HM Magazine, Issue #113 (May/June 2005)

Also featuring Still Remains Mae Fall Out Boy Copeland Stavesacre

THE HARD MUSIC MAGAZINE

AS I LAY DYING

May, June 2005 • Issue #113

$3.50 USA / 4.95 CDN

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TA B L E O F C O N T EN T S

09

REGULAR Letters Hard news Live report Morrow metal report Heaven’s metal

From the editor Doug Van Pelt

10 12 17 18 19

FEATURETTE I’M A TRAIN WRECK FOR YOU This issue has been weird. It’s been the first issue without some kind of Managing Editor in ten years. I miss David Allen popping his head in my office with the latest news from some world event. The office is far from empty, though. Superwoman Marketing & Ad Sales Director, Heather Reynolds, is moving into a new house with her family. In the interim between selling their old house and moving into the new one being built, they needed a place to stay. Since the HM offices is really a 5-bedroom house and we’ve got room to spare, they moved in for the last month.

Her husband, David Reynolds, is the worship leader at our church (Calvary Chapel of Austin) and it was fun to hear him play me a new worship song they wrote before they tried it out on the congregation. It’s weird, though, working late during deadline when their family is in the living room watching American Idol, or seeing Heather mow the lawn. Once deadline is over, the office will get a little quieter (except, of course, the cranking of some Antestor or Norma Jean) ... at least until the Summer Interns arrive.

As usual, we are posting a lot of exclusive content at hmmag.com. If you look now, you’ll see full-length interviews with Still Remains, The Myriad, Seventh Star, Mercury Switch, Last Tuesday, Rock Bottom Choir, Flyleaf, and Christian Hosoi. And there’s also our Day of Fire “Living Room Concert” review from our contest winner – Jonathan MacDonald (who actually spends his spare time as an accountant); and daily devotionals in the “Staff Blog” section.

Until the Summer festivals hit, be safe, and pay attention to those around you. Spread the Love.

Foreknown Bloody sunday Last tuesday Copeland Life in your way Forever changed Alove for enemies Stavesacre Yellow second

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FEATURE As i lay dying Still remains Mae Fall out boy says

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INTERMISSION Christian hosoi Columns Hard music history

59 68 72

REVIEW SPINNING AT HM NOW U2 MUTE MATH MAT KEARNEY 4TH AVENUE JONES STILL REMAINS SOUL-JUNK AMMI

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How to Dismantle...

Reset Bullet Stereo: The Evolution...

Of Love and Lunacy 1937 Laodicea

Hasn’t gotten old yet.

Soul, passion, and space.

Talent, style. Adopted this space for him.

Hot, mad, creative.

Heaviness and loveliness.

Love the way it jacks with the ears.

Air-freshener for stale space in the brain.

Music DVD, book, & gear Indie pick

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4/4/2005 1:30:01 PM

10 L E T T E R S T O T H E E D I T O R

EDITOR/PUBLISHER OFFICE MANAGER MKTG & ADS

HM IN BAGHDAD Here’s a picture of me from this weekend in Baghdad about to board a blackhawk helicopter...

–Wesley M. Denton [Washington, DC]

THE COLUMNS To tell you the truth, I bought the current (Norma Jean) HM because I wanted to find obscure bands that would earn me uberscene points with my friends who could care less. But that is beside the point. As I said prior, I bought the magazine for superficial reasons and wound up reading the devotions... and going to some of the sites... and reading some of the Scripture listed in the editorial section, and wanted to let you know that the Devotion w/Greg Tucker and Chris Wighaman have affected me daily since I read them. The Temptation story in Chris’ column is in my wallet each day and I copied it and placed it where I find the most trouble w/ temptation. I just wanted to thank you for continuing the magazine you started long ago for those of us who are going to buy a magazine for the bands and end up reading into what it is REALLY about.

Phillipians 1.3 –Jon Layton [JonnyLayton12905@aol.com] Ed – Awesome! That is so encouraging.

Thanks for taking the time to lift us up.

THE BACK PAGE I have a problem with the latest issue of HM, actually my problem is with the back cover – It shows a school kid being beaten and killed for his beliefs and writing out in blood that there is a God; now if this picture had depicted children in Asia, India or any Middle Eastern country, I would not have seen the problem, because people die on a daily basis because of their faith in those

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countries, but the picture was seemingly targeting American public schools (even going so far as to call the kids who were beating up the boy “Public School” kids) and I found that to be a harsh and cruel picture. Yes, our modern public schools are not ‘Christian,’ but having grown up homeschooled in a very conservative enviroment and then switching to public school my sophomore year in high school I know how tough the transition is, but the worst thing any kid ever did to me was call me names – no one ever got upset with me because of my religion. This dark picture that was painted on the back is the kind of thing that pushes the unsaved away by thinking Christians are crazy radicals, it also pushes Christians deeper inside their shell by being scared to go out into the world, I find it disturbing that a magazine I respect would depict such blatant ignorance. Perhaps if it had not stated the children as “Public School” kids I would have respected it more as a promotion of idealism of dying for one’s faith, but as it is all these images did was make me lose some respect for HM as a magazine.

–Samuel Thomas [Brownsville, TX] Ed – Sigh. This was a true story, so anyone offended at the details has to argue with reality. But even if it were fiction, the details in a narrative shouldn’t overpower the theme. Martyrdom is too often left unexplored, and gazing into this subject can have a profound impact to our faith.

CONTR EDITORS

Kemper Crabb, Greg Tucker Chris Wighaman

CONTRIBUTORS

Eric W. Alexy, Jeff Cloud, Mark Fisher, Chris Francz, Dan Frazier, Amy Hall, Bethany Johnson, Kern County Kid, Erika Larson, Dan MacIntosh, Matt Morrow, Len Nash, Jamie L. Rake, Chris Short, Bradley Spitzer, David Stagg, Stewart Stevenson, Darren Tindell Jr, James Wetz

COVER PHOTO BACK PAGE

Kevin Estrada [kevinestrada.com] ©Eric Timm [no1underground.com]

PROOFREADERS

Eric Alexy, Vicki Bobick, Valerie Maier, Heather Norman, Carolyn Van Pelt

SCRIPTURE

“‘Come now, let us reason together,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.’” (Isaiah 1:18)

MAILING ADDRESS

CUSTOMER SERVICE FAX EDITORIAL MARKETING & ADS * * BOOKS & COLLEGES * MUSIC GEAR SUBSCRIPTIONS

SARCASM IS A GIFT...

As an avid reader, I was horrified to see a band called “Knights of The New Crusade” advertised in your magazine. Why would you even allow a so-called Christian band to point out that other Religions may be false?

That would be like fighting back against terrorists instead of embracing them with love.

What is this world coming to if we can’t accept evil as we would accept good? How can people... um... uh... geeezzzz, I don’t know how the Liberals keep it up. ;) –Todd Pannell [New Orleans, LA]

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WRITE US

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NOT ALL THINK THE SAME I just recieved the new issue of HM with Norma Jean on the cover and wanted to say how much I loved it. I actually read this issue from cover to cover. I extremely enjoyed the back cover with the comic strip. It was sad and made me think about whether or not I would be willing to die for God. It’s thought provoking, which is something I constantly need. Thanks for being so awesome.

–Keri Chappell [Carrollton, GA]

Doug Van Pelt Charlotta Van Pelt Heather Reynolds

HM Magazine is dependently owned and operated (Psalm 62) Printed in the U.S.

HM Magazine (ISSN 1066-6923) is published bimonthly for $15 per year by HM, 6307 Cele Road #573, Pflugerville, TX 78660. Periodicals Postage Paid at Pflugerville, Texas and at additional mailing office.

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HARDNEWS Quick & concise

News bullets Norma Jean are going out on the Sounds of the Underground Tour with Opeth, Unearth, Chimaira, ETID, Throwdown, Madball, Terror, and many others.

THE MYRIAD

THE WEDDING

A QUICK EXPLANATION

STAY IN SCHOOL, KIDS

“The new album is called You Can’t Trust A Ladder,” reveals vocalist/guitarist Jeremy Edwardson. “Musically, it draws a lot of its influences from a lot of what’s going on in the UK and Europe – Muse and Radiohead and that kind of stuff.

We definitely also kind of bring the rock stuff out of the past, for sure. A little more pop influence and more accessible than some of the stuff we’ve done in the past. We try to be conscious of allowing as many people as we can to understand the music and try to create some bridges between us and the listener. The concept behind the album is about being brave enough to accept the woes that come with life, knowing that the highs will be even greater; and to kind of hold joy and sorrow in each hand, knowing that you have to kind of accept both.”

Emerging from the same local scene that birthed Spoken several years ago, Kevin, Cody, Clint, and Trevor met when they were still in junior high.

Opening a show for Bleach in August of ‘03, the group caught the ear of guitarist Sam Barnhart, who offered to produce a demo and invited them to Nashville for production. While recording, The Wedding found themselves in a studio next to the O.C. Supertones, who were busy at work with producer Mark Townsend. Townsend took it upon himself to mix a few of the demo tracks and present them to Rambler Records. Before their debut even hit stores in April, the Wedding had already toured with the Supertones and watched their first single, “Move This City,” hit the top of the Christian rock charts. Not a bad start, eh?

Children 18:3 are writing and jamming new songs. They hope to get into Winterland Studios soon to get something out by Summertime.

The Redemption Song (who released the Victims EP and Plays Dead In Stereo on Future Destination Records) just signed to Strike First Records; as did War of Ages.

It looks like we’ll have a new album by hardcore veterans No Innocent Victim in November.

Derek Webb is releasing a live DVD in October, How to Kill and Be Killed.

The Rocket Summer are set to release its new album, Hello, Good Friend, on May 17th and then hitting the road with Brandtson, Cartel, and Umbrellas.

The Chemistry is hitting the road with Anberlin, A Static Lullaby, The Black Maria, and Bleed the Dream.

Underoath has sold over 140,000 units of its They’re Only Chasing Safety album, and it’s sure to keep climbing. They are launching a headlining tour (with The Chariot and Fear Before The March Of Flames) at press time. They will also be playing the Warped Tour this Summer.

HM Magazine Keeps On Partying 01. March 10: This Side Up opens 4th HM Magazine “New Issue Release Party” in Austin, TX at the Red Eyed Fly. TSU guitarist (pictured here) takes a run at the wall and completes a backflip without missing a note. We were impressed.

02. People actually come to these things and hang out. Pictured here are Paul Q-Pek (who moved back to Austin); Daniel Tucek; Evangeline Q-Pek; Bill Vanderbush.

03. Naos Project played its sick hybrid music. That’s Ernest Isaac warming up for the tour with The Accident Experiment, which is going on at press time.

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Noise Ratchet have called it quits.

From their mailing list: “This has been a bizarre season for the band and through many many conversations and prayers we have decided to move on. Not just move on, but to move forward! It is one of the most bittersweet decisions of our lives, but nonetheless one that we all feel is necessary. The end of Noise Ratchet is also the beginning of something new.” Word has it that their new incarnation is called The Life.

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Pillar is hitting the road all through April and May with TFK, John Rueben, and Dizmas for the For Those About to Rock Tour (we’re not sure if they’re bringing cannons). Pillar wasn’t happy with the last bonus DVD that came with the Fireproof album, so they’re re-releasing Where Do We Go From Here with another bonus DVD, which the band filmed and “produced.” There’s some bonus tracks on the CD and the DVD videos of the title track and “Bring Me Down” are mixed in 5.1 Surround.

SongTouch.com is a new download site dedicated to Christian music. A launch exclusive will be an industrial mix of Pillar’s “Bring Me Down.”

Mercury Switch Tell us about your new album, Time To Shine... How did the recording go? What songs stand out to you? What changes in your sound can we expect? What inspired any specific songs that have an interesting angle?

The recording went awesome! Jim at Zing Studios is the man, for sure. He made us sound awesome and all heavy, just like we asked. So, for this record, the music itself is a lot heavier and faster, and the quality is right up there with all the Zing Studios releases we have all come to know and love. We also played a lot of poker and ate a lot of pizza in the studio, which is a lot of fun, and nice...

The last ‘song’ is this big long metal song called, “Invitation Of The Reaper,” that goes all over the place. It actually has 5 different tracks within the song. It’s a lot of fun to listen to. It covers every kind of part and sound we do in this band, and then some. And it has a crazy good butt rock part halfway through! Oh, and for an interesting angle song? Let’s just say we wrote a fun song about a werewolf...

What experiences touring in the past year or so have impacted you (in a positive or negative way)? What are some funny road stories or mishaps that you’d like to share?

Our summer tour last year was the craziest tour ever. Anything and everything that could have happened did. From the good to the bad and everything in between. Including such highlights

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Dizmas have a new song, called “Controversy,” which was written with Sonny from P.O.D. as our old van dying in Seattle (that’s the complete opposite side of the country for us...). Sold -out shows where we got a crazy good response, and then in Florida the hurricane cancelled ALL of our Florida shows and we were stuck in Baton Rouge for 5 days. Some stuff sucks, but if you can get through the bad and learn from it, it’s all good.And then on the plus side, we have a lot of fun on tour. We have way too many funny stories to even get started. But let’s just say one night on an overnight drive, Gabe (our good friend and fill-in tour bass player at the time) and I were trying our hardest to stay awake, while everyone else was sleeping. So we listened to the Maroon 5 CD all night and just mooned cars and trucks when we drove by them on the highway. I don’t know if anyone could see anything or not. But we were cracking up laughing all night, and it helped us stay awake!

How do you see the fusion of faith and art in your music?

Of course, that fusion is basically all in the lyrics. A lot of our songs are about events in personal lives, how these events are affected by our beliefs and vice-versa. Time to Shine has a few songs about how we can act quite lethargic at times, or all the time. There’s a lot of positivity in this album, as far as ‘taking the hand you are dealt’ and making more than the best out of it.

P.O.D.’s song “Boom” leads off the Imax Nascar 3D Soundtrack album, alongside Collective Soul, and Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama.”

TFK’s new album, The Art of Breaking, is being produced by Arnold Lanni (Our Lady Peace, Simple Plan).

“We are so excited to turn over a new page and evolve stylistically,” explains Trevor McNevan.

Blindside is recording its new album.

“We are once again working with Lasse Marten, who took on his first production job for our debut album; and actually recording in our home country of Sweden for the first time since A Thought Crushed My Mind.”

The band just started its own imprint label, Wasa Recordings, in conjunction with NY label DRT. Their first new project together is a re-release of the self-titled debut and A Thought Crushed My Mind (both re-mastered and with bonus tracks). Ten Years Running Blind is the band’s new DVD retrospective, featuring footage and photos over the years, as well as two concerts (Cornerstone ‘03 and a club show from last year), and the neverbefore-seen “About A Burning Fire” concept video.

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14 HARD NEWS

HARDNEWS Page fourteen News bullets Über-upstarts Mat Kearney and Mute Math have teamed up for one heckuva billing for a 50-city tour this Spring.

Aware/Columbia have picked Mat Kearney up for mainstream distro.

A new band called DeSole (pronounced Day-So-lay) have just signed to Abacus Recordings. They are booked to play this year’s Cstone Fest.

Inked In Blood have signed to Facedown, with a new full-length due out this Fall.

Seventh Star How has your sound developed over the past couple of years (and your first full-length album, Dead End, and this one)?

Drew: Well, of course we’ve progressed as musicians in the two year span after Dead End. I guess you could say we’ve progressed into a more metal sound. While we’ll always have a traditional hardcore base, we’ve introduced more dynamics and drawn influences from a lot of different bands we’ve been listening to, like: Crowbar, Life of Agony, Superjoint Ritual, Slayer, Entombed, Sepultura, and others. Dead End was written to be a straight-up hardcore record, and it was what it was; but I’m really happy with the stuff we’ve written on Brood of Vipers. We’ve pushed ourselves as songwriters. I think all our current fans will dig the new stuff and new kids will be into it as well.

What does it mean to be a Christian to you guys? How does your music interact with your faith? What are your goals with Seventh Star?

Drew: To be a Christian, is to follow the Lord in everything. Our faith drives our band; it drives our lives. In the last year, we as a band and as individuals have been through a lot; and I know we wouldn’t be doing what we are doing if it wasn’t for God. Our goals with Seventh Star are to break stereotypes and barriers within the scene. We never want to be a preachy, holier-than-thou-get-onyour-knees-and-cry band. We’d be going to the same shows whether we were Christians or not.

This is our scene, and this is where we are called to be. Like, there is nothing wrong with playing a church, but I’d much rather play a dirty bar with hardcore bands. I think too many Christians want their safe little Christian bubble where there are no atheists, drunks, people with “bad mouths,” whatever. We need to be in the real world and applying our faith. It’s the sick that need a doctor.

How was it working with Kurt Ballou on your new album? What songs are your favorites?

Drew: It was awesome working with Kurt. He’s made a lot of awesome records with Converge and tons more. We are more than happy with the way the record came out. He was super cool and knew what he was doing with our sound. We can honestly say we like every song. Some of my favorites are “Be Wary,” “First Rains”, “Brood of Vipers”, and “Your Pleasure, My Pain” because we do some different types of things in those songs, and I’m way into them.

Johnny: I like “Feverish” a lot. It kicks off the record with a ton of energy and it’s heavy.

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Skillet and Audio Adrenaline were recently featured in a half-hour documentary on VH-1, Religion: A Pop Culture History. Live footage was shown of the bands at Creation ‘04.

(Does anyone else wish they’d’ve interviewed Symphony In Peril or Underoath, too?)

Symphony in Peril’s The Whore’s Trophy album hit #142 on the Billboard New Artist chart.

Relient K received a Gold Record award for their Two Lefts Don’t Make A Right But Three Do. Mmhmm sold a crazy 51,473 albums the first week out!

Mae is out promoting The Everglow for all of April with The Starting Line.

Disciple has been sitting on their hottest record to date, waiting for the right deal to sign, and their first single with new label S/R/E Recordings is appropriately titled, “The Wait Is Over.” S/R/E is a rock imprint of INO Records. Epic will distribute Rise Up in the mainstream market.

WordRecords.com have 80+ ringtones available, including Stellar Kart, Sixpence, and Mute Math.

Stellar Kart are out on tour with Kutless and Barlow Girl. Kutless is promoting its new worship album, Strong Tower.

As Cities Burn has officially joined the Solid State roster.

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HARD NEWS 15

Century Sleeper, a doomy gothic project of Ian Arkley (Ashen Mortality and Seventh Angel) and James Allin (Visionaire), are interviewed in the new issue (April/May) of Heaven’s Metal Fanzine. Cold Fusion, which is releasing the Century Sleeper project, has also just re-issued the Mystical Dominion album by Visionaire, which includes two lengthy bonus tracks. The label is planning to release the Mournful Beauty compilation, with heavy acts like Morphia, Paramaecium, Veni Domine, Virgin Black, and Acoustic Torment.

Seemless “I’m not too fond of that term,” laughs Jesse David, about the “stoner rock” label that’s sure to be applied to the doomy low-end sound of his band, Seemless. “I think it really spawned from Black Sabbath. They kind of had this definitive sound, which was kind of doomy and definitely different than any band of that time frame. There was a band called Sleep in the early 90s, that is probably where the term was coined from. A lot of these bands that came from that era happen to smoke a lot of marijuana, so they just decided to dub it stoner rock. As far as Seemless being a stoner rock band, I don’t think it applies. I guess it makes sense, but I just think it’s a stupid term. I mean, much like any other labels that people come up to describe music, like emo being emotive or emotion music – isn’t all music emotive? Labels are just something to help pigeon-hole bands.

We’re definitely not pigeon-holed by that term, I don’t think. You can probably hear it in our sound, but that’s definitely not who we are.”

Who the band is, in fact, is an interesting story.

A former member of Killswitch Engage, David left that band on the tail of its breakout album, Alive Or Just Breathing. “I had just gotten married two days before we left on tour. Among other things, I was just uncomfortable being on the road and not being ready for that whole lifestyle change.” While not a Christian band, it’s interesting how Killswitch continues to stay attached to issues of faith, as replacement vocalist Howard Jones and guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz are professing believers.

“For me,” professes Jesse, “honestly, my faith is everything, but Seemless is not a Christian band.

I mean, I am a Christian – no doubt about it. I’m a

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strong Christian, but when I joined Seemless, we started out just to have fun. Those guys are not Christians. But I wanted to bring that message, among other messages, into the music, because I can’t write without incorporating some aspect of that. I joined something that became bigger than I thought it was going to be. Seemless is more about having a good time – having fun up there rocking – but don’t get me wrong, the message is still there. But yeah, faith is definitely the most important thing to me; but it’s a balance when I’m with Seemless, because I’m with non-believers.

Does that make sense? I’ve never been asked that question (about fusing faith with art). It’s great to be asked it, but I’ve never really thought about it. I feel I can put my faith and my message into my music and present it in such a way where people who aren’t of faith or people who are completely turned off by the whole concept of faith will still receive the message in some way, shape, or form. Even if it is under the surface, it’s there.” The band’s current single and video, which Headbanger’s Ball is spinning quite frequently, “Lay Your Burden Down,” epitomizes this concept quite clearly. “Even with Killswitch I noticed that – where people would come up and say, ‘There’s something about your music; there’s something about the way you present yourself,’ and I have to give full credit to God when I talk to people and they ask me. I love to do it, but it’s also uplift-ment for my brothers and sisters out there. There’s a very dark world out there, and the message needs to get out to those people who wouldn’t hear it from someone who’s, you know, a minister or evangelist – people who turn that off immediately. So, I kinda get underneath the radar screen, I guess. But again: that is not everything that Seemless is; that’s just a part of it.”

The two Seventh Angel albums are being re-released by Retroactive Records, along with both of the classic hardcore albums by Six Feet Deep (Struggle and Road Less Traveled); the self-titled and Brainchild albums

by Circle of Dust; and Dogfish Jones

by L.S.U. Buffalo, NY’s Adelaide is Word of Mouth Records’ newest signings.

Part R.E.M., part Adam Again, part Prozak, you might know them as the previous “Pick of the Litter” act The McClurg Family Singers (we kind of loved that name and the images of Southern Gospel it conjured).

With wonderful songs, sounds, and a solid album (Over Tired & Ill-Prepared), they’ll be hitting the road and various fests this Summer.

April Sixth were dropped by Elektra before their album could hit retail, but they’ve since signed to Columbia Records and hope to have its album released on June 7.

Indianola Records have just signed Caldwell. Their new album, Accidental Renovation, should hit May 24th.

Former frontman for power-pop band Superdrag, John Davis has released his solo debut album on Rambler Records.

The Showdown are getting played on MTV’s Pimp My Ride.

4/8/2005 8:45:01 AM

16 HARD NEWS

HARDNEWS Page sixteen News bullets

The Austin Music Scene It’s been a long time since Austin, Texas (known as the “Live Music Capitol of the World”) had a Christian hard music scene to speak of. 17 years or so ago, there was a thriving scene with budding talent that deserved a wider stage. The Cry, the Q-Pek Band, the Nation, and One Bad Pig all had it going on; but, with the exception of the Pig, those bands died out in the very early 90s. Since then the only thing “thriving” in Austin’s Christian music scene has been a coffee house circuit for many acoustic/worship artists. Dallas took the lead for the better part of a decade (Embodyment, Travail, Society’s Finest, and Nailed Promise). But that has changed now – real quick.

Hosting a few “HM Mag Release Parties” recently has uncovered local talent here that’s begging for national attention: Hundred Year Storm, The Kirby, Fairfax, Falls Victim, Peter Nevland, This Side Up, Skylar Blue, Meryll, Minutes To Burn, Christopher Robin, and Bayta Darell. Add to that list The Illustrated Band (fka Gideon’s Press), Wideawake, The Rock Bottom Choir, and nearby Flyleaf, and it makes for quite a collection.

Hundred Year Storm and Bayta Darell have captured an atmospheric sound with lots of layers, cool dreamy vocals and a touch of aggression that keeps the audience unsettled at just the right times. Bayta Darell is akin to Sigur Ros, perhaps, re-recording Pet Sounds. They have a very minimalist, multi-instrumentalist approach, with innovations like stroking the acoustic guitar strings with a paint brush or hitting a prostrate guitar with a hammer for a dulcimer effect. Hundred Year Storm is just slightly more straight-up, like “Mineral meets Starflyer.” Brandon Johnson, who used to DJ at a local drippy Christian radio station, drums for the emo-flavored Fairfax, but has also just lent his mad skills to HYS, as did fellow guitarist David Kiesel. “If push comes to shove, my priority is definitely Hundred Year Storm,” admits Johnson. With the syndicated radio show Red Letter Rock 20 spinning Fairfax like they’re the next big thing, these two guys might be faced with that difficult position of which band to stay in.

The Kirby have been full-time touring since most of the guys graduated last May. They were picked up by small indie label Dollhouse Records (My Son, My Executioner, GODS) last year. The band’s

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discordant riffing and guitar-slinging provides an intense and entertaining backdrop for the emotive vocals of Michael Foulk.

Gideon’s Press moved from Seattle to Austin five years ago to make a go of it in Austin’s artist-friendly environment. Where a lot of clubs in Seattle were reverting to DJs, Austin has more live original music venues on any given night than even New York City. With organizations like the Austin Music Foundation (which provides career development tools, education, mentoring and grants), it’s a great place to make music. With a new album under its belt, they’ve changed their moniker to The Illustrated Band and consistently pull in crowds at popular clubs like Antone’s.

Flyleaf, from nearby Temple, TX, played the worldgathering SXSW festival and received management and label attention, which has resulted with their self-titled debut album on the BMG distributed Octone Records. “We’ve gotten to tour with Trust Company, Breaking Benjamin, and Saliva,” states Lacey Mosley. “There are a lot of other great bands that are called only to the Christian world, and we happen to be called to both.”

The most widely-traveled of any of these artists is probably Peter Nevland. His spoken word with music comes in two sizes – full band or as a duo with his sidekick, Paul Finley. They’re helping raise the bar for the entire spoken word scene.

Of all the new rock from a faith perspective in Austin, the most credible new act is an all-star alliance that had its debut album indirectly financed

by Gene Simmons of Kiss. “Gene bought one of my songs,” relates singer Matt McCormack, the sale of which allowed him to finance the Rock Bottom Choir For All The Saints album.

He moved here from Memphis and hooked up with Will Sexton, Ryan Carter, George Reiff, Joey Shuffield, and Bill Carter, whose collective rock pedigree is staggering. “I wanted to do this thing, which developed more into spiritual songs. Bob Dylan had Slow Train Coming – I wanted to do something like that. Not preachy or anything like that. I’m no saint and I don’t live my life that way, but kind of like an outlet of positive music. That’s what Rock Bottom’s about.”

For contacts on these artists and an elongated version of this article, go to HMmag.com

Sacramento’s Stars Are Falling and Richmond’s Skylines have both signed on to Blood & Ink, who will put them on a split EP in April.

Bleach have released a brand new album as a way to say goodbye to its career – Farewell Old Friends.

Stretch Arm Strong added itself to the growing list of bands that’ve donated a shirt design for the Shirts for a Cure Project to raise money for the fight against breast cancer.

Brian “Head” Welch left Korn, to which the band issued a polite statement that they had “parted ways with guitarist Brian, who has chosen the Lord Jesus Christ as his savior, and will be dedicating his musical pursuits to that end. Korn respects Brian’s wishes and hopes he finds the happiness he is searching for.” Welch spoke at his church, where he shared his experience about coming to the Lord. The next day he went on a trip to Israel where he was baptized in the Jordan River.

Plush is back together and working on its second album.

Robert Randolph & the Family Band recorded “Purple Haze” for the Power of Soul Hendrix tribute album.

Further Seems Forever are reuniting with former frontman Chris Carrabba on April 30 for the Bamboozle Festival, to perform songs from The Moon is Down. FSF will spend much of the Spring touring Europe and Japan.

Manic Drive (fka One Cross) just released its new album, Reason for Motion, on Whiplash Records.

Day of Fire (with Olivia the Band and Krystal Meyers) are going on a Rock 4 Food Tour to over 20 cities this Summer, with donated canned goods going to local charities.

Spoken, Kids in the Way, Staple, and Last Tuesday are all going out on the Everything Is Burning Tour.

4/4/2005 1:57:30 PM

LIVE 17

LIVE REPORT

South By Southwest Film Interactive Music & Media Conference 2005

BY DOUG VAN PELT “South by Southwest is like Summer Camp for me – I get to hang out with my friends for a week, and have fun.” This quote from a well-known independent f ilm producer overheard in the press room about sums up the 10-day conference / festival that is SXSW. With over 1,000 bands and close to 200 f ilms amidst all the meetings, panels, and parties, it’s impossible to drink it all in; but just showing up and taking in what you can is sure to satisfy. Following are a few snapshots of this year’s happenings.

PRESS ON The rising career of Robert Randolph is brilliantly documented here, providing a rare glimpse into the House of God Church that spawned the “Sacred Steel” movement.

It introduces the four founding fathers of the movement, who all mentored Randolph.

Could this man’s music be a “new song” that the world has been waiting for? You bet.

PALINDROMES A surprising story that looks at abortion, where all sides get skewered. Original, creative, and funny.

THE EDUCATION OF SHELBY KNOX A young Christian girl pledges to remain abstinent at a “True Love Waits” rally, but goes on to press for changes in the Lubbock schools’ sex education (and its abstinence-only policy).

THE DEVIL AND DANIEL JOHNSTON Fans of Bro Danielson should know about this enigmatic artist named Daniel Johnston.

He was the focus of a bidding war between Elektra and Atlantic Records, which he sabotaged for fear of the members of Metallica beating him up in the name of Satan. While the genius of his art is covered, so is the pain experienced by those around him in an unflinching manner.

ALL WE ARE SAYING This engaging documentary just as well could’ve been called Rock Stars on Life, the Creative Process, and the Music Business.

University kicked the music festival off for this roving reporter with an impressive tight set of incredibly catchy songs.

Mute Math’s wonderful set was the real deal – a packed showcase with people cramming themselves onto the floor in front and

hanging over the railings upstairs. Drummer Darren King was simply a monster. The guys just killed and everyone seemed to “get it.”

Zao proved that shearing Dan Weyandt’s long locks didn’t diminish their power, and new bassist Marty Lunn is holding his own quite well. The thin crowd gave the weakest response to “5 Year Winter” I’ve ever heard, but it was still a good shot of adrenaline. mewithoutYou took a stage under the “shade” of prop trees (instead of rose pedals) and proceeded to tear the place apart. It was cool to hear so many singing along to the band’s mouthful of lyrics.

Underoath threw down with a great show, capped off with the humble declaration, “that Jesus loves everyone in this room. If you don’t believe that, it’s okay. We’d still like to hang out with you.” Unpretentious (And awesome).

Comeback Kid almost got destroyed several times by the fun dog-piling the audience did atop frontman Scott Wade.

Still Remains quickly endeared themselves as one of my favorite new bands. Beautiful swirling and doomy keyboard sounds mesh powerfully with speed and thrash metal.

This could have been the best year yet, with only a few negative things, like the inevitable over-crowding when a good thing gets noticed by more people. Nevertheless, consider throwing caution to the wind and coming out next year! [See a more in-depth review of SXSW 2005 at hmmag.com]

Photos from top: Zao’s Russ Cogdell; mewithoutYou’s Aaron Weiss

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18 M O R R O W M E TA L R E P O R T

Morrow Metal Report

What’s going on in the world of metal...

Kekal has released their new full length, Acidity.

Slechtvalk has released their new album, At the Dawn of War. The

first 500 copies come in a digipak with their DVD, Upon the Fields of Battle, included as a bonus.

Immortal Souls is working on new material. Their label, Fear Dark, is also releasing, Once Upon a Time in the North this summer. The album will include both of the band’s out-of-print EP’s along with rare demo tracks and two new songs.

Fear Dark Records has signed the Swedish death metal band Taketh.

Their Summertime release will be called Freakshow and will feature a style similar to In Flames and Dark Tranquility.

Divinefire has shot a video for their song, “The World’s on Fire.”

Rivel Records has signed the melodic metal band, Vanguard. Their new album will be out this Summer.

Polish gothic metal band Undish will finally release their third album, The Gift of Flying, on CL Productions. The first pressing will be a limited edition digipak.

Ashen Mortality, featuring Ian Arkley (ex-Seventh Angel) will be rereleasing re-mastered versions of their first two albums in a two-CD package.

Ian Arkley of Ashen Mortality and James Allin of Visionaire are working on a project together called Century Sleeper. Recording will start in 2005. The next issue of Heaven’s Metal Fanzine features an interview.

Extol has released a limited edition of their new album, The Blueprint Dives. The limited edition includes a bonus track and video for their song “Pearl.”

Rivera/Bomma will release their new album, I Am God, in April.

Random Eyes is recording a new album that will be released in 2005.

The album will feature former Sonata Arctica keyboardist, Mikko Härkin, who has joined as an official member.

Rob Rock’s new album, Holy Hell, will hit the streets in April.

Sacrificium has recorded a new album called Escaping the Stupor.

The release party for the new album will be in Germany in April.

Shadow Gallery will release their new album, Room Five, at the end of May.

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Virgin Black has the video for their song, “Our Wings are Burning,”

available for viewing on their website at virginblack.com.

Renascent will enter the studio in March to record a new full-length.

Here also are some indie metal reviews for you to check out…

Shadows of Paragon – s/t: Shadows of Paragon hail from Sweden and feature a brutal black metal sound in the vein of In the Bleak Midwinter –era Sanctifica, early Crimson Moonlight, Frosthardr, and Dimmu Borgir.

This band has fantastic vocals to go along with the raging music. Lyrics and packaging are also very nice. Great indie release.

Serenade in Darkness – s/t: Serenade in Darkness is a very promising, atmospheric black metal band from Brazil. They utilize black, death, and female vocals on this album. Production and the female vocals could use some work, but overall a solid release.

Demoniciduth – Dogs of Antichrist / Sabbartariam – The Valley of the Shadow ~ Split CD: What we have here is a split CD from Switzerland’s Demoniciduth and Brazil’s Sabbartariam. Demoniciduth play average black metal that is better than their first album, but still way below their elders in the scene. Vocals are their strong point, with a good black / death mix. Sabbartariam is a brutal death metal band in the vein of Crimson Thorn, early Metanoia, Encryptor, and Mortification. Nothing new, but decent death metal with sub-par production. You can pick this up at blastbeats.com.

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H E AV EN ’ S M E TA L 19

Metal tracks The April/May issue of Heaven’s Metal Fanzine features a reunited Whitecross cover story, and a special report on Brazilian Christian metal, along with interviews with Christian Rivel (Narnia, Divinefire) and Ulf Christiansson (Jerusalem).

Like its cousin publication, it also features a “So & So Says” interview (with Uli Jon Roth). Whitecross will re-record their 1987 self-titled debut album, along with bonus tracks (including the “Love on the Line” single. In addition to these older songs, Rex Carroll and Scott Wenzel will write and record a brand new album.

Stryper is playing the Lorca Rock Festival in Murcia, Spain (June 18), along with Iron Maiden, Lacuna Coil, and Dream Theater. They’ve just signed an album deal with Big 3 Records, and should have a new album this Summer. Tracy Ferrie (Seraiah, Whitecross) has joined Stryper as its new bassist.

Bassist David Bach has told us that Guardian is back. Joining Bach is the “classic lineup” of Tony Palacios, Jamie Rowe, and Karl Ney). They will also re-release some older, out-of-print albums, a DVD of all their videos, and a new album and a tour.

There’s talks of John & Dino Elefante once again producing.

Rob Rock’s new album, Holy Hell, (AFM Records) features the guitar playing of Carljohan Grimmark (Narnia), as well as licks by producer Roy Z. Rock is currently on the Aces High Tour in Europe, along with Masterplan and Circle 2 Circle. He will also be on the bill at the Sweden Rock festival in June, alongside Megadeth, Accept, Motley Crue, Dio, and Anthrax. It’s interesting to listen to the new Impellitteri album, with Rock’s departure from the band in mind. Ironically, one of the songs is titled “Judgement Day,” and the subject of God comes up quite frequently (as does profanity in “The Iceman Cometh”).

The Australian metal mail-order folks at Soundmass.com have re-issued the classic Mortification album Scrolls of the Megilloth, with bonus demo tracks. If you’ve never heard this album, you must pick it up now (if nothing else, just to hear the drumming skills of Jayson Sherlocke). The members of Once Dead (Vengeance Rising minus Martinez plus Scott Waters) are following up its live DVD release with a brand new studio album. Look for the band on the HM Magazine Stage at Cornerstone.

San Bernadino, CA will host the Beyond the Mountain festival on August 27 & 28, featuring Sacred Warrior (whose song surely inspired the fest name), Barren Cross, Neon Cross, Saint, Holy Soldier, Guardian, Ultimatum, 39 Lashes, and

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Recon. Plans are in the works for a live DVD to be made of the event. Barren Cross played the Elements of Rock festival last month with Tourniquet and Crimson Moonlight in Switzerland.

Leviticus have released a DVD (in the PAL format) of their hot Bobfest ’03 performance (captured on the audio CD, Live at Bobfest). Bride has also put together a DVD of their conceptual videos – Welcome to the Show. Grrr Records just re-released a Rez classic – Mommy Don’t Love Daddy Anymore. Pantokrator is playing the Gates of Metal festival.

Axehead, Inc is a new band that includes a couple current members of Crimson Thorn – Luke Renno (playing guitar) and Miles Sunde.

Monsterus is scheduled to play at the Sanctuary Tent at Cornerstone and the HM Magazine Stage at the Sonshine Festival. Sanctuary will be releasing a DVD boxset of rare and archived video footage, including the Metal Mardis Gras fest.

The fine folks at PsychoAcoustix have re-issued the Fearful Symmetry album, A Loss of Balance. One of the bonus tracks is a trippy electronica version of the River Disturbance hit “Belltown.” One classic rock band that never gets enough credit in Christian rock music history is Sweet Comfort Band. Yes, Bryan Duncan was their vocalist, but Randy and Kevin Thomas made up a talented rhythm section, along with drummer Rick Thomson. Think Foreigner meets Toto.

ChristianDiscs.com have done a wonderful act of service by releasing the band’s peak period of albums – Hearts of Fire and Cutting Edge (one one disc), and Perfect Timing.

Jacob’s Dream have recorded and turned in a new album (Drama of the Ages) to their label (Metal Blade). The Swedish Christian metal festival, Bobfest has played its last this past month. It was actually the first time Tourniquet has ever played in Sweden. The folks at Flaming Fish put out a fantastic magazine/CD combination called Automata that is a great way to keep up with the good Christian heavy industrial / electronica music out there. After many delays the new Jet Circus album, Look At Death Now, is being released (in a cooperative deal with the band’s Hypersonic label and Rivel Records).

Liberty N’ Justice like to leak out information on who’s adding guest vocals on its new albums. Thus far, Soundtrack of a Soul features Jamie Rowe; Dale Thompson; Scott Wenzel; Leif Garrett; Ted Poley (Danger Danger); and Russell Arcara (Prophet). One Bad Pig is working on their own tribute album, with a twist: fan recorded songs.

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20 F E AT U R E T T E

FOREKNOWN we’ve been through as a band. We have had a lot of member changes and bad tours. We also flipped our van and trailer, which really set us back. We are really excited about the debut album, because we are thankful for every opportunity we have, and we feel that it is our best work so far. As far as the songs we like the most, “Weapon of Choice” and “Lessons in Manhood” are the two songs that stand out the most. We feel they show how we’ve grown as a band over the years.

What sort of message or conclusion would you like your audience to come away with?

We are not a band that fits the typical “cookiecutter” Christian image. There are a lot of Christian bands out there that seem to shy away from their faith. We have always been a Christian band, and we have no intentions of straying from that path. In no way are we saying that we are perfect, or that we are better than anyone else, but the imperfection in our lives is the exact reason we need Jesus.

BY DOUG VAN PELT Back when the world wide web opened its arms to anyone and everyone that wanted to be seen on the internet, there were a couple types of programs with which one could design their site.

The most popular method became called “What You See Is What You Get,” or “WYSIWYG” for short. Foreknown is one of those bands that could be labeled as WYSIWYG, because they don’t flinch or make any excuses for what they are: a brutal, upfront hardcore band with a message of hope. Blood & Ink Records grabbed the band and has put out its new album, Calm Seas Don’t Make Sailors. We were glad to catch up with the band for the following interview.

How did you guys get hooked up with the label?

We actually started talking to Blood & Ink in May of 2004. The original reason we started talking was to book a show in Virginia. I guess Jamie (Nester, label head) liked what he heard, and we started talking about “label stuff.” We already had a lot of respect for them, being an outspoken Christian label, and having a similar outlook on the music scene.

We played a show for Jamie in Norfolk, VA and he liked us enough to give us a contract at Cornerstone.

When you look around at the musical scene around you, what are your thoughts? What’s missing? What makes you excited? What does Foreknown bring to the table that’s fresh or different?

As far as the music scene goes, there’s a lot of heart, but a lot of people are missing the substance. We see a lot of kids coming out to concerts, as if they were fashion shows. Not caring about the music, or what band is playing, just the tightness of their pants and how black their hair is. Don’t get me wrong, our band has nothing against fashion, but putting it before the music seems kinda lame. The things that really get us excited as a band, is when we have shows like the one last night.

Last night, we played in Odessa, TX, a town we have never heard of, and a town we will never forget. The passion and energy in the kids at the show was very overwhelming. I wish I could see that passion for hardcore every night. As a band, Foreknown feels that although we have some common ground with other metalcore bands, we don’t sound like a carbon-copy and I feel that we bring passion and energy to the table.

Tell us about the “debut” album. What songs do you like the most? Why? The title, for the most part, sums up what foreknownrock.com

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22 F E AT U R E T T E

BLOODY SUNDAY Out came To Sentence The Dead, but it was not without turmoil. “It was kinda hectic,” confesses John, “because our singer told us 2 weeks before that he had too much stuff going on back home that he needed to handle and couldn’t be in the band anymore. So our bass player Chris took over singing for us, and we had our friend Bones come in and start learning all the songs. Things got a little crazy, but the guys up at Big Blue were so awsome, and showed a great amount of patience with us. They had recorded so many records that we all listen to that it was really easy to communicate what we wanted as far as sound goes. Joe, Erin, Arun, and Tim are definitely some of the greatest dudes to work with, and went above and beyond the call of duty for this record.

“We are extremely happy with the overall production on it, we wanted to broaden our sound from the last record, and bring in some heavier stuff in some parts as well as some more melodic stuff in some parts, and just really show some more of our influences, and since we were changing singers we wanted a really raw vocal sound that just had a dirty edge to it, so we had Chris locked in a vocal booth with a hand held mic, and we couldn’t be happier with the way the record came out.”

HM Magazine is privileged to co-sponsor a tour with some great hardcore upstarts. But we were concerned about a certain scenerio taking place, so we hit up the Bloody Sunday guys and posed it to them: Let’s say you all pull into a gas station and the vans for the four bands collide. You’re all existing on too little to no sleep. Tempers flare in the parking lost. Fists fly. Which band ends up on top, and why?

“I couldn’t tell you, to be honest,” laughs John. “Each band brings different things to the table in that confrontation. Clear Convictions would have trouble, cause they are all split up amongst the different vans, and would have a hard time coordinating any kind of assault; but then again they could have an advantage, because they all speak Spanish and could talk to each other during the fight and we wouldn’t have any idea what they are saying. xLooking

Forwardx, seem to have a lot of crazy stuff along with them and a lot of MacGyveresque qualities, so that could help them, but they are only a four piece. Seventh Star dudes are all really in shape and work out a lot, so they definitely have that going for them. Our singer was a state wrestling champ, but other than that I don’t see what we got in this other than that. I think we would just run all their vans down in the parking lot, and then back off and wait for them to climb out disoriented and run ’em down one by one.”

Before hitting the road, Bloody Sunday (no relation to the ‘72 tragedy or a certain Irish band) were able to enter the Big Blue Meanie studio, where luminaries such as Agnostic Front, Madball, Shutdown, and All Out War recorded.

For a band on the road, one apparent necessity is a music machine; and John was willing to reveal what’s in their auto CD player: “At any given time we have the new Rise Against; Down To Nothing, Save it for the Birds; Biohazard, Urban Discipline; and anything else we pick up at a record store along the way.”

As far as all-time hardcore classics, John’s top ten list includes: Cro Mags, Age of Quarrel; Gorrilla Biscuits, Start Today; Madball, Set it Off; Killing Time, Brightside; Agnostic Front, Victim in Pain; Integrity, Systems Overloaded; Hatebreed, Satisfaction is the Death of Desire; Earth Crisis, Destroy the Machines; Turmoil, The Process of... and the Minor Threat discography. It’s a pretty varied list, but all those records have had a huge impact on me since I first heard them, and I might go months without listening to some of them, but I definitely couldn’t go without those records.”

Visit hmmag.com for the complete Q&A and a turn-the-tables Bloody Sunday interviews HM.

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24 F E AT U R E T T E

LAST TUESDAY

BY DOUG VAN PELT PHOTO BY COURTNEY NAVEY FOR ALWAYS AUTUMN STUDIOS

While slightly underground via the small indie label Dug Records the past few years, this band has “grown up” in the public eye. Their early attempts at pop punk, while friendly and clean, never killed an audience nor sent ‘em clamoring for the indie rock message boards; but they kept on honing their songwriting and live show, and uncovered that elusive musical identity that capitalizes on their strengths and offers something unique. In other words, they used to be somewhat quality challenged, but now they rock!

With more than a couple hooks under their arms, they just might be heard by the fans of those other bands with days of the week in their names.

Brief history “I started the band in 1999 at Messiah College with some friends,” explains vocalist/guitarist Steve Gee, “because I wanted to play at the college’s monthly coffeehouse. Since then we have had many line-up changes due to marriage and careers. However, the current Last Tuesday has been playing for the past two years, during which we have been touring fulltime around the country.”

Influences “Musically we are influenced by many bands.

We listen to everything from Taking Back Sunday and Midtown to Pedro the Lion and Berry. However, when I first started the band, I wanted to be the next Dogwood more than anything else in the world.”

Recording with Matt Thiessen & Joe Marlett “Intense. At first the idea of working with Matt (Relient K) and Joe (Blink, QOTSA) intimidated us. We have a lot of respect for both of those guys and their previous projects. It only took about 20 minutes to feel comfortable with ‘em. It was awesome how much respect was afforded to us as a band, which made for a productive environment. Matt brought some beautiful instrumentation ideas to the table, while Joe added his own rock flavor to the record. It created an awesome balance.”

Resolve “The album reflects our continuing understanding of our faith. We all grew up in strong traditional ministry homes, and this record is about finding ministry outside of the walls of the church.” lastuesday.com

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4/4/2005 3:04:25 PM

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26 F E AT U R E T T E

COPELAND

BY ERIC W. ALEXY For most, Ken Andrews is remembered for being the mastermind behind the late-90s indie/guitar rock opus Fantastic Planet, released by his thengroup Failure. And while Copeland guitarist Bryan Laurenson says he somehow missed the boat on Andrews’ expansive catalog of work until recently (Andrews most recently produced Mae’s latest outting, among his other rotating musical projects) – fittingly when Andrews was hired to mix the Atlanta rockers’ sophomore full length, In Motion – he’s now come around in full effect.

“I missed out on the whole Failure era,” comments Laurenson, “but have gone back and gotten into Andrews’ work since. Ken seems to have such a unique approach to guitar tones. I don’t think his tones sound like anyone else. As for our record, I think he brought

a really special touch to the vocals. There is a certain way they sit in some of the songs that really blows me away. We spent a lot of time tracking the record, and I think he was the icing on the cake.”

Fans of the band’s previous outting, 2003’s Militia Group debut Beneath Medicine Tree, will still find the same warm Toad The Wet Sprocket meets Jimmy Eat World melodies on In Motion, though, according to Laurenson, this is definitely an evolution for the group, which is rounded out by drummer Jon Bucklew, bassist James Likeness, and lead singer/guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Aaron Marsh.

“I think In Motion is a more mature record,” he explains, “both musically and lyrically.

While our first record had more of a theme and an underlying message, the new one is

a little less obvious. I think it is a little more intriguing and daring. People will have to dig a little deeper, and yet musically it is a lot more memorable.”

While the band says they draw equally from musical icons like Carly Simon, Beach Boys, James Taylor and U2 as well as more modern acts like Jimmy Eat World, for Laurenson there are far more important things in life: “Definitely our faith and our loved ones.

Nothing is more inspiring than love,” he says.

Further inspiring, Laurenson says, were the band’s recent jaunts with Further Seems Forever and Switchfoot, two faith-based acts getting their fair share of mainstream success as of late. “Getting to play with bands who I have been a fan of for years, has been really surreal. It has also been very encouraging. It was only 2 years ago that we were playing in little dives in front of literally two kids.” thecopelandsite.com

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28 F E AT U R E T T E

LIFE IN YOUR WAY

BY CHRIS FRANCZ Life in Your Way formed in 1999. By 2001 the band shed its metal beginnings and took on the cloak of a more melodic, passionate hardcore sound in the vein of Strongarm and Shai Hallud.

In 2003 Indianola Records released the band’s first full-length record, The Sun Rises, the Sun Sets, and Still Our Time is Endless, which only served to build the band’s already growing fan base.

I spoke with the band about their soon to be released new record, Ignite and Rebuild (Indianola Records), and the direction that the band is moving in. “I don’t think the new stuff is a drastic change (from the last record), but we have definitely progressed musically. It’s a lot more upbeat and aggressive, but in other ways more melodic. There are a lot of singing

parts, but also more group shout-out vocals.

These new songs will be a lot of fun. Great sing-alongs and plenty of rhythmic madness to make any kid want to show their moves on the dance floor,” Josh said.

Lyrically, the band has remained on the optimistic and upbeat tip. “This, Midnight Fight” is about “having a difficult time falling asleep.

The time when so many settle down after what could have been a long day. Thoughts run rampant, because the heart isn’t at ease.

The spin to this song is realizing ones own faults or motivations; thus being able to know that there is a chance for peace. One of the lines from the song is: ‘I believe there is a chance tonight with or without me.’” Some of the other new songs are about the band members themselves and their striving to make music that is not for fame or wealth, but simply for sharing their love of music. “It’s

not for pride or to accomplish success, not for #1, but it’s for you,” as the band coins it. “We have put a lot into the writing and feel that we have written the best songs that we can.

I hope that people enjoy this new record and (we) pray that it will be something that encourages people,” said Josh. “All of the songs are about very real issues for all. We hope that the difference we’d make in this band would last after us, even after ‘Hardcore.’ We want to lift people up and show them that they are not in this alone. We have received nothing but encouragement and great responses to the new songs, so we can’t wait to get the album done and out there for everyone to hear,” Josh added.

lifeinyourway.com

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30 F E AT U R E T T E

FOREVER CHANGED we recorded. Even though it sounds pretty cheesy, he really is like the fifth member of the band. It’s hard work, but we have a great time.”

All four members attribute their excitement of touring and producing an album to their love for music. (And they’re also quick to throw in how much they think Underoath’s new album rocks.)

“Music has a lot of influence in our lives,” Nathan says. And the others joke, “Actually, it probably has too much of an influence in our lives.”

Given great opportunities to play shows with bands such as Cake, Underoath, He Is Legend, Anberlin, Classic Case and The Juliana Theory, Dan, Tom, Ben and Nathan all agree that they are greatly enjoying being given the possibility to “get out and meet so many people.”

All four members also mention that they’ve been fortunate in being to play with so many bands that they look up to.

“Even though we’ve greatly enjoyed all of the bands who we’ve played with, Chasing Victory and Cool Hand Luke are probably the two bands that we’ve had the most fun touring with. As for the guys in Cool Hand Luke, we all look up to them and their music so much,” Nathan said.

BY BETHANY JOHNSON Talking to the four guys who make up Forever Changed on a speaker phone while they’re driving down the road in their tour van, it seems as though they have been doing an awful lot of touring lately. And they still have plenty of touring left to do, too – they just finished a tour with He Is Legend and Classic Case at the end of February, and they’re currently on tour with Chasing Victory. But Dan, Tom, Ben and Nathan aren’t ready for the touring to end yet. All four of them consider everything – the band, their first full-length album and the non-stop touring – to be nothing but a bunch of blessings.

All four of the guys agree that “traveling and recording is always different, but there’s nothing like the opportunity. We’re so excited about this experience. It’s such a huge blessing.”

Friends since high school, the four guys in Forever Changed are excited about the release of their first full-length album, The Need to Feel Alive, which is scheduled to be released March 8. Working with producer James Paul Wisner (who has produced such bands as Dashboard Confessional, Underoath, and Further Seems Forever), was, as Nathan said, a “no-brainer.”

While all four members undoubtedly seem to be experiencing the time of their lives, Dan, Tom, Ben and Nathan are quick to give all credit of any of their opportunities to God. They also explained what their band’s name, Forever Changed, means to them.

“All of us have been forever changed by what God has done for us. We really like the name, because it also gives us the chance to be able to tell people what God has done in our lives whenever they ask what the name means.

We don’t want to keep anything a secret. Our faith is such a big part of our lives. We just can’t silence it.”

Nathan also adds, “[Wisner] is incredible.

We actually worked with him on our EP that foreverchanged.net

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F E AT U R E T T E

33

ALOVE FOR ENEMIES

If Jesus went looking for a finger pointin’ NY hardcore band to create a soundtrack to the inspired words of the Bible, I guarantee that Alove For Enemies would be on top of the Savior’s wish list, weaving spiritual truths and encouragement alongside the hardest mix of melodic hardcore heard today.

This rough-n-tough band of 5 spiritual brothers released their debut EP, Broken Pledge, on Strike First Records late in ‘03 and has since made the transition to its parent label Facedown Records for their brand new fulllength album, The Harvest. “The EP was a great opportunity for us to really get out. The transition from [the] label side was smooth and encouraging. The Facedown staff has done nothing but help us, and I mean beyond music stuff – they are always there to talk to, to pray with, etc. From a musical point of view it was a little tough; we’ve never done a full-length, so it was sobering to get in the studio and have to bang out 10 songs instead of 5.”

Their fans have nothing to worry about though – the new music is as uncompromising as ever and they waste no time pummeling the

snot out of their victims. On the opening track, “Angels Don’t Burn,” they lay down ferocious vocals, a thick low-end and a hint of melodic guitar work; all characteristics that ALFE have built their reputation on. And inspired by some of the forerunners of Christian hardcore, namely No Innocent Victim, Strongarm, and Few Left Standing, they are solely focused on sharing the love of Christ to anyone who will listen.

Since forming in ‘01 they’ve seen their share of hardships, including the loss of many close friends to suicide, but this has only encouraged the band to address the sensitive subject even more on The Harvest. “Suicide is such a tragic thing, especially with young people. We felt the need to address it, because a lot of people have the misconception that you can’t do anything to prevent it. You can. Listen to your friends and loved ones; never trivialize what they are saying, even if it sounds so small. If it is upsetting that person, then do all you can to be there for them. The other important factor is prayer. A lot of us say, ‘I’ll pray for you,’ but we need to follow up and really do it.”

“A lot of importance [in our society] is placed on such unimportant things. The hardcore

BY BRADLEY SPITZER scene has become much less accepting, and much more violent. Modern day Christianity is suffering because the state of our culture breeds so many misconceptions; misconceptions that villainize anyone with faith. The only way both will get better is if we stand up again; use our voices and our faith to take back the integrity of the hardcore scene. And we as Christians need to stop fighting amongst ourselves, stop bickering, stop worrying about worldly things, and unite and really, really start to love one another, and strive to be the most “Christ-Like” person we can be.”

Their passion to bring the good news back to the hardcore scene is undeniable. And just like any dedicated band, their relationships together are integral to their work. “We truly are like brothers, we play like brothers, we work like brothers, we even fight like brothers, but this last year we’ve been focusing on getting on the same spiritual page as each other; and I think we’re getting to that point, I couldn’t ask for a better bunch of guys to be in a band with.”

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4/8/2005 8:48:20 AM

34 F E AT U R E T T E

STAVESACRE

BY DOUG VAN PELT In a recent “conversation” with Robert Plant (okay, it was an onstage interview with Bill Flanagan, but it sounds cooler to feign personal contact with Zeppelin’s legendary frontman), he revealed why he doesn’t entertain the reunion offers he and his old bandmates have received over the years... That band hit such a peak that, after the departure of a necessary piece ( John Bonham), “it was useless to try and resurrect it.” While The Crucified haven’t scratched the sky like Zep, their great days are also gone. Yet the music that lives on, namely in Stavesacre, is vital and has a powerful life of its own. “(Being in the Crucified) felt like the right thing to do,” explains frontman Mark

Salomon. “I liken it to when I met my wife.

I knew that it was what I was supposed to be doing at that time. There’s a lot of comfort that comes with that, you know?

Just like I knew I didn’t want to do it when I was in Stavesacre. I had no desire to play that stuff or try to, like, re-live any of that or anything. I just wanted to try something (else)…”

“We’re definitely in the best place we’ve been in years and years – where the music is fun. We’re not really too worried about anything, because we’re all making decent money working (day) jobs (that) we actually kind of like.” The band has just selfreleased an EP (Bull Takes Fighter), and plans on releasing two more this year, and bookending them all with a full-length at

the end of 2005. They are once again working with longtime producer and friend, Bryan Carlstrom; and hope to do the next EP with him as well. “It sounds better than our last album by about 5 million miles.

We’re just doing it on our own, and it’s so freaking great, dude. It’s fun.”

The band is continuing to play, with most dates either being in SoCal or “fly-out” dates across the country. “It’s not that we don’t want to tour, it’s just we want to tour in the right situation. People who see us – they’re not going to believe their eyes, because it’s literally like night and day.

Everyone is enjoying it more. And we’re recording. We finally got gear to record on our own.”

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4/8/2005 8:49:14 AM

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36 F E AT U R E T T E

YELLOW SECOND

BY AMY HALL Scott Kerr is a private kind of guy. He’s the kind of guy that likes a little time to himself. The kind of guy that thinks things through. He’s the kind of guy that takes thoughts and fine-tunes them into rock music for today’s thinking man.

Kerr, formerly of Five Iron Frenzy fame, founded his band Yellow Second in late 1999. With two independent projects under its belt, Yellow Second’s third album, national debut Altitude was released March 8 on Floodgate Records.

The guitar-driven outfit boasts a sound along the vein of Weezer and Superdrag.

With considerable writing and touring experience, Denver, Colorado native Kerr offers

solid leadership to the power pop quartet. At 29, Kerr brings the full-meal deal to the table, as the unit’s frontman, vocalist, guitarist and songwriter, and served as the sole producer for the band’s latest release. But Kerr didn’t always possess the quiet confidence he does today.

A late starter, by some’s standards, Kerr had no intentions of making music as a young adult. “I didn’t start playing guitar until I was 17,” he divulges. “More into art” than anything, Kerr was a student at Denver’s Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design when he met the guys that would eventually form the now defunct Five Iron Frenzy. Just a bunch of college kids messing around, the group drafted Kerr to play guitar. “I just kind of fell in love with it,” he explains.

As Five Iron’s original guitarist, Kerr’s tenure with FIF spanned four years and yielded two albums and one EP. “No one ever thought in (our) wildest dreams [that Five Iron would have as much success as it did],” he admits.

The years he spent with the groundbreaking ska outfit laid a foundation for Kerr to build upon. “(We) learned as we went,” he remembers. “It also gave me an idea of what I wanted and what I didn’t want, creatively.”

Even from the beginning, Yellow Second set out to write “good songs which are musically interesting but also accessible,” affirms the unassuming artist. “I’ve always liked thoughtful, intelligent music, but, at the same time, I’ve always been a sucker for a good melody.”

True to his word, the introspective frontman writes catchy tunes and smart rhymes that are genuine, but not contrived.

Over the years, Kerr has developed into a seasoned lyricist, mastering the art of looking inwardly and expressing hopes and fears with a simple, yet poignant vocabulary.

Succinct and significant all in the same breath.

Take “Silhouette,” for example: “I always miss, inanely / what others see so plainly / it takes a time or two for me.” Yellow Second’s music is as much about its radio-friendly pop hooks as it is about the well-chosen words that accompany them. Ironically, the band’s moniker is “just a name,” he confesses with a chuckle.

Kerr’s lyrics often evolve from conversations with friends and focus on relationships. In addition, he notes, “a lot them are about faith and struggling with faith.” An excerpt from “Hello to Never” says a lot in a short amount of time: “If only my art / could somehow relate / then maybe my life / would then imitate / the things I’d contrive / and not what I feel / but it wouldn’t be right / it wouldn’t be real.”

Last year, the Denver-based band played about 60 shows in support of their second album, and in the past has toured and played with the likes of Relient K, Something Corporate, FIF and Number One Gun. Kerr and his bandmates – Josh Hemingway, guitar and backing vocals, bassist Brett Bowden, and Jimmy Coles on drums – have their sights set on doing “a couple hundred” shows this year in an effort to expand their fanbase and tour the new record. Kerr says the band has high hopes for Altitude. “We all see a lot of potential in it.”

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40 FEATURE

As I Lay Photo: Kevin Estrada

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4/4/2005 4:02:10 PM

AS I LAY DYING 41

As I LayI Dying As METAL OVER TOKYO

You can get a direct flight from Los Angeles, California to the New Tokyo International Airport for about $1000. When you get there, you can grab a cab and head the some odd 40 miles south west to Tokyo, make a few extra turns and—probably with a little knowledge of the Japanese language—you’ll wind up at Club Quattro, a smooth, hip music venue that polka dots Japan; there are others in Osaka and Nagoya.

room. Every night, they will take you out to dinner where you won’t even get to order; they’ll just bring you copious amounts of everything and you get to eat until your stomach bursts. At the show, you won’t even have to set up your own equipment. They’ll work with you to set it up the first day and then they’ll mark down every setting. Every day after that, they’ll have a road crew that will travel to all the shows and set it all up for you.

But if you’re lucky enough to be one of the bands performing at the club—like As I Lay Dying is tonight—as soon as you get off the plane, you’ll be taken directly to a hotel where each of your band members will have his own

This is the beginning of rock stardom, but there are more important things than being stars to As I Lay Dying; things like “love.”

y Dying 113 as i lay dying.indd 2

It’s a huge luxury for As I Lay Dying, and one for

4/4/2005 4:02:35 PM

42 FEATURE

Y

ou can get a direct flight from Los Angeles, California to the New Tokyo International Airport for about $1000.

When you get there, you can grab a cab and head the some odd 40 miles south west to Tokyo, make a few extra turns and—probably with a little knowledge of the Japanese language—you’ll wind up at Club Quattro, a smooth, hip music venue that polka dots Japan; there are others in Osaka and Nagoya.

Lambesis reflects on the past AILD, but does not focus on it. His voice over the phone is monotonous and tired; it could be because he just got off stage an hour ago, but it could also be that he’s spent years trying to make this band work, roster changes and all. But whatever it is that’s affecting his voice, it still can’t affect certain subjects: their new CD, the new line-up, his new wife. He almost litters optimism.

But if you’re lucky enough to be one of the bands performing at the club—like As I Lay Dying is tonight—as soon as you get off the plane, you’ll be taken directly to a hotel where each of your band members will have his own room. Every night, they will take you out to dinner where you won’t even get to order; they’ll just bring you copious amounts of everything and you get to eat until your stomach bursts. At the show, you won’t even have to set up your own equipment. They’ll work with you to set it up the first day and then they’ll mark down every setting. Every day after that, they’ll have a road crew that will travel to all the shows and set it all up for you.

“The whole songwriting process is much more collective,” he says.

This is the beginning of rock stardom, but there are more important things than being stars to As I Lay Dying; things like “love.”

It’s a huge luxury for As I Lay Dying, and one for which they’re very, very thankful.

There have been a thousand times when the band has had to personally drive through the twilight hours just to make it to a show the next night in some random city. Now—still performing in cities far from home—they can at least enjoy the lifestyle of rock stars, even if the metal genre isn’t exactly Grammy material. Some call it paying their dues, the suicide trips a rite of passage every band must go through, forging them together by fire, grafting them to each other.

If this is the case, AILD might be considered a failure.

The new As I Lay Dying exists because of the strain of, as vocalist Tim Lambesis puts it, “people not wanting to put in the hard work and dedication it takes to tour and build a fan base the right way.”

This includes the daylight hour driving, the blood and the sweat, the lull in their love lives. “We had a lot of guys filling in and a lot of guys that said they wanted to be in the band,” Lambesis says. “Once we got on the road—we were out for like 3 months straight, you know, not really in the most comfortable situations—people eventually decided this wasn’t what they wanted to do, they wanted to go back home to be with their girlfriends or whatever.”

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“Now I feel we’re a complete band,” he says.

“Right now I think metal is very much alive,” he says.

So for now, Lambesis and his band members—drummer Jordan Mancino, guitarists Nick Hipa and Phillip Sgrosso, and bassist Clint Noris—are going to have to accept the fact that they’ve come out on top. They’re one of the most popular bands in heavy music.

Their CD is one of the most highly anticipated this year. If these things alone don’t deserve recognition as rock stars for just one tour, what does?

About an hour ago, Lambesis and his band mates were pouring their hearts out on stage in front of 600 or so Japanese metal fans.

This, by definition, takes them through the ‘rock’ part of ‘rock star.’ The ‘star’ part, however, is the grey area. One of the greatest moments of the trip, Lambesis will admit to me, was watching the kids in the crowd pump their fists with the beat of a song they wrote, elevated to a place where language is no longer a barrier. This, coupled with the adoring treatment the band has received ever since they stepped foot on the island, makes quite the case for putting the ‘star’ after ‘rock’ when talking about the band.

But this is not Lambesis’ concern.

“Now that (my wife and I) are married and everything, it’s much nicer to travel together,” Lambesis starts, “but we definitely sacrificed a lot to be able to build a foundation with As I Lay Dying. A lot of friendships and people we have relationships with back home have definitely sacrificed a lot of things as well because we’re not able to see people we love on a daily basis.”

This is one of the few times Lambesis will mention the word ‘love’ to me, but the guy is overflowing with either it or some form of it: passion, desire, dedication. The current tour is also one of the first times where they’ve had the luxury of a shower, a nice bed, even a hotel room. But to them, all these things take a back-seat to what Lambesis seldom

mentions: love.

He lives it, he doesn’t talk it. The band plays with it on stage. Just by the words Lambesis chooses—and including the irony in his monotonous voice with an optimistic, passionate vibe—he wants people to know the love he knows, to hear the love in the music he’s poured his life into. This is why being rock stars is not important to the band; they have the proverbial bigger fish on their hooks.

Lambesis wants people to hear it in his music; he believes it’s there.

“This album, being a concept album lyrically, was inspired by something that I learned this past year in my life,” Lambesis says.

“Musically, we tried to write songs that matched the feelings that were in those lyrics.

I think there’s a very triumphant feel in our songs because of that.”

Before As I Lay Dying was ever a metal band, it was the name for William Faulkner’s fifth novel. The closest the two ever seem to come is that the book was probably published on a metal printing press. But for the type of music AILD makes, the novel could very well be their literary equivalent. The book, a stream of consciousness melee, follows 15 different speakers over some 59 chapters. Just like metal, it’s all over the place. A lot of people don’t—or can’t—understand it.

But on its second plane, there’s still a coherent story line; there’s an obvious purpose and direction. And I’m talking about As I Lay Dying here, though the novel and its themes—the impermanence of existence, and the tension between words and thoughts—very well apply.

Here, in AILD’s third full-length, Shadows are Secrecy, the songs are no longer disconnects, separate thoughts played out in musical form.

They’re one long, important thought, the love concept Lambesis has recently personally realized, though it’s a concept that’s been around for awhile. It’s clear and coherent—a separation from the novel—and serves to minister, as well as entertain.

“It deals with a lot of issues,” Lambesis says, voice trudging on after screaming for an hour. “A big underlying theme is the way that we’ve learned to love and the way that we’ve approached not only our relationships with each other, but ultimately the way that we’ve learned to love God in a spiritual way.”

Shadows are Secrecy is rumored to be in the vein of Frail Words Collapse, but with a new line-up. As I Lay Dying, similar to bands like Norma Jean, now have to deal with the fans’ reaction to a new set of songs from new band members. For both bands, it’s their first CD with a new starting team. The questions loom: How is it going to be different? Will it

4/8/2005 8:51:44 AM

AS I LAY DYING 43

be different? Will it be worth it?

“It’s definitely something better because each person has mastered their own instrument and is writing a lot of their own parts,” Lambesis says. “Everybody’s able to excel at what they do. In the past, it was one guy trying to be good at both guitar and vocals and do it all at the same time, whereas now everybody just does their own part. We’ve got five great musicians and I think that’s a huge part of making a solid record.”

For AILD, there is also another key element in making solid records: the importance of things other than the song itself. For example, metal is arguably anti-melodic, but Lambesis believes in a higher level of metal, where you’ll find the hook running through your head—just like a pop song—when you’re performing daily activities.

“I think that a good song is heartfelt, something that…”—here, Lambesis breaks off to think for a second before continuing with purpose—“…you can tell the songwriters and performers are passionate about. At the same time, I think that a certain amount of structure and a certain amount of catchiness needs to be involved in good songwriting. As technical as metal is in its natural state, if you can’t remember a song after five minutes, then it probably wasn’t a good song.”

Addie Bundren, the woman who lays dying in Faulkner’s classic, once spoke regarding the inability of words: “… (S)in and love and fear are just sounds that people who never sinned nor loved nor feared have for what they never had and cannot have until they forgot the words.” This is what has happened to Tim Lambesis. His ascension above the word ‘love’—into a place where marriage, music and metal all coincide—have given him something to sing about. He has forgotten the word love. It won’t work anymore. He uses words like “passionate,” “hard work,” and “dedication,” but out of context he could be referring to his band, his wife, or an attempt at playing a professional sport. He has to use these words because love just doesn’t fit right; four letters can’t express it. None of the letters could express it. He tries to live it, and what he sees are examples of it manifested in his everyday life.

“In day to day touring and seeing what is so important to so many kids going to shows,” Lambesis starts, “so many of the things that we invest our time and heart in to—me included—are things that are ultimately meaningless. It’s really sad to see because of our culture and the way that our media and society…”

He stops, and then makes his point: “You know, we tend to follow right along those lines and do what everybody else is doing.”

And now, even if it seems every high school or college kid is in a band,

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Lambesis is willing to walk that line, to speak of this love with meaningless words to save kids from a meaningless life. There is, however, an important difference between the emotion the band performs with on stage and the daily grind of truly living and loving.

“There’s a huge transition from being in infatuation and romance to actual marriage and a life-long commitment,” Lambesis says. “I think there are a ton of parallels between that transition in my marriage and that transition that I have in my spiritual life.”

In fact, the only time he refers to love when it’s not in passing (i.e. “whatever it takes to continue to love our jobs”) is when he’s talking about the ultimate love—the one he has for God. It’s this parallel that’s at the heart of As I Lay Dying.

“For me, I think everybody can relate to my lyrics, but the point of view from which I wrote the new record: me learning to go past an emotional state and of love and to really love God for who He is and to love God the way He deserves to be loved instead of being so emotionally driven.”

This coming from a newlywed.

As a generation watches Nick and Jessica live the high-life—the emotionally filled, newlywed love—Lambesis is beginning to understand that this is not the way it always is, that there is something beyond exhilaration and beyond television and beyond stereotypical ideas. It’s something he wants kids to hear in the AILD record.

“So many influences in our culture, you know, the way Hollywood portrays love and the way even our own churches teach people to love God through such excitement and such emotion that when that emotion fades, people feel like God left them. That’s how I originally felt, until I understood what I feel like is the deeper and more sincere way of loving God.” I guess if you go by magazine covers, songs, or a recognizable face, Jesus was the ultimate rock star. But once again, don’t start in on being rock stars with As I Lay Dying. For now, they’re content watching the kids at their shows demonstrate the love they’re aiming for. It’s a love that transcends languages, what keeps them writing solid songs, and is a verifiable proof that they’re doing something right. “Definitely—as a frontman—it’s very exciting to see kids singing along,” Lambesis says. “Here in Japan, the most exciting thing is the couple times we’ve gotten the whole crowd with their fist in the air, pounding away to the beat of the song. It’s something that no matter what country you’re from, you can figure that out.”

4/4/2005 4:03:42 PM

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11/19/2004 12:22:39 PM

46 FEATURE

IN THE BEGINNING THERE WERE THE BANDS SHADES OF AMBER AND UNITION. LIKE MANY A GOOD ROCK AND ROLL STORY, THEY BOTH BROKE UP. “IF THOSE BANDS HADN’T DISSOLVED, STILL REMAINS WOULDN’T EXIST,” EXPLAINS VOCALIST TJ MILLER. “ONE THING WE LEARNED AND WANTED TO CAPITALIZE ON FROM THOSE EXPERIENCES IS MAKING SURE WE COMMUNICATED EFFECTIVELY. WITH BOTH BANDS, PEOPLE WITHIN THE BANDS WEREN’T HAPPY AND WEREN’T TALKING ABOUT IT. THAT MAY HAVE HAD A LOT TO DO WITH THOSE BANDS NOT BEING AROUND ANYMORE. WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE IF SOMEONE WAS UNHAPPY WITH THE DIRECTION OF A SONG, OR SOMETHING ... THAT THEY AT LEAST HAD A CHANCE TO EXPLAIN WHY. WE STARTED REALLY LISTENING TO EACH OTHER.” And so Still Remains began … and we are the benefactors. Where bands like H-I-M take gothic sounds and push in the rock and roll song direction, Still Remains takes its epic keyboards and sets it against a thrash, hardcore or speed metal (sometimes all three) aggressive attack. The closest other band is perhaps Virgin Black, but Still Remains have more connections to an Extol, In Flames, or even a posthardcore band like Atreyu. We caught up with Miller and bassist Evan Willey before the band hit the road on Roadrunner Records’ Road Rage tour with Trivium,

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3 Inches of Blood, and The Agony Scene.

Tell us about hooking up with Roadrunner...

“To start, we have to mention Mark LaFay,” explain Miller and Willey simultaneously. “Once we hooked up with our manager (LaFay), things started taking off – bigger shows, further away from home. He inspired and pushed us to take this band to the next level.

He got us in contact with many labels. Roadrunner was the label we always joked about being on. The fact that our dream label was interested was and still is an

4/4/2005 3:40:56 PM

STILL REMAINS 47

Still REMAINS

EFFECTIVE CHANGE Story by Doug Van Pelt CONT’D ON PAGE 50

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4/8/2005 8:52:46 AM

48 FEATURE

By James Wetz

“What is Mae?” The tagline was around before Tooth and Nail released their debut album, and this question was used as their web-address long after. If you want a

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detailed description of their sound, where they’re from, or any other sort of purely factual data, I’m sure there is a press bio floating around that can help you. This, however, is not one of those stories.

4/8/2005 8:53:58 AM

MAE 49

My Mae anecdote begins at the tail end of 2002. I’m a sophomore in college, and I’m addicted to the old MP3.com (not to be confused with its current adaptation). I stumble upon a song called “Embers and Envelopes,” and the title immediately makes me anticipate a Dashboard Confessional-style journal entry of a song. I download and open the file, expecting the onslaught of an acoustic guitar and a bleeding heart. Instead, I’m greeted with something more like the fusion of Jimmy Eat World and electronic pop. It’s distinct, and definitely the highlight of my recent Internet escapades. I make a mental note: return to this web page soon to see if any new songs become available for preview.

not knowing ourselves yet how they would sound in a live setting. He accompanies us back to Emo’s.

The spring semester resumes, and I return to college, having forgotten about Mae somewhat during the winter break.

I return to my MP3.com immersion, and revisit Mae’s page.

“Summertime” brings the total number of tracks to two, and I download it immediately. It becomes all the proof I need. I officially am a fan, and I hope to see them perform as soon as they make their way to nearby Austin, Texas.

The beanie-topped man takes his spot behind a drum set. A second merchandise salesmen stands front and center behind a microphone. The rest take their positions as well. And with the first few distinct notes of “This Time is the Last Time,” I knew I had stumbled upon one of the best unknown bands in the country.

It is Sunday, February 23, 2003. Two of my female friends have invited me to Emo’s (a rather famous music venue in Austin) to see Something Corporate and The Juliana Theory. None of us have tickets, but we don’t anticipate it selling out. I’m not a huge fan of either band, but I agree to go for my hidden agenda.

SoCo’s tour is the early show of the day at Emo’s. Sandwiched in the late show’s three-band billing is Mae, opening for an artist known as Atom and His Package. Insert your own joke here. Although the release of Destination: Beautiful is a few days away, it has already leaked onto the Internet, and I scoop up and burn the last remaining tracks to a CD literally minutes before the girls pick me up at my dorm. If the RIAA is reading this, I apologize, but I did get the actual CD as soon as it was available for purchase.

We listen to my not-so-legal copy of Mae in the car. The atmospheric sounds and bright melodies become a fitting soundtrack. The sunroof is open, the wind is blowing in, and the weather is so close to perfect that it almost seems unfair.

One of the car’s occupants remarks after about the sixth track, “Can these guys make a bad song?” I am pleased to hear the positive feedback, for it is reassurance that I will be able to persuade the two girls into staying for the late show that night.

We arrive in Austin and seek out a small record store that sells tickets for Emo’s events. Tickets are sold out. We are told that there will be more people admitted at the door, so we still have a good chance of getting in. At Emo’s, a line wraps around the side of the building and into an alley, highlighted by a rather odoriffic dumpster. I peak through some gates to an outdoor “chill” area within the confines of Emo’s, and see in a crowd of people one guy sitting on a picnic table, wearing the same beanie that I frequently wore. I remark how it’s the first time I’ve seen someone else who owns it. While waiting in line, a burly Emo’s employee becomes a human scissor, cutting the line in half. Everyone between him and the door could get in.

Everyone else would not be allowed entrance. We walk back to the car, defeated. I remind the girls of the late show, and they agree to kill time until then. I endure an inordinate amount of browsing at a second-hand clothing store. Those girls definitely knew how to shop. We meet up with a friend of the girls, a student at UT. We assure him that he’ll be impressed with Mae,

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In the corner of the barroom hosting the venue’s smaller stage, there is a merchandise booth. I’m already sold on Mae, and look to buy a t-shirt. The young man I saw earlier wearing the beanie is one of three people selling merch. I look at a nearby Mae poster and recognize him on it, though I have no idea what his name is. He sells me a royal blue shirt, and I make my way near the stage to watch the first band. Then I retreat slightly, as they are loud and bad. The unpleasantness ends, and Mae is next.

Mae’s set ends with “Goodbye, Goodnight,” and the microphones are turned off. Many of the band members begin to tear down their equipment before the final act of the night takes the stage. The lead singer abruptly returns to a microphone, but finding it already deactivated, talks to some of the fans in front of the stage instead. He asks if anyone has a place the band can crash for the night. One girl quickly blurts out that she does.

It’s the driver of the car that took me to Austin.

We sit through the headliner (Atom) sing over pre-recorded music (his “package”), and then guide a beat-up van and trailer south on Interstate 35 for about thirty minutes: first to IHOP, then to the girl’s dorm room on campus at a major university in San Marcos, Texas. The room is the size of a walk-in closet.

Four band members and their road manager squeeze into the room, along with us four students sleeping on the floor by the window (which was left open all night…and a cold front lowered the temperature from the 70s to the 30s while we were sleeping). A fifth band member sleeps on a couch in the lobby.

We eat Chick-fil-A at the campus food court, and then bid a fond farewell to well-mannered rockers.

In the months after, I was privileged to watch the band evolve, thanks in large part to their generosity in adding me to the guest list at their shows. They released Destination: Beautiful to little fanfare, but toured so much that people couldn’t help but take notice. Crowds multiplied; the first time they played in San Antonio, I counted a mere seven people in the audience who weren’t in another band! They got a video on MTV2 briefly. One guitarist left, a new one emerged. They toured with Copeland, Armor For Sleep, Something Corporate, Sugarcult, Warped Tour, and Simple Plan (among others). Each tour had more and more fans singing along. If they had an off day on the tour, they’d add a show somewhere along their routing more often than not. I even booked them to play at my college, which is a great story all to itself. Through every performance, their sound grew tighter, and songs began to expand beyond their initial recorded states. With the release of their true sophomore effort, The Everglow, I fully expect my prophecy to come true.

After the show on February 23, 2003, I told Mae that they would be huge someday. Someday is coming soon.

4/4/2005 3:18:09 PM

50 STILL REMAINS CONT’D

unbelievable circumstance to be in. We were excited enough that some of the other labels had shown interest. Mark showed Mike Gitter (our A&R) our EP and said, ‘This is the next band you’re going to sign.’ Mike said something to the tune of, ‘Yeah, we’ll see.’ After a couple days of listening, Mike called Mark and said, ‘You’ve piqued my interests.’ From then, we had a team working out all of the details.

How did this Road Rage Tour get set up? In what ways are you looking forward to this? What are some things about the road that you look forward to the most? The least?

didn’t. We really valued his input, especially since he could tell where we were going with it. His approach for recording bands is to not be in the way of what they are doing. He wants to find each band’s sound, so that all of the records with his producer credit don’t sound the same. He was a fun guy to be around and made us feel at home.”

Concerning your songwriting for this album... Tell me an interesting story on how a certain song was written.

“One of the songs was actually mostly written two years ago. One of our members at that time didn’t like it. Jordan recorded his guitar riffs to his

be on a flyer for our first show,” defines Willey.

“When a local promoter heard that our old bands had come together for a new project, he immediately booked us for his New Years Eve ‘02 show.

We didn’t have a name, so we came up with it in a day so we could get on the flyer. Since then I like to say, ‘He Still Remains’ with us, despite the chaos in the world.”

You guys do a good job of mixing screams and melodic singing; and your music mimics this same (good) quality of dynamics. What makes a good Still Remains song? What kind of thought goes into crafting new songs? What sort of “lit-

”We can’t really speculate on how our career is going to go, but as Christian guys, we are going to remain strong to our faith.

We know that we are going to see and experience things that will have us relying on our faith to get us through it.”

“Roadrunner set up the tour,” they again answer in unison. “We are all excited to be on the road again. But it will be most exciting to be on the road with label mates and make some new friends, see new cities, play our new songs. There isn’t much that we are not looking forward to, to be honest.”

Let’s talk about the new album, Of Love And Lunacy. What was it like recording? Anything unusual happen during the studio time?

“Recording was very challenging in the fact that it demanded a lot of repetition and tedious attention to detail. The team of engineers was a lot of fun to work with and get to know; however, they knew how to push us to get the best out of us.

Drums were tracked at The Warehouse in Vancouver, while everything else was done at The Farm in Gibsons. We got to see the city for a week before being trapped on the mountainside for the rest of the time. Although we were mostly busy, there was a bit of cabin fever going around, so we spent a lot of our time making movies of us goofing around, chasing llamas, and a documentary on the proper way to make macaroni and cheese.”

How was working with Gggarth? What did he do to your songs, if anything? How did he approach producing you guys? Describe his actions, habits, and teaching/instruction...

“As Gggarth listened to us play through our songs when we first arrived; he realized that he wasn’t going to have to do too much ‘surgery.’ In some cases, he’s had to re-write/arrange a band’s songs so that they made sense. He even mentioned that he has had to tell bands that they are not ready and to go home and keep writing. For us, he was excited to see that we had a good grasp on song structure and arrangement. He did, however, have a couple suggestions. Some we took, some we

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computer and after having his computer repaired; he stumbled across it while we were writing. He then decided to re-present it to the band. With just a few small changes, it became a song called ‘Cherished.’”

What songs on this new album stand out lyrically? Musically?

“I think lyrically,” Miller explains, “the ones that stand out to me the most are ‘Stare and Wonder,‘ ‘White Walls,’ ‘In Place of Hope,’ and ‘The Worst Is Yet To Come.’ In those songs, I was really able to take what was inside, and put it into words.

Those songs really helped with different experiences I was dealing with at the time. Musically, we all have different reasons why different songs stick out.”

“In the song “In Place Of Hope” the keys really standout in the verse,” describes Willey. “I follow the rhythm of the individual notes with a simple accentuation of its root. Jordan (Whelan) has a guitar melody that he plays using an ebow.

Although the synch part is more pronounced in the recording, the bass really drives and pushes the melody along until the vocal pre-chorus line transfers the attention into a triumphant chorus with no loss of momentum. Everything else in that song is cool too.”

What led to choosing the title Of Love And Lunacy?

“The title comes from feelings I felt during the writing process,” reveals Miller. “There are songs of excitement and happiness, and songs about brokenness and being lost.”

This is the dumbest question ever... but it’s a long time in coming from us: What does the name Still Remains mean to ya’ll?

“The name was actually just thrown together to

mus test” much each SR song pass?

In unison: “We don’t use a particular formula, because we are constantly evolving. We always try to do things a little differently. We just want to write heavy music that is easy to grasp. Whether it comes out in catchy guitar riffs, or singing melodies or piano parts, we try to write things that would catch our own ears. We all listen to various styles of music, including pop and indie music.

That helps a lots when writing catchy songs.”

You’ve had a significant portion of your “career” thus far playing in the Christian music scene...

Now that you’re signed to Roadrunner and going out on great tours, what do you hope to glean from your years playing in the Christian market?

How will you be different or the same from some of your predecessors (P.O.D., Zao,The Juliana Theory, Norma Jean, etc)?

“We have indeed played a lot in the Christian market,” comments Willey, “and have had a great time doing so. We aren’t planning on going away from it, but branching out. Ultimately, we want as many people as possible to hear our music. We can’t really speculate on how our career is going to go, but as Christian guys, we are going to remain strong to our faith. We know that we are going to see and experience things that will have us relying on our faith to get us through it.”

What sort of impact do you hope to make with your music?

“We hope that people will listen to the songs,” answers Miller, “and that our songs will speak to them in some way or another. We want to share our stories and our hope.”

[See the entirety of this interview at hmmag.com]

4/4/2005 3:41:36 PM

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7/29/2005 2:37:24 PM

FEATURE 55

What Fall Out Boy Says WHEN YOU’RE HOT, YOU’RE HOT. ISLAND RECORDING ARTISTS FALL OUT BOY HAD A GREAT YEAR IN 2004. A PACKED-OUT TOUR WITH TAKING BACK SUNDAY AND MATCHBOOK ROMANCE PUT THE BAND RIGHT IN THE BACK POCKET OF THOUSANDS OF THEIR ARDENT FANS. AT THE DETROIT STOP OF THE VANS WARPED TOUR, THE BARRICADES GAVE WAY. THE SHOW WAS STOPPED, BUT THE FANS BEGAN CHANTING THE BAND’S HIT, “GRAND THEFT AUTUMN” ACAPELLA. THIS IS THE STUFF JOY IS MADE OF.

Editor, Doug Van Pelt: Tell me about the Chicago hardcore scene.

Bassist, Pete Wentz: It’s a pretty awesome place. It’s got a very family-like atmosphere, I’d say. I remember going to shows starting when I was, like, 13 or 14. It was pretty amazing. I guess, kinda towards the end of it… Kind of towards the end of when I was like… I’m out of town a lot. I’m never there. It got kind of really funny towards the end, which was kind of distasteful for me. But, when I go back to shows now it’s pretty cool.

Right on. How was the Warped Tour this year?

It was cool. It was strenuous. It was very high pressure. We never slept. We did it in a van. We only did, like, 12 days on it, but we did it all in a van. So it’s like, you drive in, sleep in the parking lot until 7 or 8 am, and go load into the show, load out of the show at, like, 10, drive and sleep in the parking lot again.

Wow. Yeah, it was brutal in a van. It’s definitely like a test, you know?

I guess so. It’s hard to sleep when the sunshine’s burning…

Oh yeah, it’s blazing. It’s like a million degrees.

What are some highlights? And tell me about that Detroit show.

Haaaa. I guess a highlight would be seeing all the bands on there, like times when we’d sit down to eat and dudes from Good Charlotte and, you know, Tim Armstrong, and, you know, it was just a strange thing with people all sitting at the same table. It’s like, when would you ever see that? And I’m like, the Detroit

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show was part of the Warped Tour. It was kind of like, no matter how big of a band you are, everybody’s on the same plane as you. If you are the biggest band there and you play at 12 pm or you’re the smallest band there and you play at 12 pm. It doesn’t really matter. You pretty much you just take it and you do it. It’s one of the coolest things about the Warped Tour. We were playing in Detroit and they put us on the Volcom Stage, which doesn’t hold a lot – about 250 or 300 kids or so. And, like, three or four thousand or five thousand kids showed and the barricade collapsed and the stage collapsed and Warped Tour shut it off for the day. We pretty much broke the stage for the day. That’s about how we broke Warped Tour for the day, but we didn’t play that stage again for the rest of the tour, and that was pretty cool.

That’s awesome. I haven’t seen two breaking bands tour together like this since last year’s Th rice and Thursday tour. How has it been touring with Taking Back Sunday so far?

It’s been absolutely insane, because they’re, like… It’s been a strange tour, because it’s like they’re one of the biggest bands in punk rock, yet still they have… one of the bands with the most cred in punk rock. To be able to do that is really cool.

And it’s like a completely natural thing as well. You know, it’s not like a contrived thing, where they’re like, “Yeah, we wanna be this sort of cred band and at the same time, like, have a million kids at every show.” So, it’s amazing to have such a natural thing. At the same time, like, it’s really cool. They’ll come out and sing with us when we play. We get treated and taken care of so well. It’s like, it’s been an awesome tour. There’s been lots of bands that we’ve gone out with that have been smaller than them that haven’t treated us as well.

4/4/2005 1:48:19 PM

56 FEATURE Cool. How has the transition from indie label to Island felt?

It’s felt pretty smooth so far. We still speak to Fueled By Raman on a daily basis and the people that we are dealing with over at Island, I think, really understand us. And the machine hasn’t really started rolling yet. I guess we won’t really feel that until the record’s coming out.

down the Sears Tower and they thought a plane was flying towards the Sears Tower. It was just chaotic. I remember it was scary.

What do you think of Jesus Christ?

I think… I grew up Christian. Um, and when I was in… I went to college for three or four years and I studied theol-

“I studied theology at DePaul University...

I really want faith as a human being. It’s something that I, like, crave...”

Right.

So far it’s been a really great transition.

Cool. What was your perspective or experience of September 11th?

I was in Boston recording with another band of mine. I had told my parents that I was, like, house-sitting a friend’s house downtown. So, it was just like this weird experience, because I was, like, lying to my parents and this happened.

It was pretty (bleep)… I remember at the time being, as (bleep) as it sounds, being very frustrated, because then I got caught. And then I remember thinking, like, being really scared. Just like, understanding why it’s called terrorism, because I remember feeling genuine fear. Kind of terrorized, like my friends and the public were scared to just do normal things. My next reaction was just like, after years and years of a certain foreign policy, this is just how people are going to react. And it’s, like, amazing to me that it came as such a shock. It was sick. That sucked, but it has to happen on American soil to American people for it to matter, you know? Stuff like this has been happening in a lot of places for a long time, and it’s like… It’s frustrating, but it seems like American lives are worth more. At the end of the day, ya know? September 11th is going to go down in history and be this huge thing and I feel like this is one of those things that we need to remember as well, at the same time as we do that, you know? We had family friends that we lost on September 11th and that’s pretty horrible. I think it’s like, in no way, at any point justified, you know? I don’t think that these people that were inside these buildings had anything to do with anything. I don’t believe that, but I think we should seriously re-assess our policy. Not necessarily because of September 11th, just because when you cause people to suffer, you should reassess your policies. I think there’s just… It’s one of those things where there’s no such thing as a victimless crime. It’s just really true. Everyone is a victim. It’s the opposite of a victimless crime.

Yeah. I was going to ask, because you guys are from Chicago – one of my thoughts on that day was, “Gosh, is the Sears Tower going to be next?” And then being in Boston is a trippy place to be on that day. That’s for sure.

Yeah. I remember it was a genuine fear. And they closed

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ogy there. I was at DePaul University and I don’t know. I really want faith as a human being. It’s something that I, like, crave, I feel like. But I feel like it’s just beyond my reach. Like, I don’t feel like I’m a true believer. At the same time, when we were doing theology and we were studying religious history, I believed Jesus was a revolution. And I believe that, like, what Jesus was doing was this very big thing at the time, but I can’t find the faith to, like, believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, I guess. I don’t know.

I, like, want to, and I think that at some point in my life, that that’s definitely a possibility and that I could find that, kind of. But it’s like, it’s just not there for me. We went and saw that movie, The Passion of the Christ. When we were seeing the scenes and, like, it filled me with these feelings, but at the same time it was like, “I don’t want to be like the kind of person that just… You know, that gets enamored by, like, the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, kind of. I need my own time to kind of search out my own path, I guess. So, I’m not really sure completely where my feelings are. I definitely, like, historically He’s an amazing person.

And then, like, I don’t know… I’m not sure what I believe beyond that yet, I guess.

Yeah. That’s a good, honest answer. What do you think about His claims to be, “the Way, the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father but by Me?” Honestly? I don’t know. I don’t know enough about the whole passages to say, like, what I know or don’t know.

Me and my… We were on tour with a couple bands… We were on tour with the band Anberlin. We would have these really extensive talks and, like… Whether or not I believe anything, I like to see that belief in other people. It’s absolutely amazing. They gave us a bunch of books. Right now I’m reading a book by the guy who wrote, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe…

Oh yeah, C.S. Lewis?

Yeah, yeah. I can’t remember the name of the book. Uh, Mere Christianity?

Yeah.

I can’t remember. I’m reading that right now and it’s, like, really interesting. I don’t know what I think about that.

I’m not sure.

4/4/2005 1:48:37 PM

WHAT FALL OUT BOY SAYS 57 Cool. Yeah, that book is one of the books that takes that claim, and he kind of dissects it. About being, “the Way, the Truth and the Life…” He says, “It’s either He’s a liar and you can’t call him a good teacher or a good prophet anymore. Or he’s a lunatic.

He thinks he’s God and he’s not God. Or, a third, that He is God. Oh yeah.

Cool. I… Just for a brief tangent here: I had a recurring nightmare. Whenever I had a fever as a little kid, little tiny pebbles would be falling on me, then bigger rocks, and pretty soon they were body-sized boulders and I’d wake up screaming.

Wow. That’s insane.

Cool. I’m going to be interviewing Taking Back Sunday, so I’ll be out and about and I’ll try to fi nd ya.

That’s awesome. Yeah, ask them those questions. Those are good questions.

Right on. Don’t tip ‘em off . I’ll surprise ‘em (laughs).

I will not. It’s cool.

Yeah, it was terrifying.

Wow. Every time you had a fever?

That’s a cool book.

Yeah. So far it’s been, like, awesome.

Yeah, that’s when it would recur.

That’s crazy.

Well, tell me about how working with Sean O’Keefe has been.

It’s been really cool, because it’s a guy we just grew up with, who, like, happened to figure out what he was doing, kind of, early on. He’s really great at production and engineering, but at the same time, he’s only 23 years old; so he doesn’t have, like, a) the ego a lot of people have; and then, like, b) he can’t even, like… You know, we wouldn’t be able to get him otherwise. If he was, like, 28 years old, he’d be working with these colossal bands.

What are your plans or predictions for the new album you’ll be recording soon?

I think it’ll be, like, a growth. We’re three or four years older than the last record. And, at the same time, I think that… I mean, our fans are three or four years older, so hopefully they’ll grow with us. Hopefully, I think, our first record was definitely, like, a lot of assessment on them lyrically. Our next record, the EP, was kind of about reaction.

I think that this record will be more about repair. And it’ll be slightly more introspective. And I think, if people are willing to tear someone else apart, you have to be willing to tear yourself apart. And, at the same time, if you keep finding yourself in the same situation over and over again, there’s a possibility that there’s something in you that keeps putting you in that situation.

Huh. Cool. Tell me about your book, The Boy With A Thorn In His Side.

Oh. Just growing up I would have this re-occurring nightmare over and over again. When we were writing the lyrics for this record, I don’t know, was getting way far ahead of the music. So I was about 70 or 80 pages into lyrics and we were pretty much done with that, so I began writing a story based on it. My friend illustrated it. And more than like a nightmare, because a nightmare is kind of a flat line… It kind of, like, involves this kid. To me, it’s like everybody creates alternate realities for themselves. Like, if it’s me and I get turned down by a girl or something doesn’t go my way, I kind of turn it around sometimes, and I’ll say, “No, I turned her down,” or, “No, that didn’t go my way because it was my decision.” And people in their heads sometimes will do that in order to make themselves feel okay. It’s one of those psychological thing that everybody does. Everybody does it a little bit, but then I think that there’s people that do it too much. And it’s about this boy that creates this alternate reality, because his life is just so miserable.

He’s not being picked on and treated poorly, but because he’s worse than that. He’s completely invisible and he creates this alternate reality, which is, I guess, a better world and easier place for him to live, kinda. It just follows his life kind of.

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So, yeah. I never really did figure that one out.

That’s insane. That’s awesome.

Where do you think teenagers hear most new bands today? What do you think is the current or new structure for breaking as a band?

I think that, like, breaking on a completely world-wide level would be MTV and radio. Breaking at the level that, like, us or Taking Back Sunday has broken is definitely downloading and peer-to-peer downloading.

Right on. Anything else you wanna go over? I’ve got all my questions asked.

No, we’re good, man. Thank you very much.

You bet. Take it easy, Pete.

See you later.

Any comments about pure volume?

It’s amazing. They’ve taken the place of mp3.com and it’s taken it a lot farther. They’ve been so supportive of our band in the beginning and I have nothing but good things to say about them.

Cool. So, I was reading in – I think it was AP – that you guys were playing with Bang Tango. I remember them. Did one of the guys in the band actually say that they invented screamo?

Yes. (laughs) That was very funny.

That’s amazing.

Yeah, it was very crazy. It was funny, though.

Well, cool. Is there any questions you’ve always wanted to be asked by a journalist?

The two… The questions about Jesus were awesome. I feel like, too often, when I get asked a questions, it’s always like, “What,” you know, the questions that are in our bio. And I like questions that catch you off-guard and questions where you know you’re going to get a reaction from people either way. Either way you answer a question like that, you’re going to get a reaction. If you say this or you say that, like, people are going to react to it. And the other questions I like are where people ask questions that are a reaction to either lyrics or events, like the question about Detroit was good. Or like, when you ask questions about lyrics. I like that as well.

Right on. Well, cool. You guys are playing in Austin this weekend. I’m going to be at the show. I’d love to meet up and give you copies of the magazine or something.

Oh, that would be amazing.

4/4/2005 1:48:54 PM

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8/1/2005 10:50:39 AM

I N T E R M I S S I O N 59

CHRISTIAN HOSOI

By Tim Hudson The first thing you notice when talking to Christian Hosoi is that he loves talking about God, no matter what the topic he will eventually find the God angle and work the conversation back to it. It’s not a problem, it’s just where his heart is and he can’t help sharing it with anyone who will listen.

The second thing you notice is his laugh and if you talk to him for any length of time, you’ll get a chance to hear it often. Christian’s laugh is big and you kind of get the sense that it is dependent on how he feels at the moment and not on whether or not anyone is laughing with him. When hanging out with Holmes, you can’t help but feel that these two things are related.

In his 36 years Hosoi has ascended to heights most of us could only dream about. As a professional skateboarder in the 1980s he reached legendary status dominating contests with his fluid style and big airs. “It was all about big air” he says “my idols were like Bruce Lee and stuff like that so when I would think of his performance and how he would do things it was always just a step higher and that’s what I wanted to do with my skating and taking it to another level.”

An instant icon, fans called him “Christ” and lapped up his “Hammerhead” pro model to the tune of $250,000 a year in his peak. A man seemingly born to occupy the spotlight Christian’s battles with another of the sport’s upstarts, a kid named Tony Hawk became the stuff of legend. Ironically Christian’s nickname would carry over into the name of one of the many airborne moves he pioneered, the “Christ Air,” a bombastic maneuver in which both arms and legs are extended in a Christ-like pose.

“What sticks out (about that time) is that I didn’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ and I never read a Bible in my life,” he says.

But on January 20, 2000 Hosoi’s high flight came crashing back down to earth, when he was arrested at Honolulu airport carrying almost a pound and a half of crystal methamphetamine in from Los Angeles. In a story

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well documented in skate circles via the internet and Thrasher magazine, Hosoi joined a small cadre of 80s professional skaters to have an all too public fall from grace. Christian was eventually convicted and sentenced to serve 10 years in prison, a fate that changed his life in more ways than one.

“Shortly before I went inside my wife invited me to church” he says “I pretty much went just to be cool to her and not because I really wanted to be there.”

That one trip to church resulted in Christian coming to know the Lord, a decision that would sustain him throughout his stint in prison and beyond.

Christian was eventually granted parole in June 2004 after serving four and a half years behind bars. When questioned about the low point that brought him to God, Christian is optimistic.

“I would rather spend the rest of my life in prison to know that I would be present with the Lord at the end of this time continuum that I’m in this body; well praise the Lord, I’m not even going to question whether or not that is feasible.

Without question the main issue on the minds of fans however is whether Christian will be going head to head with Hawk anytime soon. For years skateboard pundits have questioned what levels the two might have pushed each other to had Christian not been detoured on his journey.

Professional skater and X Games announcer, Dave Duncan, laid it out when he was quoted as saying, “as far as I’m concerned, every dollar that Tony Hawk has made is really Christian’s money.”

“You know what if it’s in God’s plan I’m going to do it” Christian says “Like Danny Way’s mega jump that’s something that I want to do.I want to skate the skate parks I want to have fun in the pools I want to skate all the parks all over but my platform right now is that I want to share God’s love with as many kids as possible. And to hopefully bring people to know what Jesus Christ is or at least give them the opportunity to hear the good news and the message of salvation through Him.”

4/4/2005 1:43:10 PM

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8/2/2005 8:50:33 AM

ALBUM REVIEWS

61

Album reviews

61 ALBUMS 66 ENTERTAINMENT 67 BOOKS & GEAR

NORMA JEAN O’ GOD, THE AFTERMATH In the first three seconds of O’ God The Aftermath, Norma Jean rams the stake into the ground, leaving no room for interpretation: this is serious music. Music that goes beyond aggro, metal, and hardcore: it’s primal and it’s personal. Vocalist Corey Brandon (formerly Eso-Charis) growls – spewing and spitting his lyrics with the tension akin to repressing regurgitation due to a poisoned stomach. It’s futile, it’s painful, but when unleashed, it’s a force and feels good. Every syllable drips with holy fury and unbridled passion.

On “Bayonetwork” (an obvious choice for the lead single), nothing is discernible other than the rage of the hook line: “This is between me and this blade!/ And my heart” – a disconcerting lyric regardless of secular or sacred perspective. An absolute sickness pervades the verses, as guitar riffs singe flesh, bass and drums produce a rhythm analogous to a bat to the head: the jaw drops open and the mouth fills with blood. Even more brutal, the band refuses to let up, delivering blow after blow after blow.

“Liarsenic” is another track where Norma Jean racks the strict rules of h-ardcore metal where it counts: there is definite and literal singing. While the majority of the track is drenched in vocals as insane as expected, the chorus is conventional, a freaked out and bludgeoning pop song – it’s almost unnerving taken in the context of the entire record.

Rating system 05 04 03 02 01

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CLASSIC FABULOUS SOLID SUSPECT AMISS

These newfound iconoclasts in Norma Jean litter the record with art-prog pretension – long instrumental passages, hypnotic riffing, thunderous distorto-bass lines, and complex math-y drum fills.

The scary thing is it actually works. See the album’s bloated, yet excellent, closer “Scientification” and the epic “Disconnecktie” where the use of rapidfire riff repetition, ringing leads, and plodding bass thumps is mantra-like, as the song breaks down, it gradually builds up and over and into itself – gaining weight, momentum, bloated by its darkness, its intensity, and its violence.

The entire album is fearsome: the guitars, ¨

4/4/2005 4:06:10 PM

62 A L B U M R E V I E W S

bass, and drums chug, snarl, stop-start accentuating each barked word with accompanying rage, fear, and ugly beauty of the weird – it’s so utterly mysterious, revolting, and deformed that the “unsaved” won’t realize it’s spiritual virility, and “God-fearing” parents will adequately be disturbed (“No really mom, it’s CHRISTIAN rock!”). [SOLID STATE] CHRIS M. SHORT

COMEBACK KID WAKE THE DEAD Dylan had his Slow Train Comin’ and Elvis had his Gospel albums; and this could possibly be no different – except the other way around. Not that this rolling in the pit fun bunch was ever much of an evangelistic tool, but this album will probably historically fit into the band’s “secular phase” if their career spans longer than the average hardcore clan. Like Stretch Arm Strong, they are a party band of the shaved head crowd, and they throw down as intense as any of their great forefathers of hardcore. Not a negative thing to say, and a classic fun time is had by all. Hats off to jack-of-all-trades Figure Four frontman Andrew Neufeld, CK’s guitarist, who laid down all the great chugging bass lines on this album. For a fun read, check out their thanks to their four bassists in the album notes. And speaking of sound production, if this becomes available on vinyl, buy a copy sightunseen, as it breathes heaviness and power. While I must be getting old, throwing myself into these great tunes keeps me feeling young enough to have one of those big X’s stamped on my fists.

Those kids jumping all over Scott Wade’s mic breed jealousy in me, as they look like they’re having more fun than anyone else at a CK show. Note to self: memorize these lyrics so I can jump into the makeshift backup gang. This is funner than any ball sport. [ VICTORY] KERN COUNTY KID, THE

ANBERLIN NEVER TAKE FRIENDSHIP PERSONAL Anberlin follows its buzz-building debut with further relationship-centric songwriting that takes the emo aesthetic to listeners who aren’t so caught up in feeling their feelings with so much feeling. Enough of an acheivement though that may be, a plentitude of hooks coupled to bright power pop textures and intermittent rocky danceability akin to The Killers. Never Take Friendship Personal (watch that grammar, guys) ought to add up to an album that could take Amberlin to their highest heights yet. It very well may, but its undoing for many will be an unremitting slickness which puts distracting distance between their sensitive songwriting and their – here’s that word again – feeling for the songs. To further the power pop parallel, they would do well to study Off Broadway’s heartiness and lay off The Outfield’s hubris. To put it without parallel: over-production overtook Personal.

[TOOTH & NAIL] JAMIE LEE RAKE

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DISCIPLE RISE UP Rise Up is Disciple’s Hysteria album. Or, for you younger readers, their Where You Want To Be or Bleed American. They have surely defined their sound and taken it to the next level. If this isn’t the most successful album of Disciple’s career, this reviewer will eat a bug.

There are two things that jump out of the speakers and slap your brain upside the head here: the production and the vocal melody lines. It’s not often that production is a noticeable factor in evaluating an album, but the masterful engineering behind this disc is too good not to take notice. Everything comes at you here crisp and punchy – especially the drum sounds. While Brad Noah’s guitars have never been wimpy or without some good and nasty distortion, they are brought out front and center here, and for the most part he shows restraint in keeping it simple by just throwing down great rhythms and power chords.

The second biggest attention-getting factor is Kevin Young’s vocals. Like Noah, he, too, shows restraint (a lot less screaming), but you couldn’t accuse him of not passionately throwing his voice into these songs. He passes the simple litmus test by singing, and singing well. It’s always cool when you feel like a band has found a sound that capitalizes on its strengths. They cover a lot of ground here, with the stomping title track and its killer emptying-out section with just a beat to accompany the vocals (which creates “space” and is sure to encourage audience participation when played live). With a tune like “Into Black” or “Falling Over,” Disciple might have just accomplished the feat of expanding its audience without sacrificing identity.

They’ve tapped into a sound that crosses scenes and arrests listeners (as in a big hook or chorus that pulls you in and forces you to sing along). Even though there are 90 bands that utilize this sound (tune in to MTV2 or Headbanger’s Ball and listen to any Victory Records or Trustkill commercial and you’ll hear that sound/chorus), no one has seemed to have gotten sick of it yet (just wait). When it works, it works; and Disciple could be poised to get a lot of attention with this release.

If it were possible to conjure the hooks of Thursday, Jimmy Eat World, and Matchbook Romance with the arena rock power of P.O.D.’s Satellite and Pillar’s Where Do We Go From Here and still stir it up with Disciple’s flair for the dramatic, this is that album . . . and it just might become a hit. [ SRE] DOUG VAN PELT

WINTER SOLSTICE

I Lay Dying’s Tim Lambesis, and any one of the current metalcore vocalists out there that combine growling with blood curdling screams. Lyrics, production, and artwork are all well done. My biggest complaint would be the all-too-similar sound to so many other bands out there in this genre.

[METAL BLADE] MATT MORROW

STAVESACRE LIVE FROM DALLAS (DVD) Sure, you can immediately select individual songs to watch, but this Dallas concert watched properly launches into an old favorite – Threshold – right after a building intro. The show was good, the lighting is immaculate, it captures the band as a quintet, and the sound seems fuller than the same-show live album that came out a couple years ago. The humorous and informative interviews shed more light onto a band that’s easy to love. It’s not The Kids Are Alright, and sometimes the vocals drop out slightly, but I dare say it’s essential viewing for the Christian hard music fan, as this group is certainly one of its finest. [XS/ZAMBOOIE] DOUG VAN PELT

Ratings DV

Writer

Norma Jean

O’ God, The Aftermath

03*

03

Comeback Kid Wake The Dead

03*

04

Anberlin

Never Take Friendship Personal

03*

02

Disciple Rise Up

04

Winter Solstice The Fall Of Rome

02*

Stavesacre

Live From Dallas (DVD)

03

Antestor The Forsaken

04

05

Half-Handed Cloud

Thy Is A Word & Feet Need Lamps

03

03

Yellow Second Altitude

03

03

Seemless S/T

03

02

Sinai Beach Immersed

02*

04

Clear Convictions

03

01

Warning

03

THE FALL OF ROME What we have here with Winter Solstice is some very high quality hardcore influenced thrash metal. Fans of bands like As I Lay Dying, early Underoath, Zao, and Dead to Fall will be all over this group. The band is tight, brutal, and aggressive throughout. Vocalist, Matt Tarpey sounds like a mix of Kurt Bachman of Believer, As

4/4/2005 4:06:58 PM

ALBUM REVIEWS

ANTESTOR

YELLOW SECOND

THE FORSAKEN

ALTITUDE

It only happens once in a great while. That one album. The one that gets you excited about music all over again. The band that looks at its own previous classics and raises the bar. This new album, The Forsaken, will captivate you and crush any doubts that Antestor might travel down the path of the “has-been’s”. As with their EP Det Tapte Liv, Antestor again recruits the amazing talents of drummer Jan Alex Blomberg, aka Hellhammer.

This band is incredibly tight, and Hellhammer does nothing but improve upon that. And while full of great musicians, they are not just an impressive musical act. They seem to have a knack for capturing emotion that other bands only dream about.

Every song is filled with passion and feeling that is so often void in the genre. This is black metal at its finest, my friends – raging and intense with an atmosphere that envelops you. The album comes in a digipak limited to 1000 copies and the front cover has the artwork for The Forsaken and the back cover has the artwork for Det Tapte Liv. The digi unfolds to reveal both covers in one large painting, and it’s made to fit nicely in the special limited edition box that was sold with the first 1000 copies of the earlier released EP. Fellow music fans...this is the real deal. The hype is true. This is one killer album and I love every second of it.

Whether you are fans of older Antestor, Emperor, Old Man’s Child, or any of the other greats in black metal, you cannot go wrong with this purchase.

Big thanks go out to both Antestor and Endtime Productions for once again holding high the standard of excellence. We’ve come to expect nothing less. [ENDTIME PRODUCTIONS] MATT MORROW

HALF-HANDED CLOUD THY IS A WORD & FEET NEED LAMPS Oh, thank God for the new Half-Handed Cloud record. A breath of fresh air can be so vital to a person’s productivity, creativity, and over all mental well being.

I can tell you how great the new HHC record is simply by telling you what it is NOT... HHC is not made up of 4, skinny, twenty-something’s, dressed in all black with tattoos, lip rings, and dyed pokey hair, creating “nu rock” (nu as in much more sensitive than the usual, but some how rocking harder than the usual), having no clue as to actual skill and craft of song writing, but instead more concerned with singing as loud as they can for the chorus, and with what new “fire” design to put on their new extra small black t-shirts, that their overly emotional and angst filled 13 - 15 year old target audience will buy. So, find the nearest record store, shell out the $12 or whatever and buy the new HHC record. You will applaud this band for not sounding just like the other 689 new records that came out this month that do sound exactly the same. Thy is a word... is truly a breath of fresh air in the stale environment of today’s nu music. [ASTHMATIC KITTY] JEFF CLOUD

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Yellow Second, with their debut national release, Altitude, picks up where Seven Day Jesus left off seven years ago – with rock melodies so fresh you want to give your neighbor a high five. With just enough pop sensibility for Top 40 but enough edge for rock radio, Altitude should happily find the broad audience Switchfoot is currently tapping into.

The album’s opener, “Silhouette,” with its melancholy acoustic hook, doesn’t set the tone for Altitude; “Chance of Sunbreaks,” abruptly exploding into upbeat motion at the close of track one, is much more consistent with the album’s overall feeling. “Chance of Sunbreaks”’ bridge – “Written all over my face/ Desperation and self-doubt/ Gotta get back to a place/ Where the sun sometimes comes out” – is also indicative of the album’s halfway selfdisclosing and somewhat hopeful lyrics.

Altitude features a variety of guitar sounds and unique vocal/production touches that make it worth several careful listens. “Seed” diverges from its Foo Fighters-reminiscent verses with “ba-ba-babaaahs” in the chorus and “na-na-nas” in the bridge.

A spooky synthesizer at the beginning of “Plume” breaks into a catchy supplement to the chorus.

“Material”’s chorus employs an airy echo; “Fall Out of Line”’s muted musak intro gives the track added sonic interest. And the sad and searching “Some Other Way” – what Elliott Smith would have sounded like if he had been bluegrass – deserves a mention as well. Front man Scott Kerr, formerly of Five Iron Frenzy, earns an A+ for raspy vocals that don’t attempt to be punk, neo-grunge or screamo. In fact, the entire album avoids sounding like an attempt at something else. Purely pop-infused rock, Altitude easily accomplishes Kerr’s self-stated goal of “writing good songs which are musically interesting but also accessible.” [FLOODGATE] ERIKA LARSON

SEEMLESS S/T By featuring former members of influential modern metalcore acts such as Killswitch Engage, Overcast, and Shadows Fall, Seemless immediately poses grand expectations.

However, anyone expecting an analogous style from the Worcester, MA-based band’s resume will be quickly aghast. Obviously exhausted of performing the core-scene sound, Seemless hurls post-grunge rock for their debut, drawing a stronger basis from the traditional blues based metal of the early ‘70s. This cliched musical direction implies the band’s performances are more akin to backwater bar cover bands prone to removing their shirts onstage. The band was founded when Medium guitarist Pete Cortese and drummer Derek Kerswill recruited former Killswitch Engage singer Jesse David as a replacement. The band renamed and David retired his screaming shrill for a more melodic soulful hum which will repulse former fans and make grunge purists cringe. He still occasion-

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ally shrieks and gives a churlish tease by never releasing his previous potential. Thick grudging guitars release surly epics dreary enough to require a double dosage of Ibuprofen in order to sustain. If only their texture could render the liberate passion of their lyrics: “Open your eyes, see the real life / We can make a difference if we try,” David bellows on the opening track. By releasing such potent cries as “It brings me to my knees / Give me the strength I need when I’m feeling weak / This is my time of need,” it is difficult to not empathize (if you can abide the sound). [EQUAL VISION] DAN FRAZIER

SINAI BEACH IMMERSED On their second full-length album: Immersed, Sinai Beach instantaneously maneuvers an asphyxiating chokehold upon the senses and never bestows abatement. Once simultaneously stricken by the goth-synth keys and dual pummeling guitars from the instrumental intro “Apocalypse,” it is immediately evident that the Riverside, California quintet has successfully reinforced their metalcore eminence. Produced by Eric Rachel (Atreyu, Dillinger Escape Plan), Sinai Beach returns with consistent brutality through rhythmical drum pelting and expeditious guitar riffs. The swift thunderous tones slowly grow stagnate, but will easily satisfy those who relish a perpetual elucubrate storm. Vocalist Courtney Alderson roars a defiant bellow, yet attempts to occasionally alleviate the intensity by singing an irritable descant.

Just as a reliable friend will always succor a new struggle, Sinai Beach offers a vehement lyrical message of martyrism: “You bled for me / So I too must be willing to bleed / I live for you / Then I will die for you,” and the error of humanity: “Dark days of the human race / I tried to see man’s beauty but chaos reigns.” Like a choir singing a battle cry in a cathedral, guitarist Logan Lambert’s preluding samples and programming emit a reflective demeanor which marinates the mind. Afterward, beauteous breakdowns emanate a dosage of mental adrenaline. An internal war of temptation versus allegiance is present. Nefarious decisions and situations lie ahead.

Alas, you will never fight alone – if only you listen to and immerse in this. [VICTORY] DAN FRAZIER

CLEAR CONVICTIONS WARNING This Puerto Rican band is heavy on the hardcore and a little lighter on the metal than most releases in this genre. While there is no evidence that the band is striving to break any musical barriers or present anything new, they do accomplish the task of creating some pretty decent hardcore for all the Hoodie Crews all over the world! [STRIKE FIRST] CHRIS FRANCZ

4/4/2005 4:07:51 PM

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FOREVER CHANGED THE NEED TO FEEL ALIVE There has been a lot of buzz about this young band and a listen to this album will surely explain why. Produced by James Paul Wisner (Underoath, Chevelle, Further Seems Forever) The Need to Feel Alive is about as strong as debut albums come.

The album is bit misleading at first. It kicks off with the aggressive, but melodic, songs “The Last Time” and “Encounter.” They are the kind of songs that make you feel like the band might hit you with their guitars at any given moment but are too nice of guys to follow through with it. The album calms down a bit after that, settling into some really nice edgy melodic rock. Songs like the title track, “The Great Divide,” and “Romance in Denial” have a bit of U2 vibe that the band delivers really well. The album is filled with well written lyrics and melodies that suck you into the song, even if you resist.

The Need to Feel Alive is way too aggressive to be emo, way to creative to be pop punk, but a little too polished to simply be called rock and roll. Upon first listen, I thought the album was pretty straight forward but after 5 or 6 more spins I have found it to be a lot deeper than I suspected. This is one of those albums that you can’t just listen to once. If you do, you’ll miss all that is truly great about it. Fans of anything from Weezer to U2 to Anberlin should find a lot to love here. [FLOODGATE] MARK FISHER

STAVESACRE BULL TAKES FIGHTER EP Does anyone really care to know if this is the band’s first indie DIY release or that the packaging consists of a folded sleeve or that there’s four new songs or that they’ve returned to working in the studio with Bryan Carlstrom? All of these factors are important, but what you really want to know is if this disc finds the band back in the fine form they displayed on Speakeasy before they wandered onto a split with Denison Marrs, a poorly recorded live album on XS, a self-titled full-length on Nitro, and an alternative take on a best-of with its former T&N label (the last two of which re-released songs from the split). That’s the crux of the matter, isn’t it? In other words, have they stopped fooling around and started rocking again? The band certainly rocks. The sounds are a little more blunt and raw, a la Absolutes. The lyrics are as deep, personal, and thoughtful as ever. It sounds like the band is back in a good creative place; yet they haven’t quite been able to raise their bar any higher with this teaser EP. [STAVESACRE FOUNDATION] KERN COUNTY KID, THE

LIFE IN YOUR WAY THE SUN RISES AND THE SUN SETS AND STILL OUR TIME IS ENDLESS Indianola Records may just be another small, albeit promising blip in the hardcore community’s radar at present, but as the label continues to expand its catalog rather rapidly, two things have become

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quite apparent: 1. All their bands can fairly easily be categorized as playing some offshoot of melodic emo-tinged hardcore; 2. All of their bands, however similar, are for the most part at least slightly better than the bulk of those dallying in modern hardcore.

On ...And Still Our Time Is Endless, Life In Your Way prove to be one of the label’s most promising, and certainly their most proficient act to date. Sure, the melodic passages – sandwiched nicely between some Evergreen Terrace-inspired breakdowns and Sleeping By The Riversideesque screams – are a bit too Thursdayish, even down to the slightly whiney vocals. And, yes, you can see the breakdowns, which prove to be catchy but hardly of the tech-minded variety, coming from a mile away, but, you don’t mind so much because, at the very least, these guys do it better than Hawthorne Heights or Senses Fail or Atreyu or... (you get the idea). It’s kind of like saying “good for a girl.” [ INDIANOLA] ERIC W. ALEXY

DIVINEFIRE GLORY THY NAME Are you sick of those bands that are hyped to no end and then never deliver? Well, today you’re being introduced to one such band that lives up to the hype. Divinefire is comprised of Christian Rivel and Andreas Olsson of Narnia, and Jani Stefanovic (Renascent, Crimson Moonlight). And if those members weren’t enough, the guests will have you even more excited. They include Eric Clayton (Saviour Machine), Carl Johan Grimmark (Narnia), Fredrik Sjöholm & Torbjörn Weinesjö (Veni Domine), Hubertus Liljegren (Crimson Moonlight), Pontus Norgren (Talisman, Great King Rat), and Thomas Vikström (Brazen Abbot, Candlemass). Divinefire lands in the power/ progressive genre mostly, but labeling this band as such does them no justice. This is top-notch metal that just can’t be dismissed as anything less than brilliant. The intro and outro with Clayton reading Scripture in his haunting, deep voice perfectly gift-wrap the raging metal within. The guitars are brutal, full, and magnificently played. The riffs are explosive; and, add to that all the killer solos, and you’ve started to set the stage. The keyboards are many on this disc, but for those that are scared of metal bands in this genre and their over-indulgence on cheesy keyboards...fear not. This band uses keys to their advantage big time and every note is placed perfectly within each song. The drumming is flat out awesome. Jani is a double bass madman and the drum sound is excellent. And the vocals...this is easily the finest vocal performance that Christian Rivel has ever pulled off. They’re passionate and powerful and make you totally convinced that he believes what he is singing. Mix in a few growls from Liljegren and some spoken and background vocals by Clayton and Sjöholm and you’ve got a great vocal attack. Production is top quality and the artwork is also very eye appealing. The band spared nothing on any aspect of this disc. The lyrics, while not extremely complex, are bold and to the point

without being cliché or lame. Divinefire holds the banner of Jesus Christ high and waves it without shame. If you like your metal aggressive and full of passion and feeling, Divinefire will satisfy on all fronts. Heavy metal albums don’t get much closer to perfection than this release. And I can hear it now... ‘Oh, that Matt Morrow is full of it! This album will never live up to this kind of hype.’ Well, believe what you want, but I stand behind what I’m saying in this review 100%. The bar has been set for 2005.

[RIVEL] MATT MORROW

CRIMSON MOONLIGHT VEIL OF REMEMBRANCE The cover of this album depicts a man in a trench coat, lying on some old, worn steps with his face buried in his hands.

His face is ever so close to the cold stones below and one can only imagine what is going through his mind. As the nearby trees sway in the wind, they begin to block out the sun and cast a dark shadow on the man. And while one could endlessly ponder the possible thoughts of this individual

Ratings DV Writer Forever Changed The Need To Feel Alive

03* 03

Stavesacre

Bull Takes Fighter EP

03* 03

Life In Your Way

The Sun Rises And The Sun Sets And Still...

02* 02*

Divinefire Glory Thy Name

03

04*

Crimson Moonlight Veil Of Remembrance

04

04

Vaakevandring S/T

04

03*

Mirador

The Azrael Tales

03

03*

Brutal Fight

Our Merciful Father

03

01

Various Artists

Flicker Rocks Harder (DVD)

03

The Ocean Blue Waterworks

03

Imperial

This Grave Is My Poem

03* 03*

Opposition Of One In The Line Of Change

03* 03*

Various Artists

03* 04

Policia!

03

4/4/2005 4:08:43 PM

ALBUM REVIEWS

VAAKEVANDRING S/T Thanks to Momentum Scandinavia, this hard to find release by Vaakevandring has now been re-released. If you love good ol’ symphonic Norwegian black metal with shrill vocals, then this is a must buy. The original release had three songs and this one has an awesome bonus song called “To Find Eternal Peace.” The old songs have been remastered and the packaging has also been redone. The CD booklet is made of heavy silver graphite paper and it looks fabulous.

These songs were originally recorded with the help of former Dimmu Borgir member, Stian Aarstad. And if you like Dimmu or old Crimson Moonlight, this material will be right up your alley. [MOMENTUM SCANDINAVIA] MATT MORROW

and think of what could be troubling his spirit, one might be better off tearing themselves away from the captivating artwork and venturing to what’s inside. It is one of the most relentlessly aggressive and brutal pieces of work that a mere mortal can experience. Crimson Moonlight have honed their craft and have unleashed what can be described as nothing less then a merciless assault on the listener’s ears. Furious, tight, and blistering black metal combined with lethal death metal can hardly communicate what you should prepare yourself for.

The frantic blasting of Gustav Elowson will drop your chin in awe and the amazingly versatile vocals of Simon Rosen will shriek and growl their way into the deepest pits of your soul. What lies beneath the haunting and gloomy album cover is disturbingly good. Unify Crimson Moonlight’s last album with the chugging riffs of Embrace the Eternal-era Embodyment, the occasional melodic guitars a la Extol, and the insanity of Dark Funeral & Dimmu Bogir … then kick it up a notch above that and you have Veil of Remembrance. Terrifyingly excellent!

[RIVEL] STEWART STEVENSON

MIRADOR THE AZRAEL TALES With all the blockbuster releases coming out on Rivel Records at the first of 2005 (Divinefire, Crimson Moonlight, Audiovision), it would be easy to overlook a little-known band called Mirador. Whatever you do, don’t make that mistake. Mirador dishes out some very solid melodic metal in the vein of Candlemass, Queensryche, or Jacob’s Dream, with some gothic and doom elements also making their presence known.

The musicianship on this disc is fabulous, the vocals are passionate and very well executed, and the production makes this an album one that you can’t help but crank. This is heavy, epic, and sweeping metal that deserves its day in the limelight. [RIVEL] MATT MORROW

THE OCEAN BLUE WATERWORKS EP Presaging a full album later this year, The Ocean Blue’s Waterworks EP invogorates transparent reference points. The Stone Roses circa ‘89, The Velvet Underground at their ‘67 mellowest and their recurrent Smiths influence all reappear. Having a singer that could have nearly been cloned from New Order’s Bernard Sumner accentuates the Britpoppiness, but in a good way.

Per the title, songs generally trade in on sadness belied by jaunty, jangly melodies. Final number, “The Northern Jetstream,” verges on genteel prog rock, with both nonsense lyricism and a keyboard borrowed from 1970-something. If Waterworks is derivative, The Ocean Blue recycle their mentors not entirely predictably. [SELF] JAMIE LEE RAKE

BRUTAL FIGHT OUR MERCIFUL FATHER This record has the coolest / unique guitar sound that I’ve heard all year! Totally fast-paced, dirty, gritty and angst-ridden (think of the members of Roadside Monument and Figure Four playing together). While the songs are not very memorable, the adrenaline rush that they create in this listener is worth the trip. Engage in a Brutal Fight today. [STRIKE FIRST] CHRIS FRANCZ

VARIOUS ARTISTS FLICKER ROCKS HARDER (DVD) Good videos by good bands on the Flicker label that (except for Pillar’s “You Can’t Bring Me Down”) you don’t see on MTV. They’re all presented with goofiness in the TVU channel format. Buy, don’t rent. [FLICKER] DOUG VAN PELT

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IMPERIAL THIS GRAVE IS MY POEM You know it’s a good CD when you pop it into iTunes, and the mysterious internet loads the track-listing and the genre column reads “Unclassifiable.” Allow me to help: “Metal-core with a touch of true metal, peppered with some singing, perpetuated by fast-paced riffs and seasoned with chaos.” I don’t think that would fit in the column too easily. Regardless, this six-piece band from Central Florida (fka The Red Letter) has put together a wonderful 5-song EP to tide fans over until a full-length is available. It works like a snowball: starting off with decent riffs and songwriting, a little typical at first ... but by the time you’re done with the last track, you’ve already been taken over by it and all anyone can see now are your arms and legs sticking out of a giant puff of snow rolling down a hill. The breakdowns at the tail end are great (surely to be a hit live); the lyrics,

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though somewhat ambiguous, push the envelope.

After a tour and time to write new material, it’s more than likely any kinks will be worked out and the full-length will tear you apart in a snowball fight.

[PLUTO] DAVID STAGG

OPPOSITION OF ONE IN THE LINE OF CHANGE In a world of cookie-cutter throwdown / breakdown hardcore bands, this bunch of guys do very little to distinguish themselves from the rest of the pack. Lest you think that I am saying that this is a lousy hardcore record, let me tell you that it’s not. The production is great, the musicianship is very tight, and the vocals are right on. It’s just that it’s missing any distinguishing elements and is sorely missing any real memorable moments, save the Dodgin’ Bullets cover and the end of “In His Promise.” But hey, these songs weren’t written for listening to at home – they were written for the Mosh Pit – the Testing Ground where only the strongest and hardest survive and I seriously doubt that Opposition of One will have to be carried out on a stretcher. [STRIKE FIRST] CHRIS FRANCZ

VARIOUS ARTISTS POLICIA Upon hearing the English band name: the Police, thoughts of Sting’s falsetto and a few too many spins on the local classic rock radio station may arise. But before the Grammy Awards, the movie cameos, and the car commercials, the Police were a trio of bleachblond punks fusing reggae and minimalist pop in sooty underground London clubs. They sung songs about redeeming prostitutes, coping with internal sadism, teachers stricken with statutory lust, and the enslavement of seduction. The Police wrote superb melodic rock with lyrical dramatic confliction that inspired pop sensibilities and emotional empathy which can still be subtly heard in today’s music (even if it is not always justifiably admitted).

Opening the compilation with “King Of Pain,” Brandtson’s Myk Porter is the only vocalist on the entire album to (intentionally or not) successfully mimic Sting’s perfect pitch. Alt-country’s Limbeck delivers an alluring and catchy “So Lonely” – reinstating the Police’s superb songwriting flexibility by being intergrated by a different music style. By replacing the intro with a piano on “Every Breath You Take,” Copeland miraculously lures the song into an even deeper state of reflection and yearning for love. Fall Out Boy’s hastily pop-punk “Roxanne” executes a more formidable plea than the lingering original, which deems more appropriate due to the lyrical content – perhaps after hearing it expressed this way, she will finally put out that red light.

Applause to The Militia Group for conceptualizing this brilliant tribute project, and even more so to the bands humble enough to accredit their artistic dues by covering songs by such a rock history legend.

[THE MILITIA GROUP] DAN FRAZIER

4/4/2005 4:09:47 PM

Entertainment reviews DVDS, BOOKS & GEAR 02 SKY CAPTAIN...

PARAMOUNT

There’s not many DVD titles/movies that I actually don’t want to watch once it comes in, but this was one of them. Egads! This is a slow and tiring story, but the vibe and look is cool in its own right. I have to admit, the villain building a modern day ark is an interesting biblical interpretation here.

03 METALLICA: SOME KIND OF MONSTER 01 GOD, THE DEVIL, & BOB FOX VIDEO This bizarro animated show met an untimely death after its inaugural season, but the premise was certainly promising – God (a Jerry Garcia look-alike voiced by Tommy Lee Jones) and the devil make a wager over the survival of mankind, placing the outcome in the hands of an “everyday Bob,” who must prove himself worthy of being saved. God lets the devil, who’d like to see earth destroyed, choose the subject – the cleverly named and perennial schmuck Bob Allman.

This guy shows his true merit right away when, after God explains the deal: “I’m very disappointed in the world. I’m thinking of destroying the whole thing, but I’d really rather not. Now you show me that the world’s worth saving, and I’ll spare it.” When Bob remarks, “That sounds like a lot of work,” God replies, “Well, yeah, but you’d be saving the world.” Bob answers, “Well, I got that part, but what’s in it for me?” To which the devil rejoices, “I knew I made the right choice!”

Certainly irreverent by most conservative standards, but lots of laughs and well directed barbs at some sacred cows that need slaughtering (or at least a good skewer now and then), in the sarcastic vein of The Simpsons. DOUG VAN PELT

SPIRITUAL RELEVANCY % OBSCENITIES SCENES OF GORE NUDITY / SEXUALITY

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PARAMOUNT

The warts ‘n’ all approach of this documentary is fascinating, as is the personal transformation and changes that James Hetfield goes through. This package is loaded with extra content, adding an extra seven(!) hours to the original 3+ hour movie. An incredible insight into the music business.

04 CSI MIAMI: SEASON 2

PARAMOUNT

Like any good series, this second season expounds on the characters. The standout guy on this show is probably a better detective (more of a cop) than Gil Grissom from the Vegas show. Hiratio Cain’s compassionate leadership and his kind treatment to victims is compelling.

05 MILLENNIUM: SEASON 2

FOX VIDEO

This season really improved the series by focusing less on gruesome serial killings and more on the creepy, paranormal and spiritual ties that the mysterious Millennium Group investigates, as well as zooming in on the ever lonely and central character Frank Black (Lance Henrickson). This show is missed.

06 THE INCREDIBLES

BEUNA VISTA

Like Big Idea Productions, anything Pixar creates is high caliber. The wry wit woven into all the inter-personal relationships here is awesome. The 2-disc DVD package is loaded with extras, the best of the lot being the “Top Secret” section; and the strangest being the outline animated deleted scenes.

07 THE GRID

FOX VIDEO

Perhaps copping on the success of 24’s storyline, this group of higher-up government agents chase terrorists all over the world in a short, six-episode season. The featurettes and scene-specific commentaries add informative and comfortable perspective to the action story.

08 DONNIE DARKO

FOX VIDEO

Agreeing with the critics that’ve hailed this as a cult-classic is hard, because this dark, twisting tale is so demented; but the commentary, where writer/ director Richard Kelly is joined by Kevin Smith, and the featurettes go a long way in explaining this subtle love story of time travel and mental illness.

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4/8/2005 8:55:19 AM

EN T E R TA I N M EN T

Forgiving Solomon Long

Praise Habit

Chris Well – Harvest House

David Crowder – Think/Navpress

A good bet is that Forgiving Solomon Long has the highest body count of any piece of Christian fiction this year. That’s because CCM Magazine contributor/longtime Christian rock journalism presence Chris Well’s first novel is about a Mafia hitman who plies his trade copiously. Until he comes to a conflict of conscience bought about by offing a clergyman, that is. Involving churchfolk in his serpentine plot isn’t as obvious a ploy as might first be assumed.

Potentially dicey backstory involving lead character Long’s maladjusted fundamentalist past could have been heavyhanded, but isn’t in Well’s nimble, sometimes miminalist storytelling. More than one character has the Tarrantino-esque fixation of broaching pop and high culture miscellania at the screwiest times. That literary fetsh and the integration of comic books and the shops selling them into a couple of twists reveal Well’s inner geek and comics publishing past. In a story ripe for cinematic adaptation, the only great fault is compromised clean language that probably jibes neither with gangster nor police reality. A litte more Sopranos, a little less Untouchables and a general market publisher could have put Long that much closer to the perfection Wells sought. Jamie Lee Rake

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As a songwriter and worship artist, David Crowder has been innovative in his ability to paint a “bigger picture” of God. Now, as author of his first book, Praise Habit, Crowder expands the canvas in which he is able to brush greater strokes of praise. He says “it is more difficult to find the Creator in a barbecue sandwich than in your favorite Sunday-morning song, but when you do, when you begin to find Him in all the stuff of life, everything starts singing.” Written in two distinct sections, the first half reveals Crowder’s unique observations, wit and transparency, a vulnerability that invites us to live likewise. The second half reads more like a devotional, as Crowder reflects on 21 of the Psalms from The Message Remix by Eugene Peterson.

Praise Habit helps us to look a little harder at all the stuff of life, that we might find God in sunsets and sushi. David Reynolds

NCAA Football Trivia

Harmonic Ear Training

Snap TV

Roberta Radley – Berklee Workshop

Competing in NCAA football trivia has been made easy for the competitive types that want to match their wits in a quick game of pigskin knowledge. Set up like a football game, “possession” changes after every question and correct answers are worth 3 points at one stage and 6 points as it progresses. Ties remain unsettled at the end of regulation, and after playing about a dozen games I saw my first duplicate question; but overall it’s very convenient and a good mix of “gimme” questions and stumpers.For those that enjoy the friendly format, Snap TV has also released a cultural trivia, NCAA basketball, and a “love meter” game that tests compatibility issues for couples. $24.95 [snaptvgames.com] DV

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This is for those “music theory” challenged musicians and singers out there. Roberta Radley is an accomplished music/vocal teacher at Berklee School of Music. This instructional DVD is helpful for those looking to get a better handle on “hearing” chord progressions, finding the key of a song, improving one’s improvisational skills and “internalizing” the music one is hearing. Radley teaches you how to hear and listen to music “analytically.” She first explains her technique and then shows you step by step how to improve your “ear” in music by taking you through some exercises. A bit of a warning though, you need to have a good understanding of basic music theory in order to utilize it. Many other instructional DVDs are offered there as well. $19.95 [www.BerkleeMusic.com] Heather Reynolds

4/8/2005 8:55:58 AM

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7/29/2005 10:19:26 AM

70 I N D I E R E V I E W S

PICK OF THE LITTER Psalters Nomadic hippie collective with multi-culti instrumental rhythmic and instrumental procliivities, with an experimental bent that go so far as to sample Martin Luther King, Jr. and Toby Keith (guess which is ironic) and occasional honest-to-Jah hooks nomadicaly spread a Christianity of apparent anarchist-pacifist political implications. You needn’t agree with some of Psalters’ spiritual-governmental conclusions to aver that Us vs. Us makes for deliciously adventurous listening that’s as Catholic in its inspiration as it can be earnest in its stridency. If fellow Michiganders Madison Greene lean toward Celtic flavors, Psalters favors Middle Eastern undercurrents.

And found-sound musique concrete. And recontextualizing the kind of ethereal beauty of early ‘70s Jesus freak folk rock for a more industrialized, paranoid world. No “commercial potential” for Psalters? The band would have it any other way. (Jamie Lee Rake)

Starchild

Naos Project

Wonderfully heavy and Sabbath-y riffs. If it’s a sin to be depressed, then this 8-song disc of utter doom should be outlawed. (DV)

While they’re still all over the map stylistically, this band used to suffer an extreme case of identity crisis. It looks like Ernest Isaac and crew have finally found their “voice,” a dynamic mix of screamo and melodic rock.

InThe Face Of War Fantastic old school hardcore. If the rat-a-tat-a-tat drums won’t kill you with intensity, perhaps the fine-tuned guitar riffs will, or maybe you’ll get sick from all the flying phlegm in the shout-along choruses.

This band rules, and Live Forever Or Die Trying is a good pick-up.

Dum Dog Run Rick Altizer is a great songwriter that keeps coming up with reasons to embrace this guy’s craft. This new incarnation (along with Jade Hanson of Believable Picnic fame) is a rock band with a strong tongue poking through the cheek. Who can’t help but sing along to “Jennifer Aniston doesn’t love me anymore...?” Brilliant pop.

Berman Life In The Stars shows a keen pop sensibility and fairly solid rock base. Guy Jettman mixes up his vocal approach between straight-up clean and dirty rock a la any “VH-1 band.” This diversity is evident in a song they cover live (The Darkness’ hit “I Believe In A Thing Called Love”). Not many vocalists would tackle that.

The Narrow Trap Kevin Max in a garage with lots of dirt and distortion, and this is the kind of melodic rock you might end up with. Solid, with tight musicianship, this South African band sways and jams a little, and pummels the riffs out, too. The angst in a song like “In The Light” isn’t too far from the System of a Down vibe. Production on their nicelypackaged Travellers album is great. These guys are awesome.

Jessie Sprinkle This prolific drummer has just mad skills, as is evident by all the artists that ask him to play (from Demon Hunter to Annie Quick to Denison Witmer to his early band, Poor Old Lu). He’s put together a nice 12-song collection called Unnoticed, which showcase not only his musicianship, but his songwriting and firm grasp of melody.

Scars Will Fade Like their name might imply, this band is very rough around the edges. Its talk-over breakdowns are an odd mix with its black metal growling / screaming, but overall it has an infectious toughness.

Sly’s Alter Ego The new Relient K. Nothing rare, but solid and very sing-able.

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4/8/2005 6:30:21 PM

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11/29/2004 4:28:46 PM

72 HARD MUSIC HISTORY

This lil’ punk rawk trio burst onto an unsuspecting music scene (around 1994) that was already spinning upside down.

Of all places (naturally) Magnified Plaid came out of the Seattle, WA area, landing on the young upstart Tooth & Nail Records. While seemingly signing any band in sight, they were in reality were just picking up bands that were cool, knew how to write songs, and were doing something different (Starflyer, Plankeye, and Joy Electric, to name a few).

Bassist Mike Herrera, drummer Yuri Ruley, and original guitarist Andy formed a true garage punk band at the end of their freshman year in high school. In true do-it-yourself fashion, they played their first show only 7 days later in Herrera’s backyard.

Besides loaning the backyard, his mother also lent her maternal instincts as the band’s manager for many years.

Almost as important as Herrera’s pop punk songwriting abilities was the artwork of one John Nissen, who was hired to design and develop the merchandising and band imaging for much of T&N’s growing roster. Soon everyone knew Magnified Plaid by the “Pokinatcha Punk” icon and the M.P. acronym with its punk rock “x as periods,” and thus the name MxPx. Hot on the heals of its Pokinatcha debut (and several regional live dates in between school responsibilities) they dropped Andy and added Tom Wisniewski. During spring break of their senior year they recorded Teenage Politics, and their future was practically cemented. Besides the catchy title track, they created an anthem that remains a concert staple – “Punk Rawk Show.” They made a major jump in songwriting here, showing a keen understanding of blues and even jazz in their song structures and chord progressions. This would flesh itself out more fully later in “Chick Magnet” and be most evident in their live shows. Crowds were falling in love with this band’s abandonment to fast and sticky songs and a new phenomenon was evident as well – girls. By the dozens, and then hundreds, girls were falling in love with this fun music. MxPx quickly became one of T&N’s most surprising hit bands. Incidentally, the very first issue of HM Magazine featured MxPx on its cover. (Looking back, it’s unfortunate that they had to share it with the less intense, maple syrupy Imagine This; but at least they were recognized. To this day, whenever that issue is displayed in the HM offices, it’s always turned upsidedown so that these punk rock stars are on top).

1995 was a busy year. Besides Teenage Politics, the band whipped out On The Cover, which includes tributes to The Altar

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MXPX

BY DOUG VAN PELT Boys, Bryan Adams, Keith Green, and even their own side project – The Cootees. Five years later Altar Boy Mike Stand often thanked the band from the stage before launching into “You Found Me” by saying, “Thanks to MxPx for putting my kids through college” (the money’s in publishing, kids). By the end of the year MxPx had exported its product to Japan, which was only the beginning of the band’s rise to international acclaim.

In 1996 the band recorded Life In General. The charm of “Chick Magnet” spread like wildfire, with its video showing up on MTV and the band played Warped Tour. While never awarded as such, this fantastic album is easily the band’s crowning jewel, including such live staples as “Middlename,” “Move to Bremerton,” “Cristalena” and “Do Your Feet Hurt.” A&M Records soon came along, and a band that already had momentum was now playing live concerts on MTV and showing up on most alt-music lover’s radar screens. With success inevitably came a few detractors. It was sad to see the controversy surround the band, which was most noticed at Tom Festival ’98, when an MTV crew recorded a verbal shouting match between the ever-widening gap between the “music equals ministry and this band sold out” crowd and the “good music is good music” fan that was supportive of their more life in general lyric writing heroes in MxPx.

4/4/2005 2:37:17 PM

HARD MUSIC HISTORY 73

Slowly Going The Way of the Buffalo must’ve made A&M happy about its investment, as the band delivered another collection of tight and sing-along-able tunes that matched the brilliance of Life In General. Songs like “Under Lock and Key” and “I’m OK, You’re OK” furthered the notion that MxPx were as accomplished as musicians as they were songwriters – a rare feat in a world of Green Days, Blink 182’s and Good Charlotte’s. When Tooth & Nail released a b-sides collection named Let It Happen five months later, it quickly became the band’s best-selling album, as hundreds of thousands of fans clamored to get ahold of the band’s early and rare material.

The band kept itself busy with another side-project – Arthur; and they also built their own studio, where the independentlyreleased Renaissance EP was recorded. It was put out on their own Rock City Recordings label, which would also imprint the Arthur Loneliness Is Bliss album. This label joined forces with its old T&N launching pad for the release of At The Show, a 22-song set that brilliantly shows the band’s rich catalog of fan favorites, which would all be top-40 hits if the industry were worth its weight in hype.

Blindside

The Ever Passing Moment tipped the band’s collective hat to Elvis Costello, The Clash, and The Police, complete with artwork reminiscent of the Get Happy album. This had the songs “The Next Big Thing” and “Responsibility” and found the band touring with a little-known opening act by the name of Good Charlotte.

Only a year or so later this band broke big time and returned the favor by bringing MxPx out on the road as support for larger audiences. Before Everything and After came out last year (right before becoming a casualty of A&M’s downsizing), delivering the single “Well Adjusted” and “Everything Sucks.” Not to be undone by its own name, SideOneDummy showed its smarts by snatching up the band. The B-Movie DVD/CD was the first project with the band and its new home, which will be followed up by Panic on July 12, followed by the entire Warped Tour.

MxPx came out of its starting gate fast, weathered many storms, honed its craft, and has passed the test of time by continuing to tap into that part of its audience’s brain that feeds off of good hooks and high energy. We thank them for breathing new life and young blood into our music scene over ten years ago and for continuing to bring the rock.

(Second Album)

(First Album)

NOW Re-mastered with FOUR PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED BONUS TRACKS! Special Edition Packaging Both Albums IN STORES MAY 10, 2005 Ten Years Running Blind DVD

T Includes an Exclusive Documentary on Blindside T All of their Music Videos T Live Performances T Tons of Rare Footage T Over 2.5 hours of Content!

IN STORES JUNE 21, 2005 www.blindsideonline.com

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New Blindside studio album coming AUGUST 2005

BestBuy.com

4/8/2005 8:56:53 AM

Over 45 million babies have been surgically aborted since Jan. 22, 1973. Millions of women have been traumatized because of this.

Come take a stand with Rock for Life at this year’s March for Life.

Register for RFL’s Training & Activism Weekend, Jan. 22–25. www.rockforlife.org

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•

info@rockforlife.org

•

540.659.4171

12/1/2004 2:00:27 PM

th th p Order online at HMmag.com or send $8.99 (+$6 s/h) to: HM, POB 141007, Austin TX 78714

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1/22/2005 1:46:08 PM

BRING YOUR BAGGAGETOTHE BURNING "Jesus replied, ‘And you experts of the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.’"

Everyone has baggage. We all got it from somewhere, someone, or somehow. However, there is a place we can leave it all – no matter how we acquired it.

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4/8/2005 8:58:31 AM