[from our friends at The Syndicate]: California outfit, Lightfighter has released their debut s/t EP for a FREE download. The group which features ex members of A Midsky Surrender and Hello Astronaut deliver what they self deem as “Metal Step” which blends screamo melodies with a multi-layered electronic tempo.

For more info on the band, visit: Facebook.com/LightfighterCA

Life is full of twists and turns, when the road narrows or throws extra bumps in the path you quickly discover the boundaries of your own ambition as well as the commitment of those around you. Skill alone is not enough to reach the top. Desire by itself will not open doors. As a band approaches the sweet spot where skill, desire and a combined resolve to weather whatever curves may come, then that band begins to climb past the low hanging fruit of convenience and begins the uphill climb of opening doors of opportunity. As the name presumably hints upon, the members of And Came Back Brutal have seen their share of personal and professional trials in the course that has brought them this far. With some serious attention from labels such as Artery, And Came Back Brutal is hard at work to prove they have the drive and talent to make a serious run at bringing some Bearcore into the heavy music scene.

You’ve Recently garnered the attention of labels such as Artery, how did you get hooked up with them and on their radar?
Scott Gallagher (Vocals): I know Artery from when my dad, who is also the manager for our band, represented my sister when she was taking pictures for a lot of local and touring bands for the label. She landed a big gig from Artery and Drop Dead Gorgeous, taking their website and CD photos for Worse Than A Fairy Tale project. We’ve stayed in contact ever since.

What has the process of showcasing for a label been like?
SG: It’s been frustrating at times cuz it’s such a hurry up and wait kind of deal. Playing at the right places with the right people watching took a long time to get us our showcase show. Our manager started working on it a year and a half before we got our first break at the showcase. At Artery’s invite, we recently opened up for the Unearth and Carnifex show and it looks like we will be doing more locally and in Nor Cal with them. During that waiting time, we had to be ready to play at a moment’s notice for any shows that would open up that would help us get our name out and hopefully draw more interest to the band. Bands have to network to build the fan base cuz at the end of the day, that’s what the label wants to see…..big turnouts at your show.

I know your dad has been one of your biggest fans, how huge is that for you to have the full backing of your family?
SG: Its been a big to have the support. Our whole family is involved in music one way or another and we all support each other. Most parents don’t see this genre of music as being anything productive or useful. I love the support and can remember telling my dad I was going to be in a band when I was 12 years old.

ACBB is your second venture birthing from a split of your previous band, did your first incarnation end on good terms?
SG: Yes and no. It was awkward but not terrible. There was not much cohesiveness there.

What did you learn from that experience and how have you kept momentum with forming a new band?
SG: I learned to deal with it as a business instead of personally period!

You’ve been tweaking your line-up, who is And Came Back Brutal and is there any significance to the name?
SG: The significance is we’ve all been a part of some bad bands and some failed experiences in life and just felt that we were ready to take back, put on a new skin and come back brutal.

You all have taken to the label of Bearcore, how did this get started?
SG: We have different types of genres within our own music, the primary genre involves death metal which generally ends on a downbeat, and death core which ends on an upbeat and the background of all of that is we have what we like to call BroMetal which usually has the same rhythmic patterns. When we see the crowd dancing to our music and following the natural rhythm moving their hands to the bobbing rhythms up and down it reminded us of a bear standing with arms up and bobbing it’s head. It was just spontaneously birthed at our 2nd or 3rd concert and stuck.

Where do you grab inspiration for your writing – what are some of your sources outside of the umbrella of hardcore?
SG: We don’t write under typical hardcore. We are inspired by hip-hop as much as we are by any other metal bands. I’m inspired by the emotion and energy of bands like The Acacia Strain, Coheed and Cambria, and The Hives. As far as lyrics, I write about the side of Christianity that we as Christians don’t like to talk about. We can be a very brutally judgmental people. I also feel like I have to write about stuff that kids think about but won’t talk about.

You recently got to go behind the scenes with Chris Penne of Coheed and Cambria, how did that come about and what was that like?
SG: My Dad met him through a project at his work. Once my dad meets someone, he tries to stay in contact with them and such was the case with Chris. He invited us to be a guest at a Coheed show in San Francisco last year. We were able to spend some time talking about the music process and what I could expect along the way. He has checked out our music and has given some feedback which is cool cuz he is on the road so much. Honestly, it was awesome to meet Chris. He’s been one of my idols since Jr High and I have to say he is one of the nicest guys you would ever get to meet.

Youve got incredible range in your vocals, going from straight guttural to serpentine without and strain, what have you found works best to prepare your voice for the strain of hardcore?
SG: Mongolian throat singing is a great exercise. It’s where this type of vocal originated. I’ve been practicing since I was twelve years old and taking it slow along the way. Too many singers blow out their voice before they even get started. I’ve tried to experiment with the different sounds and body positions that it takes to support the range. Also, I want my stage voice to sound like our recorded tracks so it stays consistent.

There are some big shows coming up and I believe you mentioned working on recording as well, what do you have in the works and what are you looking forward to in Summer of 2010?
SG: Yeah we are excited about our future. Artery has given us some direction to where they would like to see us in the spring, so we are working with them to book more shows opening up for the national bands that come through Sacramento as well as booking shows on our own. We are hoping to get picked up on a tour and who knows, maybe one of the bands reading this will dig our stuff and make us that offer.

And Came Back Brutal (Hardcore – Sacramento, CA) is: Scott – Vox; Marc – Guitar; Peter – 7 String Leads; Will – Bass; Eric – Drums. Check the ACBB Myspace for music, concert dates and news.

Hurdcore.com is open to new partnerships to promote local music. Contact us to discuss opportunities for album reviews, event promotion or content management – hurdcore@gmail.com (be specific in subject line). Keep rocking local, friend us on myspace and join us facebook.

I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. – Jesus

As The Ghost Inside storms into the Northwest on the final leg of their headlining American Tour with First Blood, A Loss For Words, Deez Nuts and Hundreth before hopping the pond to tear through Europe. For those who have come away fans of what The Ghost Inside can produce with just 1 week in the studio, imagine what this band can accomplish with some experience under their belts and three times the studio session. With the recent release of their ode-to-the-road inspired full length release of Returners on Mediaskare Records, fans will again be rocked, challenged and inspired by the grit of this LA based metal quintet. Catch them Nov 7th in Boise at Mardi Gras and Nov 12th in Porltand at Branx. Special thanks to Jerry Graham of Warm Fuzzy Publicity for setting this interview up with TGI vocalist Jonathan Vigil.

Soon you are off to yet another European tour, what has surprised you the most about fans overseas?
Jonathan Vigil (Vocals): Probably their enthusiasm. Fans in Europe and Australia will line up before the show even starts, run up to the front row, and be the last ones to leave. They genuinely love overseas bands and it’s awesome.

Is there a meaning behind the name The Ghost Inside?
JV: No, we just needed a name and that was the only name out of a few hundred that just stuck with us. Haha.

I know the first song that I heard of your was “Faith Or Forgiveness,” which also happens to be your most played song on Myspace with well over 1.5 million plays. Is this your most recognizable song to date? What do you think makes this song stand out to fans?
JV: Yeah. I think it being our first real “single” and the fact that it was our first music video, that it stuck with people.

If I understand right your signing with Mediaskare began when you were still A Dying Dream, as The Ghost Inside did you resign or did Mediaskare stick with you through the transition?
JV: Mediaskare was fully behind the name change. Baron [the owner] was very enthusiastic about the new sound, and the new name. And he’s pushed us very hard since then.

“Returners” hit earlier this year, what did you learn from the process of recording, producing and releasing this album?
JV: We learned that having more time in the studio is a lot nicer haha. We only had a week to record our first record [Fury And The Fallen Ones] whereas we had a little over 3 weeks to record Returners.

In the sleeve of your album you’ve included briefs on each song which creates a much more personal perspective to the lyrics, how important is it to you that fans are able to dig in and take something positive from your music?
JV: It’s the number 1 most important thing to me. I feel like if you have the ability to reach people, that you should have something to say that people can either take with them, or a lesson they can learn to save them from harm. Inspiring people will always go a lot further than songs about violence and hatred. Plus, growing up in the hardcore/punk/metal scene, it always means so much more to me to sing along to a song and I know what it’s about. Lyrics are a big deal to me.

Obviously the band has changed literally with new members, but how has your approach to music and life evolved since the genesis of this band?
JV: I think we’ve just been able to mature over time. When you start touring, and playing full time its real fun but you learn little tricks of the trade along the way to make touring a lot easier on everyone. We are 5 very strong personalities on stage on off, so to balance that in and out of our music to create a better aesthetic for the band comes with time. And I feel like we’re at a good place musically, professionally and personally.

For your song “Through The Cracks” you mention that nothing stays the same and include, “Dear God, my world is ending. As quickly as it starts, everything is gone. And everything went wrong. I’ve spent so much time trying to live the lie.” What are the best and worst aspects of being a professional musician?
JV: The best part by far is traveling. Getting to see the world, meeting friends in every city, state or country you go to. Going to places that most people only get to dream of and not only going there, but playing for people as well. It’s an incredible experience and a great honor for us all. Worst part for me is how stagnant your personal life becomes. You always leave for tour, come back home, and see that your friends and family have progressed more and more and you are in the exact same place you were when you left. That is essentially what our album RETURNERS is all about.

The Ghost Inside (Metalcore – Los Angeles, CA) is: Johnathan Vigil – Lead Vocals; Aaron Brooks – Guitars, Backing Vocals; Zach Johnson – Guitars, Backing Vocals; KC Stockbridge – Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals; Jim Riley – Bass, Backing Vocals. Their latest full length album “Returners” is available on Mediaskare Records.

Music news, reviews and interviews posted weekly at hurdcore.com. Partnering with artists, fans and venues to fan the flames of local ambition. Hurdcore supports local rock, pop, hip-hop and metal from Northwest to the Midwest. Keep reppin’ local, friend us on myspace and join us facebook.

There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. – Proverbs 14:12

My first introduction to As I Lay Dying came several years back when murmurings about the band quickly turned into fandemonium, some of those discussions centered around whether a Christian based band could be THAT good while others wondered if they were REALLY Christians at all. It seems every few years there comes a band that soars beyond categories and genres to make an imprint upon those beyond their core fan-base who wouldn’t typically be interested in a similar band’s sound and/or message, As I Lay Dying has definitely been one of those rare groups. With the release and accompanying tour for their 5th and latest full-length album, The Powerless Rise, it’s near inconceivable to fathom of a more-better-er As I Lay Dying, yet comments from band members and early reviews all seem to indicate that these San Diego based metalcore gents have raised the bar yet again. We recently had a chance to complete our first phone interview and incredibly enough it was with with bassist and background vocalist Josh Gilbert, a young man who is foremost a fan of music and just happens to be a member of one of the hottest as well as one of the most grounded acts in all of music. Take a moment to peer behind the curtain with us and if you haven’t already, get yourself a copy of The Powerless Rise by As I Lay Dying!

So, you are from Birmingham, Alabama, how did you get hooked up with this band based out of San Diego, California?
Josh Gilbert I’ve been playing metal or hardcore music ever since I was 14 or 15. The last band [This Endearing] that I was in won a contest for The Cornerstone New Band Showcase. It’s a contest where the fans vote for bands from all over, the top 6 get to play at Cornerstone and we won 3rd place. We had a new drummer and he had met the guys from the band [As I Lay Dying] when he was working with another band on Pluto Records. This guy Eric who worked for Pluto Records and also did A&R for Metal Blade sent a demo to Tim Lambesis, but nothing really came of it at the time. Our band soon broke up due to two members getting signed for another band that they were in. When Clint left As I Lay Dying, Tim called Eric who suggested me and it ended up that Tim called me for a tryout. I flew out to San Diego and they offered me to go on sort of a tryout tour, as they had done with a few other guys previously, and they decided to offer me the spot as bassist for As I Lay Dying.

Are you still living in Birmingham and commute to California or have you since moved to San Diego?
JG When I first started with the band, I drove out and lived there for about the first year and a half but we’re always on the road with touring and I would go home after tours. It didn’t make sense to keep a place in San Diego where it’s more expensive while I was on the road so I moved back to Birmingham for about another year and a half. When we started recording this new album [The Powerless Rise] I moved back to San Diego.

We all love the rumble of the earth that comes from a great baseline but not everyone appreciates the art/science behind the instrument. How do you approach writing and pushing yourself as a bassist?
JG There are so many different bassists and approaches to styles, there’s a fine line between being interesting and taking away from what the guitars are doing. As I Lay Dying, especially for this latest album, at times has five or more layers going already, so there are some areas where we lead into a song with just the bass and drums or a few flavor licks but doing so without taking away from the other elements and layers. Pre-2007 the albums had bass primarily played by the rhythm guitarists for the recordings. For the 2007 album [An Ocean Between Us] the parts were pretty much already written, so I learned the parts and played them. With this album we did a lot more with the bass and playing with things like leads so that’s been cool but nothing too crazy, I’m not looking to be on the cover of Bass Player magazine or anything like that. [laughs]

You primarily stick with the 4 string base, have you ever played around with 5 or 6 string models?
JG I really don’t know all that many metal or hardcore bands that use 5 or 6 string basses, I mean there are bands that use them but not that many who actually use them. I mean, there are some people that do and I totally respect that, like Alex Webster of Cannibal Corpse or like Les Claypool of Primus. I respect people that want to use them but it’s pretty rare that they get full use out of it and you can only go so low, something crazy like Drop Z tunings or whatever. People say they need to tone down but there aren’t that many tunings that require an extra string or people who actually get the full use out of that extra string or something that you couldn’t do with a 4 string.

The two things I keep hearing about this album, The Powerless Rise, are that it will be heavier and that you all are excited about the layering. In working to improve your sound, are you mindful of the balance between the drive to experiment with your sound and keeping an edge to what makes your sound unique – were you all conscientious during recording to push your sound without losing it?
JG I really don’t think so, it’s not that we’ve changed the sound. The layering best describes the vibe-ier songs from the last album [An Ocean Between Us] like Forsaken. So it’s not like we’re changing the sound but getting more of that Pink Floyd esque layering and leads. Our songs are still to the point, we won’t have any 8 minute songs or anything, but really worked to bring out the feelings and bring out more of the elements that were part of the last album.

I’ve read/heard that Tim and you dedicated a lot more time to the vocals as well to finely tune the sound that you wanted for this album.
JG For the vocals we spent a lot more time on them than we did in the past but not in the sense that we changed anything. In the past we would spend less than a week and they were more rushed, now we spent at least two and a half weeks of legitimate pre-production. We even recorded two months ahead of time to get more of a feel and work out the kinks with the choruses. For the last album we were writing choruses as we were recording but with the preparation we experimented more with singing, the takes were so much better and stronger.

So your part has a lot more to do with the melodic and singing elements? How did the extra time dedicated to vocals play out with the recording?
JG Yes, my vocals are all singing, I don’t do any of the yellier or screamier parts. Again, nothing is really changed for the sound just the singing and guitar parts were more planned. The vocals match the melodies rather than by chance and not as rushed, so not a change in sound as much as making the vocals much more of a focus.

You’ve been involved with music from a young age, so aside from you talent and love for music, what keeps you grinding?
JG I couldn’t imagine not being interested in music. In this band, we all are fans of music, even this last Tuesday we all ran out to get the new Deftones album just because we love music. I never been like, “I’m bored so I’m just going to pick up a guitar.” It’s just what I am programmed to do and even outside of it being an occupation I can’t imagine not being involved with music in some way.

You all have been pretty forward about your beliefs, even in your previous bands you personally have made your message an emphasis. How have you seen/heard your music making a difference?
JG There have been all kinds of crazy stories that we hear about, of course Tim [Lambesis] hears a lot more of those, but stories of the lyrics to our songs helping people in some similar struggle or saying something like, “Your music convinced me not to kill myself.” In a less direct way, which is important to me, we try to go on tour with bands that don’t share the same beliefs as we do in our band. I’d say most of the bands we tour with don’t share or agree with what we believe. We’re want to be “just dudes”, rather than becoming someone’s friend just to get “your moment” where you can harvest their soul for the Lord or something. I think people see past that kind of agenda and sense that you’re out for your motives rather than just being someone’s friend which is more effective. Every now and again there will be a band or dudes who don’t share our beliefs but will say something like, “You surprise us with how you are, not making us feel awkward about what we are doing.” I think just being dudes it’s the first step to making a change in how people perceive things and it’s better than just beating people over the head with something.

In the vein of making a difference with your music, is there a theme or meaning behind The Powerless Rise?
JG The first thing that you see on the album is the artist’s depiction of our original idea for the cover. There’s an upside down crown, which whenever you turn a symbol upside down it’s usually a sign of disrespect. Like if you don’t believe in Christianity and you turn the cross upside down or when people don’t agree with countries they turn their flag upside down. Our lyrics address how the focus of people is on having money as the key to political or social power, where that is all we are striving for in America and really all over the world, not just America. Like somehow if you have money and power that will equal happiness. The title for this album comes from the song Upside Down Kingdom. The whole message is about simplicity, but simplicity is seen as like a small house and only having one TV – God forbid. It may not be a glamorous life but more value on simplicity would bring us closer to a community rather than just being about ourselves, cars, houses or money. This record sort of calls that out, calls ourselves [in the band] out, on putting merit in things that really don’t matter.

Man, you guys have played everywhere, on some of the largest stages nationally and internationally, will this be your first time to Oregon [on Tuesday, May 18th at The McDonald Theatre in Eugene]?
JG Since I’ve been in the band, we’ve been to Oregon a few times. I know we did like two shows there and at least one stop with the Warped Tour a couple years back which I think was in Portland. I think this will be my fourth trip to Oregon with As I Lay Dying and probably the eighth time or so for the band.

As I Lay Dying has been all over the world with stops in places like Indonesia, Singapore, Europe and more, do you have a favorite place to tour overseas?
JG I think if we had a favorite, other that being in the states, it would have to be Germany.

What makes Germany so special?
JG The fans over there just go nuts about metal. It’s the only place that I know of where hard music and metal top the charts and the fans are so enthusiastic.

When you are overseas are the crowds different from fans here in America? Do you ever look out into the crowd and see moves that just blow you away?
JG No, not really. It’s pretty much the same as far as new dances, I wish there were unique or crazy moves in other places like a human triangle or something but everything is pretty much the same. Especially with the internet, everyone can see what everyone else is doing.

Whereas some bands seem to wrestle with whether to be public about their faith and defining themselves, you’ve been pretty upfront with your position as a band. What do you do personally to keep your faith fresh, especially when on the road?
JG A lot of us have churches that we go to when we are at home and we all used to bring our personal Bibles when on tour but now with the internet there are so many tools and internet Bibles where you can just find what you are looking for so much faster. You can find basically anything on any topic and its really useful. There will be times when we are stressed and we’ll all sit down and talk, not always like a Bible study, but sometime we’ll do that depending on what is needed. Again, with the internet you don’t have to scour the Bible to look for something, not that that doesn’t matter or isn’t good, but when you are on the road there is so much going on and being worn out so having that easy access is huge.

As I Lay Dying > Metal/Hardcore > San Diego, CA > Metalblade Records
The Powerless Rise available now nearly everywhere – Metalblade, Best Buy, Hot Topic, iTunes…Currently on tour with Demon Hunter, Bless The Fall and War of Ages (see AILD Myspace or AILD Website for more info and tour dates)

As I Lay Dying is: Tim Lambesis – Vocals; Phil Sgrosso – Guitar; Josh Gilbert – Bass/Vocals; Nick Hipa – Guitar; Jordan Mancino – Drums. If you are new to As I Lay Dying, fan favorites include Nothing Left and 94 Hours or for a more melodic feel, check out Forsaken – or just take the plunge and get yourself The Powerless Rise!

OREGONIANS – As I Lay Dying w/ Demon Hunter, Bless The Fall and War of Ages on Tuesday, May 18, 2010 @ The McDonald Theatre. May 16 @ The Knitting Factory in Boise, Idaho and May 17 @ The Knitting Factory in Spokane, Washington.

For more information on local music, band interviews, concert updates and promotional content. Local bands, artists, concerts, venues, tours and events from rock, hip-hop, metal, pop, punk, hardcore, acoustic, indie, organic, progressive, funk, rap and more. Stay tuned to hurdcore.com, friend us on myspace and join us facebook Hurdcore is open to partnerships to promote local arts, music and entertainment as well as advertising opportunities – hurdcore@gmail.com – be specific in “subject” line.