrics of our songs are as diverse as is the music. You can find quite interesting stuff besides just regular “love songs” or “freedom songs”. I think I should avoid spoilers, so it will be more interesting for you to listen to the songs yourselves 🙂

Are you a band which goes into the studio with songs pretty much in their final state or prefer to develop them as you record?

We like to finish everything before going to the studio. But sometimes great ideas appear during recording, so we take them with pleasure. It’s always cool not to know what will happen next 🙂

Tell us about the live side to the band, presumably the favourite aspect of the band?

We are big fans of performing our music live. It’s really important for us. When you play live, you can feel band’s energy and reaction of your fans. That is main value for us as artists.

Travelling to festivals may be not easy, but performance itself is always rewarding.

It is not easy for any new band to make an impact regionally let alone nationally and across the world. How have you found it?

You are right – it is not easy, and we are still in the process of getting through. We can only suggest to believe in your own music, play it as much as you can and do everything for it to be heard. Never say die 🙂

How has the internet and social media impacted on the band to date? Do you see it as something destined to become a negative from a positive as the band grows and access to your music is or is maybe out of your hands a little?

Internet helped us a lot. We can use those tools to get our music to the public, it is very important. However, illegal downloads are also take place, and that is not a good thing. But anyway, I think internet is a really good thing for band’s promotion.

Once again a big thanks for sharing time with us; anything you would like to add or reveal for the readers?

Thank you! Listen to good music, be yourselves, just live and do what you really like 🙂 See you soon on the road!

Explore the sounds and imagination of Scarleth further @

http://scarleth.com.ua/ http://www.facebook.com/scarlethmetal http://www.instagram.com/scarlethband/ http://youtube.com/scarlethband

Pete RingMaster 07/07/2018

Flirtation amidst debris: exploring the aural tempest of Cohesion

Jun30

“If music is the machine, Cohesion are the engine. They drive fast, hit hard and have no need for brakes.”

The band’s own words sum up the energy, intensity, and force of their industrial scented alternative metal . With their latest single a major wake-up call to the UK outfit we got to look in on their background, heart, and roar with the band…

Hello and thanks for taking time out to talk with us.

Can you first introduce the band and give us some background to how it all started?

We’re Cohesion, straight out of London. We play loud Alternative Metal with a splash of Industrial. It all started on the back of a solo experiment with some songs, and since expanded with a constant rotation of the line-up, music and settled into what it is now: a machine ready to charge through to the top, borne of musicians who want to play, write and work together to create something new and powerful that gets heads banging and bodies rolling.

Have you been involved in other bands before? If so has that had any impact on what you are doing now, in maybe inspiring a change of style or direction?

Yeah of course we all have something else going on, from Gypsy Punk to Blues Functions. Certainly hasn’t changed our style or direction in any major way, most of them are meal tickets but all the nuances and tricks from other genres we do feed into Cohesion when we can, a rip roaring blues solo can sound sick in the right place, and some fast punk beat really helps to break up a song every now and again. I think by the fact all of us are always playing music in some form it really helps us to be as good as we can be.

What inspired the band name?

Pushing aside any possible pretentious answer, I really have no idea. I had a list of possible names, I umm’d and ahh’d for ages and one day Cohesion just stuck; it wasn’t even on the list!

Was there any specific idea behind the forming of the band and also in what you wanted it and your sound to offer?

Of course…I started with writing something that I could get my rocks off to, and that expanded into us writing music that we could get off to. We want to play what we want to hear, what there is not enough of out there or what there is but we want to put our own spin on it. Really we just want to rock out and enjoy ourselves, if anyone else likes it and can enjoy our shows too then that’s just awesome.

Do the same things still drive the band when it was fresh-faced or have they evolved over time?

The overall goal and drive is still there but now we aim for little victories, getting that recording done by this time and getting that gig there. Things get a lot more focus and the productivity goes up when you do this.

Since your early days, how would you say your sound has evolved?

Heavier…yet softer, weird answer I know but before we had a few things we wanted to do that just didn’t quite come out as we wanted, maybe we were too scared? Bit teenager but you get that with any band really. Now we’ve decided to just go for it, no matter what we want to do, just do it.

And has it been more of an organic movement or more the band deliberately wanting to try new things?

Again, bit of both. We’ve made some very deliberate choices to do certain things in our music, maybe it’s things we thought wouldn’t work or would work and we’ve learned our lesson; sometimes it’s just one of us has been listening to certain bands and some new influences come in where we go, oh hey that is cool, do that again!, which really helps drive the organics!

Presumably across the band there is a wide range of inspirations; are there any in particular which have impacted not only on the band’s invention but your personal approach and ideas to creating and playing music?

Definitely bands like Puscifer and Meshuggah, for different reasons. We ceased caring about that perfect 3:30 long song and just say fuck it, let’s write a 9 minute epic or a song that never gets to the chorus. Bands like Puscifer just show a certain maturity in their writing which we can only begin to attempt to emulate.

Is there a general process to the songwriting?

The process is so bog standard; riff gets written, or a beat, gets sent round, jammed on, smashed out from there really. But I do find lyrics are always last, I’ve tried so many times to start with them but by god it just doesn’t work for me! I have to hear the song first before I even know what I’m gonna start singing about.

Where do you, more often than not, draw the inspirations to those lyrics?

Pick a place. Lobotomies, aliens, religion, war, greed, sex, violence, love (yes, really), depression and everything else you can think of really. It’s usually something I’ve experienced or seen in the news and I’ve gone damn, that sucks and then lyrics ideas start creeping through. I wish I could write about something positive once in a while? That’d be a change.

Give us some background to your latest release.

Avarice…Oh man it’s a great song, we love it. It’s got groove, it’s got some sick riffage, bangin’ chorus, and it’s all about greed, the kind of greed that fucks up the world. We’ve got this crazy time in politics on the world stage full of all sorts of shit and everyone trying to put themselves first and it just sucks, so this is kind of our answer to that.

Are you a band which goes into the studio with songs pretty much in their final state or prefer to develop them as you record?

Definitely the former…Everything is done and finished in a rehearsal room, there’s just no time to dick about in a studio these days, not enough money, not enough time, we want to go in and just nail what we’ve already spent ages crafting and concentrating on getting that sounding as good as it can, not rewriting and working on parts that are recorded when only half thought out.

Tell us about the live side to the band?

Can’t go wrong with a gig…Even when everything goes to shit and your bass player gets snowed in and can’t make it and the kick pedal explodes in the intro of the first song (both happened at most recent gig)…we love it. Just energy and rocking out and cranking it, it’s what we love and we only ever want to do more of it!

It is not easy for any new band to make an impact regionally let alone nationally and further afield. How have you found it?

We’re based in London so it’s kind of a blessing and a curse at the same time: there’re so many more opportunities here but that also means the competition is much fiercer, and sometimes the wrong people can get the right gig which is always frustrating but hey, just gotta keep your head down and crack on.

How has the internet and social media impacted on the band to date?

We have a bit of a love/hate relationship with social media, it sucks the energy and time out of you and there’s nothing worse than planning bloody Instagram captions to destroy what could be a nice afternoon but at the end of the day it’s just a tool, like everything else; it used to be magazines, now it’s blogs, same stuff has always been there it just takes on a different form these days and you just have to learn to live with it (and to use it to your advantage!)

Once again a big thanks for sharing time with us; anything you would like to add or reveal for the readers?

A guy once asked to have some of our guitarist’s underwear after a show once, gross right? Otherwise, check out our new single Avarice – it’s awesome!

Check Cohesion out further @ https://www.facebook.com/cohesionhq/

Pete Ringmaster 10/05/2018

Immersing in the climate of Dark Rain

May26

We recently had the pleasure to be introduced to US rock band Dark Rain and now, through guitarist/vocalist Dudley Leavitt and drummer Devin Mallard, them to you in interview with us….

Hello and thanks for taking time out to talk with us.

Can you first introduce the band and give us some background to how it all started?

Hi we are Dark Rain, we hail from Brunswick, Maine. We are a five piece sonically charged melodic rock band. We originally formed back in 2000but broke up a short time later. We reconnected in 2011 and have been going strong since.

Have you been involved in other bands before? If so did they have any influence on what you are doing now?

Devin: Yes in a couple that were very heavy or industrial but this is more like my goal sound here in dark rain

Dudley: Yes was in a couple bands Dark Rain marked a move to the sound I was looking for.

What inspired the band name?

It’s also the name of a song we play and it’s about nuclear fallout.

Was there any specific idea behind the forming of the band and also in what you wanted it and your sound to offer?

We were friends just wanting to play music, and it turned into a lifelong bond like family, we wanted our sound to have no limits, no boundaries.

Has that core intention evolved over time?

Dudley: Obviously as we’ve aged time becomes more pressing; we still want to be a touring band, and expand our base.

Since your early days, how would you say your sound has evolved?

Devin: A lot cleaner less sloppy, more precise.

Dudley: I think it’s a lot more complex and has better written parts; the lyrics are more mature subject matter.

Have changes been more of an organic seeding or more the band going out to try new things?

Definitely organic, we have no preconceived notions of what we’re going to write stylistically or lyrically.

Presumably across the band there is a wide range of inspirations; are there any in particular which have impacted not only on the band’s music but your personal approach and ideas to creating and playing music?

Devin: Not necessarily, I have some small style traits I picked up from several drummers like Vinnie Paul, Joey Jorganson, the guy from Five Finger Death Punch. My musical influences, like bands RATM, Pantera Tool, give me the vibe that influences how I play I’d say

Dudley: Some of my influences bleed through in my songs I write. I have little flairs of some of the 80’s players, and some of the classic rock; my most peculiar influence is surf music that I didn’t even know I had but can be heard in solos on Burn and The Cage.

Is there a particular process to the songwriting in the band?

Dudley: There never was before but if started musically and not lyrically, it’s usually the guitar and drums writing riffs similar to Metallica in the old days, then fleshing it out.

How about the lyrical side of your songs; predominate inspiration?

Dudley: Usually it’s about life relationships, loss or in rare occasions, world events. Sometimes it’s just a story like 40 oz.

Can you give us some background to your latest release?

Devin: Our 3rd CD, my first with the band is called The Illusion Fades which will be out this year…the songs are deep

How about some insight to the themes and premise behind it and its songs?

Dudley: The Illusion Fades is a personal meaning for the band; our first never released CD Illusions In The Clouds, our unrealized dream of making a CD. Illusion refers to a person who is gone from our lives and the subject of many songs on the cd

Are you a band which goes into the studio with songs pretty much in their final state or prefer to develop them as you record?

Devin: We have been writing some as we go because we have the luxury of our own studio we’re building.

Tell us about the live side to the band, presumably a favourite aspect of the band?

Dudley: We do love playing live; I love traveling to new places meeting new people and showing our songs.

It is not easy for any new band to make an impact locally let alone nationally and further afield. How have you found it? Do you think the opportunities to make a mark are still there if the drive is there for bands?

Devin: Yes drive is essential to being able to make a mark

Dudley: I think making a big start out of the gate helps for newer bands, and building from there.

How has the internet and social media impacted on the band to date?

Devin: I think it’s all about what you put for time and effort

Dudley: I think for us we’re always looking for new ways to blend social media into our promoting arm.

Once again a big thanks for sharing time with us; anything you would like to add or reveal for the readers?

YES buy our CD in a local record store.

Explore Dark rain further @…

https://www.darkrain.us/ https://www.facebook.com/pg/darkrainofficial/ https://twitter.com/darkrainmusic

Pete RingMaster 26/05/2018

Crushing landscapes with US metallers Backblast

May2

US outfit, Backblast, create a heavy metal roar embracing the flames of other styles and flavours. It is a proposition which is constantly growing and evolving as well as building on the success of the Manassas, VA hailing band’s well received debut EP, of 2015, The Area is Clear. We recently had the chance to get to the heart of the band with drummer Chris Tamberella, exploring its origins, growth, the band’s latest attention drawing release and more….

Can you first introduce the band and give us some background to how it all started?

We are a five piece metal band consisting of Dan Cunningham on vocals, Jake Ford on lead guitar, Adam Pritcher on rhythm guitar and backup vocals, Wilsen Rivera on bass and myself, Chris Tamberella on drums. In 2015 Dan and I, along with original guitarist Marcos Eguia, began recording tracks in Dan’s basement. After 6 months of writing and recording, we decided to bring the studio to the stage.

Had you been involved in other bands before?

Wilsen has been in a number of projects including Kaemon, Bourne of Ash, Greythor, Pandora’s Box, Sanguinus and some solo work on Wilsen’s Sessions. Dan was is a heavy metal band in Newport News, VA called Kaivol Motak who enjoyed local success. Jake was in a band for a few years in high school and since has filled in periodically for the Miami based band Inferion.

What inspired the band name?

The majority of our band members are military veterans and have experienced the back blast of an RPG before.

Was there any specific idea behind the forming of the band and also in what you wanted it and your sound to offer?

There was no specific sound that we targeted at first. We played what came naturally which was best described as rock. After recording The Area is Clear, we wanted to add more to our sound but didn’t know exactly what we were looking for. Enter Adam Pritcher and his heavy riffs and we were on our way to making metal songs. Since then we added Wilsen on bass which opened the doors for another evolution in the band with his ability and experience. The final piece to our sound is the addition of Jake Ford. Adding a lead guitar to our sound has provided more opportunities for growth and another evolution in our sound. With the addition of Jake we are steering in somewhat of a power and progressive metal sound. Who knows what we will create in the future.

Do the same things still drive the band when it was fresh-faced or have they evolved over time?

Our band has evolved in all aspects including what drives us now. As a band we want to push ourselves and churn out the best sound possible. That can only occur if we are all driven individually and as a unit. When we started in Dan’s basement we were messing around and seeing what came out. Right now we feel like the sky is the limit between the five of us and are excited for our next release and to continue bringing our brand of metal live on the east coast.

Has it been organic, especially the movement of sound or more the band deliberately wanting to try new things?

Everything that happens with our sound is organic and nothing is forced. We certainly want to try new things but we haven’t limited ourselves into what we are trying. If it feels right we move forward. If it’s clunky or not smooth than we move on to something else.

With five guys in the band there are many different inspirations. We all share some of the same likes such as Black Sabbath, Dio, Lamb of God, Iced Earth but some of us like reggae, jazz, classical music, electronic music and more. For myself as a drummer I am inspired by Chris Adler of Lamb of God and Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan of Avenged Sevenfold.

Is there a general process to the band’s songwriting?

Most of our songs are based off guitar riffs. Sometimes that riff is structured before it comes into the band room or it may just be a small riff that starts with a jam session and grows into a full track.

And lyrically, where do you draw the inspirations?

Past experience, current political climate and what happens inside Dan’s head (which could be scary).

Would you give us some background to your latest release?

Our latest release is a four song concept EP, The Ringmaster. It revolves around an evil entity “The Ringmaster” who has pulled in all the outsiders of society and placed them under his spell. He lures with them with the promise of hope and acceptance but his true motive is to create an army of minions. After realizing their fate those who have come under his power rise up to fight back. In this story the good guys just might not win.

Give us some insight to the premise behind its songs.

The first song, The Ringmaster, tells the story of our protagonist and gives the listener a hint of his plan. Next is To the Grave which lets the newly acquired minions understand what is actually in store for them under the big top. The third track Uprising is when the battle begins. The minions have come together to throw down with “The Ringmaster” for an epic battle of good and evil. Our battle finally comes to a bloody finish with Bend the Knee. Who will be left standing?

Are you a band which goes into the studio with songs pretty much in their final state or prefer to develop them as you record?

We are 100% ready to record each track when entering the studio. Studio time is a pricey endeavour and we don’t like to burn money. The blade is sharpened before we hit record.

Tell us about the live side to the band, presumably a favourite aspect of the band?

Our live shows are our bread and butter. I promise you will not be bored. At one point you could be two feet away from a slinging guitar or about have Dan singing in your face. Our shows require audience participation and I promise you won’t be able to resist joining in.

It is not easy for any new band to make an impact regionally let alone nationally and further afield. How have you found it your neck of the woods?

Our region has had a recent bump in the past year but it is an uphill battle. The underground metal scene has some very strong bands and personalities but the only way we grow is standing side by side. We are doing our part to make sure the scene keeps pushing.

How has the internet and social media impacted on the band to date? Do you see it as something destined to become a negative from a positive as the band grows and hopefully gets increasing success?

At this point social media is crucial for BackBlast and for all underground bands in any genre. On one hand social media gives any band exposure that would typically cost a ton of cash for free. On the other hand our music is free. There seems to be some formula for success through social media and we are still doing the math.

Our big thanks for sharing time with us; anything you would like to add or reveal for the readers?

Right now you can grab a free copy of our EP, The Ringmaster, by going to our Facebook page. Give it a like, and shoot us a message to get your free download code!

Pete RingMaster 02/05/2018