Enabler Interview

1. Can you give us an update on what is going with the band these days?

 

Right now, we are preparing to release our second LP (and first proper full length release) "All Hail the Void" and touring in support of it. We leave a week from today to make our journey out to start the Southern Lord summer package tour with Black Breath, Martyrdod, and Burning Love. Couldn't be more stoked, but there is much to do...

 

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how it differs from previous recordings?

 

With the first LP, we had only been a band for 3 months at that time and only played a handful of shows. We

recorded the record in 16 hours and it was the first 8 songs we had as a band. With this record, we had almost 30 songs to choose from, we did 18 days of tracking and about 2-3 months of mixing and editing. The new record is just much tighter and the songs that we picked were very thought out. I absolutely love both recordings equally for what they are, but I also felt that we really needed to step it up with this release.

 

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

 

The lyrics I write are usually personal and are initially based around something that has happened to me, but I try to write about things in a manner where everyone can relate with where I'm coming from. I have found that I'll use lyrics that I wrote 5 years ago, and I completely forgot what the situation was that inspired me to write those lyrics, but I can relate them to something entirely different that's happening in my life. I think that the world can be a very unfair place, and humanity in general just really lets me down.

 

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

 

I feel like being in this band and having this as my songwriting outlet is what enables me to be myself, to be

comfortable in life. I have to express the way I feel or the frustration that I feel in life just really wears down on me and leads me to be a very unhappy person.

 

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage

performance?

 

Recently, shows that stick out to me are Portland, Missoula Montana, Albuquerque, the Power of the Riff showcase at SXSW. Almost every time we've played Minneapolis it has been killer. I think if I were asked this question after the next tour, I'd have a lot more cities to name. We just try to be as honest as we can in our performance every night, and we never try to act like something we're not in a live setting. I hate it when people try to act larger than life on stage.

 

6. Do you have any touring plans for the future?

 

Of course! We are going on the Southern Lord summer package tour next week and then we plan on doing a small run of dates in western Canada in August. We'll be doing a run around The Fest in Gainesville in October as well.

 

7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of crust and grind?

 

Honestly, it's kind of hit or miss. I think sometimes people think that the band is something it's not. Although

there are a lot of crust and grind influences, I wouldn't say we are a crust or grind band by any means. There is just as much hardcore / punk, and a HUGE amount of 80s thrash and 90s death metal influence (probably more of this than any other influence). Sometimes people are surprised by the band and absolutely love it, but sometimes they just want the bread and butter grind or crust band, which we are not.

 

8. Are there any other projects besides this band or is this a full time line-up?

 

The band is a full time lineup but people in the band are involved with other bands. Andy fills in for Earth Crisis from time to time on drums and is involved in several very popular bands, and Greg also plays in Misery Signals. I'm currently not playing with anyone else, but I would like to get back behind the drums at some point!

 

9. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

 

I have a ton of new material written already. I think it's great, it's exactly the music I want to play. There's a lot of thrash and death metal, a ton of melodic parts, tons of d-beats, and of course I'm still trying to find ways to write heavier riffs than I have before. The lyrics are going to be pissed and dark as fuck. It's the same road we've been on, we're just not stopping anytime soon.

 

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

 

The best new records I've heard this year are Cannibal Corpse "Torture", Tragedy "Darker Days Ahead", Imperial State Electric "Pop War", and Van Halen "A Different Kind of Truth". I never stop listening to old Megadeth, Metallica, Anthrax, Sepultura, Testament, etc....

 

11. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

 

Star Wars, John Carpenter movies, Star Trek, Stephen King novels, and things of the like.

 

12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

 

Thanks for doing the interview!