Robyn - The Rakamonie EP (Valley Scene Magazine)

Robyn: The Rakamonie EP

By Rei Nishimoto

Sweden has produced pop music for decades like it grows on trees. It is surreal how one country is able to pump out so many artists that have been successful on an international level.

It has been over a decade since Robyn was last heard from Stateside. She was part of the teen pop phenomenon in the late 1990s, with hit songs like 'Do You Know (What It Takes)' and 'Show Me Love' from her Robyn Is Here CD became pop and dance chart toppers. Her powerful yet soulful voice stood out amongst the bouncy pop songs that usually produced out of the Swedish pop factory.

The Rakamonie EP is a reintroduction to her international fan base after going MIA for over a decade. She has been releasing music within Sweden, but very little has happened beyond those borders. But now, she is making up for lost time through this EP.

Her sound has evolved over the years, steering away from the slick pop sound that she was remembered for. The songs on here have greatly matured and will surprise those who are waiting more bubble gum pop-dance music. There is music on here that fans of pop, rock, and as far out as electronica could enjoy.

This EP features three newer songs, along with a couple of covers that is anything but expected. 'Konichiwa Bitches' is a reworked version from her 2005 release, but despite the Dave Chappelle catch phrase reference, this is as far as this song has to do with his. This single has hints of hip-hop and electronica, while Robyn shows off a hint of confidence behind her vocals. While names like Gwen Stefani jumps out as a possible comparison, this song does justice towards showcasing where Robyn's sound is heading.

Another side of her sound is found on 'With Every Heartbreat,' a song she collaborated with Swedish DJ Andreas Kleerup. This song was her big hit single in the UK and it would be no real surprise if the US makes a late surge lusting after this single as well.

This version is stripped down to a piano and her vocals. This song showcases more of her powerful vocal range and the variety she is able to add into her songs. But the skeleton of this single show that Robyn has grown as a singer and a performer since her early days.

The real surprise is her collaboration with Klas Ahlund of the rising rock/electronica outfit Teddybears. She covered Teddybears' hit single 'Cobrastyle,' which is a bold move for someone who has not been known to perform many crossover tunes throughout her career. Through collaborating with his, Robyn shows a different side of her music through adding more synth-driven sounds that is popular within the European dance scene. Plus she is showing different sides of her music and has very little chances of being viewed as a one dimensional artist.

Another surprise cover on here is her cover of Prince 'Jack U Off,' and how she transformed a popular pop/funk driven tune into a strictly piano song. Robyn found a unique way to make this song into her own without becoming trapped within the constraints of what listeners would expect her music to sound like. This song sounds is a fun song, played by someone who is finding the humor within the sexual innuendo within the lyrics, and placing her interpretation into the song. This song is purely to show Robyn having fun with the songs she performs and showing an edgy side in the meantime.

The Rakamonie EP definitely shows that Robyn has grown a lot during the decade long hiatus from the international music scene. She has come a long way from her early pop-dance days and has a lot to prove. Whenever she is ready to release her first internationally released full length recording, the world should be anxiously awaiting what she has coming.

Onesidezero (Blistering.com)

Onesidezero
By: Rei Nishimoto

It takes real commitment to keeping a band afloat. It takes a solid group of people and hard work to keep the sound fresh and making sure the fan base continues to grow. Despite the struggles Onesidezero had been through, the members made sacrifices to keep the dream alive. Through various lineup shuffles and business setbacks, the band has found ways to keep playing and reaching new fans. For nearly a decade, the band has always found a way to have their music heard.

They began in Los Angeles in 1998, building a strong fan base across the Southeastern US through strong live performances and creating melodic rock songs that fans connected with. They signed with Maverick Records and released their debut CD, Is This Room Getting Smaller?, in 2001. They followed this with tours with 311, Zebrahead, Static X, Soulfly, and SOiL, plus a live appearance on HBO’s Reverb with Linkin Park.

Things appeared to be going well for them, through landing strong tours and their name was getting out into the public. But problems with Maverick Records arose and the band requested to be released from their contract.

Onesidezero played sporatic shows within the time off, with various members taking time away from the band. Frontman Jasan Radford and guitarist Levon Sultanian joined up with former Soulfly members, guitarist Mikey Doling, drummer Roy Mayorga and bassist Marcello Dias to form Abloom.

Abloom gained attention quickly through the rock press, but difference of opinions led to the band’s premature demise. But in 2004, the band reunited and began working on new material. They signed with Corporate Punishment Records in 2006 to release their long awaited second record, Onesidezero in June 2007.

Since that time, guitarist Brett Kane briefly left the band during the writing of their latest record. But he recently returned to the band replacing their other guitarist, Levon Sultanian, who recently left the band. The band spoke to Blistering.com about the new record, the struggles through their musical journey, and surviving despite the lineup changes over the years.

Blistering.com: What’s Onesidezero been up to since the debut release?

Rob Barile:We did the record. We did a lot of touring. People broke off for a little while and did side projects. We started doing that a little bit. That kind of subsided. We started writing again with the intension of doing a new record. Then Brett [Kane, guitarist] left for a little while. We did the new record [Onesidezero] after Brett took off. Brett was involved in a lot of the writing process, but Levon [Sultanian, guitarist] played on the whole record.

Blistering,com: Was there ever a point during the time off that Onesidezero would never resurrect ever again?

Jasan Radford: It’s one of those things that we talked about briefly earlier. We worked really hard to get this thing done, so you don’t want to quit before the miracle. You don’t know if there’s a miracle about it…when you get a taste of it, you want to see what’s next. We didn’t feel that we got the full what’s next. There were people that believed in what we were doing. So that’s what kept us going.

Every day, we’re like ‘are we kicking a dead horse?’ Then, all of a sudden, you start selling a few records. You get out there and tour, and then you get that show. The tour does well and then ‘maybe not.’ There are people who are still identifying with this and you come out with something fresh and people who supported the new record. Whether we do is bigger than that. We did what we had to do. We put out the second record and now we’re lucky enough to start thinking about the third record, while finishing this. To answer the question - every day [we think about it]. We’re not getting any younger. We’re watching our friends succeed and/or fall. It’s constant.

Blistering.com: Jasan, you were in Abloom for a while. What did you learn from that experience? It was a different band with different players and very different music than what you must have been used to.

JR: I think that was the best break that Onesidezero could have had, or for myself. I broke out of a mold that I was stuck in as a vocalist and as a writer. Working with people in a genre I wasn’t used to. I don’t know metal or hard rock at all. It expanded my mind. Working with Shavo [Odadjian, System of a Down bassist] and Mikey [Doling, Invitro guitarist] and these guys that are all about this – this was something Levon actually was trying to do a lot that I fought against forever. Working with other people that weren’t so close and weren’t in the family, opened my mind to a lot of stuff. I think it had me have the ability to think differently. I had a great time. I met some really cool brothers. For me, it was a bit more personal and selfish. It made think about things a little bit differently as a singer that wasn’t so caught in the box. It’s like what you said about the first record and things seemed so same. I was stuck with that. I was stuck with the way I was comfortable.

Blistering.com: The songs on Onesidezero capture a wide array of sounds, from up tempo rock songs to slower songs. There’s even a faster metal song that is unusual for Onesidezero! Was that part of you breaking out of the comfort zone?

JR: All of us in a way. When someone’s really influenced, if you’re not used to doing what you’re going to do, then you have to change. I couldn’t go up there and sing melodically and be that guy on a song that was all riff metal oriented, because it wasn’t working. With all of us, we tried to make it as close as the Onesidezero thing and feel that way. But yeah, I think that’s why it sounds different. It’s also where we’re at. We did consciously all sit down, when Bret was involved with it too. We didn’t want to have a one style thing. We said let’s just write. Let’s write whatever happens and record and let it flow.

RB: I think in another aspect where it was huge also was we were lucky enough when we were touring the big tours to get dropped into everything from mellow, cool vibe-y Incubus, to balls-to-the-wall Soulfly. We were able to pretty much pull off both. We could go out and open for either one. We would switch it up and literally sometimes go in from directly a mellow thing right into a heavy thing. For me, it’s hard to play…especially when you get to know these bands…it’s hard not to be influenced by that too. For me, playing with Soulfly every night, it’s like a fucking steamroller. I think we took little pieces of that individually too. Playing with that kind of power, it transfers into you, whether you want it to or not.

Blistering.com: You’ve had the revolving door of members, where everyone’s left at one point or another. Do you feel you have a bit more stability on that end?

JR: For touring, yes. We have a unit that we could go out and do a tour. As far as the revolving door of members, you never know. Personalities and life…life’s changing so fast and everyone’s getting older. Our bass player’s [Cristian Hernandez] not here today because he’s dealing with stuff. It changes so fast. As far as being on the road, we finally have a unit that needs to go on the road, or is willing to be on the road.

It’s a hard question because you have to give up a lot to be on the road and be willing to do this. The three people that I would say have been here all along – Rob, Cristian and I – we really got tight and it’s a friendship that the three of us have never really experienced until going through this. As far as that, we found it. The fact that Bret came back, all of the pieces that made sense, fell into place, and finding a stand in to come in and join the band. I think we finally found what it was that needed us to be able to the job that we were supposed to do all along that we weren’t able to do all along. It’s hard to say. Who knows what tomorrow holds for anybody.

I’ll put it this way…or bass player left [on tour] the day of his anniversary. That’s a big fucking thing. His first year anniversary…that shows where it holds and stands for us.

Blistering.com: By getting back on the road, you’ve been off of touring for a while. Do you find fans that are reconnecting with Onesidezero where they were fans a while ago? What kinds of reactions do you get?

RB: The funny ones you get are “whoa! I thought you guys were dead.” There were people that were really surprised and didn’t know. We just played Colorado Springs a few months ago. The day after we played there, we got a Myspace from some girl who’s like “I’m so bummed. I didn’t even know you were together, and I see you on the marquee the day after you play.” So there’s a mixture. Some people have remained true and always stuck around. There are the people we’re picking up that are brand new. I’m sure there are some that have gone away. That’s the other thing about being on an indie. We’re not gang blasted over MTV. We don’t have all sorts of press going on. Stuff like this, and being out on the road is the only way to reach out again.

Brett Kane: And keep making good music. Good music will keep people coming. It happens with a lot of bands too. They make different albums and try different kinds of things. Sometimes it’s a revolving door.

Blistering.com: Something you didn’t get to do last time around is tour Europe. What’s happening with that?

RB: We had a tour all lined up. It was being booked. Some of it was confirmed. Our headliner, who we will leave anonymous, ran into some things and we were unable to do that. But that being said, our German label, Tieff-Druck Musik, was working really hard at it, and seeming getting cool responses. So they’re working right now on another one for us to get us out there before summer.

JM: I want to play Lennon Live. It’s on the HD Channel. All of the bands that are coming through Europe…it’s like Reverb, except for London. It’s awesome. I’d love to get out there. If we get out there, we have to work that out. It’s the victim of the industry right now. It’s not anybody’s fault. The headlining band, I’m sure is just as bummed, or more bummed than we are. We’re bummed we’ve never been [to Europe]. We’ve had the opportunity once before to go to Europe and our label said no. We hope our day will come. It’s nobody’s fault. It’s the circumstances of the industry is right now. It’s hard for everybody. We happened to be the victims of it, because we’re the low man on the totem pole. But we’ll keep going. For us, we’re not going to Europe. Let’s start doing the States.

Blistering.com: Have you just toured the entire US or just the West Coast?

RB: Probably five times over.

JR: There are very few states we haven’t been, like Montana, South Dakota, and Alaska. RB: We’ve done it several times.

JR: To go back to the question you asked earlier, you asked about meeting people that either remember or forget…it definitely sets your mind. The perfect example is Burger King taking the Whopper off in the commercials they’re running about the Whopper. That would be this - out of sight, out of mind. You take it off, and they’re freaked out. But next week, if the Whopper’s gone, then it’s gone. So we never sold platinum records and shit like that. But we do have a core group of fans that keep us going and what keeps us going with hopes that maybe we’re reaching new people. Sometimes you get it. You play a show and all of a sudden, 16 year olds are hitting you up on your Myspace. They’re the ones who’re willing to go into Best Buy and hang out at the mall and buy your record. Still there’s a little bit of that. It’s back and forth. It really is. Yes, people forgot.

Blistering.com: You got more airplay on KROQ (LA radio station) this time around than the debut?

JR:We were the “Catch of the Day” a lot on the first record. We made number three for a few weeks. “New World,” the single that supposed to start the record and “Instead Laugh” was going to be the big push over. With the label not pushing it and the things that went down with Maverick, but Kat from KROQ got our back on this record 100 percent. Fell in love with the band and really pushed us. A lot of it is relationships. It’s people believing in us. We did get more airplay and we’re appreciative because it’s Kat…and Stryker. Stryker gave her the CD, because he knew it would fit for the Locals Only kind of thing. We weren’t coming straight out of the box. There was no money to be put in. There’s no push this single. There’s no major label to push it.

RB: And then we fell in love with Kat. Then she added us to KROQ LA Invasion, which was cool. We ended up headlining the second stage, which was awesome.

Blistering.com: That exposure must have helped a lot.

JR: You know what? Rebuilding is rebuilding. We got a taste of it and we’re grateful for it. So there’s no animosity. The fact that we go on tour and there are people at our shows on tour. I’m reading emails from bands that are like ‘how are you touring? Could you give me some insight?’ We’re able to do it naturally. It becomes something that’s easy for us to go on tour. There’s nothing that’s stopping us. That’s a beautiful thing.

RB: The funny thing, along with that is that our whole touring experience has been 100% backwards. We started in phat ass buses and now we’re doing vans and RVs. But the cool thing is that there are no attitudes. It’s cool. We make our van into our bus. We get along good now. Obviously, any one of us would give anybody a part to be lying down in a nice, giant bus. But we’re still out there doing it.

www.myspace.com/onesidezero

Black Tide (Mean Street - March 2008)

BLACK TIDE

By Rei Nishimoto

Sonic Youth

Still in their teens, the members of Black Tide already have bragging rights for playing Ozzfest’s main stage last summer. The Miami thrash act, however, came close to missing out on the whole tour.

“We were supposed to play the second stage and then we got kicked off,” explains guitarist Alex Nunez. “Then we got placed on the main stage. That was insane.”

Black Tide had secured an Ozzfest slot until second stage sponsor Jagermeister realized that none of the band members — who are still in their teens — were old enough to buy alcohol. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed and the up-and-coming metal foursome was reassigned from second stage to the coveted main stage, opening up for Lamb of God and the Ozzman himself.

“At first, we were an unknown band, but it eventually went well,” Nunez says. “We never got booed. I saw Lordi got booed a couple of nights!”

With their major label debut Light From Above scheduled for release this month, Black Tide will showcase a classic ’80s metal and rock sound far beyond their years.

The band came together in middle school, playing backyard parties until the group could get club shows. All four members are currently under the age of 20, with lead vocalist Gabriel Garcia being the youngest at 15. Light From Above’s first single, “Shockwave,” exemplifies the band’s signature Reagan-era thrash sound — think Kill ‘Em All-era Metallica — with solos galore.

“We’ve been playing [‘Shockwave’] for years,” Nunez says. “When we went into the studio, we had to rearrange [it] and go through pre-production stuff. On ‘Shockwave,’ there were two things added and that was it. It’s pretty much the same exact way we’ve been playing it.”

“That song’s getting pushed so much,” he adds. “That’s the song people could recognize the most. It’s the first song we start off with. Everyone likes it.”

Eighties-era riffing wasn’t the first style the band gravitated to during its formative years.

“We started off playing pop-punk stuff,” Nunez reveals. “One day, Gabriel’s cousin started showing him Guns N’ Roses and stuff like that. It turns out that my brother liked the same stuff. I burned his Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin records. We started getting into classic rock like Zeppelin and AC/DC…We started playing stuff that sounded like Judas Priest. Now people say we sound more like Metallica and Megadeth.”

Still, the band’s name actually comes from another love, skateboarding.

“We had Radio [their original band name] for a long time,” explains Nunez. “We wanted to change the name. Everyone kept coming up with ideas, but we could never agree on ideas for names. Somebody said Black Tide. That sounds cool…What kind of meaning would it have? We all like skateboards and that’s how we became friends. Surfers have their tide. For skateboarders, that’s our wave.”

On the web: blacktidemusic.com

Tomas Lindberg (Blistering.com)

Tomas Lindberg is quite the busy guy. Over the past decade, his raw vocal style has been influential in shaping much of the modern metal scene. His brash sounding vocal sound is distinctive and hard to miss within a scene of artists trying to find its identity.

He is best known as the frontman in At the Gates, the longtime Swedish death metal outfit that has been sited as an influence on many of today’s bands. Their final release, Slaughter of the Soul, is still one of the most talked about releases of the last decade.

He has been balancing new releases by his two bands, Disfear and The Great Deceiver. The Great Deceiver returns with Life Is Wasted on the Living, their third full length release [and their first for Deathwish Inc]. Shortly after, Disfear released their newest full length, Live the Storm.

After a decade of inactivity, At the Gates will be returning for a series of reunion dates. Lindberg talked about each of his bands, his approach behind working with each band, and balancing his hectic schedule.

Blistering.com: Is it ironic that both the Great Deceiver and the Disfear records were both released so close to each other?

Tomas Lindberg: It’s kind of weird because they were recorded close together. The Great Deceiver had been shelved for a while because of trying to find a new label. The Disfear record happened so quickly, even though the writing process was longer. It’s been like…21 or 22 songs had been in my head for like…four years (laughs).

Blistering.com: So how long have you been doing Disfear now?

TL: Since 1999. 1998 or 1999, I can’t remember. It’s been a while. I feel that it’s my band as much as anyone else’s.

Blistering.com: How did you approach the writing process behind the new Disfear record?

TL: I knew when we’re recording the last album, Misanthropic Generation, we already knew what we were capable of. We didn’t want to take all of the steps at once. We had a basic idea for the next album already then. We knew it would still keep the formula in tact in one way. We added Uffe [Cederlund, guitar] as the second guitarist. That brought in new influences that we could step up another level. We couldn’t really hold that back. Within the first couple of songs with Uffe, that’s when we realized that it was going somewhere. The evolution process was going faster than we thought.

Blistering.com: Uffe wasn’t part of the last record, is that right?

TL: He was a touring member for the last record.

Blistering.com: How did he get involved with Disfear? He was a touring member and then he’s now a full time member.

TL: We were touring with Entombed. He had happened to fill in. The first tour we did, not as a support band to Entombed, was his first tour where we asked him if he wanted to come along. The other times he was there. Then he said, ‘I wanna come along, but I want to be a member.’ He actually took the position in a way (laughs)! It was a really easy thing.

Blistering.com: Was that the reason why he quit Entombed?

TL: Not really.That’s probably something you have to talk to him about. For a long time, he was part of both bands. I don’t have enough knowledge to go into details about why he quit Entombed. There were a lot of other reasons but not Disfear.

Blistering.com: While you were writing the last Disfear record, you were involved with a number of other projects. Do you feel that you can focus more on Disfear now that you don’t have the other obligations?

TL: I feel much more relaxed now. I have only Disfear and the Great Deceiver to concentrate on. Even saying this, the Great Deceiver is not that much of a touring band. We do short European tours and stuff like that. We would like to come over to the States on this one. Disfear has more of a natural live sound. I feel less stressed after stripping down so many projects. These two bands mean so much for me to do them.

Blistering.com: Are you no longer the guy involved in a million projects?

TL: No. Now it’s only my two bands. Two bands is a lot for a guy who’s also studying full time at a university and a family. I don’t have that much time.

Blistering.com: You’re packing your entire day then.

TL: I’m doing school work when I’m talking to you and trying to have one eye on the kids at the same time. My wife will be home soon. I’ve got to do it, but it’s all fun. I love my school work. I love, of course, my family. I love both of my bands. It’s a constant problem (laughs)!

Blistering.com: What are you studying in school?

TL: It’s university for becoming a high school teacher in social studies. I’ll be teaching kids about social values. It’s another two years. I’m half way through.

Blistering.com: So when you write for the Great Deceiver and for Disfear, your vocal styles slightly differ. How much do the two bands really differ when you write?

TL: Actually, lyric wise – what goes into the lyrics are not that much different. I come to the point where I need to have something important to say. It’s always the same sort of subjects I want to deal with in both bands. They’re both political hardcore bands. Maybe it has more of a rhythmical vocal pattern with the Great Deceiver, with what you would call American hardcore vocals, with the more rhythmical approach. Disfear has maybe a straight forward aggressive vocal approach. Maybe that also comes with the tone, where Disfear is a bit higher than the Great Deceiver. Each song has its own feeling, which I try to portray with my vocals as well. It comes down to what my great writers bring to the table.

Blistering.com: I noticed the Great Deceiver has more of a melodic metal style with your vocals over it. The Disfear, especially on this one, has more of a punkier influence, like Motorhead type of feel. Are the musicians in each band influenced that differently?

TL: Not really. It would be different to play in a band that had a different approach than me. The guys I play with have their favorite bands in each genre. It happened that all of the players in Disfear portray that side of our musical light. It is the same with the Great Deceiver. The Great Deceiver could easily want to do a Disfear sounding song for rocking out, and same with the Disfear guys. We all love the melodic metal sounding stuff. This is our different sides of us. We feel comfortable portraying in the two different bands. That’s why it differs.

Blistering.com: Is there a meaning behind Live the Storm?

TL: It’s something that stuck in my head. I don’t know where I got it from. I liked the ring of it. It’s more of a command. I tell you to live the storm. This may sound pretentious, but to live the storm is like to live in rebellion, and to be against ruling powers and having somebody standing up against it. It’s about the punk scene in a way. The real punk scene (laughs)! It’s being against authority and nothing being punished for it. Not “right, right” and going home and eating your mother’s lunch (laughs). It’s the devoted anti-authority.

Blistering.com: It’s the spirit of the anarchist punk movement.

TL: It’s something like the cry of rebellion. I wouldn’t call our music political in that sense. It’s a cry for everyone to open up and to think about what is going on.

Blistering.com: Do you think your lyrics are still very politically or socially motivated as the days when you were in At the Gates?

TL: Yeah. That’s why I feel comfortable with At the Gates coming back together. I think it’s still the same style. I still have the same devotion to what I do. It’s still the same basic idea of standing up for solidarity and socialism. That’s what I believe in. It’s widespread between the bands for sure.

Blistering.com: When you’re not doing your music, what bands are you personally into these days?

TL:There’s so much different stuff. Every week it changes. For several weeks, it’s been like the New Wave of American Underground Black Metal, like Xasthur and Leviathan. I’ve been into a lot of that stuff, like Nachtmystium. Together, with the new wave punk, like the Vipers and Wire. It’s really stretched out, but it’s all obscure stuff for sure. A lot of stuff inspires me a lot to do my own stuff.

Blistering.com: You recorded the Great Deceiver record in the US?

TL: No. The Disfear record was record with Kurt [Ballou] from Converge in Salem [Massachuetts]. The Great Deceiver record was done in Sweden. It’s released on an American label [Deathwish Inc], so that’s probably why it’s confusing [laughs].

Blistering.com: What was it like working with Kurt on the Disfear record?

TL: It was amazing. We probably couldn’t have done the same record without him. We have great respect for his musical talent, the way he writes, arranges songs and the way he brings out the natural sound of the band and the off settings. It really sounds like us more than what we thought was possible. It’s natural, honest and aggressive. He had great ideas that we listened to.

Blistering.com: In 2006, you brought Disfear to the US for the Maryland Deathfest.

TL: Last year, we were in the States three times. We’ve been over to the States five times for the last record. We hope to do the same with this one. What we do is popular here in Europe too. We feel that the American audience has been waiting for a longer time for a band like us to come around. Now when we have the chance that the people are interested on that level, we really want to go for it.

Blistering.com: Are you doing a full US tour?

TL: There are different suggestions. It’s depending on all of our different schedules. Three of the Disfear guys are fathers these days. We have a lot of obligations. We really want to keep it shorter, like doing two weeks East Coast, two weeks West Coast, and some dates in the middle; instead of doing a six week American tour. But then, we got some other offers that threw that option out of the window in a way! (laughs) Right now, we really don’t know when or where.

Blistering.com: What about The Great Deceiver? Is there a chance of bringing it over to the US?

TL: There are some offers for that too. We have some people that we work with that we feel comfortable with. We have to find the right schedule for it. It looks like Disfear is the band that will come over first. We’re hoping to be over here before the end of 2008. Both of my bands have been over to the States at least once. We work slowly. We’re not 25 any more. We have time on our side. It’s more important that everything is done well.

Blistering.com: It’s well known that you’re doing the At the Gates reunion next summer. How does that work into your pre-existing schedule?

TL: It’s hectic (laughs)! But we’ve been talking about it for so long, and this was the summer that was least hectic for everybody. Everybody has projects and things to do. We’ve wanted to do this for a long time. It was time. We’re so psyched about it. Their other bands, as far as I know, are helping out. They understand that this is something they need to do…to get it out of our systems in one way. As soon as we got the dates to work around…it’s about scheduling.

Blistering.com: I know At the Gates is doing select European festivals. Are you doing US dates as well?

TL: That’s the plan at least. There are some plans already. I guess they’re too loose to talk about. We are coming to the States. It won’t be a full tour, but it will be select dates in select cities. But it will be spread out so people won’t have to travel that far, and trying to keep the ticket prices down as well.

Blistering.com: I read that you were doing guest vocals with a band called Nail Within in Israel.

TL: Yeah. They were some friends of mine. They released an album on Listenable like four years ago. I did backing vocals on their album. So we’ve friends all that time. They got back together for one show, like what we’re going to do. So they’re doing their reunion, and they felt it would be special to have one of their guest vocals on the album on the reunion show as well. It was a great time. They’re awesome guys and really talented writers. It was rewarding.

myspace.com/disfear