Fuel The Scene Magazine: Fall 2018 Edition by Fuel The Scene Magazine

FUEL THE SCENE MAGAZINE

ISSUE #8 | FALL 2018

IN THIS ISSUE 3 6

THE EDITORS’ LIST: KICK ASS BANDS THAT YOU SHOULD ABSOLUTELY BE LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW

Fate DeStroyed, Eye On Attraction, Travelers, The Devil’s Notebook, Bleedseason, Novarium

COVER STORY: INTERVIEW WITH A LIGHT DIVDED A LIGHT DIVIDED “CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE” ALBUM REVIEW

INTERVIEW WITH BRITTNEY SLAYES OF UNLEASH THE ARCHERS

ICE NINE KILLS “THE SILVER SCREAM” ALBUM REVIEW

ARCHITECTS “HOLY HELL” ALBUM REVIEW

INTERVIEW WITH STELLAR CIRCUITS

STELLAR CIRCUITS “WAYS WE HAUNT” ALBUM REVIEW

CENTRAL DISORDER “ERADICATION” ALBUM REVIEW

INTERVIEW WITH BLEEDSEASON

MASSIVE WAGONS “FULL NELSON” ALBUM REVIEW

LIKE PACIFIC “IN SPITE OF ME” ALBUM REVIEW

CREDITS

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, Seraphim Dibble, Kristy Streyle Photographers | Seraphim Dibble, Terie Shaver, Rei Haycraft, Ambler Irby, Kevin McGee, Lola Marie, Paul Jones, Chris Formont, Hannah Lee Writers | Seraphim Dibble, Rose Estrada, Rei Haycraft, Savanah Ruiz, Josh Foster, Lara Watson, Spencer Gilmour 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. 2

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THE EDITORS’ LIST OF KICK ASS BANDS THAT YOU SHOULD ABSOLUTELY BE LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW FATE DESTROYED Metal from Los Angeles, CA

Fate DeStroyed, a Los Angeles based metal group, is breaking new ground with fierce new take on the metal status quo. With influences ranging from Deftones and Trivium, to Nine Inch Nails, Fate DeStroyed an audio assault of raw emotion, visceral guitars, and driving synths to leverage the gap between the hard hitting 90’s industrial and modern heavy metal. The band’s debut single “Break Free” idebuted on May 3rd and the band is currently in the studio recording an EP scheduled for release in late 2018.

@FateDeStroyed @fate_destroyedband fatedestroyed.com

EYE ON ATTRACTION Progressive Rock/Alternative from Scranton, PA

Eye on Attraction is a progressive/alternative rock band with mind-blowing energy and technical proficiency Rockers Eye on Attraction pride themselves on providing catchy hooks, complex instrumentation, and an intense live show. After a national tour with Adelitas Way in 2017, Eye on Attraction released their single “Pleasantville” (mastered by Howie Weinberg of Muse/ Rush fame) to critical acclaim.

@eyeonattraction @eyeonattraction eyeonattraction.com FUEL THE SCENE MAGAZINE

THE EDITORS’ LIST OF KICK ASS BANDS THAT YOU TRAVELERS

Alternative Rock/Electronica from Virginia Beach, VA Travelers is a duo from Virginia Beach, VA. They play alternative music with an aggressive edge, sometimes incorporating synthesizers and strings for a new twist on the genre. Travelers is fronted by lead singer Tom Kearns and Brandon Jenkins on drums. Look out for their latest EP titled, “While I’m Here” in stores now!

@officialtravelersband @travelersband travelersband.com

BLEEDSEASON

Appalachian Horror Groove from Asheville, NC Reigning from southern Appalachia is the supernatural force that is Bleedseason. Combining entrancing melodies with a vibe similar to Tool and a heart pounding aggressiveness compared to the likes of Mudvayne and Deftones. Formed in 2016, Bleedseason remains true to its self with elements that can’t be compared to another group. Bleedseason’s first EP

@bleedseasonband @bleedseason bleedseasonband.bandcamp.com

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SHOULD ABSOLUTELY BE LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW THE DEVIL’S NOTEBOOK Dark Rock from Greensboro, NC

The Devil’s Notebook is a six piece band that weaves metal influences with dark rock and haunting melody to create heartbreaking music to stir something in even the darkest soul. Formed in 2015 by vocalist Jessica J Paul, the band has recently returned to the stage with a new lineup. The group now features the overwhelming talent of Larry Holcomb and Cameron Wilkin on guitar, Mike Norris on the upright bass, Joseph Crow Reeves on electric bass and John “KJ” Sheilds on drums.

@thedevilsnotebook reverbnation.com/thedevilsnotebook

NOVARIUM

Gothic Metal from Washington DC Founded in 2013, the Washington, DC based gothic metal outfit—vocalist Jen Janet, guitarists Sean Gronholt and Dean Michaels, bassist Carey White, and drummer Anthony—marries the doom and gloom of contemporary metal music with the hooks of synth leads and string arrangements of its gothic counterparts.

@novarium @novariumband www.novariumband.com

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COVER STORY / INTERVIEW

A LIGHT DIVIDED

Rei Haycraft spoke with Winston-Salem, NC metal band A LIGHT DIVIDED as they prepared for the release of their newest album, “Choose Your Own Adventure,” about lyrical and musical inspiration, the recording process, and what’s on the horizon. Live photography by Paul Jones.

For the uninitiated, how would you describe A Light Divided and your new record, Choose Your Own Adventure? COLT: I would describe us as a very high energy band that is not afraid to write music from the heart and bridge the gap between all of our collective influences ranging from metal to pop. I would describe “Choose Your Own Adventure” as an album that is a emotional, urgent and heavy hitting rollercoaster ride that gives the listener insight through all of our personal journeys over the last few years as people and as a band. JAYCEE: We’ve always been the kind of band that doesn’t feel confined to stick to one particular genre. I think Choose Your Own Adventure really showcases a wide range of styles and influences that still somehow work together. Truly an album that has a little something for everyone.

What does the message of Choose Your Own Adventure mean to you? What do you hope fans will take away from it? COLT: “Choose Your Own Adventure” to me 6

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means taking control of your life and setting yourself on the path that you are the most passionate and driven to follow regardless of what is expected of you. I hope that fans take away the idea that if you are willing to work incredibly hard towards what you want out of life, that you are able to do anything that you set your mind to. JAYCEE: That’s exactly it. Choose Your Own Adventure is simply about being unafraid to go after what you want in life. We were inspired by the 80s book series and the idea that every decision you come across has its own unique outcome.

What would you say makes Choose Your Own Adventure stand out from your previous releases? How do you feel that your overall sound has changed since the last album, Mirrors? COLT: “Choose Your Own Adventure” stands out among our previous releases because to me I feel that from the start till the very end of this album that this is our most cohesive and most emotionally impactful body of

work despite every single song crossing all spectrums of music. This record is very different from “Mirrors” in terms of us being more open to everyone’s ideas and input as opposed to going along with our old usual formula. We wanted this time to really work towards making a musical statement and go outside of our comfort zone in order to make the best music we possibly could. JAYCEE: Right. It’s also probably the least angry record we have to date. It just wasn’t enough to write vicious songs about calling out those who have wronged me anymore. Instead, I wanted to dig deeper by sharing the experiences I struggle with, but also sharing how I move past them in order to not lose sight of the bigger picture.

Could you tell us a little bit about the writing and studio recording process for Choose Your Own Adventure? COLT: We worked on this record with Kile Odell and Joshua Landry in Greensboro, North Carolina. This was my first recording experience with those guys and they are

INTERVIEW BY REI HAYCRAFT PHOTOGRAPHY BY HANNAH LEE two of the most down to earth guys I’ve ever gotten to work with. They really make you feel at home when you work with them and are totally open to all ideas as long as the end result is making the best song possible. Both of them are also incredible musicians and taught me a lot in terms of songwriting and just benefiting what the song needs JAYCEE: We definitely took a step back to look at at what we were bringing to the table when we got to the studio and ultimately decided it just wasn’t pushing the bar far enough. We fully turned ourselves over to the process, stopped overthinking what made an “A Light Divided song,” and just focused on writing the best songs we could.

Music videos for “Fear of Heights” and “Scars of You” have already dropped and showcase different ends of the record’s spectrum. What was the filming process like for those two videos? COLT: We did both videos for “Scars Of You” and “Fear Of Heights” with Justin Reich, who is an absolutely incredible and made the whole experience fun and extremely productive. We wanted capture a good representation of the

spectrum of music on the album and just who we are as a band. So in the “Fear Of Heights” video we are showcasing the high energy that goes into our performances every single show for a song that is incredibly fun and lively. Then, on the opposite end, the video for “Scars Of You” showcases a lot of dynamics and takes a look at some of the more serious topics that we cover on the album. JAYCEE: Filming the video for “Scars” for me personally was extremely anxiety inducing. As someone who is much better at being goofy, it was completely outside of my comfort zone. I also nervous because I didn’t want anyone to get the impression that I was trying to flaunt sexuality to advance the band. But the song itself is so modern and mature, especially for us, that when Justin pitched his idea, it just made sense. Plus, since we’ve known him for so long, I knew it would be tasteful and amazing.

I think that every song plays well into each other and is more of an experience as a whole rather than it being a collection of random songs. I’m most excited to play a song we have on the record called “Another Bar Fight In Brooklyn”. It’s probably the fastest songs we’ve ever done as a band and is definitely one of the more technical songs on the record. I think it’s just going to be one of those songs that goes over really well with the fans live and I’m beyond excited to play it live. JAYCEE: I totally agree.This album covers such a wide array of genres that I don’t feel like there’s one song that sums up what you can expect from the entire record. You just have to experience it start to finish. I’m really excited to play Armor & War Paint live because I’ve never gotten an opportunity to just be vulnerable with the audience before and it’s something I’m looking forward to sharing.

Which songs are you the most excited for fans to hear? Which are you the most excited to begin playing live?

All of the tracks on this record are lyrically very emotive and raw—are there any songs that are particularly poignant for you and what was the inspiration?

COLT: Honestly, I’m very excited for fans to hear the whole record in its entirety because

JAYCEE: Every single song on this record evokes an intense amount of emotion from

FUEL THE SCENE MAGAZINE

COVER STORY / INTERVIEW me. I guess if I had to narrow it down to one song, it would have to be “Another Bar Fight in Brooklyn.” The line “As long as I’m breathing, I am fire” reminds me to keep believing in myself during moments of doubt. COLT: I think in terms of lyrics that there is

one line from the song “Remedy” that really resonates with me the most out of all of the songs on the album. The line is “The more that I fight the noise in my life, the more I find the words that started the fire”. It means the most to me because that line really sums up exactly what I’ve felt through this whole album process and really everything I’ve ever been through as a musician. The idea that no matter what life has thrown and in those times I’ve thought of giving up, that those are the moments that I need to fight back harder and keep pushing towards what I believe in and to never lose that flame that made me start in the first place. What has been the most challenging part about choosing to take this adventure to the next level? As musicians and as a band, how do you stay motivated?

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COLT: I think it’s very easy to lose motivation and I think in all forms of art that it should be a little uncomfortable and a little uncertain in order to get the best results. So the most challenging and rewarding part about wanting to take this to the next level was the initial fear of the unknown when we were writing this record. When we scrapped what we had when we got to the studio, it really felt in a way like starting over as a band. Which was terrifying because we had no idea what was gonna come out of us musically but it allowed us as a band the freedom to write with no limitations and motivated us to think outside the box and be more creative as opposed to just copying something we had done in the past. JAYCEE: The uncertainty of what comes next is definitely the most challenging part. Going on the road for long periods of time is terrifying when you’re an independent band. There’s no steady income, balancing relationships gets harder, you miss out on a lot of major events in your family and friends lives, and what if you come home with nothing? Personally, I stay motivated because I’m not driven by things like money. I do this because it’s who I

am. I absolutely love making music and more than that, I love being able to connect with people though my music. So as long as I can continue to do that, it’s pretty easy to keep my eyes on the prize. What’s next on the horizon for A Light Divided and what can fans look forward to? COLT: We are going to be taking this album everywhere in 2019. We’ve got a lot of big plans ready for the new year that we can’t quite talk about yet but it’s going to be unbelievable some of the things we have in store for next year. A lot of big goals and dreams we’ve always dreamt of doing are about to come to life in 2019 and we hope that you keep an eye out and be a part of this adventure with us! JAYCEE: Thats’s pretty much it! We’re gonna keep on making as much noise as we possibly can and continue to check items off our bucket list. Stay tuned!

FUEL THE SCENE MAGAZINE

ALBUM REVIEW

WRITTEN BY SERAPHIM DIBBLE PHOTOGRAPHY BY REI HAYCRAFT

A LIGHT DIVIDED

Choose Your Own Adventure

repare to be impressed! Infectious pop hooks, exhilarating vocals, hair-raising riffs, and unforgettable melodies are only a fraction of what listeners should expect to hear on A Light Divided‘s upcoming full-length release, Choose Your Own Adventure, was released to the masses on October 5, 2018. Chock full of catchy, memorable anthems that poise A Light Divided to be the next big pop/metal crossover, Choose Your Own Adventure is an essential listen. A Light Divided features the breathtaking, powerhouse pipes of frontwoman Jaycee Clark, plus instrumentation from drummer Adam Smith, bassist Mike Underwood

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with their high-intensity live show, A Light Divided have amassed a growing underground army of dedicated fans. Their unique blend of rock and metal with pop sensibility has landed them opportunities to perform on the Vans Warped Tour and with national acts such as In This Moment, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and Crowbar.

and guitarists Doug Weichbrodt and Colt Crevar. As proven by their work ethic and determination to succeed coupled

The first taste of Choose Your Own Adventure was the hooky, high-energy new single and electrifying music video for “Fear of Heights”, directed and filmed by Justin Reich of Antimatter Studios. The video was originally premiered by Alternative Press and can be viewed via the AltPress Facebook page or via YouTube.

As made evident on “Fear of Heights”, A Light Divided‘s undeniable songwriting prowess is accented by Choose Your Own Adventure‘s lyrical content. The band explores personal, relevant topics – ranging from relationships to mental health – inspired by their own lives and losses. At the age that important decisions they make now could impact the development of the rest of their lives, all five members of A Light Divided put their own experiences to paper on Choose Your Own Adventure, creating a relatable experience for listeners. “We underwent a lot of major changes since our last record so, it was really

important for Choose Your Own Adventureto reflect all of that growth,” says Jaycee. “We constantly pushed ourselves to step further and further outside our comfort zone and ultimately created a record I couldn’t be more proud of. “Lyrically, Choose Your Own Adventure deals with topics like frustration, mental health, loss, betrayal, relationships, hope and continuing to fight for what you love despite those challenges. I think everyone has had those experiences at some point and I hope these songs can help someone to see the light in those dark times.”

“Choose Your Own Adventure deals with topics like frustration, mental health, loss, betrayal, relationships, hope and continuing to fight for what you love.”

FUEL THE SCENE MAGAZINE

INTERVIEW

UNLEASH THE ARCHERS

Rei Haycraft spoke with Brittney Slayes of UNLEASH THE ARCHERS before their show in Raleigh, NC as they made their way across the country on their North American tour in support of their most recent album, “Apex.”

Rei Haycraft and Fuel the Scene Magazine here with Brittney from Unleash the Archers! We are at the Maywood in Raleigh, NC on a balmy Tuesday night. How has the Apex tour been so far? BRITTNEY: Amazing. Absolutely awesome. The venues have been rad and the fans have been rad and the promoters have been rad so it’s all just been rad. What songs are the fans resonating with the most from this album? BRITTNEY: Seems to be the matriarch, we’re getting a lot of singing along for the matriarch. And Apex is getting some love as well. I love that part at the beginning when it’s quiet and you hear the whole venue singing along, it’s like, “oh my god, this is why I do this.” What is the writing process like for you all and how is that different than your last album? BRITTNEY: We actually wrote the story first. I wrote it in chapters and then we used each chapter as inspiration for all the songs. That was kind of where the emotion behind 12

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everything came from and I think that’s why it’s such a cohesive sound throughout the whole record. I would say “oh, I’d really like this song to be like this” or I’d sing a riff at them like the Matriarch “It needs to go ... the matriarch!” With a big break before there. That’s how that songs gonna go and we built around that.

sing it like a voice memo on my phone and then I’ll send it and say “this is the chorus for this song” or I’m humming this or whatever or can we somehow get this in there. But for the most part it’s like riffage and we all kind of work around it and figure out where to fit it in.

For Cleanse The Bloodlines, Andrew came home from a trip away and was “I have the riff for Cleanse.” He actually said “I have a riff” and I listened to it and I knew right away that it was Cleanse the Bloodlines. I was “Oh yes, that’s the one!” And we pretty much just wrote like that. The boys would bring forward a riff or I would say “I really want it to sound something like this” and then we’d work on it together and figure out where it fit.

BRITTNEY: I have no idea. I read a lot of comic books and there was a character in east of west called Wolf and he was very dark and mysterious and super rad and I really liked him. And I was like “what a cool character.” He was being expanded upon a lot in the series itself but when I first started he was just a side character for the main guy. I was like, wow, someone really needs to make a guy like him the main character and I expanded on the image that I saw. He’s not really like him at all in his story, I just kind of took that imagery and I built this guy, the Immortal. I was like “he needs an antagonist” so that’s when I came up with the Matriarch because women in power are just scary for the most

Do you have them do the guitar and the structure first and then add melodies or do you ever come up with the melodies first? BRITTNEY: Well sometimes yeah. In some cases I’ll have a little bit of a snippet of something that I’ve already written and I’ll

What was the inspiration for the Unleash The Archers’ story?

INTERVIEW BY REI HAYCRAFT PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS FORMONT part. We can pretty bad ass and ruthless. So I was “it’s definitely going to be a female that’s his main enemy.” But then I just wanted it to be tragic and have.... how do I have him be so powerful and yet still unable to break away from this woman. So the whole curse, that’s kind of where that came from. The characters really built the whole story. What was the studio like for you all?

and that’s the thing. Only a few, not a single one of those songs, on Apex had we played live before recording it in the studio. Whereas with Time Stands Still, we had actually rocked a few of those tracks for a while so I knew exactly how I wanted things to be and what it was going to be like on stage. So I was able to make those changes. Whereas when you write completely and then you perform it live,

that’s when you discover little things. I should have done this or that or whatever. There are a few little tweaks here and there. I don’t know, I heard the boys solos change a little here and there, whatever. What was the process like for filming the music videos and what is your level of creative control with those?

BRITTNEY: It was pretty intense. We had two weeks booked in Denmark after a tour through Europe in 2016. So we had to have everything written before we went in there, except for Apex, we wrote the night before. We just wanted it to be, okay, this is the last track and we want it to be more off the cuff and so that’s how that one turned out. But everything else was written before we went in and pretty much had it done and ready. The recording process itself was hammer it out, get it perfect, make sure that we, it sounds the way we want it to sound, the way we wrote it to sound, change things that aren’t working. I actually wrote quite a few vocals in the studio because the boys were all in for the first week and I was in for the second week. There was a lot of things I wrote in that first week. Just as I heard the recordings coming through and being “Oh, I should be this here or there or that kind of thing.” Being in the studio is very different from the stage. You don’t have that energy of the people in front of you to sort of feed off of and propel you through the session. If you want that emotion in your voice, that power, you gotta bring it, bring it. I dig my nails into my hands a lot and I just have to be in power stance sometimes. You all are famous for your very energetic live shows. Do you feel like any of the songs have evolved at all as you’ve been playing them live? BRITTNEY: A little bit yeah. Aside from little things changing or sometimes I’ll end a phrase a little bit earlier just because it’s got more zip to it. I know that a lot of people hate that because “on the record you do this and I was singing along, and it was different!” Well I don’t want to do it that way. Sometimes you write it in the studio and then you play it live FUEL THE SCENE MAGAZINE

INTERVIEW BRITTNEY: Well pretty big. Actually the music videos are all us. We hire the director, we do everything, except for the lyric videos, Napalm does those. Awakening we did with a buddy. We really wanted to do a sort of studio play through for it but then how do we do the whole band? So we decided we’d just kind of do like a whole band, mock play through kind of thing so you still get in there on the fingers and fretting and the feet and drums. But we make it into more of a music video. So that was that idea and also it was really cheap and we were out of money by that time. Also, Cleanse, we wanted it to be epic. We wanted to include the Matriarch and the Immortal. So we knew exactly who to call for that which was Richard, who did The General of the Dark Army video. We basically told him our budget and said we want “this is the story, what can you work with.” We actually sent him the whole record and said which do you think is best for a single ‘cause we couldn’t figure it out, we really couldn’t decide. He was “I really

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like Cleanse, I think that’s just so pounding and I think I can work around that story.” So he kind of took it and twisted it a little bit. It’s not exactly like the story, it’s not the Immortal talking to the Matriarch. It’s the Matriarch bringing her son and killing him for the Immortal and that ... you know, little twists here, but budget constraints. It was basically 48 hours of horror. Well, it was awesome. But we drove all the way through the night to get to filming at 8:00 am. Filmed all day and then had to drive all the way back home again that night to get to work the next day. The place where we could find to film was out in the boons. It was actually the sanctuary of the falconer who’s in the video. Yeah, so she’s in the video. She’s like “yeah, just come and film on my sweet bird sanctuary.” We were like “okay”. Too bad it’s 8 hours away. It was a lot of fun, it was super rad. We just really lucked out on most of our videos actually, being involved with these really rad people willing to do amazing things to help us

out. Like “Tonight We Ride” was an amazing favor from a friend. That was a lot of favors from a lot of people so thank you so much to everyone that was involved. You know who you are. “General of the Dark Army” was Richard’s first time working with us. He was “just let me show you what I can do” kind of a thing. He had all of these friends and favors and stuff and just pulled rabbits out of hats everywhere. “Time Stands Still” was our buddy Rob Scoby who works in effects in TV in Vancouver. He was “oh you know, let’s see what we can do together.” That was 48 hours of hell as well. We did that all ourselves, just the six of us, us and Rob. And of course the three, I don’t know what you’d call them, metal gods that are in that one. We were carrying that damn door everywhere and all the sets, there were 50 different sets. It was horrible but it was a lot of fun. I think that one’s one of my favorite videos too. It’s just all friends and a lot of hard work. That’s basically what all our videos are.

INTERVIEW BY REI HAYCRAFT PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS FORMONT Now creatively, how does performing the songs in pieces of 48 hours of hard work feel different than performing those songs on tour? BRITTNEY: It’s a lot easier and then it’s done and you have this really cool thing you can show people. Whereas on tour, you have to be fit and ready every night and you can’t screw around. I really enjoy making music videos. That’s why I’m willing to do the trudging through the muck and stuff to make it the greatest it can be. Because you just work so hard in that short period of time and you have something that’s gonna last forever. But live shows, it’s very different, it’s a very different feeling. And it’s that rush, it’s the whole reason why we do this. It’s for that 45 minutes, or 50 or 60 minutes, or whatever it is that we get up there, with all of you guys. That’ what makes it all worthwhile. What else would you like fans to know about what is coming up for Unleash the Archers? What they can look forward to? BRITTNEY: We have an EP coming out next year but we have no idea when or anything like that. So just keep an eye out! We’re gonna actually come home and probably have another 48 hours of hell recording a music video for one of those tracks. Other than that, just gonna take a breather after this. Oh, 70,000 Tons of Metal. We will be on the boat January 31st I think to February something. I’m very excited. I’m also very nervous because... I don’t do well mixing boozing and playing shows and I know I’ll just want to booze really hard, I know I’m gonna want to do that, so sorry. Apologizing in advance for how horrible my set is gonna be on that boat. [laughs]

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ALBUM REVIEW

REVIEW WRITTEN BY LARA WATSON PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF ICE NINE KILLS

ICE NINE KILLS The Silver Scream W

hat’s your favorite scary movie? This is a question you might ask yourself while listening to The Silver Scream by Ice Nine Kills. This album’s arrival in early October was one of the most anticipated releases this year after released singles like“Thank God Its Friday”, “American Nightmare”, and “A Grave Mistake” that all focused on gothic cinematic masterpieces; namely Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, and The Crow. It’s safe to say the album is all about the band’s love of horror as a genre. The album continued to amaze listeners with its consistent theme touching on films from Jaws and IT to Saw and even Edward Scissorhands. Lead vocalist Spencer Charnas explores a multitude of vocal ranges to fit each song’s theme and despite the inspiration the lyrics refrain from sounding cliche; each song leaves you wanting more. The entire band brings their all to the composition of The Silver Scream and do not disappoint during their live shows either with

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iconic ensembles chosen to match an array of their themes. In addition to the haunting and unique tracks on this album, this band has released three breathtaking videos that watch like an actual film in parts keeping you captivated and hanging on the cliff that each ending brings. Listeners are on the edge of their seats eager for their next video chapter

that will tie in another classic film to the Ice Nine Kills unique story-line in an imaginative and artistic music video. The fourth video for the album will focus on the movie Halloween and the release date coincides with the release of the 2018 Halloween movie release using the song “Stabbing In The Dark” as the background for the next performance. With 3.6 million streams, over eighteen thousand albums sold, and ranking in the top five rock and hard rock charts The Silver Scream could easily be considered one of the year’s best albums with an amazing blend of pop culture references, a vocal range to die for, and a wicked sound.

“...an amazing blend of pop culture references, a vocal range to die for, and a wicked sound.”

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ALBUM REVIEW

REVIEW WRITTEN BY SERAPHIM DIBBLE PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF ARCHITECTS

ARCHITECTS B

etween their last album release, All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us, and Holy Hell, Architects went through a deep tragedy, losing one of their core members. Out of that pain and tragedy, they’ve decided to forge a new path forward with their new album. They weren’t sure they could continue after the death of Tom Searle, but in the words of Dan, “…there were two choices. Feel sorry for yourself… Or let it inspire us to live the life that Tom would have wanted us to live.” They chose the latter. Holy Hell is uncompromising and brutal. After a relatively soft opening with lots of strings and drums, it dives off a cliff into the crushing riffs and drums of “Death is Not Defeat”. One hope that Architects have is that listeners do

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Holy Hell Whether it is the melodic vocals or the raspy, both sound absolutely superb.

not come away feeling despondent about this release, and the tone and lyrics of this song certainly go a long way to get that across.

“Architects have channeled their pain into a message for others, and that message delivers in spades.”

Holy Hell is a display of raw emotion and technical skill. The marriage of the two has produced an absolutely stunning metalcore album that is destined to be remembered. Architects have channeled their pain into a message for others, and that message delivers in spades. From the incredible breakdowns to the lofty symphonic interludes in several songs, the tonal range of the music is nothing short of stupendous. The entire album feels like a message derived right from Dan’s quote about their choice to continue. While there are a lot of overtones of loss and grief, there’s responding lyrics about

powering through. “Holy Hell”, for example, implores you to not give up and to find the resolve to continue to push forward. And as much grief as the world delivers to people, its a critical message to remember. When the single “Doomsday” released, it gave us a taste of Holy Hell. As good as that single was, it is barely a taste of what awaits you in this album. Architects have designed something truly special, displaying a high degree of artistry and awareness of their own talent. Nothing will hit the scene quite as hard as this does for quite some time. Make sure you pick up Holy Hell as soon as possible!

“Architects have designed something truly special, displaying a high degree of artistry and awareness of their own talent.”

FUEL THE SCENE MAGAZINE

INTERVIEW

INTERVIEW BY REI HAYCRAFT PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF STELLAR CIRCUITS

STELLAR CIRCUITS

Rei Haycraft got a chance to chat with Winston-Salem, NC‘s own STELLAR CIRCUITS before their album release show for “Ways We Haunt” about their forthcoming album, lyrical inspiration, music videos, and what’s on the horizon for the band.

For the uninitiated, how would you describe Stellar Circuits and how did the band come to be? BEN: It’s always strange to describe your own music…I like to think that we’re a band that explores different soundscapes. I feel like we have some stuff that’s very energetic and aggressive but we always try and balance that with a sense of melody and harmony. As far as how we started, it was pretty organic. We were always jamming together and doing covers and stuff. It just seemed like the next logical step to start writing and recording music together. JESSE: I would describe Stellar Circuits as an exploration of ourselves; An outward interpretation of what we feel inside. We are 20

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pretty transparent with the feelings surrounding our music and how we write. We just let it flow as much as possible... And I think we end up with music that is honest because of that. The band started pretty quickly and without much thought. We were just 3 individuals that wanted to write music together. What would you say makes Ways We Haunt stand out from your previous release? What parts are you the most excited about? BEN: I definitely feel like we have a much bigger sound on this new record. One of the things we wanted to focus on improving was the richness of everything within the songs. We wanted to add more layers where it was appropriate. I’m really just excited for people

to hear it. We’ve been working on this album for so long and I’m just grateful to be able to share it with people. JESSE: We feel like we took everything to the next level on ‘Ways We Haunt’. From musicianship to songwriting to production… We were able to better represent our feelings through our music this time around which involves a lot of different variables to why. I’m really excited to get on the road and hone in on playing these new songs live and watch them transform a bit. Our songs always translate a little differently live and that’s something I really enjoy watching blossom over time.

Tell us a little bit about the writing and studio recording process for Ways We Haunt.

INTERVIEW BY REI HAYCRAFT PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY BUNKER HILL RECORDS JESSE: From the beginning of the process of writing this record I was determined to focus on having much stronger foundations to our songs. I wanted us to have more unique verses and bigger choruses without sacrificing our natural progressive minded approach to writing. We recorded with Jamie King at The Basement Recordings which is only a few minutes from the band house/studio. It was a really comfortable and natural to record with Jamie. We had already written and recorded all of our own demos before going so we just needed to focus on performance and energy while recording. It all fell into place quite beautifully without any snags in the process. Jamie is a really cool dude that makes you feel at home and we really look forward to working with him again in the near future. TYLER: Recording this album with Jamie was pretty much nothing short of a childhood dream come true for me. Between the Buried and Me were my heroes growing up, and I’ve probably listened to their records a hundred times a piece. The Contortionist is another band that changed my life. To record in the same space that those records came

together was just surreal. Jamie was an absolute pleasure to work with, too. Studio environments can be stressful, and leave you feeling pushed for time, but our experience with him was the exact opposite. He knows how to make you feel at home, and it totally amazed me how well he understood the sounds we were going for on this record. I think he may have even understood them better than we did. What did you learn during the writing/ recording process for your previous EP that changed or influenced the way you approached Ways We Haunt? BEN: It’s hard to say exactly what we learned. A lot of things. There’s just so much to absorb when working with different people or in different studios. Both times have been an awesome experience but after doing the EP we had our hearts set on doing our next album with Jamie. It was awesome to work with someone that has an understanding of the creative direction you want to take. JESSE: I’d say I learned a lot about myself and the guys in the band. I learned how to work

better under pressure and what roles we all play within the scheme of making our music together. How do you feel that your overall sound has changed since the last EP? JESSE: We have a much bigger and more

progressive sound than the EP. We’ve just taken the next step of who we are as a band and look forward to continuing to grow everyday. TYLER: I wasn’t in the band when the EP was written, but I think we’ve definitely taken a step in a more progressive direction on this album. We usually tried to let ideas flow unobstructed, and to understand where the song was naturally trying to go without forcing it to be something else. This sometimes led to unorthodox song structures, and parts that can’t really be “named” as “verse” or “chorus.” But I think that allowing this natural progression of writing shaped the music into something that can take the listener on a journey.

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INTERVIEW Tell us a little bit about the music video for your first single, “Go With Your Ghost,” and what the filming and production process was like. JESSE: Filming for our music videos was a lot of fun. We worked with our good friend and previous director for our music video for “Penny Dreadful”, Erez Bader. We love Erez, he’s always looked out for us and always has a vision for our videos. We let him run with whatever he has in mind that for the songs we choose. We also had the pleasure of working with Justin Reich, he filmed and did an amazing job. Super cool guy that we look forward to working with again as well. TYLER: Erez is really good at hearing a vibe in the music and translating it visually. I think that the vibe he captured in both the “Penny Dreadful” and “Go With Your Ghost” music videos compliments the darker elements in the music really well. Justin’s cinematography was awesome too, it was a great experience to have them both on board.

What are some of the band’s overall influences and are there any influences specific to this record, musical, media, or otherwise? BEN: We all have a lot of different influences in and outside of music. There are definitely a few bands that we can all connect on. I think

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INTERVIEW BY REI HAYCRAFT PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF STELLAR CIRCUITS for the most part we’re fans of music, film or artists that think outside the box. I know I’ve always been really inspired by progressive artists that can create work that is palatable to the mainstream. TYLER: I usually find myself most drawn to

music that feels like an experience. There is certain music that transcends those boundaries for me and resonates at a deeper level. Usually, for me, these are artists that explore the melancholy area between light and dark, or major and minor. Sometimes these artists will capture feelings in their music that I don’t quite understand, but they will resonate on some level that will keep me coming back and listening over and over. Are there any songs that didn’t make the cut for the record? If so, might those resurface in later records? JESSE: We we’re working on some more

material towards the end of the process but nothing that was completed. We basically worked on the record all up until we went into the studio. TYLER: I think there was a point right before we went into the studio when we thought we might have 14 or 15 songs on the record. We had a lot of ideas floating around towards the end of the writing process including a song that would have been the heaviest

and another one that would have been the lightest on the album, but there just wasn’t enough time to finish them. Hopefully they will resurface on the next album. For each of you, is there a single song that stands out as your favorite, either to play live or in general? BEN: It’s tough to choose one song. They all have their own place to me. I probably like different ones a little more at different times depending on the mood I’m in. It’s cliché, but they really are all like your children. JESSE: I love all the songs within the journey of the album but I will say I really enjoy playing “The Polar Dream” live.

Which song was the first that was written for this album and which was the final piece? JESSE: The first song that was written for this

album was “The Polar Dream” and the last was the title track “Fell Under A Spell.” What’s next on the horizon for Stellar Circuits? BEN: We really just want to create a sustainable band that can last for years to come. Our goal is to continue to expand and tour in different parts of the country and hopefully the world…and to also get started on the next record. TYLER: A dream of mine is to travel, and gain a better understanding of the world I live in. I

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INTERVIEW think my ultimate goal in this life is to do that while playing music. But until then… I’m ready to start writing again. And connecting with as many people as possible through this thing that we’ve made. 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? JESSE: To be honest I don’t feel like I have enough knowledge and experience to feel good about giving other musicians advice but I will say make sure you’re in it for the right reasons and keep good relationships with your bandmates. I believe the music industry

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INTERVIEW BY REI HAYCRAFT PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF STELLAR CIRCUITS will be forever changing and all we can do as individuals is focus on what inspires us to want to continue to create. It’s easier than ever to write and record music now. We can spread it to a lot of people with a click of a button because of the internet. It’s up to us to be creative and innovative.

Any other words of wisdom to share or anything that you would like fans to know?

BEN: I’d just like to say thanks to anyone that listens to us and supports the band. We’re so grateful for the opportunity to be able to create music and share it with the world, and we hope to continue doing so for many more TYLER: I’m not any kind of guru either, but if years. you don’t take what you do seriously, don’t TYLER: I’m grateful every day that I have expect other people to. If this is your dream, the opportunity to channel what I love into you’re going to have to go all in. People something that other people can connect connect with honesty. If you’rehonest with with. If you’ve been to one of our shows, yourself, with your bandmates, and with the thank you. If you’ve listened to one of our music that you write, people will see that. It songs, thank you. If you’re reading this, thank comes through in a record, and it especially you so much for supporting local music. We comes through in the energy you bring to couldn’t be in this crazy business without your live performance. people like you who make it possible for us.

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ALBUM REVIEW

REVIEW WRITTEN BY SERAPHIM DIBBLE PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF STELLAR CIRCUITS

STELLAR CIRCUITS

Ways We Haunt

n a scale of “One to Heavy Metal”, the new album Ways We Haunt by Stellar Circuits comes in at a firm “Heavy Metal”. Their latest LP was recorded in conjunction with producer Jamie King. Jamie is perhaps best known for working with Between the Buried and Me, The Contortionist, and For Today. And it shows. Ways We Haunt is a fantastic posthardcore prog metal album from the start. With the complicated guitar riffs and the clean high vocals leading, it descends into a maelstrom of screams and breakdowns by the end of the first song. “Skylights” swoops back up into the high notes with its ambient clean intro. The humming bass line draws us along into the song until

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way through until the screaming at the end starts. And therein lies the magic, both within Stellar Circuits’ new LP and the post hardcore genre. Plenty of bands have written masterfully complex music with high concepts and skillful instrumentation. Stellar Circuits has written an album that is at once complex and listenable.

the heavier guitars come in. Meanwhile, Ben Beddick’s vocals keep us grounded all the

Listening to Ways We Haunt is like riding a roller coaster. At points it comes to a slow crest, letting you survey the aural soundscape around you. The listener gets a few moments to appreciate how far they’ve come before they are plunged into another blast of metal. The cycle doesn’t get old, either. From “Fell Under A Spell” all the way through the title track at the end, none of it ever feels repetitive.

It is clear that not only do Stellar Circuits share a producer with bands like The Contortionist, but a similar ear for music. The lofty vocals, ambient instrumental tracks, and even album art are reminiscent of other bands in the genre. That isn’t to say the album seeks to copy any band in particular so much as sounds like many of the famous names in the genre. It would really be a shame if you were somehow to get through 2018 without

to Ways We Haunt. Here at Fuel the “If any album were to listening Scene Magazine, we say a lot of albums are And they are. But if any album be crowned at the top must-haves. were to be crowned at the top of our list of you must listen to”, Ways We Haunt of our list of ‘things you “things would be a serious contender. The first single, “Go With Your Ghost”, is already available, must listen to’ Ways and the entire album becomes available on 9th. Make sure you order it now We Haunt would be a November so you don’t waste a single moment! serious contender.”

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ALBUM REVIEW

REVIEW BY SERAPHIM DIBBLE PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF CENTRAL DISORDER

CENTRAL DISORDER

Eradication

hicago is known for many things. Among those things is a tremendous music scene that has given birth to a great number of fantastic sounds. Central Disorder was formed in 2009. Since then, they’ve released a number of songs and albums, with the latest being Eradication. Released on 25th September of this year, the album clocks in at eleven songs and forty-seven minutes long. Eradication opens with news of some insurrection occurring, with only one survivor apparent and pleading for a way to win. This leads straight into “Insurrection”. Eradication goes right from the cinematic intro to a devastating metal track. Central Disorder proves within these first few moments that they are not here to take prisoners. They are

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The cinematic track sets the tone for the album with excellent production values, and rain that sounds like rain, not just modulated white noise. When paired with tracks like “Insurrection” and “The Reckoning”, it lets you know that you’re in for a thrilling ride. The first half of the album is full of blast beats, killer riffs, and riveting solos. Combine that with the catchy, galloping choruses, and you’re guaranteed some kind of mosh pit at live shows.

here to release a memorable metal album that people will be proud to own, and they have the skills to back that up.

Central Disorder does Chicago proud with their album. There’s plenty of heavy music here to last through the night and fill a venue. Between the excellent writing and the fantastic recording, there is a lot to love here. Make sure you pick up this album today!

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INTERVIEW

BLEEDSEASON

Rei Haycraft spoke with BLEEDSEASON’s guitarist, Ryan Coker, about their return to music and forthcoming album, “Afterbirth.”

For the uninitiated, how would you describe Bleedseason? RYAN: We are a different breed. We don’t fit into any particular sub genre of the vast spectrum of metal these days. It’s heavy music with a deep energy. How did Bleedseason come to be? RYAN: WI’ve been playing music with Eli for a solid decade. We formed Bleedseason in 2013 from the ashes of a prior failed project and we’ve been building on it ever since. What do you hope that fans take away from hearing your music or seeing a live performance? RYAN: WThat it’s something different, heavy, beautiful, and horrific. We don’t want to follow a trend or be comparable. But at the same time, we try to keep it relatable and universal. We strive to reach all audiences. Season Volume 1 (Spring Rebirth) was released last spring and you’re already working on your first full-length, Afterbirth, due out next year. What would you say 30

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will make Afterbirth stand out from your previous release and what parts are you each the most excited about? RYAN: It’s a whole new direction and a different energy. We have Eli Raymer on the drums now, which we are incredibly happy about, so our sound has evolved and we are beyond excited. The writing process is more invigorating than ever and we’re cranking out material like never before. We all feel good about it. What songs off of Season Volume 1 resonated with fans the most? RYAN: Wet Witch and Disregard were definitely the crowd favorites and probably still are for some. Tell us a little bit about the writing and studio recording process for both Season Volume 1: Spring Rebirth and your forthcoming fulllength Afterbirth. RYAN: A Those songs were written by Eli (vocals) and myself in the very early stages of the band. When we solidified the lineup

at the time and were ready, we went to Zack Dufort at Exodian Studios. He made us feel comfortable and confident. And he really brought those songs to life. And that’s why we will join him again for our full-length. Which songs were the first to be written for this album and which were the most recently completed? RYAN: The title track “Afterbirth” was the first to be written after our most recent hiatus and lineup change. And the last song we completed is a song called “The Judge.” We are still in the writing process and have a lot of amazing material on the way. Where do you draw lyrical inspiration from? RYAN: A lot of our past material came from our personal experiences, but we are evolving and adopting more universal concepts and having a lot of fun with it. Are there any songs that are intensely personal for you and what are the stories behind them? RYAN: ”New Hope Plantation” tells a deep

INTERVIEW BY REI HAYCRAFT LIVE PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAUL JONES story in regards to Eli’s childhood and the loss of his mother and his experience of sleep paralysis at a young age. By far our darkest and most meaningful song. What are some of your favorite memories from this last year? And whata reyou most excited for? RYAN: Opening for Saliva and Slaughter to Prevail was pretty awesome and we’re just excitedto get back at it and do what we do. What’s next on the horizon for Bleedseason and what can fans look forward to? RYAN: The full-length album Afterbirth, of course, and we intend to play shows at a steady pace, so keep an eye out! What advice would you have for other bands starting out in their own local scenes? RYAN: SUPPORT EACH OTHER! This isn’t a competition. Everyone has to come together for a music scene to thrive.

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ALBUM REVIEW

REVIEW BY SERAPHIM DIBBLE PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF MASSIVE WAGONS

MASSIVE WAGONS Full Nelson E

arache Records brings you anything but earaches. Massive Wagons has just released their new album, Full Nelson. This marks their third release and their first album on Earache Records. Full Nelson is an album of British hard rock that will take you back to the eighties and nineties within moments. From the opening moments of “Under No Illusion”, the album does its best to invent time travel. It takes us back to a time of delightfully high-energy songs that you can just relax to. The sound of the album conjures up mental images of good friends getting together to hang out. From its simple and melodic choruses to the catchy guitar riffs, Massive Wagons has produced a sound that comes out as a love letter to bands like Def Leppard. “China Plates” continues this. It is a fast and rowdy romp into hard rock, which is interesting given that the songs before and after are a bit slower in pace. “Billy Balloon

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techniques flawlessly. “Sunshine Smile”, for example, sounds like half Guns N’ Roses and half something entirely new or different. “Northern Boy” is entirely different again, with its clean guitars and ballad feel. The heaviest song yet comes up next, with “Robot (Trust in Me)” sounding perfectly at home alongside other metal artists like Judas Priest or Metallica. It is certainly a talent they possess and use to its full capabilities.

Head”, for example, returns to the more Def Leppard feel of the first track. All three songs are solid to play, though. One thing that Massive Wagons does really well, though, is contrast the different sounds of their songs. They blend in sounds and

“Full Nelson is an album of British hard rock that will take you back to the eighties and nineties within moments.”

It is also worth talking about the mastering on this album. The guitars are clean and crisp and always audible. You never lose Baz Mills’ vocals in the mix, almost always able to pick out his vocals. The bass is audible and adds just enough rhythm and low end to the melody. And best of all, the drums feel punchy without coming across as overly compressed. Massive Wagons is very good at knowing exactly how to deliver killer music.

“From the lyrics to the sound, Full Nelson sounds like a night at the pub followed by a bout of fisticuffs.”

Full Nelson is very, very British. From the lyrics to the sound, it sounds like a night at the pub followed by a bout of fisticuffs.The album art is also straight out from the UK, featuring an image of a bare knuckles boxer getting ready to go. If you ever missed the reign of bands like Def Leppard, this is something you want to pick up and make sure you don’t miss it. Pick it up today!

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ALBUM REVIEW

LIKE PACIFIC

REVIEW BY SERAPHIM DIBBLE PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF LIKE PACIFIC

In Spite Of Me

ike Pacific’s 2018 album, In Spite of Me, comes out swinging with its chorus in the first seconds. In Spite of Me is their second studio album, and wastes not a single second in getting you roped into their brand of energetic punk rock. The Canadian quintet has been around nearly a decade now, and In Spite of Me is a reflection of the band’s growth throughout that time. The song’s opening line repeats itself throughout as a catchy and fun chorus, combined with the singer’s yelling. The cadence of “In Spite of Me” soon gives way to the rousing drums of “Sedatives”. In the last half of the 2000’s through the early 2010’s, pop punk hit a high point of popularity. During this time, bands like Taking Back Sunday, My Chemical Romance, and Fall Out Boy seemed to be at their most popular. It was this period that brought us a sound that Like Pacific has preserved. “Sedatives” and “Had It Coming” are loving letters written to this period of the genre, with musical and lyrical callbacks throughout. That isn’t to say that they’re stuck in the past, though. Like Pacific has enough songwriting

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producing albums like In Spite of Me that have stupendously good songs on them.

chops and know-how to stay out of the nostalgia trap. “The Spring” is a great example of this. With the lightning-pace drumbeat interspersed by ‘softer’ drum-free moments and the almost-but-not-quite-hardcore lyrics, it stands on its own as a force of sound. In places, such as throughout “Self Defeated”, one can hear echoes of vocal styles similar to Coheed & Cambria. It is clear that Like Pacific is not a band to stand idle while the world moves. They watch, listen, learn, and adapt,

It is hard to say, though, if the lyrics are about somebody the singer’s broken up with, or an abstract concept. The album seems to entirely be about the theme of being with somebody that saw the singer as a waste of time, but that’s an unsteady narrative. It swings between being happy about the break-up and upset about it, with some songs wishing he was back in the relationship. It is worth noting, however, that people who have gone through sustained emotional abuse can swing through this narrative arc as well, which might be something Like Pacific fully intended to emulate. During the 2000’s and early 2010’s punk pop era, music was fast, raw, and emotional. Like Pacific has successfully brought that forward into 2018. While they have put out a few EP’s, this is only their second full-length album. Following two years behind their last, it is clear that they’ve spent two years refining their craft. They are a band to watch. Be sure to pick up their new album today!

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