-Interview- Many Things Untold 7/11/08

Many Things Untold
(Rising Records)
Genre: Melodic hardcore in the vein of old Haste The Day or old Atreyu.
Interviewed on: 7/11/08
From: Cambridgeshire, UK
www.myspace.com/mtumusic




1. What's your names and roles in the band?

Gary - singing/guitar
Adam - guitar
Tim - drums
Toby - vocals
Ash - bass


2. How did the band get together and form?

We formed around 5 years ago in school, with original line up, Gary, Tim and Adam. We then got Toby around 1 year later, and we got Ash about 5 months ago. We've probably played around 250 shows since we started up !


3. You guys have "Atlantic" coming out in a few days, you guys excited? What do you guys want people to take away from this album?

Yeah were stoked for it to come out, we know its gonna raise peoples awareness of us .. it'll bring more people to the shows, and we want them to just enjoy the music we play and come support us on tours etc.


4. How did you guys hook up with Rising Records?

We had an email from them actually, was really shocked when we saw it .. asking us to sign to their label lol so we met up, talked buis, and here we are! We get to be on one of the hottest UK labels along side Trigger The Bloodshed etc so its a lot of fun and also helps us get our name out to a lot more people.


5. What's your take on music downloading?

Our take on music downloading? Well its shit for bands and labels but its awesome for people who cant be asked to buy the real things lol.
It happens and it cant exactly be helped so I guess we don't mind people downloading our music .. they're still listening to it all the same, so yeah, whether people buy the album from stores, or download it.. that's cool with us.


6. You guys have shows coming up with Johnny Truant and Azriel, have you guys played with them before? Any good show stories?

haha, yes, we actually get along with Azriel very well, we've played around 5 shows with them. last show, Ghostfest .. Darren (Azriel vox) brought dozens of weird chinese foods .. such as dry fish, coated in sugar, and sushi coated in chocolate. EW! the most random thing we've probably ever seen at a show, but it actually tasted alright. lol .. as far as Truant go's were looking forward to the show with them, we've met em and they seem like ace guys.


7. How have people been taking to the new material live?

Well the crowds are getting bigger every show, and they seem to go nuts, so I guess people love the new stuff. Its got enough "beatdown" and "two step" to keep any crowd happy really.


8. You guys are going on tour soon, anything you would have to bring with you on tour so you wouldn't go nuts?

Um, porn? Spare change of underwear .. its a must.
We have x box and such in our August tour mini bus so its gonna be sick !


9. What are you guys currently listening to?

Converge - always!
Pendulum - always!
Lots of Misery Signals n such.
We all listen to a lot of Electro and Drum and Bass.


10. What's next for Many Things Untold?

Tour, Tour, Tour, Tour, Tour ........... Tour


11. Any shoutouts?

Yeaaa .. buy our album !

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-Interview- My Minds Weapon 7/10/08

My Minds Weapon
(Basick Records)
Genre: Melodic metalcore in the vein of As I Lay Dying or Misery Signals.
Interviewed on: 7/11/08
From: Aberdeen, Scotland
www.myspace.com/mymindsweapon




1. What's your names and roles in the band?
Alex - Bass
Dan - Guitar
Mark - Guitar
Nick - Drums
Ben - Vocals


2. How did the band get together and form?

The band was formed by an old member who isnt in the band anymore. Basically to keep it short all of us were in other bands from our area, in my opinion we kind of took all the best parts of those bands and formed MMW. This was in early 2003. We all were growing tired of what our current bands were doing and the lack of enthusiasm from other members so we came together and did this. It has been more than any of us couldve wished for but we keep on going ticking achievements off one by one.


3. The album artwork for "The Carrion Sky" is very cool. Who came up with the vision and is there any meaning behind it?

All our artwork for tee shirts and releases etc is done by Dan. He always has a vision for how the band should be represented. There is a meaning to an extent behind the artwork. The songs on the album are all lyrically about relationships and not just in with the opposite sex realm either. Relationships with the world around you, loved ones, people from your past and people in your present and most importantly, with yourself. The artwork kind of is as dark and unwelcoming as the lyrical content of those songs on the album.


4. How does the writing process come together?

Thats a good question where we are involved because I think that we are kind of backward in a way haha! I write the lyrics before I hear music usually. Im always writing lyrics and have a loose structure i tend to stick to. Dan writes songs in pretty much their entirety and then him and nick come together and arrange them and tweak them. Dan and the other guys will jam the song for a good while and then I come along, decide what music fits what lyrics best in both mood and actual length and work the lyrics into the music. Dan will often help with that and nick from time to time as well.


5. You guys recently had a video for the song "Lucky Like Kokura". How did the video come about and where was it shot?

Well we had seen a few bands that we know were making good, professional looking videos for quite a small amount of money and we wanted in on the act hahaha! Basically we found out who the guy who made these videos we liked was and spoke to him. He is Ben Thornley and his company is called sitcomsoldiers.com. They are awesome. We have made another video with him for "The Killing Horizon." These two songs were the singles from our album you see so it made sense. We shot that particular video in my parents old house' barn. They lived on a disused farm so there was these creepy outhouses, barns whatever you want to call them. There was junk everywhere and pigeon crap. We are really happy with how it came out.


6. What's your take on music downloading?

Oh that classic haha! hmmm I think we all do it to be honest. Some more than others haha! I do it then if i like i buy...so the old try before you buy thing. Dan is the same actually. Dan and i are old school in the sense that we are into having a collection of music that you can look at and be proud of. The other guys dont really give a shit. Its definitely an angel and a devil at the same time and i must admit when you get in a situation where your own music is illegally downloaded and not bought....it kind of stings you.


7. You guys played with some nationally signed acts, any good show stories?

Oh man...where do i start...we have so many stories. Erm ok...here is a good one for you. We have played the Scottish date of the Taste of Chaos tour twice yeah? 2005 and 2006. The first time the Used were the headliners ok? So, a friend of mine is crazy about the used and she texts me saying "come to x place and meet me!" I dont remember where it was exactly. So i come out from backstage and find her. She has her used cd sleeve and she is like "please please get Bert to sign it if you can?" So im like "no worries...ill try." So im stood side stage and they are coming along and they have this small asian female with them and she is looking all important with a clipboard and headset etc and i go upto bert and im like really polite and all...I say "sorry to bother you man but can you sign this for my friend she adores you guys?" He just looks at me..well up at me hahaha, he is tiny, anyway and looks at me like he wants me dead and says nothing, takes it from me and signs it. I walk away thinking "woah...what the hell" and the female comes up to me and is like "dont ever do that again!" I turn around and thankfully i was quick witted enough to say "dont worry i have the signature now so i wont!" Hahahaha. I dont who she was...like their PA or something lame liek that. The irony is that he is on stage in their set going "we love you all so much, youre the reason we are here etc" and im like..."bullshit!"


8. What's your favorite song to play live?

Hmmm mine is "At least you're not dead."
I know alex likes kiokura best....i dont know about the other guys...i think they vary!


9. Are there any UK based bands we should check out?

Oh shit yeah...Im not just saying this but all the bands on our label Basick Records are awesome. We are so proud to be on such a good label. The Fell Silent record is AMAZING! I cant stop listening to that! That came out in June like our album did. Cry for Silence are amazing and we are good mates with them. My personal faveorite UK band is a band that are VERY different to us, infact arent even metal and that is a band called Think:Fire from Glasgow. Beautiful music. My favourite UK metal band is a band from Manchester called Blueprint To A Downfall. Erm...Proceed. Just check the bands in our top friends to be honest. Im sure your readers will find some stuff they like.


10. What are you guys currently listening to?

Fell Silent hahaha! All of us are killing that album...
Erm wow...all kinds of different stuff. Right now i think Dan is listening to alot of Textures. I mean we all hav our genres that we prefer and stuff im just trying to give you really current things we are listening to. Im well into the new 36 Crazyfists record at the moment. I love that band. Alex is listening to these albums at the moment - faith no more - king for a day, have heart - songs to scream at the sun, ambitions - stranger. Alex is big into his hardcore, stuff on think fast, bridge nine etc. Weare all always listening to misery signals. Im on a big megadeth trip at the moment that i have a few times a year!

11. What's next for My Minds Weapon?

Well...pushing the album alot more and some more touring towards the end of the year. We are also writing for the second album that is going to be really special from what i know at this stage.


12. Any shoutouts?

Just to anyone that reads this and likes us...thanks it means a lot and to anyone reading that doesn't know us yet...check us out.

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-Interview- Alessa Hills 7/3/08

Alessa Hills
(Unsigned)
Genre: Melodic Metalcore in the vein of old Poison The Well or old Bury Your Dead
Interviewed on: 7/3/08
From: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
www.myspace.com/alessahills




1. As you already know, one day I was just messing around on DameRock. com and came across you guys & after checking out your MySpace I came to quick realization that your really, really good. Now, I'm going to be quite honest, most people in the States don't know that theres any sort of rock scene in the Dominican Republic or ANY of the Caribbean Islands for that matter. With Bachata & Merengue music being the more popular exports from the DR musically speaking, I'm curious to know how the rock scene is down there. Is it thriving and growing or is it still relatively underground?

Well thank you again. We’re blushing as we read this haha
Yes most people dont even know theres rock bands in this country, most people over here stick to merengue and that sort of genres. The general rock scene of this country is slowly getting more fans. A few years ago you wouldnt see more than 100 kids at a really big show, but since a couple of years ago new bands have come up and more people our going to shows to support and have a good time. We still think its kinda underground, but were counting on getting more attention in a near future.


2. And with that, how has everyone in Santo Domingo and the rest of the island been reacting particularly to Alessa Hills and what your all trying to do?

We were very well received since our first gig, and gained lots of street cred.
Since we play a metal/hardcore genre, metal fans where psyched and going to our gigs to mosh, and rock and screamo fans where glad to hear some metal stuff with some clean vocals.


3. Okay, now allow me to dip into your past a little bit :). When was Alessa Hills formed? Were any of you in bands prior to Alessa Hills, or is this all your first go-round? What made all of you want to start/ be in a band?

We came up with the idea in mid '06, at that time all of us where in different bands.
Its kinda funny how it all started. We went to the movies to see Silent Hill, and we all got like "man, that movie kicks ass!", after a month of talking and planning, it went down like, "what would happen if we take silent hill and make music that resembles it, some really hardcore stuff", after a while and some rehearsing sessions we had a few songs put up together and we decided to give it a try and play in a gig. Since each of us was playing in rock and alternative bands this was new and refreshing for us.


4. What music did you listen to while growing up that you were really inspired by? And if you could name one band or singer that you were like 'Damn, I want to be a musician for the rest of my life!', who would it be?

We all have a different taste in music, It goes from City and Colour, which is acoustic (one of my personal favorites) to Deicide and Suicide Silence, so its a very wide range.
About a favorite band well its a long list haha, we'll say Chiodos, City and Colour, Bring Me The Horizon & Every Time I Die, just to name a few.


5. You guys have an EP that you've been working on for a little while now, and we were just wondering if you could give us ANY info on it! I mean, so far you have been pretty tight-lipped about it, but we want to hear something about it! Can we get a release date or some song names or ANYTHING?! lol

Well yeah were keeping it very secret. We dont have a release date, as of yet
We have the art design its gonna have, it'll have six songs, and about song names, we can give out "lucky number six" and "dahlia", and they’re as brutal as their names haha


6. Will 'Tension Rising' and 'Fight Club' be included on it?

Yes, we even have a new version of fight club, so people can mosh even more than the actual xD


7. Which brings me to my next question...I've seen it on your T-shirts and you guys have it as a title of a song but what exactly is 'the Fight Club'? Like, I know its a movie, but does it have a special meaning to you or is it something that you live by or what? :)

It was inspired by the movie, but after a while it turned into a personal phrase of ours, "join the fight club", since the part of our gigs that we enjoy the most are the insane moshes and pits we get when we start playing, so thats what were refering to, plus the movie is just awesome. haha


8. I've also noticed that you seem to primarily sing in English, but was wondering if you had any songs en Español that you were working on, and will they be released on your EP as well?

Although we’re a native spanish speaking country, we keep our lyrics in english, since most people around here are bilingual. But who knows maybe we'll get some spanish lyrics on a song in a future.


9. When it comes down to writing the bulk of your lyrics, what would you say they mainly revolve around? Are they more or less aimed at social situations, or everyday things or past girlfriends or what?

We pick all sort of subjects, everything from a personal problem that one of us had, society, to a joke one of us said, I dont remember whats the songs name, but its a goof, we even get Frank to sing in a Borat type of voice on that one.


10. Do any of the other members kick in any ideas about what they think a particular song should portray or a certain message that it should have? Do they ever have lyrics that they themselves wrote that they want you to sing?

Yeah, all of us get to stick a part of what were thinking about in a song. When it comes to lyrics we just write and afterwards we blend it all in to get a final result.


11. Are there any bands NOW that you draw inspiration from and are feeling that you wouldn't mind touring with? Also, are there any other bands in the DR doing the damn thing that people should check out?

Yeah sure, both from over here and international bands. D.R. has really awesome bands and great musicians, they just need to get out there and play in some shows.
We have good friends in numerous bands from D.R., here are some that you should check out:

www. myspace. com/ivory
www. myspace. com/aurora
www. myspace. com/watchoutkidband (Serge, Emmanuel & I play in this one and were having an EP release on June 27 so check us out =D )


13. Where do you hope that the music takes you? For example, would you mind becoming like, 'the next big thing', touring the world and finding a great deal of success allover? Because honestly, I think you have that potential to DEFINATELY have a strong following.

Well personally we think its just amazing to play concerts and touring for a living, so it would be like a dream come true. Besides that, we like to have fun at our shows as well as much as the kids that go and support us.


14. Once again, thank you for giving us the chance to interview you & I wish you all the best of luck!!! So, do you have any last words that you would like to share with us and the readers?

Just to be safe and have fun, tons of fun. At the end of the day it comes down to that.
Thanks again for giving us the chance to be a part of From The Depths Entertainment with this interview and remember y'all, join the fight club!

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