Joining the already killer bill of ARCHITECTS, COMEBACK KID and THIS IS HELL is one of the most fearless bands in music today, ROLO TOMASSI. So strap yourself down and prepare for a brain-burning adventure into their abstract spazzcore lunacy this December; it’s like “Dillinger Escape Plan crashing into The Tate Modern.” – Kerrang!
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“Architects tore up the stage and literally threw themselves at the crowd with unpretentious fury” – The Vine
Championed by critics, fans and peers alike as one of the finest UK metal/hardcore acts of their generation, Brighton, England quintet ARCHITECTS have got the moves and the riffs. Syncopated to a sickeningly tight level of perfection delivered with precision and absolute gut-wrenching rage, their live show is a force to be reckoned with. “Vocalist Sam Carter leaps around the stage like a man possessed, roaring, shrieking and splicing brutality with sublime melody within the space of a single song. No gimmicks here.” – Rock Metal Music
All great things have humble beginnings and COMEBACK KID is no exception. Since forming in 2002 they have turned into one of the most infectious forces in independent music today. Following the departure of Scott Wade in 2007 implementing a new vocal sound can prove disastrous for some bands but not so with the spectacular arrival of Andrew Neufeld… “embrace this new incarnation with open arms and clenched fists in the air”. – Absolute Punk
Stirring you to charge around in a circle like a maniac and clenching your fists, THIS IS HELL are genuine and uncontrived hardcore. As one of the most talked about bands on Soundwave earlier this year be sure not to miss what Punknews describes as “unrelentingly dissonant yet throat-punchingly direct, THIS IS HELL is a prime band to watch.”
A killer triple bill of potent hardcore supremacy, ARCHITECTS, COMEBACK KID and THIS IS HELL are touring Australia this December.
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Interview with James Spence of Rolo Tomassi
Q: Who are some of the main artists that inspired you to first start playing music and have you been lucky enough to share the stage with any of those artists yet?
One of our biggest influences at the beginning was Dillinger Escape Plan and coincidentally enough we’re actually on tour with them in the UK right now! It’s a truly remarkable situation and I think everyone is still pinching themselves.
Q: Recently you have been playing some larger venues and festivals throughout the world along with the smaller club headline shows. Which shows do you prefer and are you beginning to find a lot of similar faces in the crowds now?
I don’t really have a preference, I just enjoy to play. We’ve been fortunate to have the chance to play shows on such a varying scale and are always happy doing both. The thing was smaller club shows in the UK especially where we have toured a lot is that you do notice people coming back which is obviously great.
Q: How does it feel to see the rise of the band from the days of the self made cd’s and cassettes to now playing around the world? and did you ever expect to be touring Australia for the 2nd time after 5 years as a band?
It’s crazy! I mean, we’re lucky in that its been a gradual process rather than blowing up quickly. It’s meant that we’ve been able to appreciate what we have a lot more I think. When we started out there was no long term plan or anything like that so to be where we are is mind-blowing and I hope we never take it for granted.
Q: You are a band who are extremely loyal to their fans with numerous releases coming out each year, mainly through the Subs Club. Is it hard to find the time to record all these releases and is the song writing process non stop for you? Perhaps you could also explain the Subs Club for those unaware of what it is.
Well firstly, the Subs Club is a 7″ vinyl series that we’ve done the last 2 years. We put out 4 records across a year featuring new material. With how hectic touring can be it sometimes is difficult to make time but we always do our best to make it work. For us, the Subs Club is a great way to experiment with new sounds ahead of writing for full lengths. It gives us ideas of how we can take the band in new directions.
Q: For ‘Cosmology’ you traveled to America to work with well known dance/hip hop producer Diplo who is a fan of your band. How was the experience to work with a producer who mainly focuses on the more dance side of the spectrum and how was his input used to help shape the record?
It was good for us to try something out of our comfort zone and just to seize what was a fantastic opportunity to do something truly different. The songs were all written before we entered the studio so whilst Diplo didn’t change the way the music sounds, his production and the people he brought in to help on the record certainly helped us step up as a band.
(part 2 of the question) How much did working with diplo on ‘Cosmology’ differ from working with Jason Sanderson on ‘Hysterics’?
The location especially had a big impact I think. Hysterics was recorded less than 30 minutes from where we live and Cosmology was done on the other side of the world. That made us all take what we were doing a lot more seriously as a lot of work had been put into making the Cosmology recording happen. In the past we’ve always recorded with friends and to go in with a name producer (with no offence in the slightest meant to Jason) certainly made it a whole lot more professional and the sound of the record, to us, sounds more like a ‘real’ album rather than just us. I hope that makes sense!
Q: You have been put under many different genres since you began such as ‘mathcore’ ‘art-punk’ and ‘spazcore’. With the amount of genres floating around today do you place yourself under any genre or do you believe that all music should come under the genre music?
I think everyone will have their own tag for it and that’s fine. People want to be able to file under something so they’re more comfortable with it. We’ve settled for Progressive Hardcore as our own tag.
Q: How was the experience playing Soundwave 2010 and the Sidewaves with Janes Addiction?
It was truly unforgettable. I never dreamed we’d have the opportunity to play in Australia. The Janes shows were surreal too. I consider them some of the last remaining true rockstars. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not but seeing the spectacle of it was entertaining.
Q: What can the Australian crowds expect for your return in December?
Well, since we did Soundwave 2010 we put out the new record so plenty of new material in the set and an enthusiastic, energetic and fun live show!
Q: Any bands you would recommend fans to check out?
We’re all fans of UK band from Norwich called Holy State. They kill it live and their most recent EP is one of my favourite releases this year. Obvious comparisions would be to bands like Hot Snakes and Drive Like Jehu but with their newest material they’re becoming more of their own thing.
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Interview with Travis Reilly of This is Hell
Hailing from the streets of New York comes one of hardcore music’s finest bands… THIS IS HELL! Since forming in 2004 This is Hell have become one of the genres leading bands due to the bands reputation for extensive touring. Australian hardcore fans got their first taste of This is Hell earlier this year when the band took to the stage during the 2010 Soundwave Festival run which included Anthrax, Faith No More, Paramore and others. The band’s performances were hailed as highlights of the festival run and hardcore fans around Australia were starting to take notice of this highly energetic live force.
Soon after leaving Australia, This is Hell entered the studio to record their third studio album ‘Weight of the World’. Released in June this year, the band’s latest album is arguably the lad’s best work to date featuring a number of tracks which run under two minutes including ‘Out Come the Bastards’, ‘Destroyer’ and ‘Fall and Rise’. This is Hell are currently touring across the United States and are set to return to Australia in December with Comeback Kid, Rolo Tomassi and Architects all of which played on the 2010 Soundwave Festival Bill. I had the pleasure of once again catching up with This is Hell frontman Travis Reilly to discuss the band’s latest album ‘Weight of the World’, the writing and recording process, the bands 2010 Soundwave festival experience and their upcoming Australian tour this December.
‘No One Leaves Unscathed’ as we chat with Travis Reilly!
Soundwave: Hi Travis; let’s start with the fantastic news that you’ll be back in Australia at the beginning of December for a bunch of shows… you must be thrilled to be returning so soon after the Soundwave festival appearances
Travis Reilly: Yeah, I didn’t think that we were going to make it back twice in one year.
Soundwave: You will be playing alongside good friends Comeback Kid, Architects and Rolo Tomassi, it must make it a hell of a lot easier to say yes to a tour like this when you’re hitting the road with people you know and respect.
Travis Reilly: Yeah absolutely, we’ve done hundreds of shows with Comeback Kid over the last couple of years. We did two U.S. tours together, a Canadian tour and a European tour so it will be good to go down to Australia with them again as well as Architects and Rolo Tomassi.
Soundwave: For the kids that checked out This is Hell earlier this year during the Soundwave festival run what can be expected this time around when you take to the stage? Plenty of new tracks I would imagine?
Travis Reilly: Yeah, we put out a new album in June and a majority of our set will be new stuff. It will be cool to play some smaller more intimate rooms, obviously Soundwave is a giant outdoor tour which is cool but I think kids will be able to appreciate being able to be a bit closer.
Soundwave: Mate, lets head back to February for a moment. How did you find the festival experience, was it better worst than those you have done in the United States and Europe?
Travis Reilly: We’ve done a couple of festivals in Europe but they were one day fests, we did one touring fest in the States in 2007 that was a little weird. With Soundwave we closed one show but mostly we were on about one in the afternoon and it was pretty good. We played to a nice size crowd, in Sydney when we closed a lot of people left after A Day To Remember which we expected, but the ones that stuck around were excited. We’re not used to playing to more than a couple of hundred of people anyways, so people sticking around to give us the attention was fine by us!
Soundwave: Travis, last time we spoke you told me that backstage you’re not really trouble makers, but always up for a good time. Did you find yourself getting into much mischief backstage during the Soundwave festival run?
Travis Reilly: No I don’t think so, nothing really sticks out but it’s funny… the first day, we were excited for the tour and we were excited to play with Anthrax. We were taken to our dressing room and our guitarist was jumping up and down saying “I’m going to go and find Anthrax’s dressing room”. When we arrived at our dressing room the sign on the door said This Is Hell and Anthrax and it turned out we were sharing a dressing room. We had finished playing and came back to the room a couple of hours later and a couple of guys from Anthrax were in the room, they had us kicked out of the room, they said “somebody came and moved your stuff” [laughs]. We were all “oh cool okay, that didn’t last very long” [laughs].
Soundwave: [Laughs] that’s a real pity man! Have you got any plans to hit more of the Aussie sites when you return in a few weeks time?
Travis Reilly: It all depends on when we have to fly between the different cities. I didn’t get to check out much stuff on Soundwave partially due to laziness and also because we had to be there so early. I wouldn’t mind going to check out the Sydney Opera House and go to the zoo again and the beaches, the spots that everyone’s into checking out.
Soundwave: This is Hell have a reputation of staying out on the road and cramming in as many shows as possible. How does touring today for you compare to when the band first started out?
Travis Reilly: We still go pretty hard as far as playing a lot of shows every year. This past year we didn’t go as hard but we’re still playing more shows per year than your standard band. We leave for a six week tour this week around America, and then have two days off then down to Australia. After Australia we head across to Asia for a few shows before we come home, we will be out for about eight weeks.
Soundwave: It’s obvious when you hit the road, you have to leave family and loved ones behind, that aside does it ever get easier to leave the comforts of home to hit the road for weeks sometimes months at a time?
Travis Reilly: Personally I’m used to it! We’ve been doing it for so long now. It gets a bit boring when you’re home for too long so when touring comes around I’m usually ready to go!
Soundwave: As we know vocalist always get the raw end of the deal when touring, having to keep the voice in the best shape possible, less drinking, less late nights out, less interviews etc. When you’re on the road for long periods of time especially, how do you keep your voice in such great shape without blowing it out?
Travis Reilly: I don’t smoke or anything like that and I don’t really drink so that helps it. Drinking water helps and warming up before you play, getting good sleep is helpful but that isn’t always on the cards, I don’t do anything too crazy, before I play I’ll drink a bunch of water. If I get sick there isn’t much I can do, if my voice is going to go, it’s going to go. For the style of music we play it’s not like I can’t play but it may sound a bit shitty. It’s not like I’m singing, for us we can get through it!
Soundwave: Travis, I wanted to talk to you also about the latest album ‘Weight of the World.’ Looking back over the recording process is there anything you wish you would have done differently?
Travis Reilly: I don’t think so, it’s definitely the happiest we’ve been with the final product for an album. I guess your record could always sound better than it does but it’s the happiest we’ve been with a final product. We recorded the album in ten days, it’s not like we sat in there for a month!
Soundwave: I remember when we previously spoke about the ‘Misfortunes’ album you said you thought the songs could have been shorter, that a lot of the songs written went too long. The new album certainly has shorter tracks in comparison, was that one of your main concerns when it came time to put the new album together?
Travis Reilly: Yeah, I think that at the time when our guitarist Rick wrote the songs for ‘Misfortunes’ we really liked the songs, but we really didn’t think about it too much. We just went with it; we should have trimmed the songs down a little. When we realized that it was an issue we made a point not to have such long songs on this one!
Soundwave: When it comes to the writing process, how does it work with you guys, every band has their own way of doing things, I know Rick writes the majority of the music, but lyrically do you all have a hand in writing?
Travis Reilly: For previous albums it worked different but for this album Rick wrote a little more than half and I wrote the rest of the songs.
Soundwave: Writing shorter songs for this album was always on the cards… what other key factors played into the recording of this album, did you guys hit the studio with a clear vision and a clear Idea of what you wanted to lay down or was it more spontaneous?
Travis Reilly: No we strictly always have our record completely finished before we walk into the studio, that way we don’t freak the fuck out and have to finish writing a song in the studio. I think it works well for some bands and some bands work well under the pressure but for us… it’s nice to get into the studio with the songs written and just nail them!
Soundwave: There are some killer tracks on this one including ‘bloodlines’, ‘shadows’ and ‘eagles of justice’… where did you draw inspiration from for the tracks on this one?
Travis Reilly: Our guitar player grew up listening to Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax we never dug real deep into the thrashier stuff but for this album we made a conscious effort to explore that a little more. That was a change from our previous stuff and the bulk of the influences with a little bit of Sick Of It All, DRI, and Cro-Mags thrown in, New York bands that we grew up listening to.
Soundwave: Travis you must be proud that you’ve already achieved so much since forming. Looking back over your career, what would you say have been your greatest achievements to date?
Travis Reilly: It’s tuff to say… We’ve been to so many places that a lot of people don’t even get to vacation to in a lifetime. We’ve been all over Europe, been to Canada, this will be our second time to Australia. I would say seeing all of the places we’ve been able to see. Doing Soundwave was a big deal, playing with Anthrax and Faith No More, playing with bands like that is mind blowing. We just did the Reading festival in England with Hatebreed and Guns N Roses and that was pretty cool too.
Soundwave: Just before we wrap it up This is Hell have been placed in a variety of different genres from punk to hardcore, even thrash metal, and there’s no doubt your varied musical influences show in your music. If you were to classify the band is there one specific genre you think the band represents, or do you like the fact that the band crosses over into a mixture of categories?
Travis Reilly: We came up as a hardcore band, we grew up as hardcore kids, going to hardcore shows, we will always consider ourselves as a hardcore band whether or not some people agree or not. I think people love to debate about that and have different sub-genres but if people ask me what sort of band we are I always say we’re a hardcore band with punk and metal influences.
Soundwave: Lastly mate, you guys are hitting Australia again in December, the latest album is out now and doing very well. What other immediate plans are in the works for This Is Hell, is that Dvd we spoke about last time finally in the works?
Travis Reilly: I don’t know… I’d love to do one at some point but it depends on a bunch of different factors. The only thing we have planned right now is to tour Europe in January with Deez Nuts from Australia, hopefully we can make it back over to Australia again next year but it’s a little too far away to be sure of exactly what we will be doing.
Soundwave: Travis thanks again for your time today, it’s been a pleasure. Do you have any last words for our readers?
Travis Reilly: We’re really excited to be heading over and play with our friends. It’s great to be able to head back to Australia twice in the year especially when most bands get out there maybe once a year and for us to be back there twice in one year is great. Hopefully we will be able to continue to make our way back twice every year!
© Cameron Edney Nov 2010. Not to be used without written permission.
