interview by prez
If the latest Unearth record were a real storm, you’d better have an underground bomb shelter if you’re not hauling ass out of town. “The Oncoming Storm” is the latest full length from one of New England’s finest contributions to the growing genre of metalcore musicians. They’ve been assaulting the metal and hardcore scene so much over the past 6 years, that Metal Blade Records caught wind of them all the way on the left coast and are adding momentum to their latest outbreak. Recently I spoke with Trevor, lyricist and lead vocals of the band about Ozzfest, the new record and road bone.
This really seems to be your year. You’ve got the new full length “The On Coming Storm” coming out a week from today on June 29th. You’ve got the Ozzfest tour, which is probably sporting one of the best line-ups the festival has ever had. Slayer, Priest, Every time I Die . . .
Trevor: Slayer, Priest, and Black Sabbath of course. You can’t argue with those 3 bands at all.
You’ve paid your dues on the road.
Right, we’ve been a band for close to six years and we’ve been doing our thing in the underground for a long time doing tour after tour, building a little fan base for ourselves, having a good time in the world. The U.S., Canada and Europe, its been a great time for us. Last year in October we got picked up by Metal Blade and ever since then things have been really going for us. The new record coming out and then Ozzfest… it’s pretty much a dream come true.
Lets talk chicks, it’s gotta be hard being on tour months at a time. How do you deal with that? Do you have a girlfriend back at home? Do you get your love’n on the run? Setting up a franchise banging fat chicks from town to town?
Fat chicks are where it’s at! No, we actually all have girlfriends except for one guy in the band. I’ve been with my girl for about three years. Buzz, our guitar player, is actually married. So there is some heartache, you’re missing your girl, but you can talk on the phone. We’ll have the girls come out and visit every once in a while. I think this is the best job in the world. I think it beats working a 9 to 5 job which I’ve done before. I’m 26 now and haven’t been doing this thing forever, but I prefer this over that.
I recently read one of the worst hard luck stories about you guys on tour. Some dude with full-blown AIDS breaking into your van.
Yeah that sucked. That was our first real tour ever and it was a total nightmare. We thought that’s what touring was all about. It was a tough time. We parked behind the club. I went out after our set to get a new shirt cause I sweat through the one I had on… saw a broken window and blood everywhere. It was a nightmare from that point on. They arrested the guy and asked us if we wanted to press charges but we figured the guy had a rough enough time. It was definitely a messy clean up with rubber gloves and stuff.
Do you still own the AIDS van?
Nope. That van is gone. We drove around in it for quite a while though. We actually sold it to the band Bury Your Dead.
And all the hard work paid off. The new CD, Ozzfest coming up. You’re sharing a bus with Every Time I Die, right?
Yeah dude, we’re actually gonna be on the bus for the first time, like you said, with Every Time I Die. That will be a killer time. It’ll be crowded but…
The new record, “The Oncoming Storm, it’s your first full length in a while.
Our first full length in 3 1/2 years. Our first came out in January of 2001 on Eulogy Recordings.
It was recorded by Adam D. of Killswitch Engage who always does amazing work. He’s done all your previous records.
Yeah, we started working with him in 2000. He recorded our first full length and we haven’t stopped since. He was our first choice for this record. He’ll always be our first choice.
You battled a throat infection towards the end of the recording. That had to be rough.
Yes. Adam really pushed us hard. I did take after take and it was in early March, when it was still kind of cold outside and I caught a germ in my throat that blew up on me. I had to take a week and a half off and we were kind of pressed for time at the end, but we finished up. It kind of sucked. It was the worst throat infection I had ever seen. It’s a tough thing when your throat is your instrument and that breaks down.
You guys are playing bigger shows now and you know, as a dude. . . boners just happen. Have you ever gotten a raging hard-on right before you had to go on stage? Like when you’re in grammar school and that chubby pops up right before you’ve got to go up to the blackboard .
(laughter) Actually never. There’s a ton of road bone, that’s when the van’s roll’n and you can’t help it… But no, I’ve never experienced that before going on the stage. I think there’s adrenaline flowing before I go on so I’m not even thinking about that.
Yeah, I hear you man. . . but you know maybe the adrenaline might be flowing to that little place?
Hahaha… Little place?
Oh. . I’m sorry huge place.
That’s the first time I’ve been asked that question. Pretty creative.
These are the kind of things I wonder about. Most people who are interviewing bands will ask about the music, I ask about boners.
Shows you where your mind’s at dude.
