Friday, August 15, 2014

Bane Of Bedlam Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band so far in 2014?
1. Nick here, and I'm joined by our close friend and guitarist Pauly Merenda. Some of you might remember Paulys work with us on 'The Last Testament', but possibly not be aware he had alot to do with the writing process of 'Monument of Horror'.
Alot of 2014 thus far has been vested in the future of the band. After the massive delays and setbacks we experienced with 'Monument...' we knew we had to approach things slightly differently from now on. We launched the album in March to a great hometown response and have headlined several other shows around Melbourne as well as travelling as far as Canberra and Sydney to play to new crowds which is always great.
We entered into a worldwide management contract with KillShot Management a few months ago which was a fantastic move for us and has already delivered some awesome opportunities for us. We're not able to discuss much of this as of yet, so you'll have to stay tuned!
On top of all that, we've hooked up a deal with our local studio - The Band Booth, and have permanent lock out access to our room. In here we've nearly completed the writing process for the next album. Always busy, looking forwards.

2.In October of 2013 you had released your first full length album, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical direction of the newer music and also how does it differ from your previous demo and ep?
2. Although 'Monument...' was only recently released, the majority of the material dates back 3-4 years in parts. We suffered nearly every setback one could handle, including the crushing departure of Pauly after his back was broken in a work accident. We've learnt alot in that time, not least of all musically. But compared to the previous releases, 'Monument of Horror' is alot more technical and progressive, with generally longer song lengths. Also a noticeable difference was the lack of Pauly and his lead work throughout the album. The solos on that album were written and performed by a session guitarist.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
3. Lyrically, Brad (Vocalist) explores topics of organised religion, government corruption, and the lies and deceit we are all fed on a daily basis. We're quite passionate about all this, and the so called free world in which we live. We're not preachers, we're not trying to convert anyone, we just have something to say. And if someone can take something from that, then that's a plus.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Bane Of Bedlam'?
4. Bane of Bedlam, to us, refers to the worst, most wretched vile thing to exist within a hellish, chaotic world. A somewhat paradoxical relation between the two.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
5. Pauly and myself both agree that the two Tattoo/Alternate festivals we played in QLD a few years back were definitely stand out shows to us. In terms of crowd attendance and response, the energy was insane. They helped us put our stamp on the local scene, anyway. The album launch was also killer, not a massive turnout but definitely a fantastic response. Our shows are honest, straight to the point and brutal. No gimmicks, just a bunch of dudes playing their music to a room of people. We're always chasing the cycle of energy-what we give out the crowd picks up and returns, and on it goes to a massive, wrecking ball crescendo.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
6. We do have quite some big news to announce soon, regarding shows/touring, so you'll have to check out our social media sites real soon. We'll just say some pretty exciting things are in the works...

7.Currently the band is unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
7. We have received a bit of label interest both locally and overseas, but we're biding our time til we find the right people to work with. Hopefully, we find the perfect label who sees our dedication, passion and drive, and respects that enough to want to work in accordance with that.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death and thrash metal?
8. From a global perspective, the response has been far greater than we expected. As mentioned, the problems with 'Monument...' worried us. But it seems to be going down well with the fans, especially in Europe. Only yesterday, we were given a 4/5 rating in a Polish review from the one and only Metal Hammer magazine. Bit surreal that.

9.Are any of the band members involved with any other musical projects these days?
9. Personally I've been involved in a bit of session work locally, which is always a great chance to network and just make music. Apart from that, we're all 100% dedicated to Bedlam.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
10. We're always pushing ourselves individually as musicians. As a result, that comes through in the music we write and play. We've always been labelled a thrash band, but since the resurgence of thrash, we'd be happy to do away with that tag. Basically we want to write whatever we want - no limits. Wherever it comes from. We all listen to a massively diverse range of music, and we dont want to be a slave to the trend. We'll always have elements of speed, groove and brutality, its just in how we approach it that will help define us. Hopefully.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
11. We all love Revocation. Their playing and songwriting has been a massive influence on us lately. Spain's Angelus Apatrida are kicking some serious ass musically, too. Pauly's been getting back into Jeff Beck, Brent Mason, Rob Chappers, Guthrie Goven, guitarist's guitarists. I've been really digging Australia's Psycroptic as well lately, another brilliant band with their own sound. I think as a whole, we're also getting into a lot more progressive bands too. Both modern and old school. Alot of Mastodon. A great diet of Blood Mountain, Crack the Skye.... Cool music that makes you focus on the playing.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
12. Chris (Guitars) and Pauly both dig their cars. Myself and Brad both read and write a lot. Glen likes cats. Me and Pauly both have kids, so obviously there's a massive amount of love and inspiration right there. It's only made us better people and given us more drive.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
13. We're just glad to still be making this ugly music together, in the same lineup since 2009. We've been through a lot, both as a unit and personally, but something has kept us together, kept us moving forward. We're very excited for the future, we have some big announcements to make, and feel like this is only the beginning of our career. We'll have a brand new album for you real soon, so if you haven't yet, pick yourself up a copy of 'Monument of Horror' or 'The Last Testament' EP and familiarise yourself with the material. Then come along and check us out live when we hit your town.

Thanks for your time

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