Interview with Aechoes!

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Genre(s): Progressive Hardcore
Location: Las Vegas, NV

PSAB: Why did you choose the name "Aechoes" for your band?

AECH: We wanted to create a name that meant something but wasn't obvious or literal. We didn't want a single word that was a pluralized noun because we saw that it was going to be an upcoming trend and didn't want to get pigeonholed into a particular genre. We came up with it in 2010 before the huge wave of "nouns" bands. As you see we didn't stick to our original plan.  

PSAB: How was the feedback when you released The Human Condition? Are you still receiving feedback now?

AECH: We originally wrote the album at the end of 2010, and recorded it a couple months later at the beginning of 2011. We immediately released some album samples and a single. Those samples gained a lot of attention in a short period of time. Unfortunately while we were shopping for a label and finalizing contracts the album got pushed back for over a year. It was finally release in 2012. It still gained a decent following but we felt the album was outdated because of the long delay.     

PSAB: If you could share the stage with any band ever, which band would that be?

AECH: Fortunately we have shared the stage with dozens of bands we listen and look up. It's pretty awesome that we call a lot of these bands our friends. It's really hard to pick just one band. A huge touring festival show would be our ideal stage to share. If we got to play with hologram Tupac that would be pretty sweet too.   

PSAB: What is the local metal scene like in Las Vegas, NV?

AECH: Unfortunately it's not what it use to be. Venues open and close several times a year do to a number of reasons. The city of Las Vegas (government) is not very supportive of venues and small businesses. Also the metal music community isn't very supportive. Bands have a competitive attitude vs a supportive attitude. On tour we have learned Vegas isn't the best scene but it certainly isn't the worst. Hopefully we can lead by example by continuing to have a positive attitude, and a supportive mindset.      

PSAB: What play the most influence on your music? This can be non-music related.

AECH: All the bands we play with and listen to influence and inspire us greatly. We hate to give a cliche answer but our passion for music influences us the most. We hope that our music will enlighten people, or at least make someone's day better.  

PSAB: Do you have any shout outs to give to your fans and the readers out there?

AECH: There are so many fans and friends out there that give us a lot of support so it's hard to name names without someone feeling left out. So, sorry if you feel left out! Here's a few of our biggest supporters; Kyle Young from Las Vegas, Matt "Trousers" from Ballarat, Australia, and Corey Bennett from the band Bermuda. Like we said there are so many more people we are thankful for and we will thank you in person the next time we see you!!!!!!

Interview with Cloudshift!

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Genre(s): Progressive Metalcore/Deathcore

Location: Nederland, Texas

PSAB: Where did the band name “Cloudshift” come from exactly?

CS: The name CloudShift came from an idea that was formed by founding member Josh Bandsma, that "We like to shift clouds and the clouds like it too." He is an expert in "Cloud Linguistics" and says he, "listened to the clouds." Members Stephen Weaver and Jacob "Earl" Harrell firmly agreed on the name.

PSAB: When can we expect your album Enthullung Der Weg to release?

CS: You can expect Enthüllung der Weg, to be released at the beginning of the Summer this year, as well as our new single "Rancor" on April, 20th.

PSAB: You're currently unsigned, if you could be signed to any record label, which label would that be and why?

CS: Any label that puts out good music that isn't a product designed by those outside of the band, is a record label worth signing under.

PSAB: What is the local metal scene like in Nederland, TX?

CS: SETX holds a growing breed of amazing musicians producing a sound that be found only in the area. The level of competency and musical dedication this area holds is at a level unseen my most of the nation's eye.

PSAB: Which bands play the most influence on your music?

CS: Such bands as Born Of Osiris, Periphery, Vildhjarta, Veil Of Maya, The Contortionist, and Knuckle Sandwich play a huge role when it comes to our influences as a band as well as individuals.

PSAB: Do you have any shout outs to give to your fans?

CS: Shouts out to Adam Fontenet, Jose Campos, Jarrod Talbot, Peter Smith, Caleb Hyatt, CoreToTheCore, Youth Decay Creations, and everyone whos ever been out to support us.

Interview with Sykosis!

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Genre(s): Groove/Experimental/Hardcore

Location: Ashtabula, OH

PSAB: Why did you choose the name "Sykosis" for your band?

SYK: The reason we chose the name Sykosis is because just about every one of us have been in the nut house at some point in our life and it just seemed fitting, we saw the name on CSI television show and found out what it meant and it clicked with us that it was the right name for us and what we we're going for as a band.. we're crazy.. have you seen us live?? 

PSAB: How was the feedback when you released The Act of Vengeance? Are you still receiving feedback now?

SYK: The feedback has been phenomenal .. the album has been very well received from fans and critics alike, we have the best fans in the world and we have to thank all of them for the support all the way to California to Texas to Arkansas etc. !! We have received great reviews, some bands say they are putting out their heaviest record.. but we actually did .. we went as heavy as we possibly could on "The Act Of Vengeance" .. the album is still spreading and going to places we have never thought possible!!

PSAB: You're currently signed to Ferocious Records. How has the experience been being signed to them?

SYK: It has been great to say the least .. We would have never had these opportunities we have now if not getting signed to Ferocious Records.. With our album being packages and wrapped and distributed and recording at the amazing studio we got to record it at .. a big thank you to Dylann at Ferocious for all he has done for us!!! 

PSAB: What is the local metal scene like in Ashtabula?

SYK: Its booming and always has been.. Ashtabula County has always had a great metal scene full of pissed of motherfuckers.. with past metal bands such as : Profound Anger - Acid Porno - Mosquioto Bitten Bastards - Eclipse - Konipshun Phit - Falling Astray - Devolution - Deviate - P.R.S. - All Dead and now theres bands in the Ashtabula Metal Scene like us SYKOSIS and Chaos In The Sky - Cherry Poppins etc. its a pretty cool fucking scene to be apart of and its unique .. we want to give a huge shout out to P.J. at The Cove in Geneva and to his staff as well because its pretty much the only place in Ashtabula where we can play metal and get away with it! 

PSAB: What bands did you listen to growing up, and do those bands play an influence on your music?

SYK: There's 7 band members in our band and we all love metal and other genres too .. there are a lot of bands that have influenced us all throughout the years to make the music we all have come to create in Sykosis today! 

PSAB: Do you have any shout outs to give to the readers?

SYK: We would like to thank everyone who supports us in anyway from coast to coast and overseas .. keep spreading the word because its working!! To all of our friends in Arkansas for the support .. you've made it our 2nd home!! Also we'd like to thank Dylann at Ferocious Records for always supporting us!! Last but not least a huge thank you to all of our girlfriends and close friends who have always supported us in any way they could!!!

Interview with Roads To Nowhere!

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Genre(s): Metalcore

Location: Chippenham, England

PSAB: Where did the band name “Roads To Nowhere" come from exactly?

RTN: An old vocalist came up with it randomly and the name stuck! We started out at a time where every band name involved heaven, hell or some kind of blood and guts and we wanted to stay away from that, "Roads to Nowhere" got suggested and stuck!

PSAB: How was the feedback when you released your EP Dead World? Also, when is the music video coming out?

RNT: Critically, we got a great response from Dead World, and it never got a bad review, we got a really good reception from it, it was the first decent release we had and it helped with getting gigs and spreading our name around. It was our first proper release and has given us a lot to think about going forward! Our upcoming music video is for a single that will be on the next album called "Beneath" and is being shot on the 26th April! No fixed release date yet but we'll be sure to let you know!

PSAB: You're currently unsigned, if you could be signed to any record label, which label would that be and why?

RNT: This one was a question where each of us gave quite different answers! Sumerian, Metal Blade, Artery Recordings, Epitaph, Roadrunner and Nuclear Blast were all mentioned, amongst others!

PSAB: What is the local metal scene like in Chippenham?

RNT: Chippenham is only a very small town so the scene is fairly limited, though if you go back a few years there were some great DIY shows where 50 odd people would cram into a tiny hall to see bands. We are very lucky in that Chippenham has great transport links and as a result we are very involved in the Bristol music scene which is currently thriving!

PSAB: Which bands play the most influence on your music?

RNT: As a band we have a huge range of influences and the music we listen to in the Van will range from Meshuggah to James Brown with near enough everything in between. Upon a Burning Body (Who we were lucky enough support) Suicide Silence, Chelsea Grin, Parkway Drive and Thy Art is Murder are all huge influences though!

PSAB: Do you have any shout outs to give to your fans?

RTN: Thank you to everyone in the Roads family (you know who you are!) for the support and helping us continue to do what we love doing!

Interview with Intraneum!

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Genre(s): Melodic/Technical Deathcore
Location: Trójmiasto, Poland

PSAB: Where did the band name “Intraneum" come from?

ITN: Intraneum in Latin means something inseparable. Our guitarist also liked that name because it reminded him of Periphery's song Extraneous.

PSAB: How has the feedback for the release of your album Perfection?

ITN: We're surprised because the feedback has been very, very good so far. People especially complimented the sound and guitars, some asked if we were planning to release a physical version of our EP. 

PSAB: One of your songs from your new album were actually not your own, but of a deathcore act named Jet Black Promise. This was something your band member's did and lied about. What was done to the particular band member, and what have you done to fix the situation?

ITN: Huh,turned out that he stole not only this song but our single from the period when our name was Until Death Do Us Part was stolen from JBP as well! It was actually our ex-member, who left the band without any word in November, when we started changing our style. We were really surprised, he hasn't given any reason so far. He doesn't answer our calls or messages, generally behaves like a total coward. We're planning to charge him for the time we wasted recording the song, but as mentioned before, he's just hiding, probably hoping that we'll forget about all this mess.

We immediately released an official statement that we had no idea the song was stolen (we were really surprised as we haven't heard about Jet Black Promise before), we're now thinking what we should do with the EP posted on YouTube, as it contains a song that's not ours.

PSAB: What is the local metal scene like in Trójmiasto?

ITN: With a few exceptions it's pretty much dominated by thrash and heavy metal bands. Most of people here enjoy old-school kind of music, so it's hard for us to find bands to play with. It's rather hard to make any money from concerts but lots of people attend, so it's rewarding. When we visited Krakow our playing style was nothing special - the city is a Mecca for core fans, there are hardly any bands playing other genre. 

PSAB: Which bands did you listen to growing up, and do those bands play an influence on your music?

ITN: We're influenced by Veil of Maya, Dawn of Dementia, Periphery, TesseracT and a bit of Meshuggah, Reflections and After The Burial. Our vocalist was a huge fan of deathcore bands like As Blood Runs Black and As I Lay Dying which you can hear in the way he growls and screams. Most of the music our bassist and guitarist listened to growing up was mentioned in influences, you could also add Megadeth and Queens of The Stone Age for guitarist and Necrophagist and Blotted Science for bassist.

PSAB: Do you have any shout outs to give to your fans, and the readers out there??

ITN: We'd like to thank anyone who digs our music and especially a few fans who spent lots of time sharing our music and promoting the band, we'll definitely reward you. To people who haven't - please check our (minus Seven,it's Jet Black Promise's) music, intraneum.bandcamp.com is where you can download the EP for free from. We'd really appreciate any opinion

Interview with Fraktions!

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Genre(s): Progressive Metalcore

Location: Southampton, UK

PSAB: Why did you choose the name "Fraktions" for your band?

FT: When we started out about a year and a half ago, we used to be called 'Talllon' but the 3 'l's caused a lot of confusion with the pronunciation so we decided to change it. After a lot of brainstorming we agreed to rename ourselves FRAKTIONS to fit the increasingly technical material we are currently working on. It also ticks the one word plural box which we like the sound of.

PSAB: How was the feedback for your moderately new EP Momentum?

FT: It's been really positive. After slaving over it for months we're delighted with the final product, especially the production. It was produced by Richard Gibson who did a fantastic job considering the small time frame we gave him. We're waiting on a couple of reviews at the moment so keep an eye out for them.

PSAB: If you had the choice to sign to any label, which label would that be and why?

FT: That's a tough one! I guess Basick Records because they have a stunningly progressive roster and we'd love to be on a British Metal label that really values musicianship, creativity and groove. The idea of playing gigs with bands like Skyharbor, Uneven Structure and No Consequence tingles our djentacles! To sign to Sumerian Records or Subliminal Groove Records would also be awesome.

PSAB: How is the local metal scene in Southampton, UK?

FT: It's pretty good for a the size of the city. Advanced Promotions always seem to pull big metal acts to Southampton. Recently we've had lots of successful modern metal acts such as Thy Art Is Murder, Heart of a Coward, Architects, Northlane and Stray From The Path all play here. Born of Osiris are coming to Southampton soon as well. There's a few venues that are happy to put on metal nights every now and again such as Joiners, Talking Heads and Avondale House. Last year we were able to support Circles (Basick Records) on the album release show of their UK tour in Southampton which was incredible. However generally speaking, it is tough to get noticed and on some of the bigger bills with the internationally touring metal bands unless you have management or a label.

PSAB: Which bands play the most influence on your music?

FT: When I created the band, my main aim was to combine the impact of techy metalcore riffs with progressive elements and the djent riffing style. So basically a fusion of August Burns Red, Misery Signals and Architects with bands like Periphery, Monuments and TesseracT with a hint of the ambient alternative metal of Deftones. Another huge influence on my writing style are Between the Buried and Me. The way they effortlessly switch genres is something I wanted to incorporate into our music. We have a cheeky jazzy/swing section in the middle of our song 'Parachutes Are Overrated' which is inspired by BTBAM's 'Prequel to the Sequel' off 'Colors'. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn5xKJFl7NE (5:15)

PSAB: Do you have any shout outs to give to the readers out there?

FT: I'd like to give a shout out to our friends in 'A Formal Horse' and 'Ariyah' two awesome bands who supported us at our EP launch gig on the 23rd Feb. I'd also like to thank everyone that's supported us so far and especially to those people who have bought an EP! To anyone who hasn't heard of us before if you like the sound of it you can listen to our EP for free here: http://fraktions.bandcamp.com/ Cheers for the interview Micah.

Interview with Pangaea!

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Genre(s): Progressive Metalcore

Location: Wisconsin

PSAB: What does the band name "Pangaea" mean exactly?

PG: Pangaea is the supercontinent that formed around 300 million years ago. All of the continents today were once all connected as one giant land mass. Due to continental drift we have the continents in their current locations. The name Pangaea is derived from Ancient Greek with PAN meaning “entire”, and GAIA meaning “Mother Earth.”

PSAB: How has the feedback been for your recently released EP Unified?

PG: The feedback so far has been overwhelmingly positive. We are humbled by all of the kind words we have received so far from people who have downloaded Unified and from those who have seen us live.

PSAB: If you could share the stage with any band, which band would it be and why?

PG: Between the Buried and Me. It would be a huge honor since they've been playing for so many years in a style that is truly their own. They have never conformed or stopped creating music that is meaningful to them.

PSAB: What are your plans for this upcoming summer? Tour? Record?

PG: We have a couple of tours in the works for this spring/summer. We are heading to the east coast with our Wisconsin brothers in Ocellus in May. Keep an eye open on our Facebook page for the tour dates. No plans to record at the moment with Unified just coming out but we are always writing new music.

PSAB: Which bands play the most influence on your music?

PG: The Contortionist, Sikth, Veil of Maya, Mastodon, and Between the Buried and Me to name a few.

PSAB: Do you have any shout outs to give to the readers out there?

PG: We would just like to thank everyone who has taken the time to listen to our music, see us play live, read this interview, and picked up merch. Some people have even sent donations while downloading our EP (which is free on our Bandcamp). We can’t thank them enough for that. Also, all of the bands we’ve had the chance to share the stage with have been awesome. No egos, no BS, just local bands that support each other. We definitely want to give our dudes in Ocellus a shout out for taking us on the road this May! And thank you, Micah, for supporting us and doing this interview!

Interview with Apex!

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Genre(s): Deathcore
Location: Cincinnati, OH

PSAB: Why did you choose the name "Apex" for your band?  

Apex: The name Apex comes from the phrase "Apex Predator". An apex predator has few to no predators of their own and they reside at the top of their food chain. I personally thought that was as a strong a name as we could get

PSAB: You released your debut single "Mortifier" back in February of 2014. How was the feedback for the single then and are you still receiving feedback now?  

Apex: The feedback has been amazing. Better than we ever could've expected for a first single from a new band. Also, yeah we keep getting kids liking our page almost everyday and the views on the video continue to climb. It's weird and amazing at the same time. I can't wait to see what happens when we release more music.  

PSAB: As of this interview, you're currently not signed to any label. If you had the choice of any label to be signed to, which label would that be and why?  

Apex: I honestly don't think we're all too concerned about getting signed. If I personally had to pick, I'd say Sumerian or Epitaph. I think some of the artists on those labels and the way they are ran are amazing.  

PSAB: How is the local metal scene in Cincinnati, OH?  

Apex: It's a great place to be to play metal. There are some amazing bands around here to share the stage with and the kids here come out to every show and they go hard as fuck. The bands support each other and everyone gets excited on everyone's music. You can't ask for much more. We wanna see what the scene is like in other places though.  

PSAB: What one band has played the most influence on your music? 

Apex: Honestly I don't think we've sit down and been like "make that part like" or anything. The entire writing process has been "let's be different and let's be heavy". But if I had to pick on mutual influence throughout the whole band, it's be The Tony Danza Tap Dance Extravaganza.  

PSAB: Do you have any shout outs to give to your fans?  

Apex: To anyone who has taken the time of day to like our page, listen to Mortifier, share it, download it, tell a friend about it, anything. Thank you so much. We have BIG things coming in the near future. The new music kicks Mortifier in the ass and we'll have a few announcements you'll wanna hear. Stick around, and again... Thank you.

Interview with Bow Messiah!

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Genre(s): Deathcore/Death Metal

Location: Woodend, Christchurch

PSAB: Where does the band name "Bow Messiah" come from?

BM: The name originated through religious beliefs that we should bow to a martyr or god to be saved from damnation, in reality we are all equals so no one should bow to a false god that is a myth, it basically means “messiah bow to the common man”

PSAB: You've been around since 2007. What do you think has changed the most within the metal scene in the last seven years?

BM: There definitely seems like there's a lot more bands out there these days, whether it is the ease of the internet and global exposure, and with the technology at hand for bands they can make demos very easily, it's a struggle to keep up with the amount of new music and bands on the scene

PSAB: How is the local metal scene in Woodend, Christchurch?

BM: The metal scene is Christchurch is on the comeback, We have some amazing local bands here that we regularly gig with and top dudes that all help each other out with support slots, backline etc, the last few years have been tough for bands as the earthquakes devastated most of the top venues, so there was a period where bands were relocating to different towns/countries or calling it quits, we struggled for a while to secure venues that support our genre but in the last 12 months the venues have been rebuilding and getting back up and running and the scene is alive again with some great venues hosting some killer bands

PSAB: You're currently unsigned as of this interview. If you could be signed to any record label, which label would that be and why?

BM: Nuclear Blast or Local NZ label Deadboy Records as they would suit us really well and both seem like great companies to work for

PSAB: What bands did you listen to growing up, and do those bands play an influence on your music now?

BM: We have all had different influences growing up from Black Sabbath to Cannibal Corpse and everything in between, We have gone through various stages since the beginning of the band, and we tend to write according to the type of music we are listening to at the time, At the start we were big into Lamb of God, Slayer, Pantera, the more traditional types of metal, as the band progressed we started tweaking our genre much influenced by what we are listening to now, the likes of Carnifex, Suffocation, Thy Art Is Murder, I Declare War, Behemoth and changing tuning's along the way, we went from a drop D 6 string guitar tuning to C then down to a 7 string drop A tuning making things a lot heavier and broader than we anticipated at the beginning

PSAB: Do you have any shout outs to give to your fans, and the readers?

BM: We are extremely grate full to those who support us, there have been some hard times that the band has pulled through not knowing if things would work out but after the national tour and the release of the "Maggots" EP, things have really picked up, we now have a game plan and are motivated to bring fresh ideas to the table, it’s great hearing positive comments from local and international fans alike, we just try to make tunes that we would listen to ourselves and if people dig them that’s a major bonus, We are now working on the debut full length and some other ideas we have not tried yet so hopefully the snowball will keep growing

Interview with In Dying Moments!

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Genre(s): Symphonic Deathcore

Location: Shumen, Bulgaria

PSAB: Does your band name "In Dying Moments" hold any important significance to any of the band members?

IDM: Not actually, we were with another name that just didn't fit and we came up with the idea "In Dying Moments" because most of our lyrics are based on betrayal, suffering and disrespect.   

PSAB: Your new album Through The Reality is set to release sometime this year. When can expect the album to drop?

IDM: Hopefully we will be able to release it in April, but for now there is no official date yet.    

PSAB: You're currently in search of a label to release the album through. Do you have any labels in mind you would like it to release through?

IDM: Well that's a really interesting question! Every bands dream is to sign with a major label, but you gotta take a long trip till you get there, so all we are searching for now is a good independent label.

PSAB: What is the local metal scene like in Shumen, Bulgaria?

IDM: It's very weak, there are not much bands in here and its very difficult to get out, but we are doing our best and that's why we are the most succesfull band in here.

PSAB: If you could have any musician as a guest musician on a track, which musician would that be?

IDM: Oh, that is definitely hard to answer. They're too much, but maybe No.1 is Aaron Matts (Betraying The Martyrs)

PSAB: Do you have any shout outs to give to your fans?

IDM: Get stoked! Follow us on every social media network, search for news about the release of the new album and STAY SAFE. We love you all!

Interview with Abandoned World!

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Genre(s): Deathcore/Metalcore
Location: Stockholm

PSAB: Where does the band name "Abandoned World" come from?

AW: At first Abandoned World was just a project name for the band. It was our former singer who came up with it and we decided to use it until we could come up with something better. But in the end we fell for the name because of it's different meanings for us in the band and our fans.

PSAB: When can we expect to hear new music from your band?

AW: We are going to release a new song in a few weeks and then hopefully will we have a new EP out in the end of April!

PSAB: What is the local metal scene like in Stockholm, Sweden?

AW: The local metal scene here in Stockholm is pretty rough for a "core" band like us. The only music that swedes likes here is Iron Maiden and Metallica. But the amount of smaller stages and such are very easy to find in Stockholm!

PSAB: If you could be signed to any record label, which label would that be and why?

AW: We all have our different taste of music and labels in the band so thats a very hard question. In the end I think the choice would stand between Roadrunner, Metalblade or Sumerian records!

PSAB: Do you have any shout outs to give to your fans?

AW: Keep on spreading the word about the band and its music! A new song will soon be released along with some awesome news for our foreign fans in Europe!

Interview with Beneath The Void!

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Genre(s): Melodic Deathcore

Location: Warwick, New York

PSAB: Why did you choose the band name "Beneath The Void" for your band?

BTV: The band name was chosen to give people a name that they could take in any way they pleased whether it was a big empty space or a vault filled with your dreams, purities, fears, emotions, flaws, fantasies, imagination or really anything you can think the "Void" is. With the name being "Beneath The Void" I feel it could be a neutral zone between earth and space or beyond that. The concept for me is just my strong imagination. There's no wrong definition in our minds.

PSAB: You recently released your debut self-titled EP. How was the feedback when it released?

BTV: Well for what it is i suppose not so bad. I mean for most of the band this was our first release period so its definitely our "guinea pig" EP or demo so to speak. It gave us a great perspective as to what people thought of us and the fine line between what the majority of listeners are looking for and just what we wanna play. I think in our next release it will show we have a better fine balance of the two now. Whats really interesting is the most/best feedback we have recieved was from The U.K or even australia rather than the U.S which to me is amazing.

PSAB: If you could be signed to any record label, which label would that be and why? 

 

BTV: Metal blade or Sumerian because they have a lot of our favorite bands on the label and from what I can see both labels are growing and doing well. We wouldn't mind being on the same lineup as many of our favorites though it would be intimidating.

PSAB: How is the metal scene in Warwick, New York? 

 

BTV: Currently very desolate this genre of music is a rarity to be heard or mentioned in this town and i think we are the only active metal band in Warwick. Now talking 6 or years ago? It was pretty sweet for a small town. Luckily Jersey is very close haha.

PSAB: What one band has played the most influence on your music?

BTV: Far too many to name because so many have had a heavy influence on us.

PSAB: Do you have any shout outs to give to your fans, and the readers out there?

BTV: Hell yeah to all who have taken the time to check us out and listen to our music especially those who come out to see us perform live! Big thanks to a venue called "Sounds Asylum" out of middletown New York go check

Interview with The Abydos Shelter!

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Genre(s): Progressive Deathcore

Location: Rostock, Germany

PSAB: Where did the band name “The Abydos Shelter” come from exactly?

TAS: When we formed the band back in 2010 we were looking for a name which sounded interesting or „exotic“. During that time, bands like Born Of Osiris or Veil Of Maya got bigger in Germany...so they have probably been an inspiration. Our Vocalist Björn (who also plays guitar in Acranius) actually came up with Abydos. Abydos was one of ancient Egypt's oldest cities with many temples and a royal necropolis were pharaohs have been entombed. So to be honest there is no meaning behind the name. It just sounded cool to us and you know...it´s just a name.

PSAB: How was the feedback when you released Neophobia? Are you still receiving feedback now?

TAS: The feedback we got for our debut EP Neophobia was consistently positive. I think we got like 150 or 200 new fans on Facebook which for us was quite a lot. But compared to other newcomer bands in Germany it´s not that much. It´s just hard to call peoples attention to new music because there are so many bands out there. But people who listened to our music on bandcamp or youtube liked it. We worked for quite a long time on that record because during the process 2 members have left the band. Also quite a lot people thought that we´ve recorded the EP at a studio. That feels awesome because everything was recorded by ourselves and mixed and mastered by our guitarist Pat in his small apartment. Now, more than 2 months after the release of Neophobia we just rarely get feedback. Time to get out there and play shows.

PSAB: You're currently unsigned, if you could be signed to any record label, which label would that be and why?

TAS: Interesting question. The most famos „djent“ or progressive bands are definitely signed with Sumerian Records or Basic Records. But to be honest it would awesome just to get signed with any label which cares about the bands and help them to get shows. So actually there is not really a fist choice.

PSAB: What is the local metal scene like in Rostock, Germany?

TAS: 5 years ago the scene in Mecklenburg-Westpommerania (the part of Germany we come from) was quite good. There are only a few bigger cities in that federal state of Germany but people regularly have organized shows. During that time we all have met for the first time. Our bassist Paul played for „Your Birth Your Burial“, Björn was the vocalist of „Traumatic Defilement“, Konstantin played guitar for „We Once Were Poets“ and Pat played for „See Your Princess Pass Away“. I would say that all of the bands have been kind of driven by the deathcore hype at that time. Haha. But to get back to the original question: the metal scene nowadays isn´t that big anymore. Unfortunately there are by far not as much shows as they used to be. We try to get shows in other parts of Germany which turned out to be rather tough.

PSAB: Which bands play the most influence on your music?

TAS: Boring but true: Meshuggah was and still is one of the biggest influences. We all enjoy different stuff. Björn for example is really into death metal and slam. Pat likes besides Metal music like Deftones, Boards of Canada or Portishead. Konstantin is a big fan of Tool. So we get influenced by a varied range of music. Raphael and Paul haven´t been involved in the song writing for Neophobia but we´re looking forward to writing new material with both of them.

PSAB: Do you have any shout outs to give to your fans?

TAS: We want to thank everybody who listens to our music and who helps us to spread it, because thats the only way to play shows. We haven´t played many shows in the past and we´ve never played a show with the new line-up yet. Hopefully this will chance soon. And we want to thank the guys from pig squeals and breakdowns who shared our music on Facebook and on their blog. Also we´re very honored to make our first interview with you.

Interview with Awaken The Insanity!

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Genre(s): Metalcore

Location: Chesapeake, Ohio

PSAB: Why did you choose the name "Awaken To Insanity" for your band?

ATI: Our band name "awaken to insanity" it came from an ex member of the band. We picked this name because there's a little bit of hell in all our life's. You know never know what crazy thing is gonna hit you from one day to the next.

PSAB: Your general manager is Nicholous Thomas. How is the experience with him managing your band?

ATI: Nich was a great manager when he was managing us. We ran out of money and no longer have the money to pay for his services. Nich is no longer our manager. Sorry for the mix up.

PSAB: How the metal scene in Chesapeake, Ohio?

ATI: The scene in Chesapeake, OH it's damaged but slowly fixing itself and now we've been blessed to have so many wonderful people with us to play with. Shoutouts to Goodbye Utah Ohio on Hi and Await The Skyline for being such great friends!

PSAB: If you could share the stage with any band, ever, which band would that be and why?

ATI: If we could share the stage with any band we'd like to share it with Chelsea grin or pierce the veil both are great bands and we'd love to play with them.

PSAB: What plays an influence on your music? This can be non-music related.

ATI: The thing that influences our music are bad things in the world we are constantly all about helping our fans through anything and everything. Our EP "I'm in love with the end of my road" Is more centered around self harm and depression and helping our fans out of a dark place

PSAB: Do you have any shout outs to give to the readers?

ATI: Shout outs? Sure. Thanks to 1000+ that are out there. Thanks to our parents who have spent countless hours putting up with our crap. (Practices, driving, and buying our Merch). We are more than blessed to have all of our fans. Special thanks to Jesse wall of rogue recording studio for putting out our first track titled "you are not alone" and even bigger thanks to Joey Geneseo who is currently recording "I'm in love with the end of my road" 

Interview with Alienchrist!

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Genre(s): Progressive Daethcore

Location: Seville, Spain

PSAB: Where did the band name “Alienchrist” come from exactly?

AC: One night we were composing in an abandoned house. This abandoned house is well known for paranormal activity and I always go there to chill. As we fooled around with my Ouija board (I have teased the Ouija since my early years), we decided to ask what we should call our new band. Some entity then said 1-1-2-9-5-1-4-C-H-R-I-S-T. We were astonished, as we did not understand the numerical meaning (besides the word Christ). It took us a while to understand that the numerical message we were given meant ALIEN. That’s how we came across our band name. 

PSAB: How was the feedback when you released Extraterrestrial Biological Entity? Are you still receiving feedback now?

AC: We expected nothing from it therefore it was better then expected. 
Mind you, the recording budget were really tight and we still came up with some great songs. Actually, more people talk about us then we expected. I thought, because we are kind of unknown, that not a lot of people would notice but I'm surprised how much people actually talk about us now. Extraterrestrial Biological Entity is the first track we released and we received a lot of mixed emotions and that is exactly what we needed to progress. We will be releasing two more tracks very soon and expect to create a lot of controversy.

PSAB: You're currently unsigned, if you could be signed to any record label, which label would that be and why?

AC: Yes, we are currently unsigned and to be honest we feel that there’s no record label in Spain ready to match our requirements. Most management labels will rip you off in the blink of an eye. Whereby many musicians get so focused on being "signed" to a label, that they never step back and question if that's even necessary. In fact, they seem to think that "unsigned" has a stigma attached to it as if they feel they're somehow inferior. These days, there are so many ways that independent musicians can do things, that not every artist needs a label and "getting signed" doesn't need to be the primary goal.

PSAB: What is the local metal scene like in Seville, Spain?

AC: There’s actually a lot wrong with the Seville metal music scene. As for what I’ve seen lately, local bands aren’t offering much in terms of diversity, and they’re over-saturating the markets to the point where it’s the same band at the same venue a couple times a month. As for the fans, it just seems like many would rather just sit behind their computers than support any local bands because metal bands in Seville don’t seem to progress or innovate. The common genre for the vast majority of the bands got stuck somewhere around de 90’s so...when diversity goes, you end up with a very significant decrease in attendance!

PSAB: Which bands play the most influence on your music?

AC: It really depends on the individual as we all come from very different backgrounds and have quite different tastes to music. I think that’s what makes us create what we create. I would say that bands like Oceano, Demolisher, Born Of Osiris, Infant Annihilator, Black Tongue, I Declare War, Condemned, Aversions Crown, Science Of Sleep, Chamber Of Malice, Thy Art Is Murder,
Make Them Suffer, Chelsea Grin play a major influence on me.

PSAB: Do you have any shout outs to give to your fans?

AC: I just want to thank those who appreciate and believe in our work and I hope to meet them on our live shows and share some moments together. Always stay true to yourselves and follow what you believe in.

Interview with Far'n'Hate!

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Genre(s): Metalcore

Location: Girona, Spain

 

PSAB: Where did you choose the name "Far'n'Hate' for your band?

FNH: Well, almost all the bands in the world start the project practicing a lot and then comes the day when the first concert is almost there and you start with the band mates: “dudes we need to find a name” haha and then is when the first 100 names are a big shit or one member didn’t like it, or all the “cliche” things come…till one member says something that everybody loves …and the thing is that one of us said: “fahrenheit” Because in our rehersal room was soooo hot…all of us love it but we wanted to find something with more sense and it came to our mind to make a play on words and make it Far ‘n’ Hate. For us it’s kind of like when someone fucks you (not in the sexual way haha) you can forgive but never forget, so this stays far in you but you always remember and the anger comes in you when you think about that…I hope that you get what we mean haha!

PSAB: How was the feedback when you released your EP Steadfast? Are you still receiving feedback now?

FNH: The feedback was great, better than what we thought. We worked a lot on it and we made a big step forward in all the aspects of our music. We took everything more serious. The writing process, the sound, the lyrics...we recorded it quite fast because we had our european tour set up and we were running out of time to have it all done haha  but you can tell the quality change if you compare "Steadfast" with our previous album. We did all how we wanted because we did it all by ourselves. Jona, our drummer, is the producer of the EP and we recorded it in his studio, the Unwavering Studios.

We still receiving feedback because we are touring a lot and everywhere we are going or we have been we met new people who after our show or after listening to the EP write us telling us kind words about it. Also we received good critics on webzines and music blogs...

PSAB: You're currently working on a new album, set to release sometime this year. Do you have an estimation when any new music will drop?

FNH: Yes, and again we will self produce and record it all by ourselves in the Unwavering Studios. But this time we are going to take our time to prerecord and pre-produce everything and find the best options and the right sounds and arrangements to make it to the next level. This time will be a full length album. We have a lot of good plans, tours and festivals and we want to release a great album that won't disappoint anybody and that will represent us in our very best so we will take the time we need to be 100% happy with our next CD. We will release the single of the album soon, probably next month so be ready and go check our media sites often for more info.

PSAB: What is the local metal scene like in Girona, Spain?

FNH: The metal scene in our area is ok. Our music style is not very popular here, that's why we are touring Europe and USA, but the things are getting better. There are awesome bands, every time more young guys are starting metalcore or metal in general and it seems that our kind of music it's finding his place.

PSAB: If you could play with any band ever, which band would that be and why?

FNH: Well, that is a hard question, we will love to play with a lot of bands, to make it easier I am going to tell you each members fave band which is the one each of us will love to tour. Jona (drummer) Periphery, Felipe (guitar) The Black Dahlia Murder, Nacho (guitar) While She Sleeps, Jorge (bass) Slipknot, and me Marc (vocals) Killswitch Engage.

PSAB: Do you have any shout outs to give to reads out there and your fans?

FNH: Thanks a lot for taking your time to read this interview and for dedicate a couple of minutes of your lives to us. We are going to announce a lot of tours and concerts really soon and be ready for our new album and a new official video. Hope you'll like all we are working on. And a big thank you to all our fans for all their support. It means the world to us!

Interview with Prompts!

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Genre(s): Hardcore/Metalcore

Location: Tokyo, Japan

PSAB: Where did the band name “Prompts” come from exactly?

Prompts: To be honest I wanted to make a band name to only 1 word like a bands was in fashion those days, and many words nominated for band name. At last we suggested "Prompts" because it has nice-sounding.

PSAB: How was the feedback when your newest single "Vendetta"? Are you still receiving feedback now?

Prompts: Really good! It is sicker than I expected. We've received amazing feedback from many country, and I'm sure our upcoming material will be sick than existing tunes.

PSAB: You're currently unsigned, if you could be signed to any record label, which label would that be and why?

Prompts: We hope to be signed to Artery, We Are Triumphant, and UNFD. It is amazing if possible.

PSAB: What is the local metal scene like in Tokyo, Japan?

Prompts: I felt Japanese metal/hardcore scene is not big, and few years behind than US/EURO/AUS. But a lot of good bands are here.

PSAB: Which bands play the most influence on your music?

Prompts: When I started this band, I was listening to like a Structures,Volumes,The Plot In You, Counterparts, Architects and Thrust Moment Maybe It's 2010. Now a days I listen to UNFD bands such as the Stories, Northlane, Buried in verona, and also I like Sworn In, Villains, Sentinals here recently.

PSAB: Do you have any shout outs to give to your fans?

Prompts: Thank you for reading! We just making new materials. and it will be sick as hell! Stay tuned for more updates. Arigatou.

Interview with Slice The Cake!

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Genre(s): Progressive Death Metal

PSAB: Why did you choose the name "Slice The Cake" for your band name?  

STC: Around when we were starting out, we were throwing a bunch of “serious” names around just to see what would stick, stuff like “Gaia Aflame” .. None of the stuff we came up with was particularly appealing so our name was left as this big unknown until Jonas started working on a logo. We still didn’t have a name, so he just put Slice The Cake in place of whatever the real name was to be and it just kind of stuck. I’m not even sure if the whole verb the noun subversion was intentional on his part originally but we realised pretty quickly that it works on a few different levels. 

 

PSAB: Your first EP came in 2010 and you quickly became decently known among the metal community due to music sharing websites. The same websites also share illegal downloads of albums. So, that brings up the question. What are your opinions on whole illegal download/piracy of music?

STC: We’re generally totally cool with it, as it’s done nothing but good things for us. The entertainment industry as a whole is changing, not just the music industry, and piracy is generally seen as this big “issue” that needs tackling in some way, and there are various philosophies concerning this, and ours is that piracy isn’t going away so we may as well use it to our advantage, and it’s paid dividends for us. The other thing about piracy that rarely seems to be acknowledged is that some people that have pirated your shit may then actually go and buy it if they like it enough. It’s not just some black or white issue like “PIRACY IS TERRIBLE AND BAD” because for us, it totally hasn’t been. 

Even outside of the world of music this seems to be pretty evident, I personally keep up with the games scene a lot and the piracy discussion is equally as big with games and there have been a couple of great examples of how to deal with piracy in a positive way. The creator of Hotline Miami (for those of you who haven’t played it, you totally should, it’s a hyper-violent, Lynchian clusterfuck of a fever dream with an amazing soundtrack!) put the game up on the pirate bay and urged people to download it, but to support it with some moneys if they were vibing with it. The way the guy dealt with it made waves in the gaming press, and suddenly fucking everyone was playing it and it made the dude a ton of money. Hell, perhaps it’s taboo to admit it, but I’m one of those that pirated it.. And guess what.. I bought it literally as soon as I had the money to out of respect for both the dude’s openness and the art itself. The more you try and stop people from freely sharing art around, the more people will share it just to spite you and I don’t blame them for it at all. Art is something that transcends money and financial value, and I think that’s an idea worth defending and upholding.  

As well as that, I frankly think we’d be kind of hypocritical if we didn’t take this stance. We didn’t make this band with the intention of making money or becoming famous or anything like that, we never could’ve anticipated that STC would blow up the way it did.. All of our music has been made more for our own sake than anything else. It’s an exorcistic process more than anything else.. And I don’t think you can put a price on that. We encourage people to acquire our music however the hell they want to, but to treat our bandcamp as a donation box if they really feel what we’re doing. All the money we’ve made has been poured back into stuff we’re now using to make Odyssey to the West and that’s purely the result of people’s generosity. If we hadn’t made a penny doing any of this, we’d feel the same about all of it.

PSAB: Your upcoming album Odyssey to the West is set to release later on this year. When can we expect a taste of the album with a new single? Anytime in the near future?

STC: Yeah, sometime fairly soon. We were aiming to release the album on March 1st originally, but over the past couple of months it became apparent that it needs more time to be as good as we want it to be, so right now we’re just saying “when it’s done.” We don’t want to put too much of a time frame on it because we don’t really know ourselves. Perhaps some time during the summer? But don’t take that as gospel!

PSAB: While on topic of your new album, will there is a b-side release after the initial release? Like when you released Other Slices after The Man With No Face. Or do you plan on releasing all tracks with the initial release?

STC: Probably not. Other Slices was probably just a one-time kinda deal. It was a fun album to make but for all of us it feels a bit hollow, since it’s literally just a collection of songs without anything that fundamentally binds them all together on a conceptual level. 

That idea of each album being a self-contained, singular, unified vision is something that has always been pretty strong for us but it’s been more important to us than ever. Other Slices doesn’t fit that mold at all, and like I said, it was fun, but we probably won’t be doing anything like it any time soon. Plus it was just a really, really good opportunity to make an awful bakery related pun in an album title… You only get one of those before people start thinking you’re a joke band. 

But yeah, we do have a few leftover tracks from the last year or two, but if they were to be used for anything they’d need a fair bit of re-working and they’d need to be relevant to whatever project we were trying to shoe horn them into. We have a few vague ideas for future releases and we have a couple of albums coming from side-projects (a post-black metal behemoth by the name of Fissures and an album of soundscape/doom metal by my solo project Musica Masonica) in the coming months too, so we’re getting all of those out of the way before putting any serious thought into future releases.

PSAB: Just recently you were signed to Subliminal Groove Records. Why did you choose to sign with that label over other labels? Also, what are your favorite bands on the SGR roster?  

STC: Well we’ve been keeping an eye SG since its early days and it’s really started flourishing as of late. We’re good friends with the guy’s from Ovid’s Withering and Lorelei but after the shit show that was Myriad Records we wanted to make absolutely sure that SG was the kind of label that wasn’t all just big talk. Perhaps it’s just conjecture but you hear all kinds of horror stories about label dudes promising you the earth and then never actually delivering on any of it. Myriad was totally one of those labels, but SG has had a totally different vibe from the offset. 

There’s also a really strong communal, family type of vibe with SG and that’s what swung it for us I think. Aside from that, SG just totally has its shit together on every level and that’s become massively apparent after spending just a few days on the roster, they’re a well oiled promotional behemoth for this kind of music and the amount of eyes we’ve had on the signing announcement alone is just insane. I mean, this is just the beginning of our experience with SG and we’ve got nothing but good feelings about the partnership, so we’re stoked as fuck.  As for favourites? Probably Ovdi, Lorelei and Nemertines.  

PSAB: Do you have anything to say to the readers of the site, and the fans of Slice The Cake?  

STC: Yeah, like I was saying earlier, it’s down to word of mouth and sites like this that our music gets heard as much as it does, and the fans that have supported us with such passion and fervour. When we started doing this we never would’ve dreamed that it’d catch on in any meaningful way, since we’re just some dudes that made some art out of going quietly insane in our bedrooms at 4am, but we just hit 25k likes on our Facebook page and we’re working on our 3rd full length album. Considering we’re “that cake band,” this never ceases to totally blow our minds and we have the utmost gratitude for it all!

Interview with The Wise Man's Fears!

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Genre(s): Metalcore

PSAB: Where did the band name “The Wise Man's Fear” come from exactly?

TWMF: “The Wise Man’s Fear” comes from a fantasy novel by Patrick Rothfuss of the same name. The book chronicles the travels of a young musician as he finds himself and eventually becomes a powerful warrior. Extremely tough circumstances never stop him from achieving his goals, and he never lets his enemies get the best of him. We liked the message that name bore, and we also adapted it to serve an additional meaning: Pride. Wise men are always humble almost without exception, so we used the name to make a statement about the destructive power of pride and how truly wise men will do everything in their power to stay humble.

PSAB: How was the feedback when you released Ascend The Darkness? Are you still receiving feedback now?

TWMF: We had a lot of extremely positive feedback following the release of the EP! A lot of our friends and family knew we were having weekly band practices over the summer (2013) but were kind of surprised when we told them we had decided to record an EP at Whisper Studios. We still receive a good amount of feedback now from friends who hear it for the first time as well as a lot of strangers who have found it over the internet.

PSAB: You're currently unsigned, if you could be signed to any record label, which label would that be and why?

TWMF: If we could be signed to any record label we would probably go with Rise, Sumerian, or Fearless Records because we’ve heard and read a lot of great things about those labels and we greatly look up to a lot of bands they have signed.

PSAB: What is the local metal scene like in Lafayette, Indiana?

TWMF: The local scene in Lafayette is somewhat of a mixed bag. Overall, it isn’t extremely vibrant with tons of kids going out of their way to make it to shows, but it certainly has a huge audience that is very receptive to metal. It’s a bit of a Catch 22 scenario in which kids can’t go to a ton of shows because there aren’t a lot of venues that host metal acts, so bands don’t play as often which discourages kids from going to shows etc., so a large number of local supporters remain trapped under the surface in a sense, waiting for a chance to attend shows. There are, however, some really great local acts that are pushing the envelope and starting to turn things around for the kids who are looking for it.

PSAB: Which bands play the most influence on your music?

TWMF: We draw heavily from groups like The Word Alive, Memphis May Fire, Issues, Haste the Day, and City in the Sea, but we also each have really diverse tastes in music so groups like Fallout Boy, Mae, Motion City Soundtrack and similar artists have bearing on our influence as well.

PSAB: Do you have any shout outs to give to the readers out there?

TWMF: Our sincere thanks to our friend Joshua Spinas for supporting and helping us, Jeremy Mang of Whisper Studios for the expertise, advise, and input, Cory Hemp of Hempcore Entertainment for helping us get on shows, City in the Sea, Monstrous Me, Robot Face, and all the other acts we have played with for being really cordial and friendly. We also each thank our friends and family and especially Mrs. Dennis for enduring loud practices and sleepovers, as well as Pigsqueals and Breakdowns for interviewing us!

Interview with Dreaded Downfall!

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Genre(s): Post-Hardcore

PSAB: Where did the band name “Dreaded Downfall” come from?

DD: When the band was founded, it was actually called "Echolink“. Sometime later we stumbled upon the word "Downfall“, and we just knew we had to have it in our band name, because it just had something about it that we’d thought would fit. The second half is rather funny, we found this "Band Name Generator“ on the internet and let it find an alliteration, so it came up with "Dreaded Downfall“ which sounded pretty cool to us.

PSAB: How was the feedback when you released your newest EP Idols For The Broken? Are you still receiving feedback now?

DD: We had amazing feedback from our local fans but even more enthusiastic feedback from guys all around the world. When we toured Russia and Ukraine this february we couldn’t believe how well the people there enjoyed our style.

PSAB: What bands did you listen to growing up, and do those bands play an influence on your music now?

DD: We grew up listening to very different types of music. Some band members grew up with The Offspring and other Punk bands, others preferred Metallica, Iron Maiden, Motörhead or Amon Amarth. And we pretty much all enjoyed System Of A Down. Those bands definitely had a great influence on our music when we started! But since we’ve each grown older our musicals tastes have expanded and so has our music. While these bands still influence us, we’ve been expanding towards Metalcore and Hardcore, and are also influenced by other, newer bands, who in turn probably were influenced by those "old“ bands.

PSAB: What is the local metal scene like in Saxen-Perg-Klam?

DD: In our country it’s nearly impossible to make a living playing music of the kind we play, and yet there are lot of bands playing this genre. This makes it easy to play on shows with similar bands to attract more people, but also makes it very hard to stand out from the crowd.

PSAB: If you could be signed to any record label, which label would that be and why?

DD: Come on Rise Records, we’re ready for you! You hear? No but seriously, we’re currently in negotiations with a few labels. We’ll see how it turns out.

PSAB: Do you have any shout outs to give to your fans, and the readers out there?

DD: To everybody who read this: YOU’RE AWESOME. Stay that way. Keep going to concerts, keep buying CD’s, keep supporting the bands, keep supporting the scene. Stay open minded and have fun!