It’s hard being a metalcore band these days. Though in the case of Society’s Plague, the sextet should consider themselves fortunate they’ve now got a crack at starting on their legacy with a debut album showcasing all their strengths like powerful choruses, intelligent songwriting and a preference for complex arrangements. A solid recommendation for fans of Soilwork, In Flames and As I Lay Dying. “The Human the Canvass” proves the best introduction to a group who will soon be trekking across North America. For this exclusive interview with SIA, here’s drummer James Doyle on touring, studio work and his favorite songs on “The Human, The Canvass.”

How does it feel knowing “The Human, The Canvass” is out there for public consumption? Who has given the album its best reception so far?

James Doyle: It feels great to have the record out to the public now. Unfortunately we keep seeing illegal links popping up for the album. But if illegal download make us new fans that’s good. Hopefully they would come out to a show then. So far it’s been well received by critics and fans too. The best review we’ve gotten was from CWG Magazine, who gave us a perfect 4 out of 4 and we got a 9 out of 10 from Fury Rock! We are excited to see what Decibel Magazine has to say about us in their September issue. We have had great sales all around the world!

To be honest, I’m not entirely sold on metalcore, but I do admire bands that are forging ahead on their own terms. What were the origins of Society’s Plague?

JD: We’ll always been like a family, most of being in a band is trial and error, but for the last few years we’ve had a solid mix, and just took off from there.

You’re all from Kentucky, right? What kind of music scene is thriving over there?

JD: Lexington actually has quite a diverse scene and there are a lot of good bands popping up around here these days!

In your hometown, which places can you go to for cold beer, live music, and maybe fresh cooked peanuts?

JD: Well……I don’t know about the fresh cooked peanuts, but my favorite place to go for some live music and a beer is Busters or Headliners. If I was just going to get  a cold one, I’d say Shamrocks, The Pub, or McCarthys!

The band’s discography starts with the 2008 EP “The Mercy Untold.” How much has the Society’s Plague sound matured since your first foray in recording?

JD: We learned a lot from tracking that EP and were able to tighten up some stuff and branch out a bit more with the release of “The Human, The Canvas.” A band has to constantly progress and evolve, so I’m sure we’ll keep going from there!

What brought you guys to your current label, Stand And Deliver Records? Prior to getting signed, what were the band’s plans for album number one? Was the band going to seriously shop for a label or release it independently?

JD: Our manager actually knew the owner of Stand and Deliver Records and sent him some of our songs, and things took off from there. We were actually just getting ready to record “The Human, The Canvas” when all the label talks started with Stand and Deliver Records, so the timing worked out great. We didn’t need to seriously shop for a label, but we were getting ready to.

Having listened to the album a lot, I have to admit I found the songs either great or so-so. Are you in love with the whole product your band has sweated and lost sleep over for months or are there still aspects of “The Human, The Canvass” you’d like to see changed in a future release?

JD: We all love the record, however I think most artists would say “it would have been good to have more time to write and to record.” But it being our first record, we are always looking to improve on the second and all our future albums. I think artists  always strive for the unattainable perfection.

Inside the album are melodic thrash tempos, clean sung choruses and galloping bass lines that remind me of Iron Maiden. Aren’t you concerned discriminating ears will find you guys trendy?

JD: You can’t please everyone and I think you would be hard pressed to find a band that doesn’t already sound like another band [these days]. Music has been around forever its nearly impossible to come up with something 100% original. We’re just here to do what we do best, and so far it’s been received really well by fans!

“Legions,” “A Better View On  A Bitter World,” and “Mourning Sun” are my favorite cuts on the album. And you? What are your favorites?

JD: I love them all! I think the whole album came out great. But my favorites are “Transcend The Throne,” “Legions,” and “The Human, The Canvas”.

One of my favorite aspects of “The Human, The Canvas” are the lyrics. I find them intelligent and original. Who are the band’s main songwriters and how much do the other members contribute?

JD: When it comes to lyrics, Matt [Newton, vocals] does all of it. He’ll literally sit away by himself for days and come up with the lyrics that deal with different life events and stories that he wants to tell through the music.

The band’s sound right now—melodic, complex, aggressive, and a tad epic. Will this forever be the template for future Society’s Plague albums?

JD: As a band, you always want to grow and your music will mature and evolve with you as musicians. But we’ll always stay true to who we are and what we do and it will always be Epic!

Where did the six of you go to record the album? Do you enjoy being in the studio or is performing live the bigger thrill?

JD: The album was produced by Tony Gammalo with some help here and there from Ben Schigel at Spider Studios in Strongsville, OH. Recording is fun and stressful at times, but we love being onstage!

Oh yeah, performing live. How much roadwork does Society’s Plague have under its belt? What are the band’s plans for the rest of 2010?

JD: We were out all of May and June when the album came out and we are headed out again in September and October/November. Check out our myspace page for updates. (www.myspace.com/SocietysPlague) We were added to the 2010 Dirt Fest in Michigan but it was cancelled due to the poor economy.

Excuse me, but I have to single out Kate [Latham, keyboards] for exclusive praise. She did a really great job adding a touch of keyboard magic into the band’s repertoire without it sounding like an afterthought. What kind of musical background does Kate have and how long have you known her?

JD: Kate’s been in the band for a few years now, the keyboards really add a whole new element to the songs, she does a great job and I don’t think she was ever trained to play the keyboard I think it just came naturally to her.

Do the six of you always get along? What are some of the things you all enjoy doing as a band aside from performing live? Video games, perhaps? Arguing about metal?

JD: Yeah, we’re all practically family. Outside of the band though, we all have our own hobbies. For instance, Matt and I love to play basketball and all of us play a lot of Xbox and love IHOP.

What’s the coolest thing about being a musician?

JD: That we get to spend everyday doing what we love, getting to travel and meet all of our fans!

On the flipside of the last question, what sucks the most about being a musician?

JD: Being away from home is always hard and being stuck in a van all the time driving from show to show.

Kindly introduce us to the weapons in the band’s arsenal. This is the gear question. The readers will be grateful.

JD: Oh geez, I don’t know if I can list every thing for the whole band. I use Pork Pie Drums, DW Hardware, and Zildjian / Saluda Custom Cymbals. Some of the other equipment we have is Line 6 Pod XT Pro, 31 band EQ and BBE Sonic Maximiser, THD Hotplate, ESP F-50 modded with EMG-81 at the bridge and EMG-85 at the neck, Line 6 wireless unit, Boss ns-2, Peavey XXX, Behringer Vamp Pro controlled with a Behringer midi foot controllers, Bbe Sonic Maximiser, Madison oversized 4×12 with vintage-30s.

That’s all I can think of off the top of my head. [Laughs.]

I want to know what you guys are like outside the band. Which members have day jobs, go to school, or lock themselves in a room and practice all day?

JD: Right now, most of us still have day jobs for when we’re still at home. We try to take a vacation day when we head out on tour so that we still have jobs when we get home.

I still have a million questions I wanna ask you guys but time constraints have put a cap on this interview. Thanks for the patience and consideration. Any final remarks?

JD: Look for Society’s Plague to be available soon on Ding Life. New merch is coming and we will be on tour soon with The Autumn Offering!

What is the concept behind your album To Plant A Seed?
The whole concept behind To Plant A Seed is that our band has the message about loving and respecting people, being cared for, obviously relationships, brotherhood all that sort. The whole thought behind To Plant A Seed is that hopefully that thought can be planted in someone’s mind just like a seed and hopefully can grow into something just like a seed would grow into a tree. As that thought grows into something in that person, they can start giving that thought or message that seed, and they can start planting that into other people’s minds as well.

How do you guys keep it so positive on the road?
It helps to know that there is really is something to look forward to when something goes wrong. If something goes wrong on stage or I’m bummed out how I played or anything, I know I can look forward to improving the next day. Just trying to keep positive about everything is a good way to stay fulfilled. It’s really important to stay positive on the road because its easy to get down when there’s so much going on.

What are your personal influences?
As far as lyrically goes I really like Brand New and As Cities Burn, I think that those bands write the best and most influential or inspirational lyrics. Musically, I really like to jam just August Burns Red and Underoath.

What is the most meaningful song to you personally?
My personal favorite is the last song called “An Ever-Growing Wonder,” the song specifically the lyrics are really important to me. But also the first song “To Plant A Seed” as well because it kind of goes over the whole point of the CD as well as the whole history of our band. And that was really cool being one of the only original members left, it really hits home for me being able to been here for every step of the way. Probably those 2 are really important as well as “Roads That Don’t End and Views That Never Cease.”. A lot of people think that song is about a girl back home that you miss, but the lyrics are really meant for everyone or anyone. In actuality it is the people back home that keep me going on the road.

If you were to describe your band members and yourself what would you say?
Insane. They would be insane and I would be not insane that is how I would label them.

Best van/band moment?
The best moment in terms of our vans is actually getting this van because up to this one we’ve always had terrible luck, terrible problems. This is the 4th van that we’ve toured in. We’ve had a van catch on fire, a van burn a quart of oil every hour, and a van that blew a head gasket in the mountains once. Just the fact that we got this one new, it was really nice to have a reliable van. The best band moment for me was writing and releasing a CD and seeing how well that it has done and seeing something that I really was able to put my heart into.

What do you guys do while you’re on the road?
As a band I know everyone is down just to hang and not really do anything. Just hang out with the other bands and eat burritos.

How did you guys choose your set?
We came to the conclusion that the track list for our CD is the way it is because the songs flow really well that way. So for at least this tour and the Canada run, we’re going to start with track one and we skip track 6 because we only have a 25 minute set. This time we’ve done 1-5 and then 7, but we’ve swapped 5 and 7 because every since we wrote it we’ve close with the song “Dreams” just because it’s quote the song at least for now.

If you could change “the song,” what would you change it to?
I love “Dreams” I think it’s a great song in terms of getting the message and the point of our band across and I think it’s a great thing to close with and it’s definitely our most popular song. But if I could change it, it would definitely be track 10 “An Ever-Growing Wonder” that song in my opinion is the best song we as a band have put out.

Any last words?
I just hope anyone who’s reading this will come out and see us, come hang out, maybe if they haven’t heard of us check out your music.

Son of Aurelius are a ticking time bomb in the U.S. extreme metal scene. Come April 13th their first album “The Farthest Reaches” (Good Fight Music) is gonna explode across the musical landscape and anyone caught in its blast radius can expect to be jarred from their comfort zone. Combining death metal’s brutal-technical bent with an ample dose of melody and intelligent lyrical themes, Son of Aurelius are five souls who simply CANNOT be ignored this 2010. Here’s guitarist Cary Geare talking about the album, group hugs, and what happens behind the scenes during a video shoot.

Hello Cary. How excited are you with the upcoming release of “The Farthest Reaches”? Are you giddy all the time now or do you still manage to stay cool?

Cary: We’re all really excited to have such a quick release. We all worked really hard on the record and it was super cool for Good Fight Music to move things along so fast and make us a big priority.

According to the official bio, it all began with Josh Miller and the three-song demo he wanted to put out. What was the biggest incentive for you to hop aboard Son of Aurelius aside from the material that came out of those demo sessions?

Cary:The biggest selling point for me was to work with engineer Zack Ohren. I’m good friends with the fellas from Decrepit Birth and Odious Mortem and I had always heard about the Odious sessions with Zack, and of course his recordings are amazing. It was an opportunity I knew I couldn’t pass up on, but at that point it was just a little project, we didn’t know that it would end up turning into Aurelius.

The name of the band  has its roots in Roman history (Aurelius being a prominent family in ancient Rome). The band name was actually a song title first, if I’m not mistaken. Were other handles for the five of you floating around before you adopted Son of Aurelius?

Cary:Yeah it started off as a song name and Josh [Miller, vocals] suggested it be the actual band name. It sat well with everyone so we just went with it. Seriously thinking of band names was tough for us; we generally would just joke around with mock names that we thought were funny.

There are also a lot of Greco-Roman themes in your songs. Do you read up on these or do you just recall what you learned in high school/college?

Cary: Our vocalist Josh really came up with the initial idea of having the ancient Rome theme and we just ran with it. I know he did a lot of research for the lyrics he wrote. It’s not strictly hostorical though, some songs are more like an homage. There is our own fiction and story in there amongst the myths and historical stuff.

For a band that’s just starting out, you already have songwriting chops most musicians would envy. Do you all collaborate when writing material or is there just one ideas man in the band?

Cary: We all bring something to the table, generally one guy will write a song all the way through and the rest of us will learn it. That gives each song it’s own identity because we all have different styles and influences.

Individually, the band’s chops would make most ‘scene’ musicians pee their pants. What’s a Son of Aurelius rehearsal like? Is it ever stressful?

Cary: Practice is always fun, we know what we need to work on and we’re all really dedicated to our instruments and making sure everything sounds great. There are always frustrating moments but we’re all friends and it never gets tense or stressful.

One of you came from Berklee, right? What about you and the other guys, what kind of background do you bring to the table?

Cary: Yeah, Max [Zigman, bass] spent some time at Berklee practicing bass up the ass. I’m mostly self taught. I never took formal lessons but I learned as much as I could from friends and other players I would play with, just lots of practice everyday. I know that Chase[Fraser, guitar] is the same way too. Max and Spencer [Edwards, drums] both were in highschool Jazz band together, but they got their chops up all by themselves. No one in the band ever had regular lessons.

How did the band hook up with Castle Ultimate Studios? Any of you got previous recording experience?

Cary: Josh had done some recording there in the past so he was familiar with Zack and had gone through the motions there a few times with other bands. Chase has worked with Zack while he was in Animosity as well. For the rest of us it was our first time doing a professional recording.

The album was recorded in 15 days. But then again, was the pre-production for “The Farthest Reaches” so somplete you got everythign down pat by the time you enterd the studio?

Cary: Most of the songs were written long before we went into the studio, a few of the tracks were songs I had written for a side project Chase and I were doing long before we were in Aurelius. We all wanted to make sure the material was done before we got to the recording, that way we could have time to rehearse it and make things go faster in the studio. Very little was written while we were in the process of recording, just a few things here and there.

It seems you guys came out of nowhere and are suddenly on everyone’s lips. You haven’t even got an album out and your Myspace is teeming with friends and a good label is already backing you guys. Can you try explaining why it’s coming together so fast for Sons of Aurelius?

Cary: I hope folks just dug on the music we were making and got excited. We tried to go all the way with what we did, from the music to the recording to the art and theme. We’re all passionate about it and it’s starting to pay off for us, which we are really lucky to have happening so quickly.

The guys over at Metalsucks have been rooting for you since last year. How does it feel to have such dedicated fans this early? When you learned about this, did you tell your parents?

Cary: We were all really stoked to read they’re articles about us. When I first heard that “Metalsucks” was talking about us I assumed the worst. It was a relief to find out that they dug our stuff. My folks have always been really supportive but I don’t think they would understand how cool it is for us, it’s death metal after all.

Be honest with me now, what kind of expectations did/do you have for “The Farthest Reaches”? Are you guys planning on stealing Lady Gaga’s fire?

Cary:Well we’re all hoping for the best. I believe extreme metal is getting more and more popular and it’s starting to become part of popular culture in subtle ways; just look at how popular Dethklok  is. I don’t think it will ever be anywhere close to hip hop or pop music in terms of popularity. That’s what makes it cool though, it’s what makes death metal fans so dedicated and supportive. We’ll take a handful of awesome metal fans over a million Lady Gaga fans any day.

The band already has a short video clip to its credit, “Mycordial Infraction.” What went on during the shoot that the rest of humanity might never have known?

Cary: What I remember most is how god damn cold it was in that warehouse. We shot really late into the morning and by the time we wrapped I wouldn’t be surprised if it was below freezing in there. At one point we all went to Mcdonald’s to get a midnight snack and I got pulled over. We told the cops we had to get back and shoot the rest of our video, they let us go but not before asking several times if we were stoned.

Is that the cover art of “The Farthest Reaches” I see on your profile in Good Fight Music’s website? Jesus Christ, it’s awesome! Who the hell did it? Concept, execution, everything…who? The one on your myspace is pretty attractive as well.

Cary: Both the Myspace and cover art was done by Joshua Belanger. Our vocalist Josh really ran with the cover idea of having Pandora opening the box and chaos spilling out. He has been in contact with all sorts great artists for a while and when he gets an art idea he is immediately on top of it. Joshua had a style we all really were digging on, and in a genre where covers are overly intricate and brutal we thought a more colorful and illustrated style would stand out. He really hit a home run on both of his pieces.

How far does each of you live from each other?

Cary: We all live in Santa Cruz within a couple miles of each other. To make things even more convenient we practice at our drummer Spencer’s house which is in between everyone. He’s got this insulated room he built in his garage that cancels out the noise so we can play all night without pissing off the neighbors.

When the five of you are having a serious disagreement, who yells “group hug!” and pulls everyone together?

Cary: We don’t have too many issues but I’m usually the guy trying to play referee. We’re all mellow guys so there’s never any fights, but we do have disagreements sometimes. Nothing that can’t be solved with a discussion and some beers.

I have a thousand more questions for you guys, but time constraints prevent me from asking them all. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this. I wish your album tons of success. Do you ever want to get rich off of playing death metal?

Cary: Well that would be nice, but no one plays death metal to make money. We just want to make the music we love and have fun. If success comes our way we will consider ourselves very lucky.

Death takes its chances when entering the rock n’ roll zone, allowing metallers Jukka Pihlajaniemi (JP) (vocals) and Jani Rapo (JR) (guitar) caught up with me recently via email to discuss the band’s lyrical meanings, how the band came to be, and everything else thrown in between. Just the fact that the band is the Ghoul Patrol makes this conversation that more interesting to get into.

1. How did the band come up with the name Ghoul Patrol, what does it symbolize?

JR: First, it sounded good and second, I wanted some old school horror movie/comics elements to the name. That’s about it.

2. Why do you feel Death Metal/Rock/Metal has become complicated?

JP: At least in Finland the situation is that there are simply too many bands – and the overall level/quality of bands is pretty high. Rock ‘n’ roll and metal are still going strong, but maybe due to the global economy problems labels are afraid of signing anything out of ordinary.

3. What is your best fan experience?

JP: The best experiences are definitely from Scotland. The most memorable is probably one guy who wanted us to sign his prosthetic leg.

JR: …Sure, and the human pyramid was quite fancy :)

JP: Scottish metalheads really do seem to know every trick in the book to entertain the band playing on stage!

4. What are your songs about? (What specific themes do they cover?)

JP: My lyrics are mostly about politics, human rights, religion – from my point of view. From this perspective the EPs don’t differ from each other that much. The main point in the lyrics is not to preach but to give people something to think about.

5. Do you write your own songs? (Discuss the songwriting process in detail.)

JR: I do all the songs by myself and some of the arrangements, Jukka does the lyrics and rests of the arrangements are done with the band. This method seems to work for us.

6. How much of the recording process was laid out before coming into the studio?

JP: We have a pretty good idea of the final result when we enter the studio. Of course we make some new adaptations or tweaks if you will on the fly.

7. What’s behind the title and artwork of your most recent release?

JP: ‘The 3rd Death Manifest’ is our third and final EP. We wanted to state it in the title. It marks the beginning of a new era. We had many different ideas for the cover art but we decided to go with the simple one this time – and it works. I and Jani are responsible for the cover art of Ghoul Patrol.

8. What is your opinion on the Uusimaa Finland music scene?

JP: Competition is insane. Tons of great bands, few labels, limited opportunities to get visibility in the media and way too few venues to play in.

9. Are you happy with the way the new album has turned out, or is there anything that you wish you could go back and change?

JP: There’s nothing I would change. We were very excited to work with Matias Kupiainen (Stratovarius) who recorded and produced the latest EP. You always have to analyze afterwards the songs/performances you’ve done and learn from it. We’re constantly developing and looking to the future.

JR: I think there’s no such thing as perfect and there are always some stupid little things you want to change afterwards but in “The 3rd Death Manifest” I’m quite pleased. Matias did a great job!

10. How much longer do you think you’ll have to wait before nailing that record deal?

JP: This seems to be a question in everyone’s mind. Really hard to say – when the economic situation is what it is. Labels are afraid to make even distribution or licensing deals.

11. What can we expect from Ghoul Patrol in 2010?

JP: Ghoul Patrol will start to record the debut full-length album. Also we’ll continue playing as many shows as we can – hopefully also abroad and overseas.

12. Where do you see the band say five (5) years from Now?

JP: The aim is of course to make Ghoul Patrol a household name among the metalheads. We’ll still continue making albums and playing shows for the best people on the planet.

13. What will be the next single released from your latest release? Is there a set amount of time to wait between the releasing of singles or does the band or the label decide on this?

JP: I don’t believe in singles. At least in Finland nobody really buys them and because we haven’t got a record deal we don’t release them. After we get a deal it will be up to the label whether to release them or not.

14. Anything else you’d like to add?

JR: Death ‘n’ Roll, All Night Long!

The Venetia Fair is a unique and fun band hailing from Boston, Massachusetts. Their songs are dancey and definitely original. To say the least they’re not another cookie cutter band, they’ve got their own killer style that is worth taking a listen to. With their recent release of The Circus and an east coast tour lined up, these boys are sure to grab your attention. Lucky for you, Silence Is Arson was able to get an interview lined up to chat about their new album and everything in between.

State your name and position in the band.
Benny Santoro. I sing the songs.

How did you guys all start out?
The first step was Mr. Chark and I starting a band in 6th grade before we owned or could play instruments. Then, as performing music often necessitates, we learned to play some instruments. When we got to high school, we met Sam Parsons and played in a few high school bands. Around this time, Joe slept with my girlfriend and we were introduced through her. I know…. Eventually, we graduated, started The Venetia Fair, wrote and recorded The Circus, signed to Red Blue Records and when our keyboardist and drummer left, I surprised the guys in the band by suggesting Joe. Chris found us through myspace and won our hearts by spinning his sticks while he played our songs.

What is the concept behind your new album The Circus?
The first half of our album (The Prelude) are individual, personal songs and are outside the concept and story that the last 6 songs (The Circus) discuss. So, that being said, the second half tells the story of a circus that performs day after day for no audience as a way represent the absurdity of human existence, performing for nobody and no reason in a ridiculous, often dangerous setting. All of the character’s names in the story are taken from myths that relate to whatever they represent so for people looking for more details, I’d recommend googling the names.

If you were to describe each band members, what would you label each of them?
Well, I was at this party once and someone asked me who was in my band. I had to point and tell him “the brown kid trying to steal that sign (Joe), the man with the mustache that attaches to the hair on his head (Sam), the dude who is completely naked placing his penis on top of that glass table (Mr. Chark), and the guy with the huge head with sunglasses, an LA Guns custom tank and his pants pulled up past his belly button who hasn’t said anything but ‘Hell yeah!’ over and over again all night” (Chris).

Out of all the songs, what is the most significant/meaningful to you?
The concept to the Circus is pretty significant to me because it outlines a lot of my thoughts and feelings on life in general but the lyrics in Because You’re Lonely are really personal and honest so that might mean the most to me as an individual song.

What is the message you’re trying to convey to your fans?
We’re not really trying to convey any sort of message, we’re just making songs we like and I write about whatever’s been on my mind. I use lyrics more for personal expression than to convey messages. The Circus concept has a message in there but I’m not looking to change any minds here, I could care less what other people believe in.

What’s your favorite band story?
Have you ever seen any of the Saw or Hostel movies? Well, one time, a couple of the boys met these girls at a bar who invited all of us to stay in this big warehouse that a local magician lived in. I slept in the van ’cause I was exhausted but in a couple hours, Chris woke me up in a panic telling me that the rest of the guys drank some weird drinks and were now nude in front of this magician’s caged bed in a room full of monitors. I called them and told them we were leaving but they didn’t want to leave. I had to lie and tell them the cops were here before they finally agreed to leave despite the magician’s insistence that “cops never come here!”. We got out alive but there’s no way to know what could’ve happened.

Where do you get most of the ideas for your songs?
Musically: Video games and musicals.
Lyrically: Whores and Circuses.

Do you have a favorite motto or life phrase?
Absolutely. “WWTCD?” (What Would The Crue Do?). Motley Crue’s a big inspiration to us for their dedication to the rock n’ roll lifestyle and their determination to put on the best live show the Sunset Strip’s ever seen.

What’s the next step for The Venetia Fair?
We’re heading out on tour at the end of January with Kiss Kiss and Trophy Scars on select dates. After that, we’ll be heading down to SXSW. We’ve also begun writing songs for the next album but we write really slow so who knows when that will be ready.

Any last words?
Watch our music video for The Ringleader! We shot it back in September on what felt like the hottest day of all time and we were all puking and wheezing after the first take so it’s a pretty crazy vid.

Drummer machine Paul Mazurkiewicz of death metallers Cannibal Corpse caught up with me while out at the band’s Hollywood stop on the current tour. To talk to me about the upcoming holiday season along with the good and the bad effects of the interviewing process and what the fans can expect from an overall Cannibal Corpse slaughter fest if not having already experienced one.

1. How was your Thanksgiving?

Paul: It was pretty uneventful but it was good. We had a day off after having 14 shows in a row. When out on the road I’m not with my family. So it was just another day but the fact that we had a day off was nice.

2. Looking forward to the remaining holiday season?

Paul: Of course we’ve been very busy while on this tour. We’re ending just before Christmas and everyone will be getting home in time for the holidays so they’ll be able to spend time with their family and loved ones so we’re all looking forward to that.

3. What do you hope to find underneath the Christmas tree come Christmas morning?

Paul: I don’t even know anymore to me I don’t want anything or need anything. I want to see my family, see my wife and daughter and can’t for that. That’s the most important thing to me.

4. What about your latest record, what can be said about it that hasn’t been covered?

Paul: I don’t know good question really. It’s a great record I think – we felt that we did good job on it. Eric doing the best he can to produce it. We’re happy it’s doing so well and we’re out on the road doing better than we ever have been so it’s a good feeling all around.

5. Out of all the members of Cannibal Corpse, who goes the longest without showering?

Paul:  (Laughs) Probably George, sometimes most of us it’s hard to do because you go and shower the night before a show and then have to go and shower again afterwards – so it’s like pointless. I think it would be a safe answer to say though that George is indeed the one that’s gone the longest without showering. There are going to be days where all of us play not showering and then some where we have showered. I would hope I’m somewhat clean so I would wait it out after a while before needing to shower so it happens.

6. What have been your best and worst interview/fan experiences?

Paul: Ya know I guess the interviews would be a hit and miss. The Most we do is being one of those a hit and some are like the ones where they don’t even know who you are. It seems like I have some knowledge of who I’m going to talk too. But those are the types are the ones that seem the most pointless. As for fans 99% of the fans are great and down to earth who just want to meet you and have a good time and then get some that don’t know when to keep their mouth shut. You got to take the good with the bad with the business we’re dealing with here.

7. You’ve toured with pretty much everybody, who do you prefer touring with the most?

Paul: We have toured with a lot of bands and befriended a lot as well. That is also a hard question to answer. We’ve toured with so many but as us being fans of music we full filled our dream of getting to tour with Slayer and watch them perform every night was awesome and we’d love to do that again.

8. What’s it like going back to being a support act after so many years as a headliner?

Paul: It’s a little different as well. We’ve done headlining since the beginning but at the same time we’re one of the biggest death metal bands around so we look at it expanding the fan base as much as possible. Like we are today this tour is a combination so we got more an eventful chance. We’re not use to doing this type of thing but we’ll do it whenever we can and make it work.

There are of course the main songs that we’d “have to” perform and then there are the ones that we can toss to the side that wouldn’t matter as much as the main ones do. If we didn’t perform such songs as “Hammer Smash Face”, then we’d be facing a problem. I don’t think I could go without playing that song either way.

9. Anything else you’d like to add?

Paul: Thanks for the support of death metal and Cannibal Corpse if it wasn’t for you guys we wouldn’t be here today so keep it brutal!

Dirge Within’s guitarist Shaun Glass caught up with me while out on the road on the band’s most recent stop out on the current tour this one being a fusion of Trivium’s bill and Hatebreed’s. Shaun spoke to me about the current touring route, which band he spends the most time, down to the pranks he’s pulled while goofing off behind the scenes. Aside from those side effects he also threw out details regarding the band’s current music video release, and album output on what the low down is revolving around this reality world of music.

1. What’s been the highlight so far of the Into the Mouth of Hell We Tour?

Shaun: The two tours were so near one another that the promoter’s decided to put them together into this big festival for the San Francisco and Los Angeles dates. But I think Los Angeles kicks ass better than San Francisco does which is rare.

2. Which band have you been hanging out with the most on this tour?

Shaun: Trivium, I ride a lot with them and hang with them. Cory, Matt, Paulo, and Nick are great friends of mine I just love those guys.

3. Is the economy affecting your tour attendance or merch sales? Is it impacting logistics or operation at all?

Shaun: Of course you see it. For the price we have to sell t-shirts they are 4 or 5 other bands you have to match it up with to keep it fair. So there are kids that have to miss out on buying shirts at times which sucks. Its reality so you just got to make the best of it I suppose.

4. What’s the best prank you’ve played on bandmates or other bands?

Shaun: Gabe of Whitechapel who I call Cartman we bought him an Eric Cartman drivers license and put it in his wallet that was hilarious.

5. I’m sure you get stories from fans about how your music impacts their lives. What’s one that really stands out?

Shaun: There was a girl in Hartford, Connecticut who said that our music helped her get through her illness. That’s always a very heartfelt to hear from our fans.

6.   Tell me about your latest video for “Forever the Martyr”.

Shaun: It was a long day of bombs and explosions, I think the director got a good vibe of the band and we’re known to be an aggressive type of band when performing live. I want to have fun and crush some skulls.

7. Why should the fans own a copy of “Force Fed Lies”?

Shaun: I think every song has a different vibe and has a good American metal and do our own thing.

8. Any last words?

Shaun: Thanks for having me, and keep supporting metal!

Brent Schindler of Gwen Stacy caught up with me via email to talk about the band’s latest release, A Dialogue along with the band’s upcoming plans and everything else in between.

1. Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Gwen Stacy and how long has the band been together?

Brent: My name is Brent. I am the bass player and I sing the clean vocals. TJ and I started the band almost 5 years ago.

2. Where’s the band from and what’s the music scene like there, any bands you’d recommend?

Brent: The band is from Indianapolis, IN. The music scene today is different than when we were coming up. I think it’s more of a punk hardcore scene now. There are a couple pop bands emerging as well. Check out My Hidden Track and Same As Sunday.

3. Is there any story or concept behind the title “A Dialogue”?

Brent: The concept is peopling in different situations ad their conversations with God. Think of it as getting to sit down with God and a cup of coffee.

4. With so many rock/metal/punk bands out there, what do you think makes Gwen Stacy stand out from the crowd?

Brent: I don’t know if anyone really stands out too much anymore, but I’d like to think that when we say we give a crap about the people that like our band we really do.

5. How has the switch been between Ferret Records onto Solid State Records?

Brent: It’s been good. I mean as cool as having to switch labels can be.

6. Do you think this label is your new home for good?

Brent: There is a definite chance, but life is crazy so you never know.

7. Do you consider you guys to be a Christian band? Do you feel affiliated in any way to this term?

Brent: We have been a Christian band since our inspection. I believe we still are, but that circumferences all stages of Christianity with the highs and lows.

8. What can one expect from a live Gwen Stacy show?

Brent: Hopefully some fun and music played decently well haha. I had a dude tell me we always give off positive vibes…so I guess some positive vibes.

9. Have any particular favorite songs that you like to play the most within your set list?

Brent: I really enjoy playing the new songs because they’re still new ha. But I honestly enjoy playing all the songs we play.

10. What would you like a listener to remember the mot after hearing “A Dialogue” all the way through for the first time?

Brent: I want them to walk away wanting to hear it again. At some point follow along with the lyrics and dive into the world we were writing from.

11. Have any plans for the remainder of this year, and what should we expect from you come next year?

Brent: We’re on a headliner right now and later this year after thanksgiving we’re doing another short run with our friends from Indianapolis, Amarna Reign. Next year is a blur. I’ve heard alot of things, but nothing solid enough to talk about.

12. Any final words of wisdom?

Brent: Drink milk, stay in school, don’t do drugs, and go buy our new CD and come to a show. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed in either.

Samuel Carter of Architects spoke to me recently via email discussing his becoming into the Architect’s family circle along with the band’s upcoming plans, latest release, and what you can expect when attending one of their live performances.

1. Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Architects and how long has the band been together?

Sam: My name is Samuel Carter and I sing for Architects, the band was formed in 2004 and I joined in last 06 early 07, when there old vocalist decided to leave the band .

2. Where’s the band from and what’s the music scene like there, any bands you’d recommend?

Sam: We live in Brighton, England and its amazing the scene isn’t as buzzing as it once was but there’s always shows on busy night life and something to do there’s still a few good bands from Brighton e.g. The Ghost of a Thousand, Brides, The Mire, Dead Swans.

3. Is there any story or concept behind the title “Hollow Crown”?

Sam: The concept behind Hollow Crown, was that we were all getting fed up with certain people/bands getting everything so easily – not really working for it, walking around with these false crowns! While we were and still are working as hard a possible and felt like we were getting nowhere, and the title got people to stand up and realize who we were and what we wanted to achieve! People to see a hard working real down to earth band!

4. With so many hardcore bands out there, what do you think makes Architects stand out from the crowd?

Sam: Were not so preachy pretentious hardcore band! We don’t shove our views down people throats, we play music we love there’s no egos no image we just want to play music we love.

5. What can briefly be said about your latest music video for “Follow The Water”?

Sam: Follow the water video was really fun! We decided to rent this venue that we used to play a bunch put on a show after and kids just went off! I mean they went instantly off such a fun day we had a really great time!

6. You’re currently touring around the U.K. as apart of the NEVER SAY DIE 2009 Tour, how is that run treating everybody.

Sam: Were actually in Canada right now, we start the UK next week we’re really excited to get back to the UK/Europe its gona be a lot of fun!

7. What can one expect from a live Architects show?

Sam: A lot of energy and fun! We always put on the best show we can! No matter how many people or how long we’ve been on tour.

8. Will the Architects be playing in the U.S. anytime soon.

Sam: We just got off a 6 week tour with etid/bmth but hopefully well be back soon, we had a lot of fun this time round so were pumped to get back.

9. What would you like a listener to remember the mot after hearing “hollow crown” all the way through for the first time?

Sam: I would like the listener to go back to the start and listen to the record again and again until they knew all the words and came to one of our shows.

10. Have any plans for the remainder of this year, and what should we expect from you come next year?

Sam: After the Never Say Die Tour we are going to take a bit of time off to write our new record, and just generally be at home and take some time to relax. But don’t you worry well be back in the New Year!

11. Any final words of wisdom?

Sam: Thank you for checking us out! Spread the word and tell all of your friends!

Hardcore pop punks front man Lars of FIVEOHfirst talked to me via email to answer some brief questions regarding how the band came to be, their musical influences, what there upcoming plans consist of along with everything else thrown in between to even it all out when it was all said and done.

1. What type of band are you?

Lars: All of us are really good friends so that makes working together musically easy because we are very open to criticism. We love to hang out and have fun and we would do anything for anyone that is a fan of our music.

2. Tell us the brief history of your band.

Lars: In high school we were all part of different bands and we were all in music classes together. In senior year we decided to start FIVEOHfirst in the Spring of 2006. Despite being at several different colleges across Illinois we’ve managed to keep writing new music playing shows. We’re looking forward to being done with school and continue to promote and extend our fan base.

3. Who are your musical and non-musical influences?

Lars: Our musical influences consist of New Found Glory, Fall Out Boy, Four Year Strong, A Day to Remember, Blink-182, All Time Low, Muse, The Devil Wears Prada, Haste The Day, Hit The Lights, Cartel, Ice Nine Kills, The Matches, You Me and Everyone We Know, UVERworld Non-musical influences: Our family and friends are our biggest influences. They’ve been there for us ever since we started and they have always been supportive.

4. What are your dreams and goals?

Lars: Our dreams and goals would that all of us agree that we would love to be able to tour full time and do nothing but FIVEOHfirst and make a living. We would also really like to get the opportunity to tour over seas in Europe and Japan in the near future.

5. Who writes the songs, what are they about?

Lars: Writing for us is a big group effort. it always starts with someone bringing an idea to everyone and we go from there.  We feel like our lyrics a lot of times will be about a very specific moment in our lives that has had a big affect on us. but we try and get across that emotion so that anyone who is listening can connect in some way.

6. How do you promote your band and shows?

Lars: We have been using myspace and facebook as a way to promote for shows but we’ve found its a lot more effective going to other bands shows and just talking to their friends and fans.

7. Describe your show, visual and musically.

Lars: Visually we try to put on a very energetic and intense live performance. We put all our energy into getting the crowd into the music as well as giving them something exciting to watch.

8. What’s your outlook on the record industry today?

Lars: We think that record labels still serve a very important purpose in the music industry and that there are alot of new ways to get exposure as a band out there and it’s just a matter of time till some takes advantage it.

9. Tell us a story about a day in your life.

Lars: A day for FIVEOHfirst starts in the afternoon with either some practice or writing. If we don’t have a show the party starts early. If we have a show we probably will start partying anyway except for Lars cause he will be running around trying to keep everyone from doing anything to out of control. Somewhere along the line Chris will yell a lot, Steve will get upset, and Adrian will try and drink anything and everything he sees, Rizzo will start making Jager Bombs, and Danny will just sit somewhere and look cute.

10. What inspires you to do what you do?

Lars: What inspires us the most is seeing other bands that are having fun doing what they love and people that enjoy and can relate to our music. Two other big influences that do not get the credit they deserve is food and partying.

11. What advice would you give to fellow bands?

Lars: Advice for fellow bands: Biggest thing is to be realistic. If you love what you’re doing and who you’re doing it with keep doing it. Never give up, never take yourselves to seriously, and never let anyone tell you that your wasting your time.

12. How does music affect you and the world around you?

Lars: We’ve all been involved in music our whole lives and it is a big part of who we have all become as individuals. Music is one of those things that is never perfect and can always change. One of the most exciting parts of playing together is being able to grow musically and really learn how to get a truly unique sound and that’s something that will take us a long time together.

13. What’s the best and worst thing about playing clubs/venues?

Lars: The best thing about playing a show is being able to get out in front of people and make new friends. Of course there’s always the possibility that the stage and sound setup will not be what you expected, but most of the time the positive’s take out the negatives. Oh yea! and drink specials rock!

14. Tell us about your next shows and why we should be there.

Lars: Our next show is going to be the November 28th the weekend after thanksgiving in Carol Stream, IL. People should come because it is going to be our first show in our hometown since the summer and we will be playing a couple new songs.

15. Any last words?

Lars: We are FIVEOHfirst. We are addicted to Mexican food, we like tiger woods gold, we like to party, we like to play music, and we love meeting new people. Check us out on itunes. If you like it? Tell your friends.