I had the chance to catch up with Scott from Sevenday Curse, as well as their newest member Steph Robinson who brings a wealth of experience, and drive to the band with her keyboard talents.
So I am here with Scott from Sevenday curse.
Badger- The last time I saw you guys it was September 3rd in providence Rhode island at Dusk, where you guys opened up for Revocation. So what have you guys been doing since then, a lot of writing perhaps?
Well most of the new stuff has already been written. We have been doing a lot of refining. working on getting new songs recorded and kind of just working on the extra stuff that gets added on to the songs like lyrics, keyboards guitars. for the most part the song structures have been written and done for at least a month now.
Badger- From the last time I talked to you guys you were working on an EP, how is that been coming along?
So we’re still kind of unsure how we’re going to release this. at first we were talking about an EP, and then we kinda of naturally writing more songs, we got to the point where we felt we had enough for a full length you know. So that’s still up in the air but we are leaning towards it being a full length. its very likely that its going to be entirely self produced, because that gives us the most freedom to do it the way we want. Also because we have also been doing writing as we record them so nowadays with being able to own your own Pro tools rig it makes life a lot easier and gives you flexibility to do that.
Badger- So I had seen on Facebook a few weeks back that you guys were looking to include one of the songs from After the Storm on the new release. Have you guys come to a conclusion on which song will be with the new stuff?
We did,
Badger- Ahh and which one will you be doing?
That’s going to be a surprise, were going to play that one close to the chest. Its going to be fun, we feel like we picked the song that is a fan favorite, but also represents the sound of our newer stuff. that kind of direction we are going in now.
Badger- The last time we talked you were looking for a keyboardist, have you been able to lock down another member to the band.
So yeah that’s the big announcement, we after a long search we feel as though we have found the right person. her name is Steph Robinson, she has played in a lot of bands. she is a really experienced musician.who comes with amazing credentials, she is extremely talented and she can also sing. We are really excited to bring her into the fold, and start playing with her live soon as well. Its a perfect time to bring her in, because there is still plenty of room to have her bring in her own ideas, and influence to how these new songs are going to sound. We haven’t gotten to the stage where we have been able to figure out all the keyboards yet, but its a perfect time, because we can hand her what we have so far and let her take the reigns on the orchestration and piano.
Badger- So I see you guys are starting to book a few more shows, are there any big shows you are excited about coming up?
Hothfest would be the biggest/ best one, its in January, on the 9th. its also very likely going to be the first show we play with live with Steph.
I also heard that they just moved to a larger venue because of all the bands that are on the bill. they ended up moving it to Maximum Capacity in Chicopee, Mass.
After talking with Scott I got the chance to talk to Steph about her joining Sevenday Curse.
Badger- I understand you have (to the best of my knowledge) toured with two bands across North America. tell me a little about your background and how you got into playing the keyboard for metal?
Until two years ago when I switched over to tattooing full-time (I co-own a tattoo shop now in Webster, MA), I was a self-employed, full-time working musician. I’m classically trained, hold a Ph.D. in music composition, and have played keyboards since I was a child. I’m also a vocalist, and have an operatic background. I’ve done pretty much any type of musical gig you can imagine – that’s what a working musician has to do to keep food on the table! In addition, I have a background with music production, and spent a number of years working as a recording engineer; I still do quite a bit of freelance work in this respect. I’ve been a metalhead my entire life – I grew up obsessed with Dio, Judas Priest, Ozzy, Sabbath and all the classics. However, I never really thought about PLAYING metal until about 9 or 10 years ago, when I was in my late 20s and had gotten a “good job” as a community college professor. I was unhappy with my job and bored with classical music culture in general, and it was like a switch just flipped and I said to myself, “This is not my life. Let’s finally do this.” Many of my classical music friends thought I was having an early midlife crisis when I suddenly decided I was done playing church organ and switched over to playing in a few metal “tribute bands.” (Tribute bands are huge in Southern California, where I was living at the time.) I decidedly had the working musician mentality at first – a gig had to pay reasonably well for me to be able to consider it, and hence why I ended up in a Dio tribute, along with other acts. Through those gigs, I started meeting people more involved with the underground SoCal metal scene, made some connections, and shortly one thing led to another with me starting to work with original bands.
One band I’ve toured with is Helsott, a pagan metal band from Southern California. I met them when they opened for one of the tribute bands I was fronting, back in San Diego. When I moved to Massachusetts in 2011, they asked me to produce some orchestral arrangements and sing operatic style vocals for their first EP. I ended up doing the arrangements for that, the first full-length, and did the Paganfest America tour with them in 2013 playing keys and singing live as part of the band. While today I really can’t tour as much as they need to, I still do session work for them and remain heavily involved with the band
Badger-How did you and Sevenday Curse come together?
Scott and I connected through a mutual friend, Chris Farmerie – he books the Metal Thursday series at Ralph’s in Worcester. Chris is a very close friend, and we recently played together in an Enslaved tribute for the Halloween Covers Weekend at Ralph’s. We were spending a lot of time together commuting to Boston for rehearsals, and one day he said that he had a friend who was looking for a keyboard player for a band. I said I was interested, since I haven’t played much with any New England bands and I was looking to jump back in after a bit of a layoff (I had to take a break from metal due to two other projects the past two years – one was the production in Europe of a musical that I wrote, and the other was an attempted transcontinental run for charity).
I did a Skype session with Scott last summer and we hit it off; I met the other guys a couple of months ago and we all felt like it was a good connection. So, now, I’m learning the live set and working hard on recording material for the new album. It’s been a blast so far.
Badger-Were you familiar with Sevenday Curse before joining the band? Maybe heard them before or saw them?
No, honestly, I hadn’t known their music beforehand. I hate admitting that publicly! The reasons? One, I lived in Southern California for fifteen years, and only moved here in 2011 – the scene out west is very different than it is here in New England, so I’m definitely more familiar with Los Angeles and San Diego bands. Two, during the time when After the Storm was released, I was working on my Ph.D., and I wasn’t doing much other than working four jobs while trying to go to school full-time, so I wasn’t hitting shows or anything…that was a really crazy time, so I’ve got a few years of a hole in my metal knowledge that coincides with when the band was active back then. I’m glad I know their music now!
Badger- Do you have a plan on when we will be able to see you perform live with Sevenday Curse for the first time?
I believe the plan is to have my first show with them at Hothfest in January. I’m looking forward to it!
Badger- How does it feel to be a part of a band that for many believe (including myself) were one of the band’s who created a unique sound/ sub genre of metal?
It’s an honor – I feel extremely fortunate to be involved. So far, the guys have welcomed me both as a band member and collaborator, and that has been very much appreciated! It feels great to be in a creative space with production on the new album…I think it’s going to be epic.
So there you have it, Sevenday is not only working on a full length now, but they have a killer classically trained keyboardist to add some more dimension to their music. Badgers Metal Breakdown is really hoping they do Revelations as that is our favorite track from After The Storm.
I am very pumped to see them play live with Steph in January at Hothfest-2016
I recently had the chance to go down and hang out with the guys from Sevenday Curse, and hear what they have to say about the past the present and the future. I got a chance to hear some of the new material, and see them playing songs like ” Revelations”. I am pumped after hearing the rough mixes of the new material. They have not lost their touch, they are bringing it back, hard. Like they just finished with After The Storm and are picking right back up where they left off. Playing some bad ass metal. So with that said, lets get down to the interview.
Badger – So I am here with the guys from Sevenday Curse welcome back and couple things I wanted to talk to you guys about.
Badger-So how does it feel to be back together, and playing shows?
John- It feels great, this is something that a few of us wanted to do for a long time and we’ve finally all separately felt the need to try to get back together and we started talking to each other and found out that we were all kinda thinking the same thing so we did it. That was the first hurdle, getting back together back in the same room and seeing what transpires. Where this band is actually is at a point right now, where things are starting to be fun again. There was some heavy lifting we had to do re learning our songs and getting somewhat tight. Playing some shows, and things like that. Kinda starting from scratch, but now with the new material that we are working on, you know that whole fun its enjoyable again the aspect of it. Playing together, and playing new shit you know its pretty exciting. Especially after 15 years.
Badger: Does it make you feel kinda like you guys are young again?
Sevenday Curse – No hahaha.
Pat – I wouldn’t say that nope.
John – We definitely aren’t young. I mean you saw us downstairs practising and we played 1 song and 10 seconds into it I’m sweating like a pig.
John – I wouldn’t say ,
Pat – Getting up for work the next morning after our jungle rot show was hell.
John – Chasing your kids around after, band practices before (having kids) playing shows we would just go our separate ways, some of us would go out, or go to bars. Now in between practices my kids are running around.
Pat – Usually my kids are running around,
John – Pats kids are running around my wife helps out a lot, but its like you know we fit it in and we do the best we can with the time and energy but, yea that’s about it.
Badger-So what was that first show back like for you guys, what was it May 2014 right?
Scott – Kinda of nerve-racking.
Pat – Nerve-racking, yeah haven’t been on a stage in a long time.
John – Yea I think were all a little spooked out a little (bit) because after 15 years.
Pat – that was a fun show lot of people lot of people a lot of old friends it was a great feeling that was a good show, people coming from far away.
Scott – A lot of familiar faces,
John – it was definitely, fun and definitely we came out on stage it was a ruckus crowd we welcomed pretty well that was something that stood out to me was the applause from the people who were like, “fuck yea!” you know this is after 15 years it’s about to happen and you know it’s finally happening but yea.
Badger – When you guys first started bands like At the Gates were one of those very influential bands and I picked up that was an influence on you guys as well at the time. Slaughter of the soul was a killer album you know what I mean.
John – One of my top 3 favorite albums of all time
Badger-So you know as far as your influences then, what are your influences now? Do you have new artists, are you guys stoked to see At the gates back together and playing shows? So do you have any new influences?
Scott – I guess in the time in between we weren’t a band um I got into film scores a lot, I really like listening to soundtracks, pretty much everything Hans Zimmer has ever done its amazing, a lot of other really good composers, I’m not even remotely close to being anywhere near their level but I like to dabble, into arranging strings and stuff like that so that’s become I guess an influence for me kinda the dramatic side the music I guess . Bringing a little piece of that into the band it feels good I like it. It adds a different flavor to our music that’s different from what a lot of other bands are doing.
Badger – A whole different dimension being added to it.
Scott – Other influences I don’t know I think we are across the board I think that’s one of the really good things about the band we don’t, were just not all into the same music, and it’s always been that way Dan was always into the more brutal death metal stuff I was into the Swedish stuff Pat brought in a lot of hardcore influence John just straight up metal stuff. I think it’s still kinda that way, just more of it.
Pat – How am I the hardcore kid? ( laughing)
Dan – Well you were like, I learned about hardcore bands from you, Sheer terror Black flag, and you were in Close Call I think a mistake bands make is that you’re not going to be original from listening to other metal bands especially, newer bands or local bands you either got to dig back to the roots where this all came from or understand its OK to be influenced by music that’s not metal. I’m into everything I love even those early 90’s dance groups like The Real McCoy I like stuff like that I like seventies rock anything, Doo Wop classical music film scores anything dude, I can take that and channel it into metal it doesn’t just have to be metal I can take it from all the other places and when it does come to metal I think my biggest influence is I dig back I’m not going to reference a band like Trivium. They are a great band, but they are never going to be an influence (for me). To me an influence, is going to be Iron Maiden that’s an influence Entombed is an influence.
Badger yea the left hand path
Dan – Right any of them, that’s where metal influences come from. The newest band I’d call an influence would be from the early 90’s you know that’s how I think of an influence should be.
Badger – So what have you guys been listening to lately Scott mentioned film scores, for the rest of you what are you guys listening to lately , you got some old stuff, some newer stuff what are you listening to?
Scott – the newest Dark Tranquillity record
Pat – Nursery rhymes, The Frozen Soundtrack
Badger – But you have kids so that’s what you would be listening to most of the time anyway.
Pat – that’s all I listen to. ( laughing)
Scott – the newest Dark Tranquillity record
John – Scott and I have been , you know like I said I think we were the bigger Dark Tranquillity fans so we were looking forward to the new album and although I’d say Scott is maybe listening to a lot more than me. Its one of their darker albums so sometime its just not in the mood for it, but other times you know I can’t stop playing it.
Scott – Its pretty depressing music.
John – The album is really dark but so yea Dark Tranquillity I also listen to everything and with kids you know your choices change. I have Maroon five on my iPhone because my two kids love that I have to rock that a lot of the time but other than that. I have some old shit I have some new shit I’m actually way into Parkway Drive lately for the past 2-3 years, which is different for me I wasn’t really into that genre of hardcore. When I found Parkway it was something I never heard before and their breakdowns are just so brutal it has a metal aspect their guitarist is a metal guy so it was good that’s pretty much what I’m rocking that new Lamb of God, Dark Tranquillity and Maroon 5 (laughing)
Scott – that’s an eclectic mix (laughing)
Pat – Mostly folk music like the Clancy brothers, Schooner Fare from Maine,I dig them, talk about harmonies you would appreciate their harmonies
Badger – They definitely have their place there something for everyone out there. There is something for everyone out there, and that’s one of the things is that a lot of people think that if you’re in a metal band you have to listen to metal. That’s what what people generally think, that’s one of those things. You (Scott) listen to film scores, Maroon 5 has its place on your iPhone. You know everything you have to get that blend or you have tunnel vision and you’re not focusing on what else musically is out there. You are kinda broadening your horizons.
Pat – Dallas Green I listen to a lot of Dallas Green, check out Dallas Green City and Colour amazing!
John – so yea that stereotype that metal guys only listen to metal, rap only listens to rap punk only listens to punk but that’s not true and that’s proven by any artist you talk to they have several influences. You and I talked about this the other day Scott, Brent Hinds from Mastodon is way into that southern 70’s blues rock, and that comes through in their music.
Pat – I think everyone likes southern rock. You can’t say, the Allman Brothers are not good I dont care who you are. ( laughing)
Dan – I said in an interview years ago, the acoustic folk James Taylor stuff the Carol Cole, Cat Stevens, it all made it into our music. That’s an influence. People were saying it at the Jungle Rot show, that’s part of the gig “no one else is doing what you’re doing” that’s part of the game, doing something that not everybody is doing.
Badger – Back in 1999 when you guys were kinda of doing this there was no Facebook, there was no Myspace I mean there was really, there wasn’t much of anything. So you guys came from a time when it was like putting up flyers at shows handing out flyers at shows you didn’t have Facebook Myspace or anything like that so how has it changed for you guys now getting back into it and there’s just like everything is digital? Has it been an easy transition or…
Dan – I want to say something about this, just to show the difference, you asked if its different now. Just as a point of reference me and Scott were seniors in high school, and I played in a band called Adversary one of the many pre cursors for this band and dude I remember a kid made up a website for my band in 1995 somewhere around there dude I laughed at it, he’s like “this is your website”, he gave me a paper with the address, and when I went to the website it took about five minutes for the thing to load up. I thought “this is never going to take off.” Boy was I wrong. The exact opposite happened. You have to have it (the internet) now.
Badger – So has it been a whole learning lesson for you guys or did you guys transition into it pretty easy.
John – Fortunately for us Scotty and I are both in the IT industry. And it was pretty easy we’re very technology savvy so it comes easy to us like the other two guys not so much, but….
Scott- I think there’s still a lot of room for improvement, and how were using those tools, is part of what were working on now.
John – The whole social media thing were going to try to step up our game but with the internet now a days of course its one thousand percent better you know the whole heavy lifting thing getting in your car driving around putting up flyers, making calls. Just one example Facebook and the events page. You know you can make an event age and invite as many people as you want, as many people your friends with. And now a days everyone has at least 4-500 friends. Especially if you know you have an objective. You’re in a band or something like that. We share different mixes of our songs via social media. We have immediate access to each other via a text message or a face book message. We have been since day one, we have this one Facebook message, that is probably, fourteen thousand pages long now.
Scott – A thread
John – A thread of constant back and forth of what time are we meeting for practice, just wanted to check in what’s going on with the shows hows the new song coming? Here’s a new mix listen to it tell me what you think, maybe some making fun of each-other.
Scott – A lot of those last two. (laughing)
John – The purpose of my statement is just showing just how much of course it is a different age and its much easier to get.
Badger – You guys are embracing it.
John – Yea getting our music out there and getting our name out there.
Badger- so you guys recently put up After The Storm up on bandcamp, are we going to see the new material on there as well?
John-YES!
Badger- Bandcamp so far you have only had it up for about seven days today I think. How’s that turned out for you guys, in one week what would you say. Have you had positive results?
John – its been positive actually after about three days I went on and checked the statistics and our first song was streamed 54 times and second track was 43 times and I think that’s good for 3 days.
Badger- I’d say so definitely.
Pat – I haven’t seen it
John – We know you and I.T. (laughing)
John – After The Storm the goal is to have it available, but have it at a drastic price cut because its our old stuff. I actually have anxiety about it, but we have to make some money you know.
Badger- I think it would be something if it was one of the earlier demo’s or and E.P but it is a full length album.
Scott – It is a legit record.
John – I’m not denying that.
Badger – It was on Tortuga recordings you know what I mean so I definitely think its something that you have priced accordingly, I mean you can’t even find this album in most areas either. If I didn’t still have my disk I would buy it on here
Badger – when did you guys decide it was in fact time to get back at it?
Scott – That would have been November, December 2013 that’s when Pat started organizing everybody and at first you (Pat) contacted me about just playing guitar in a new band.
Pat – That was way before that
Scott – I’m talking about this time around.
Pat – Well I called a lot of you guys cause I just wanted to play, and I didn’t think you guys wanted to play Sevenday Curse stuff, I thought you guys were way beyond that at first it was hey you guys want to just jam and then it was I was getting like, “like Sevenday Curse? Or jam?” And I said let’s get together and see what happens.
John – In the back of our minds I know myself and Pat I told the story earlier, it was like the girl who got away we always wanted to try to resume and see what would happen and I think the other thing is I know like for myself I don’t know about anybody else. If I jammed with somebody else it was weird I always thought in my head that if I jammed again I just wanted to jam again with the same guys even if we didn’t do Sevenday Curse as long as if it was with them I thought the musicianship it would be on point we have an understanding of each other we worked together in the past and as far as musicianship these are the best that I know it’s why I wanted to put it together, it’s obviously one of the reasons we got together. Dan is one of the nastiest guitarists , Pat was nasty on the bass. And when Scott came in that day at practice we were like “ Dan you gotta get him in the band” the musicianship , I’m probably the worst drummer they’ve played with, but I don’t feel the same hahahahah.
Badger – So what musical direction are you guys going in? Are you guys trying to be more modern with the sound, or almost like After The Storm got released you are picking up right back where you would have?
Pat – That’s how I feel.
Dan – Yea that’s how I feel.
John – That’s the attempt; you know we feel like our music now, the new music were writing is a much more structured matured, engineered…. (form)
Badger – So you could say it’s the single barrel scotch of Sevenday Curse?
John – Yes!
Badger – It’s more refined you guys have had time to you know mature as adults.
Dan – It’s picking right back up but still relevant to what’s happening. Obviously we will be influenced by what’s going on around us in music, were up with the times but we’re still Sevenday Curse, and doing what we were doing back then.
Scott – I don’t think anyone ever creates something artistic in a way that’s free of influences everyone is always influenced by things. With that said I feel like for my part of the song writing, right now; I feel like the connection between what I’m writing and what I feel and want to say is the strongest it’s ever been for any music I have ever written. It just feels like it’s coming straight from inside.
Badger – Yea.
Scott – Not really when I’m sitting down to write and arranging there’s very little thought in my head in terms of I want it to sound like this or I want it to impress this type of person anything like that it’s really just what feels right.
Scott – I feel like that’s something every band says, it hasn’t been that true for me in previous bands that I have been in, or other times, it’s true for me now.
Dan – Brian there’s something we talked about this when we first got back together. There is a peanut butter and jelly thing that goes on with his guitar and my guitar. You know we played some of the stuff down here, and I was adamant that I wanted you also to hear one song predominantly Scott and one song predominantly me. When you put those two together because we acknowledged it, we build around the guitarists first,. That’s still there that’s what built the band in the first place. There’s still that contrast of his guitar versus mine and that’s no matter what that’s Sevenday Curse’s vibe. It’s going to be there whether we like it or not, it’s all still there. That’s how we wrote stuff After The Storm, it’s a series of songs that we glued together as a band at the time.
Badger – That leads up to my next question, is one member doing the primary writing, or do you guys jam and come up with the ideas and pick and choose? Or is it like I’ve got my idea, you’ve got your idea. Lets see if they both work or if they’re two individual songs.
Scott – I there’s been some of each of those things there’s been some parts where Dan brings in a riff and I listen to it and I come up with an idea for something to do in conjunction with the riff that he wrote. There’s a song that I wrote completely from start to finish before the band even got back together that’s the one you heard. That was written about three years ago and we re arranged it a little bit but it’s primarily still what I wrote. So its kind of all over the place
Dan – That stuff that I was playing , those riffs I mean the other night we had this riff for a while that I had that we like a lot and Scott was like “ we need to build a new song” a fast song around that so right away I started doing riffs again and this morning I was playing them for him that you heard. That was just done last night, in my head you know, so I mean I might come with that whole idea, and like Scott said he may come up with a whole idea and I feel like as a band we review it and listen to it and go back. And with Scott’s got the recording equipment, so we are putting a lot in his hands just because of convenience. He’s got the recording equipment, were not going to fight it, he’s got it let Scott work on some of this stuff on his own and then shoot us back the demo’s he came up with for it.and say you know “what do you think”
Scott – It’s a highly highly iterative process I put a raw collection of parts together and John will say why don’t you change this. Or why don’t you make that half time beat or whatever and a lot of stuff changes we have had about thirty different mixes of a song by the time we are done with it.
John – This is something that the way we wrote in the past (you know before the breakup) After The Storm would be a lot of it would be done. Either done in person or me and Scott over the phone or Scott would bring or Dan would bring something to practice but what’s different about this is a lot of this is done remotely its uh Scott putting his ideas in pro tools and getting Dan’s idea, putting that into pro tools and coming up with ideas and going back and forth on what’s good and what’s not.
Dan – A large majority of band practicing now is done over the internet we have band practice through emails Facebook messenger and I have no problem with it were all cool with it, these three guys each have two kids a piece, and a wife, and a house all that. OK this is how were going to have to practice now times not through the week we’ve got busy schedules. Times not on our side. With scheduling , I mean we’re OK with all of this. This is how were going to have to practice now.
Scott – And its working!
Dan – And its working, its great!
Badger – Have you guys had some positive feedback since getting back together as a band. You had mentioned your first show you have a huge crowd, got a lot of and response on the Facebook page that you guys are back at it?
Scott – Lot of excitement people commenting saying “ I can’t believe this is real!”
Dan – Yea I cant either! (laughing)
John – Pretty much what I said to myself.
Dan – It’s very surreal.
John – That one night after we got back together was “I cant believe this is happening I cant believe this is real” and we have people approach us and say that. Dan is still somewhat plugged in to the scene the metal and hardcore scene.
Scott – I’d say very plugged in.
John – Yea he doesn’t have kids and he is able to do that and he gets feedback every time that he goes to a show, any time he plays with his other band you know.
Dan – I feel like I get interviewed like” so what are you doing you got stuff coming out when are you playing etc. I tell them whatever they want to know. I can see from a fans view I would be asking the same questions.
Badger – What can the fans expect for the rest of 2015 ? Booking a few more shows?
Scott – Our main focus is getting this recording out I think we are hoping to do that by November that’s the goal that were at right now as soon as we’re done with the actual mixing and arranging and its moving to getting pressed we want to book some shows. So I’d say winter we want to play a lot.
Badger – So looking at beginning of 2016 you guys want to be playing some shows?
Pat – I want to do that metal night in Worcester.
John – It’s three things, mainly finishing the record we have new merch ideas we want to get out a couple of shirts maybe After The Storm on vinyl maybe some pressing of After The Storm maybe vinyl for the new album I don’t know we just got a lot of ideas and three is just getting on a lot of good shows for the end of 2015 and promoting that record and getting that new music out there.
Badger – So something I had talked to you guys earlier is that you worked with Kurt Ballou on After The Storm when it comes to the mastering it sounds like you are going to do as much as you can independently as you can and then you are going to leave the mastering up to someone like a sound engineer someone who does mastering?
Scott – I think it’s an intelligent decision, none of us know about mastering so.
Badger is there anybody in particular that you are looking to work with or are you not at that place yet.
Scott – We have only vaguely begun to research that.
Pat – Who did we use before.
John – We went to nine west.
Pat – When we went in there the guy was mastering Nuno Bettencourts new solo album.
John – We were very taken care of by Tortuga it was great to have the backing because studio time we’re not paying for record pressing were not paying for cd distribution were not paying for. The only thing we needed to worry about was finding ourselves some shows.
Dan – Even mark helped us out with that he got us shows with Isis( the band)Soilent Green
John – So then the mastering was great because the label paid for that and I feel like mark, when Tortuga was around mark had a lot of bands on his label but he had two that was his heavy hitters Scissorfight and then us. And I felt like he did extra work for the two of us and when it came to mastering I was taken back when he said that we were going to Nine West . Nine West is A+ for mastering, you look on the back of albums.
Pat – You look on the back of Nuno bettencourt’s album and you see Nine West.
John – Looking at that and then looking at our situation now its completely 180° were looking to do a lot of our stuff DIY. We’re trying to raise some money with that the mastering. We’re trying to take care of the recording the mixing ourselves and maybe, maybe were looking to try to get some help I don’t know but the mastering thing were just now starting to talk about it. We definitely want to do that we just want to see what depending on the funds, and what the avenues are.
Badger – So is Scott going to be doing the majority of the vocals just like After The Storm?
Scott – We haven’t arranged much of the vocals yet but I think its going to be the I’m not sure I’d agree that I did the majority of the vocals, I guess yea maybe I did two- thirds of the vocals but these guys.
Pat – That’s the majority hahaha
Scott – I think its probably going to be the same kind of mix, I’m the lead singer, but……
Badger – So you’re not labelling yourself the lead singer, just the guitarist and handling vocals as well while Pat and Dan are doing vocals too.
John – What you never heard my vocals?
Badger – (laughing) I have not heard your vocals no.
Scott – So I mean I guess I am the lead vocalist by default but I don’t think of myself as a singer.
Badger – You’re a guitarist that also handles vocal duties.
Scott – I am a guitarist that sings I think the mix is probably going to be the same (to address the original question) Pat and Dan are will still have some prominent vocals I guess the difference there is their not just doubling my parts they have lead parts they always did and that’s going to continue.
John – They have individual parts/ assignments
Badger – So are you guys planning on trying to get a label, get on a label rather?
Scott – We haven’t strategized a lot on that, we have a little but that’s definitely a goal.
Pat – That’s a main goal.
John – He perfectly said it we haven’t really come up with a game plan on that yet but that’s a goal so we somehow would like to in a perfect world would have our new material and get it in front of record exec’s and hopefully we find someone who is willing to work with us. Were not looking for the world were just looking for a little help.
Pat – Like I had said with these guys were not going to be a touring band.
John – There are bands out there that don’t tour.
Badger – You know there are some labels that do, do that.
Scott – Also we might be a low investment band, if we’re self producing and mixing that its really just the mastering and pressing, promotion.
Badger – So you guys recently did crowd-funding on the www.gofundme.com site, hows that working out for you guys?
John – There’s been some good response by a lot of close friends and some of the older fans it’s not where we would like it to be. We’re not really near our goal.
Badger – Well this is all new for you anyway, doing a crowdfunding thing.
John – I think our game plan is to release a new track before the album comes out, planning on try to use that to drum up some money / attention to the page.
Badger – So are you guys holding off on new material at the shows until the new E.P. is released?
Pat – I think we would like to play some a new song but ..
Scott – I think in general I am personally not a fan of playing stuff that is not released. However I am a fan of pre releasing a song or two before the E.P. or album is out.
Badger – So maybe not playing it at a show first , because you don’t want that dead crowd reaction. Actually releasing it (via Spotify, Bandcamp, blog, etc one of those avenues) just to get people to hear the new material, then playing it a show after.
Scott – Once its out for about a month we can play it at show.
Badger – You don’t want to be playing a show have a pit for the last three songs and then drop this and all the people are just staring at you.
Scott – I think in general, it works better when some people have actually heard the song before the show.
John – I got a different opinion on that were a band that hasn’t put anything out in fifteen years. So I think we owe it to the little bit of a fan base that we have now especially at this Revocation (September 3rd )show where we would like to try to play a new song People know our other album, and maybe they are sick of it and what to hear a new song. So we’re hoping that we can début it Scott song the one that you heard at the Revocation show, because it’s a good show it will be a great crowd there, and it will be a great platform for us to get back at it.
Badger – It is a badass tune definitely!
Scott – I’m hoping to release the song before that show.
Badger – How many tracks is the E.P. shaping up to be so far?
Scott – So I think it might end up being six or seven realistically something like five full band new songs, one instrumental and then possibly one of the songs from After The Storm re-done.
Badger – Cool re-done like not just remastered I mean playing it fresh?
Scott – Playing it with the new sound completely redone playing it.
Badger – That’s great to hear!
Badger – I just want to say welcome back! I can’t wait to hear the new material! I’ve been a long time fan . So is there anything else you guys want to say to the fan let them know what Sevenday Curse has for them?
Scott – That’s a good damn question.
Dan – I just want people to know that these little clips we’re releasing its one tiny piece of this big idea we have for these new songs.
John – We have something for you, so stand by.
Dan – It’s coming it’s going to have all the elements from the past those are going to be there as well as the new stuff the teasers we’re putting out we’re glad people like it we’re getting a great response from it I am more than confident that any people who have liked us at any stage of our career past, present or even the future fans it’s all going to be there. Your going to dig it, whatever you liked about us in the past. You’re going to like it, all those elements are going to be there.
Badger. So this is just something that I like to do, but with the new material just give me five words to describe it.
So with that said I did get a chance to hear some new material. Seeing them play their old material was great. If you have ever been a fan of these guys. Get ready to be blown away. Sevenday Curse is back, and they are ready to pick right back where they left off. Playing some killer metal, with some creative melodies, and having fun while delivering only finely crafted New England metal. Check them out their last album on Spotify and Bandcamp. Then stay tuned because they have new music coming and it’s sounding pretty bad ass. Just to get you into the swing of things check out a clip from their album After The Storm titled ” Revelations. this is a personal favorite of mine.
And check out a little teaser of the new material.
Let’s go back to the south shore of Massachusetts 1996, where hardcore and metal fans like myself witnessed the birth of a new breed of metal through bands like
They put out a demo recorded in Hanover Mass at Ultrasound Productions. The Color Blood a killer 5 song E.P. with tracks like Blind Loyalty, and of course the title track The Color Blood. The sound was something that no one had sounded like before, and really no one could pull off again. It was a brutally heavy, yet melodic form of metal with a hardcore feel. Hence the birth of metal core, none of that “ Senses fail is Metal-core B.S. I’m talking the real deal metal hybrid. When you listen to metal bands from the Massachusetts area without a doubt, Sevenday Curse was the catalyst that created a scene. Were they the only one’s you may ask? Around that time there were other bands coming out with a different sound,Barrit, Fault, Ookla the mok, however Sevenday Curse really forged a different sound. The heavy vocals, the double bass the melodic bridges, the solos and the heavy badass breakdowns.
These guys set the bar, and planted the seed, from that point on, almost every band from the New England Region were using the Metal template that Sevenday Curse created.
What made a band from Massachusetts create a style merging two music elements to form a brutally heavy combination? One could argue that the north-east throughout history have been known to do things differently, live by their own set of rules, and revolutionize. We have had a “don’t tell us how to be” attitude. The style of music that has come from the New England area, the brutality of the metal, the catchiness of the metal and hardcore; it’s known worldwide. Bands like Killswitch Engage, Unearth, The Red Chord, Shadows Fall, Converge, Revocation to name a few. Having grown up in the New England area , the metal scene has had its changes, but has never diminished in its merciless brutality of sound.
Sevenday Curse put out the album “After The Storm” on Tortuga Records. Nine songs with a tenth hidden track titled “ The Color Blood” that absolutely crushed when it came out. “ Lament of the Fallen” is a great track to use as an example, take that song and then compare so many Metal bands to this song you will now see the roots of New England Metal.
Now you can call me old-fashioned, but as I got older I gave up on the sub-genre and stick to “ metal” when I talk about something that’s high energy, distorted guitars, if it’s not hardcore, or punk its metal. After the Storm came out and changed the way we expected out of metal. The big metal bands like Cannibal Corpse, Obituary, Sepultura, they have their place in metal. Sevenday Curse put out After The Storm and created a more diverse, melodic, yet absolutely brutal form of metal. The album starts with an intro, sound clips/ samples and intros were a staple of this form of music. I can take you to several epic albums that had these elements. The way this album starts out is like crowded room, radio fuzz growing louder until all sound stops and you hear John Doe ( Kevin Spacey’s character from Seven) say “ I’m Setting the example” setting you right up for a fast paced “Dirge for the living”. The songs build up the energy and then you see the melodic elements of Sevenday curse with songs like “ Of Every Season” the sound of waves, and acoustic guitars. “ November” with a tranquil ambiance of acoustic guitars, to set up the final track “ Revelations” (one of my favorites). I have actually bought this album twice, because my original CD ended up getting a spot that would skip in the middle of Revelations that was not acceptable. Sevenday Curse had a sound and style, a truly heavy and melodic modus operandi that made waves. They played shows, crushed the eardrums of many.
Then they were gone……. Just like that they disbanded before they had a chance to conquer the world, Sevenday curse quietly stepped out of the spotlight. 2000 was the year we lost the mind-blowing boundary breaking band known as Sevenday Curse. They played a one time show in 2002 for a benefit, but stepped back quietly in to the shadows.
That is until the year of our lord Two thousand fourteen when Sevenday Curse rose up from the ruins and got back into what they had started to do, make killer metal and have some fun.
They got back together, they made a Facebook page Sevenday Curse and in February of 2014 they even started working on new material. They have all gone through the changes life provides all of us. Growing up, focusing on family and careers, but a fire had still been burning inside. A fire that was never extinguished, just burning awaiting the day to burn bright once again. Saturday May 17th the metal gods from the heavens above graced us with Sevenday Curse playing live for their first time in over a decade. Playing material from the days of After the Storm, and picking back up where they left off. Playing killer brutal metal, with surgically precise delivery. Imagining a band room where the instruments have been put down, and collected dust, the members walk in, brush the dust off. turn on their amps/ cabs. look at each other, nod and start right into ” Dirge for the living”. Flash forward to October of 2014 and the band goes in the direction many bands are going to. Crowd funding to get their material released trying to balance their everyday lives, work, families. They want to put out music, so they created a campaign to get an E.P. recorded. Support local metal please click here
They are a band that is going back to their roots. A whole lot has changed since they were on the scene. Back in 1999 the Iphone wasn’t an option, no one had iTunes. Digital music was not as large as it is today in the sense that there were mp3’s. I had an mp3 player, it was a Diamond Rio and could only hold about 8 tracks. That was mind-blowing as I was one of the few people in my age group that had one. Sevenday Curse had only a few options that were easily available. Cassette, CD, those were the options, with cassette phasing out. There were not as many music festivals for metal or hardcore as there is today. There was no Facebook, no Myspace, no Youtube either. You could not create an event for all of your online friends to be invited to. It was photo copy a bunch of flyers, hang them up at the Bull moose records, Newbury comics, tower records, clubs, basically anywhere you thought a metal head would walk by and see that you had a show. To come back into a scene where so much has changed, and try to get back into things. It has it’s challenges, but the fans have shown their support. There have already been youtube videos of shows that they played, the most recent from this past week. Then just the other day ( July 25th 2015) they put After The Storm up on Bandcamp.com/SevendayCurse
With all of the change on the metal scene, also came changes in their own lives. They got older started families, married, doing the 9-5 with their full-time jobs, military commitments. As many know being in a band is not easy, its hard work. Being in a band is very much like having a minimum wage job, and being married to it at the same time. They are booking as many shows as they can, and what i have seen they have booked some great shows so far. It’s now 2015 and they are playing shows getting back into it more and more. The most recent show they played was with Jungle Rot, and On Your Deathbed in Rhode Island. A great show for sure considering Jungle Rot just put out a new album Order Shall prevail, and On Your Deathbed have been playing some killer shows also with some big names in metal. It was a great line up of bands for a summer show. They are booking more shows, and while they are not playing a show every night. They are trying to book shows that will have a great line up and a great crowd. They will even be playing a show to kick off Revocation‘s fall tour on September 3rd in RI. That is a show I will not be missing.
For the people who aren’t familiar with the band, I bought their album while I was in high school, I bought the album again because I had played it so much and had it for so many years it became old and worn I needed a new CD. Now to think for all of you who can’t find the album in physical copy you can buy it on bandcamp, iTunes, Amazon mp3, Spotify There are so many ways you can get in on Sevenday Curses great music, by just a click of a button.
I have recently gotten a chance to hang out and interview the guys from the band so stick around when I post that up, they have some great stuff they are working on.
Metal Injection wanted to get to the bottom of the Revocation line up rumor and reached out to Phil about whether or not he was parting ways with the band. This is the statement he gave them
It is with a heavy heart that I’m announcing I will be leaving Revocation. This was by far the most difficult decision I’ve ever made in my life, but after much soul searching I’ve decided that it is no longer the right path for me, so I will be moving forward to pursue new musical projects. I remain close friends with my brothers in the band, and support them 100% in all their future endeavors. I know such a talented group of guys will have a long and prosperous career, and I look forward to watching Revocation continue to grow and evolve.
I look back on my time with Revocation with nothing but fond memories, and feel incredibly lucky to have been part of something so special. I would like to thank the enormous amount of people who have helped us over the years: from everyone we’ve worked with at Relapse and Metal Blade, to our manager Shawn Carrano and our booking agent Dan Rozenblum, to all the amazing bands we’ve toured with over the years, and to our very supportive families who have been with us all the way through this incredible journey. Most of all I would like to thank all of our amazing fans that have made our career in music possible. To everyone who has ever picked up a record, come out to a show, bought a t-shirt, and even taken us into their homes when we didn’t have a place to stay, thank you all so much for helping us turn our dreams into a reality. I’m humbled and moved beyond words knowing that what we started in my parents dining room when we were 14 years old has resonated with so many people and allowed us to travel the world sharing our passion. I look forward to continuing my career in music and can’t wait to get back out playing shows, see you all on the road with whatever comes next!
-Phil
In other line up change news Morbid Angel has just lost drummer Tim, and founding Morbid Angel bassist and vocalist David Vincent is leaving the band
Tim Yeung has officially left MORBID ANGEL, five years after he joined the band as the replacement for the group’s longtime drummer, Pedro “Pete” Sandoval. No information on who the new drummer will be but rumor is that the band will be reuniting with Steve Tucker. Now from what i have seen so far via twitter and facebook. Not many people are happy with David leaving the band and having Steve come back. But there are still plenty of mixed reactions Now i am just paraphrasing here but such quotes as
” Guys, Steve Tucker’s last record was terrible and Trey hasn’t delivered a good Morbid Angel album in 15 years.”
“I’m psyched that Morbid Angel reunited w/ Steve Tucker. Formulas and Gateways are both great albums & Heretic isn’t as bad as people say.”
and of course “Aww this means David Vincent will stop favouriting my tweets every time I mention Morbid Angel.”
Lots of interesting things happening lately. Might not be metal news but Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl fell off a stage, broke his leg and then finished up the show. You have to give anyone credit for being a badass if they play with a freshly broken leg.
now moving forward, Skinless put a track up on the facebook page for their new album Only the ruthless Remain. The title of the track is ” The Beast Smells Blood” i am currently listening to this track right now, and it sounds great. This has Skinless brand metal written all over it. I am really digging this song. so for your enjoyment i have the Audio for it right here, but with visuals including merch and ordering information for the album.
John Coffey would fit more in the post hardcore, punk, indie sound however regardless of sound, a video surfaced of the vocalist catching a beer. This is just pretty bad ass all in itself. Shit if Stevie Wonder were to catch a beer like this i would have it on my metal blog too.
In other news Hivesmasher will be calling it a day with their last show on June 26th. They will be playing a ” the party is over” show and if you are interested check this out
Revocation drummer or ex drummer? havent heard anything official as of yet. But Phil has changed his profile on instagram, and has also left out any mention of Revocation in his bio. while it used to read that he was the drummer it now has no omention of that. We know he was unable to play the drums for some time when he broke his arm, and had Alex Rudinger fill in while the band was on tour. As well as Jon Rice filling in when he could also. So while ther has not been any official statement, it may be safe to say there is something going on, and we may hear more about it soon.
For fans of Into Eternity it looks as though they just signed to Kolony Records recently. They just finished up the recording for a 2015 album release Sirens, and they have announced that they signed with Italian record label Kolony records. The band is planning on actively touring and getting ready for the release of the new album.
Kolony records seems like they have been making some good business decisions, as they had signed Orpheus Omega back in April. Their upcoming album PARTUM VITA MORTEM’, out on July 24 sounds pretty badass so far. here is a single off the new album for you to check out
Metal Alliance tour news;
So it does not seem like Deicide kick Entombed A.D. off the tour like all the spreading rumors had stated. So based on several FB posts by Deicide it paints a different picture all together. It seems as though the organizers are the ones to blame, and while Deicide could have just said ” Pound Sand” and went home, they dont want to dissapoint any fans. However Deicide had these statements posted so you can decide for your self
“These are the final dates to this tour, we could have just said fuck this whole mess, and been done with it! We don’t do business like that and believe there is honor in finishing it not for ourselves but for the fans who deserve to see the band and who expect us to show up! This will be our last U.S. TOUR FOR A LONG LONG LONG TIME, come on out and support these great bands”
“What happen with this tour is this…the agents put together a package that the local promoters had no faith in and couldn’t afford and we’re all asking to cancel their dates, so to keep it going and finish it out entombed were told to go home not by us. But by the agents that set up this tour so the local promoters could still do the shows, we are all in this mess together and I can assure you we will never get involved in anything like this ever again.”
“We had nothing to do with entombed being kicked off tour blame metal alliance, there fucking mess!”
“METAL ALLIANCE IS WHO YOU SHOULD BE ANGRY WITH, THIS FUCKING TOUR IS THERE BIG FUCKING MESS, NOT DEICIDE WE ARE ONLY GUILTY OF AGREEING TO DO THE TOUR!”
So Deicide dont seem too happy about this whole mess either.
Lamb of God news! It seems like every week there is something to mention about this band. So it has been reported that Lamb of God will have guess vocals from none other than Chin Morneo (Deftones) and Greg Puciato (Dillinger Escape Plan). That just makes this album seem that more promising, with these guys offering their vocals to some tracks. Greg will be on the track ” Torches” and Chino will be on ” Embers”. I for one think that this album will be killer. You already have so much that has fueled the writing for this record, and then to add two frontman from great bands. This album just seems to be getting better and better as the release date gets closer.
Full Terror Assault open air festival will take place 9/10/15-9/12/15 at Cave-In Rock Illinois. There are three days, and three stages with 75 bands listed.
I am always in the mood for checking out new videos, and i love how some bands are putting out lyric videos. Its not the fact that they are adding the lyrics to the video. Its how they do it. They aren’t doing simple captions in blocks with white letters and keeping it bland. I have seen bands doing it in all different ways, just the creativity and imagination to put out a video and incorporate the lyrics with the video. Bands are constantly trying to get their message across to the listeners.
Well Revocation did that today, from their Facebook and twitter pages they put out a link to check out their lyric video for ” Madness Opus” off of their ” Deathless” album that was released this past October ( October, 14th 2014 to be exact)
Earlier I had posted about the Matriarch tour, well come to find out Revocation released a video to kick off the tour. the video is for the track ” Labyrinth of Eyes ” off of their album ” Deathless”. You can check the video out here; https://youtu.be/l1CZZU5r7IQ?list=PLy8LfIp6j3aIzwZMuY2sSaDX0wzdzBuhI
Don’t forget to check out the tour dates to see if they will be in your area.
Wed/May 20 – Detroit MI @ Crofoot
Thu/May 21 – Pittsburgh PA @ Altar Bar
Fri/May 22 – Rochester NY @ Waterstreet Music Hall
Sat/May 23 – Long Island NY @ Revolution
Sun/May 24 – Lancaster, PA @ Chameleon Club
Mon/May 25 – Richmond VA @ Canal Club
Tue/May 26 – Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theatre
Wed/May 27 – Birmingham AL @ Zydeco
Thu/May 28 – Jacksonville FL @ Underbelly
Fri/May 29 – Ft Lauderdale FL @ Culture Room
Sat/May 30 – Tampa FL @ State Theater
Tue/Jun 02 – El Paso TX @ Mesa Music Hall
Wed/Jun 03 – Tucson AZ @ The Rock
Thu/Jun 04 – Las Vegas NV @ Hard Rock
Sat/Jun 06 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
Sun/Jun 07 – Portland OR @ Hawthorne Theatre
Mon/Jun 08 – Seattle WA @ Studio Seven
Thu/Jun 11 – Calgary AB @ The Republik
Fri/Jun 12 – Edmonton AB @ The Pawn Shop
Sat/Jun 13 – Regina SK @ The Exchange
Sun/ Jun 14 Winnipeg, MB @ The Pyramid Cabaret
-Badger \m/
For some of you, you may have already heard, but for others maybe you haven’t. This summer is already booming with some great tours, to add to the list of great bands to see this summer will be Veil Of Maya! In support for their most recent album “ Matriarch” the band will be going on a 21 Show tour with the support of “ Revocation”, “ Oceano”, “Gift Giver”, and “ Entheos”. The Matriarch tour presented by Metal Injection starts May 20th in Detroit, MI, and at this time ends on June 14th in Regina, SK. They have posted “ more dates TBA” so that’s great news as the tour could go on a little longer. I have the list of tour dates they have posted on their facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/veilofmaya also check out their video for “ Mikasa” of the Matriarch album https://youtu.be/lCPwR7R4hlA
Wed/May 20 – Detroit MI @ Crofoot
Thu/May 21 – Pittsburgh PA @ Altar Bar
Fri/May 22 – Rochester NY @ Waterstreet Music Hall
Sat/May 23 – Long Island NY @ Revolution
Sun/May 24 – Lancaster, PA @ Chameleon Club
Mon/May 25 – Richmond VA @ Canal Club
Tue/May 26 – Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theatre
Wed/May 27 – Birmingham AL @ Zydeco
Thu/May 28 – Jacksonville FL @ Underbelly
Fri/May 29 – Ft Lauderdale FL @ Culture Room
Sat/May 30 – Tampa FL @ State Theater
Tue/Jun 02 – El Paso TX @ Mesa Music Hall
Wed/Jun 03 – Tucson AZ @ The Rock
Thu/Jun 04 – Las Vegas NV @ Hard Rock
Sat/Jun 06 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
Sun/Jun 07 – Portland OR @ Hawthorne Theatre
Mon/Jun 08 – Seattle WA @ Studio Seven
Thu/Jun 11 – Calgary AB @ The Republik
Fri/Jun 12 – Edmonton AB @ The Pawn Shop
Sat/Jun 13 – Regina SK @ The Exchange
Sun/ Jun 14 Winnipeg, MB @ The Pyramid Cabaret
-Badger \m/
SO as some of you may know I am a drummer which makes me gravitate to other drummers, and throughout metal are a lot of great drummers. Alex Rudinger is a badass drummer, he filled in for Revocation while their drummer was healing from an injury. He has played for Monuments, as well as the Faceless. He has posted videos of his playthroughs for songs like ” Atlas” by Monuments, as well as play throughs for even an “Eminem” song say what you say ( check it out here https://youtu.be/ti7AJS1kQYI ) today he posted a video for Dismantle the dictator by Revocation. You really have to give this guy credit, he is a great drummer, check out his video for his dismantle the dictator playthrough here; https://youtu.be/ofcKNk1sIR4
The Metal Breakdown 