Can you tell us about the origin of the band name, a history of the band and a little bit about the various members?

I was looking up ramen near, and I accidentally hit enter with ramener and it came up as a French word meaning, to bring back which is dope! As far as the band goes we’ve been around for about 2 years the first year we had a drummer who, didnt really fit the sound we were looking for, once we found Mike who could sing and play we were beyond stoked. Ricardo and I are the founding members Ricardo is the bass man who is basically a human metronome, loves everything metal. Im Richie, i play guitar and do the yelling beside Mikes singing. 

Are you all from the same area? How did you get together as a band?

Yea we’re all from Nassau County, me and Mike live in the same town and RIcardo lives a few towns over. I met Ricardo and Mike both through some bandfinder websites funnily enough. 

Who are your favourite artists/bands and how have they influenced your own sound?

For myself I’d say Pantera, Sabbath, and Allam Bros Mikes a big Foo Fighters, and Mayer guy, and Ricardo loves all of the metal, all of it. 

Did you always have the ambition to be a musician and in a band or did you originally have other plans?

It’s definitely something we all dreamt about growing up, and now that we feel the time is right and our sound is good we hope we can make it come true. 

What songs or albums are on your current playlist?

I really have been digging everything Knocked Loose at the moment, as well as some Paleface Swiss which is superrr heavy but I love that stuff 

Do you sing in the shower? 

Since i don’t really sing I scream not much. Back at home I would all the time to the point my parents were concerned for my well being. 

Do you have any plans for the band for this year and into next year?

We plan to drop our first album Nov-Dec with about 8 tracks, were gonna release a video for In Her Hand and were gonna hopefully get a tour going after we drop the album come December 

Do you currently have any new songs/albums ready to be released?

We have a couple new songs were gonna play live at our next show October 18th at Amityville Music Hall. We’re excited to see what the people think and feel about em. 

If you could play at any venue in the world, where would you choose?

Red Rocks has to be up there but being from Ny I feel like I need to mention MSG. 

Do you have a favourite album? If so, what is it?

I feel like Vulgar Display of Power by Pantera has 0 skips, also the live at the Fillmore East by the Allman Bros goes so hard. 

Do you have any guilty pleasure songs/albums?

I would say Bulletproof by La Roux, when that song comes on no matter where I am I’m dancing my face off. 

If you were putting together the greatest show on earth, who would be playing?

Prime Pantera, QOTSA, Foo Fighters, Sabbath, and a lilttle Knocked Loose for the hardocre in me. 

Can you remember the first album you bought with your own money? What was it and do you still have it?

First album I bought with my own money was Vol 4 by black, i asked a dude at the shop for some recommendations and he showed me that, changed my life. 

As your fans will be reading this, is there any message you would like to send out to them?

We love you, come see us at AMH oct 18! 

Finally, let us know all your social media sites so your fans, old and new, can find and follow/like you!

Ramener (@ramener_band)

http://www.instagram.com/ramener_band

https://www.facebook.com/officialramener

Ramener (@officialramener) | TikTok

We, at The Metal Asylum, would like to thank you for your time. Is there is anything further that you would like to add?

Thanks for letting us do this interview, hope it wasn’t too late on our end 🙂 

Can you tell us about the origin of the band name, a history of the band and a little bit about the various members?

It all began when I was in school, my best friends and I decided to start a band in the styles of Dimmu Borgir, Old Man´s child, and Dissection, I was 15 and they were older than me 18, 20s, an old book was mentioning “Eshtadur” as the rebellion of angels, it was a Greek author who wrote a whole book about the kind of rebellions, in which “Eshtadur” was the one related to the rebellion of angels.

Are you all from the same area? How did you get together as a band?

We all lived in the same city, but then after the first EP, everyone got their own business and I started to play as a solo man project until the whole band was gathered finally after 2018, the first edition was “Andres” on the bass, at his 44 he was a witness of all the process and career involved in Eshtadur, as he was the owner of the local rehearsal rooms in our town and also founder member of his previous project “Souledge”. Very soon after that, we got the addition of “David” on the drums and “Johnatan” on the lead guitar.

Who are your favourite artists/bands and how have they influenced your own sound?

My favourite artists are Ihsahn and Peter Tägtgren for their minds on music production, I also enjoy a lot early Arch enemy, At the Gates, and Amon Amarth, I think the whole Swedish metal and Gothenburg style made us all in Pereira (our local town in Colombia) addicted to metal, all bands started to play this sound and this style, and it is something we want to bring in our music too, hopefully in our own Colombian style.

Did you always have the ambition to be a musician and in a band or did you originally have other plans?

Personally, I have always had the ambition to produce music in the best quality way possible, in a band and as a composer, since I was a kid I listened to music and I saw drums and electric guitar as the most incredible things in the world.

What songs or albums are on your current playlist?

I am currently listening to some collections of Glenn Gould, my current playlist says Abigail, Mastodon, Voyager, Joe Lynn Turner and Jorge Falcón. But there’s a collection in my smartphone that I have as a treasure file, it’s Adolfo Mejia’s best songs for guitar, tiple and piano.

Do you sing in the shower?

This makes me laugh, yes! Not always, but yeah, I used to sing when I was happy, I sing ballad songs in Spanish, usually Emmanuel, Jose Jose or Rafael hahaha, very powerful songs for a baritone.

Do you have any plans for the band for this year and into next year?

For now, we are all focused on finishing the recording of the new album, we already have 2 releases, and 2 singles for September and October during our North American tour, but we are planning on finishing the whole album, we would love also to tour somewhere on the first season of 2024, plus we have already some shows booked with Graveworm in a Latin American tour September 2024.

Do you currently have any new songs/albums ready to be released?

To talk about this in a deeper manner, Eshtadur now has 10 songs 2 of which are being released this same year, this is going to be part of a new album which already has the title on sketch “In Darkness All Shadows Gone”, there’s a high possibility of having more songs on this album, we are still deciding about it.

If you could play at any venue in the world where would you choose?

OH, I think I would choose Teatro Greco in Sicilia, that would be amazing, but not as a venue I also dream about playing the main stage in Wacken.

Do you have a favourite album? If so, what is it?

I don´t have an official list per se, but there´s an album I can´t live with: Rescue You by Joe Lynn Turner, this album is the best in my opinion, with amazing vocals, and production.

Do you have any guilty pleasure songs/albums?

OH yeah, definitely, I love all ballad songs of Latin American singers, Juan Gabriel, Rocio Durcal, Emmanuel, Rafael, Jose Jose, and Luis Miguel.

I think there´s no longer a singer that can perform such amazing melodrama musically speaking.

If you were putting together the greatest show on earth, who would be playing?

Metallica will be the great headliner of course; I will bring Megadeth (only for Kiko Loureiro), I would love to have Survivor, Aviator, Madison, Fortune and many AOR bands that we can no longer see.

Can you remember the first album you bought with your own money? What was it and do you still have it?

Absolutely, I still have it with me, I bought KRAKEN III, it´s a classic heavy metal band from Colombia, legendary heavy metal. The first record I had, it was Master of Puppets in tape edition, but it was a gift, I didn’t buy it myself.

As your fans will be reading this, is there any message you would like to send out to them?

I would like to thank them for their support and time, that we are always grateful with no possible words to explain, and also remember, don’t forget to get up from the ground when times are in a dirty mood.

Finally, let us know all your social media sites so your fans, old and new, can find and follow/like you!

https://linktr.ee/Eshtadur

http://www.eshtadur.com

We, at The Metal Asylum, would like to thank you for your time. Is there is anything further that you would like to add?

Thank you!!

Your work is much appreciated, all metal community, bloggers, photographers, designers, artists, press, media, producers, everyone, we respect you so much!!!

This interview is the property of The Metal Asylum

Can you tell us about the origin of the band name, a history of the band and a little bit about the various members?

We are two guys from northern Germany: Heiko Skirde on guitar and me, Jörn Daub as lead vocalist. We have been writing music for quite some time, but only recently decided to make the jump into the limelight and publish our debut single Afterworld Rock’n’roll. More shall follow.

Soon after we started writing music it became clear that quite a few of our songs were political in nature. Not so much in what now has become a war of the trenches but more in a “look what this does to people” way. One is about a girl whose father returns from the Iraq war in a casket. Another one is about the hopes and dreams of the Arab Spring movement. We believe that shining a light on Average Joe’s struggles subverts the ignorant reactiveness of people in power. In the hope of being the elements of society actively shining such a light we became Subversive Elements. Also, we couldn’t come up with anything better and the domain was available.

Are you all from the same area? How did you get together as a band?

I know this does not make a good origin story for a rock band, but alas, it is the truth: Heiko and I were independently cast as baritone and bass in a mixed a capella group in the early 00s. By the time that group dissolved, we had become good friends and decided we wanted to keep making music together. Luckily, at that point in time home recording had gotten to a point where it was feasible to do so without a full band: Heiko plays guitars and bass, I do the singing, and together we develop the song structure, lyrics and drums, which are later replaced with a real performance by a session musician.

Who are your favourite artists/bands and how have they influenced your own sound?

Heiko has always been a great fan of rock’n’roll and blues and can play and sing most Elvis songs from the back of his head. I’ve mostly been a Metalhead ever since hearing Judas Priest’s Electric Eye at the age of 12. Our tastes in music meet somewhere between ZZ Top and Foo Fighters, between AC/DC and Pearl Jam. I find it incredibly difficult to put a genre label on it, so I’ll stick with Lemmy’s famous words: We are Motörhead, and we play ROCK’N’ROLL!

Did you always have the ambition to be a musician and in a band or did you originally have other plans?

Both of us have always been making music in some shape or form, but neither one of us wanted to enslave themselves to the soulless monster that is the music industry. So, we both built our lives around regular jobs away from the limelight and kept our love for music as a hobby. It is now, with the advent of modern music publishing where we can try to find an audience without the shackles of a big label publisher and a life in a tour bus.

What songs or albums are on your current playlist?

Oh, wow is that a long list, but also a bit of a story. After I bought Midnight Oil’s Beds are Burning (yes, I’m that old and this was before the internet) I discovered their back catalogue one album at a time, basically going back to their roots. My reward was Red Sails in the Sunset, a great album that never got anywhere outside Australia. Ever since then I’ve tried to find and keep hidden gems, which is now much easier online. Recently I rediscovered Crush by Anthrax, a great song buried in an otherwise mediocre album I had totally forgotten about. Then there’s the Courtney Hadwin’s new single Monsters along with That Girl don’t Live Here. Of course, that playlist has lots of well-known artists on it, like every band Dave Grohl has ever played in, but you knew that already, didn’t you?

Do you sing in the shower?

That is a definite yes. Has anyone ever answered no to this? And if so, did you investigate on their suspicious behaviour?

Do you have any plans for the band for this year and into next year?

We want to release more of the back catalogue of music we’ve written over the years and see whether we can grow a fan base for ourselves online.

Do you currently have any new songs/albums ready to be released?

At the moment we’re putting finishing touches on our second single Adrenaline which is a bit more punk rocky than our debut single Afterworld Rock’n’roll. We’re a bit scared whether people appreciate the spectrum of styles in our music, but if people want to hear it, there is a lot more where this came from.

If you could play at any venue in the world where would you choose?

Oh, that’s a bit of a tough one. One part of me says Ed Sulivan Theater, New York City another says River Plate Stadium, Buenos Aires, but I guess my gut feeling gets the final say: Wacken Open Air. I’m not sure we’d be a good fit, but that wasn’t the question, was it?

Do you have a favourite album? If so, what is it?

My mind is going through quite a list. From Master of Puppets through multiple Beatles albums, but it stops at Meat Loaf’s Bat out of Hell. It is one of the few albums that I can listen to ten times in a row without getting bored. Favourite song would be Bohemian Rapsody by Queen for the very same reason.

Do you have any guilty pleasure songs/albums?

Oh yes, dare I say I liked Bad Guy by Billie Eilish. Also, does Ben Howard’s version of Hideaway count? And there are a few songs from my younger years that I’ll still sing along to with the right amount of alcohol, but we’ll just pretend that doesn’t ever happen, okay? OKAY?

If you were putting together the greatest show on earth, who would be playing?

That is half of the premise of our debut single Afterworld Rock’n’roll, as a lot of the people I’d love to see on such a stage are unfortunately not with us anymore. Can you imagine what it would be like if Freddy Mercury were on stage with Jimmy Hendrix and Keith Moon at the drums? And I’d have Meat Loaf, Ronnie James Dio and Jack Black perform Kickapoo live on stage.

Can you remember the first album you bought with your own money? What was it and do you still have it?

I think this may have been OMD’s Junk Culture. Yeah, not metal, not punk, not rock, but experimental new wave. Sorry. But it was on vinyl, does that help my case? Heiko actually remembers the first records he bought: It was Elvis Forever (of course), AC/DC’s If You Want Blood You´ve Got It and Motörhead’s Stone Dead Forever EP. Thanks Heiko, you saved this one.

As your fans will be reading this, is there any message you would like to send out to them?

Hello you. Yes, you, handsome fellow earthling. Attention is one of the rarest things on this planet, and I don’t know how I just got yours.  Thank you for your time. Hug your loved ones and be good to your pets. Also, buy all our merch. What? We don’t even have any merch? Kay. Can the two of us pretend we were sold out due to high demand? And shh… we’ll keep that a secret!

Finally, let us know all your social media sites so your fans, old and new, can find and follow/like you!

It is of utmost importance that you follow us on all InstaToks and FaceTubes:

Web: http://www.subversive-elements.com

Instagram: @subversive_elements

TikTok: @subversive_elements

YouTube: @subversive_elements

Facebook: Subversive.Elements.Music

We, at The Metal Asylum, would like to thank you for your time. Is there is anything further that you would like to add?

Nah, I’m good. Thank you for your time and efforts. Long live the blues, long live metal, long live rock’n’roll.

This interview is the property of The Metal Asylum

Can you tell us about the origin of the band name, a history of the band and a little bit about the various members?

We only found our band name after we started playing together. The first “name” for the project was “Rainbow Ponycorn” but we obviously needed something a bit more serious considering the type of music we’re making ^^.  We couldn’t really find anything so our bass player made a list of idiomatic expressions (words or phrases that only exist in one language) to choose from and “Esprit d’Escalier” was one of them. It’s an old saying that means “finding what you should have said after the fact” and we thought it was a fun one.

We started in early 2018, quickly released a self-titled demo and played a lot of local gigs before releasing our first album “Predictable Anomalies of a Lunatic Geometry” on February 29^th 2020. Then COVID hit and we took the time to work on some new material.

Are you all from the same area? How did you get together as a band?

We are all from around Orléans in centre France. I (Renaud) started the band with my long-time friend Vincent on the bass, then I met Baptiste at a concert I was playing with another band and we instantly hit it off very well. Last but clearly not least, I found Matthieu online through a message board and he was very enthusiastic about the project. Needless to say, this was the start of a great friendship and a great musical emulation that pushed us all to new heights in terms of musical ability.

Who are your favourite artists/bands and how have they influenced your own sound?

Every member has a different musical background and varying tastes but in terms of the influences you can hear in our music, I mainly like post-hardcore and experimental stuff (Dillinger, Mars Volta), Baptiste is a jazz and prog-head (Haken, Neal Morse, Dream Theater), Vincent likes post-rock (Mono, Explosions in the Sky, Sigur Ross) and Matthieu is into jazz and extreme technical metal (Obscura, Archspire, Beyond Creation). Now that we mostly write and compose as a band, I believe all these very different influences can somehow be heard in our music.

Did you always have the ambition to be a musician and in a band or did you originally have other plans?

We have all played in several bands before and we all have multiple projects. Although this is not how we earn our living (except for Matthieu who recently became a professional musician), I’m sure we would all like to become professional at some point, provided our different projects get enough traction ^^. But even if that doesn’t happen, music will always be an important aspect of our lives, that I’m sure about.

What songs or albums are on your current playlist?

Manchild – Eels

Comeback Kid – Do Yourself a Favor

Spectres de Mouse – Mouse on the Keys

Sleep Token – The Summoning

Doja Cat – Demons

Kublai Khan TX – Swan Song

Trapped Under Ice – Pleased to Meet you

Dua Lipa/Calvin Harris – One Kiss

Chimaira – Inside the Horror

Blur – Girls & Boys

Clara Luciani – La Chanson de Delphine

TOPS – Anything

The Mars Volta – Graveyard Love

Do you have any plans for the band for this year and into next year?

Our goal is to promote our newest release by playing as many live shows as possible next year. To this end, we are currently booking two tours that will see us playing in Belgium/Germany/The Netherlands/Switzerland, and maybe even Austria/Hungary/etc…

Do you currently have any new songs/albums ready to be released?

We have already been working on our next album for a few months and although no track is ready to be released just yet, we wrote quite a lot of stuff already and we plan on playing some new tracks when we tour Europe next year.

If you could play at any venue in the world, where would you choose?

The Royal Albert Hall! A legendary venue that’s been played by countless legendary artists over the years. It would really be an honour and a privilege to play there someday 😊

Do you have a favourite album? If so, what is it?

It’s a tough question to answer but in terms of how it influenced me and how I still come back to it after all these years, I would have to say “Mechanical Animals” by Marilyn Manson.

Do you have any guilty pleasure songs/albums?

I listen to a lot of mainstream music, especially R&B/Hip-Hop. I really love Rihanna, Ariana Grande, Doja Cat (her last album is such a banger) and bad-bitch music in general ^^ I don’t feel that guilty about it but it sometimes surprises and perplexes the people I meet ha-ha.

Can you remember the first album you bought with your own money? What was it and do you still have it?

Well, this brings us back to “Mechanical Animals” by Marilyn Manson ^^ It’s the first CD I bought with my own money and it really changed my world because of all the imagery, on top of the amazing music. I later discovered David Bowie and understood the influence he had on Manson (especially for this album) in terms of concept, image, photography, fashion, everything… This translated into a strong desire to create art that is coherent through every media you know? I believe what we create is not only about the music, it’s meant to create a coherent universe which embodies a philosophy, a way of thinking or a vision of the modern world… Whatever you want to call it ^^ The music is the central part but the lyrics, the videos, the artworks, the stage presence, the narrative aspect of it all… to us, it all must blend into one big coherent work of art, with purpose and meaning.

As your fans will be reading this, is there any message you would like to send out to them?

That’s a simple one ^^ Thank you all! We are really, glad that our music resonates with you and that we were able to connect through art 😊 This is only the first part of our journey 😉

Finally, let us know all your social media sites so your fans, old and new, can find and follow/like you!

https://www.facebook.com/espritescalier

https://www.instagram.com/esprit_escalier_band/

https://www.youtube.com/@espritdescalier1343

This interview is the property of The Metal Asylum

Fok S. on behalf of Omenloth

Can you tell us about the origin of the band name, a history of the band and a little bit about the various members?

The name Omenloth is an old inspiration. It comes from the word Omen, which is of Latin origin and –loth, which is an archaic form of the word ‘loath’. It means something like “Bad Omen’ and it has to do with a bleak feeling concerning the nature of mankind. And Tolkien!
The members are old acquaintances. It’s been thrilling to have the opportunity to create music again with friends that I hadn’t worked with for 20 years. During these years we have all been involved in various bands from thrash metal to goth.

Are you all from the same area? How did you get together as a band?

We are based in Greece, in Ioannina city. There is a nice little story about that: The name, general concept and some first riffs were born here, some 20 years ago. After a relocation, we essentially resumed that initiative. Two of our members are located in Athens though. I just had some songs composed and called my old friends to share the concept and make this real. It felt like completing a circle.

Who are your favourite artists/bands and how have they influenced your own sound?

I‘d say the main inspiration is the 2^nd wave of Norwegian Black Metal. Of course it’s filtered through our own, more personal music journeys both as musicians and as listeners, which resulted in a certain pluralism in terms of expression. I still enjoy bands like Emperor, Arcturus, Ulver, early Septic Flesh, the more-sophisticated type of stuff. Nothing bad about pure, raw black metal though!

Did you always have the ambition to be a musician and in a band or did you originally have other plans?

I just bought a guitar as a teenager because I liked the sound of it. Then things came naturally, finding other like-minded people, jamming-practicing, composing, rehearsing, recording. My favourite part of this journey is when ideas are being formed into songs, new music, new ways of expression and feeling, maybe. It’s magical to have something from nothing.

What songs or albums are on your current playlist?

Hmmm, Drapsnatt is a band I discovered recently and fell in love with. Dodheimsgard is always interesting, new album and all. Alcest too. My favourite albums are still from the 90ies though.

Do you sing in the shower?

I prefer playing my guitars and they don’t like water haha.

Do you have any plans for the band for this year and into next year?

We’ve been silent for a few months, working on new stuff –composing and preproducing. We are not the kind to spam social media anyway. There is going to be a new single out, in the form of lyric video, preparing the way for the next album next year.

Do you currently have any new songs/albums ready to be released?

Yes, adding to the above answer: the new stuff is more heavy and homogeneous, but the Omenloth pluralism will be there. It sounds angrier.

If you could play at any venue in the world where would you choose?

I’d like to play at Beyond the Gates festival, I like both Bergen and the bands there.

Do you have a favourite album? If so, what is it?

Wow, if I had to choose one, it would probably be Arcturus- Aspera Hiems Symfonia,

Do you have any guilty pleasure songs/albums?

Not guilty at all, but I guess 80ies pop would fit in that category. “You spin me round”, “Self control”, great stuff haha.

If you were putting together the greatest show on earth, who would be playing?

Bathory, DarkThrone, old Ulver. I cheated three times there. Ok, I’d love to watch Metallica in the Master era too.

Can you remember the first album you bought with your own money? What was it and do you still have it?

Yes! It was Iron Maiden – A real live one on cassette and my first CD was Guns ‘n’ Roses – Use your Illusion I. I still have the CD, not a clue what happened to the Maiden tape…

As your fans will be reading this, is there any message you would like to send out to them?

I would like to thank the people who have contacted us directly. I hope you feel the same connection with our future material too, though, I got to say, this is not our primary goal.

Finally, let us know all your social media sites so your fans, old and new, can find and follow/like you!

Sure, thanks for this:

https://www.facebook.com/Omenlothband

https://omenloth.bandcamp.com/album/omenloth

We, at The Metal Asylum, would like to thank you for your time. Is there anything further that you would like to add?

Much appreciated, thanks to The Metal Asylum for your interest. Till next time!

Can you tell us about the origin of the band name, a history of the band and a little bit about the various members? Are you all from the same area? How did you get together as a band?

I (Cal) frequently daydream, sometimes with musical inspiration, and I thought the name “Within A Reverie” was very apt and true to that. We started the band after we wrote a song in our vocalists/bassist living room, this was the first rendition of Sora, and from there we worked on songs and started releasing them. We were part of a band before Covid hit. And after quarantine restrictions were lifted, we started recording for this project and we’ve been at it ever since. Cal is one of our guitar players who also does some unclean vocals every now and then. Said is the other guitar player who also does some unclean and clean vocals as well. Chris is our bass player and our primary vocalist, doing unclean and clean vocals. We also have had a few other musicians feature on some of our songs.

Who are your favourite artists/bands and how have they influenced your own sound?

Cal – Saosin, Silverstein, Senses Fail, Ice Nine Kills, each one of these artists play a huge role in the way that I think about and write songs.

Said – Ice Nine Kills, Escape the Fate, Falling in Reverse, Black Veil Brides, and Bullet for My Valentine. These groups are major influences in the way I write music and approach the songwriting process in general

Chris – He wasn’t here to ask the question, but he likes to take influence from music all around the world. Having a song fully in Japanese was his idea.

Did you always have the ambition to be a musician and in a band or did you originally have other plans?

Cal – For me I always wanted to be able to create my own music and it’s something that I wanted to do along with other jobs in mind.

Said – I had other plans, but when I started to learn guitar in 6^th grade, I felt that being a rockstar was my absolute dream.

What songs or albums are on your current playlist?

Cal – I’ve been bumping a lot of Sublime, Blur (Song 2), and Goldfinger

Said – I’ve been listening to a lot of Arctic Monkeys

Do you sing in the shower?

Said – Oh yeah! He said this very emphatically

Cal – Sometimes, it’s mostly humming

Do you have any plans for the band for this year and into next year? Do you currently have any new songs/albums ready to be released?

We plan on releasing a 5 song EP called “There’s Nothing to Hold Onto” including My Fears Have Become My Reality and an additional 4 songs at the end of this year. The date isn’t set just yet.

If you could play at any venue in the world where would you choose?

It’s not exactly a venue, but performing at a musical festival like Warped Tour would’ve been so awesome

Do you have a favourite album? If so, what is it?

Cal – Let it Enfold You by Senses Fail has always been an album that I listen to on the regular

Said – Set the World on Fire by Black Veil Brides

Do you have any guilty pleasure songs/albums?

Cal – Having some friends from Toronto, I’ve been a lowkey fan of Drake

Said – Kiss and Tell by Ke$ha

If you were putting together the greatest show on earth, who would be playing?

Bullet for my Valentine would be the opening act, the headliner would be System of a Down

Can you remember the first album you bought with your own money? What was it and do you still have it?

Said – Ungrateful by Escape the Fate, and yes I do still have it.

Cal – Ocean Avenue by Yellowcard, and yes I do.

As your fans will be reading this, is there any message you would like to send out to them?

Thank you for reading this and for your support, we hope that you check out our new songs and EP coming out soon and that you all dig it!

Finally, let us know all your social media sites so your fans, old and new, can find and follow/like you!

You can find a link to all our social media sites below:

https://linktr.ee/WithinAReverie

We, at The Metal Asylum, would like to thank you for your time. Is there is anything further that you would like to add?

Nothing more but thank you for the opportunity to interview! We appreciate it a lot.

This interview is the property of The Metal Asylum

Can you tell us about the origin of the band name, a history of the band and a little bit about the various members?

The name is a portmanteau of the words “dissonant” and “persona”. In the past, Dissona made more regular use of dissonance in the music but in more modern times, it serves as more of a metaphor for our approach and ideals with the music and art we create. We strive to keep things unique and unexpected while still making the experience as engaging as possible for the listener. Dissona has been active since 2009 and we have two full-length albums: the 2012 self-titled and 2016’s Paleopneumatic. Our newest musical offering, a 3-song EP called “Dreadfully Distinct” was very recently announced and the first single and music video “The Prodigal Son” is available now EVERYWHERE.

Are you all from the same area? How did you get together as a band?

We’re all in the Chicago area but in different suburbs about 20-30 minutes apart from each other. Dissona “began” almost 20 years ago when Matt (guitar) and Craig (bass) met in a high school guitar class. Matt had a project of his own and was looking for a bassist to fill in on an upcoming gig, for which Craig agreed. The musical connection between us was immediate and steps were taken to build up the rest of the band. Craig recruited David as the singer, having played with him in other projects for years as well as knowing his considerable talents. The three of us went on for years with different drummers and other instrumentalists before we miraculously found Drew, a recent St. Louis transplant, via a CraigsList ad. He auditioned and we immediately knew: this was it. That was roughly 2009 and we consider that to be the formal beginning for what is now Dissona.

Who are your favourite artists/bands and how have they influenced your own sound?

We all have separate favorite artists and genres I think we lean towards. Opeth, Ahab, Tool, and Blind Guardian are just a few that we all share an affinity for but I’m not sure how much those artists have an effect on the music we create. We never EVER write a piece of music with the intent of it being “in the style of” so and so or what not. The track needs to tell a specific story and it’s through the grappling with the musical fundamentals that are available to everyone that we sculpt those stories.

Did you always have the ambition to be a musician and in a band or did you originally have other plans?

I think I can confidently say that this was a very natural life transition: the life of a musician. We treat it with responsibility so we all have our day jobs and expect no financial return, but the process is never any less sweeter because of it.

What songs or albums are on your current playlist?

I’ve been doing the ol’ “go to artist radio” function on Spotify as of late and I usually have Opeth as the starting point. But I will admit, there’s quite a bit of flowery acoustic stuff that comes through so using that method isn’t the best for holding my attention. Constant spins for me would be Opeth’s Still Life or Edge of Sanity’s Crimson II. Cynic’s Traced in Air is a wonderful, tight listen as well.

Do you sing in the shower?

If I do, it’s probably me creating a song out of something I need to remember to do that day. The forgetful mind of the creative gets tough, haha!

Do you have any plans for the band for this year and into next year?

Big plans! We’ve got two other singles from the new “Dreadfully Distinct” EP that are coming out in the next several weeks and another THREE videos with those songs! So it’ll be a fierce push on all of those until the end of the year. Then we’ll be planning and securing performances for 2024 starting at the end of this year as well. So follow those socials and stay tuned!

Do you currently have any new songs/albums ready to be released?

Sure do! Our newest single and video “The Prodigal Son” can be found everywhere RIGHT NOW! And then the rest of the “Dreadfully Distinct” EP will be released in singles and videos within the next several weeks via Earache Distribution.

If you could play at any venue in the world where would you choose?

Red Rocks Ampitheatre in Colorado sure does look like a good time!

Do you have a favourite album? If so, what is it?

I couldn’t choose. My tastes change all the time and seem to come and go with the seasons. I will say Led Zeppelin’s “Houses of the Holy” was a cornerstone album in shaping how I feel the music and an album should be.

Do you have any guilty pleasure songs/albums?

At one point it may have been Lady Gaga’s music but these days, I think it’s healthiest to stay away from that pop music!

If you were putting together the greatest show on earth, who would be playing?

Oh man, let’s call it Prog Giants Unite and it’ll be classic era Opeth, Symphony X, Cynic, and Tool playing only slammers.

Can you remember the first album you bought with your own money? What was it and do you still have it?

I remember it like it was yesterday. Walked right into Target with a gift card and bought the Spider-Man Original Soundtrack. Fell asleep to that for probably half a year at least. Sadly, I don’t still have the record.

As your fans will be reading this, is there any message you would like to send out to them?

If you’re already a fan of Dissona, you have my complete gratitude. Keeping things exciting and real for you is what we are here for. If you haven’t given Dissona a chance yet, we ask that you give it focused attention at your time of choosing. We truly believe there is something magical here and all we ask is that you give the new single a spin, and go from there!

Finally, let us know all your social media sites so your fans, old and new, can find and follow/like you!

You can find all the links you could possibly need at our Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/dissona. And as a backup, our official website can be found at: https://www.dissonaband.com/. Please be sure to follow us on all socials, watch “The Prodigal Son” on YouTube, and stream it wherever you get your music!

We, at The Metal Asylum, would like to thank you for your time. Is there is anything further that you would like to add?

We are beyond humbled by your interest in what we do and who we are! The incredible flow of support from organizations like The Metal Asylum and all of our amazing fans gives us unimaginable inspiration. WE THANK YOU!

This interview is the property of The Metal Asylum

Can you tell us about the origin of the band name, a history of the band and a little bit about the various members?

The band name was created by Grizz (drums) as a name for a project he started after his previous band ‘Whiskey Preachers’ parted ways in 2008. Named partially in tribute to his Grandad (his hero) and also an ‘almost’ anagram. Flip the ‘W’ into an ‘M’ and you have ‘Emo dies here’.

The band formed in August 2014.

First line up was Gray – Guitar and vocals

                             Trev – Bass & BV

                             Grizz – Drums

The band added a second guitarist for a while, Ben Ford (Motorheadache guitar dep) but outside commitments meant that the band returned to a 3 pc.

The band recorded the ‘Lowering the tone’ EP in 2016 followed by ‘Rockers & Angels’ EP in 2018

Trev left for a short while and Steve Cater took on bass duties for one live performance before Trev returned and they opened for bands such as Sham 69, Vice Squad and Motorheadache as well as sharing the stage with local acts around Croydon.

As the covid dust settled Trev decided to leave due to work commitments and the band tried out a couple of bassists and luckily Glenn Johnson aka Shifty has stayed long enough to become part of the family.

Are you all from the same area? How did you get together as a band?

Gray and Grizz are in Surrey whereas Glen is nearby in Sussex, all within a 20-mile radius of each other.

Gray saw the Whiskey Preachers live and drank in the same pub as Grizz and they soon got talking (on many occasions) about Motorhead so the friendship started there.

When Whiskey Preachers split due to the lead vocalist and the lead guitarist wanting to pursue a more ‘Audioslave’ style of band Grizz got to work building the WDH project but always struggled to find a singer so dropped the idea temporarily as he was soon to be a father.

Gray decided he had some material written that he’d like to perform live but needed a band and after a few attempts at getting Grizz to get the drums out of the loft he succeeded and then they found Trev through a recommendation.

Glen has known Gray for over 30 years and we didn’t think Glen would be available as he plays bass for punk icons ‘Control’, but he said yes.

Who are your favourite artists/bands and how have they influenced your own sound?

Grizz – Motorhead – Ramones – Misfits – Lynyrd Skynyrd – Metallica – Black Sabbath.

Gray – Motorhead – GBH – Johnny Cash.

Glen – Changes daily…sometimes hourly dependant on mood.

Motorhead have definitely influenced the sound and speed and the Ramones influence is definitely obvious in the speed and song length.

Did you always have the ambition to be a musician and in a band or did you originally have other plans?

Grizz – Wanted to play drums from a pre school age but didn’t get a drumkit until he was 25 and started his own band in 1999 (Blight).

Gray – Always wanted to be a musician and has been for over 40 years.

Glen – Never wanted to be in a band but now plays in four bands.

What songs or albums are on your current playlist?

Grizz – Mainly Misfits at the moment (both Danzig and Graves era) but also been listening to the Backyard Babies, Anti-Nowhere League and Motorhead.

Gray – My playlist changes daily but there’s usually some Motorhead in there.

Glen – What’s a playlist? Normally I have setlists spinning around in my head as I’m always prepping for an upcoming gig or recording session (ie We Die Heroes and Ramstampits).

Do you sing in the shower?

None of us sing in the shower but Grizz will sing while driving alone and blow his voice box out for the Misfits American Psycho album. (all killer/No filler).

Do you have any plans for the band for this year and into next year?

Our first post Covid gig at The Fighting Cocks, Kingston upon Thames Sat 28^th October, Halloween special (fancy dress and DJ til late).

Next year we will be playing at least one festival and going into the studio to record a third EP.

Do you currently have any new songs/albums ready to be released?

Nope, come back next year lol.

If you could play at any venue in the world where would you choose?

The venue doesn’t matter to us as long as the crowd are good although Grizz appreciates venues with clean toilets that he doesn’t have to wade through.

Do you have a favourite album? If so, what is it?

Grizz – Motorhead – Ace of Spades

Gray – Never Mind the Bollocks – Sex Pistols 

Glen – Van Halen – self titled.

Do you have any guilty pleasure songs/albums?

No such thing as a guilty pleasure, you listen to what you like and not what will make you popular.

Gray likes James Blunt, Grizz loves Country music and Chas & Dave and Glen…well Glen is just guilty full stop.

If you were putting together the greatest show on earth, who would be playing?

Grizz – Most of my favourites are dead, dying or disbanded but Metallica – Misfits reunion – The Almighty – The (reformed) Wildhearts – Motorheadache and We Die Heroes.

Gray – Dunno, Motorhead would have been nice with GBH but Lemmy RIP.

Glen – Mumbles random nonsense.

Can you remember the first album you bought with your own money? What was it and do you still have it?

Grizz – Motorhead – No Sleep At All

Gray – Motorhead – No Sleep til Hammersmith

Glen – Pink Floyd –  The Wall.

As your fans will be reading this, is there any message you would like to send out to them?

Come to the shows and thanks for your attendance in the past, we’re not dead yet.

Finally, let us know all your social media sites so your fans, old and new, can find and follow/like you!

www.facebook.com/wedieheroes

we_die_heroes_uk (Instagram)

We, at The Metal Asylum, would like to thank you for your time. Is there is anything further that you would like to add?

This interview is the property of The Metal Asylum

Can you tell us about the origin of the band name, a history of the band and a little bit about the various members?

 It’s about breaking free from constraints and conformity. Everybody in this band is somebody that I’ve wanted to work with for a while. And after coming out of my last project, everything just seemed to fall in place. Fortunately, this band is made up of great people not just great musicians. And that puts a bonus on everything we’ve done so far.

Are you all from the same area? How did you get together as a band?

We all live in Phoenix, Arizona at the moment. But we are from all over the country. I am from the Midwest. Paul, our bass player is from Chicago. A D, our drummer is from Detroit and the Washington area. Mike, are keyboard player is from Connecticut. And our guitarist Conrad is the only one native to Phoenix.

Who are your favourite artists/bands and how have they influenced your own sound?

My musical tastes range dependent on mood and time of day but we wanted to really go after a 70s vibe with this band. With music and harmonies more in the vein of Foreigner, Boston, and Journey.  

Did you always have the ambition to be a musician and in a band or did you originally have other plans?

 It’s pretty much always been the plan!

What songs or albums are on your current playlist?

 I really have enjoyed the last several records from BlackBerry Smoke. 

Do you sing in the shower?

 No, but a lot of lyric ideas seems to pop in while I’m in there. No idea why. 

Do you have any plans for the band for this year and into next year?

 Touring as much as possible, and playing live to support our brand-new debut release “This is Gonna Sting! “

Do you currently have any new songs/albums ready to be released?

 See above. And our new full video for the track “Separate Lives” is now on YouTube. 

If you could play at any venue in the world where would you choose?

 I would rather play a club packed with fans, then an arena with no one in it. Lol. 

Do you have a favourite album? If so, what is it?

 Anything in the DLR era VH is always toward the top of the list. 

Do you have any guilty pleasure songs/albums?

 I like alot of softer rock. Bread,Eagles. I just love great songwriting. 

If you were putting together the greatest show on earth, who would be playing?

 Escape The Hive. I’m not sure if I care who with. But again, good people are much more fun to be around in that situation than people who are a drag in any situation.

Can you remember the first album you bought with your own money? What was it and do you still have it?

 I still have all my “teenage vinyl”. The first one was Kiss Destroyer. 

As your fans will be reading this, is there any message you would like to send out to them?

Please go to your local record store and pick up our new CD. Listening to it online is great, but you’ll hear a lot more of it on CD and hopefully vinyl this fall!

Finally, let us know all your social media sites so your fans, old and new, can find and follow/like you!

https://linktr.ee/escapethehive

We, at The Metal Asylum, would like to thank you for your time. Is there is anything further that you would like to add?

Thank you so much for letting me be a part of it. Really anxious to get out on the road to support our debut release! Join us!

This interview is the property of The Metal Asylum

Answers mostly by founder Pasi Tanskanen (bass)

Other members are: Erik Kraemer (vocals), Harri “Haba” Hytönen (guitars), Joonas Pykälä-aho (drums)

Can you tell us about the origin of the band name, a history of the band and a little bit about the various members?

The band name Amorta combines two Gods from Roman/Greek mythology. God of love Amor and the goddess of death Morta.

I (Pasi Tanskanen) started putting up a new band some time after my other band Thaurorod had released its 3^rd album “Coast of Gold” back in 2018 and it came clear that the album wouldn’t do too well in sales. I was really happy with the album itself and the promotion we did with record label Drakkar but I was very disappointed for the sales. I felt like trying a new fresh thing with mostly new guys in the band and so I slowly started to plan the whole idea and write new music. I wanted to do more straightforward guitar oriented heavy metal with less tempo and harder sound than some of the over-tempo songs we did in Thaurorod. Also I wanted to cut keyboards out completely, leaving more room for rougher guitar sound and everything else.

Well I was bass player and one of the founder members in Thaurorod and also wrote songs and lyrics there. We had a good run from 2005 to 2018 peaking maybe in 2009-2011 when we did some European tours warming up for Sabaton, Alestorm, Symphony X, Nevermore and palying shows with Wintersun, Turisas, Ensiferum etc. Good times!

In drums we have Joonas Pykälä-aho, the only other guy from Thaurorod. Joonas also plays in Amberian Dawn for example. They just finished off their recent European tour. Joonas also plays in black metal band Azaghal and probably in many other bands too but I’ve lost count. 😀

In guitars we have a live guitarist of Kalmah Harri “Haba” Hytönen. Thaurorod’s keyboardist Harri Koskela had toured with him in his band Lost in Grey and knew the guy from that tour and recommended him to me knowing I’m putting up a new group. I played some new songs to  Haba in Virgin Oil, Helsinki and he seemed to like the material so we now had a guitarist with awesome sense of style.

On vocals we have Erik Kraemer. We did a few shows together with his band Simulacrum. Back then Erik wasn’t in Simulacrum yet but later I saw some introduction videos when they took him in and I liked his sound. I remeberred him when I was looking for a vocalist for Amorta and we met when he was singing in Maiden Fest in Logomo, Turku. Played him my songs and now we had a kick ass vocalist as well. Erik have been working with Timo Tolkki for example and sings in theatre touring across Finland.

Are you all from the same area? How did you get together as a band?

Me and Joonas live in city of Hyvinkää which is 60 kilometres north from Helsinki where Haba lives. Erik is from Turku, Finland.

I think I answered the last part of this question in the previous question already 😀

Who are your favourite artists/bands and how have they influenced your own sound?

The best band in the world for me will always be Iron Maiden. We just went to see their Future Past Tour in O2, London with Joonas this summer, amazing, just amazing! I know Haba loves Annihilator and Erik at least Queenrüche and Geoff Tate. Other singers and bands/artists that have influenced Erik are also Dio, Finnish singer Kirka and Miljenko Matijevic from Steelheart. Of course everything we heard as kids and as teenagers and even more recently have an enormous impact on what we have become as a musicians and song writers. Also when touring with bands like Symphony X and Sabaton you are bound to be influenced by their live shows and professionalism.

Did you always have the ambition to be a musician and in a band or did you originally have other plans?

For me as a little kid I was more into sports and football and not really into music at all but already at the age of 11 I picked up bass and started listening Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Helloween etc. After that I devoted everything for music and a bit later for Thaurorod for the next 2 decades. I was determined to bring my band to the arenas and stadiums one day. 

What songs or albums are on your current playlist?

I have to say I don’t listen too much metal anymore. I mean I always check out the most interesting bands and their latest releases but for me when I listen to music by myself it’s quite often glass of wine or gin&tonic some cooking and I might put some Billy Joel or Bob Dylan on. I don’t think I could never write music like what they do but sometimes it’s just easier to relax with softer tones than metal being nearly at the age of 40 already 😀

Do you sing in the shower?

Not really but alone in a car sometimes 😀

Do you have any plans for the band for this year and into next year?

We will put out some more new music this year but before an album, there’s tons of work to do and so I’m gonna have to take a lot of time writing new songs during 2023-2024.

Do you currently have any new songs/albums ready to be released?

We recorded 3 songs and now we have released 2/3 so the best is yet to come! After the 3^rd single there’s gonna be a bigger gap before some new music and debut album but we’ll work on it.

If you could play at any venue in the world where would you choose?

Long Beach Arena, Los Angeles

Do you have a favourite album? If so, what is it?

There are quite many but I could pick Seventh Son of a Seventh Son from 1988.

Do you have any guilty pleasure songs/albums?

I love some of Phil Collins stuff and Madonna have some great tunes as well…maybe not the most popular tracks but her best.

If you were putting together the greatest show on earth, who would be playing?

That group would be:

Vocals – Ronnie James Dio

Guitars – David Gilmour

Guitars – Jeff Beck

Bass – Rudy Sarzo

Drums – Jeff Porcaro

Can you remember the first album you bought with your own money? What was it and do you still have it?

Erik – Black album – Metallica

Haba – Rock and Roll Over – Kiss

Joonas – A Real Live One – Iron Maiden

Pasi – Rust in Peace – Megadeth

As your fans will be reading this, is there any message you would like to send out to them?

Go listen to our songs and if you like it, add it to your playlists and follow, subscribe and shit like that on all the fucking social medias out there as that is the world today!

Finally, let us know all your social media sites so your fans, old and new, can find and follow/like you!

You will find Amorta from Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Spotify

www.facebook.com/amortaband

www.instagram.com/amortaband

www.youtube.com/@Amortaband

Follow us in Spotify as well!

We, at The Metal Asylum, would like to thank you for your time. Is there is anything further that you would like to add?

I guess we covered most about Amorta for now! Remember to follow us to get the word about new music! Cheeeeerzzzz!!!

This interview is the property of The Metal Asylum