I’ve always been involved in music, so I don’t even remember a “beginning”. I had piece of crap drums bought from a garage sale down the street that I banged on when I was 5 or 6. I think the same can be said for at least Egan and Barre as well. We just gravitated towards music.
Who were your musical inspirations?
They have changed throughout the years. Back when I was 15 or 16, I would probably say old Metallica, Sepultura, Iron Maiden, Death, Slayer, Megadeth, Testament, and so on. But then perhaps in the early 90s I would have said Katatonia, Opeth, In Flames, Sentenced, Paradise Lost, Amorphis, Tiamat, Dissection, Unanimated, Eucharist – the whole No Fashion Records and original W.A.R. records scene from Scandinavia. For the past 7-8 years or more, it’s expanded dramatically to all things outside of metal as well, from Sigur Ros, Early Day Miners, The Cure, Red House Painters, Slowdive, the list goes on and on. I think a lifetime of influences just naturally comes together when making music.
What was the first concert you attended as a fan?
I think it might have been Metallica on the “Justice for All” tour. I was very young and my mom took me.
Who are some drummers you respect?
Gene Hoglan, Daniel Erlandsson, Henry Ranta, Martin Lopez..
How is the metal scene in North Carolina?
While there is certainly a metal scene here (our rehearsal space is packed with about 13 other exclusively metal bands), we feel somewhat detached from it. There isn’t some tight knit scene that we feel apart of. But there are other some other great bands from the area, such as Soulpreacher.
What are the best and worst things about being in a band?
The best thing is the rewarding feeling of hearing an album you made which you are satisfied with, followed by touring and sharing it with others. The worst things are the normal b.s. of the music biz, the download/delete culture that exists where many people don’t spend any significant time with new releases and perhaps some crappy moments while touring.
