Papa Roach - January 2015 - HM Magazine by HM Magazine

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR 10

DIGITAL TOUR BUS: GET MORE FROM TOURING 16

COLUMNS 18

HM LIVE: CHIODOS, WE CAME AS ROMANS, SLEEPWAVE 22

PHOTOS BY BROOKE LONG

HM LIVE: HUNDREDTH, THE GHOST INSIDE, EVERY TIME I DIE, ARCHITECTS 36

PHOTOS BY BROOKE LONG

H M • J A N UA R Y 2 0 1 5

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FREE ONLINE SINCE 1985

HMMAGAZINE.COM

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12 SCARED VINDLESS

THINGS ARE LOOKING UP FOR

A SKYLIT DRIVE P. 32

H M • J A N UA R Y 2 0 1 5

Editor David Stagg talks horror movies and Saturday séances with the new prince of horror punk, Nim Vind

BY DAVID STAGG

TWO STEPS FORWARD Despite the sudden departure of two members, A Skylit Drive is finding the band rising above it

BY JORDAN GONZALEZ

OPENING STATEMENTS

46 NOT JUST DEAD INSIDE Read the surreal story of Tear Out the Heart vocalist Tyler Konersman and how cancer struck his heart. Not dead, still alive, still beating, not just dead everywhere

BY COLLIN SIMULA

54 THE EXORCISM OF PAPA ROACH It’s no small secret navigating the world of rock and roll unscathed is nearly impossible. Papa Roach frontman Jacoby Shaddix needed a wake-up call from someone close, and now the band’s frontman is stands fearless of his future

BY DAVID STAGG

H M • J A N UA R Y 2 0 1 5

Photo by Dave Jackson

HM’S

BANDS TO LOOK OUT FOR 2015 P. 60

OPENING STATEMENTS

‘I am no bird; and no net ensues me: I am a free human being’ I wanted raw emotion.

(which should be required high school viewing). Movies Darren

It was the only thing I could

Aronofsky and David Fincher and Paul Thomas Anderson and

connect to. Growing up in a

Quentin Tarantino and Dario Argento would make I would

fairly strict Christian house-

watch over and over, dreaming of my own signature sequences

hold, sniffing out fake smiles

and shots.

and glad hands and superior-

I still love making films, but I never fell in love with the film

ity through rule was native to

industry. It was a bloated workspace, a place where money is

our blood, like dropping chud

hoarded and then dumped and an unbelievable bureaucracy so

into a shallow pool with starved sharks. It rubbed us raw,

crushing you could feel the weight settle in on your shoulders

then it rubbed us deep, then it rubbed us empty and careless.

in every meeting you sat in. Instead, though my degree is in

I got what I wanted first in movies, like Requiem for a Dream

filmmaking, I got special permission to allow my internship requirement to count from outside the film industry; I had confessed to them my new job goals: writing. Surprisingly, they agreed. They didn’t just say go ahead, they let me write my own syllabus and requirements. That internship led me to Austin, TX, where I took up free work at HM Magazine. I write this ten years later, living proof a blue-collar

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

work ethic pays off 100 percent of the time. I love what I do,

DAVID STAGG

and I’m more passionate about this than anything ever before.*

MANAGING EDITOR

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING

COLLIN SIMULA

BROOKE LONG

NATHAN KEY

But every so often, I hear an album that forces me to recall those early college years, where, with every frame I crafted, the audience would face these minor moments of terror and sadness and intense, raw singularity. And with every moment, it

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BROOKE ALYSSA

AND SPONSORSHIPS STAFF WRITERS

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felt like those audiences would bond together, silent and anonymous but stronger, and the listeners would leave with this gut

SARAH DOS SANTOS,

feeling they were taken care of by each other. When I hear that

JORDAN GONZALEZ,

same emotion in music, it’s the most honest form music can be

SEAN HUNCHERICK

— a true outpouring of the spirit, when words are not enough.

JOSH WEIDLING MATT FRANCIS, TOMMY GREEN JUSTIN CROTEAU, JAMESON

Tear Out the Heart’s Dead, Everywhere is one of those albums. It was an excellent decision by the band to trust the album

KETCHUM, NATE LAKE

to Beartooth vocalist Caleb Shomo. Raw power and pop sen-

5210 CANAL ST.

sibility are embedded in his blood, and his work with TOtH

HOUSTON, TX 77011

vocalist Tyler Konersman makes the experience uniquely

NATHANKEY@HMMAGAZINE.COM

intimate. Even crazier, with the album’s lyrics fresh paint off

LETTERS

LETTERS@HMMAGAZINE.COM

his lips, his girlfriend receives news she’s got brain cancer.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

SERVICE@HMMAGAZINE.COM

SUBMISSIONS

BANDS@HMMAGAZINE.COM

Now, he’s forced into a new reality where he’s inadvertently called his own bluff. His own words become his direct inspiration and direction. They’re also his barometer.

HM MAGAZINE (ISSN 1066-6923)

Since Managing Editor Collin Simula chatted with him,

Konersman has gone on to support this magazine socially,

EXCEPT WHERE OTHERWISE NOTED.

and he hasn’t wavered from his commitment to a healthy

HM CONTENTS MAY NOT BE REPRO-

lifestyle with his new, improved, cancer-free partner. He’s

DUCED IN ANY MANNER, EITHER

now partially my inspiration to be the best man I can today.

WHOLE OR IN PART, WITHOUT PRIOR

DAVID STAGG, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DSTAGG@HMMAGAZINE.COM

PERMISSION. HM MAGAZINE IS DEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED: PSALM 62

H M • J A N UA R Y 2 0 1 5

Except my wife. Duh!

HORRORLUJAH

SCARED VINDLESS GENRE FILMS AND CORMAC MCCARTHY NOVELS FROM THE NEW PRINCE OF HORRORCORE, NIM VIND BY DAVID STAGG

Tell me a little bit about when you decided to go horror with this thing.

guitar. I don’t know what you guys are talking about.”

How do you incorporate that film genre into your stage show?

I just reread Blood Meridian, which For everybody who doesn’t know,

is my all-time favorite novel. That’s

I kind of just started one day (laughs).

you’re in the band with your broth-

my favorite author. Cormac McCarthy

My father was in the symphony. I was

ers. Did that play into the whole idea

is my favorite author.

raised by a symphony player and an

of the band and its genesis?

orchestra trumpet player. He was

It was me by myself, and I would

the second youngest guy to be in the

just get people to play with me at

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. Ever

first. Then my brothers joined when

since I was a kid, I was around all these

they started going, “Hey, cool. You’re

macabre sounds. All those Gregorian

getting shows. People are going to see

chants. I’d get dropped off because

this band.” As each guy was secretly

I come out to Chapter 14. When we

there was nowhere for me to go. I had

killed off and buried somewhere, they

come out to play, my new introduction

to watch Mahler’s Third Symphony and

would join.

is literally the audiobook for Chapter

watch them rehearse that. The whole thing is just dark, morose sounds.

It ended up being three brothers

He makes you want to stop writing. (Laughs) Yes. It’s like, “I can’t do this.”

14 of Blood Meridian.

after a while. Then we got into the

Have you ever heard the audiobook

So naturally, I started a band. I

music business. The real horror was

for Blood Meridian? When you’re tour-

was from a small town and had zero

our introduction to the business side of

ing, you need something to do driving

friends. I went out and came up with

music. That was really where the most

in the van or whatever, the audiobook

band figuring it was exactly the same

horror came from (laughs).

was almost even better than reading

as everybody else’s. Right away, people

I wrote a lot of really bizarre lyrics,

started saying to me, “You’re horror

mostly because I think I’m mentally

I wanted to actually change the

punk.” What the hell is horror punk?

ill. I like reading a lot of weird stuff,

band’s name at one point to the Satanic

I didn’t know what horror punk was.

and it ends up in the songs.

Hummingbirds, but my manager was

Other people said it was vamp rock. I was like, “Man, all I am is a guy with a

What are you reading right now?

H M • J A N UA R Y 2 0 1 5

I guess we ended up writing horror punk.

it myself.

like, “What are you talking about? Why do you want to totally change to

HORRORLUJAH

Satanic Hummingbirds?” I was trying to play on that part. Listen, Satanic Hummingbirds would be a sensational band name. Someone has got to have a band for it. For me, I never tried to be a horror punk singer or songwriter. I was writing songs that just sounded like that, trying to make my own artistic statement. The next thing you know you’re considered horror. It was fun because I ended up getting thrown in with all these bands that sounded nothing like my band, but I loved them all.

TEN MOVIE NIGHTS! If you’re the kind to willingly freak out for pleasure, Nim Vind and David Stagg want to test your horror limits. Here are their favorites (plus an extra five each!) for your Netflix queues

DAWN OF THE DEAD

SUSPIRIA

1977

1978

Like when I was on Fiendforce Records — they’re in Germany — they went and found all the horror punk in the world and put them all on one bill. They’d have these traveling tours where you’d have, like, four bands and everybody is from a different country.

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD

1968

THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE

1974

The shows would be totally awesome. We played with a band from France, a band from Texas, a band from Canada and a German one. A lot of my longterm friends in music have been from those bands. All of those bands are

1963

2006

1984

2005

THE BIRDS

HOSTEL

from different pockets, flying that flag. Everybody has the same story: “I never really set out to be this. I just kind of got stuck here.” Now here we all are. It’s better than being stuck at home, right? It could be that.

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET

HIGH TENSION

Yeah, it is. I don’t mean stuck that way. I mean more like you’re just from all these pockets of the world and somebody says to you, “Hey, you over here doing this weird sound, you’re horror punk. Go play in this tour.”

EVIL DEAD

1981

DRAG ME TO HELL

2009 If you’re not horror punk, you’re still into horror movies, right? PLUS! Five More:

PLUS! Five More:

Yeah, totally. I love horror punk.

6. The Exorcist (1973)

6. Book of Shadows: Blair

Don’t get me wrong. I just didn’t set

7. The Shining (1980)

Witch 2 (2000)

out to be horror punk. Somebody came

8. Gremlins (1984)

7. Who Can Kill a Child? (1976)

up and said, “Hey, by the way, I don’t

9. Poltergeist (1982)

8. The Descent (2005)

know if you know this...”

10. Feast (2006)

9. The Last House on the Left

Because that’s what I’m here for.

(1972) I want to get some of your favorite horror movies. I guess this is one

H M • J A N UA R Y 2 0 1 5

10. The Ring (2002)

what would you tell them to watch?

of those labors of love. I’m always

ple to listen to this stuff. We were

curious to talk to people about hor-

raised by a symphony musician. We’re

Oh man, I don’t know. That’s a tough

ror movies.

three brothers. We’ve got tons of fans

one. People keep asking me that lately. I should have a better answer.

It seems like everybody that’s cat-

saying they love it. Can you guys just

egorized something as horror stems

check this out? We couldn’t get arrest-

from keeping it an outsider mentality.

ed with it. People wouldn’t give us the

I loved horror movies right from the

time of the fking day. We just decided,

get go.

“Fk you. We’re going to soldier on our-

You’re going to have to figure out your answer (laughs)! I know, man. I’ve got to come up with a better answer.

Before I talk about what horror

selves.” We started finding likeminded

movies, I love the fact that anybody

people. That’s how I ended up with

with any kind of budget can do it. You

my manager. When we pulled up at

still have a market just by being cre-

his house, I knew right away we were

ative. I don’t think there’s any other

with the right person. You walk into

Oh yeah, Dawn of the Dead. I love

movie genre where an audience will

his house and he’s got a Nightmare

the remakes, too. That was one of the

really give a movie a chance no mat-

Before Christmas room. He has, like,

rare times a remake was good.

ter what the budget is. I have another

a 101 Dalmatians life-size exhibit in

band called The Vincent Black Shadow

his house. He could have every horror

that had a lot of good years of playing.

movie you could think of.

You’re a big fan of the Dawn of the Dead series?

I really loved The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake with Jessica Biel. I

... We started the same way. You have a

But as far as movies go, I don’t know

am a huge fan of the original Texas

shoestring budget. You’re doing tours

if it’s considered horror movie, but I

Chainsaw Massacre, and I thought

with shoestring budgets. You’re mak-

love stuff that’s almost like brain hor-

they did a good job of keeping it

ing it work because you have a creative

ror, stuff like Irreversible. I don’t know

relatively close to the original but

side that’s appealing to people.

if you would call it horror, but you’re

putting their own spin on it.

I love horror movies for that. I’ll watch any kind of low budget movie.

definitely going to be disturbed. Have you seen Irreversible?

Texas Chainsaw Massacre is great. For my brain, when all that translates to music, it translates like a sound-

My favorite ones are the original zombie movies. I love all the remakes.

Yeah. There’s an extensive rape

scape I can write mentally ill lyrics

I love the spirit. How do you think

scene in that movie, which is why it’s

over. On Saturday Séance Songs, I tried

George Romero must feel right now? I

kind of tough to watch. I wouldn’t

to have 12 entirely separate genres. It

hope he’s getting some residuals on all

call it horror, but it takes a horror

doesn’t follow anything. You hear the

that stuff.

mind to watch it. You’ve got to be

first song, and then the second song

able to sit through something like

sounds nothing like the first song,

The barrier for entry is super low.

that. How did you feel that affected

all the way to the end. That’s kind of

You can make a low budget horror

you? What do you think was so pow-

a criticism of Nim Vind. People are

movie and people can love it.

erful about it?

always saying to me, “When you do that, you alienate your audience.”

I don’t think those guys know how

I think it was a really intense artis-

to protect their intellectual proper-

tic statement and a very risky move.

My opinion is I think the audience

ty. Then somebody comes along and

When you make a movie like that, you

is fking bored of being treated like

goes, “That’s a great idea. Let’s do a

are not saying to yourself, “I’m going

everything is a one-trick pony, a one

soap-opera, super-watered down ver-

to make a fortune with this.” You must

shot deal, that I can only do this one

sion we can play anywhere and any

have a specific reason you need to

tiny thing and that’s it.

person can swallow it.” Boom, The

make that movie. It’s more like you

I don’t do that at all. There’s a sound

Walking Dead. I love The Walking

feel compelled. “I’ve got to make this

concept, which I guess is me and the

Dead, but, at the same time, I won-

movie. I have a statement I need to

sound of my voice and the way I com-

der what George Romero thinks. “I

make.” That’s why Blood Meridian was

pose, but otherwise it’s 12 different

couldn’t get anybody to pay attention

good. He had a statement he needed

thoughts. It’s almost like it’s 12 short

for sh-t when I wanted to do zombie

to make. That’s why anybody who has

soundtracks. Pick what you like. It’s on

movies.”

made those kinds of movies does.

there. It’s as if someone took some bad acid and then watched a zombie movie

What are some of the ones you’ve

and then read some Cormac McCarthy

Yeah. Now, it’s on AMC, exactly. The

watched recently that you really

and then went, “OK, here’s my take

story of me and my brothers was the

like? If somebody was going to ask

on the Beach Boys.” That would be my

exact same thing. We’d be asking peo-

for a recommendation from you,

song.

Now, it’s on AMC.

DIGITAL TOUR BUS

ONE OF THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCES I’VE SEEN, GOING FROM A LOCAL BAND TO A TOURING BAND, IS THE ABILITY TO LEAVE YOUR COMFORT ZONE. BEFORE I WAS TOURING FULL TIME, I WAS GOING TO SCHOOL, LIVING ON MY OWN, WORKING A SECRETARY JOB AT MY DAD’S OFFICE AND GOOFING OFF WITH FRIENDS EVERY DAY. LIFE WAS ROUTINE. I WAS IN CONTROL OF EVERYTHING GOING ON. BEING IN A TOURING BAND IS AGREEING TO BE FLEXIBLE. YOU HAVE TO BE OKAY NOT KNOWING PLACES YOU’LL HAVE TO GO, PEOPLE YOU ARE GOING TO MEET, WHERE YOU ARE GOING TO SLEEP OR WHAT YOU CAN AFFORD TO EAT. I’VE LEARNED THAT IF YOUR HEART ISN’T IN IT OR IF YOU DON’T MAKE YOUR BAND A PRIORITY, NOT ONLY WILL YOU NOT SUCCEED, BUT LIFE WILL GET HARD REALLY FAST. HOWEVER, IF YOUR DREAM IS TO PLAY MUSIC, THEN TOURING IS THE BEST THING YOU WILL DO WITH YOUR LIFE. YOU’LL MISS IT CONSTANTLY WHILE YOU’RE HOME. IT’S A WEIRD LIFE, BUT IT’S REWARDING, AND WE WOULDN’T TRADE IT FOR THE WORLD.

Guide to starting on the road At some point, any local band that wants to become not a local band knows they’re up against one major hurdle: touring. When is the right time? Is there ever a good time? How do I land a bigger tour? Digital Tour Bus asked four different bands their advice on how to turn your band from local to Psy-level stardom 16

H M • J A N UA R Y 2 0 1 5

THE BEST WAY TO START ON THE ROAD BY DOING WEEKEND REGIONAL SHOWS IN YOUR HOME STATE BEFORE JUMPING STRAIGHT OUT AND TOURING. THE MAIN GOAL IS TO WORK FROM YOUR HOME STATE TO DRAW A FAN BASE BEFORE YOU START THOSE LONG TOURS WITH NO SUPPORT. ANOTHER IMPORTANT THING IS STACKING YOUR MERCH TABLE WITH MODERN DESIGNS BECAUSE THE MORE DESIGNS YOU HAVE FOR PEOPLE TO BUY, THE FASTER YOUR NAME GETS OUT THERE IN EACH STATE YOU VISIT. WORD OF MOUTH ON THE ROAD IS STILL THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY EVEN THOUGH PUSHING YOURSELF ON ALL SOCIAL MEDIA SITES DOES NOT HURT.

THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY TO ESTABLISH YOURSELF AS A TOURING MUSICIAN IS TO OPERATE LIKE A BUSINESS. CREATE A MISSION STATEMENT AND SET GOALS FOR YOURSELVES ON THE ROAD. IF YOU DON’T HAVE PARAMETERS AND IDEALS TO STRIVE FOR AND MAINTAIN, IT GETS VERY EASY TO LOSE TRACK OF THE MONEY YOU COULD POTENTIALLY BE EARNING. VERY FAST. IN THIS FAST-PACED INDUSTRY, YOU BETTER BRING YOUR PROVERBIAL NIKES.

THE BEST WAY FOR ANY BAND TO BREAK OUT OF THEIR HOMETOWN IS TO JUMP ON A LINEUP AS TOUR SUPPORT FOR A BIGGER BAND. THAT IS ALWAYS EASIER SAID THAN DONE! YOU WILL HAVE TO START OFF SMALL. BE PREPARED TO PLAY TO EMPTY VENUES, AS WE ALL KNOW THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON’T BOTHER TO TURN UP FOR SUPPORT ACTS ANYMORE. BUT HAVING TOURING EXPERIENCE IS KEY. ONCE YOUR TOURING RESUME LOOKS GOOD, YOU WILL STAND A MUCH BETTER CHANCE AT GETTING YOUR NAME OUT THERE FOR BETTER TOURS. ALSO, BEFORE YOU DO BECOME A TOURING BAND, GET TO THE GYM AND GET A GOOD DIET REGIME FOR ON-THE— GO. YOU WILL HAVE LATE NIGHTS, EARLY MORNINGS AND A LOT OF GEAR TO MOVE AROUND ON TOUR, YOU’RE GOING TO WANT TO BE FIT AND HEALTHY!

NOT TONIGHT JOSEPHINE

DARKNESS DIVIDED

THE MILLENNIUM

THE INSIDE IS LIVE

COLUMNS

MY LIFE IN RECORDS

Transcending Diet Pepsi, Chris Staples delivers

Matt Francis is a filmmaker/media designer out of Virginia Beach and the drummer for Feral Conservatives, an indie rock band. You can check out his website at mfrancisfilm.com.

ognizes his father next to him

person and online, involved the

in the pit drinking a Diet Pepsi.

idea of an artist selling out and

Punk rock equals Youth equals

losing their credibility. Usually

Diet Soda — and I think we

this meant signing to a major

just cracked Stephen Hawking’s

label, “softening” or dumbing

theory of everything. Given

down music by adding instru-

Diet Pepsi may seem innocu-

the lack of MxPx’s widespread

mentation that wasn’t electric

ous enough, the watered-down

appeal, they could have been

or distorted, the dreaded com-

kin of its syrupy counterpart;

replaced with any generic ener-

mercial license.

the conservative, appropriat-

getic rock band; the story was

This idea has largely, and

ed version of a hugely popu-

rooted in the music and frenet-

appropriately, gone by the way-

lar, mass-consumed beverage.

ic editing, not in their band’s

side. Currently, more ridicule

The only edge to it may just

celebrity.

is placed on the idea of what

be the rumors of its aspartame

To my small group of friends

a “sell out” is than the actual

link to cancer, something I’ve

in high school whose only

merits of the argument. Most

heard for years but don’t have

awareness of MxPx was through

people realize, given the cur-

the motivation to switch to my

me, they now had an easy tar-

rent musical landscape, any

web browser and find a reputa-

get. I was the socially awkward,

ancillary income, like licens-

ble confirmation. It’s just the

identifiable punk kid clinging

ing, is generally considered

less-guilty version of a vice,

to the music’s anti-social val-

necessary to sustain a career in

like lean meat or SatisfriesTM.

ues

anti-establishment

music — while message boards

The airplane edit of an R-rated

method as a means of my own

placing the made up currency

movie.

acceptance. My friends shopped

of punk-credibility are arbi-

Young,

at preppy chain stores and lis-

trary and detrimental. But what

Drink Young” campaign, Diet

tened to Top 40. Their values

happened to all the punks of

Pepsi released a commercial

were already on primetime tele-

yesteryear? Have they all gone

depicting a raucous and muddy

vision and in malls; mine were

soft or country?

concert

somewhere

For

their

“Think

headlined

none

and

underground

On a yearly basis, I still find

other than Christian pop-punk

dingy basements and given life

new offerings worth listen-

pioneers MxPx, shot during

through Peavey amplifiers. Yet

ing to from favorite artists of

Mike Herrera’s Keanu Reeves

here it was, and the association

the past, the ones responsible

phase. At the time of its airing,

between MxPx and Diet Pepsi

for much of the music of my

they were my favorite band.

still lives on as one of our longest

formative years in the bom-

Playing a song from (iron-

running inside jokes. It was too

bastic, nostalgia rich soil of

ically) their tamest and most

easy: MxPx sold out. And to a

the mid-’90s to early aughts.

mainstream album, the band is

diet brand!

There’s the marathon career

shown delivering a powerhouse

And so selling out used to

musicians (Starflyer 59 comes

show where a moshing fan rec-

be a thing. Many a debate, in

to mind, still active since ’93),

H M • J A N UA R Y 2 0 1 5

the

re-inventors

(now-part-time,

structures or patterns.

ed, often a two verse and two chorus

MxPx’s own Mike Herrera fronts

I’ve often enjoyed the genre as

structure, but the words are memora-

outlaw country band Tumbledown),

a whole as “pleasant enough.” I’ve

ble and the melodies are demanding,

to the more traditional trajectory of

warmed up to stripped-down albums

belying their soft-spun nature. Staples

a rock band whose frontman finds

as summer dusk records or the I’m-

may sound bored or just contempla-

semi-retirement as a singer-song-

e d it i ng-a-v ide o-for-c hu rc h-a nd-

tive to some, but to me it’s more of a

writer solo artist. In the spirit of

need-inoffensive-music records. I’ve

“real at-ease” feeling, Whether he’s

detailing a true sell out, I thought I’d

heard many bare demos and minimal-

creating the perfect Summer Saturday

look at an act that has not only quiet-

ist recordings just fail to grab or dis-

(“Now I’m making drinks on the patio

ed down but also skirts the tradition-

tinguish their sound from their hum-

/ Hall and Oates playing on the ste-

al band model of full-time touring

ble components.

reo”) or reminiscing over a life that

And American Soft definitely carries

seems both aimless and well-spent

the airy, summery vibe you would

(“Fifty-seven years, I drank fifty thou-

This past year, one of my top releas-

assume, its melodies casually sung

sand beers / And now they’re passing

es came from (seemingly) nowhere:

and drifting mid-tempo. The words

through me like the ocean through the

Chris Staples, the former frontman of

and vocals have a chance to shine,

piers”), it rests on the ears with both

Tooth and Nail band Twothirtyeight. I

and they deliver. The production is

confidence and a gentle lethargy.

wasn’t surprised because he’s a great

sparse enough, but the percussion

Some of my favorite artists have

songwriter; I was honestly surprised

— at times just hand-claps and foot-

produced hours of quality material over

to see his name at all. I hadn’t fol-

stomps — has a way of sounding huge

the spans of their respective careers.

lowed his career much at all since

in the minimalist middle ground of

In some cases, multiple careers. Some

Twothirtyeight called it quits in 2003,

low end and cavernous reverb. This

bands I align with sonically to the

so when I saw a Chris Staples — the

is an album you can wrap your head

tune of side-projects and solo work

Chris Staples, the same person who

around on first listen; at a just over 30

from various contributing members

once fronted an emo band with a song

minutes, you’ll quickly distinguish

for a storied body of work, splintered

called “The Bathroom is a Creepy Place

the songs from one another, and the

into the compounding of their indi-

for Pictures of Your Friends” — had a

songs contain only around five-to-

vidual contributions. Some voices are

new album out on Barsuk Records, I

six separate elements. But this only

so affecting to me I can follow them

had to investigate. Intrigued, I checked

serves to elevate the subtle, infect-

through stylistic shifts, wild detours,

out the advance stream. It was exactly

ing melodies and clever lyrics with

experimental dives and pandering for

what you expect from a solo artist born

soothing, doctor’s-orders delivery.

them. Some artists are worth follow-

of the alternative scene: stripped down

In some ways, it’s dressed down to

ing when they go diet.

acoustic with traces of folk.

truly showcase the best of the sing-

cycles and heavily promo-ed album drops. And man, has it paid off.

The unexpected thing was how

er-songwriter craft. And this is it.

Chris Staples has changed as an artist, but he continually makes music

engrossing the songs were. The singer/

The vocals show a restraint that only

worth listening to. That’s a songwriter

songwriter genre is really a showcase

serves to accentuate the melancholy

who transcends genres, and that’s a

of lyrics and vocals, not so much plying

nature of the songs. This is not a bad

voice worth following; no calories, but

anything new from traditional chord

thing. The songs are short and point-

some ukulele, an artificial sweetener.

COLUMNS

THE HEAVY HEART

Born with worth but arguing over lives

Collin Simula lives in Columbus, Ohio, with his wife Ciara and his three small children. During the day, he does design for a branding agency. In his free time, he makes very heavy music as Maranatha. Simula is the Managing Editor of HM.

born with an innate attrac-

feeling stuck, lost and com-

tion, “hating the sin” comes

pletely hopeless.

across as hating them at their

She posted it, and then she

core being. I understand that

jumped in front of an 18-wheeler.

many in the more conserva-

A few months ago, a then-

We can argue all we want

tive camp might not believe

unheard-of Christian hardcore

about our theology. We can

someone who is gay is born

band put out a song calling

vehemently debate the trans-

that way (I do), but your per-

those with “twisted sexuali-

lations

interpretations

sonal opinion on what is or

ty” an “abomination.” After all

of the six verses in the Bible

isn’t sinful has no bearing on

the popular metal and hardcore

that mention same-sex acts.

the way someone feels deeply

blogs crucified them for it (and

We can write and record songs

in their own heart.

made them popular in the pro-

responding to other songs we

Especially in Leelah’s case.

cess), they released a statement

disagree with. But while we sit

But if you insist that you will

saying they weren’t specifical-

in our club and get angry with

not stand for sin and that as

ly speaking about anyone who

each other, actual people are

long as someone is living that

identifies as LGBTQ.

experience very real hurt.

“lifestyle” they are hopeless,

Regardless

the

and

actu-

Scripture calls us to defend

al target of the lyrics, any-

the orphan. Leelah was spiri-

one in America knows those

tually and emotionally aban-

Although I understand those

are Evangelical code words for

doned by her family — she

two bands’ passions and I know

“gay.”

Jesus implores you to go ahead and cast the first stone.

was an orphan. We learn that

they both have good intentions,

This month, another pop-

the poor in spirit are blessed;

it still doesn’t come across to

ular Christian hardcore band

Leelah’s incredibly passionate

anyone outside of a Christian

released a song that, for all

yet hopeless note was one of

club as anything but dysfunc-

intents and purposes, was an

someone who’d come as close

tional.

angry response to them, with

as they could to giving up.

But this is hardcore music.

a namecalling title. Shortly

Poor in spirit. But no one told

Let’s channel that passion and

thereafter, the speculation and

her how much she was worth

energy

statements and snarky com-

before it was too late.

that matter. Let’s be angry —

towards

the

things

ments came out, most making

Real people have real worth.

there are entire classes of peo-

the claim for the band. Once

When scripture tells us we

ple being viewed as less than

again, Christians are made to

were created in God’s image,

human. Let’s be outraged —

look like dysfunctional idi-

it doesn’t say “except for these

there are people who feel like

ots, leading lives that consist

few people.” We are born with

they are outside of God’s love

of nothing more than arguing

worth.

your

because of the way they were

over a stance on something.

conservative or liberal inter-

born. Let’s be as vocal as pos-

This isn’t about a theological

pretation of same-sex verses,

sible — we will not stand to

stance. This is about the real

we’re called to love and care

see another teenager take their

lives of real people.

for all, regardless of disagree-

own life because of our own

ment. People are not concepts

holy book.

A few days ago, an hour and a half from my house, a transgender

depth about her struggles with

named

to argue over.

Let’s stop spending all of

Leelah

We need to retire “love the

our time publicly calling each

wrote a suicide note on Tumblr.

sinner, hate the sin” as our

other out, and, instead, do

After being essentially dis-

catchphrase for treating the

what we’re actually called to

owned by her Evangelical par-

LGBTQ community. To some-

do: love those who are hurt-

ents, she went incredibly in

one who believes they were

ing.

H M • J A N UA R Y 2 0 1 5

teen

Regardless

VERSES

Casting Out, Part II: Faith and Commitment

Nielsen Greiner is from Lancaster, PA and recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology. Currently, he works full-time. He has a heart for high school ministry.

for who He truly is, worshiped

ods to around 700 students.

Him from that point on, from

When I started, I was over-

a true knowing in their hearts

whelmed, sometimes anxious,

and actions in their lives. What

uncomfortable,

did they see that we so often

in many of the situations and

do not?

emotions I often avoid. It didn’t

submerged

“For everyone who has been

I am currently in the very

always feel good — and some-

born of God overcomes the world.

midst of “casting out.” I don’t

times it still doesn’t — but in

And this is the victory that has

know how much or what I may

leaving the comfort of home,

overcome the world — our faith.

catch. If anything at all. But I

I knew I was doing something

Who is it that overcomes the world

know I’ve heard a voice, that

that would challenge me and

except the one who believes that

word worth obeying, follow-

result

Jesus is the Son of God?” I John

ing and allowing risk for. I’ve

and character development in

5:4-5

been hesitant and apprehen-

ways I could never achieve back

sive about it all and have only a

home. I needed to buck my ten-

little faith.

dency to take the path of least

We overcome the world by

growth,

maturity

our faith, but our faith need not

But it’s just enough. I know

resistance. I needed to be more

exist unless there is someone

the one who’s called me, and

than a “backpacker” passing

worthy of it. Faith is only as

He is the one who is sufficient.

through and invest myself into

good as what it has been placed

I want to be Peter in these

something, not allowing the

in.

moments of this story. No mat-

room to let myself off the hook

It’s through His word life was

ter how he started, he ended up

any time I pleased.

brought to what I believe in,

in just the right place — fol-

If I would have never put

yet my response in faith brings

lowing in the footsteps of Jesus.

myself in this position, I would

substance to it. A word requires

I want to be one who is capable

be missing all the present

faith, and faith requires a word.

of recognizing the worth of the

opportunities in which I have

His word requires our faith, and

one who calls and be willing to

grown here. I’ve experienced

our faith requires His word.

follow because of it.

joy, struggle, maturity, relapse,

It always comes back to His

For the most part, my ten-

victory, wrestling, new friend-

word; it is the most certain

dency is to shy away from sit-

ships, loneliness, adventure,

promise we have from God;

uations, contexts and circum-

the mundane, faith and trust,

we believe it stands forever. It

stances where I may be uncom-

doubt and uncertainty and all

lived before I breathed and will

fortable or in unfamiliar ter-

the highs and lows that accom-

continue when I cease.

ritory. I am currently teaching

pany a season abroad.

As Peter cast out his net at

English as a second language in

I’m not particularly special;

the word of Jesus, so do I. There

Phayao, Thailand. In coming to

I’m just attempting to make

is no true worship if we do

Thailand, I committed to some-

choices according to growth,

not know Him personally. Our

thing completely foreign (liter-

maturity and commitment —

revelatory knowing of him is

ally) when I decided to com-

all in faith. Everyday here, I’m

what causes us to worship, then

plete a TESOL course and take

tempted to lose sight of why I’m

follow. Glancing back at Peter’s

a job as an English teacher at a

here and why I’m doing this,

story in Luke 5, he first wor-

Thai Secondary School (called

especially on long, exhausting

shiped Christ, then followed

“Mathayom”

the

days. But those subtle, deep

him.

scripture,

American equivalent of Middle

reminders are always present

those who received a revela-

School and High School). Each

in my spirit, awakening my

tion of his worth and charac-

week, I’m teaching communi-

heart to know again and lifting

ter, those allowed to see Him

cative English for 23 class peri-

my eyes to see again.

Throughout

Thai,

HM LIVE

WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS ROUNDING OUT A SOLID WINTER 2014 TOURING SEASON, CHIODOS, WE CAME AS ROMANS AND SLEEPWAVE FILLED VENUES ACROSS THE NATION. OUR OWN BROOKE LONG WAS THERE WHEN THEY HIT BALTIMORE

HM LIVE

H M • J A N UA R Y 2 0 1 5

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H M • J A N UA R Y 2 0 1 5

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A SKYLIT DRIVE

H M • J A N UA R Y 2 0 1 5

ADDITION BY SUBTRACTION THE FACE OF A SKYLIT DRIVE IS EVOLVING, WHETHER THE BAND PLANNED FOR IT OR NOT. AFTER A COUPLE OF SUDDEN DEPARTURES, VOCALIST MICHAEL JAGMIN TELLS US HOW THEY MOVE FORWARD BY JORDAN GONZALEZ PHOTOS BY BROOKE LONG

Do you go by Jag or do you go by Michael usually? What do you prefer to go by? It doesn’t matter. People use both of them.

bassist and our drummer left the band. We weren’t able to tour again. It had already been decided we weren’t going to tour after Warped, at least until (2015). Then, they randomly up and left a few months ago.

Just wanted to make sure I wasn’t calling you something you didn’t like, and I always knew your name was Michael. Either one is good!

You said right now it was randomly. When the members left the band, was it suddenly, too? We didn’t know they were going to post a statement on the band page. The way I look at it, when band members are

Catch me up on what you all have been doing the

quitting, it’s like they’re relinquishing their right to even do

last few months as far as tours go. I know you were on

anything on the band page. The right thing to do is to give

Warped, right?

your statement to the remaining band members who are

Yeah, that was the last tour we did this past year. After

staying in the band so they can post their own statement.

that tour, we finished up everything with our acoustic

You can post yours along with it, so the fans get the entire

album, Rise: Ascension. It was only a few months ago our

picture.

A SKYLIT DRIVE

Versus what they did. They went

been talking about it earlier in the

In its entirety, it’s acoustic?

and posted it without telling anybody.

year. All of a sudden, come the end of

Yep. Yeah, the whole thing.

It left everyone with this one-sid-

the year, I was like, “Hey, Reg. I need

ed picture. The fact they did it with-

you now.”

What made you guys want to do

out saying anything was a surprise.

He’s a great fit. I think he’s every-

that? Did you want to just give the

We were trying to contact one of the

thing we needed to fix as far as pre-

fans something new? What was the

members to try to kick him out, but he

vious issues. As for another screamer,

thought behind that?

wouldn’t respond to anyone. I’m not

there were a couple standout audi-

It’s something our fans have asked

sure if he saw that coming or if he was

tions, but one in particular definitely

for a really long time, even prior to any

already planning on quitting, but he

rose above the rest.

other bands doing a reimagining or

wanted nothing to do with anyone and wouldn’t respond. The other one — we would have wanted him to stay. But, in the end, they both left with

anything like that. It’s something we To clarify, you do have a drummer. Mmhmm.

this dark cloud over them. Things

knew they always wanted to hear from us. We’re not really one of the bands who wanted to half-ass anything. We wanted the band to stand on its own,

weren’t positive for either of them,

As far as a new screamer, did you

but also that if we were going to do it,

whereas we were, like, one of them

get a new person for that, or are you

we wanted to make something even

was more of a benefit to the music, but

still narrowing it down?

more special out of it. It felt like the

your attitude was only working against

I’d say it’s 95 percent.

right thing to do.

it. We can find someone who is just as capable and also has that new passion

How was the process of asking

Do you also enjoy performing

to do this. That’s one thing we’re super

strangers? Was that overwhelming?

acoustic? Do you plan on doing these

excited about now, the kind of people

Did that go well, asking people to

live?

we can find. The three left now, it’s

send in auditions?

We thought about doing something,

almost we’re like jaded old men. We’ve

It went pretty well. We were fair. We

like, really exclusive and small, but

been doing this for a while. It’s going

watched everything to see if there was

then we all decided against it. We

to be nice to bring in some new people

any actual spark in anyone’s ideas.

decided to keep the album as a simple,

to make it fresh and exciting. I think it

I don’t know where any confusion

novelty-type thing. We just wanted to

will change our outlook and help us go

came from, but we’d end up getting

do it, and not treat it like a monument

back to that stage where we are excited

a bunch of questions. We’d have to

album.

again. I’ve been around so much neg-

overlook them because there were just

ativity, every single tour. It can start

so many. We only really had time to

to drain you. It can start to take away

look at people who were going to be

what you love about it.

go-getters.

You guys started around 2005, correct? I’m actually not sure when A Skylit

For me, I would never audition for a

Drive happened, probably like with most bands that started in high school.

Let’s talk about the new people

band with a bunch of questions. If I’m

you’re looking for. I saw on Facebook

confident in what I do, I’m just going

We don’t know when our merger was ,

a few weeks ago you all were holding

to do it. I’m going to do it somehow

but we combined with another band.

auditions. How did that go? Did you

the fastest way that I can. Somebody

I started in 2006, 2007. Something in

find anyone from that? Do you have

coming in with an almost a defeatist

there.

any prospects?

attitude is, of course, the last thing

Yeah. That’s where we found one of our guys. Drummer-wise, we didn’t

we’d be looking for. In that way, that was probably the only issue.

hold open auditions for a drummer. It’s funny because I already knew someone who really wanted to help us out with any kind of need. We had randomly

By that time, the post-hardcore genre had been blossoming. What is it like, having been able to look back

Let’s talk about Rise: Ascension. That’s Rise, but acoustic, correct? Yes.

and also look forward? You guys are in between the older bands and the newer bands of this genre.

A SKYLIT DRIVE

H M • J A N UA R Y 2 0 1 5

Back when we started, singing wasn’t as prevalent quite yet. It wasn’t

It will be sometime this year. That’s all

me is that kids can still tell it’s me. I

I do know.

sound like I’m doing something differ-

nearly as hard to pick out a band to work something back then.

ent. So, to me that’s cool. Let’s talk about your vocals, too.

They don’t think it’s a new singer

That’s the hugest difference now,

Some fans and critics have noted

because it still sounds like him. It just

is that it’s so over saturated with so

your voice has changed from earli-

sounds like he’s trying something new.

many of the same band, even I can’t

er albums throughout your career.

keep up with them. Whereas as back

What are your thoughts on that?

Do you have a favorite venue

then, the bands who were at the top,

Have you heard that and if so, what

or city that you like to visit when

they sounded like that, and anybody

do you think about that?

you’ve toured?

who tried to sound like them didn’t

When I first joined the band, was

Dallas is always fun. The Northeast

get anywhere because they would just

when I sang in a way where I’d throw

always treats us well. New York. New

be considered a carbon copy of that

my voice out way more often pretty

Jersey.

band.

much. I wasn’t very proper about the

pocket up there in Connecticut. We

way I was singing.

always have good shows up in there.

It seems like it’s a lot easier now to

Pennsylvania.

That

whole

get your face out there, whereas back

From every album I can see differ-

Then, of course, Northern California.

then it was a little more elbow grease.

ent changes. For most people, it takes

Sacramento. Those are always fun. Salt

You had to get into the right course, get

two or three albums for them to really

Lake City is always a really good one.

in front of those bigger crowds. Now

notice a difference. From touring I

it’s easier and harder. Does that make

slowly start adapting and inheriting

Is there any band you’d love to

any sense?

new tricks to be able to get through

tour with, even if it were Taylor

the set.

Swift?

We have to recreate ourselves without completely changing ourselves. We

If you think about it, I’m playing live

try to do that on every single album.

shows the whole time I’m in the stu-

I’d love to tour with KISS.

It’s extremely daunting, but there’s no

dio. [Indecipherable 21:31] The muscles

other move. If we did a new album that

in your throat are going to adapt to

That’s what got me started in music

sounded like a complete carbon copy

what you’re doing live. While I’m in

back when I was nine years old. That’s

of our most popular album, it wouldn’t

the studio I’m singing as I would do

the whole reason I even got into rock

really be what people want.

live.

music. I would definitely enjoy per-

You’re a big fan?

A comforting thing for me is that

From album to album I can remem-

I’ve seen a lot of bands come and go.

ber certain albums where I had more

The fact is that we are still hanging in,

of a struggle on whereas Rise was the

What have you been listening to

even after leaving two members, we

easiest album for me. I found a com-

lately? What’s on your radio? What’s

are still going and we are still moving,

fortable spot after touring for so many

on your phone?

and we are not stopping.

years and trying to find that sweet

I’m a super-big weirdo when it

spot, where I can still sing high and I

comes to music. I’m always writing it

can still sing the old songs.

to where by the time I’m not writing

Is there anything you want to say

forming with them.

about an upcoming album (after

It’s just at a slightly different tone

Ascension), or is it too early to talk

because I can just belt it out. It’s like

about it? Do you have any goals?

singing from a different spot in your

We’re in full-on writing mode, so

throat. It’s just the way that I do it now.

every day, for a good three to four

I have more longevity.

hours out of every day, I’m sitting in

I think it’s probably way too early for me to even know what that looks like

it anymore, I don’t want to listen to music anymore.

because there’s no actual set timeline.

I think that’s where that comes

front of my laptop listening to a demo,

There’s no set plans for us to go into

from. I like the fact that it’s different

getting my vocal ideas together. When

the studio. The first plan was to have it

every album. I get bored hearing the

I’m done with that, my ears are ringing

in by the summer. It could still be the

exact same thing out of a band five

and I’m, like, all right, I’m done with

summer or the late summer or the fall.

albums down the road. What’s good to

music for the day.

HM LIVE

GHOSTS OF THE NIGHT

ONE OF THE HOTTEST BILLS LATE LAST YEAR, THE GHOST INSIDE, EVERY TIME I DIE AND HUNDREDTH JOINED ARCHITECTS AS THEY TRAVELED THE U.S. WITH THEIR UNIQUE BLENDS OF METAL AND METALCORE. DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY BROOKE LONG WAS THERE ON THE SCENE.

HM LIVE

H M • J A N UA R Y 2 0 1 5

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H M • J A N UA R Y 2 0 1 5

HM LIVE

THE H TEAR OUT R AND THEIR

HEART TEAR OUT THE HEART’S TRIUMPH OVER DEATH BY COLLIN SIMULA

RETURN R MIGHTY

Pretending we’re not cowards, that we’re not liars,

healthy lifestyle and where God fits

to something I don’t really see

I mean it’s not to say everyone

in to all of this.

being anything other than poet-

is dead inside. But the name of

ry or spoken-word. So you guys

the record is about expressing

are going to have to be really

yourself vocally, about reveal-

open with me. We’re going to

ing who you really are inside.

have to try something new.”

Everyone has an opportunity in

that we’re not thieves. — Dead, Everywhere You’re about to release Dead, From the mid-’90s through the early 2000s, openness and vul-

Everywhere. How is it different than your earlier material?

Some of the guys weren’t real-

them to be the villain, or an

nerability were the highest vir-

It feels like we did a good job

ly feeling it. Some were confused

opportunity in them to be the

tues in hardcore music. Young

branching out with it, doing

or didn’t really know what to

good guy. The main idea behind

kids from broken homes and kids

things we always wanted to do

expect. Before we recorded any

this record is that today you

from the suburbs who didn’t fit

but never really did or didn’t

of the vocals, the spoken-word

have the opportunity to choose

in found a safe place where they

have the time or even know how

track was the first thing we did

for yourself. On a day-to-day or

could be themselves, a place where

to arrange or orchestrate. This

in the studio. As soon as I did

even minute-to-minute basis,

like-mindedness didn’t mean you

time, we really didn’t hold any-

it, everyone was like “OK, I see

you have the chance to be the

were all the same.

thing back.

it. I see the big picture now.” It

better person, to take the higher

turned out awesome.

road.

You understood each other even

We tried everyone’s ideas. It’s

if you disagreed with each other on

a roller coaster of an album — it’s

religion, situation or lifestyle.

got its ups and downs, it’s pretty

In this new generation, a quick

long — but, overall, it covers all

search of metalcore on YouTube

of the bases. There is something

brings up video after music video

for everyone on it.

Or the opposite. It’s about disTalk to me about the title, Dead, Everywhere. Our first record, Violence, was

tinguishing the difference and knowing when to make the right decision.

more about inner demons and

of bands infatuated with excess. It’s

struggling with how to deal with

You mentioned your first

all machismo and non-stop par-

You begin the record with a

them. Topics about insomnia,

album was about dealing with

tying. Openness replaced by hard-

fairly poignant spoken-word

depression, stuff I’d been dealing

inner demons, so would you

ness. Vulnerability replaced with

poem,

somewhat

with. Dead, Everywhere is more

say that Dead, Everywhere is

the substance of the moment. Virtue

unexpected in this day and

about accepting your problems,

more empowering?

replaced with vice.

age.

accepting who you are and being

Absolutely. At it’s most basic

which

It’s here — in this time in heavy

The intro to the record (also

vocal about it. Being up front

level, it’s a record about growing

music history — that St. Louis

the title track) is something I’ve

about your flaws as well as your

up. Throughout our lives, people

metalcore band Tear Out The

had written for a while now. I

finer points. We’re dead every-

will tell us to “grow up” nega-

Heart’s message is more important

often just write without a song in

where, not just dead inside. We’re

tively as well as positively, but

than ever. After a tumultuous year

mind, just for the sake of writing.

no longer hiding who we are,

this record is about self-reali-

including, but not limited to, vocal-

Especially during downtime. I’m

we’re no longer hiding what’s

zation. It’s about empowerment,

ist and lyricist Tyler Konersman’s

constantly jotting down ideas,

bothering us. It’s kind of forcing

taking a stand. It’s saying “This

girlfriend being diagnosed with

and the spoken-word intro piece

us to deal with what’s going on

is me. If you have a problem with

brain cancer, not only were Tear Out

is something I’ve been sitting on

in everyone’s heads, what every-

it, then fk you.” That’s the over-

The Heart forced to push back the

since shortly after the release of

one’s afraid to say.

all message.

release of their proud, new, Caleb

our first record, Violence.

Shomo-produced

A lot of people struggle with

Dead,

When I pitched the idea of the

Interesting how you kind

really finding themselves. And

Everywhere, but Konersman was

record name to the guys in the

of imply that we are all dead

once they do, many struggle with

forced to make some major life-

band — I basically told them —

inside in some way. Is that

being OK with who they are and

style changes in order to accom-

“This is what I have in mind,

something that you see in

being open about it. This record

modate his new style of life. I spoke

I want to call the record Dead,

yourself as well as everyone

is a good push. We want to tell

with Tyler about the album, his new

Everywhere, but it’s attached

else?

people it’s OK to be yourself,

album,

H M • J A N UA R Y 2 0 1 5

and put yourself out there on an

esting in light of the fact that

Oh yeah. Absolutely. Caleb is a

this to be a really straight-for-

emotional limb. In all hones-

(Beartooth

Caleb

great dude, and it was an honor

ward record.” Caleb (got it) and

ty, everyone is dealing with the

Shomo produced it. We had a

to work with him. He’s a good

definitely pushed us to open up

same problems you are.

conversation with him a few

friend and even better producer.

more in our music and as people.

months ago about Beartooth’s

He definitely helped us harness

My personal tastes and back-

latest album and he had a sim-

our finer points and bring out the

ground are a bit different than

ilar outlook. Much of their first

stronger elements in our music.

what a more traditional metal-

That element of real solidarity—you’re not in this alone. Exactly.

vocalist)

EP dealt with inner demons,

He told us that it was OK to be

core vocalist would bring to the

vulnerable. He was the mascot

table. I come from a background

The way you talk about

empowering and positive. It

for imperfections and vulnera-

of grunge and punk rock, pop-

Dead, Everywhere, specifical-

seems like that would make

bility. We went into it thinking,

punk and hardcore. So for me, it’s

ly in comparison to your first

him the perfect fit to produce a

“Alright, we want to do so some-

always been about emotions, it’s

album, Violence, is very inter-

Tear Out The Heart album.

thing meaningful, but we want

always been about putting your-

their

H M • J A N UA R Y 2 0 1 5

second

album

self out there. And if someone

relate to that and have a com-

right to me.” It’s genuine, and

you. If others wanted to latch

doesn’t understand, then that’s

mon ground with them, that’s

if it does take off, it’s because

onto it, great. If not, that was

fine. I’m not really expecting

amazing.

people will love and respect the

fine too.

everyone to understand where

I did put myself out there a

record for it’s genuine nature.

bit on Violence, but I was much

I’m coming from.

If people laugh at us or turn their heads or whatever, I don’t

But if someone does, then

more concerned with the typical

I came up in the Christian

care. I’m being myself and that’s

we have that common ground.

things. Does this sound good?

hardcore scene in a time where

all that matters. Like I said,

That’s

Are kids going to like this? Is

bands got onstage and were

Caleb really pushed us into being

what’s beautiful about music.

this going to blow up? With Dead,

very vulnerable about their

uncomfortable because he’s a

You’re expressing yourself in the

Everywhere,

questions

beliefs. At the time, and this

big fan of vulnerability in music.

most vulnerable state you could

couldn’t have been farther from

has changed quite a bit, it was

And I think that place was per-

possibly be in. And if you can

my mind. Instead, it was, “This

less about preaching and more

fect for this record.

find a group of people who can

sounds right to me. This feels

about sharing what worked for

what’s

strong.

those

WORKING ON THIS SECOND RECORD WAS A REALLY BIG RELIEF. I HOPE OTHER PEOPLE HEAR IT AND DROP WHATEVER IT IS THEY ARE DOING THAT IS MAKING THEM UNHAPPY IN LIFE AND FIND WHAT MAKES THEM

LIVE IT TO THE FULLEST INSTEAD.

H M • J A N UA R Y 2 0 1 5

Would you consider vulnera-

for a lot of people I know as well

and we’re doing a great job. We’ve

bility to be Tear Out the Heart’s

— and I can pinpoint 2014 as

been much more open spiritually,

message?

being the worst year of my life.

turning to God. It’s not necessarily

bands

Yes, absolutely. It is the same

I’ve learned some lessons from

something either of us were shut-

they talked about God, it com-

thing as being yourself. Growing

it, but I’m definitely looking for-

ting out, but when you’re a young,

pelled me. It felt comfortable. It

up, I was a weird kid. I didn’t

ward to what’s next.

dumb kid, it’s the last thing on

didn’t make me feel awkward. I

genuine anymore. I remember growing up with like

Underoath.

When

really fit in with anybody in

I had just come back from

your mind. You want to focus on

don’t know when it happened, but

particular. I had some friends

finishing the record. Honestly,

the band, or, “Is this song going

sooner or later, it just didn’t feel

who were skateboarders, some

I was in shambles already. We

to be the song?” or, “Is this tour

right anymore. I never found the

friends who were the goth kids

were having some inner turmoil

going to work for us.” You just

right group of people, the right

and punk wasn’t really a big

as a band and recording Dead,

want to go out and get drunk with

beliefs. I came to terms with my

thing with the skateboarders in

Everywhere was a pretty lengthy,

your friends and have a good time.

personal belief system, that I

St. Louis. So I had to abide by

stressful process. We needed to

But there’s so much more

could talk God when and how I

some arbitrary rules, to change

take some time to ourselves and

to the world. You think you’re

wanted to, however it worked for

who I was to really make friends.

get our heads back after record-

invincible.

me. I don’t have to do it on other

As soon as I got to high school,

ing this monster of a record.

In the end, 2014 was a wake up

people’s terms. I have nothing to

I kind of found the hardcore and

Shortly after that, my girl-

metalcore scene — it was about

friend was diagnosed with brain

being yourself. You could find

cancer. That was as much of a

That’s amazing and inspiring.

I wouldn’t want anyone to feel

other people who were proba-

wakeup call as anyone could ever

She’s healthier than she’s ever

like something is forced on them,

bly searching for something

get. I thought I had a grasp on

been. She’s healthier than me!

because that’s the worst feeling

very similar. And I thought I was

growing up was, but the diag-

There’s no doubt in my mind

ever. The personal realization of

growing up.

nosis was a violent shove, full

that with a continued positive

God — coming to those terms on

throttle, into getting my life

mental attitude and our new way

your own — is a really awesome

together.

of living that she’s going to be

feeling.

But you get wrapped up in the wrong stuff, and the music indus-

call, but she’s doing great.

prove to anybody. Because of that, I would never preach to anybody.

try doesn’t really help. It’s a really

She’s been through two sur-

tricky business to get involved in;

geries, she’s got one more, and

it can really mess with your head.

she’s had all of the radiation and

What does “turning to God”

the end-of-year phrase, “New

So working on this second record

chemotherapy treatments. This

look like for you? How does the

year, new you.” It looks like

was a really big relief. I hope other

has really pushed both of us to

spiritual aspect of your new,

2015 is going to be a big shift

people hear it and drop whatever

having a positive mental atti-

cleaner lifestyle look?

for you. Can you sum up what

it is they are doing that is mak-

tude in all aspects of life. We’ve

It just feels right, I guess, in

you want the next year to look

ing them unhappy in life and find

been learning a lot about health

the sense that I felt like I needed

like for you and your fans as

what makes them live it to the

and nutrition, trying to live a

to abide by rules before but this

Dead, Everywhere gets released?

fullest instead.

healthier lifestyle. We realized

record, being about opening up,

Obviously, I want the record

how disgusting the things we

allows me to live life to the full-

to reach as many people as pos-

est extent.

sible, and, because it’s genuine,

totally fine. In a literal sense, you embody

Speaking of vulnerability,

had been eating really were —

tell me the story about you and

you want to ignore it, you don’t

In the past, I always felt

when it takes off and people get

your girlfriend and about the

want to have to grow up and deal

uncomfortable with religion. Like

into it, it’s going to be the real

last six months you’ve had.

with it, you push it off for as long

you said earlier, a lot of Christian

deal. People are going to realize

as you can.

bands and even major Christian

it’s not a gimmick, and it’s not

The record was done and ready to go prior to anything I’ve had

Her being ill was the breaking

organizations are being much

just to be a “cool band.” It’s for

to deal with over the last few

point. We’ve been doing the best

more forceful and pushy with

the music and for the message

months. It was a rough year —

we can to get our lives together,

their beliefs. It doesn’t really seem

we want to bestow on the world.

THE

A D FJG

EXORCISM CV BN

P IUM E R

PAPA ROACH BY DAVID STAGG

PHOTO BY TRAVIS SHINN

A D F P V B NQ M A C V B N CV BN P IUM E R

IN OCTOBER LAST YEAR, I WAS ON ASSIGNMENT, STAYING WITH MY CLOSE FRIEND IN LOS ANGELES. I was there to talk with the members of Korn the month before their and stick around for the taping of their episode of Guitar Center Sessions. The band was trickling in throughout the day, but the man they call Fieldy was there a little early, and out of the blue he pulled me aside when we were snacking on crackers and cheese. “You need to talk to Jacoby,” he told me. He knew I was here to interview his band about the man they call Head’s rebirth and he was there, thinking about Papa Roach’s vocalist. “He’s worth covering.” He had a look to his aged eyes, like a magician who knows how the trick is done and he knows I’m going to find out soon, too. It would be over a year before that time came, and now, on the eve of the band’s eighth studio release, the man Fieldy referenced, Jacoby Shaddix, is about to release his first album sober. I spoke to him before Christmas, and he was as carefree and happy a person you could talk to. He spoke almost like he used sing, his voice equal parts the cadence and flippancy of a hip-hop poet. I appreciated most that self-awareness isn’t an issue for him. He knows you could make fun of “Last Re-

How are you? I’m good, man. Just living a tech free life dude. Seriously? How do you get away with that? I broke my phone and haven’t got a new one yet. Oh, so it’s not a self-imposed thing?

on stage?

sort,” but he also knows — rightly — that pretty much every single person on the planet knows the song. And that counts for more, because to him, that’s the essence of heart. A congregation to share in the battles he’s fought publicly in his songs, his heart on display, and — in his own thoughts — would this be the last album they make? Before he could get there in his head, he hardened his heart. He drank it dry and cracked until his brother, the only one who had the guts to face him that day his studio, on his home turf, told him he was done. His kin told him he was a has-been, a drunk, destined for a failed career. It would turn things around for him. Now, talking to him, the tenor in his voice vibrates with new freedom. He is now sober and, instead of regrets to repair or forget, has actual goals and fulfillment for 2015. He talks with me here about them, the gravity of his band’s upcoming release, his private fight with a very relevant addiction and making sure he’s got a cell phone to make the rest of his interviews.

That’s the cool thing about

You go sow your wild oats, and

Oh, yeah. Most definitely. At

some of our music. It’s been ref-

you get to say, “I was in a band.”

this point, being out there on

erenced as timeless. We have

No. That’s not how I look at it.

tour, there are two generations

elements of our band we would

I look at it as we want to have an

feeling Papa Roach. It’s cool to

hope remain timeless. That track

effect on people from generation

see the younger kids at the rock

“Last Resort” comes on the radio

to generation with our music. We

show. The people that started

and still lights up the speaker,

want to move people with our

with us, back in the late ’90s,

you know what I’m saying? Every

music. We want to inspire people

they’re drinking beer in the back

time we play it live, it ignites the

with our music. We want to lift

of the venue; the young kids are

audience.

people up with our music. This

up front in the mosh pit.

That live performance is the

isn’t about, “Check me out. I’m

No. I definitely could have

That’s very important to us, to

proving ground for bands that

the next hip thing.” It’s about

bought a phone last week. I just

have that young fanbase grav-

strive to have a career, that strive

this career, this purpose for the

haven’t bought one.

itating towards the music we

to have a legacy in rock and roll.

music that we write.

make.

It’s shaping up to be like that for

It feels a little nice not to be at everybody’s beckon call every second.

us, but it’s come with a lot of hard How does the band’s history

work, blood, sweat and tears.

split up in your head? And with

What do you define that purpose as, not only for you, but also for the band as a whole?

It was nice for a week, but now

the younger kids, where does

But not a lot of people want

I think it’s digging myself out

I’m like, I keep missing all my

it split up for you? How do you

to do the blood, sweat and

of a deep, dark hole is what it’s

interviews (laughs).

get them on board, especially

tears stuff. How do you iden-

doing.

if they went back and checked

tify with the different gener-

out any of your older stuff?

ations and the bands that have

A lot of bands seem to be

I’m familiar with deep, dark

doing the Ten-Year thing, but

It makes for a good show. You

it’s almost 20 years for you and

know what I’m saying? When

Papa Roach. Do you feel like

we’re playing the old school

Sometimes people look at

where you were. Maybe a little bit

there’s more than one gen-

classics and the young kids are

being in a rock band as some-

deeper. Oh, man. I got lost in my

eration of Papa Roach fan out

hearing these things live for the

thing you do after high school or

addictions. Lost in the whole way

there every time that you go

first time, they get jacked on it.

after college for a couple years.

of the sex, drugs, rock and roll

H M • J A N UA R Y 2 0 1 5

come in and have dropped off along the way?

holes. Where were you? Probably a little bit left of

A SQD LV B M M ZY lifestyle, the whole everything. I

songs we write. You don’t know

of addiction, how would you

just a fking drunk. What the fk’s

thought it was going to be a great

if you’re going to be accepted or

reach out to them? Let’s say

wrong with you?”

time. It was for a bit, but then it

embraced. That’s a natural fear,

they came up to you after a

bit me in the fking ass and broke

for an artist or a writer.

show and they asked you,

me down. Some of the things I went through as a young kid, I car-

“What got you through today?” You put yourself out there. For sure.

What would you tell them?

That’s heartbreaking. Yeah, but that’s the moment I needed, man. I thank my brother

For me, I would say being open

every day. To this day. I throw

ried them with me into my adult

Yeah. I’m going to go back

and honest to the people you

a little prayer out: “Thank you

years. I’m a selfish, self-seeking,

out on the road this next record

love about how you’re hurting

Bryson for shooting straight

fking asshole trying to do the

cycle. Last time I had a dude

or about the pain you’re going

with me, because I needed some-

right thing when there are so

who was working on my road

through. It’s about being willing

body to tell me to get the fk up

many temptations in the world.

crew that was clean and sober.

to be teachable. It’s about com-

and get my sh-t together.”

We supported each other out on

ing to the conclusion that maybe

Me, too.

the road. Now, I’m going out on

your way isn’t always the right

It seems like that’s what it

So many things that you think

the road without a sober homie.

way and being open for change.

takes, doesn’t it? It took my

are going to be fulfilling really

I’m like, “Fk, am I going to get

For me, that really opened a

wife saying, “I’m going to

just suck you dry.

caught up in that sh-t again out

whole new way of thinking for

leave you.” Then I got it. Tell

there? I hope not.”

me, which ultimately got me

me a little bit about how you

spiritual.

recovered. Once you came out

Let’s talk about that, if you don’t mind, because the name

It’s hard. It’s really hard.

of your album is F.E.A.R. Do you

That’s a healthy fear for me to

When you were there in

was rebuilding your life like?

still get scared? Do you still

have, because I don’t want to go

your darkest hours and were

How did that reflect in your

find yourself facing fears?

touch that flame and get burnt

thinking about changing your

music? I have to imagine that

right now. I really don’t.

lifestyle, was there a moment

a lot of that is part of your new

that pushed you over the edge?

record.

Oh yeah, most definitely. It’s like, here we are at the bottom of

of that on the other side, what

another mountain in our career

Do you mean to imply that

“OK. This is it. I need to go get

After I cleaned up, about three

as a rock band. We’re going to

you’re sober now? Did you give

help now, because if I don’t,

weeks after that — three weeks

go out and release a record in a

up drinking?

tomorrow I’m going to die.”

clean — my wife kicked me out

climate where rock music isn’t

Yeah. Almost three years.

the biggest thing anymore. How

Everybody around me was tell-

of the house. I had to go get my

ing me, “Yo dude, you all right?”

sh-t right by myself. It was a

do we cut through and make an

Oh, yeah? Congratulations.

Checking in. “You good, man?”

series of bottoms, but that was

impact on people with our music?

I’m almost to two years. It’s

It wasn’t until I was at my rock

the wake up call. I know my pur-

Could this be our last record?

a bizarre world for us, isn’t it?

bottom and my younger brother

pose isn’t to be creating the same

You wake up every day, and you

came to my recording studio and

environment that I grew up in for

don’t have a hangover.

was like, “I don’t even fking look

my own children.

You never know what the future holds. I’ve just got to walk in faith and maintain the

It’s so great.

passion and the vision for the

up to you anymore. Who the fk

Fk, dude, everything I didn’t

are you?” He was like, “I used

want to become, I was starting to

music. I feel like we’re doing

For people reading this that

to look up to you. I used to fking

become. “I don’t want to be like

the right thing in writing the

struggle with the same types

think you were cool. Now you’re

my father.” Then I end up being

H M • J A N UA R Y 2 0 1 5

Photo by Dave Jackson

EVERYBODY AROUND ME WAS TELLING ME, “YO, DUDE, YOU ALL RIGHT?” CHECKING IN. “YOU GOOD, MAN?” — JACOBY SHADDIX —

this fked up dude. Not available,

confident again, but now? When

believe that struggle is nature’s

I could be proud of to present

just fked up — but I switched up

we went and wrote this last

way of strengthening.

the guys. Then I would stick that

my bottoms. Got light, got right

record, I was on fire, dude. I felt

I took people through that

idea in. Play it for them and it

with God. God has done mirac-

solid, strong, clean, clear-head-

struggle, through this record.

would either sink or swim. In

ulous things in my heart and in

ed, spiritual, physically fit. I was

I talked about my life. I talk-

the beginning, there was a lot of

my family. I received help. Not

in a real great place when I was

ed about my strengths and my

strife, but towards the end of the

without hard work and me clean-

writing the record. Now I got to

weaknesses. I put it all out there.

process, I tapped into something

ing house on some of the real

work on the physically fit part

That’s how I do it. That’s how I

that was deep and powerful.

emotional sh-t, but coupled with

again (laughs).

approached it.

Everything I was singing to the

some spirituality, dude, and I’m in a much better place.

band... We love it. Oh, we love it. Alcohol is a calorie killer,

It’s got a lot of great hooks

but so is ice cream. One of

on it. I like to think of it like

You feel it took you a while to

For those who aren’t in AA

the things I learned is I didn’t

old school Good Charlotte.

get back up and running again?

or anything like that, they

realize how much sugar was in

They had great hooks.

teach finding the god as you

beer. After I quit, I was eating

(Laughs) I met those guys! I

have come to know him, that

Skittles and Lucky Charms and

think those guys are back out

muscle. Not a physical muscle,

type of thing, even if it’s not

anything I could get my hands

making music again.

but you get the metaphor. The

the conventional God that

on. I just craved sugar.

people think of, but a bloodline that keeps you putting

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Straight junkie.

your left foot in front of your

Yeah, but I think that’s with anything.

The

creative

sharper you are... I need to exerIf there ever was a time, now

cise that a little more before I go

would be it. A number of older

in the studio. I think that should

bands are out there having a

be my goal for the next record.

right. How was that reflect-

(Laughs) For sure. Tell me

ed in your records? How long

a little bit more about Face

before you came back and you

Everything and Rise. You said

felt you were capable of writ-

you came in feeling good,

ing again?

clean, and physically fit. Did

When you got in the studio,

you think to yourself, “Look, I

did you write it with the band?

(Door opens) Let me deal with

healthy outlet for me. Through

need to write this record about

Did you write by yourself? Did

my cell phone really quick. I have

all of the thick-and-thin, of all

what I went through”? Or did

you come in later and put stuff

been waiting for this thing. (To

that bullsh-t, music has always

you think to yourself, “That

on top of it?

been a great way for me to

was a personal thing, I need to

I wrote it by myself. The guys

man? Who’s that for? Thank you.

express how I feel. I see the true

move forward and try to write

wrote the music. I took the music

Hold up. Hold up. Dude, my cell

power in music.

about a new life”?

in the room next door, by myself.

phone just came. “Yes!” (Laughs) I got the new cell phone.

Music

has

always

been

resurgence. There’s a couple bands I’d like to hear come back out.

My dad used to say stuff like: “Don’t write lists down. Try to remember it, because your brain is a muscle.

the delivery person) Hey, what’s up

What a gift it is, that it gives

No. I wrote with a purpose. I

They gave me a bunch of stuff to

me the opportunity to express

had to write about coming from

choose from, but it was (more

my deepest feelings, my deepest

that darkness to the light. Being

about) whatever was inspiring

fears, my deepest brokenness.

stuck, boxed in a corner, feel-

me at the moment.

It’s always been a healthy outlet

ing there’s no way out to feeling

I just wrote, wrote, wrote,

get going, then! A couple last

for me. It took me a while to get

wildly free. I struggled, and I

wrote until I felt I had something

questions: Where do you find

H M • J A N UA R Y 2 0 1 5

(Laughs) That’s awesome. I suppose it’s a good time to

your inspiration now, especially out on tour when you’re around the beer? When you’re

I WROTE WITH A PURPOSE. I HAD TO WRITE ABOUT COMING FROM THAT DARKNESS TO THE LIGHT. BEING STUCK, BOXED IN A CORNER, FEELING THERE’S NO WAY OUT TO FEELING WILDLY FREE. I STRUGGLED, AND I BELIEVE THAT STRUGGLE IS NATURE’S WAY OF STRENGTHENING.

around the hard part? Also,

— JACOBY SHADDIX —

how do you overcome those moments when you feel like you’re sliding back? When I’m out there, I take myself out of situations, if I feel

doing of other things. I’m part

else used to work from the fking

My power for my gate in front of

uncomfortable. If you hang out

of a film company. I co-directed

time they woke up to the time

my house almost died. I have to

in a barber shop long enough,

“Face Everything and Rise.” We

they went to bed. People worked

dig a new trench and lay a new

you’re going to get a haircut. You

are working on a documentary.

hard, with their hands. Tilling

pipe.

hang out at the titty bar and

We pitched our feature film to

the soil. Farmers.

the bar long enough, eventually

some people at CAA, which is

Now, it’s a different gener-

you’re going to take somebody

one of the biggest agencies. I also

ation. We’re behind comput-

home. Those establishments, I

just released a clothing line, as

ers and that’s how we work.

put those few and far between in

well. I just get creative in other

We have way too much time

my lifestyle, because I’m more

places to keep myself driven, to

to think. We’re not physically

I never thought about the

focused on different sh-t in my

keep myself inspired and doing

tired anymore, you know what

physical exhaustion thing. If

life. As I get older fk! I fell in love

different things.

I mean?

you go home and you’re tired

with skiing. I love fishing. You got to wake up early to go get on a mountain. It’s fun on the other side, too. I never thought I’d see 5:30 a.m. again, but now I get so much work done in the morning. Bang, dude. It’s being more productive and creative. I’m

Land work. Staying busy. Manual labor. That’s how I’m going to keep my head straight.

and you go to sleep, there’s Were you doing those things trying to help your mind, too?

Totally. I never thought of it that way.

no room to even piss off your wife.

I found that I do a lot more

How do we navigate it? I’m

Let me tell you. When I’m out

things, too, but some of it is

going to fking dig a trench. No,

on the road, by the end of the

also to keep busy.

I really am. I’m not kidding. It’s

night, I’m zonked. It’s 100 per-

like a one foot trench from A-Z.

cent on the stage. I give more of

Totally, dude. You get lost in your mind. It’s like a playground. Back in the day, everybody

myself to that stage than almost You dug your own trench?

anything else. It comes from a

No, I am going to dig a trench.

power greater than myself.

BANDS TO WATCH OUT FOR IN 2015

BY SEAN HUNCHERICK UNLOCKING THE TRUTH After a steam-rolling 2014, the new year has already given us a number of tours to feast on. If you’re looking to get in before the curve, these are Staff Writer Sean Huncherick’s artists who are poised for a strong showing. 60

H M • J A N UA R Y 2 0 1 5

Genre: Heavy Metal They’ve gone from busking in streets of New York to opening for legends Motörhead, Guns n’ Roses and Living Colour – not to mention performances on the Colbert Report and Vans Warped Tour. Not bad for a couple of 8th graders in one of the best new metal bands. All of this and they haven’t put out any recordings. This is about to change in 2015 with the band’s debut album.

JUSTIFIDE Genre: Rapcore It has been a long, long time since anything was heard from Arizona’s rap-metal artist, Justifide. The band came into the Christian music scene around the same time as Pax 217, Pillar and 38th Parallel but after losing their vocalist in 2003, they changed their name and broke up quietly in 2006. What most people didn’t know is that the band had written eight songs for what would have been their third album. Nearly 12 years later, the band is about to reunite to record those eight lost tracks and maybe a bit more as well. No one knows what to expect from the band’s upcoming album of previously unreleased songs, but we’re sure it’ll take us back to the heydays of rapcore.

TIMBRE Genre: Neoclassical Indie She has played on albums by Mewithoutyou, The Chariot, Jack White (ex-The White Stripes) and Ricky Skaggs; played cathedrals in Sweden and the dusty stages of Cornerstone Festival. Needless to say, classical harpist Timbre Cierpke is in a unique position musically. In many ways, she sits on the line between classical and popular (indie/folk) music.

NEW HEART Genre: Hardcore

On her upcoming double-disk album Sun and Moon, she seeks to show that the two

Anyone who is sick of the “metal”

(classical and popular music) are deeply

in “metalcore” will find something

connected. It has been a long two year jour-

more traditionally hardcore in New

ney to the release of Sun and Moon, but in

Heart. Here is a band that draws more

spring 2015, the harpist will finally be able

from 80s youth crew hardcore bands

to release the long-awaited album. By the

such as Gorilla Biscuits and Youth of

end of the year, she ought to be a household

Today than they draw from the mod-

name in the modern indie scene.

ern metallic hardcore bands that have dominated the scene for the last two

For what it’s worth, this is the one I’m

decades. Expect minute long songs,

looking forward to the most. Give it a shot.

non-stop gang vocals and a passion

Expand your musical palette in 2015.

for unity.

BORN CAGES Genre: Alternative Rock Born Cages already write songs that are on par with Imagine Dragons and Walk the Moon in regardless to song structure, but pass them in musicianship.

Guitarist

Vlad Holiday is arguably one of the strongest the genre has seen in the last 15 years. The

track

“Rolling

Down the Hill” from their 2014 EP got the band

inches

from

the

away

alterna-

tive rock spotlight. If they are given an opening-slot

good tour, than their debut album in spring 2015 will kick off the band’s

promising

career. Listen to them now before everyone else catches on.

H M • J A N UA R Y 2 0 1 5

NYVES Genre: Electronic Ryan Hunter)

Clark

(Demon

and

Randy

Torres (ex-Project 86) in a moody electronic band? It seems like an unlikely venture for the two musicians, but the results have been terrific so far. Think ballads

Demon put

Hunter catchy

synth. The songs are certainly danceable, but far from the typical trends of

modern

electronic

music. The band recently completed a Kickstarter campaign for their debut album, Anxiety.

MisterWives photo by Shervin Lanez

MISTERWIVES Genre: Soul Indie MisterWives are one of the most addicting bands right now. Their blend of soul, indie and pop is so captivating and danceable that they make it difficult to stop listening. Last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Reflections EP was hopefully just the start of what the band has to offer in 2015â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s full-length. If the hype is carried, it should make it to several top lists of 2015.

REVIEWS Photo by Brooke Long

CAN AARON GILLESPIE’S NEW WORSHIP ALBUM DELIVER A GENUINE EXPERIENCE? P. 70

Papa Roach impresses vulnerability, maturity on eighth studio release Confession time: I never kept up with Lost. I remember seeing the first episode, feeling somewhat underwhelmed by the premise and never really thinking about it again — until my friend insisted I watch the final episode with him. For those of you who’ve seen the series, you can imagine how confused and disoriented I was. The disparate gap between the first and last episode of that series is so big, regardless of my feelings on either, I just had to see what happened in the middle. (And in case you’re wondering, it ended with a month-long binge watching of the entire series.) Fifteen years ago, I listened to Infest, the

major-label debut from Papa Roach. As a nu-metal kid, I gave it a chance. I really tried. I listened to it more than a few times, but it was rather unimpressive. Compared to the early Korn, Deftones and P.O.D. records, Papa Roach’s brand of third-generation rapcore and nu-metal felt uninspired. It felt crafted to sell, not to invoke emotion. Much like after watching the first episode of Lost, I just kind of filed them away in my mind and didn’t pay attention to the rest of their career. Well, other than vocalist Jacoby Shaddix hosting MTV’s Scarred, which was essentially a gory, extreme

Papa Roach F.E.A.R. E l e v e n Se v e n

sports version of Americas Funniest Home Videos. Huge fan. With F.E.A.R. (Face Everything And Rise), Papa Roach’s eighth (!) full-length album, I’m left scratching my head. If I didn’t know this was the other bookend of a fifteen-year career, I’d assume it was a completely different band. Nearly everything familiar to me about Papa Roach is gone. Save for three verses (in “Gravity” and “Warriors”), the rapping is gone. The slightly-off-key, amateur melodic choruses are now shimmering anthems. The simple, guitar-bass-and-drums instrumentation I knew is now replaced with layers of atmospheric gui65

REVIEWS

tars, electronics and (absolutely) giant-sounding drums. And, much to my surprise, it’s actually pretty good. The band, living together for the duration of writing and recording F.E.A.R., and their musical pedigree is clear. These guys show how to write a focused album. At only ten tracks, every song feels more intentional. F.E.A.R. isn’t interested in any filler; there aren’t any instrumentals or spoken word poems or 30-second interludes. Many rookie hard rock artists fall into this trap, trying to have “something for everyone” on their records. It leads to lazy ballads here, a mediocre heavy song there, the heavy-enough-butnot-too-much-for-the-masses single. Not Papa Roach, and not here on F.E.A.R. It is definitely diverse, but it’s narrow-minded enough to feel carefully crafted. It feels like an actual album, not just a collection of songs. Eight albums in, this isn’t really anything new to them or groundbreaking in nature. They are very effective at adapting to modern methods of songwriting, taking major cues from popular metalcore acts. From the heavy, djent riffing to the House-like synth arpeggios, much of F.E.A.R. wouldn’t sound out of place on an Of Mice and Men or Issues album. The major difference, however, is how long Papa Roach has had to perfect their craft. Papa Roach excels by showing the younger bands how it’s done. Another interesting element of F.E.A.R. is the positive, uplifting nature of the lyrics. Songs like “Broken as Me,” “Gravity” (featuring Maria Brink from In this Moment) and “Warriors” reflect the vocalist’s well-publicized conversion experience last Easter. They’re a far cry from the desolate nature of Papa Roach 15 years ago. Staying open and 66

H M • J A N UA R Y 2 0 1 5

vague enough lyrically, F.E.A.R. isn’t marking the moment that Papa Roach became a “Christian band,” but it does put a stake in the ground as the year of their monumental shift in message. With F.E.A.R., Papa Roach has shown that you don’t have to be completely original to be inspired. Sure, by it’s very nature, this album is written for radio play. But unlike my initial feeling of their debut Infest, this album doesn’t feel like a band trying to capitalize on a trend. It feels genuine. It feels like they finally mean it. And based on my listening to the first-and-last albums in their discography, maybe it’s time for a binge-listen.

— COLLIN SIMULA

6’10” The Humble Beginnings of a Rovin’ Soul O l l i e M ob

If Flatfoot 56 is a rambunctious mosh pit, then 6’10” — the folky side project for frontman Tobin Bawinkel — is like going for a stroll on a summer evening. Bawinkel and company have unplugged their guitars and traded in the bagpipes for a violin for their first album as Americana folk act 6’10” (which, not conspicuously, is Bawinkel’s height). The Humble Beginnings of a Rovin’ Soul may be a folk album, but you can sense the punk roots bubbling beneath the surface. Bawinkel brings his usual flare for great songwriting, but here with his

WITH F.E.A.R., PAPA ROACH HAS SHOWN THAT YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE COMPLETELY ORIGINAL TO BE INSPIRED.

IT FEELS GENUINE. IT FEELS LIKE THEY FINALLY MEAN IT. new crew, he takes a more heartfelt and personal route, mulling the loneliness of being on the road, feeling trapped by the mundane goings on of life and finding hope after loss. Sonically, 6’10” has a mix of fun, upbeat tunes mixed with the conventional slower, somber ballads. There isn’t a bad song on the album; “Timothy,” “Hurricane,” and “Backpack” all showcase the band at their best. Bawinkel’s husky vocals are joined by a couple guest vocalists on a few songs; “Backpack” is a great song with the vocalists telling the story of two men trading tales from their travels around the world — only to be yanked out of their fantasies to go back to their humdrum lives working in the factory. Flatfoot fans will feel right at home listening to 6’10” because, at its heart, it’s still Bawinkel. Plus, like Bawinkel, there’s a lot to love.

— BEN RICKABY

Aaron Gillespie Grace Through the Wandering BEC

I have a love-hate relationship with worship music. On one hand, the idea of a group of people in the same room, a multitude of different voices, cultures, backgrounds and lifestyles united in song is an absolutely beautiful thing. This act should be one in which Christians from all sides of the spectrum lay down their differences and come together. The relationship between music and a congregation is a tactile one;

SPLIT GETS THE PUNK YEAR OFF TO A STRONG START

A Common Goal / False Idle Split Decision Th u m p e r P u n k

I’ve been a fan a Sef Idle — the frontman of puck rock group False Idle who also dabbles in the acoustic punk world — for awhile now, and this split with fellow punks A Common Goal is an awesome way to bring in the new year. A Common Goal’s side, “Nowhere Fast,”

it’s one where a united spirit can be felt among the participants. On the other hand, it’s no secret many worship songwriters are just playing the game, trying to get that coveted licensing deal. But in as tactile a way true worship can be felt, so can the feeling of being sold — and that’s exactly what Aaron Gillespie’s latest release, Grace Through the Wandering, feels like. No one is arguing with Gillespie’s songwriting or musical ability. From his flashy drumming-while-singing in Underoath to the pop sensibility of the Gillespie-fronted The Almost, he has a firm grasp on music that feels genuine and passionate and technically sound. Grace Through the Wandering is musically competent and perfectly produced with its layers of instrumentation and sheen. But its problem was never in those areas. The album feels anything but genuine; rather, it feels like a group of songs crafted for the sole purpose of being licensed to churches. It’s the sound of someone selling out while singing love songs to Jesus (and we’ll keep trying to ignore the cringe-worthy, hipster-Americana

take on “Come Thou Fount”). Which leads us to the burning question: Does the world really need another worship album for the American Evangelical? Even starting with the artwork — like so many mainstream worship albums before it — we’re first greeted with a safe photo of Aaron, which subtly implies what this album is really about. The songs are arranged simply enough to break down into basic chord structures. For the most part, the melodies are geared toward the lowest common denominator, easily sung by anyone. Lyrically, it’s nearly absent of vulnerability or struggle. In general, it’s odd we don’t see more of this, which correlates to our best template of worship songwriting: David’s Psalms. It’s called Grace Through the Wandering, and there is a little bit of alluding to needing grace and being lost, but the vast majority of these songs are about feeling good in one’s standing with God. I might be being unfair to Gillespie. He might be totally genuine, but it doesn’t feel like it. I know he can write very inti-

“Two Steps Behind” and “Where Do We Go,” are solid melodic punk songs that jam like Tooth and Nail greats Hangnail did, but with the extra punch of that Gainesville sound. False Idle kicks it into gear with their side, “First World Last Place,” a fast punch in the face calling out American privilege,

mate, interesting worship songs — listen to “Some Will Seek Forgiveness, Others Escape” from Underoath’s They’re Only Chasing Safety. But to see him write just another pop-worship album released on a big label with big distribution feels a lot like selling out. If you want incredibly musical, inspired and passionate worship albums, like to bands like Ascend the Hill (O, Ransomed Son is an absolute game changer), The Ember Days or even the Glorious Unseen. Save your time and money and listen to them instead.

— COLLIN SIMULA

A Skylit Drive Rise: Ascension T r agic H e ro

followed by “Say Goodbye” and “The Cavalry.” Between the in-your-face lyrics and fast punchy melodic punk, False Idle’s becoming a more modern AntiFlag. I would highly recommend this split to anyone who questions if there is such a thing as good Christian punk. — GARRETT HOLLOWELL

A Skylit Drive’s new acoustic album is proof of something a number of musicians would swear to you they already knew: Symphonies are freaking metal. It never seemed like that far of a stretch for you to be listening to obscure tonal patterns and dynamics, writing guitar solos with the woodwinds’ licks. The band uses this to their advantage a number of times through in the band’s latest offering, a full acoustic remaking of Rise. In a way, the album is a self-proclaimed stop gap; the band unexpectedly lost two members, which kind of put a hamper on their writing process. In order to keep things afloat, they opted for this acoustic record. The album is everything it needs to be to fill in that space. Their acoustic renditions have musical guts, while vocalist Michael Jagmin’s high-pitched and instantly recognizable tenor compliment the down-tuned, openly strung riffs. The only major crime here is the forgettable album title. But if that’s the price of admission, I’ll jam these symphonic riffs (with Jagmin’s pop backbone) for a change of pace anytime.

— DAVID STAGG 67

FROM THE HM VAULT

JAN/ FEB 2005, P. 35 As for Anberlin’s aspirations, Nathan Young sees that the sky is the limit. They’ve had a pretty successful debut, selling over 40,000 copies of Blueprints for the Black Market ... Young is confident about the new disc, titled Never Take Friendship Personal. He’s convinced it will reveal a band that has a strong sense of its unique sound.” — Brian Quincy Newcomb on Anberlin

Never Take Friendship Personal would be released Feb. 1, 2005 and go on to be Anberlin’s highest selling release.