Fuel The Scene Magazine #01 JAN 2018 by Fuel The Scene Magazine

ISSUE #1 JAN 2018

ISSUE #1 | JANUARY 2018

IN THIS ISSUE 1

12 BANDS THAT YOU SHOULD ABSOLUTELY BE LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW

THE RETICENT INTERVIEW AND MUSIC VIDEO PREMIERE

10 14

Come Clean, The Reticent, Never I, Harm, Reason | Define, Extinction Level Event, A Light Divided, Paperback, Fractured Frames, Curses, Kairos., SoulSeason

INTERVIEW WITH DED AT LOUDER THAN LIFE SOMETHING CLEVER “SEASON OF LIGHT” ALBUM RELEASE SHOW

Raimee, Vices & Vessels, Skinkage, and Something Clever

KILLING THE CATALYST “WHEN CHAOS REIGNS” REVIEW

SMOKE FROM ALL THE FRICTION “THE CLUMSIEST WALTZ” REVIEW

INTERVIEW WITH PAPA ROACH AT CAROLINA REBELLION

TRIVIUM & ARCH ENEMY SHOW REVIEW

Trivium, Arch Enemy, Fit For An Autopsy, and While She Sleeps

WARPED TOUR ‘17 GALLERY

INTERVIEW WITH ANTI-FLAG AT WARPED TOUR

REASON|DEFINE “FAR FROM STRANGERS” ALBUM REVIEW

DETHCADENCE “HELLACREATIVE” ALBUM REVIEW

CODEX OBSCURA “MIIRA” ALBUM REVIEW

WELCOME TO ROCKVILLE FESTIVAL REVIEW

INTERVIEW WITH THREE DAYS GRACE AT WELCOME TO ROCKVILLE

INTERVIEW WITH THE CHARM THE FURY AT WELCOME TO ROCKVILLE

SHATTERPROOF EP 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, William Dibble, Jaton Blaney, Kristy Streyle Photographers | William Dibble, Kevin McGee, Terie Shaver, Rei Haycraft, Gary Carota, Michael Harris, Hannah Lee Writers | William Dibble, Rose Estrada, Jaton Blaney, Rei Haycraft Designer | Rei Haycraft / Revenant Images

Front Cover Credit: Hannah Lee Photography, Revenant Images, Optical Explosion Images by Terie

12 BANDS THAT YOU SHOULD ABSOLUTELY BE LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW (THAT KICKED ASS IN 2017)

COME CLEAN Pop Punk Greensboro, NC @comecleannc @comecleannc comecleannc .bandcamp.com

THE RETICENT Progressive Metal Raleigh, NC @thereticentmusic The Reticent thereticent.net

NEVER I Post-Hardcore Charlotte, NC @neverimusic @neverimusic neverimusic.com FUEL THE SCENE MAGAZINE

12 BANDS THAT YOU SHOULD ABSOLUTELY BE HARM Post-Hardcore Greensboro, NC @harmnoise @harmnoise harmnoise .bandcamp.com

REASON | DEFINE Rock Charlotte, NC @reasondefine @reasondefine reasondefine.com

EXTINCTION LEVEL EVENT Metal | Winston-Salem, NC @extinctionleveleventband @elebandofficial extinctionleveleventnc .bandcamp.com 2

JAN 2018

LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW (THAT KICKED ASS IN 2017) A LIGHT DIVIDED Hard Rock/Metal Winston-Salem, NC @alightdivided @alightdivided alightdivided.com

PAPERBACK Emo/Pop/Punk Wilkesboro, NC @ncsadrock Paperback NC paperbacknc .bandcamp.com

FRACTURED FRAMES Progressive Metal Asheville, NC @fracturedframesnc @fractured_frames fracturedframes .bandcamp.com FUEL THE SCENE MAGAZINE

12 BANDS THAT YOU SHOULD ABSOLUTELY BE LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW (THAT KICKED ASS IN 2017)

CURSES Metalcore/Post-Hardcore Bluefield, WV @officialcurses @officialcurses cursesofficial .bigcartel.com

KAIROS. Progressive Metal Charlotte, NC @kairosband12 @kairos_band kairos.band

SOULSEASON Hard Rock/Metal Greensboro, NC @soulseasonband @soulseasonband soulseasonband .bigcartel.com 4

JAN 2018

FUEL THE SCENE MAGAZINE

INTERVIEW + MUSIC VIDEO PREMIERE

THE RETICENT Fuel The Scene Magazine proudly hosted the exclusive music video premiere for “The Decision,” along with our behind-the-scenes interview with Chris Hathcock, singer and guitarist for The Reticent and director of the film.

What was your creative vision for this music video? CHRIS: “The Decision” is a rather straightforward moment in the narrative of the whole album so the visuals needed to reflect the statements and actions in the song. With the video, I wanted to be able to show Eve’s struggle, torment, but also show her warmth. To achieve this, I strove to create something that was more like a silent film than a music video. I purposefully chose to include no shots of a band playing or me singing or anything like that so that the if someone watched the video on mute they could still follow a (hopefully) coherent—if oddly presented—story. What was it like working as the primary writer, director, and acting in your own film?

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CHRIS: It was certainly challenging. I’ve never written a script before, directed a video before (I don’t think the things that accompany our live shows truly count), or acted before (I was a band kid, not a theater kid). I originally had a director secured for the video but that fell through and so I decided to do this myself. I bought a camera, read up a lot on how to make a short film, and just did the best I could. There is so much to consider and take into account that doesn’t occur to you when you are just writing a script. Likewise, when you are acting. Luckily my part is minimal so I was blessed to be in such close proximity to a truly great actress in Rebekah who played Eve. Directing was not a difficult thing as everyone involved just went with my crazy ideas so it was a very smooth production. I also tried to be sure to listen to Rebekah and Alexis (cinematographer) when

they suggested something that was different than my original vision or if they just wanted to try something again even when I was happy. It was a very exhausting process but honestly, it was extremely stimulating. I would love to write and direct another video someday. The editing was probably the most tedious part. How did you choose the actress to play Eve? CHRIS: I had posted an ad searching for an actress to play Eve. A few ladies reached out and I asked them for just an audition video of them showing a few emotions: joy, despair, emptiness, etc. It was important to me that they not use words as again this whole project was approached like a silent film. I was looking for someone that could radiate genuine warmth while also being able to bring out true despair. I received some really good auditions

INTERVIEW BY REI HAYCRAFT CINEMATOGRAPHY BY ALEXIS HELMS

but Rebekah’s was just on another level. I felt her pain instantly and I knew she was Eve because of how contagious her emotions were. What was it like working with Rebekah and reliving some of those moments with Eve? CHRIS: Rebekah may be one of the kindest, most agreeable actresses in the history of film. She is such a team player and truly wants to understand the soul of what it is she is doing. She was so believable in many moments that everyone in the room would just go silent watching her. She made every part of every job I had on this ten times easier. Reliving some moments, as you can imagine, were harder than others. As the shots got to what is the video’s climax, I began pacing a lot more as we shot trying to keep myself together. The dam burst a bit when I cried over Eve’s body (I’m not acting). However, I held it all together a lot better than I was afraid of and tried to focus on every technical thing I could so that the memories would not start to corrupt what I was trying to do. What was the most surprising part of the filming and editing process? CHRIS: The most surprising part was how easy it is to make a mistake or forget something. Even with shot lists, even with every organizational trick in the box, there’s always something. I suppose it is fair to say that I was surprised how much I delved into trying to make the vision come to life. What was the hardest thing about the filming and editing process? CHRIS: Aside from the most literal scene at the climax, which I already discussed, the hardest part for me personally came a bit after filming. I became so wrapped up in the video that I sacrificed lots of sleep to work on the edit – getting the timing of this right, changing out shots, adding the right filter, correcting this color, changing this transition, etc. After all of that work, I had the first version done. I hit play in my dimly lit room and just watched it scroll by. By the time I reached the end, I began to weep. Hard. I felt as though I was losing her all over again. I had been so focused on every other technical thing that when I finally just sat FUEL THE SCENE MAGAZINE

and watched it, it was like my heart was being ripped open again. So I suppose getting the separation from my experience and what the video should be was the hardest part because the emotion ran so very high. What do you hope that viewers will take away from viewing your film? CHRIS: I want viewers to be affected by the video. I tried my best to make something that isn’t a typical music video and I hope folks may look at it differently. I am not saying it is better than others. Just different. I want viewers to want to save Eve, like I did – and still do. I want them to reflect when it is over. And finally, I truly want them to think about how close suicide is for many people. In the US alone for every person that is successful in ending their life, twenty-five attempt suicide, and countless others plan, contemplate, and fantasize about committing suicide. If suicide is the second leading cause of death for folks ages 10-24 then this video is my way of trying to get people to look at that reality. I don’t have the answers, I don’t have the solutions, and damn it I wish I did. The best I can do is share my story and experiences and encourage people to reach out if they are in pain. I would have helped Eve. I would have done anything in this world for her. Maybe someone who’s having a hard time and wrestle with their desire to die will watch the video and just consider making the attempt to say to someone—anyone—something as simple as “I hurt” thereby giving those that care about them the chance to help them. These are all lofty goals that probably (more like definitely) exceed the remarkably meager and mediocre talent I have. But what honor do I pay to Eve if I am not striving for something beyond my reach? Watch the “The Decision” and find more from The Reticent at www.thereticent.net

JAN 2018

FUEL THE SCENE MAGAZINE

INTERVIEW

DED Rei Haycraft got a chance to catch up with rising nu-metal act DED after their set at Louder Than Life in Louisville, KY about their new album, Mis•An•Thrope, fan reactions, touring with their heroes, and how to best deal with internet trolls!

Rei Haycraft here with Fuel the Scene Magazine and we’re hanging out with Ded at Louder Than Life! DAVID: What up? JOE: How you doin’? Last time we caught up with you guys was at Carolina Rebellion and that was the beginning of an insane summer and fall for you all. Can you give us the recap? DAVID: We were out with Korn for a month. Korn, Stone Sour, Skillet, Yelawolf. We did a bunch of festivals. I can’t remember the names. I’m sure you got ‘em. You’re better with names. Joe: We did Rock on the Range. We did PointFest with the Breaking Benjamin guys and we did ... What else did we do, man? KYLE: Chicago Open Air. DAVID: High Elevation. JOE: Sonic Boom tomorrow. So you pretty much did everything. DAVID: We’re trying to. JOE: Yeah. By the end of the year we’re gonna do Knotfest.

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DAVID: That’s the plan. JOE: We’re doing Rock Allegiance, Shiprocked coming up. DAVID: I’ve never been on a cruise before, so we’ll see. Maybe I’ll throw up during the set. Who knows? That’ll just be an intimate moment with the fans. DAVID: We got plenty of time to do it. At Rebellion, we were gearing up for you all to release Misanthrope and then, in July, it dropped to great acclaim, I would say. DAVID: Thank you. That’s probably the most highly anticipated album in our circles, for sure. We got to review it and it’s still in rotation. DAVID: Was the album okay? It was absolutely fantastic. There is not a single track on there that we don’t listen to and love— there are no skippable tracks. JOE: We tried really hard to make it that way. Thank you. That’s awesome.

How has the reception been for you all? How have you been reacting to the fans reacting to the album? DAVID: It’s an incredible feeling to see people loving it the way they do. I don’t think we’ve ever ... any of us have ever put out a CD in any band we’ve ever been in that received this much praise. It’s crazy. JOE: Absolutely. Yeah. I haven’t seen a bad review, I don’t think. There’s usually ... maybe some mixed reviews. DAVID: We look for them! JOE: Yeah. We looked ... We tried because we’re hard on ourselves. We’re like, where’s the guy that hates us? We’re not seeing it. I’m sure he’s there, though. DAVID: Yeah, I’m sure he’s there. I’ve seen him in comments, just never a full review. JOE: Exactly, yeah. We love the comments, too. KYLE: The comments are the best. They’re hilarious. DAVID: If you’re writing a shitty comment, just know that we’re laughing our ass off about it. It’s fun.

COVERAGE BY REI HAYCRAFT AND KRISTY STREYLE PHOTOGRAPHY BY GARY CAROTA

JOE: We don’t care if you don’t like us. It’s totally fine. DAVID: We’ve seen “Anti-Everything, more like Anti-Talented”, which was one of my favorites. JOE: That’s a good one. Yeah, I saw that. David: I think that was my favorite so far. It was just clever. Hats off to that guy.

JOE: They have the album now. DAVID: It’s really crazy just to see so many people looking to catch your eye contact and they’re singing the words to you like they wanna ... They want you to see them singing the words, which is so rad. That’s the coolest part.

Yeah. Don’t feed the trolls. DAVID: No, it’s fine. It’s funny. JOE: It’s just an opinion. It’s totally ... It’s just funny. It’s great. DAVID: A lot of people just make good jokes, too. If we can’t laugh at ourselves ... well, if you can’t laugh at yourself, you’re taking yourself too seriously, I guess. KYLE: Haven’t we been told that online, that we were good at laughing at ourselves? JOE: Yeah, because I’ve commented back to a couple people and they’d be like, “Well, that’s pretty cool that they ...” They’ll make fun of us and I’ll be like, “Oh, you know, whatever.” And then they’ll be like ...”Oh, that’s cool. You guys are pretty cool, actually.” DAVID: Shitty comments, the most clever ones, I’ll like them from the fan page ‘cause they’re funny. They’re good! Whoever’s doin’ it, keep it up whether you like the band or not. It’s awesome. KYLE: If it’s funny, it’s good. DAVID: We share them with each other. If there’s something classic, we say, “You gotta read this thing.” JOE: We send it into the group text, absolutely. DAVID: Here’s a screen shot of what I just saw last night.

What are some things, either funny or memorable things, that have happened this summer? JOE: Man, I never saw Metallica before. That was very special for me. KYLE: Ozzy at Chicago Open Air, as well. JOE: Yeah, watching legends play. Never seen either of them play. It was really cool. There was a dude in a unicorn floatie at Rock on the Range. That was hilarious. DAVID: I got a perfect video of this guy crowd surfing in a unicorn blow-up floatie. It’s probably one of my favorite videos I’ve ever gotten. It was completely sporadic, too. KYLE: I think Matt saw somebody crowd surf on top of another person. He was holding his hands and the guy had his arms straight up and there’s a guy on top of him like this, just going towards the front. DAVID: We had a 71-year-old woman crowd surf For Ded today. That’s one of my favorite memories, for sure. I’ll never forget that. JOE: Yeah. The mosh pitting and just the energy, we love that. We love the pitting and the crowd surfing, man. We love it.

Now that you’ve had all of these festivals under your belt, what songs are the fans reacting to the best or the most poignant for them live? JOE: I think Anti-Everything is always there. I think FMFY, Architect, Disassociate, Hate Me ...You saw the set today? Did you notice a pretty big difference?

You all are really in tune with the energy that is coming off of the crowd. It really seems to fuel you. The more hyped they get, you can see you all getting more and more hyped. JOE: Oh, yeah. I think that’s every band. If you come out and see your favorite band and you let them know that the music makes you feel a certain way, they’re gonna feed off of that and they’re gonna give you more of that energy that you’re looking for. It’s a show. It’s a communal thing, absolutely.

I only got to catch a couple of songs of Rebellion, but the set today was amazing, and the crowd reaction was insane. JOE: It’s growing fast to us, for sure. DAVID: The crowd interaction, it seems like they jump when we jump, they head bang when we head bang.

How does that differ from working on music videos? DAVID: Music videos are hard because you’re rocking out for nobody. There’s no applause. You just go super-hard and then just hear the person be like, “Cut.” KYLE: Right. Yeah. Cue the playback.

DAVID: Then everybody just jumps in their job. So you have to really be mentally aware that you’re doing a video, but you have to be in the space of ... We can all dream what it’s like to be at a show and have a crowd going nuts. You have to have that in your head because, if you just feel like, I just worked my ass off and nobody’s clapping anymore... You’re gonna feel like shit after a minute, when you just really go, all right. Cool. I know what I’m doing. I’ve done this before. I think the first music video I ever did was probably one of the most awkward experiences, ‘cause you have to go so hard and the director’s there and everybody just tells you, “Let’s hit it again.” They’re just sitting there holding something. You’re like, feeling your back and your neck and stuff. And you ask them, “What should I do? Do you have any notes?” And they’re like, “No, man. It’s great.” JOE: Yeah. “Keep doin’ that!” DAVID: But the camera wasn’t even pointed towards me! I don’t think he even saw anything I did. JOE: We all ask each other, How’d you do? “Uh, I think I did okay. I have no idea.” DAVID: At a show you see the immediate response. In the video, you have to wait for the playback for the response. JOE: Like we did our videos with Fred Durst. He’s pretty good at saying, “Yo, that was sick. Do more of that.” He’s pretty good at coaching you, honestly. DAVID: He’s really good at placement, too. On FUEL THE SCENE MAGAZINE

INTERVIEW

COVERAGE BY REI HAYCRAFT AND KRISTY STREYLE PHOTOGRAPHY BY GARY CAROTA

stage, you’re running around all over the place. In a video, you have to find your mark. ‘Cause we also wanna make sure that everybody’s filmed equally, especially a lot of our videos. You wanna see all four of the people. You don’t want so-and-so blocking this and whatever. You have to be aware, but also lose your mind in the moment, too, so that’s a little weird. How was the whole being in a cage thing in the Remember The Enemy video? DAVID: That’s on him. He broke his toe. Joe: I smashed my toe. I think it’s still broken, but you’re just supposed to live with it, I hear. It hurts terribly. Still?! JOE: It’s two months later, and yes. DAVID: He told Fred, “I think I broke my toe.” And Fred said, “How many times do you think you can do this again, then?” Instead of being like, “All right. Cool. We got what we needed.” JOE: He’s like a football coach. He’s like, “All right. Cool.” DAVID: Oh, that’s cool. Walk it off. Walk it off. JOE: Crawl back in that space. DAVID: How much more do you think you have in you, then? JOE: How metal are you? Yeah. DAVID: Your other toe’s not broken, lead with that one. JOE: Yeah, yeah. It all turned out sick, so I’ll live with it until it goes away. Do you all have any more music videos in the works? I know you’ve got a lot of shows and tours coming up. DAVID: Plans for two more. JOE: Yeah. Remember the Enemy is the new single, though, either way. We saw that it’s 24 on Billboard right now. We’re stoked. Remember the Enemy’s an awesome song and we’re stoked that it’s out there. DAVID: Response from the video has been amazing. It’s a nice change from Anti-Everything, which was also awesome, but it was more mysterious. DAVID: Yeah, we did that on purpose. One of them was very clear and then one of them wasn’t. The next one will be something else, too. Secrets! You all are also nominated for a kickass award. Want to tell us about that?

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KYLE: Best new artist at Livewire! JOE: It’s really cool. That’s a website I’ve been going to for years to get my news. Speaking of bucket list items, you have crossed dozens of them off just in the last couple of months. What’s next on your bucket list? JOE: I guess just more cool tours, just playing with more bands. Today, seeing the way the crowd was and the growth from the first festival we played and in some of the shows, to the way that it was today, like having three simultaneous mosh pits. That made me smile real quick. I was stoked on that. More mosh pits! DAVID: I think everything’s a bucket list item, honestly. Europe’s a bucket list. International’s a bucket list. Everywhere you go, there’s always something new—what if we did that, I’ve seen that band do this. You want to do it all. I think even just playing all of these summer festivals was a bucket list. Now even just to be here, and then not just do one or two, to be like we’re doing every single one. Like, I feel like we’ve been on tour with Gojira, which is the best feeling in the world. We have one fan question from the website: Joe, do you have any kind of pre-show ritual for your vocals like tea or vocal rest? JOE: Oh, yeah. I do some brief scales, I guess, real quick. I do a little bit of jogging, some stretching. We do Insanity sometimes, just some of the stretches from Insanity. Sometimes a couple drinks just to get warmed up. That’s about it. Nothing crazy. My vocal secret is years

of training my vocals and practicing a lot. That’s what my secret is. DAVID: As a person who records him singing a lot, he doesn’t need a lot of warm-ups. It’s crazy. I’ll wake him up at 10 in the morning and be like, “Come in the studio, we gotta sing something today.” He’ll be there at 10:30 and it sounds awesome. Whatever he does, I like it. Is there anything else that you want fans to know, other than all the great stuff we’ve covered already? JOE: Just to stay in touch with us. We try to watch all of our social media. It’s D-e-d, Ded Official on Facebook, Ded Official on Instagram. @WeAreDed on Twitter. DAVID: Yeah. Just reach out. Talk to us. Say whatever you’re thinking. JOE: Let us know if you wanna to come to your place or your state or wherever you are. Thank you guys for reacting the way you have been. KYLE: Yeah. Seriously, just catch us online, hit us up, tell us where you want us to be and we’ll be there. [Points microphone at Matt] MATT: Hi. ALL: [Laughter] DAVID: “I wasn’t expecting this!” JOE: That’s an inside joke. Anyway, go on. DAVID: [to Rei] Thank you for having us back, by the way. Yes, absolutely! Whenever we see you all on something, we’ll do our best to catch you! DAVID: If not, I’m gonna start photo bombing all of your interviews until we get back on!

FUEL THE SCENE MAGAZINE

SHOW REVIEW

REVIEW WRITTEN BY WILLIAM DIBBLE PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILLIAM DIBBLE & TERIE SHAVER

SOMETHING CLEVER Season of Light ALBUM RELEASE At The Fillmore Underground in Charlotte, NC

he Fillmore sits on the outskirts of Charlotte amongst a compound of restaurants and other buildings, across from the Avidxchange Music Factory buildings. The Underground sits in front of the Fillmore proper, a low but large building. There is a sort of antechamber as one enters the building where they scan tickets and take care of any necessary purchases or arrangements as needed, and then a set of doors that leads into the actual venue. One of the first observations that a person can make about this venue is how clean, well-lit, and immaculate it is.

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Immediately on the right is an easily accessible merchandise section for bands, with lit screens advertising to the concertgoers. The Underground has a total of three separate bars. Two are accessible on the main floor. The first is immediately on the left, running along the wall, with a second in front of the merch section, set up like an island. The Underground is a general admission venue, but there is an elevated VIP lounge on the right with couches, reserved seating, and a fantastic view of the stage, at an extra charge.

“Raimee’s lead vocalist, Rei, boasts an impressive voice... backed by Kristy’s screams, their sound energized the crowd... in a huge way.”

SHOW REVIEW

SOMETHING CLEVER SEASON OF LIGHT ALBUM RELEASE SHOW

RAIMEE Raimee, of Greensboro, NC, was the first band to take the stage. Raimee’s lead vocalist, Rei, boasts an impressive voice reminiscent of Evanescence’s Amy Lee, but with a heavier, more aggressive style. Backed by Kristy’s screams, their sound energized the crowd, preparing them for the upcoming bands in a huge way. Raimee’s coordinated stage outfits, with its goth-inspired tones, contrasts heavily with Rei’s brilliant hair. When combined with the music, this provides an excellent visual stage presence that matches their energy and power. Their openers included a cover of Ghost’s popular “Square Hammer,” Rei’s vocals loaned the song a new feel, and it was clearly popular with the crowd.

FUEL THE SCENE MAGAZINE

VICES & VESSELS Hardcore band Vices & Vessels are native to the Charlotte area. They initially took the stage in masks with a backing track from the movie The Purge. As soon as the track ended, they played a short introductory track, before launching into an explosive, moshinspiring set. The type of crowd energy seen during a hardcore show is substantially different from other types of metal. You get some crowd surfing with both, but metal tends to inspire more traditional, shovestyle moshpits while hardcore inspires fistswinging and roundhouse kicks. Toward the end of their set, the mosh pit began winding down. Max, on of the vocalists of Vices & Vessels, implored the audience to split into two halves to perform the ‘wall of death’, one of the most infamous forms of a mosh pit. After this, Max leapt from the stage into the audience, surfing across the top at the edges of the mosh pit. Despite the storm of mosh violence and emotion, the venue and the audience managed to survive V&V’s set.

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SKINKAGE Up next was SkinKage. Their brand of hardcore was blended with a little more metal than the previous band, focusing on longer songs as well. Almost immediately, people were being thrown on top of the crowd as their songs assaulted the audience. The photographers in the pit had to duck for cover as the first of the surfers came down in front of the barrier. As SkinKage’s set wore on, they did not let up with their energy or their heavy-hitting songs. The audience gave as much as they could in return. This is the type of energy one would expect from a nationally touring hardcore band like Dillinger Escape Plan or Car Bomb. Between SkinKage and V&V, it would be very difficult to say if either one had ‘more’ energy, as both bands were absolutely fantastic, despite being sandwiched between more traditionally metal bands Raimee and Something Clever.

SHOW REVIEW

SOMETHING CLEVER SEASON OF LIGHT ALBUM RELEASE SHOW

FUEL THE SCENE MAGAZINE

SOMETHING CLEVER Before the night’s headliner, Something Clever, took the stage, the projector was put to use again. This time, it showcased the interview video that covered the making of their new album, Season of Light. As the interviews wound down, the audience began cheering in anticipation. A countdown appeared on the screen, and the screen rose as it hit zero. Something Clever opened up with the new album’s first song, “Snake Oil.” If the sound of Season of Light were to be boiled down to one description, it could be mid-era A.F.I. combined with a dash of late-era Slipknot, and influences of the metalcore movement. This shows in their booming stage presence, making heavy use of a LED-clad microphone stand, bottom-lit stage platforms, and other crowd-pleasing techniques. At one point, frontman Adam jumped out into the crowd, continuing to sing as he surfed over the crowd before returning to the stage to finish the set.

“Every band of the night had a seasoned stage presence, commanding the stage and making use of every inch of it.”

JAN 2018

SHOW REVIEW

Every band of the night had a seasoned stage presence, commanding the stage and making use of every inch of it. Despite the show being a blending of two very different crowds and genres, the production came together very smoothly, filling the venue nearly to capacity early in the night and leaving

SOMETHING CLEVER SEASON OF LIGHT ALBUM RELEASE SHOW

the crowd wanting more. If nothing else, the overwhelming success of this show proves a testament to the strength, solidarity, and raw talent of the local and regional live music scene—something that will continue to flourish as The Fillmore Underground welcomes more local bands in the region to share its stage.

“...this show proves a testament to the strength, solidarity, and raw talent of the local and regional live music scene.”

FUEL THE SCENE MAGAZINE

JAN 2018

ALBUM REVIEW

WRITTEN BY WILLIAM DIBBLE

KILLING THE CATALYST When Chaos Reigns I

t often feels like the metalcore genre is crowded with newcomers and older groups alike. You cannot throw a stone without hitting a metalcore band. That being said, it is still a genre full of bands worth listening to. Killing the Catalyst is one of those bands. Killing the Catalyst hails from the Wake County area of North Carolina, and has just released their new album, When Chaos Reigns.

The album starts out with arcade sounds and an introductory track, before the first real song, “Metamorphosis”, begins. It is apparent within seconds that Killing the Catalyst knows what they are doing when it comes to metalcore. With killer riffs and powerful vocals, this song comes tearing right out of the album and into your brain. “Steven Seagulls” and “Metamorphosis” both start out at breakneck speeds, and share their incredible breakdowns in common. “Skirmish” doesn’t relent at all. These are the types of songs that the crowd will mosh hard to, then stop to sing the lyrics. Or sing the words while moshing. While it is a good song, by the time you get to “Everytime”, some of the songs begin to run together a little. “Everytime” is still an excellent song, but it blends in with the previous songs just a little. “When I Turn My Hat Around” is very quick to remedy this. It has a unique and distinct sound, while being heavy as hell. Featuring alternating sections of slower breakdowns and faster chords and leads, the song flows very well. It is definitely one of the stronger offerings on When Chaos Reigns. “Me Vs. Me” also carries a unique sound after opening with a clean intro. These songs really begin to drive home just how diverse Killing the Catalyst’s songwriting can be.

“...this album loses no steam from one half to the other. It takes us into the final three songs with powerful, obliterating breakdowns and screams.”

This is followed by the instrumental interlude, “Descent”, which takes us into “Rise From Misery” by way of guitar feedback. “Rise From Misery” is determined to prove that this album loses no steam from one half to the other. It takes us into the final three songs with powerful, obliterating breakdowns and screams. Then there’s the title track, “When Chaos Reigns”. At points, it feels like this song is composed solely of breakdowns. Between that track and “Trouble”, the album closes on a note as heavy as that with which it opened.

Killing the Catalyst cites industry giants like Killswitch Engage and Between the Buried and Me as their influences, among others. They certainly do their fellow bands in the genre proud. Masterfully edited and recorded, When Chaos Reigns is a prime example of the heights of the metalcore genre. Pick it up today at their Bandcamp and other music retailers!

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SINGLE REVIEW

WRITTEN BY WILLIAM DIBBLE

SMOKE FROM ALL THE FRICTION The Clumsiest Waltz

he music scene in Raleigh, NC, is a vibrant and diverse place. While it may feel like the metal scene gets all the press coverage, there are a number of artists in other genres. Smoke From All The Friction is one such artist. SFAtF is a indie rock band that combines elements of dark pop, rock, and electronic music that was born from the minds of two talented musicians.

Smoke From All the Friction has an established hit single, “Cross & Tattoo,” that plays on several local radio stations. “Cross & Tattoo” is a rhythmic and soothing track that is easy on the ears. It combines soft electronic beats with a soft, clean vocal track. It is a bit heavy on bass, but that mostly serves to emphasize the tempo and rhythm. If you were to take the band Owl City and combine it with indie rock elements, you would have a rough idea of what to expect from this track in the best possible way. Their new single, “The Clumsiest Waltz”, opens with a combination of vocalizations and piano. The song focuses not on love, or coming of age, in a direct sense, but more about one aspect of relationships. 22

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“...it is soft and poignant and almost has an ambient feel to it... it is a mesmerizing and fantastic track.”

Smoke From All the Friction discusses and covers the fact that two people may not meet all of each other’s needs and expectations, and also that this is okay. “The Clumsiest Waltz” is musically appropriate to this theme, as well. It is soft and poignant, and almost has an ambient feel to it. A person could easily visualize a relationship-themed montage as they are listening. This ambient feel also applies to the drums, and continues through the end of the song. It is a mesmerizing and fantastic track.

As far as local pop and electronic bands go, Smoke From All the Friction is definitely one to keep an eye on. The leveling and mastering in the tracks keeps each instrument easily separated from the others, allowing you to enjoy both the instrumental aspects and the vocals without struggling to listen. This is something that is not always achieved by groups, with the vocals sometimes getting lost in electronic beats, so it is definitely an achievement. Pick up their music on ReverbNation today!

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INTERVIEW

PAPA ROACH Rei Haycraft got a chance to hang out with Tobin Esperance of Papa Roach backstage before their Carolina Rebellion set and chat about their new album, “Crooked Teeth,” some of the best moments at live shows, and hot yoga.

Rei Haycraft here at Carolina Rebellion with Tobin from Papa Roach. How has your festival been thus far? TOBIN: I literally just got here. I mean ... you’re the first pretty face I’ve seen all day. Perfect! First impressions of Carolina Rebellion! We also saw you guys last week at Welcome to Rockville and it was kick ass. I was down in the pit, you know, getting crowd surfers thrown towards my head. TOBIN: I saw a guy crowdsurfing in a wheelchair! That was epic. It was like, perfect. It was like the sun was going down, we were playing this epic, long extended version of this song that we have and ... I don’t remember which one it was, but I know it was epic. This guy comes over in a wheelchair and everyone’s cheering. I was like “Whoa, this is a trip.” What’s the craziest thing besides that that you’ve seen happen while you’re on stage? TOBIN: I’ve actually seen a guy—I think in a

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wheelchair—you know back in the day, they would do like the trampoline, like the tarp-y type thing where a bunch of people would extend it? Put people on it and flip them up in the air? I think I saw that. And a lot of people throw their limbs—not their actual limbs, but like prosthetics— they’ll just throw them on stage! Yeah, it’s weird. All kinds of weird. I’ve seen it all. I always see stuff go down. Stuff’s always going down when we play. Every body part, every kind of brawl you could imagine... All that stuff. Yeah, you see a lot when you’re up there. You’re just like man, this is crazy. Can you tell us about your touring plans this coming year? TOBIN: We actually just got started, so last weekend was our first show in America playing new songs, all that stuff, since a long time ago. I think since 2015. I think we took the whole year off. Wait, what year is it? I don’t even know. What else do you have planned that fans can look forward to?

TOBIN: I’ll tell you what we have planned. Crooked Teeth is what’s being planned. May 19th, Crooked Teeth. All kinds of new stuff’s going on. We’re going to be touring all over the world. And you’ve got some exciting guests that came on for this album. Can you tell us a little bit about that? TOBIN: We did a song called “Periscope” and we invited this beautiful, wonderful, voice of an angel, her name is Skylar Gray, and we just shot a video for that as a matter of fact. That will be coming out soon. And we also have MGK on that track. I like that guy a lot. He’s good people. Great performer, made friends with him by performing with him on a ... we collaborated on a song together live. He came up and did “Last Resort” with us at this AP awards show. We were just like, “yo”, playing him new demos, get a verse on this song that’s not finished yet and he was like “I’m on it.” So we did, and it was cool.

INTERVIEW BY REI HAYCRAFT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CRIM RADIO

You all are great about collaborations and fostering that sense of community in the music industry. What is that like, being able to bring these other artists into the studio for a Papa Roach track? TOBIN: Well, it’s cool to kind of venture out and grab people that normally they wouldn’t expect. On the last record, we collaborated with Maria [Brink], and I think people loved it, and she’s amazing. I think people would kind of expect that one. On this one we had to do it a little bit different. We were like, let’s just grab some guys and gals that people wouldn’t expect. We saw Maria perform with you all at Welcome to Rockville! That was an awesome moment. I was in the photo pit, so we only get the first three songs and then they make us leave. So as we’re heading out we see Maria going up there with you and we’re like, “Are you kidding? Now we’re not in the pit?” TOBIN: Another epic moment, brought to you by Papa Roach. We’re full of them. You all have a prolific career to say the least. If you had to write your memoirs, what would be the first memory or most epic thing that would make the first chapter? TOBIN: The first memory? I mean, really, there’s so many. We’ve had such a blessed career, like, we’ve done so much crazy shit. Like I said, we’ve seen it all.

playing arenas for the first time and you’re on awards shows and you’re doing things that you would never have imagined. To just having the longevity where we’re at now and just, yeah. It’s all pretty crazy. Playing shows in front of like, a half million people. It’s better than all the drugs, and all the sex, and all the hot yoga. Hot yoga? TOBIN: I don’t know. You ever done it?

I can see the gears turning as you’re flashing through your life... TOBIN: I know, and they’re all rated different things. It’s like X-rated, R-rated, PG-13. Which story should I tell? Which version should I tell? No, but there’s a lot. Really, like, I mean even the days when nobody knew who we were and we were playing just shitty clubs and bars and dives, you know, all over the US. And being in a van. Those were like, some of the best years of my life, and then when we first came out and we started touring and making friends with bands like you know, Korn, and you know Bizkit and Eminem, and all that stuff that we used to do back in the day and you know, you’re

No. I hear everyone talking about it though. Maybe I should check it out. But then again, it sounds kind of miserable. TOBIN: No, it’s not. It feels so good. Like when you force yourself to just stretch and you release all these things. You’re sweating profusely and— I just had to throw something healthy in there, you know, because it’s like ... if you’re gonna drink and do all that other shit, you gotta be healthy too. You gotta balance it out if you’re gonna survive.

Do you have any words of wisdom for our fans that are watching or reading at home? TOBIN: Be true to yourself, have fun. Do what you love. Find your passion, own it, and don’t let anybody tell you different. And don’t be a dick. I mean, everyone’s gonna have dickish moments, it’s just life. As long as you recognize, “man, I was a dick last night I’m really sorry,” because I’ve had to do that before you know? Tequila. Just gotta own it! All right, thank you so much for spending some time with us and I hope you have a great rest of your festival. TOBIN: Yes, thank you, Rei. I will. We’re gonna get this party started! I’m Tobin from Papa Roach and I’m hanging here with Purple Rei and you’re listening to Crim Radio! Purple Rei, I like it. TOBIN: [singing to the tune of “Purple Rain”] —Purple Rei, purple Rei— That is officially the best thing I’ve heard all day!

TOBIN: I beat myself up, I build myself up, I break myself down. It’s just a thing I do. FUEL THE SCENE MAGAZINE

JAN 2018

SHOW REVIEW

PHOTOGRAPHY AND REVIEW WRITTEN BY WILLIAM DIBBLE

TRIVIUM & ARCH ENEMY

Trivium plays to a sold out audience at Summit Music Hall in Denver, CO

At Summit Music Hall in Denver, CO Denver has many music venues, with several of them within a few blocks of each other. Summit Music Hall is one of the larger ones. The venue is located just blocks away from the Nuggets baseball stadium squarely within the center of Denver night life. Most shows are general admission, which includes access to an upstairs balcony section with plenty of room and a fantastic view. The lower floor has a huge area dedicated to merch to the right of the stage, with enough room for several bands to host their merch comfortable while fans line up.

Over on the left of the stage is a small dining area and window, from which you can buy pizza and hamburgers. There’s a second, smaller stage near the bar, situated near the entrance of the venue. Tonight’s show promised to be crowded – Summit Music Hall was reporting that it was sold out. The venue was already filling up even before any of the bands had taken the stage. They’d posted the night’s time schedule next to the door on the way in. Fit For An Autopsy was scheduled to

open the night around 6:30pm. Right on time, the metal tracks went quiet, and the lights dimmed. Sometimes, you get shows where the opening bands are relatively new to touring and the stage, and while their music is fantastic, their stage presence is not as notable as the headliners. Tonight is an exception. Each of the four bands are seasoned veterans. Fit For An Autopsy took over the stage right away. They only had thirty minutes, but they made the best of it.

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FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY Fit For An Autopsy opened up with two tracks from The Great Collapse, “Hydra” and “Heads Will Hang” before going further back in their discography to play “Absolute Hope Absolute Hell”. While their set was only six songs long, they smashed their way through it energetically. There was no lag between the opening acts and the headliners here- the crowd was energized from the very first moment. All too soon, their set finished, and they were packing up the stage.

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WHILE SHE SLEEPS Like a well-oiled machine, While She Sleeps was ready to go right on schedule. Like the other bands on tour, they were supporting a new album. They opened with the title track from You Are We, before playing mostly new songs and two older songs. Hailing all the way from Sheffield, England, they were ready to throw down with the Denver crowd. At one point, the singer even climbed into the crowd, riding atop the hands of adoring fans, before closing out with the new song “Hurricane.”

SHOW REVIEW

TRIVIUM, ARCH ENEMY, WHILE SHE SLEEPS, and FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY FUEL THE SCENE MAGAZINE

ARCH ENEMY Despite being a changeover of the entire stage from the two supporting acts to one of the two headliners, the stage was ready to go in just fifteen minutes again. Arch Enemy was up next, and they hit the stage like an explosion. The crowd was ready before they’d even started playing “The World Is Yours”. Alissa White-Glutz, who joined the band on their last studio album as well as new release Will to Power, absolutely owns

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the stage. Not once did her energy flag through their monstrous seventy-five minute setlist, comprised of fifteen songs. Relative band newcomer Jeff Loomis, formerly of Nevermore, fit right in with the Swedish death metal. They drove through a powerful mix of new and old songs, with Alissa showing off her ability to both belt out the songs she’d recorded on, as well as the classics from the band’s other singers. It was clear

within moments why Arch Enemy was one of the legendary staples of death metal. Despite having a set well over an hour long it felt like they were leaving the stage almost as soon as they’d come onto it, closing out with “Nemesis.” They left Trivium, the co-headliner, with a lot to live up to, between their honed stage show and their costuming and lights.

SHOW REVIEW

TRIVIUM, ARCH ENEMY, WHILE SHE SLEEPS, and FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY

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SHOW REVIEW

JAN 2018

TRIVIUM, ARCH ENEMY, WHILE SHE SLEEPS, and FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY

TRIVIUM Trivium, however, was not about to be upstaged. Trivium’s Matt Heafy may not have an elaborate jumpsuit and costume like Alissa, but he doesn’t need it to command a powerful stage presence. Where Arch Enemy feels both welcoming and imposing, Trivium feels like they’re there to have a great time together with the audience. They opened with the new song “The Sin and the Sentence”, followed by “Down From the Sky” from 2008’s Shogun album. Similar to their co-headliner, they played a wide range of old and new material. Part of what makes Matt’s stage presence so endearing and unique is that he frequently flashes the most friendly, happiest smiles at the audience. At one

point, he stopped mid-song. “Are you okay?” he asked, gesturing out to the mosh pit. “I saw you fall. You looked likeOh you’re okay? Cool! I want to make sure everyone’s having fun.” Trivium had an absolutely amazing set, and was great fun to watch. Summit Music Hall is a fantastic venue. The sound quality there is absolutely impeccable. Whether you were getting pizza and drinks at the food window, or buying merch, or in the back at the bar, sound is both loud and clean ans never feels muddy or distorted. There is a lot of space for moving around, and two wide stairs to the upper floors. This becomes important at bigger shows, especially

sold out ones like this one. The stairs happen to be great viewing stations overlooking the stage at an angle. All four bands are touring in support of new albums. Fit For An Autopsy just released The Great Collapse. While She Sleeps released You Are We, with one song featuring Oli Sykes. Arch Enemy’s Will to Power is available as well, and Trivium recently released The Sin and the Sentence. All albums are available from Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, and other music distributors and all of the bands can be seen on tour throughout the next year.

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TOP: PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN MCGEE BANDS: (L to R) Creeper, Our Last Night, Save Ferris, The Ataris, New Years Day, Sonic Boom Six, Alestorm, Barb Wire Dolls, Hatebreed, GWAR

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BOTTOM: PHOTOGRAPHY BY TERIE SHAVER BANDS: (L to R) Bad Cop Bad Cop, Memphis May Fire, Fit For A King, Courage My Love

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WITH

INTERVIEW ANTI-FLAG Interview by Rei Haycraft and Divus Moss Photography by Kevin McGee. We’re here at Warped Tour ‘17: Charlotte with Pat from Anti-Flag. How is your Warped been thus far, for veterans of the scene like yourselves? PAT: We’ve been a band for 20-25 years now, so we’ve done a lot of touring with a lot of these bands. A lot of the younger bands we haven’t toured with, but we’re going to hopefully do some in the future. That’s good. Anti-Flag is known for your political activism. What has it been like touring during this time of social unrest in the nation? PAT: Well, the interesting thing about Donald Trump and his administration is that he’s a douche. We’ll start with that. What his bigotry has allowed is the normalization of racism and sexism... straight-up bigotry. When we see that, we have to confront it, because just because the president condones it doesn’t mean that the rest of the culture does. When we’re all in our collective small cultures and you hear that racist and sexist talk, you have to stand up against it. That’s what happened at Warped Tour a couple of weeks ago with the Dickies and people felt as though what was being said was fucked up. I agree with them. They spoke out against it. Yeah. The world that we live in now is slightly different because him being a racist allows the other racists to think that it’s okay to be shitty. Do you feel that this volitile period has affected the punk rock scene specifically? PAT: Well, the punk rock kids have always been smart enough to not follow that. The punk rock kids are down here, and we’re just 36

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trucking along because that’s what we do. We are always on the right side of human rights and the right side of social justice. The rest of the culture goes in waves of stupidity. Right now we’re in the trough of stupidity, or the height of stupidity, depending on how you want to use that analogy. Punk rock is always there. We’re always there fighting against those things. One of the things that we’ve learned over time being in a band is one of our heroes is Woody Guthrie. He was a singer songwriter activist from the 1930s and ’40s. He sang songs about immigration and the problems with immigration, but the songs that he sang were about Oklahoma people moving to California for jobs. The people in California were trying to build a wall in California and keep the Okies out, as they called them, from coming and stealing their jobs. It’s the same thing. You still have these people who are afraid of others use this argument of stealing our jobs. Usually there’s an economic, there’s usually people with less money trying to get into a place with more opportunity, but now the issue is the same but the geography has changed. Now it’s people want to come from Mexico or Central or South America or the Middle East into the US, and there’s small-minded people in the US who want to build walls and try and keep people out. What you realize when you see these things and you see this, that the stupid people are always going to be there. They’re always going to be afraid of others. What we need to do is always fight against that and make sure that we realize that when we have people from different places, different ethnicities, different cultures, it makes all of us better rather than less.

“We will rock your ass off. You’re going to come to the rock show, it’s going to be fucking awesome, and the songs are not that bad. They’re pretty good sometimes, if I do say so myself.” PAT: We always want to welcome as many people with different viewpoints, and that is actually economically what has made the US strong in the last … in the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, was that diversity that came in in the 1900s and 1920s. It brings in different ideas, and economically it’s better for all of us. How do you feel in the last decade or so, that the internet and social media has changed that narrative? PAT: Well, what it has done is, on the good side, it is brought the hierarchy of media down. Anybody can be a journalist now, which is fucking awesome. We all want to be able to get our voice out there, and the more voices we have, the better. That is awesome. The yang to that, or the yin, I’m not sure which it is, but the bad side of that is the fact that you can put out disinformation much easier now than you could before. It’s very difficult to weed through what is real information and what is fake news, as Trump uses. What you see, and just to be clear, with Trump, whenever he’s accused of things, he attacks for the things that he’s accused of. When Trump says, “Fake news,” he accuses people of fake news, it’s because he is creating fake news. He’s also actively, his party and his alt-right are producers of fake news, along with the Russians. We have to figure out ways of figuring out what is fake and what is real. As a culture, we haven’t figured that out yet. I don’t have the answer for that. There’s much smarter people who are going to do that. FUEL THE SCENE MAGAZINE

INTERVIEW: Anti-Flag For me, the way of solving that problem is to see news media from lots of different sources. Then, we could always figure out what is bullshit and what’s real. What do you think that the music scene’s part of social justice and activism is? PAT: The music scene does not have a responsibility for social justice and activism. However, for me, that’s the most interesting kind of music, so I always gravitate towards that. If you’re interested in those things, talking about those issues and making the next generation aware that those things are out there and that they can be evolved … When I was young, there was no talk in school about trans people, there was no talk in schools about homosexuals or people from different cultures. I didn’t know about veganism or vegetarianism until I went to the rock shows and I was exposed to those ideas. Those ideas made a lot of sense to me, and I live my life within those communities. The rock show, in my vision: the most important part of that is to make people realize that there’s other people out in the world and that if they don’t fit into the homogenous group that they grew up in, there’s another group for them to find. Beyond that, what do you feel is your personal motivating factor in this band?

JAN 2018

INTERVIEW BY REI HAYCRAFT AND DIVUS MOSS PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN MCGEE

PAT: The thing that we have which is awesome that a lot of other people don’t have is every night we go into a room full of three to three thousand people and meet people who want to see the world different than it is today. When I see those people, we are charged and amped up, and we think, “The world’s changing, man. Things are getting better every day.” Now, I realize when you go to your school and you’re like, “Oh, these people suck and nobody’s changing anything,” it’s not … you don’t have the optimism that we do, but there are amazing people out there who are boots on the ground, making shit happen every day. When we play rock shows, we get to interact with them, and that’s fucking awesome. That’s what keeps us moving forward, because we know that there are people who are willing to fight for what they believe in. For someone who is not familiar with AntiFlag, what would you want them to take away from one of your performances? PAT: We will rock your ass off. Yeah. You’re going to come to the rock show, it’s going to be fucking awesome, and the songs are not that bad. They’re pretty good sometimes. If I do say so myself, the songs will rock your ass off. Any new material?

PAT: We have a new record coming out in the fall. We’re listening to mixes right now. They’re awesome. We’re excited to get that stuff out in the fall and do more touring. Looks like some time in October, November. Some time around then. What else do fans have to look forward to from you all beyond the new album? PAT: Yep. All that stuff is in the works and there’s really cool stuff coming. It’s fun because I get to see it before everybody else gets to see it, so I’m like, “That’s fucking awesome.” I can’t wait for people to see that. That stuff’s going on right now, and it’s going to be coming out soon. We’re excited to share that with people. If you had any last words of wisdom for your fans back home, what would they be? PAT: Don’t be an asshole, and start your own fucking band. It’s easy. It’s easy to remember. Nothing deep, philosophical; just don’t be an asshole.

“Don’t be an asshole, and start your own fucking band. It’s easy. It’s easy to remember. Nothing deep, philosophical; just don’t be an asshole.”

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ALBUM REVIEW

REVIEW BY WILLIAM DIBBLE PHOTOGRAPHY BY TERIE SHAVER

REASON | DEFINE Far From Strangers N

o matter how many times people try to separate rock bands that feature female singers into their own “female-fronted rock genre,” the fact remains that a femme-fronted rock band is, in truth, a rock band. Reason Define takes it one step further, featuring a full team of women presenting a refined, unified, hard-rock front. 2017’s album, Far from Strangers, was released at a highenergy show at The Fillmore Underground, filling nearly the entire venue for an all-local showcase of talent.

Far from Strangers opens with the track “Kingdom.” The group’s primary vocalist, Paolina Massaro, wastes absolutely no time demonstrating her vocal skill and proving just why she fronts Reason Define while guitarists Savannah and Shelby establish the band’s unique sound within seconds. A fast, blistering track, it is never muddled or confusing with clear rhythms, vocals, and 40

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leads. It would be remiss to omit mention of Syd’s excellent drum work, or Caitlin’s contribution of bass and additional vocals, as this song is not a one-hit-wonder off this album. “Hear Me” combines some vocal elements of pop with the hard-rock sound of the instruments and has a catchy tune that’s easy to learn, easy to sing along to, and fun to listen to.

“Reason Define takes it one step further, featuring a full team of women presenting a refined, unified, hardrock front.”

“In Your Eyes” starts off with a really heavy riff before launching into a melodic verse. Paolina’s vocals soar up and above an epic combination of drums and guitar, with some abrupt and well placed screams. “In Your Eyes” is a powerful song about not being enough for the person the singer is speaking to, and without a doubt, is a sentiment that much of the audience will be able to identify with. In the track “Evanescent,” the gang vocals really resonate with the instrumentals, and offer throwbacks to alt-rock band Evanescence.

That’s not a comparison made lightly or because of the song title, but one that feels very apt given the musical composition of the album. Track five, “Thieves”, is a much heavier piece than the previous songs, though the vocals are still very melodic and clean. They soar up and above the heavier instrumentals in “Thieves”, showcasing Reason Define’s ability to write diverse and catchy songs. “Ghost Lights”, marking the beginning of the second half of the album, is still a rock song at heart, but it is also a softer piece than previous songs. The layered vocals are absolutely fantastic, melding well with gentle guitar leads. The break from the heavier tracks is not very long, as “Spades” marks an almost immediate return to the album’s heavier songs. “Spades” would make an excellent single to release, as it really possesses a lot of the individual parts that make other sections of the album so listenable. “Abandoned Desires” is also an excellent heavy song, but it does have one issue. Toward the end of the album, it becomes a little hard to truly distinguish what makes this song unique from others on the album. That’s not inherently a bad thing as this song, as well as “Start Me Over” and “Lock & Key” are still extremely potent songs to close the album on. Far from Strangers is an excellent foray into hard rock, bordering on metal. While the songs can tend to blend together at points, they are by no means bad songs. The entire album is skillfully recorded and mastered. The vocals never get lost in the instruments, and the chorus and gang vocals blend excellently, showing off all three singer’s skills. The drums sound clear and clean, and match perfectly with the rest of the album. If you are looking for an excellent hard rock album, especially if you are looking for more feminine representation in rock and metal, you should pick up this album today. Available now on iTunes, Google Play, and other online music retailers and visit www.reasondefine.com to stay updated on new music!

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THE MILESTONE CLUB IN CHARLOTTE, NC PROUDLY PRESENTS

JAN 2018

ALBUM REVIEW

WRITTEN BY WILLIAM DIBBLE

DETHCADENCE Hellacreative S

elf-described as a North Carolina supergroup, and sporting a new album titled Hellacreative, DethCadence comes onto the NC metal scene making some heavy claims about their capabilities. They compare themselves to Dio, Iron Maiden, and King Diamond, so this album begins with some high expectations. One of the trademarks of some of these bands was campy introduction vocals. Opening with “Project DethCadence… Initialize,” and a robotic voice with “Forbidden Seed”, DethCadence immediately begins to channel the eighties straight into this album. From the beginning, they are not lying when they make their comparisons. The song is a powerful homage to the heights of heavy metal, sounding for the most part like it could’ve come from that esteemed era.

“Hellacreative”, the title track, starts off with a groovy bass track, before launching into a piece reminiscent of Pantera’s more vulgar track. The chorus line is very catchy, with a hook that’ll have you wanting to sing along in seconds. After the last notes fade, we are treated to a skilled and flowing introductory solo in “Forever”. This track is softer, and draws to mind references to some of the softer tracks of bands like Iron Maiden and Metallica. These comparisons are not made lightly—this track is powerful, well balanced, and sounds absolutely excellent. It moves from here into the song “Breathe.” Featuring a recurring riff that induces a feeling of rising, this energetic piece is, as promised, very similar to Iron Maiden in some of its musical and lyrical themes. The vocals are somewhat similar to Ten Thousand Fistsera Disturbed, which is by no means an insult to the singer’s skills. This pounding track will have you singing along, “Breathe into me, release me!” by the end.

If the last two songs have you feeling a bit down, the energy and power behind “Head Voices” will immediately have you moshing again. “Scattered” and “Head Voices” both are high-energy metal tracks that bring to mind the heights of King Diamond and Metallica, effortlessly blending the styles of both into new lyrics and sounds. It is appropriate, then, that the album ends with the blisteringly fast-paced “Man of War”.

Track six, “Caine Mind”, has hints of Megadeth and late-era Metallica. With a combination of clean and distorted guitars, it builds anticipation up to a critical point before releasing it in a torrent of heavy metal riffs. Check yourself for increased hair length and frizziness, because this album hearkens back to the height of long-hair heavy metal. The clear, clean vocals mix well, contrasting with the heavier guitar that comes in during the chorus. Followed by “War to the Worlds”, these songs show clearly that DethCadence is in no way limited to fast-paced heavy metal anthems. “War to the World” is a fantastic metal ballad that showcases both melodic and vocal range, and a message to us about ending wars around the world.

The break of slow songs halfway through the album is an excellent choice. The album is made with top-grade production standards, and the mastering is on the spot. The drums, vocals, and other instruments never walk over one another, with each being perfectly clear at all times. DethCadence promises an album that brings back the great memories of eighties heavy metal, and they certainly deliver!

“...a powerful homage to the heights of heavy metal, sounding for the most part like it could’ve come from that esteemed era.”

FUEL THE SCENE MAGAZINE

ALBUM REVIEW

REVIEW BY WILLIAM DIBBLE

CODEX OBSCURA Miira Editor’s Note: It is important to remember that an artist’s work is their own and as stated below, is an intensely personal creation. Art is vulnerability. Autobiographical art even more so. That we have artists willing to be vulnerable publicly should be a thing to celebrate, not to criticize. As a trans non-binary person, I personally find it hard to find music where the journeys mirror my own in some way. There’s almost no trans representation in music—with a few notable exceptions—making the album art, music, and lyrical content of this album extremely important, if not making it one of NC’s most important musical releases this year. Please keep an open mind while reading this review, even if the struggles described are not ones that you personally have experienced or understand. —WD

rt, by definition, is an intensely personal creation. It is a direct channel into the mind of its creator, and deathcore is no exception. Codex Obscura is a transgender deathcore artist who creates her art about her experiences and, in this case, her acceptance of herself. Miira is a self-recorded, self-mixed, self-produced album by one person, which makes its musical and lyrical achievement all the more potent. It is important to know that each track on this album is incredibly intimate and personal. It is self-described

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as a “series of vignettes representing different periods” of the artist’s life. The first track, “Fear Made a Home in Me,” does not begin by mincing words or riffs. It assaults your ears from the first second, with her growls and blasting guitar. The song is an exploration of her fear, both of herself and others, and her shyness. It is also, however, a touching (if musically heavy) love note to her mother. From early childhood, the song moves to discussing later childhood and self-loathing from

“Each track on this album is incredibly intimate and personal. It is selfdescribed as a ‘series of vignettes representing different periods’ of the artist’s life.”

Christianity in “No Company”. This song features an almost haunting background sound throughout portions, but also an incredible breakdown that can stand toeto-toe with many of the other best bands in the core genre. The lyrical theme of this song is carried into “To Suffer in Silence.” Here, the album shifts rhythms drastically. While it still features blast beats and breakdowns, it also sounds completely different from “No Company”, with a much heavier, in-your-face sound. For our readers who have been taught self loathing and hatred, this song in particular may speak to you. It comes from the viewpoint of somebody who was taught that everything they were and wanted was wrong, and speaks openly about the pain and loneliness it causes. Those familiar with this possibly know what comes next in “A Hole in Between”. By now, we are in the teen years of Codex Obscura’s life, and this song is a testament to her emotions in that period. Her hatred of other kids “who got to go to public school… with friends… who felt normal and okay with who their parents made them out to be.” This song also takes on a fairly experimental sound, with a high-pitch sound following along with parts of the lyrics, high above the guttural guitars of the rest of the song. These parts are echoed in the outro of the song. “Gray and Red” specifically addresses her years from 13 to 17. The hatred was hurting her life, making it impossible to befriend others, to the point where it became comfortable. The bridges and breakdowns in this song come in a way that a person can easily picture a depressed, angry teenager in their head. There are frequent breaks, mixing parts that can almost be called “soft” with brutal drum beats and breakdowns. The mood of the lyrics begins to change here, though, as we get to “Eyes Toward the Sun”. The sound

“...every song is completely and totally unique in its composition.”

“The bridges and breakdowns in this song come in a way that a person can easily picture a depressed, angry teenager in their head. ” changes substantially, too. We’re at a part in a journey through her life where she was finally able to begin to explore what it meant to be herself. While this track has a steadier, slower intro, it does definitely feature heavy breakdowns and screams. The intro, however, is a motif it retains throughout, and the entire song has a more consistent sound to it. It isn’t until now one realizes how dissonant some of the prior tracks, especially “A Hole in Between” and “Gray and Red”, sound (which only serves to complement the songs.)

Each song almost has a musical theme that matches the lyrical theme. If you don’t get the meaning by listening to the lyrics (or if you struggle with screams), the songs will happily bludgeon the meaning into your ears and mind. It is also incredibly personal, with the full meaning of each song available on the artist’s bandcamp, and a striking, singular self portrait as the album art. One of the only weaknesses of their prior work, Holy Teachings of Self Defeat, was the mixing and drum work. That is largely rectified here. One never struggles to make out her screams or the drums, as both stand out separately and powerfully from the guitars. Conversely, they never manage to drown out or disguise the guitar work, which is absolutely phenomenal. If you only pick up one deathcore album this month, make it this one.

One of the best musical things about this album is the fact that every song is completely and totally unique in its composition. Some artists in the genre have songs that bleed into each other and become hard to differentiate—Codex Obscura is not one of these. FUEL THE SCENE MAGAZINE

he World’s Loudest Month kicked off in spectacular fashion on April 29th and 30th with the Welcome to Rockville Festival in Jacksonville, Florida and their sister festival Fort Rock in Fort Myers, FL, boasting a record-breaking weekend with over 75,000 music fans over the two sites. Fuel The Scene Magazine was onsite at Welcome to Rockville, conducting interviews, photographing the bands, and generally enjoying the perfect rock atmosphere created by the festival. SOUNDGARDEN | REI HAYCRAFT

Saturday started off with a running, headbanging start with Badflower, All That Remains, and Dutch metal band The Charm The Fury. The European influence was abundant all day, including Sweden’s In Flames, England’s Dinosaur Pile-Up and Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes. The energy didn’t wane as the day went on, the energetic crowd headbanging, moshing, crowd-surfing to The Pretty Reckless, Coheed And Cambria, Mastodon, Pierce The Veil, and some classic punk rock goodness with The Offspring.

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the members enshrouded by shadows and fog. This choice may have worked well for a headlining tour, but for a festival crowd that struggled to see from a distance, the set was a let down that was neither outstanding visually or sonically. As the sun went down and the temperatures dropped, A Perfect Circle took the stage in a mysterious and disappointingly dark show. For the entirety of their set, A Perfect Circle kept the lights down, putting Maynard on a small riser at the back of the stage and keeping the rest of

In stark contrast, Soundgarden brought the day to a perfect close with a 13 song set that was full of color, emotion, energy, and showcased Cornell’s immortal, iconic voice. The crowd was utterly spellbound from the opening notes of “Spoonman” to the fade out of “Beyond the Wheel.”

FESTIVAL REVIEW

COHEED AND CAMBRIA | REI HAYCRAFT

On Sunday, Queens, New York based Sylar and Austin, Texas’ Fire from the Gods opened the show with their rap infused metal. But this day belonged to dynamic lead vocalists, as Jonny Hawkins of Nothing More, Jay Buchanan of Rival Sons, and Chris Cerulli of Motionless in White engorged the crowd with their dynamic ranges and each one left the stage drained of every ounce of energy. In This Moment and Motionless In White put on incredibly detailed, theatric performances of non-stop energy, fake blood, and costume changes. Chris Motionless was in perfect vocal form, never missing a beat despite the intense movement, stage antics, and heat.

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THE PRETTY RECKLESS | REI HAYCRAFT

Both Of Mice and Men and Three Days Grace showcased new vocalists (Aaron Pauley and Matt Waist, respectively) and showed the crowd that they were stronger, tighter, and more badass than ever. Chevelle and Def Leppard closed out the weekend—overlapping a little too much for some fans’ liking—as Def Leppard started 10 minutes ahead of schedule, causing fans to swarm from one stage to the other. Def Leppard put on a hell of a show featuring 15 songs from across their entire catalog of hits.

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. 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.

In addition to the eclectic mix of new and old rock and metal, fans were treated FUEL THE SCENE MAGAZINE

INTERVIEW

THREE DAYS GRACE Rei Haycraft got a chance to catch up with Barry Stock, guitarist of THREE DAYS GRACE, before their set at Welcome to Rockville in Jacksonville, FL about recording their next album, the writing process, and being “married” to songs that don’t make the cut.

How’s your festival been thus far? BARRY: It’s good I’m just trying to stay out of the sun and stay cool as best I can. … We’re from Canada, so we haven’t gotten used to the weather yet. We’re just starting out on some shows so we’re still trying to adapt ourselves. [laughs] What do you think is the largest issue facing musicians starting out today? BARRY: I think it’s a tougher go than it used to be. You know, there’s not quite as much support for some of these bands as there used to be. You know, in the old days, they used to develop a lot more bands. I find today, the ones I know, they have to work a lot harder to get their stuff out there. Obviously, with social media that helps a lot, I know that’s a big deal for them. I just think that out of the gates there’s not as much help for these young bands and it makes it a real tough go.

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Do you think that social media and technology today is a help or a hindrance?

But for these shorter sets, we’ll usually stick to the hits we have.

BARRY: I think if you’re a new band it’s a good thing, it’s like a tool to reach out to a lot of people. If you’re creative, like some people are, I see some extremely creative people on social media and when they use it right and everything, I see a benefit for them. Without it, I don’t know how they’d get exposure otherwise. I personally think it’s a good thing, I mean, I don’t do much social media myself, but I think it’s a great thing, especially for the younger bands… it gives them an opportunity.

What would you say is the hardest part about being on tour?

With a catalog as vast as yours, what does your set for these festivals look like? BARRY: We have a lot of singles. So for us, you want people singing. And we’re playing a lot shorter sets [at festivals] because there’s so many bands, so it’s not like our full show where we can play a bunch of neat B-sides.

BARRY: I think just the lack of sleep, maybe? We try to keep up on it as much as we can. You know, the traveling part of it. It’s hard living out of a suitcase, on planes and buses. It wears you out a little bit, but I can’t complain. Over the last year we took some time off, which has been really nice ’cause you know the last three years especially we were super busy. Since September last year, we took time off, we’ve been writing the new record, working over the winter, so everyone got some great family time. We just have a few summer festivals, we go to Europe and Moscow, I think we go to Russia for a show with System of a Down, and as soon as we get back, we’ll go into the studio to work on the new record. So we’re hoping sometime in the fall to release that.

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“It’s a tougher go than it used to be... there’s not quite as much support as there used to be. ...[bands] have to work a lot harder to get their stuff out there.” Are there any plans so far for singles, future music videos, other media to be released with that album? BARRY: Usually by the time we start recording is when we start piecing it all together. Like we don’t even have an album title yet! That’ll all sort of come as we start to record, and start figuring out the artwork and all of that. And so we’ll get really busy once we start doing that, then we’ll start thinking about videos and all that kind of stuff. Are the songs usually finished when you take them into the studio to record? BARRY: You know, we all do demos and stuff—the problem with doing demos is that sometimes you get a little bit married to it. And it ends up changing sometimes. I’ve had some things that I really liked that end up getting totally changed—that’s just the way it is. It’s never really “finished” until it’s finished. Once it’s done and we put the stamp on it. Have you ever had a favorite song that didn’t make the cut for an album? BARRY: Yeah, actually—absolutely. On the last record, we had a song that was one of my favorites and our management—you know, Cliff Burnstein—we trust him with our music a lot and we would send him stuff and he’d write little notes on it as he hears stuff. And he wrote “DNP” on the song—that means “DO NOT PURSUE,” right— [laughs]

Oh, man, stabbed right in the heart. [laughs] Do you ever return to old material? BARRY: Yeah, we do that all the time. Through our whole writing career, that happens. When we first start writing and we don’t have a lot of fresh stuff yet, we’ll always pull out some old stuff. Sometimes it doesn’t work and we’re trying to write it again five times and we’re like, “oh, that’s why we didn’t use it last time.” [laughs]

became totally fitting for this time. And this is gonna happen on this [upcoming] record too; there’s a couple of them that we have from the last record, we re-wrote them, and they’re going to make it on this record—so that’s kinda neat. Do you have any words of wisdom for our viewers back home? BARRY: Words of wisdom? [laughs] Keep your head up, stick on the ice!

Having said that, there’s definitely some songs that made it on an album much later— before it just wasn’t the time, I guess, but it

FUEL THE SCENE MAGAZINE

INTERVIEW

THE CHARM THE FURY Rei Haycraft got a chance to hang out with Lucas Arnoldussen (Bass) and Martijn Slegtenhorst (Guitars) of Amsterdam’s THE CHARM THE FURY after their set at Monster Energy’s Welcome to Rockville in Jacksonville, FL, the first of the band’s three US festival appearances to chat about the band, their new album, “The Sick, Dumb & Happy,” the inspiration behind their writing, and their thoughts on the current state of the world.

We’re here at Welcome to Rockville, with The Charm The Fury. And these guys came from Amsterdam in The Netherlands. This is your first U.S. festival tour, correct? LUCAS: It is, yeah. This was our proper first U.S. show actually, yeah. We did some in L.A., but that was for business people, so that wasn’t really a show. So this is the first with a real crowd and seeing the crowd participation? LUCAS: Exactly. Which was great. I was in the pit and I’ve had “Echoes” stuck in my head since. So, thank you for that. MARTIJN: That’s exactly what should happen. LUCAS: Someone broke his knee during our show! MARTIJN: Yeah, oh my God, yeah. So, for this being your first show in this scene for this record, what has the reception been like?

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LUCAS: It’s been great. Well, some mixed reaction because it’s really different to our previous work. It used to be proper metal core. And nowadays I think we’re just a metal band. We were influenced by bands like Pantera, Metallica, Slipknot—like the huge bands that are still around. And we try to mingle that with our own sound and just create a new sound for ourselves. I think you did a great job of doing that. We’ve been spinning your new album pretty nonstop since we got it. I love the dynamics of it... the range. And I think that’s what you’re talking about— it’s not sticking just to metal core. It’s like a spectrum of metal. MARTIJN: Oh, wow. That’s a good way to describe it. LUCAS: A spectrum of metal. Yeah, we just wanted to celebrate metal. MARTIJN: Yeah, that’s what it is. LUCAS: That’s what we wanted to do with it exactly.

“It’s always a good thing to channel your frustration and anger in music. ...you get to be happy afterward, so that’s what we do.” And it’s very anthemic, so some people are calling it an angry record. What would you say to that? LUCAS: Well, I think it’s angrier than our previous one. But we’re not angry people. It’s metal music, so it obviously has angry in it. So the subjects we cover are not so positive, obviously. But I think there’s some anthemic stuff, some sing-along stuff. So yeah, it’s not at all totally angry record. MARTIJN: It’s always a good thing to channel your frustration and anger in music. Well, you get to be happy afterwards, so that’s what we do.

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Can you talk a little bit about the back story behind “Echoes?” LUCAS: Well, it’s actually the way media takes its part in our whole lives, like the way the media breaks news, that’s just how people will see it. They can’t see it for themselves, so they have to rely on media to bring the news to them. But that news is, most of the time, so biased. So yeah, you can watch Fox News, or you can watch some other channel, and the channels will be totally different. Tell me a little bit about the music videos. What was the experience like filming those? MARTIJN: Down on the Ropes was the coldest day of the year in Ireland. We started outside and we had a shooting day of like 20 hours. So we were completely frozen. So, to us personally, that was hard core. But it was really cool working with that team because we really wanna make something of a movie type of vibe with it. LUCAS: Yeah, like a bad ‘80s movie. That was the vibe we were going for. And I think we pulled that off, I hope. But that day was the worst. We were at a scrapyard, and we had actually 20 people participating in the video. But there were no heated rooms at all. And we had to stand there in the cold. MARTIJN: It really was. It was really bad. What about the other ones? They have very different feels, each of the videos. LUCAS: The other two videos are shot by the same guy and we work with them a lot. Yeah, I think our last video was for “Blood and Salt.” And we actually only had three days to figure that video out. Suddenly “we’re shooting in three days. We need ideas right now!” And we had to do everything in three days.” MARTIJN: [The director] is really good. He definitely saved our ass there. LUCAS: And the other video for “Echoes,” he actually isn’t in it. He wasn’t in the band back then. We just had one guitar player. So

we shot that video almost three years ago. And we didn’t release it for years because the record wasn’t done yet. So we had to wait, and it was a bit awkward because there’s a guitar player short. But I think no one actually noticed. MARTIJN: Only very few people did. I kind of like it. I was like, “Yeah, this is how important my role in the band is. Thank you so much. It’s all right.” We have the technology, we can superimpose you in there now! There we go. Fixed. MARTIJN: ...Let’s not do that.

What do you hope that listeners take away from your album? LUCAS: I mostly hope they will just enjoy it. I don’t think ... We have some kind of message, but it’s not the most important that people will get it or something. I hope that they will mainly enjoy the music. And if they get the message, if we plant some ideas in their head that’s great. But it’s not our goal or something. MARTIJN: No. There are definitely some political and personal issues on the lyrical end of it, but this record is all about just a

FUEL THE SCENE MAGAZINE

INTERVIEW

celebration for metal and enjoying a metal record, and trying to create a record that you can listen over and over again for years to come. That was the idea. Mission accomplished because even on the way here we listened to the album at least three or four times, discovering something new each time. Caroline’s vocal prowess is unmatched, it’s amazing. LUCAS: Really? That’s great. Actually, I think anyone can do that with the right training and everything like that. Even every women can scream like that. MARTIJN: Yeah, absolutely. LUCAS: She still has vocal lessons and stuff like that. So, she needs to keep it up as well. But I think everyone could do it if they try hard enough. MARTIJN: But it’s hard work. And she definitely put a lot of effort into practice— every day, every morning, every night. We get to hear them every day... LUCAS: That’s so annoying. Before the show, after the show, before she goes to sleep, after she wakes up. MARTIJN: Immediately when she wakes up. Jesus. But I encourage it. Do it. 52

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Based on the subject matter that you all cover, what do you think that the social media of today’s day in age, the effect that it has on bands? How do you feel it affects the music? LUCAS: A lot. It’s just your main door to the world, I think. It used to be selling records and maybe do some side sessions in record stores. And now you just do a post on Facebook and you’ll reach thousands of people, and they can share it and it can go viral. So, I think social media is a great outlet for bands. But it’s also hard to get your face out there because everyone does it, obviously. And the Facebook feed gets full very fast. No one will scroll down to find you. So to get out there you need to pay for advertisements. That sucks, but yeah, you need to do it. Since you talk so much about getting down into the roots of metal, do you feel like technology has any effect on metal at this point? LUCAS: Definitely has. Like recording has become so easy now. Everyone can make a record in his bedroom. You need gear for $100 bucks and you’re ready to go. So yeah, that changed a lot.

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“This record is all about just a celebration for metal and enjoying a metal record, and trying to create a record that you can listen over and over again for years to come.” MARTIJN: That in itself is also a challenge for metal, as well, because there are a shit ton more records right now than there were 20 years ago. And I guess it’s always a good thing to have a big team in on your music and people reflecting on it, just getting deeper and deeper into it, putting more energy into it. And, personally, I don’t believe that if you make a record just in your bedroom you’re gonna get that amount of feedback and energy into it as this record has. It’s different quality in that sense, in my opinion.

LUCAS: Mainly, I think it’s a good thing we have the technology now to do it. MARTIJN: Yeah, absolutely. Do you have any other words of wisdom for our viewers or something you want them to know about The Charm The Fury? LUCAS: I’m not sure. Wisdom is hard to be found in our band. We have mostly stupid ideas. MARTIJN: Yeah, we don’t pretend to have any form of wisdom at all. LUCAS: But we drink a lot. MARTIJN: Yeah, that’s definitely— LUCAS: That saves your life. It will. Just don’t drive. Drink a lot, that’s great. Don’t vote for Trump anymore please, don’t do it. MARTIJN: Yeah, stop doing that. LUCAS: The customs line was longer than the actual flight. Now, that’s not true, but it felt like it. I apologize on behalf of all Americans, because most of us don’t agree [with Trump.] LUCAS: No, I don’t think anyone that comes to this festival actually agrees. MARTIJN: Hardly any, I’d guess.

LUCAS: Yeah, hardly any. For so long in Europe we thought, “This has got to be a joke. This guy, this isn’t serious, right?” MARTIJN: “It’s never gonna happen.” LUCAS: Yeah. And now it’s real. It’s so weird. It was the weirdest. I follow your elections. I watched it because it’s important to us as well. And it was like 3:00 at night, and then it was, “Yeah, Trump is winning. He’s winning. Oh, fuck that shit. I’m going to sleep. I don’t want to witness this.” ...Good job guys, well done. Good job, America. But we hope you’ll come back anyway. LUCAS: We will... if we’re allowed to. We’ll smuggle you in, don’t worry about it. LUCAS: All right, cool. Thank you again so much for taking the time to talk to us. Have a great rest of your U.S. tour, and we hope that you come back soon. LUCAS: We will. MARTIJN: Absolutely. LUCAS: Thank you. Cheers!

FUEL THE SCENE MAGAZINE

FESTIVAL PREVIEW 2018

elcome To Rockville, Florida’s Biggest Rock Experience, grows to three days in 2018 with Foo Fighters, Ozzy Osbourne, Avenged Sevenfold, Queens of the Stone Age, Stone Temple Pilots, Billy Idol, Godsmack, Stone Sour, and Five Finger Death Punch leading an incredible talent lineup not seen at any other U.S. rock festival. Other additions to this unprecedented rock experience—created by Jacksonville native Danny Wimmer of Danny Wimmer Presents— include Toothgrinder (Friday), He Is Legend (Saturday), and Wolf Alice (Sunday).

Monster Energy Welcome To Rockville tickets, VIP packages, as well as hotel and camping options are on sale now. Discounted online hotel rates are also available through Curadora. Visit:www.WelcomeToRockvilleFestival.com for details. Monster Energy Welcome To Rockville kicks off the annual World’s Loudest Month festival series and will also feature a variety of onsite experiences, including the Monster Energy Experience (featuring Monster Energy tastings and signings with select Rockville artists), The Music Experience (an interactive exhibit and musical instrument retailer), F.Y.E. Fan Experience (purchase your favorite album and get it signed by

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select Rockville artists), Zippo, and Take Me Home nonprofit animal rescue organization, among others. Attendees will enjoy local and regional food favorites in the Monster Energy Welcome To Rockville “Grub” zone, while fans 21+ can wash down Monster Energy Welcome To Rockville’s over-the-top food offerings with a variety of beverages, including selections from the Caduceus Cellars & Merkin Vineyards Wine Garden (owned by Arizona resident Maynard James Keenan, cofounder of international recording acts TOOL, A Perfect Circle, and Puscifer), Heavy Tiki Bar (an oasis filled with killer cocktails and shade), and local craft beer. Monster Energy Welcome To Rockville is fueled by Monster Energy. Additional 2018 sponsors include: The Music Experience, F.Y.E., Zippo, and more to be announced. Monster Energy Welcome To Rockville is produced by Danny Wimmer Presents, a producer of some of the biggest rock festivals in America, including Rock On The Range, Monster Energy Aftershock, Louder Than Life, Monster Energy Fort Rock, Monster Energy Carolina Rebellion, Chicago Open Air,

Bourbon & Beyond, Monster Energy Rock Allegiance, Northern Invasion and more. Monster Energy Welcome To Rockville kicks off the annual World’s Loudest Month festival series. For more information on Monster Energy Welcome To Rockville, visit: www.WelcomeToRockvilleFestival.com www.facebook.com/welcometorockville Twitter: @RockvilleFest Instagram: @welcometorockville

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FUEL THE SCENE MAGAZINE

EP REVIEW

REVIEW BY WILLIAM DIBBLE

SHATTERPROOF Self-Titled N

o one can deny that the internet has revolutionized music; the number of independent artists out there is exploding and shows no signs of stopping. The question becomes, with this influx of new artists, how does one stand out? How does a band differentiate themselves from the competition? Colorado “violin-core” band Shatterproof has certainly figured it out with their new self-titled EP, bringing something entirely new to the punk scene. Right off the bat, “So Punk” launches into some sick fast riffs, combined with violin. Violins and cellos have been making inroads into the rock scene for a decade now, with many bands using them as backing or even primary instruments. Shatterproof uses violin to great effect alongside their blistering punk sound, giving their songs an almost folk-music tinge. Shatterproof is an album that is, ultimately, about the struggle of the working artist. “So Punk” starts off talking about what it is like to be a ‘starving artist’, going into great detail about the state of their life. Following this is “Cookie Cutter Life,” which starts with a keys introduction that brings to mind old

JAN 2018

movies and circuses. This melts into a low set of vocals and muted guitars, before taking off into the bulk of the song. “Cookie Cutter Life” is an energetic punk song through and through. It borrows traits and techniques from several genres, and features a chorus that the audience will likely sing along heartily to. “Karma” starts off with soft vocals and clean guitars, but quickly jumps into a track that is best described as “bouncy.” Even sitting down listening to the track, one feels compelled to bounce or jump along with its jaunty rhythms and violins.

The violins make a noticeable return after being absent in “Cookie Cutter Life”, lending both rhythm and soaring melodies. “Definition of Fine” is a softer song overall, about the what it means when you tell somebody “I’m fine.” This song isn’t just about artists—it is so much more. The soft vocals and guitars build to an almost overpowering drum climax, before dropping back into the older rhythm. The EP closes out with “Lykos,” which closes the album with a rousing punk song that is reminiscent of the emo-punk movement of the 2000’s while remaining distinctly Shatterproof in essence. Shatterproof is an EP with, well, shatterproof quality and songwriting. The songs are catchy and unique and offer seemingly endless energy. While it only clocks in at under twenty minutes, it features more musical talent in those twenty minutes than some major label bands put out in an hour. Musical creativity isn’t dead, by a long shot, and Shatterproof is clear and present evidence of that. Shatterproof is now for sale and streaming on most major platforms.

ISSUE #01 - January 2018