Chad Bowar: How has the response to This Elegy, His Autopsy been?
Ed Godby: It seems to be doing really well. All the reviews have been great, and people seem to be into it. It's hard to judge that kind of thing when you're in the band, but we're all happy with how it's all going.
How did you decide on the title?
Lyrically the album is both an elegy and an autopsy, for the same character. We had the word elegy flying around for a while, but we couldn't figure out how to use it. Then one day it hit me.
How have you evolved musically since the last album?
We're all just better musicians and better at writing songs. We've managed to experiment more and create a more intense and complex listen, while at the same time making an album with more hooks and more to suck in the listener. I think the new record really creates an atmosphere, which was the intention.
What inspired your lyrics on this record?
Just seeing so many people living their lives in the least interesting way possible, taking the easy route and being satisfied with coasting through their existance. Life is there to take by the balls, and not enough people do that. There are too many people settling for careers they don't like and days off in front of the TV.
How was it working with Kurt Ballou as producer, and
how did you hook up originally?
It's nice to work with Kurt, because he's good at what he does and he's a nice guy. He always has great tips on where is good to eat too. We hooked up in 2002 when we sent him our first record, in the hope that he'd record our second one. When he said yes, we went and did Breaking The Fourth Wall with him and it came out well. We enjoyed the experience so much that it seemed like a good idea to go back to do the third.
What is your recording process like?
For 'This elegy, his autopsy' we were really well rehearsed, we had a solid idea for, not only how the songs were going to come out, but how the album as a whole would finish up. Basically we went in, and came out with what we'd all had in our heads for months, on a CD!
Was this recording experience much different than the last album with Kurt?
We had a bit more time, and a better set of songs. The actual process of putting the tracks down was pretty similar, but we're all that bit older and more experienced now, which makes a difference.
What are your expectations when the album is released?
Well, where the USA is concerned we have more hopes than expectations. We're some pretty much unknown British guys, so I guess we'll need a bit of luck for you Americans to sit up and take notice, but I hope you do, because in our minds, our music is refreshing and different, we aren't just some band that wants to be a part of the NWOAHM or US metalcore scenes. That stuff is so overdone.
How did the band get together?
We got together in the summer of 2001, with the hope of creating something interesting and new, drawing influence from our eclectic range of influences. I think we succeeded.
Anything else you'd like to mention?
As and when we do get out there, come and see us play, and hold onto your hat. Oh, and buy our records.
