Author: Jeremiah Shea

The Oncoming Tour: Unearth to Play Entire Album for its 10th Year Anniversary

Unearth may not be as widely known outside of metal’s circle pits, but their impact on the scene and genre as a whole can be seen throughout. Originally debuting back in 1998, the band rose to prominence with other New Wave of American Heavy Metal acts such as Killswitch Engage, Lamb of God, and Shadows Fall, re-energizing the genre and grabbing the bar from previous nu-metalites and setting it much higher than it’s been since the early 90’s.

Their style, along with the others mentioned, mixed the speed and chops of metal with the heaviness of hardcore into a brand new genre known as metalcore. Their most prominent album, The Oncoming Storm, was released in 2004 and is one of the best of the era with well-written, beautiful melodies giving way to the most brutal breakdowns of the time; you couldn’t help but feed off of their energy. They are one of the few bands whose onstage presence somehow carries over to the studio. With the album reaching its 10 year anniversary, the band has decided to put a tour together and play it in its entirety for the first time ever, start to finish.

Announced yesterday, the band will be hitting the road for over 20 dates including a stop in Rochester on May 31st at Montage Music Hall. In direct support will be Texas in July, Cruel Hand, and Armed for Apocalypse. If you’re unfamiliar with Unearth’s body of work, here are two of their official videos from The Oncoming Storm. Crank it up and enjoy! m/

April 10, 2014
Pigeons Flock East for Three: Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse

Pigeons Playing Ping Pong have been growing their “Flock,” the name given to their fan base, at an exponential rate over the past couple of years. The high-energy, psychedelic funk the band produces has been garnering them high-profile festival gigs and opening slots for some nationally touring acts.

The Baltimore-based four piece is in the midst of a Spring tour that will bring the band to Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse on May 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, respectively.

The last time the group played Buffalo was after a snow storm hit the area for Aqueous’ residency at Nietzsche’s. The band played covers of Steppenwolf’s “Magic Carpet Ride” and Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough”, along with their tasteful originals, to add to the “Decades Night” theme that night.

Check out their full list of tour dates below, but otherwise we’ll see you Flockers at one of their three Upstate shows!

April 7, 2014
Night Lights Fall Music Festival Lineup Announced: It’s a Doozy

Night Lights Fall Music Festival is only venturing into their fourth year, but they packed a serious punch in terms of talent when they made their initial announcement this past week. Also known as “The Carnival of Lights,” the annual festival takes place at The Heron, located just outside of Jamestown, NY, and is set for the weekend of September 12th and 13th this year. Night Lights is unique in the sense that, besides great music, it packs a visual light show that is set up throughout the venue’s sprawling forest. It’s something that you really need to see in person as pictures only paint part of the picture.

The festival is looking to climb to the top of the region with a huge headliner. Fresh off their Grammy win and with enough hype to carry them for the rest of their careers, Snarky Puppy will be making their return to the region to try to one-up Marco Benevento’s incredible performance from last year. The lineup doesn’t drop off from there – with support from Turkuaz, The Mike Dillon Band, Consider the Source, Jimkata, Aqueous, The Manhattan Project, Smackdab, Lazlo Hollyfeld, and many more. The organizers have even stated that a “few more doozies” are soon to be announced.

Early bird tickets are on sale now for $60, but only for a limited time, so get them quick! This is easily the best lineup for Night Lights yet, making it one of the must-see festivals in the Western NY region this year. Keep your eyes peeled for future announcements, as this one is only going to get better!

March 31, 2014
Artpark Announces First Group of Artists for Summer 2014 Lineup

With the summer season approaching, the anticipation for nights spent outside listening to live music is rising almost as quickly as the temperatures. One of Buffalo’s most eagerly awaited is the announcement of Artpark Tuesday and Wednesday concert series for 2014. As of this week, the wait is finally over as the folks at Artpark made an initial announcement, revealing five shows for the upcoming season.

The five shows, listed below, are already a great start that will be added to throughout the Spring. Tickets for these Artpark events will go on sale on Friday, March 28, 2014 at 10am through the Artpark box office and Tickets.com. Where else can you catch a band like Widespread Panic for next to nothing and with a gorgeous view to boot?

First Niagara presents Tuesdays in the Park lineup:
June 10 (Opening Night) – Daryl Hall & John Oates – tickets are $12
June 17 – Widespread Panic – tickets are $7
July 8 – Boston – tickets are $12

Coors Light Wednesdays lineup (both tickets are $11):
June 18 – Arctic Monkeys w/s/g White Denim
July 9 – Sublime with Rome

March 21, 2014
Alan Evans Trio Changes Name to Alan Evans’ Playonbrother

AE3 to AEP. While hard to understand at first take, it begins to make sense when you hear it straight from Alan Evans himself. Announced the other day, the Alan Evans Trio has changed their name to Alan Evans’ Playonbrother, effective immediately. Evans explained the why behind the change, saying, “Honestly, I just got tired of people assuming that we were a jazz trio.”

Other than the name Alan Evans Trio, everything else remains intact and on schedule. Beau Sasser and Danny Mayer still make up the other two-thirds of the band and all of the tour dates they scheduled are still on. From a recording standpoint, the guys are heading into the studio as we speak to record the follow-up to Merkaba, an album honored in the Best of 2013. In addition to that, they will also be releasing the transcendental Woodstock Sessions album next week on March 25th. As for touring, the band is getting ready to hit the road with Turkuaz and will be visiting Upstate New York on several occasions (Saratoga Springs on 3/27, Syracuse on 3/28, Rochester on 4/17, and Buffalo on 4/18). With nothing musically changing, there’s nothing more to say but play on!

March 20, 2014
Hearing Aide: The New Mastersounds ‘Therapy’

Funk may have spent its infancy here in the U.S., but at some point it must have been stowed away in a Gulf ship destined for the shores of our British neighbors. The New Mastersounds have been around for a while now, originating in Leeds, England in 1999 and putting out an album just about every year or two since their inception. Even with the loss of longtime organist Bob Birch in 2007, the band has stayed true to their original sound and continued at their feverish pace. The New Mastersounds’ latest release, Therapy, is the ninth album from the British funksters and was recorded near Red Rocks in Morrison, Colorado this past year. The album masterfully traverses everything from jazz, funk, and soul, to covering the Bruno Mars song “Treasure.” The album also features guest performances by Lettuce’s saxophonist Ryan Zoidis and The Motet’s singer Kim Dawson.

The first track is titled “Old Man Noises” and opens with a snare roll before diving right in to one of the most rhythmically driven songs on the album. The intensity of this deeply funky song hits you right away and draws you in for the rest of the album. In the fleeting moments of the three-minute track, drummer Simon Allen goes off on a short-lived solo that gives you one last rush before slowing things down on the second track, “Morning Fly.” The back-to-back combo of the two is complimentary, yet polarizing. In “Morning Fly” the band takes their time and develops the slow-rolling jazzy vamp. Around the two-minute mark, a blues-inspired piano solo runs the ivory gamut and elegantly holds your attention throughout. It’s tastefulness and simple beauty add to the song’s well-crafted atmosphere.

“I Want You to Stay” is the first track on the album that features a guest in The Motet’s Kim Dawson. Her voice is rich in feeling and emotion and her soulful tone pairs well with the band’s delivery. The song is yet another example of how the band can take an easygoing melody and really push it to something that truly grabs your attention. Similarly, Dawson holds her voice back just enough to make you lean in and listen. There is nothing fancy on this track, yet you’ll find yourself closing your eyes and getting lost in the hypnotic chant of the title every time.

The hidden theme through each of the twelve tracks is how expressive the band can be while still staying off of the radar. The group rarely tips their hand and always leaves you wanting more throughout the album’s entirety. The song “Stop This Game” is another that you could glance over on your first pass through. Its laid back style is undermined from the get-go by a propelling beat that never lets up. The drums don’t command attention though, just calmly push along like a duck whose feet never stop under the water. The musicianship extends in all directions on this one as well. Following the first and second chorus, the band pulls back to support a solo from pianist Joe Tatton and guitarist Eddie Roberts respectively. These two add just the right amount of flavor before dropping back out and showcase their overall control by not overindulging. Two-thirds of the way through the song, the band switches gears into a reggae-inspired groove that is somehow blended flawlessly. Starting this song, you’d never expect it to go that way, but at this point it shouldn’t be surprising what these guys are capable of.

The album as a whole covers a lot of ground, but never fails to deliver. As their popularity grows, we can only hope that their stateside touring grows with it. The band was gracious enough to share with some shots from the studio in the gallery below. The shots were taken by drummer Simon Allen and do an excellent job of making you feel as if you were right there with them. After glancing through some of the pictures, you’ll notice the notes will begin to resonate deeper knowing what it was like to be there as this beautiful piece of work was captured.

Key Tracks: I Want You To Stay, Stop This Game, WWIII (And How to Avoid It)

March 20, 2014
Showplace Theater set to Reopen in Buffalo, NY

Buffalo seems to be going through a revival as of late with new buildings going up downtown and old ones being restored all around the city. One in particular has made some big news this week and that is the reopening of one of Buffalo’s most beloved venues, Showplace Theater.

Showplace Theater was originally opened up in the early 20th century as a movie theater before becoming a concert venue in the mid 90’s. There’s a good amount of history in the movie theater alone, but as a concert venue, it was a hotbed for many popular touring bands before closing its doors in 2008. The venue saw such national acts as Gov’t Mule and New Found Glory while also playing host to local favorites Cannibal Corpse, Snapcase, and Every Time I Die.

A shot of the venue from 1997

The deeply historical building sat vacant for quite some time before the current owner, Joe Breidenstein, came along and decided to put his time, energy, and resources into this Buffalo landmark. The building has been completely renovated from fresh coats of paint and new light fixtures to the rebuilding of the stage and adding a screen to serve as a backdrop for upcoming shows.

The first event is slated for next Monday (March 17th) and will be a St Patrick’s Day party called IRISH FOR A DAY. Rather than jumping in without looking, Breidenstein purposely setup a lower-key opener to get his feet wet. The inaugural show pulls together various local acts in Breckenwood, Crashfuse, Cosmic Shakedown and Sleepy Hahas to kick things off.

It’s exciting to see the revival of a venue I’ve personally spent countless hours in. With the throw-away-what’s-broken attitude that is so prevalent nowadays, it’s refreshing to see someone working to bring back a piece of Buffalo’s history from both an architectural and musical standpoint.

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March 11, 2014
Protest the Hero Kicks Off Tour in a Long-Awaited Return to Buffalo

It might only be a short drive separating Buffalo from its northern neighbor Toronto, but that has proven to be a great enough divide for Protest the Hero. The Canadian metal act’s last visit was back in 2009, but thankfully that all changed with the kickoff to their 2014 North American tour happening right in the Queen City.

The night started out as any night in Buffalo would during our long winter stretch: discouragingly cold. And just as that’s an expectation, so too is the community’s passion for music. Without disappointment, The Waiting Room was packed with metal enthusiasts who were eager to see the eclectic mix of bands. Opening the night were up-and-comers Intervals and Night Verses. Both bands are relatively new to the scene and have only been around for a few years now, but neither disappointed.

The Safety Fire was the third band on and, at this point, the crowd was dialed in and beginning to get into the show. The band started their set with an audio clip of the Chemical Plant Zone in Sonic 2 which drew a resounding response from the crowd. As the clip finished, they dove right into their first song “Red Hatchet” off of their most recent release Mouth of Swords. The song had an underlying similarity in tone to the Sonic intro which made for a seamless transition into their set. The UK-based band has only been across the pond a few times to tour, with their first actually being in support of Protest the Hero back in 2012. With their understandably low exposure to U.S. audiences, the five-piece squeezed everything out of their set and really left everything out on the stage. Their guitarists Derya ‘Dez’ Nagle and Joaquin Ardiles employ custom, Telecaster-esque Wirebird guitars which gives their harmonized runs a sharp and unique tone. The third song “Huge Hammers” got the biggest crowd response and is one of the band’s most popular songs. With hands raised, the crowd echoed the beat and created a unified feeling with the music. As their set wrapped up, the band put their remaining energy into the last song, running circles around the stage on the anthemic “Glass Crush.”

Up next was Battlecross whose raw, thrash metal sound gave the crowd even more reason to move. Their modern take on a classic metal genre was energized by the thunderous double bass attack of Shannon Lucas who’s their temporary drummer on this tour. Lucas has played with the likes of The Black Dahlia Murder and All That Remains to name a few and is their current fill-in while they look to permanently fill the void left by the departure of longtime drummer Michael Keger last year. You wouldn’t have known the difference though as the band literally didn’t miss a beat all night.

Battlecross guitarist Tony Asta (left) and bassist Don Slater (right)

Battlecross ripped through their set, focusing on their new album War of Will for the majority of the content for show. Their speed an aggression was balanced out by runs of beautiful melody via guitarists Tony Asta and Hiran Deraniyagala. Calling Detroit home, the band fully embodies the Motor City’s drive and blue-collar mentality. With their set coming to a close, the band pulled from their 2011 release Pursuit of Honor in “Kaleb” and “Push Pull Destroy.” The throwback sent the crowd into a frenzy and lead singer Kyle “Gumby” Gunther only antagonized them more with his in-your-face attitude. These guys will be back in Buffalo in May in support of Killswitch Engage, so don’t miss another chance to catch their incredible live show.

The long-awaited return of Protest the Hero was finally over as the buzz in the crowd began to build for the imminent start to their show. Although it had been five years and two album releases since their last visit, the crowd was more than willing to forgive and forget as that was all about to change. The band took to the stage to a loud and warm welcoming. Since their last visit, the band lost longtime drummer Moe Carlson who has now been permanently replaced by the still unrecognized Mike Ieradi. Also new to the group was temporary bassist, Cameron McLellan. Arif Mirabdolbaghi is still with the band, but was forced to skip the tour due to scheduling issues with another endeavor.

Protest the Hero guitarist Luke Hoskin

The band kicked off their set with “Hair-Trigger” from 2011’s Scurrilous. The crowd was already amped up for this performance, but the song’s bridge was an early highlight in the show with a heavy push to get closer to the band. Protest the Hero seemed to be in mid-tour form with a rhythmically-tight execution of their difficult, math metal sound. The soaring melodies of Tim Millar and Luke Hoskin were met throughout the night by Rody’s equally expansive vocals.

The band took on the new album in a few instances, but none more effectively than the combination of “Clarity” and “A Life Embossed,” played back to back early on in the set. It was admittedly the band’s first performance of “Clarity” which went off without a hitch. The energy throughout the set continuously built as they progressed and touched upon each of their four releases. As expected, the band displayed their impeccable proficiency on their instruments on each and every song, rarely taking the instrumental easy road.

The wait was worth it in the end as the crowd appreciated the opportunity to catch one of metal’s most talented groups. All and all, the show was a great kickoff to the tour and I would highly recommend catching them towards the tail end when they make a stop in Rochester on April 4th.

Protest the Hero Set List:
Hair-Trigger, Underbite, Sequoia Throne, Clarity, A Life Embossed, Bury the Hatchet, Mist, Sex Tapes, The Dissentience, Blindfolds Aside, Bloodmeat, C’est la Vie

Editor’s Note: Photo Credit Thomas Sgori/UpstateMetal Staff

March 7, 2014
Lettin’ Us Have It: Lettuce’s First Trip to Buffalo

Lettuce is one of those bands that just have some kind of inexplicable X factor. Whether it’s their tight rhythm section, funky melodies, or combined personalities, there’s just something that sets them apart from everyone else. As I waited in line at The Tralf in Buffalo for the doors to open, I realized that you’d never be able to guess who was in town judging solely by the people waiting.

There was such an eclectic mix and every single one of them was visibly excited and anxious to get inside. There was a collective buzz in the air as the three-month build up from the time the concert was announced was finally over.

The night started slow as doors opened at 7 and people began to fill in the Tralf. It would be three long hours before the Lettuce show would start, but everyone was more than willing to wait. DJ Kraz kicked things off, blending old school funk, hip-hop, and jazz into a danceable mix to get the crowd ready for what was to come. The anticipation grew at the same rate the crowd did. Before long, the floor was filling up as Kraz was finishing up. The thirty minutes of anticipation in-between sets was only amplified by the fact that Lettuce had never played Buffalo. As our seven fearless funk leaders stepped onstage, the crowd lost it. The Tralf was as packed as I’ve ever seen and Buffalo came to rage.

After a brief intro, the opening riff to “Sam Huff’s Flying Raging Machine” began playing and the band dove into their set. Buffalo’s own Neil Evans and the horn section of Ryan Zoidis and Eric Bloom were dialed in right from the start. The three controlled the first song, dictating exactly when the beat would drop and forcing the change in tempo. The crowd’s energy really pushed the band early on, causing trumpeter Eric Bloom to break out some dance moves and drummer Adam Deitch to smile from ear to ear through the first few songs. As the set progressed, the band touched on classics “Fly” and “Outta Here” before testing a new track out titled, “Phyllis.” The recent creation had an emotional groove to it and the crowd not only felt it, but gave the love right back. There’s just something about the way this band constructs their songs that just hits you. Whatever it is that they do was resonating with everyone Friday night.

In the middle of the set, bassist Jesus Coomes took the lead laying down his fat bass line on top of a rich texture of beats that drummer Adam Deitch provided. Jesus even teased “Rapper’s Delight” as the hype reached its peak. To the crowd’s surprise, the band brought out singer Alecia Chakour who was expected to keep up. Her vocals lit the place up as her powerful bluesy voice was the perfect complement to Lettuce’s funk train. Alecia sang three songs with the guys, including the favorite “Do It Like You Do.”

As the singer thanked the crowd for the love and stepped off stage, the band dove into another favorite in “Ziggowatt.” The potent riff that runs through the song was highlighted by Eric Krasno with one of the best solos of the night. As the band met up on beat, Krasno attacked the rhythm of the song and caused a swelling tension that only added fuel to the fire. It might have been February, but the concert could’ve been held outside with how much heat Lettuce was packing.

The band closed out the night with a three song encore, ending on “Madison Square.” In my years of attending concerts, I have never felt the same collective high I felt that night. It was said before, but there’s something these guys have and do with their instruments that few else can even replicate. Their music can stand up on its on, but they take it to the next level when they rage it live. The entire night went by in one fast-paced, funky minute and I can only hope it feels that long until they return.

Setlist: Intro, Sam Huff’s Flying Raging Machine, Salute, The Last Suppit, Fly, Outta Here>Let It GOGO, Phyllis, Afraid to Try*, Do It Like You Do*, The Sun*, Ziggowatt, Bowler, Ghost of Jupiter, Lettsanity, Slippin’ Into Darkness

Encore: Do Your Thing, Love You Left Behind, Madison Square

* with Alecia Chakour

February 28, 2014
Protest The Hero’s Volition: An Interview with Luke Hoskin

Protest the Hero has had a wild ride in the past year. I had the chance to speak with guitarist Luke Hoskin about the band’s experience ,being without a label’s support, their new album, and how the past year has shaped the band.

From walking away from a new contract with their label and the departure of their longtime drummer Moe Carlson to releasing a fan-funded album and learning the independent ropes along the way; 2013 was brand new territory for a group of seasoned vets. With the past year under their belts though, the band is eager and excited to see what 2014 brings. The new album Volition has done well, receiving positive reviews. And, they found an official replacement for Moe in Mike Ieradi.

The band embarks on a North American tour starting March 1st with a show at Buffalo’s The Waiting Room . And, on April 4th, the come back around to Rochester to play The Montage Music Hall towards the end of the tour.

Jeremiah Shea: Now that you guys have had some time being out on your own and not tied to a record label, do you think you’ll ever go back? What are some of the pros/cons?

Luke Hoskin: It’s been pretty great. I think we’ve learned to appreciate what labels do when you’re fully on one because they tackle a lot of the legwork and day-to-day stuff; whereas you notice that will falloff right away when you don’t have a label behind you. We’ve been lucky that we were able to do distribution deals, so we still own everything and we’re not technically on a label, but we can tap into some of their marketing if we need to. We just pay for it as we go which puts us in control over what gets spent and what doesn’t. It’s been great in that respect because over the years we’ve become really good at doing a lot of the business side of things ourselves. Not a ton has changed, but there are a lot fewer stupid ideas from labels that we have to say no to, that’s for sure. I respect them, but I think a lot of labels are always trying to come up with something new and quirky and don’t know if it’s in the character of the band or not. For almost ten years of being on a label, we had to seem like assholes and say no to a lot of stuff because we didn’t want to be identified with some of the concepts and ad campaigns that people wanted to run. We got tricked into some of them too. Some of our earlier videos were great on the ones we had input on, but some of them are terribly stupid and weren’t our ideas, but we kind of went along with them. We learned from that though, so it’s better now.

JS: Do you think you’ll ever go back to a record label?

LH: I’ve tried to stick up for labels….

A lot of the line of questioning in interviews is “what do you hate about labels” and the idea of them having input on our songs. I think for us and bands like us, that’s a big misconception with labels. They don’t try to get involved, at least in our experience, with songwriting, how a song should sound, or what studio we should go to. That all started and ended with our decision, which was great. I’ve heard about bands getting input from labels with their music and it boggles my mind because we never experienced that. There might have been suggestions on how to market the album or how the artwork should be or something like that, but it was all really timid and was just them throwing in their two cents. It was totally cool if we came back and said no to everything.

JS: So will you ever go back?

LH: I don’t know; it’s hard to say. I almost don’t want to say no in the off-chance that someone reads it, but no, I honestly don’t think so. Outside the initial launch of a record when you have all kinds of crap and publicity to deal with, I don’t know how important a label is after that. There’s a lot of them that would argue with me, and that would be a good discussion, but for a band like us, there’s a lot of stuff you can do on your own.

JS: Does the Internet make that easier?

LH: For sure! Even sites like Bandcamp give the artist a good cut of what they sell. I think the artists are way more quick to realize and accept that people don’t really pay for music anymore. The labels are still clinging to that, so there’s a conflict of interest. I think a lot of us as musicians have moved on from that, pirate stuff ourselves, and don’t necessarily pay for that much music anymore. Obviously we support the bands we love by going out to shows, buying a t-shirt, and that kind of stuff. I think a lot of artists have accepted that. I’m not sure about Metallica yet, but I think we’ve moved on and accepted that if you’re going to make a living, you have to do it in other aspects. When we were under contract before, we couldn’t just go in and record a song as a one-off and release it. Even if we cut them in, there were loopholes and other legal mumbo-jumbo. Nowadays, we can write a song, record it tomorrow, and put it up online for free or a pay-what-you-can. We haven’t done it yet, but I think we’re planning on it. It’s just a really cool feeling that if the inspiration strikes us, we’re free to do what we want.

JS: What do bands looking for a label face in terms of what comes with that commitment? What would guys do differently?

LH: For us, I know we needed that label infrastructure when we started. I don’t think we would’ve gotten to where we are now without it. But if we were starting now, I think we might be able to build it close to what we have now just because the internet is so much more of a tool than what it was. As long as you have the right people around you giving you decent advice, I think we could’ve made a run at it. I know a band called Intervals in Canada that had tons of label interest and for the first full length album, they did it on their own. I think I would’ve said to any of them to just REALLY REALLY think about it before you sign up for a bunch of albums. Most bands don’t make it out of those first three albums plus an option; we’re lucky that we did. When you have two more albums that you owe someone and you don’t really see it going that far, it’s tough, and a lot of bands hang it up at that point because you’re still in the hole.

JS: Have you ever thought about offering up advice to up and coming bands on the subject?

LH: Yeah, I’ve thought of that. I know Tim’s really into that stuff because he’s really vocal about the wrong turns we’ve made, and I think that’s good because people can learn from that. I would like to blog, but I’m still learning so much that I don’t know if I’m in the position to do that because I’d never want to give someone the wrong advice. We’re making spur of the moment decisions all the time with Sheet Happens, which is our publishing company, and Protest the Hero. I could definitely blog about experience, but wouldn’t ever say don’t do this or don’t do that because it wouldn’t be right for everyone.

JS: How has the reception been for Volition?

LH: The critical analysis of the album has been more positive than any of our previous albums. It’s tough, and I’m proud of this, to find a bad review of Volition whereas the older albums were a bit more polarizing. I’m sure they’re out there, but I don’t look too hard or I just get pissed off. Most of the show reviews have been positive as well.

JS: What was it like working with Lamb of God drummer Chris Adler on your latest album?

LH: It’s funny because when we heard about Lamb of God going on hiatus, we joked around with our new drummer and told him he was out. That goes back to how comfortable we are with Chris anyways – we can make that joke and I think he’d laugh at it too. We had a really good experience with him. 2013 was a really interesting year for the band as we really just went with our gut with everything we did. Sure there were some consequences to those decisions, but we’re happy with our decision to go with Chris. I think Chris accepted from the beginning that he wasn’t going to be able to mimic Moe’s style. Moe is the definition of self-taught and didn’t care whether something was technically sound. That made him really unique and we realized that a lot more after he left the band. Chris took what we programmed ahead of time and went with what was comfortable for him. It could’ve gone either way because we didn’t have a lot of time to really refine what he was playing, so we just went for it and I’m pretty proud of what he did.

JS: What was it like bringing fans into the studio to play on the new album? Any memorable experiences?

LH: I think that was kind of one of the more polarizing perks. There were some people who saw that and thought we were charging people to hang out with us, but that wasn’t the intention. We put it up as “the big one” that nobody would actually buy. As it turned out, there were four people who did it and we told them they could bring a friend. It was fucking crazy. We got really lucky that all four were really talented and could pull off what we wanted them too, but I couldn’t imagine if someone came in with nothing going for them. I think it was cool for them because some had never been in a studio before. Both days we went out for drinks afterwards with everyone and it was a good time.

Editor’s Note: All pictures courtesy of Protest The Hero.

February 26, 2014