How
did you first learn about Metal-Rules.com?
I (Smith) learned about Metal-Rules.com while searching for more
online outlets to promote our music. Lo and behold, there was an
advertisement for the compilation. That’s pretty much the crux of it.
Are you a regular visitor to the Metal-Rules.com webzine?
That depends on one’s definition of regular. Twice a week or more,
I’d venture to say. I guess that’s regular enough. I peruse message
boards and websites pretty sporadically, depending on my mood.
How important is Metal-Rules.com or the Internet in general for
getting your music?
The internet and sites like Metal-Rules.com remain our sole outlet
for getting our name and music our there right now since we have no CD
or demo. Both are indescribably important at this stage in our
development, seeing as how Metal-Rules.com has given us the opportunity
to present our music on a wider, physical media-based scale. A good deal
of people seem to put very little faith in an upstart band that is
internet-driven, though, since the internet is overpopulated by all
sorts of crap and people automatically connect the two.
In your experience, either as a reader or as a band, what has
Metal-Rules.com meant to you?
Exposure. That’s enough for us. I cannot begin to express my
gratitude and surprise to Metal-Rules.com for selecting us. You’re
providing us a platform to corrupt the youth of the world. Well, not
really, but you are providing us a platform to be heard, which is more
than I can say for just about anything or anyone else at this juncture
in time.
Do you think webzines like Metal-Rules.com are, or maybe someday
could, replace traditional published magazines?
Not a chance, and I wouldn’t want them to. Traditional printed
media holds certain traits that digital media simply cannot replace for
sticks in the mud like myself. That’s not to say that the content is
any less professional or informative there are many viable digital
publications. I’d rather have something in print, though, where I am
able to take it with me, sit down on a bench, smoke a cigarette, drink
some coffee, and read in peaceful bliss. It boils down to personal
preference. E-zines are cheap, easily accessible, and reach a much wider
audience than conventional published magazines, all of which are
benefits, especially given the costs associated with printing anything
on a large scale.
Can
you please list the members of the band and what they each person plays?
Last Eve is:
Smith - bass, vocals (also giving this interview)
Ehrgott - guitar, keyboard, backing vocals
Rowand - guitar
Kell - drums.
How long has the band been together and what goals would you like
to achieve in the coming years with the band?
Last Eve as a concept has existed since the spring of 2000 when I
first met Ehrgott and we began writing. As a complete entity, we have
been together under a year, as Kell joined in September of 2001 and
Rowand joined in February of 2002.
We’d like to get signed, get money to record, release our music
unto an unknowing world, and tour. Our prime directive: to create
emotionally moving music that we’ve always wanted to hear. If other
people enjoy it, that’s an added bonus. I want to give back to people
with my music what music has given to me. As trite as that sounds, it’s
the truth.
In your opinion, what style of metal would you say best describes
what you play?
Honestly, I don’t know how to answer that. We’re not really black
metal, we’re not death metal, we’re not cock rock or power metal…
we just play metal, I suppose. The closest comparison would be black
metal, however, given the nature of the lyrics and the thematic
elements. “Melodic blackened metal,” as you deemed us on the
website. Actually, come to think of it, that’s an apt description.
Who have been some of your main influences?
I answer for myself first, in no particular order: Bathory, Agalloch,
Sarah McLachlan, Emperor, Borknagar, Ulver, Sentenced, Bolt Thrower,
dredg, Iron Maiden, Iced Earth, Cradle of Filth, The Gathering, Basil
Poleudoris, godspeed you black emperor!, Susurrus Inanis, loads of other
tripe both musical and non-musical. Women have been a noteworthy
influence.
As for the rest of my band, I’ll cover this issue like I have
before: Ehrgott is heavily into Dimmu Borgir and the more symphonic
black metal, although his guitar playing was heavily influenced by
Death. Kell is into anything from Rush to Celtic Frost to Dimmu Borgir.
Rowand is the token death metal fanatic he listens to a lot of Cannibal
Corpse and what have you. And he’s always wearing Dying Fetus shirts.
He’s into a load of Polish music, too, since he lived over there.
Bottom line: it’s a disgusting jumble of influences between the
four of us.
Is your band currently signed to a record label?
Much to our collective chagrin, we are not signed, although that’s
really not a surprise given that we have nothing recorded save for “Remember”
and have made no effort to get signed as of yet since we’re not
prepared. Next year we’ll be searching for a label, distribution, and
touring partners. Any wealthy individuals who would like to support us
financially on a global tour, contact me.
Have
you contributed work to other compilation CDs?
We have not. An offer to contribute to a local compilation manifested
earlier this year, but monetary problems stalled that effort.
Ultimatemetal.com showed some interest in using “Remember,” but I
think they passed us up.
Where did you hear about this compilation?
I heard about this compilation by noticing a banner on
Metal-Rules.com and mentioned it to the lads.
Why did you choose this compilation to get your music to potential
fans?
Honestly? No particular reason. I ran across it and submitted our
song because it was there and we could use the exposure. Frankly, I didn’t
have high hopes of it being selected.
Besides your song, what is the best feature of the Metal-Rules
compilation and why?
Well, there’s certainly a diverse spattering of bands from across
the continents on it, which should make it interesting. Aside from that,
I don’t know, because I haven’t heard or seen it yet!
Why did you choose this particular song for the compilation?
It’s the only one we have recorded! The only one we’d release to
the general public, at any rate.
Where did you record the song & who wrote it and produced it?
“Remember” was immortalized in a shoddy office building in Clear
Lake, Texas at the unnamed pseudo-studio of Shawn Gilbert during the
summer months of 2002.
Mixing by Shawn Gilbert and Last Eve
Engineering by Shawn Gilbert
Produced by Last Eve
Written and arranged by Last Eve
Would you say that your song on this compilation representative of
all your material?
I would not. “Remember” is by far our most straightforward song.
Our other material is more compositionally varied sufficiently
different, and each with its own motif.
What is your song on this compilation about and what was the
inspiration behind it?
Not to be difficult, but the meaning of the song is better understood
when read in the context of the concept. I urge anyone reading this to
visit our website and read the lyrics in their entirety.
“Remember” was inspired by a disgustingly beautiful and
unattainable woman that captured my attention. For the record, though, I
feel as though quality song lyrics possess a meaning that is entirely
unique to the listener or writer, and thus I don’t want to divulge
what it means to me, even though I wrote it.
What kind of expectations do you have towards this particular
compilation? What do you hope to gain by being featured?
I
have no expectations for anything. High expectations lead to being let
down. I hope Metal-Rules.com succeeds in helping at least one band get
the attention they deserve if that happens, the compilation will have
succeeded. I’d just like someone listening to us to take away from our
music the emotion we’ve put into it. Who knows, maybe we’ll get an
increase in site traffic at lasteve.com
as an added bonus.
Are you hoping this might help you in some way gain the kind of
exposure that may lead to a label picking you up?
Of course; what hopeful band doesn’t desire a label making offers
based off of a single compilation appearance? That said, we’re not
idiots - we’re pessimists. No preconceptions: it probably won’t
happen.
As you know, most of the bands on this compilation are not
extremely well known. Do you think a compilation CD with a group of
mostly underground bands is a great way to help get your music noticed?
Indeed it is. I’d wager that having Jag Panzer will help the
compilation quite a bit. If you could only get it into the international
distribution chain and have it selling all over the world, we’d be set…
What do you think of compilation CD’s overall?
Some are fecal. Some are grand. Rotting Christ’s “A Dead Poem”
came with “Darkness We Feel,” which was an excellent compilation
featuring stellar bands, some of which I got into. They serve their
purpose sometimes.
What kinds of things should a compilation feature in order to make
it worth purchasing and what makes a compilation worthwhile?
A compilation should feature us in order to make it worth purchasing.
Compilations simply aren’t worthwhile without Last Eve on them.
On a more serious note: an opportunity for the band to spew forth
thoughts and explanations (like this discourse!) make this compilation
more than worthwhile. Conversely, the music should speak for itself,
although it never hurts to have supplementary material.
If you had a chance to put together this type of compilation, what
would be some of the unsigned bands you’d like to feature?
Acerbus, Ashes of Misery, The Virgin Trebles, Especially Likely
Sloth. Of course, two of those aren’t metal. I don’t know many
unsigned bands.
Would you be interested in sacrificing another song for “Metal-Rules.com
- Vol. II” if the opportunity presented itself?
We’d have no problem submitting another track, I’m sure.
Where can people order your other recorded material?
Woe is them! They can’t! If they’re truly hell-bent on obtaining
recorded material, they’ll have to wait just like the rest of us.
What are your band’s upcoming battle plans?
We have a few live shows scheduled for December and (hopefully)
January, and then we plan on entering the studio to record either our
demo or our full-length, depending on the financial situation. Almost
all of the material for our album is written, so we’re attempting to
perfect that and our live show.
Do you have any live dates coming up that you’d like to list
here?
December 21st:
Last Eve
Coffin Grinder
To Scale the Throne
Darkside
Funeral Rites
Cardi's
9301 Bissonet
Houston, TX
(713) 270-0053
$10.00 at the door, $8.00 in advance. Doors open at 8 PM.
AND!
December 28th
Last Eve
24 other bands
December to Decay www.decembertodecay.com
Sun Valley Ranch
Victoria, TX
$20.00 at the door. Doors open at 11 AM. Last Eve will be playing
sometime in there.
