Fuel The Scene Magazine Issue #05: May 2018 by Fuel The Scene Magazine

ISSUE #5 | MAY 2018

IN THIS ISSUE 2

THE EDITORS’ LIST: KICK ASS BANDS THAT YOU SHOULD ABSOLUTELY BE LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW Krosis, Glassworld, Era Gone, Reflect // Refine, Reign of Z, Stellar Circuits

COVER STORY: RAVEN BLACK INTERVIEW

RAVEN BLACK “13” ALBUM REVIEW

OUT WITH AMBLER PRESENTS: LAST NIGHTS VILLAIN INTERVIEW

FESTIVAL REVIEW: WELCOME TO ROCKVILLE 2018

INTERVIEW WITH UNDEROATH AT WELCOME TO ROCKVILLE 2018

SMOKE FROM ALL THE FRICTION “TRANSIENCE” ALBUM REVIEW

SHOW REVIEW: FUEL THE SCENE MAGAZINE ANNIVERSARY SHOW Black Plague, Xael, Kairos, Extinction Level Event, Fractured Frames

XAEL “THE LAST ARBITER” ALBUM REVIEW

INTERVIEW WITH BUNKER HILL RECORDS

35 36

BUNKER HILL RECORDS ROSTER ANNOUNCEMENT

CREDITS

LOOKING FORWARD: THE FINAL VANS WARPED TOUR

Thank you to all of our contributors who make this dream possible and are actively working together to breathe life into the live music scene that we all love. You are the fuel that keeps the music alive. Editors | Rei Haycraft, William Dibble, Kristy Streyle Photographers | William Dibble, Terie Shaver, Rei Haycraft, Ambler Irby, Kevin McGee, Lola Marie Writers | William Dibble, Rose Estrada, Rei Haycraft, Savanah Ruiz Designer | Rei Haycraft / Revenant Images Founded by | Rei Haycraft, Jaton Blaney, and Kristy Streyle Proudly sponsored by | Crim Radio

All band promotional photos submitted to us are copyright their respective owners, please contact each band for more information.

THE EDITORS’ LIST OF KICK ASS BANDS THAT YOU SHOULD ABSOLUTELY BE LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW KROSIS Progressive/Deathcore from Raleigh, NC There is a diverse collaboration of influences that make up the framework of Krosis. With backgrounds of rock, jazz, concert bands and music theory, they bring together many parts of the musical spectrum to present Krosis into the hearts of thousands of lovers of heavy, themed music. Krosis is proud to say that they make every attempt to make every song unique, but undeniably Krosis. Their new album “Solem Vatem” was released on March 9th, 2018 via Unique Leader Records and the band is currently on tour supporting the release.

@KrosisNC @KrosisNC krosisnc.bandcamp.com

GLASSWORLD Hardcore from Cincinnati, OH Glassworld is a four piece hardcore band whose sound consists of raw, upbeat energy mixed with fluid, driving rhythm. They’re not afraid to take chances with their lyrics that speak of real life experiences, no matter how heart wrenching it may be. Glassworld released their “Breaking Free” EP in early 2015, and their newest LP “Wrecked” was released on June 9th, 2017.

@glassworldband @glassworldband glassworldband.com FUEL THE SCENE MAGAZINE

THE EDITORSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; LIST OF KICK ASS BANDS THAT YOU ERA GONE Thrash/Metalcore from Raleigh, NC After the band Thrash Can ended, former members Jake Potts and Chris Taylor rejoined forces to create a new metal project with the help of Turner Thomas on bass, David Nisoff on guitar, and Tanner Brown as the lead vocalist. Era Goneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name represents the end of one era to the beginning of a new one. All members come from different musical backgrounds and with all talents combined, Era Gone features metal music from all sorts of genres of metal.

@eragoneband @eragoneband reverbnation.com/eragone

REIGN OF Z Hard Rock/Alt-Metal from Pittsburgh, PA Reign of Z is a culmination of years of experience and a drive to move forward. With all the members having extensive time put into their craft, they were able to craft a sonic identity that will ensure their place in music for years to come and make Reign of Z a household name.

@ReignOfZ @ReignofZOfficial www.reignofz.com/

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SHOULD ABSOLUTELY BE LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW REFLECT//REFINE Progressive Metal from Rock Hill, SC Having already shared the stage with artists such as The Plot In You, I See Stars, and Slaves, Reflect//Refine are poised to experience their most fruitful year yet in 2018. Hailing from Rock Hill, South Carolina, the band has been hard at work writing and recording for their next release. With a music video for their single, “No Soul” on the horizon, the group is definitely one to keep an eye on in the near future.

@officialreflectrefine @reflect_refine

STELLAR CIRCUITS Progressive Rock/Metal from Winston-Salem, NC Stellar Circuits, a four-piece progressive rock/ metal band from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Their musical style feels largely unique with a blend of progressive rock with modern metal, progressive metal, and doom injections for good measure. Following on the success of their debut EP in 2016, Stellar Circuits’ new album, “Way We Haunt” will be releasing soon.

@stellarcircuits @stellar_circuits www.stellarcircuitsmusic.com

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COVER STORY / INTERVIEW

RAVEN BLACK Rei Haycraft spoke with Los Angeles, CA dark metal carnival, RAVEN BLACK about their new album, “13,”, lyrical and musical inspiration, recording process, and how they translate those concepts to visual forms. Images provided by Raven Black, photography by Cruella Photography.

If you were a narrator explaining the world of Raven Black to an unsuspecting audience, how would you describe the story, characters, and band? RAVEN: A mystery of the past evolving into the present in a different hour between life and death, the 13th hour. The 13th hour, where these four live and create their Dark Metal Carnival, inviting all those who are unique, off-beat, strange, weird, eccentric to join in fun adventures of art and music. Both audible and visual, they share such an experience that leaves one to want to be a part of their world. Anyone can be themselves and celebrate in the wonder of duality of the dark and light. Like Hogwarts, the door that is not seen until it is revealed. Raven, Muppet, Doctor and Stitches will take you on their thrilling adventure.

What do you hope that fans take away from hearing your music or seeing a live performance? RAVEN: A fun, thrilling and creepy but melodic

adventure through metal music and imagery 4

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that makes you move both internally and externally. What would you say makes 13 stand out from your previous releases and what parts are you each the most excited about? RAVEN:13 is definitely a deeper dive into our

dark and heavier sound, without giving up any rowdy fun we have with our “Toys.” RB likes to play with their fans and encourages everyone to bounce, jump, laugh, cry, scream and reveal the oddities of oneself. Tell us a little bit about the writing and studio recording process for 13— e.g. where did you record, who produced it, and what was your writing process? RAVEN: We recorded in Los Angeles in “The Wilderness” with Ulrich Wild of Wurm Group. We wrote for two years before releasing our first album, “Seven Sins” and this is our second album “13” with some songs from the previous writing period and a few new songs we wrote between tours and after returning from our last tour in 2017. We also spent a

lot of extra time in the studio for this album with Ulrich, adding some final touches to each song. We were so honored to also have Andy “the Kid” Cole play bass for us on this album. He was amazing to work with. Where do you draw inspiration from for lyrical content? RAVEN: I write all the lyrics for every song.

There is no one “inspiration”, rather there are so many inspirations when I write. It could come from anyone or anything around me. A conversation with someone, something I see or feel about what I read or hear about. Most of my inspiration comes from my own life experiences and what I have learned on my own and from others’ experiences. The melody is inspired by the music and how the music makes me feel. A sound or riff or beat that moves me and gives me an emotion. Once the emotion of the music sets in, my lyrics usually manifest themselves. Are there any songs that didn’t make the cut for the record? If so, might those resurface in later releases?

INTERVIEW BY REI HAYCRAFT PHOTOGRAPHY BY CRUELLA PHOTOGRAPHY

RAVEN: Yes, one song we did record but “I” decided to not put it into this album. The song is called “Never Broken” and was written and inspired by a little girl named “Haven” and her family, who I met years ago when we were asked to headline their festival for raising funds for her cancer treatment/surgery. Haven was only two years old and was fighting brain cancer and her family needed to raise funds for her surgery. I immediately agreed to play the festival, donated my Gibson guitar for the raffle and was completely drawn into their community to help these children and their families. It was very important to me to get involved and help in any way I can.

After speaking to her father, Michael, about the event and not knowing if she was going to be well enough to attend the festival, I sat down and wrote this song for her. What a strong little girl, I thought to myself, and what strength it took for her father to endure all this hardship. The song “Never Broken” is very special to me and was written for her and I feel, as I always have, it needs to be released by itself, as a single. A stand alone song for hope and strength for those who have experienced such a difficult time. I want it to stand on its own because it’s a very special song to me. We will release it in the future. Haven is now seven years old and free of cancer.

RAVEN: “Nothing” was written two years ago and was originally going to be added to the first album, but we decided to play it live only in 2017. It was not quite fitting to Raven’s character introduction in the first album, so we saved it for the second album. The first album song order actually has a storyline and order of the evolution of Raven’s Duality, as she morphs from child to half human/ half doll. The song contains more angst and retribution, which was more fitting for the second album where we knew we would be sharing more of the mischief and mayhem of the four band members.

Tell us a little bit about the inspiration and creative process for this video and what the experience of filming the video was like?

The latest song written on this album was “Sticks N Stones”. A song about the trolls who live in the cyber world. Those self appointed judges who hide behind their written criticism and so abundantly share their negative comments towards others. We all have been taught the nursery rhyme as children and it was meant to help us build self esteem and to overcome the hurtful words people may say to us. Well, it’s one nursery rhyme I feel still applies even as adults. It kinda stuck with me throughout my life and still helps me.

RAVEN: “Twinkle Twinkle Little Scars”, again was one of my favorite nursery rhymes I often sang as a child. It is a twist on the broken innocence and realization as an adult that not everything in life you wish for is easy. It is the unveiling of the true hurt we learn as we grow up and how we need to learn how to cope and heal from life scars. The scars never truly heal, as they surface in our nightmares, at times, in our fears and anxieties. The music video was a play on the childlike self who still suffers and is tortured by her scars in her nightmares/ dreams. The hope to survive and awaken from her nightmare is then unknown at the end of the video, because she does finally awaken, but her physical appearance still reflects scars. It was difficult to truly capture the imagery we had envisioned in a 3 minute music video, but we had a great director and creative crew filming this video with our friends in the Mushroomhead camp. The video was filmed in their studio in Cleveland, OH and we had so much fun spending time with them.

The music video for “Twinkle Twinkle Little Scars” debuted about this time last year.

Are there any other music videos from 13 in the works that we can look forward to?

Is there a single song that stands out as your favorite, either to play live or that speaks to you on a personal level? RAVEN: For this album, “13,” my favorite song

is “Monster.” It’s my favorite because it is super fun, yet it’s content is pretty dark and honest. It’s my positive twist on calling out those who judge us and my response, lyrically, to those who say negative things about us. It taps into one of my principles. Well, I can only be me, and you are you, and you don’t have to like me. If you don’t like me. move aside and let me live my life. You don’t have to be in it whatsoever. Which song was the first that was written for this album and which was the most recently completed?

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COVER STORY / INTERVIEW RAVEN: We are currently editing our next music video. I don’t want to spoil it yet, but it is a new music video for the song “13” from our first album, “Seven Sins”. It was a favorite and was too much fun to not make a music video for this song. We hope to release it this summer. We are also planning dates to film the next music video for “DollHouse” from the new album “13”, this year. Release date is yet undetermined. There will be a lot more production for “DollHouse”, so we don’t want to rush it.

What’s next on the horizon for Raven Black?

RAVEN: My favorite part is performing and

RAVEN: Our new comic book “A Dark Metal Carnival – The Beginning” is also being released May 10, 2018. We will be working on Issue No. 2 this year and possibly releasing the next issue early 2019. The story is such an integral part of us. We want our fans to enjoy the full spectrum of what we have created both musically and visually. The story will truly tie in the music and the live shows. It’s an entire world in the 13th hour. We will also be writing new songs to add to our current catalogue of songs for the third album.

playing with the fans during the show. It’s so much fun and I love connecting with them and the music.

What else can fans look forward to from Raven Black this year?

What is your favorite thing about being on the road, especially on a headlining tour like this one?

What are some of your favorite memories from your last run? RAVEN: Our last tour was with Psychostick, Arsonists Get All the Girls and Kissing Candice last Winter 2017. It was super fun with the

other bands. So much friendship and hanging out on tour. Everyone got along and there were lots of laughs.

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RAVEN: New music videos and more tours to come! We are hoping to release a Collector’s Vinyl Album Box Set with special bonus album. We’ll have to see if we have time, in between touring, this year to complete it?

What advice would you have for other bands starting out in their own local scenes and what do you think are the most important things we can all do to keep live music thriving? RAVEN: Work, work, work, write, write, write, commit, commit, commit to all of it. Live music can only thrive by people continuing to buy music, attend shows and sharing their favorite songs and artists.

Any other words of wisdom to share or anything that you would like fans to know? RAVEN: Don’t ever be a jerk.

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ALBUM REVIEW

WRITTEN BY WILLIAM DIBBLE PHOTOGRAPHY BY CRUELLA PHOTOGRAPHY

RAVEN BLACK D

eath and extreme metal have always been somewhat of a niche genre in metal. It has nonetheless managed to attract a huge following over the years, with some of the biggest names becoming global brands. California-based Raven Black is a more recent entrant into the maturing genre with their new album 13.

13 opens with “Sticks N Stones”. Two things that are worth noticing within the first minute of the album. First, this song is heavy. It’s the type of song that opens concerts with an immediate push pit. The second thing is that you never lose the vocals in the music. A problem with some bands in the genre is that whispered vocals can be rendered incomprehensible by the mix, and screamed vocals are nearly impossible to understand. Raven Black sidesteps both of these problems in “Sticks N Stones”. While the song had a ‘softer’ (if you can call it that) intro leading into the song, “Monster” has no such thing. It launches straight into body-rocking

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headbanging and screaming. It breaks up a near constant tempo with quieter parts where the vocals are the central part of the experience at several points, giving the listener a few moments rest between the walls of sound.

is still brutally heavy. It also marks the first appearance of melodic vocals on the album. They appear in the latter half of the track, sliding perfectly into one of the song’s breaks. “Spider”, the next track, has a very whimsical feel to it. It starts off with a brutal drum and guitar combo before slipping into a section that is almost made of clean vocals and a rhythm suggestive of a carnival. This section repeats itself several times between heavier, screamed sections. It is also notable for being perhaps the album’s shortest song. It certainly stands out as the album’s precise midpoint, as “Dollhouse” returns to a more traditionally metal sound. “Dollhouse” feels very dark and foreboding. It borrows elements from slower death metal songs, which gives it a unique feel, while also still feeling distinctly like Raven Black.

Blasting drums, pinch harmonics, and a feral scream open “Nothing”. This song could almost be called softer than its predecessors, but make no mistake, it

“Break The Box” feels like a big return to the first two songs on the album. It opens with a blistering riff and a scream, not dissimilar to “Monster”. It also marks

itself as a distinctly ‘second half’ song, featuring far more melodic vocals than the first three songs. These vocals are paired with a strong drum beat and not-quiteclean guitars. Despite the speed of the intro, the song itself isn’t that fast. It is, nonetheless, a strong offering from Raven Black. The chorus is catchy, with repeat screams of “Break the box” alternated with “everybody wake up”. It almost begs for a call-and-response section with the audience, eventually closing out the song as well. “The Nobodies” ends the album with a cover song. It is also the song with possibly the lowest consistent tempo on the album. This manages to give it a distinct feeling of ending, which makes it an excellent choice to close out the album.

Raven Black has crafted a fine album with speedy highs and booming lows. While parts of the first half of the album start to feel like they blur together, the second half makes sure that you know Raven Black will not repeat themselves. Closing with the vocals “We know just who we are” feels extremely appropriate. The entirety of 13 shows its death metal roots while also establishing a personality of its own. It pays homage to genre greats while not emulating them. Even their cover of Marilyn Manson manages to sound more like Raven Black than its parent material. Make sure you pick this one up, available today from their website!

“The entirety of 13 shows its death metal roots while also establishing a personality of its own.”

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OUT WITH AMBLER PRESENTS

INTERVIEW WITH LAST NIGHTS VILLAIN Out With Ambler got a chance to chat with one of Central Virginiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hottest regional bands, Last Nights Villain, as they opened up for Puddle of Mudd in Lynchburg, VA. Photo credit: Christopher Townsend.

Out With Ambler here talking to one of the hottest local bands on the scene in Central Virginia, Last Nights Villain!

2. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an incredible honor as weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all huge Queensryche fans! Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re so grateful to be playing these amazing shows!

I just watched as you opened up for Puddle Of Mudd, for your second time. Tell me, how mind blowing has it been to open for such world recognized acts?

LNV is certainly a hard working band. Just this winter you dropped the video for your song The Poison. What was that experience like? I believe some chocolate syrup was involved?

LNV: Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an amazing feeling to perform your own music in front of such large crowds! Since September 2017, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve opened The Blue Ridge Rock Festival (Scott Stapp, Saliva, and many others), and supported KIX, BobaFlex, Silvertung, Pop Evil, and Puddle of Mudd. We just got confirmation to support Geoff Tateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Operation Mindcrime on June 17th at Phase 12

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LNV: That was a LOT of hard work! Shooting

videos is no joke. Our director, Chris Townsend, had a cool vision for my lyrics along with some ideas of his own....like the chocolate syrup! We were covered in cold chocolate syrup mixed with prop blood. The end result was cool, but it was not fun! Townsend and all

the actors and crew enjoyed covering us with the chocolatey mess a little bit too much. đ&#x;&#x2DC;&#x201A; I understand you all are also recording a few more tunes? LNV: Yes! Next up will be WASTED and MIDNITE CALLS dropping sometime in April. We still have to remix and master LITTLE MAN, FLYING THRU THE NIGHT, and FROM YOU. Then we head back in the studio to record two new tracks. And we still have more songs coming!

Shout outs to Zeek Stanley at Camo Studio for capturing our performances, and to Zach Jones at Royal House Studio for the killer mixes!

INTERVIEW AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMBLER IRBY

When a fan attends an LNV show for the first time, what would you like them to take away from the experience?

& metal stations in America! We’re eternally grateful to them for being the first station to give us a shot.

LNV: We want everyone to have a great time

Where can we catch Last Nights Villain live?

at a killer rock show! When we’re on stage, we’re having a blast and we want the crowd to do the same! Then come hang with us at the merch table. That’s always fun!

LNV: Next up is 6/17 at Phase 2 in Lynchburg, VA with GEOFF TATE and we have more dates in NC, DC, and MD waiting for confirmation so stay tuned.

Where can fans listen to Last Nights Villain? LNV: THE POISON and MYSELF are available

on all major streaming services. The response to our music has been amazing! MYSELF was put into active rotation on 97Underground out of Baltimore, and that’s opened a ton of doors for us. They’re one of the top hard rock

Drop your social media links so everyone can keep up with The Villains! LNV: LNVOfficial on Facebook, Instagram, ReverbNation, and YouTube!

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he World’s Loudest Month kicked off in spectacular fashion on April 27th with the 8th annual Welcome to Rockville Festival in Jacksonville, Florida and their sister festival Fort Rock in Fort Myers, FL, boasting a record-breaking weekend with over 90,000 music fans. Fuel The Scene Magazine was on-site at Welcome to Rockville, conducting interviews, photographing the bands, and generally enjoying the perfect rock festival atmosphere. After seven successful years as a twoday festival, Welcome to Rockville was expanded to three full days of music, the festival brought in extreme heavy-hitters like Five Finger Death Punch, Avenged Sevenfold, Foo Fighters and Prince of Darkness himself, Ozzy Osbourne. Day 1 kicked off with Palisades and Boston-born Berklee College of Music students, MDFK, who blasted the crowd with their unique brand of thrash. The energy was palpable as the highly-

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anticipated Underoath and The Used played back to back on the Monster Energy Stage, punctuated by Parkway Drive and Atreyu slaying the crowd at the Metropolitan and River Stages, respectively. As the sun started to set over the ocean, Halestorm took the stage with powerhouse singer Lzzy Hale opening with “Love Bites (So Do I)” and Lzzy confirmed from the stage that fans could expect new music from Halestorm later in the summer. Closing out Day 1 at Welcome to Rockville was veteran rocker Ozzy Osbourne, who walked out to the stage with thunderous applause from the thousands gathered at the Main Stage. Fireworks from behind the ferris wheel lit up the sky as the Prince of Darkness announced, “I’ll never retire, I’m not fucking going nowhere!” and officially kicking off his “No More Tours 2”—a reference to his 1992 “No More Tours” run which at the time was thought to be his last. Day 2 kicked off with Jacksonville, Florida’s own Yashira, who joined other energetic

up-and-coming acts, Palaye Royale, Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown, and Joyous Wolf, the latter giving one of the most jaw-dropping performances full of jumps, flips, and vocal acrobatics from frontman Nick Reese. The energy didn’t wane as the day went on, the energetic crowd headbanging, moshing, crowd-surfing to Avatar, Black

FESTIVAL REVIEW

COVERAGE BY REI HAYCRAFT AND KRISTY STREYLE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH W4CY RADIO

(top) Credit: Nathan Zucker, (bottom left) Ozzy Osbourne; Credit: Ross Halfin (bottom center) Credit: Steve Thrasher,

On Sunday, we were treated to the undeniable energy of The Fever 333, Bullet For My Valentine, and Red Fang, to name a few. In stark contrast to most weekend festivals, the crowd did not wane as the final day went on, but the crowd grew larger and more excited as they prepared for the final acts of the evening, Billy Idol and Foo Fighters. Billy Idol proved that he still has what it takes to keep a crowd spellbound as he roared into “Dancing with Myself,” “Eyes Without A Face,” and a string of other hits. Veil Brides, Sevendust, Red Sun Rising, Butcher Babies, and some punk rock goodness with Stick To Your Guns. As the sun went down and the temperatures dropped, Stone Sour, Breaking Benjamin, and Avenged Sevenfold brought the day to a perfect close with sets that was full of color, emotion, energy, and even confetti bazookas. Unfortunately, a serious injury to

a crowdsurfer during Avenged Sevenfold’s performance forced them to suspend playing for about 30 minutes while the man was treated by paramedics and taken to the hospital. Thankfully, though, in the weeks following the accident, the crowd surfer has been making a very promising recovery with help from a GoFundMe campaign started by friends, family, and fellow music festival attendees.

Every rocker in the audience sang along to “Rebel Yell” as Idol threw his shirt into the crowd and interacted with the endless stream of crowd surfers. After Idol came back for an encore, he thanked the crowd for “making his life great” and closed with “White Wedding. “

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COVERAGE BY REI HAYCRAFT AND KRISTY STREYLE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH W4CY RADIO

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The weekend’s final performance from Foo Fighters was nothing short of legendary and provided the perfect end to a near flawless rock festival Foo Fighters came out of the gates strong with “Run,” off of Concrete and Gold and then legendary rock-god Dave Grohl, addressed the audience saying, “Here’s the thing...they gave us two hours to play tonight. That’s not fucking enough. Are you ready for us to play until we can’t fucking play anymore?” To say the crowd went wild would be the year’s biggest understatement. As if the evening couldn’t get more spectalucar, there were several surprise appearances, the first by none other than John Travolta. Travolta, who had just wrapped filming for the Fred Durst-directed film Moose, reportedly watched Foo Fighters’ set from the side of the stage. About mid-way through the performance, the band covered Travolta and Olivia-Newton John’s Grease classic, “You’re the One That I Want,” and Travolta joined the band on stage and gave Grohl a hug. If that wasn’t enough, Foo Fighters also brought out Billy Idol to cover John Lennon’s “Gimme Some Truth.” Dave Grohl proved definitively why he is so revered, and he left the crowd by saying, “We never leave on goodbyes. We leave on this...” as the band broke into “Everlong,” the final song of the festival. In addition to the eclectic mix of new and old rock and metal, fans were treated to gourmet food and ice cold beverages compliments of Jack Daniels, Monster Energy, Bud Light and an impressive array of local and national food trucks—our personal favorites were Island Noodles and the personal pizzas at Pie Baby. Beyond the concerts and food options, fans also had the opportunity to meet some of their music heroes and snag a coveted autograph at The Music Experience and FYE tents. Welcome to Rockville was the perfect start to one of the best Loudest Month lineups and will definitely bring us back in the coming years. (opposite top) Avenged Sevenfold; Credit: Steve Thrasher, (opposite bottom left) Dave Grohl; Credit: Steve Thrasher, (opposite bottom right) Billy Idol; Credit: Steve Thrasher., (right) Foo Fighters; Credit: Sam Shapiro.

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INTERVIEW

UNDEROATH Rei Haycraft spoke with Aaron Gillespie and Spencer Chamerlain of UNDEROATH following their set at Welcome to Rockville 2018 in Jacksonville, FL about their new album, “Erase Me,” their return to the scene, and inspirations.. Images provided by Underoath, live photography credit Steve Thrasher.

Rei Haycraft out here at Welcome to Rockville in Jacksonville, Florida with Underoath! We have Spencer and Aaron here with us. AARON: Hello! SPENCER: What up, what up. We got to catch your set and it was killer! And for the record, it was the only one that I left the media tent to go see. AARON: Oh snap, thank you! I know you guys are on a tight schedule so let’s jump in! This is probably the most highly anticipated interview that we have set up so we have a few fan questions to ask. The obvious one: Erase Me, is the first Underoath album in eight years. What was it like recording collectively again? SPENCER: It’s pretty natural, man. We’ve been doing this together for so long, even with a break in the middle for a couple years it’s what we do. We’ve been doing this since we were kids. It’s natural for us to write music together, to record, and to play.

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AARON: It was very, very normal.

cumulative piece of art.

SPENCER: The most normal out of all the recording process, ‘cause we actually respected each other and got along. ‘Cause we had to fix all that shit, you know, by stepping away. And now that we’re all adults, we know how to work together for the first time in our whole career. It was actually a great experience.

What was it like working with Matt Squire?

AARON: Very fantastic. Now during that break, you all had a lot going on in your personal careers, and professionally, personal lives and professional careers. How did any of that influence then what came out to be Erase Me? AARON: For me, I did a ton of different stuff, and whenever you just keep going in your craft, you’re gonna get better; you’re gonna learn. I’m a big proponent of that. At 34 years old, I don’t think that you still stop learning. You keep your mind open and we all learned communication skills, and we all learned obviously musical stuff. But mostly, I think we all brought who we had become into the same place and were able to actually respect each other to make this

SPENCER: It’s great, man. We’ve never really had a guy that knew how to keep everyone intact without catering to one side or the other. ‘Cause Underoath is very lopsided, as far as who wants what for each song. He was kind of like making a record with Buddha, I think. He’s so zen and chill. AARON: He has a degree in counseling, too. Psychiatry. So it was really cool, he was able to take all the parts of Underoath and help us meld them together in the way that we wanted to. Did the writing process, happen a lot in the studio, outside the studio, little bits of both? SPENCER: Little bits of both. But mostly, we demoed a lot before we got there. AARON: We came in with about 30 songs, which ... Now it’s 11. AARON: Yeah, the typical Underoath process

INTERVIEW BY REI HAYCRAFT AND KRISTY STREYLE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH W4CY RADIO

has always been, you’re gonna write what the album’s gonna be, and that’s what you release. So this was the first time we actually really, really overwrote and tried to dig in to it. SPENCER: We had the time. AARON: Yeah, we had the time. No one knew we were making a record, literally until a month before it came out. You know what I mean? It was really cool to ... and it was a marketing thing from the label standpoint, but it was also really cool for us to be able to live in that freedom and be able to create without speculating what people would think.

where you’ve been, the experiences you’ve had, what you’ve learned. Your failures, your success, all of those things accumulate into becoming that new pair of shoes, and putting on the old ones just feels wrong. You know what I mean? Absolutely. As a long time fan, personally, these still feel like some of the most raw and honest lyrics, and this is the most soul-bearing Underoath has been yet. Can you tell us a little bit about how this record is different in that way?

SPENCER: We wrote it, me and Aaron wrote it from the point of... well, it’s already stopped once. What if we don’t get another chance to make a record? So we made it as honest as we could, and as transparent as we could. And then again, that pisses a lot of people off. But we don’t care. This was our opportunity to really put things out there, and we had something we needed to say. I think a lot of times, with scheduling and bands going into this, as it turns into a business at some point,

SPENCER: We got to make what we wanted to make, as opposed to having a gun to our head to get something done in time to go back on tour. ‘Cause that’s what happens to a lot of bands. This was the first time for us, to make something that we wanted to make, since our first record. Where there’s no expectation and no one waiting. It was awesome. With eight years of anticipation, with a fanbase that is as passionate as yours is, and with a lot of expectations coming from the old Christian labels and what they expected from you—how has it been, trying to shed that? SPENCER: You just can’t pay attention to stuff like that. You have to do what makes you happy, and the band has to be happy. ‘Cause what happens when it’s not? You break up. We’ve already been there. We’ve already done that. Do we really need to go over all this stuff? We have to be happy, and this is us being happy. And if people don’t like it, then sorry, man. This is who we are, and we’ve gone a long way to get here. It’s healthier and happier and more respectful than ever, to each other and to what it is that we’re doing. When we were younger, it was whack, man. It was like, we did everything the wrong way. And that’s not just ‘cause there was a label attached to it, it was because we just were kids that didn’t know what we were doing, and we did things the wrong way. AARON: You don’t wear the same shoes you wore 12 years ago. Do you know what I mean? You have to learn how to step into new shoes that suit who you’ve become,

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INTERVIEW and you’re making records to make records. We actually wanted to make a record that had something to say. And that’s why it’s honest, ‘cause it is. AARON: We didn’t know if we’d ever get that chance again. Spencer and I began writing for the record before the rest of the band even signed on to make one. It was like, this is it. This is go for broke. Who gives a shit? No one might ever hear it. You know what I mean? That’s the truest of the true. One last fan question: Can you tell us about the inspiration for the Erase Me artwork? SPENCER: That ain’t on us. AARON: That’s not us, actually. SPENCER: For most bands, it’s always gonna be a design company.

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AARON: For us, we always have been, if you know anything about our tenure and our history, we’ve always been so hands-on with everything. And the record, we worked harder than we’ve ever worked on a record, so we hired some friends called Tension Division, who are responsible for Blurryface for Twenty One Pilots, and lots of really iconic modern art. We brought them in to the studio, and they were actually the first people to hear the album, before anyone else. They literally, eight weeks later, showed us all those images. It was really neat to get them to, and we had sent them the lyrics even weeks before we let them hear the record. So they took it from a really close place. They were able to interpret the message of the music into a visual form.

AARON: Absolutely. And it’s a guy that we’ve known for 15 years, that we really trust. You know what I mean? And he’s never really done album artwork for us. So it was a neat thing to be like “Hey, this is new, this is fresh. What do you think this means? What does this mean to you, where you’re at now?” It was super neat. That’s awesome. What about the music videos? You got “Rapture,” which is the sickest music video that I think I’ve ever seen. Were you all pretty hands on with that or in that direction? SPENCER: No. Once again, you hire someone to do the music videos, and you’re rolling the dice. Sometimes you’re happy with it, sometimes you’re not. We are not. But it’s fine. It’s music videos. We’re happy with the songs

INTERVIEW BY REI HAYCRAFT AND KRISTY STREYLE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH W4CY RADIO

and the music, that’s what’s in our control. AARON: And if folks like the videos, it’s great. I think for us, we just— SPENCER: We personally aren’t shooting for videos like that. It happened anyway. AARON: We also don’t have any film talent. SPENCER: It’s not our job to make the video. AARON: It’s a whole different thing. What would your ideal video be? SPENCER: Not that. That’s all I can say. AARON: What are some great music videos? SPENCER: I don’t know, man. AARON: I can’t think of anything super new that I love. I love the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” video. [laughs] I think that you don’t know what you get, when you’re making a music video. SPENCER: It’s a gamble. AARON: Someone sends you a treatment, so like a miniature screenplay. You show up, you shoot the video, and then you wait a couple of weeks and an edit shows up. SPENCER: The money’s already spent, so you’re going with it either way. We went with it. AARON: And also the medium for music videos is so much different than it used to be. There’s no network that’s gonna play it. So it’s kind of a different thing. And I think labels and the folks who pay for music videos are spending less and less and less money, and rightfully so, ‘cause there’s no outlet for it. You know what I mean? Absolutely. Do you have any last words of wisdom for our fans watching back home? SPENCER: We are on tour right now.! AARON: Yeah, buy a ticket! SPENCER: Underoath: No Fix tour. It’s coming through America. We’ll be on tour all year and all next year. Come hang out with us. AARON: Come say hello! SPENCER: Thanks for having us! AARON: Thank you very much. Cheers!

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ALBUM REVIEW

SMOKE FROM ALL THE FRICTION Transience W

they’ll burn the bridges behind them. As far as the audio landscape that the song paints, it is almost entirely bass and vocals. This brings the album back to a slower feel and truly gives the impression of this being an interlude more than a song.

hen we last saw them last fall, Smoke From All the Friction had just released their latest single, “The Clumsiest Waltz.” It was an excellent blending of indie rock and electronic elements, scoring radio play all over central North Carolina. Now, SFAtF is back at it again with their newest record, Transience. Transience is a conceptual album about adults going through a sort of second puberty. It explores a lot of concepts that define modern adulthood and how it differs from previous generations. Transience opens up with an old single, “Cross & Tattoo.” As we previously covered, it is a radio hit that is easy on the ears and combines soft vocals with a soothing electronic backbeat. The lyrics speak to those late night conversations we have sometimes with new people we meet. Conversations where we find out a stranger shares our grief, joy, and trauma. It’s something that a lot of young adults can empathize with. The decision to open the album with such an excellent piece definitely puts you in the right place for listening to the remaining tracks. Where “Cross & Tattoo” ends in the early morning, “Grasp (Interlude 1.1)” begins with the singer waking up. “Grasp” is an ambient piece with a touch of mourning. The sound matches the lyrics, mourning a time when they had comfort and safety. However, the song is not sad. If anything, it is determined and angry, as the singer declares that we will “do what our parents failed to and what our leaders would

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not decree.” It ends on a quietly drifting note that is disrupted by the loud, intense intro of “Panther.” Despite the jarring opening notes, “Panther” isn’t really a particularly fast or aggressive song. The faster tempo really lends itself to the entire album without being overwhelming or out of place. It helps that the vocals temper it with their long, drawn out notes. Carrying on the theme at the end of “Grasp”, it declares that “we” won’t tolerate the abuses anymore, and that when pushed into the corner, the claws come out. The next interlude is titled “I, the Master (Interlude 1.2” and and is an interesting contrast, lyrically, to the prior tracks. The singer is basically declaring that they will do as they please, regardless of what others say or their personal safety. The song even goes a step further, declaring that

“One of You” opens with a fast, almost trance-like series of build-ups, complete with the high-range echoing vocals. It wouldn’t be out of place to hear this in late 90’s and early 00’s club songs. The song interestingly combines the elements of the album so far with a rapped verse that feels anxcious and frantic. Given that the verse is about someone who desperately needs to prove to themselves that they are an adult, this feels very appropriate. The song alternates between hip-hop inspired segments and club inspired sections, showing off the diversity of songwriting that SFAtF is capable of. It is followed by “Dreaming Abating (Interlude 1.3)”, which feels like a soothing sea of ambience after “One of You”. The soft, instrumental song feels like a long build-up to “Meant to Be”, which is a more traditionally

“Transience is the type of mature concept album that some bands take decades to master.”

REVIEW WRITTEN BY WILLIAM DIBBLE PHOTOS PROVIDED BY SMOKE FROM ALL THE FRICTION

indie pop song. “Meant to Be” is a song that appears to be about realizing that a person has hurt others and damaged themselves in their quest for self definition, and the shame that follows. The song is nonetheless light and catchy, with a very dance-inspiring feel to it. Despite the lyrics, the song feels optimistic and hopeful of a better future by paying heed to the past. The upbeat and swift song melts into another ambient piece, “Regrowth (Interlude 1.4)”. SFAtF collaborated with Disqo Volante to bring this track to life, and it shows. The song is distinctly unique amongst the rest of the album, feeling more like a post-rock ensemble piece than electropop. That isn’t a bad thing, though. It gives a feeling of ending and finality to the closing moments of the album, before it fades into “Bead of the Necklace.” The change in sound is appropriate, because the last song is decidedly indie rock. It has a focus on clean guitars and considerably less electronic influence than the rest of the album. This helps it immensely, as it is also the album send-off, and really stands out. This song also brings the album full circle. The narrator and singer we have been following has realized that they didn’t get to their adult life, or beyond, on their own. They begin asking who they will help lift up in the future, showing a growing maturity from start to finish. Transience is the type of mature concept album that some bands take decades to master. Both musically and lyrically, it progresses through themes and periods until reaching a different sound and realization than the opening songs. SFAtF has developed a distinct sound that defines who they are as a group, and is sure to attract both their old fans and new listeners alike. Interestingly, some of the themes presented in Transience will also appeal to people who feel lost and marginalized by society. Be sure to pick it up from the band themselves or Bandcamp as soon as you can. The album becomes available Friday, May 11, 2018. Photo credit: (top) Rich Levine, (middle) DISQO VOLANTE, (bottom) Third Degree Photography

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SHOW REVIEW

REVIEW BY REI HAYCRAFT PHOTOGRAPHY BY TERIE SHAVER

FUEL THE SCENE ANNIVERSARY SHOW At Shiners in Greensboro, NC

wo years ago, through the tireless work of Rei Haycraft, Jaton Blaney, and Kristy Streyle Fuel The Scene Magazine debuted with a celebratory showcase event featuring some of the best regional talent, all of whom were featured in the magazine’s inaugural coverage. Every year, the team gathers to celebrate the hard work of the Fuel The Scene staff and the talent of the local and regional music scene. This year, that lineup consisted of Black Plague, Xael, Extinction Level Event, Kairos, and Fractured Frames.

KAIROS. Charlotte-born metal outfit Kairos blurs the lines between progressive metal and its heavier neighbors to embark on an intense journey through the concept story, keeping listeners on the edge of their seats. Kairos’ newest album, “SIMULGRESSION” drops on May 18th.

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facebook.com/kairosband instagram.com/kairosband www.kairos.band

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FRACTURED FRAMES Hailing from Asheville, NC, Fractured Frames is one of the hardest working heavy metal bands in the region, determined to make their mark on the industry. In keeping with their mission, Fractured Frames released their debut EP for free at the end of 2017. facebook.com/fracturedframes instagram.com/fractured_frames www.fracturedframesband.com

SHOW REVIEW MAY 2018

FUEL THE SCENE ANNIVERSARY SHOW PHOTOGRAPHY BY TERIE SHAVER

EXTINCTION LEVEL EVENT Extinction Level Event is one of those hard to find metal bands who innovate within the scene. Winston-Salem, NCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all-bass progressive metal outfit, Extinction Level Event is the creatorsof CLANK, a genre emerging from the 3 bass guitar lineup that has taken the metal world by storm. facebook.com/extinctionlevelevent instagram.com/elebandofficial extinctionleveleventband.bandcamp.com

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BLACK PLAGUE Black Plague’s vocals are diverse in both chilling cleans and screams while guitars, bass, and drums wrench your guts with harmonies and heavy breakdowns. At this show, Black Plague released their newest EP, “Existence,” recorded with legendary metal producer Jamie King of The Basement Studios. facebook.com/blackplagueofficial instagram.com/blackplagueofficial www.blackplagueband.com

SHOW REVIEW MAY 2018

FUEL THE SCENE ANNIVERSARY SHOW PHOTOGRAPHY BY TERIE SHAVER

XAEL Xael creates an auditory adventure with melodies and bard style storytelling in abundance! Xael combines symphonic and folk elements with brutal metal, exploring the complications of being sentient and self-aware. Their debut album, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Last Artbiter,â&#x20AC;? releases on Test Your Metal Records on May 18. facebook.com/xael.metal instagram.com/xael_metal www.xaelofficial.bandcamp.com

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ALBUM REVIEW

XAEL

REVIEW BY WILLIAM DIBBLE PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF XAEL

The Last Arbiter

olk metal is a genre with firm roots in the past. From bands like Arkona to Korpiklaani, the genre pays tributes to the origins of music in ancient festivals, pagan deities, and classical instruments. Many folk metal bands also hail from eastern Europe and Scandinavia, though not all of them do. North Carolina-based Xael enters the fray offering a combination of traditional folk metal themes with science-fiction concepts. The Last Arbiter is a science fiction story about an entity known, among other things, as the sky ghost or “wayfarer.” The wayfarer wanders the cosmos searching for a purpose, and we join him just after his audience with the ruling counsel of a planet. There are a lot of comparisons with older bands to be made here, because Xael draws upon a diverse and rich legacy and gives it a new and powerful twist. Our story begins with the titular track, “The Last Arbiter.” It is at this point we begin following the wayfarer, as it wanders into the wastelands of Tymeer. The song itself starts with a combination of guitar, blasting drumbeat, and stringed instruments before catapulting into an absolute wall of sound. It’s

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to this impression, but it is definitely a good thing. The guitar solos feel almost maniacal when paired with the rest of the song. Xael did well in pulling their long-time drummer, Josh “Nassaru” Ward up to the mic as their main vocalist. His diverse range is exactly what this album needs.

apparent from the outset that Xael has more in common with heavier songs from bands like Arkona than the softer parts of the genre, but they fit in perfectly here. The low growled vocals match perfectly with the intensity of the instruments. The song alternates between slower sections with clean vocals and blasting screamed segments in a way that recalls Dimmu Borgir’s work in the last half of the 2000’s. The synths, ever-present behind the heavier parts of the song, lend

Next is the track “SRAI.” The synth-heavy intro draws us into a track that feels very dark and imposing. Other parts of this song sound grand and cinematic in a fantastic way. Earlier, a comparison was made between Xael and some of the heavier folk bands. This song draws a powerful parallel to Arkona’s Goi, Rode, Goi! album, where they combined deep screamed vocals with higher clean vocals to great effect. Xael shows a similar mastery of this concept, with guest vocalist Rei Haycraft loaning her voice to it. The screaming does make it hard to follow the story at times, but this isn’t because of bad recording or skill. Bands like Between the Buried and Me also use similar techniques, so you may want to bring a lyrics book with you if you want to follow the story. The great thing about “SRAI” is even if you don’t understand

the vocals, the music transmits the sense of story with sections feeling despairing and even triumphant as the song progresses. “The Wayfarer of Tymeer” really showcases this, starting off with a melancholy guitar introduction before launching into the song’s main body, which has a distinct martial feel to sections of the chorus. The middle of the song drops away into a symphonic section that feels like a build-up leading directly into the audible confrontation that is the last part of the song. At this point, the audience gets a bit of a break in the form of “Watchers of Xan.” Featuring heavy, echoing drums and chantlike vocals, it is both the shortest track on the album and a distinct set builder, setting up the rest of the album and the next song, “Apathy of the Immortal.” “Apathy” starts with more chanting vocals and a clean guitar, but becomes full-on death metal fifty seconds in. Launching straight into a guitar solo, this track sounds similar to The Faceless’s songs on Autotheism in some ways, while remaining uniquely Xael. Almost as soon as it assaults you with its blasting drums, it drops into another clean section like an animal toying with its prey. It’s easy to listen through the song’s five minute length and not realize it was the same song all the way through. The soft-intro is also a theme we see again with “I am Pestilence.” where it picks up a very tribal feel. There is a persistent feel of danger

or foreboding in this song throughout, even when it lets the almost angelic-feeling clean vocals wash over your ears. The ending notes of the song feel fraught with fear as it takes us through a frantic guitar-and-vocal outro. The end of that takes the listener to the spacey soundscapes that make up the beginning moments of “In the Hallows of Pathos”. The synths that give it this feel pervade every aspect of the song, giving it a very unique feel, even amongst this album. It also helps cements the science-fiction aspect of the concept, even as the vocals soar upwards in triumph. One of the notable things about Xael is that their songs never sound overly long or repetitive, despite consistently coming in at over five minutes long. This is an issue that some bands have, but not a trap that this one falls into. “In the Hallows” closes with a gorgeous piano intro. With “Secrets of the Third Tribe”, we get an introduction that is once again tribal, but feels like an approach or build-up to something. The listener can almost imagine being brought before a powerful entity for an audience by sound alone. When the harder parts of the song hit, you feel like you’ve been brought directly into a listening room of some kind before an alien voice comes through. Nassaru’s vocals have a sense of defiance and anger to them in this track, coming through clearly on every line he delivers.

the longest song. “Harvesting” starts with a backdrop of throat singing and acoustic guitars, mixed with Nassaru’s soft vocals. If the first eight songs didn’t drive home how skilled he is and how well Xael uses this talent, this one will. Not only can Nassaru be imposing and terrifying as in other tracks, but here he delivers a sound that is at once reassuring and calming. Throughout the song, the sound of the instruments and his voice change subtly. There’s almost a lecturelike quality to some of the vocals. While the drums and guitars do speed along in sections, this song doesn’t quite get as heavy as some of the previous songs. “Harvesting” closes the album out with a lengthy instrumental journey that feels like it takes everybody through a complete sound tour of the album. The number of bands that can come out of the gate with a near-perfect debut album is extremely limited. Xael’s The Last Arbiter doesn’t release on May 18th. It is unleashed. Fans of death and folk metal alike will find things that delight them in The Last Arbiter, from the fantastic vocals to the technical solos. Much like Rapheumets Well, Xael keeps a flair for the cinematic and it does this album wonders. With many bands releasing albums coming in around thirty to forty minutes, this offering of forty-eight minutes of aural glee is one that you should not pass up.

The Last Arbiter completes the album with “Harvesting the Elders Genome,” which is also

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INTERVIEW

BUNKER HILL RECORDS There’s a new record label in town! Rei Haycraft sat down with Bunker Hill Records partners Brandon Hinson and Joe Potts about the debut of their new indie record label, their mission, their debut roster, and their thoughts on how to support the local live music scene.

Tell us a little bit about Bunker Hill Records, how this project started, and why you two decided to start a label? BRANDON: Bunker Hill is an indie label focusing on development and production. I met Joe when he came to a Something Clever show and wanted to produce their next project. Our relationship started there and has turned in to quite a few recordings. Over that time and through multiple discussions we talked about putting our talents and knowledge together and starting a label to help artist in this area, whether that be from recording a project or actually signing and developing them. I think we both feel that there is a TON of talent in the Carolinas region and outside of our area. Our goal with Bunker Hill is to align ourselves with other large indie labels and support each other in our releases. JOE: I think Bunker Hill was a natural progression for Brandon and me. We had partnered on Season Of Light for the band Something Clever and it was obvious that we 32

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had a certain chemistry for working together. We both like to help people get the most out of their hard work and a label just seemed to make sense as the ideal platform for that. Can you each tell us a little bit about your background in the music industry and your part in the Bunker Hill Records team? JOE: I started in 1996 as a musician in a metal band and after receiving a record deal from a local producer I met my studio mentor Ray Winters. I went on to apprentice under Ray for three years and in 1999 I opened my own recording studio. Over the next fifteen years I worked with hundreds of bands and musicians from all genres including commercial recording. In 2014 I decided to focus on only working with the bands and genres I have the most passion for and that’s what eventually put Brandon and I together. My primary role at Bunker Hill is to oversee all recordings and be the ultimate producer for all tracks. I work closely with a team of producers and engineers ( including Brandon)

to insure all our recordings are the highest quality obtainable for the budget allotted. BRANDON: I’ve been lucky enough to be involved in multiple aspects of the music industry. I’ve been a local musician, a touring musician, a venue manager, a tour manager for a multi-platnium artist, an artist manager and a production manager. I love working with new artists and helping get them where they need to be to succeed. Having a KILLER live show is highly important and is probably what I put a lot of focus on. I’ve got a pretty good ear when it comes to a potential “hit” song and love when I come across that one song that has potential to do so much. My role with the label is more of an A&R role. I like putting together the team behind the artist, coming up with a track development plan including marketing, social media management, PR, and identifying singles for them to push. Sometimes what the artist thinks is the best thing to push isn’t quite what should be pushed.

INTERVIEW BY REI HAYCRAFT PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY BUNKER HILL RECORDS

With the official launch of Bunker Hill Records this month, you’re also announcing the first bands that will be signed under the BHR banner. Can you tell us a little bit about them and what to expect from them in the coming months? BRANDON: We’re really excited to be announcing three artists this month. They are all very different from each other. Two of them have some things happening for them that will put them on a national level. The other is just a damn good band that needs a little more developing. They are younger and have already been recording with us. We’re going to put a good team behind them and see where this goes. You’ll see releases from all 3 artists fairly quickly including videos as well. It will be a busy summer for sure. JOE: The three bands we have chosen to launch the label with are nothing short of amazing. We believe in the vision of each band and each individual member as well. We will only work with people who share our values and I believe we have found a great fit with these first three.

the production field and the real gold is in the writing. Once we see the birth of an idea I will make sure the artist has every advantage possible to develop it. If bands are interested in submitting their work for consideration, how would they do that? BRANDON: We love digital links. They can send those to submissions@bunkerhillrecords.com. If it MUST be a hard version, then they should also email submissions and we’ll give them the best address to send it to. What does Bunker Hill Records hope to do for the local and regional scene here in the Carolinas? BRANDON: There is already such a great scene here, hopefully we can expand upon that and bring a little more attention to it. From my experience and what I see there is a great community of bands between Greenville SC, Charlotte, and Raleigh that all are friends, support each other, and are really the center of the Carolina’s. A lot of these bands are crazy

talented. I’m hoping that if we can bring a little attention to this area on a national level, that it will end up benefiting all bands in our area. With labels not having scouts per say any more, I’m hoping that we can be someone that says “hey, you need to check out this band, they are crushing it right now”. JOE: We want to be the light at the beginning of the tunnel for the most serious of local artists. Obviously we can’t work with every band or artist but I do believe we can offer inspiration through our example of focus and eventually when we are successful enough, we will take a more direct role in preserving our local music scene. As managers and label owners, what do you think are the top things that local bands should do to be successful and what are the top things to avoid? BRANDON: For me it boils down to two things…..the songs and the live show. You have to have both. I want a band to push the envelope in their songwriting and get

In this digital and DIY age, the role of labels in the music scene has shifted somewhat. What do you feel is an independent record label’s role and what kind of support with Bunker Hill Records be offering their new roster? BRANDON: I feel like in today’s time it’s more about development for a label like Bunker Hill. It’s utilizing our relationships and building a package around an artist. It’s easier than ever these days with releases and getting music out there. A lot of larger labels are looking to the smaller labels to do the groundwork. They want the smaller labels to build the band socially and create some heat for them. Thats what we are here to do. We’re also looking at bringing in someone to work our artists with synch placements. Thats a huge component in what we are looking to do to develop the artist. Aside from that we’ll be offering public relations, recording services, social media management, merchandising, publishing, and more. JOE: I plan on pushing our bands to work even harder and especially to take risk with their writing. Modern recording has leveled FUEL THE SCENE MAGAZINE

INTERVIEW

out of the comfort zone a bit. I want to hear something that gives me chills. I want to hear a record that is diverse in it’s songs. I think a lot of bands get stuck into writing the same song for the entire record. Especially in the metal genre. If song A,B,C all sound the same, I don’t have a lot of interest in that and in today’s world that won’t get you very far. Also if you have a great sounding record but can’t translate it to a live setting, that’s a problem. JOE: Work harder! If you really want something then get busy. The pros perform and or rehearse every day. If you’re getting up a couple nights a week to drink beer and jam then you are way behind the work ethic required to compete. What do you think are the most important things we can all do to keep live music thriving? BRANDON: Support it. Go to shows. Go to the venues. Talk about them on social media. Post about your show experience. Tell people

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about their show. Bring a friend or two next time. There are a lot of bands that support each other, but I’d love to see more people that are non-musicians or non-band community related go out to shows. I love when I see fans of local and regional bands come out to shows and act like they are finally getting to see their favorite national artist. JOE: There is nothing more electrifying than a live rock show! The energy doesn’t just come from the stage, it comes to it from the fans as well. Go and be a part of that energy, time/ date stamp your life with the power of live original music. Any other words of wisdom to share or anything that you would like music fans to know about your label? BRANDON: Constantly write and perform, over and over again. As for the label, I’m just looking forward to releasing a catalog of music that we are proud of and hopefully everyone else will be proud of as well.

JOE: From day one Brandon and I agreed to build a successful company without taking advantage of anyone. Bands should know that we are on their side whether they sign with us or not. Bunker Hill Records puts music and musicians first!

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