How did you first learn about Metal-Rules.com?
Through the New Metal Webring. I just did a random search and wound
up at Metal-Rules.com. Haven't left since!
Are you a regular visitor to the Metal-Rules.com webzine?
Yes. I go pretty much everyday and post on the forum pretty
frequently. Blake is about the same and I'm pretty sure Brian still
checks the site every now and then, but doesn't post on the forum
anymore.
How important is Metal-Rules.com or the Internet in general for
getting your music?
Pretty important. I learn a lot more about bands through the internet
and more specifically Metal-Rules.com. There are a lot of knowledgeable
people at Metal-Rules.com, and since there aren't many metalheads in my
town, the internet makes it easy to learn.
In your experience, either as a reader or as a band, what has
Metal-Rules.com meant to you?
Like I said above, just a great place to learn and converse about my
favorite subject--METAL!!
Do you think webzines like Metal-Rules.com are, or maybe someday
could, replace traditional published magazines?
I hope not. I love the printed word (I AM a graphic designer) and I
don't think a website can give you the same feeling that a beautifully
designed magazine can. But the web has its uses, and I think that we
will see more and more webzines sprouting up and gaining more
popularity.
Can you please list the members of the band and what they each
person plays?
Brian Engineer - Drums
Blake Wolfe - Bass, vocals
Gord White - Guitar, vocals
How long has the band been together and what goals would you like
to achieve in the coming years with the band?
We've been together for about three years, I guess. I think the main
goals are to get signed, to play more shows, and to release a
full-length CD.
In your opinion, what style of metal would you say best describes
what you play?
Definitely thrash with some death and progressive influences thrown
in. But it's not really that simple. We draw from a wide range of
influences from hardcore to power metal to progressive rock.
Who have been some of your main influences?
For me it's been mostly thrash bands like Testament, Overkill and
Metallica's first four albums, in addition to Vader, Iced Earth, Iron
Maiden and Sacrifice. I also listen to a lot of classic rock and the
Tragically Hip. Everyone in Canada loves the Hip, right?
Blake listens to a lot of different stuff. He listens to a lot of
hardcore and punk, but also Sepultura, Slayer and older In Flames. But
then again, there's his penchant for black metal...
Brian's favourite band is Rush, but about a year ago you'd find him
listening to death metal almost exclusively. Some of his other
influences include Rhapsody, Sepultura, Opeth and Nevermore.
Since your not signed, I assume you are you currently looking for a
label or distribution?
No we're not signed, and YES we're looking for a label/distro.
Have you contributed work to other compilation CDs?
Nope. We're compilation virgins.
Where did they hear about this compilation?
We saw it on the main page of the site and jumped on it!
Why did you choose this compilation to get your music to potential
fans?
We'll take any opportunity to get our music to a bigger audience, and
hopefully this compilation will accomplish that.
Besides your song, what is the best feature of the Metal-Rules
compilation and why?
Our song is the only good thing about this compilation...... ;)
No, just the fact that there are so many great bands, most of them
fairly unknown.
Why did you choose this particular song for the compilation?
It's one of our better songs, and my personal fav, and it's
definitely the strongest song we've recorded so far. And besides, you
chose it, EvilG!
Where did you record the song & who wrote it and produced it?
Recorded at York Region Music Centre in Newmarket, ON. Our engineer
was Dan Preston, who also mixed and produced it with input from us, of
course. The song was written by Zero Based Perception with lyrics from
me, Gord White. It was recorded on February 23, 24 & 27, 2002.
Would you say that your song on this compilation representative of
all your material?
Yeah, we've definitely gone a lot more thrashy and progressive since
we recorded our last demo and "Forever your Keeper" is pretty
much the first major step in that direction. Our next recording will
reflect this.
What is your song on this compilation about and what was the
inspiration behind it?
The song is called "Forever your Keeper" and is basically
just about the Reaper! Mainly, I just thought that the lyrics were fun
to scream and fit the mood of the song well.
What about this song made you select it for this compilation?
It's the best song we have recorded, so we definitely wanted to show
people us at our best.
What kind of expectations do you have towards this particular
compilation? What do you hope to gain by being featured?
Our goal is just to gain more fans through this, whether they be in
the industry, or just regular metalheads.
Are you hoping this might help you in some way gain the kind of
exposure that may lead to a label picking you up?
Definitely!
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?
Mostly yes. I think that most metalheads and intelligent people in
general will be open to hearing new bands, but the average music fan is
too scared or close-minded to listen to anything other than Blink-182.
What do you think of compilation CD’s overall?
They're good for some reasons, bad for others. Comps are a good way
to get a little snapshot of a band's sound, and usually let's you decide
whether or not you want to buy their material. But sometimes the quality
is just not consistent throughout the CD, and a lot of it goes
un-listened. This one seems pretty stacked, though.
What kinds of things should a compilation feature in order to make
it worth purchasing and what makes a compilation worthwhile?
Definitely having songs that aren't available anywhere else is a
great feature, and it's got to feature great bands!
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?
Probably Rotting from Newmarket, great brutal death. And BETRAYER
from Windsor! Those guys smoke.
Would you be interested in sacrificing another song for “Metal-Rules.com
- Vol. II” if the opportunity presented itself?
Sure. Don't lose my e-mail, EvilG!!
Where can people order your other recorded material?
Just drop me an e-mail. We'll get one to ya!
What are your band’s upcoming battle plans?
Keep on givn'r! But, we're probably recording a demo sometime this
winter. Basically we're just going to keep doing what we're doing, that
is, working hard and laying down massive slabs of metallic mayhem!
