It's All about the Breakdowns with All Shall Perish

by Jake Serek

(Ed note: we sent writer Jake Serek to Reggie's Rock Club on Monday to catch the Chicago stop of the "Sun Your Bunz" tour and interview All Shall Perish. I hereby declare this "Metal Month of May...and a Half." All photos courtesy of the author and his photographer Ross.)

What better way to cure the Monday blues than by assaulting your brain with heavy, raucous, metal music and slightly-less-than-suicidal hardcore dancing? I wasn’t the only one with this idea when I decided to catch All Shall Perish with headliners The Acacia Strain and supporters The Warriors and Since the Flood. I entered Reggie’s Rock Club just as Since the Flood was walking off stage (sorry fellas— here’s a shout out anyway.) I then proceed to the alley behind the stage to find Matt Kuykendall and Mike Tiner, respectively the drummer and bassist for All Shall Perish. They were sitting in folding chairs surrounded by their equipment, chowing on some local good eats like a pair of campers (or hobos) around a fire.

Both Matt and Mike were gracious enough to let me ask them a few questions, although as you will see, Mike is clearly incapable of emitting any serious responses. “Our bassist (Mike) is the worst dude,” warns Matt in a half joking, half concerned tone.

Jake: So there is about a month left on this tour. How has it been thus far?

Matt: Great, the turnout is incredible, the dudes are fuckin’ awesome.

What’s your favorite band on this tour?

Mike: Acacia [Strain]! (Howls)

Have you found that they have been rubbing off on you at all?

Mike: Only when we sleep with them… they’re fuckin’ heavy as fuck.

For those unfamiliar with your music, could you sum up the ‘essence’ of All Shall Perish in a few words?

Matt: We are a death metal band that enjoys melody and breakdowns as well.

Mike: And dudes….and fat girls with fat asses.

How did you come upon this style of music?

Matt: Well, we all used to listen to a lot of New York death metal like Internal Bleeding and Suffocation. We really like Pantera, Hate Breed, Blood Has Been Shed, and Irate. We also like Weezer and Michael Jackson a lot.

Mike: And Britney Spears!

Matt: But we’re also really influenced by the Swedish bands: In Flames, Dimmu [Borgir], Dissection, and Opeth….and Abba (laughs).

Mike: Ace of Base!

Matt: These days we released a few death metal, breakdown records and we’re just trying to keep writing interesting and innovative music. Our new record is really different— really diverse. It is us paying homage to more of our other influences, some of the Swedish influences.

So would you say the new album is a radical departure from your last album, The Price of Existence?

Matt: I wouldn’t call it radical, but just generally very, very different.

How is recording? Are you still in the process?

Matt: Done, we’re done. It’s being mastered right now.

As far as writing new songs, could you walk me through the typical process you guys use?

Matt: Everything starts with a riff, and from there we start making sections, and then we turn it into either a beginning or a middle, you know. And we just work from there. A lot of times we’ll have a song that we thought was a beginning forever and it ends up being an end.

Mike: A lot of times we end up with a riff that we thought was awesome, and it sucks.

Matt: Yeah. And lyrics and vocals are always last. They are written once the song is done.

How do you go about forming the set list for a show?

Mike: Whatever is clever, just like sex with dudes.

Do you ever play songs from your first album Hate.Malice.Revenge live?

Mike: No, are you kidding me? That’s the fucking worst album.

I saw on your MySpace page that you have the option for fans to vote for the songs they want to hear you play at your concerts. Do you take these polls into consideration when making set lists?

Matt: We do. Really the way we make a set list is whatever makes sense for the tour. This is a fucking heavy ass tour, so we play all the breakdown songs.

It’s all about the breakdowns. Have you been playing any of the new, unreleased songs at these shows?

Mike: Yeah, three of them.

Have you found that by playing new songs live, you can tell what works and what doesn’t so you can go back into the studio and alter the songs?

Matt: We never play a song unless its 100% done and 100% practiced.

Ok, now a serious question: In your opinion, what is the first metal band?

Matt: First metal band? Probably [Black] Sabbath. (Looks to Mike) Sabbath right?

Mike: Do I have to say Sabbath? I don’t really want to. I’m going with Slayer.

Kyle the Sound Guy: Beethoven.

There you go. Wagner (laughs).

Mike: (To Kyle) You said metal band, Beethoven’s one dude, that’s not a band. I’m telling you it's fuckin’ Slayer….Judas Priest, there we go. Done. It’s over. I win.

Matt: Our bassist [Mike] is the worst dude.

What do you guys have coming up after the new album is released?

Matt: We’re going to Europe to play some festivals and some Carcass reunions. We are also going to go on tour with Job for a Cowboy.

Okay! Anything else you guys want to say?

Mike: Send nudes.

(Laughs) Thanks for your time, have fun tonight.

After a few laughs with the rhythm section for All Shall Perish, I returned inside to the sounds of The Warriors, a hardcore outfit from California. Their tight, mid-rangy sound and mammoth, plodding riffs suggested Rage Against the Machine, but with less rapping and more screaming. Despite this somewhat complimentary comparison, the riffs were stock and the band lacked any charismatic stage presence.

Now to fast forward to headliners The Acacia Strain’s set. One guitar shy of All Shall Perish’s lineup, they had no problem rocking out just as much low end. A benevolent bunch, Acacia threw water bottles into the crowd before their set. The same water would later be sprayed onto the crowd via the mouth of lead guitarist DL. As if the stage wasn’t enough of a pedestal for them, DL and bassist Jack Strong brought additional risers on stage to heighten their stage presence. The Acacia Strain were slightly more gloomy and sluggish than All Shall Perish, but similar nonetheless.

For All Shall Perish’s set I moved to the balcony, which not only provided refuge from thrashing arms and legs, but it was also fully equipped with plush seating— a perfect haven to sit back and soak in all the details. Don’t get me wrong about the hardcore dancing. I love the idea of punching perfect strangers in the head, but I would at least want to look cool doing it.

All Shall Perish’s set starter did not destroy my eardrums as I had expected it would. It might have to do with the fact that they are the seventh band that I have heard perform in the past two days, but I am going to go ahead and blame Reggie’s Rock Club. But in the band’s defense, a measly five minute sound check is hardly enough to ensure proper inner-ear abuse. So, all the sonic kinks weren’t worked out until at least the second song, which, with its relentless streams of lead guitar notes and double trouble bass drums was a veritable adrenaline junky’s wet dream. Did I mention that lead guitarist Chris Storey can shred? Like E.V.H.? Yeah.

Song three was basically an extended breakdown complete with security guards wrestling youngsters out of the dance pit to salvage lives. The band saved some of its more popular numbers for the end. This included “Eradication” which earned sufficient approval by the crowd just at its mention. I’m always moved when death metal and grindcore vocalists find it in their hearts to give front-row audience members a taste of fame by letting them scream some lyrics into the microphone. Although, it was a bit distracting, even humorous, to hear lead man Hernan ‘Eddie’ Hermida’s beast roars interrupted by a squawky pre-pubescent male voice. Along with Hermida’s hefty stage presence, Mike Tiner’s jokey personality transferred well onto the stage, adding a lively energy to the set. Luckily, no one "perished" in the dance pit, but in being aurally pummeled, we certainly all did.

On the Guest List with OK Go!

Damian of OK Go making the girls cry at Manifest / Photo provided by the author (me!)

When I arrived at Grant Park to meet with Damian Kulash, lead singer of native Chicagoans OK Go, I soon realized that this was no casual Friday for Columbia College students. Sure, those city kids are, on average, a bit more stylish than, say, Northwesterners—every student rocking that unique, non-conformist hipster look— but I thought something was off when I passed by the library and saw someone dressed exactly like Wonder Woman. A New Yorker at heart, I shrugged it off— when a few minutes later, I peered out a window from a local Subway restaurant only to find two students walking on stilts and pretending to ride ostriches. Fearing that I accidentally fell asleep on the El and woke up in New Orleans, I rushed out of the restaurant and snatched the first newspaper I could find (out of the hands of a man dressed like Sweeney Todd, nevertheless.) When I read the headline, I was relieved to find out that I was indeed in the right city, and that OK Go was actually in town that love Friday, May 16th to headline a show for Manifest Urban Arts Festival. After my adventure, Damian and I met up during sound check and embarked on a new mission: to find the best café on the block.

On the Guest List with Kataklysm!

Album art courtesy of Nuclear Blast.

After reading the numerous quotes provided by press releases and reviews describing Canadian death metal band Kataklysm and their latest studio release Prevail, I was convinced that this was the most evil metal album ever. Something about the combination of chains, skeletons, and evil creatures in the artwork was unsettling in the best way, while track titles like "As Death Lingers" and "The Vultures Are Watching" only perpetuated my darkest expectations. I can't say I was too surprised when I first listened to the album, which is set for release in the US on May 27, but I've got to hand it to these guys-- Prevail is melodic and technical enough to please the casual fan, but also technical and heavy enough to satisfy every metalhead's primitive need for something fast and, well... "death metal" to the core.

I had a chance to speak with Maurizio Iacono, the lead vocalist of Kataklysm, about the new album, touring, and life. Our phone interview is split up into 15 short clips.

Prog Metal Heroes Rock Chicago

by Dan Solera

Ed note: to kick of Chicago Avenue's "Metal Month of May" we had guest writer Dan Solera submit his perspective on the Progressive Nation 2008 concert in Chicago on May 13, 2008.

Dream Theater, Photo courtesy of Roadrunner Records.

For a progressive metalhead, the thought of seeing Opeth and Dream Theater at the same show is like taking a toddler to Six Flags and then Disney World all in one day. Just having the two progressive metal mavens under the same roof is enough to cause a stroke, so naturally my presence at this event was a necessity.

Progressive Nation 2008 at the Rosemont Theater on May 13th opened with New York rock band 3, whose stage setup and band lineup raised several eyebrows. For one thing, it's not exactly commonplace to find a frontman thrashing with an electro-acoustic guitar; nor is it the norm for bands to have a percussionist in addition to a drummer. But any doubt or criticism was immediately expelled when the band members came together to deliver 3's experimental soundscape. Once unfamiliar with the band, it did not take long for me to be floored by singer/guitarist Joey Eppard's riffing when combined with Billy Riker's lead sequences and Joe Stote's conga-style percussion. Towards the end of their set, Eppard took a solitary moment to showcase his guitar skills in "Amaze Disgrace" by finger-picking his electro-acoustic guitar at impossible speeds. Though still rising in the ranks of prominent metal bands, I became a fan of 3 after their brief set list.

Between the Buried and Me followed afterwards. I was equally unfamiliar with the North Carolina foursome, but was not as impressed as I was by 3's world-influenced metal. BTBAM's sound is characterized by heavy guitars, raspy screams, and songs with a sectioned structure that rarely reprise – though to be honest, since the lyrics were inscrutable, it was difficult to ever know if the lyrics were ever being repeated. Though I was impressed to hear such evil sounds coming out of singer Tommy Rogers' pipes, the never-ending noise that the metalcore band's songs delivered ran a bit long.

Opeth, Photo courtesy of Roadrunner Records.

Fortunately, I had Opeth to look forward to. It was my third time seeing the band, whose lineup had changed significantly since the first time I saw them at the House of Blues during their Damnation tour. Not only had they added keyboardist Per Wiberg as a full-time band member, but they had replaced drummer Martín López with Martin Axenrot and second guitarist Peter Lindgren with Fredrik Ǻkesson. But in spite of such changes, singer/guitarist/songwriter Mikael Ǻkerfeldt's charm has gone completely unchanged. Known for his deep, eloquent voice and surprisingly goofball remarks, he still has the same air of commanding confidence that makes him almost loveable.

His personality contrasts starkly with his music: brutal, mercilessly loud, and unapologetically long. In their 60+ minute setlist, they only played six songs, five of which were from their four most recent albums, and one from their upcoming "Watershed" release. Each song in one way or another explores two sides of the Opeth coin: firestorm guitars and breakneck drums ("Wreath", "Master's Apprentices"), and serene acoustics layered with Ǻkerfeldt's clean voice and Wiberg's atmospheric keys ("In My Time of Need", "The Drapery Falls"). With a growing fan base and a proven track record, Opeth continues to ascend.

And now, onto the main event. As the crew disassembles Opeth's gear, the curtain is raised to reveal Mike Portnoy's colossal drum kit, Jordan Rudess' keyboard altar, numerous projectors, screens, and the papier-mâché ants that characterize the album art for Dream Theater's most recent album, Systematic Chaos. After a whirlwind introduction that documented the band's musical history over the last 20 years in just under a minute, the American quintet kicked off their 90-minute setlist with the first half of "In the Presence of Enemies", the opening track on Systematic Chaos. Another band known for its long, elaborate songs, Dream Theater, through Portnoy's careful research, are basically forced nightly into meticulously picking out a balanced setlist for each city.

At the Rosemont Theater, they played anthemic heavy songs ("Misunderstood", "Forsaken"), progressive monoliths ("Beyond this Life", "Voices"), ballads ("The Ministry of Lost Souls"), all of which gave each member their chance to shine as only these master musicians can. Complex improvised sections and virtuoso musicianship have become staples of any Dream Theater show. During an extended version of "Metropolis Pt 1", Jordan Rudess temporarily abandoned his keyboard shrine with a futuristic keyboard-guitar and "dueled" with guitarist John Petrucci before returning to the song's main thread. Sequences such as these allow for vast musical tapestries to be painted, all of which have their own corresponding video projected behind the band as they play.

At the end of the night, all of our senses had been assaulted. From the deafening guitars provided by every band, to Opeth's projected spider webs and Dream Theater's videos and gigantic ants, it was a visual spectacle as much as it was an auditory onslaught. It is rare for two prominent metal bands such as these to team up for a tour, and I'm glad to have seized the moment to rock out. An international bill of artists from Stockholm to New York, Progressive Nation rocked Chicago by the sounds of innovation.

On the Guest List with Yelle!

As Mika Miko would say, "Get Excited!" because this is the first episode of my new series "On the Guest List." We bring you backstage for interviews and concert diaries of the hottest artists. Our show is uncensored, so you'll witness all the fun and hilarious moments we share with the artists and their diehard fans. And now I give you Yelle (note - I also write for a publication called North By Northwestern, and this is what I submitted for them):

Solo Decemberist Colin Meloy Rocks the Park West

After parking four blocks away from Park West in Chicago, my photographer and I speed-walked to the Colin Meloy show on Monday and arrived during the opening set. I stop by will call, slap on my photo pass, and eventually find my way to the front of the stage. Before her last song, indie singer/songwriter Laura Gibson commented on Colin Meloy and Decemberist fans’ better than average vocals, and joked that her set would help warm everyone up. My photographer may not have been the poster child of that sentiment, but regardless, the fans certainly had no shame when it came to interacting with the artists on stage. After Laura’s set, the dimming lights bred typical pre-show applause, and Colin Meloy, front man and lead singer of cult indie rock band The Decemberists, stepped up to the microphone and casually introduced himself. He then picked up one of four acoustic guitars on stage and started the set with catchy, but powerful Decemberist songs “Leslie Anne Levine” and “We Both Go Down Together.”

From Colin’s self-proclaimed worst song he’s ever written, “Dracula’s Daughter” (as featured on his latest solo album Colin Meloy Sings Live!) to “O Valencia,” every song stood out as a crowd pleaser, without one dull or somber moment at any point during the set. Even without a live band, Colin managed to engage the crowd and have fans vocally fill in the gaps. For instance, Colin stepped away from the microphone while the crowd humorously sang the high-pitched guitar solo in “The Perfect Crime No 2.” As a special treat, Colin brought Laura Gibson back on stage for a harmonized duet performance of Sam Cooke’s “Cupid.” Most impressive, by far, was Colin’s interactive finale, “The Mariner’s Revenge Song,” in which the members of the crowd sang falsetto verses, played drum rolls on the edge of the stage, and flailed their arms to impersonate a giant, angry whale. The story-based Decemberist songs couldn’t have worked better for a solo show— the crowd was as much a part of the show as Colin himself. Members of the audience had smiles on their faces the entire show, as Colin’s humor and knack for crowd rapport established an entertaining, but intimate mood.

And according to Laura Gibson, the “family feel” transcends the live show. After the conclusion of the body-swaying, foot-banging, Gogol Bordello-style epic, I caught Laura at the merchandise table for a quick interview. Contrary to what she might have expected, this being her biggest tour yet, Laura has found herself not only improving through her opening performances and on-stage duets with Colin, but she feels as though the tour bus is a home away from home. Laura explained, “With Colin, his fiancé Carson, and their two year old son Hank, it’s been so relaxed and very family-feeling. I’ve come away with this understanding of Colin not as a big rock star, but as a good dad. And they’ve been really nice.” A charming entertainer on stage and a good guy outside of his indie-rocker persona, Colin Meloy not only rocked Chicago, but he left us “Shit-towners,” as Colin facetiously mispronounced it on stage, feeling warm by the end of a chilly spring night.

Photos by Dan Harpaz / Chicago Avenue

One on One with Three

What do the Beatles, Prince, and Stanley Kubrick have in common? Well, if you’re checking out a band and you read a list of influences this eclectic, you’d probably expect some incoherent, bizarro Girl Talk mashup of sorts. But listen to the album “The End Is Begun” by progressive rock act 3 (yes— the band’s name is a number,) and you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find that these boys from Woodstock, NY take in all their influences and produce a unique sound that actually works.

If you’ve checked out my last blog post on 3 (see “...And Then There Were 3”), then you’ve probably gotten a taste of the music, as well as my own interpretation. But why take it from me? I had a chance to get the real story behind the band from the main man himself Joey Eppard. Before I get to the interview itself, you might be asking yourself why you just read about Stanley Kubrick in a music review. When I asked Joey about some of his eerier falsetto lines in the song “These Iron Bones,” we both freakishly jumped to the same comparison— it sounds like a scene straight out of “The Shining.” “I don’t know, it’s like a horror movie, you know? …To me, songs are like movies. And that’s what that scene is about,” Joey explained.

Writing and playing for 3 isn’t the only way Joey Eppard keeps things interesting. Always looking to break fresh ground, Joey’s kept busy with solo albums, a project with members of P Funk called “Drugs,” and quite possibly, a collaboration between 3 and Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree on the Woodstock quintet’s next studio album. For good music and tour dates, check out 3’s MySpace at: www.myspace.com/3. And make sure to catch the Chicago stop of the Progressive Nation 2008 tour in Rosemont on May 13th! Without further ado… here are the highlights of my one on one conversation with Joey Eppard of 3:

Interview with Joey Eppard (March 7, 2008)
















Dan: Just to start off—if my voice craps out on me, I’m sorry. I woke up a little under the weather today but I’m holding up.

Joey: Right on, well we just finished a rehearsal, so my voice might cut out too (laughs.)
…
What was your most memorable experience from the PT tour?

I mean, there were a couple of cities that were just so amazing. Houston was just such a connection. The crowd in Dallas— Houston and Dallas both. It was like— somehow from the first note, they were with us, you know? When you’re the opening band, that doesn’t always happen (laughs)— to say the least. But I really felt this great connection with Porcupine Tree’s audience in particular…
…
I heard really great reviews from Steven Wilson. He said a really nice thing about you guys, like you guys were the best band that he’s ever played with?

Yeah, he just made some really amazing comments. We really appreciate that.

That’s awesome.

He was like, “Please keep me in mind when you guys make your next record, because I’d love to do it with you.” So we might get together on that depending on their schedule and our schedule.
…
Speaking of the Progressive Nation tour now, you must be pretty excited. I know Dream Theater and Opeth are huge, and Between the Buried and Me I actually just recently heard about. But is one band in that lineup, in particular, musically inspiring for you guys?

All three of those bands are really amazing bands. And we’re looking forward to the osmosis that takes place when you’re out on the road with other musicians. So there’s something really special that happens when you tour, so we’re looking forward to that. We’ll definitely just absorb things—and you might not even be conscious of it, but you’ll just absorb. And they’re all such great bands.
…
… I’ve also noticed that you brought a lot of really unique influences and techniques into your music that I’ve never really heard in the context of rock before. In particular, you brought in these flamenco-esque guitars and Middle Eastern style vocal techniques. How did that all start?

That’s just where sort of those beautiful scales are. To me, in Middle Eastern music, you have these scales where it’s almost like no note is a wrong note. Somehow they’re all right and it’s so beautiful. To me, it just takes melody to a whole other level…

It’s definitely very unique. And that’s what caught my ear the first time I heard it. It was just one additional aspect of the music that really attracted me to it, so I’ve really enjoyed it. And the Middle Eastern scales that you’ve been talking about kind of reminded me of more spiritual music… Do you think [Middle Eastern scales] add to the spirituality of the music?

Well, I mean, music is a spiritual thing to me. I don’t look at it like it’s some sort of cold product. For me, the process of writing and creativity—all of it’s a sacred process. Yeah, that kind of singing makes you feel spiritual, because it is. I’m not particular about any particular denomination or anything like that, but I guess music is sort of my religion.

I want to ask you a couple interesting things about the music. First question, kind of weird, but do you listen to Michael Jackson?

Michael Jackson? Oh, come on man, I was a huge Michael Jackson fan. Back in the day, I was like, eight years old (laughs.) Honestly, I’ll take Prince over Michael Jackson… But Michael Jackson… yeah man, that’s some bad ass shit!

Because whenever I listen to Diamond in the Crush, I always hear this split second part that really reminds me of Michael Jackson, and all my friends and coworkers think I’m crazy for it. So now…

…(laughs) You know what’s funny about that song? I spent an entire day working on the vocals for that song. Right? Like I put more work into than I had any other song. And then, the end of the day, I played it back and I listened and I was like, “Damn… this sounds like Chicago!” (laughs.) …So I actually got weirded out by that and didn’t put that song on “Wake Pig.” And then I kind of popped it on when we were looking for songs [for “The End Is Begun”], like what songs we were gonna do, and we heard it and we were like, “Oh man, we gotta do that song.”
…
…What is your ultimate goal in the music industry, and as far as your career goes?
Well, you know, obviously our goal is to break some rules and prove that those rules could be broken in a successful way. There’s sort of this whole umbrella of music that is around us and that we’re a part of, and I’ve always wanted to sort of take it all with me, and take it all to that level of where we could really headline any place in the world. That’s where I’d like to be…I’d like to see people realize that an artist can be multi-dimensional and that’s just something I’ve always been.
…
Anyway, thanks so much for your time…

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Full interview will be available for public viewing soon! (Photo by Daniel McCabe / courtesy of 3)

- "The Real" Dan