As a follow up to our full length interview with Josh of City of God, we offer this encore which continues to peel back the layers of this Portland based hardcore band. To read our hurdcore.com exclusive interview with bass and vocalist Josh link HERE. City Of God is carving their musical message upon the concrete canvases and scene savvy fans of their local scene. In their own words, “We look to the coming of the city of God as a day in which the old pains and the old struggles will melt away. We are ordinary men who love Jesus, and we all have stories to tell about His goodness.”

Song that personally means a lot to me… Can’t be tamed (Miley Cyrus). If I had an extra $1000, the first piece of equipment I would purchase for the band is… a cat or two. Current trend in music/scene that bugs me… closed minds. Current trend in music/scene that is positive… hardcore will never die! Currently reading… your [hurdcore.com] questions. Currently watching… The Hills (Team Spencer). Top 5 songs in my personal iPod right now… Serpant Servant by Impending Doom (Micheal); Song for the broken by Close Your Eyes (Zack); Casey Jones by Grateful Dead (Josh); A Manditory Sacrifice by Oceano (James); Bruticus by Shockwave (Andrew). Any crazy pre-performance rituals? We sacrifice a goat and pour the blood on our instruments. It’s called prayer. Best memory that comes to mind from a show/tour… There was a Christmas show with Fallstar at Noisebox. There was an awesome turnout and James was praying in the back room way before we got on to do our set. Once we rang out for the first song the entire room went nuts, we don’t recall anyone sitting still. It was so rad to worship with all those kids. Worst memory that comes to mind from a show/tour… There was one show where everyone stood in a circle like 30 feet away from us, nobody moved and it was awkward. They were probably uncomfortable with all the cameras filming us for a documentary.

City of God > Hardcore/Christian > Gresham, Oregon is:
James – Vocals; Steve – Guitar/Vocals; Zackk – Guitar/Vocals; Josh – Bass/Vocals; Mike – Drums. Check out their music and tours on the COG Myspace.

Local and national band interviews and reviews provided weekly, typically fresh interview posted every Sunday with additional content posted throughout the week fresh from hurdcore.com and our friends. From Seattle to Portland, Spokane to Eugene and Davenport through Chicago, we are expanding local outposts to cover local hardcore, metal and hip-hop bands from Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa and beyond. 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.

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

Whenever a band shows any scantily of ingenuity it vapidly becomes a chalk mark in the hyphen-core ad infinitum for the heavy music genre. Mourning For Memories is making their mark with their music and a distinct collection of guitars. One pink guitar in particular has spawned Kitty-Core, or more specifically Hello-Kitty-Core (read on to uncover the entire story). We’ve had the privilege of experiencing Mourning For Memories live when they opened the festivities at Savage Fest earlier this year. Gladly we were able to catch up with this Washougal, Washington based thrash/hardcore band via the wonders of internet based social networking for an exclusive hurdcore interview. This local band is bringing a positive message in a heavy package and is preparing to play in a venue near you.

Mourning For Memories enters the Portland area hardcore/metal scene, what is the meaning behind your name?
MFM The meaning of our name falls from a belief that once you live a moment it becomes a memory. That and we thought it just sounded cool.

How would you define your sound and what makes Mourning For Memories unique
MFM We’ve been called a number of things from thrash to hardcore but with our new songs we’ve been trying to incorporate a style of our own to further our bands individuality.

MFM has launched with a duet of vocal brutality, what directed you to take this tactic in dividing vocal responsibilities?
MFM As for the dual vocal approach we feel our live performance can be far more entertaining when a singer/screamer isn’t constantly out of breath and panting for his life.

In your song, “Sometimes Dead Is Better” you have the very pointed lyric, “You’ll soon be choking on your guilt or is that emotion there?” Is this a break up song or is there another story behind it?
MFM The song “Sometimes Dead Is Better” could be called a break up song but i think it goes much further then that. It also has some underlying concepts of self realization and redemption.

Speaking of guilt, it often seems that people either feel guilty for things that aren’t their responsibility or there are those who feel no guilt when they should be accountable. The aforementioned song seems to address the sort of person that falls into the later category, how do people convince themselves that they bear no guilt?
MFM Life is a lot about who you surround yourself with and choices you make along that path. For someone to go through life with a mentality of no remorse seems like that would be caused by something far deeper then one could tell. And because we don’t feel we think that way, we just don’t know…

Other than you love for music, what is the bond that fuels Mourning for Memories?
MFM We just want to have people listen to our music and be the forerunners of a new sounds we wish to create through our music. We are also all Christians and believe that music is a great and passionate way to show our love for Christ through our live performance and energy. Despite our somewhat aggressive style and appearance we really enjoy our fans and love seeing new faces at shows. That being said we are Christians in a band not a Christian band.

What do you hope Mourning For Memories is known and remembered for?
MFM Hopefully people are remembering us for our live performance and the passion we feel for the music we play.

You are fairly new as a band yet you’ve played with some well known names and some of the biggest venues in and around the Portland area.
How receptive are fans to new bands like MFM?
MFM Some shows have gone a lot better then others. It seems that sometimes crowds can be very genre driven and the softer side of our music seems to burn out on some people before we can get into our set. However some shows turn out great and everyone seems alive and moving. We are a new band so hopefully as time goes on we can continue to get better and branch out to a larger fan base.

Do you remember how your first show went?
MFM Our first show was at the Pop Culture in Vancouver [Washington]. Our friends Aleen got us on that show and we are still thankful today. We were supposed to play 1st but showed up late and went up second. So the stress from it being our first show got worse since we were up after what would have been the second band. Our band just kept our cool and got on stage called everyone to the front with Dustin’s (Aleen) help. We played 4 of our songs because that was all we had written at that point in time. It was one of our favorite shows and we had a great time playing it, the crowd responded really great to our sound and live performance.

How have you grown as individual performers and as a band in the time that you have been together?
MFM We’ve all progressed in the instruments we play as well as the vocals which used to be a huge concern for us. We feel that everytime we make a song it should be better then the others previously written without sacrificing our sound.

What is the story behind the Hello Kitty guitar?
MFM The story behind the Hello Kitty guitar…ok, we have a friend who has helped us out a lot, his name is Victor Perez and he gave us some guitars to use and we thought that it would just be really funny to have one of us playing a pink Hello Kitty Strat. Not only was it funny but it started a revolution hahaha KITTY CORE woot woot. But sadly we have stopped using it lately but tell you what any show that hurdcore attends we will bust out the Kitty Core.

Mourning For Memories is: Tyler Duff – VOKILLZ; Steven Murphy – GEETARS; Dylan Pollard – GEETARS; Kyle Van Zitteren – SLAPPIN DA BASS; Mike Towell – PERCUSSION. Keep up to date with songs, releases and tour info at the MFM Myspace

The hurdcore.com format provides a new interview with local and national bands at least once weekly with additional content related to reviews, releases or other music information throughout the week. Local bands throughout the West Coast and Mid West – Seattle, Spokane, Vancouver, Portland, Salem, Albany, Eugene, Medford, Moline, Davenport. Stay tuned to hurdcore.com, friend us on myspace and join us facebook. To request album reviews, band bios, interviews or to discuss advertising opportunities email us – hurdcore@gmail.com – be specific in “subject” line.

“At last the time has come!” he [Jesus] announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Turn from your sins and believe this Good News!” Mark 1:15

A few weeks back Kyle Benecke, former vocalist for now disbanded Nodes of Ranvier (Facedown & Victory Records), shared some insights into the breaking up of Nodes as well as his personal views on life and music (see full interview w/ Kyle HERE).

One of your songs that personally means a lot to you and why?
KB ‘Archegos’ is my favorite song on ‘Defined by Struggle’. I just love how that song came together, lyrically and musically. I really love the imagery of the lyrics. The song is about Christ being our rescuer. I borrowed the idea from a sermon I heard on Christ as the forerunner or ‘Archegos’ of our faith.

Current trend in music/scene that bugs you?
KB Personally, all the guys who look like girls, that bugs me. But it has nothing to do with their personality, most of those people are very nice and I have no problem with people expressing themselves in different ways. It just bugs me a little. Too much fashion ya know?

Current trend in music/scene that has challenged you (in a good way) or you think is a positive evolution?
KB Bands like For Today and Sleeping Giant being so outspoken for Christ has been a great blessing. Its good to see more bands proclaiming their faith.

What are you currently reading? Ashamed of the Gospel by John Macarthur. What are you currently watching? The Book of Eli!!!!!! So awesome!!! Did you have any crazy pre-performance rituals? Nope. Maybe a bowel movement, but that’s about it, haha. Best memory that comes to mind from a show? Sonshine Festival in MN was awesome. What was one of your worst memories from a show? I toured with a band called ‘Saved by Grace’ years ago. When we played in Rochester, NY, it was snowing like crazy, the show got canceled and there were people smoking crack in the basement. It was bad.

Nodes of Ranvier – “Defined By Struggle” is still available from Victory Records. Be sure to check out Kyle’s Youtube page which features interviews and live recordings with bands like For Today, Impending Doom, Legend, The Ghost Inside and MORE.

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.

In a mosh pit there are no two people more annoying than angry dude who thinks mosh is an excuse to beat up on the little guys or “I-can-do-it-better-than-them-guy” who has a running commentary on how much better he can sing or play than every band from As I Lay Dying to Justin Beiber. Thankfully there is a welcome contrast to these pleasure sapping abberations, those dutiful fans in cities all around the world who are putting their skills to the test and transforming themselves from bystanders to performers. City of God is a five piece collaboration of aspiring musicians rising from within the local Portland, Oregon music scene to pursue their dreams of global hardcore dominance. Imagine the ecstasy of suiting up for a show to share the stage with a personal icon, on July 12, 2010 the fine gentlemen of City of God will get such a chance when they open at the Hawthorne Theatre for hardcore innovators and longtime scene favorites, Norma Jean. Take a moment to share with hurdcore.com as we take an exclusive and intimate few moments with COG bassist Josh via the wonders of social networking.

July 12th City of God is opening for Norma Jean and In This Moment at Hawthorne Theatre in Portland, Oregon, how stoked are you for this show and how did you land this opportunity?
Josh (bass/vocals) Well for me Norma Jean was my fav band in high school. I always listened to them through class, and never thought I would get to play a show with them. As far as getting the show, Mike Thrasher asked if we would play.

Currently your songs on Myspace are only titled by Roman Numericals with the most popular being “IV”. Where do you draw inspiration for the content in your songs?
Josh Well to be honest, we just try to write how we feel, which is loud and in your face. Another factor would be that we have a message to send, in our opinion, there’s no better way to do so than by yelling at kids about it.

You have stated, “We look to the coming of the city of God as a day in which the old pains and the old struggles will melt away. We are ordinary men who love Jesus, and we all have stories to tell about His goodness. Our desire is to tell the world about this Savior, and will continue to do so until the end of our days.” How did you decide on the name City of God for your band?
Josh We find that in man’s society we’ve been attempting to create life as a utopia or perfect place. There’s no other way for that to be possible without God. The City of God is what we long for, what we work for, and what we delay. There’s a sense of irony that we are named City of God, while we live in such a godless city. So with that being said, we like to eat meat.

Do you believe that the City of God (heaven) is a literal place? If so how does anyone enter the City of God?
Josh Yes, heaven is a physical place. The only way to enter the gates of heaven would be to accept that you are flawed and totally depend on Christ as your Savior.

City of God is preparing for a tour this July with Seattle based To The Wind, how did you get hooked up with these guys and where are you planning to play along the way?
Josh Due to family issues To The Wind has dropped the tour. We have picked up a tour in mid August with Make it Reign and The Waiting Ends, both from Reno.

Are you still planning to hit Eugene?
Josh Yes we’re trying to hit up Eugene or Salem so come out and get buck nasty. (seriously)

As a band, you have been upfront about your Christian beliefs through everything from your name, lyrics and how you present yourselves, what brought you to faith in Christ?
Josh We each have our stories/testimony. The cool thing about it is that every member has different experiences both with Christ and without. Come talk to us at shows and we’re more than willing to share our stories.

From what you have seen as a fan and performer, does music have any power to change things for good?
Josh Heck yeah! It’s what god gave us to keep on going in life.

You’ve played shows with a list of who’s-who amongst local Portland area bands such as Proven and Fallstar as well as hurdcore.com alumni like And The Sirens Sang, Regiment 26 and All She Wrote. Who/what is the best advice you have received from your contemporaries in the local scene?
Josh We run the show. Ask us for advice. Hahahaha, we’re kidding. Fallstar are rad dudes, we love how blunt they are on stage about their faith. Proven is another band of dudes who’ve been in the scene longer than we have who don’t care about trends, they stick to what they believe.

The Priest fighting a Werewolf t-shirt [for City of God] designed by Joshua Andrew Belanger is about as sic as they come, what is the story behind this design?
Josh That good vs. evil ain’t pretty. It’s a brutal fight for eternity.

City of God > Hardcore/Christian > Gresham, Oregon is:
James – Vocals; Steve – Guitar/Vocals; Zackk – Guitar/Vocals; Josh – Bass/Vocals; Mike – Drums. Check out their music and tours on the COG Myspace.

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.

This is an encore blitz of questions with Becoming The Archetype Drummer Duck, see the full interview from May of 2010 HERE. Becoming The Archetype’s lays the metal down in epic fashion on their latest album Dichotomy from Solidstate Records.

Any song that gives you the most trouble live?
Duck We have a new guitar player so we have actually gotten back to the nitty gritty of even the classics so they seem much easier now. There is a new song that has been getting me lately though.

If I had an extra $1000, the first piece of equipment that I would purchase for the band is…
Duck I couldn’t even begin to tell you, food or gas gift cards.

Trend that you have noticed that you will never join?
Duck Crab Core

Currently reading Blue Like Jazz (again), listening to Between the Buried and Me/ Drake and Jay-Z and watching Lost, Friday Night Lights, Dexter.

Any crazy pre-performance rituals?
Duck Usually I eat too much and then try to stretch untill I feel better, or I work on a beat I can’t play.

When you are a diva/rockstar the three things that you will demand be in your dressing room are?
Duck Air Conditioning, Work out equipment, Guinness

Band you have shared the stage with that blew you away? Duck Extol, Demon Hunter

Top 5 songs in your personal ipod right now?
Duck This too shall be made right -Derek Webb, (album) The Great Misdirect – Between The Buried And Me, Sunshine the Werewolf – Dillinger Escape Plan, 99 Problems – Jay-Z, I’m Goin Big – Drake

Best and worst experience at a show?
Duck Man That is the toughest question yet. Best……great crowd, great energy. This could happen anywhere. Also, host homes. Those sometimes will make up for a bad show. Bad experience could also break a night. Equipment breaking or terrible injury probably wins out but I can’t really be specific.

Becoming The Archetype > Metal/Hardcore > Georgia > Solidstate Records
BTA’s third full length album with Solidstate, Dichotomy is available now wherever most records are sold – see BTA on Solidstate or BTA Myspace for more info and tour dates.

Becoming The Archetype is: Jason – Vocals/Bass; Count Seth – Guitar/Keys; Duck – Drums; Alex – Guitar. (see hurdcore.com interview w/ Count Seth of BTA)

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.

With so many bands already in the scene and hundreds being added daily it becomes increasingly difficult for fans to keep track of all the changes to the hardcore landscape and for bands to distinguish themselves. A Plea For Purging has consistently found a way to keep their sound as fresh and sincere as their personalities. As though the 2009 release “Malevolence” wasn’t epic enough, Plea accompanied their hit single with perhaps the video that tops all videos via “Make Me Metal” which includes a hilariously adept parody of the carousel of trends within the hardcore scene. Fans who are fortunate enough to have been enraptured by A Plea for Purging’s lightning fast brutality have also discovered a refreshing layer of sincerity beneath the humorous surface of the member’s laid back natures. With the anticipation growing for their latest release The Marriage of Heaven and Hell on Facedown Records (7/6/10), we were able to steal a few minutes with lead singer Andy Atkins for a behind the mic session to discuss life and music.

A Plea For Purging as a name is poetic, dark and resonantly spiritual as it rolls off the tongue, what is the story behind your name?
Andy Atkins (vocals): Well, I wasn’t in the band originally so the name was around before I was. Its basically a snazzy way to say a prayer for cleansing. Funny thing is, the guys didn’t know there was a band already called A Prayer for Cleansing. I remember our 1st conversation about it when I joined the band. They had already been a band long enough to not deal with a name change though.

This year you all are working with “Scream The Prayer Tour” – for those who aren’t familiar with STP what is this and how did you get involved?
AA: Scream the Prayer is a 10 band, festival style tour that hits venues, much like Thrash and Burn or Summer Slaughter. The only difference is the line up is made of mainly “Christian bands.” We played the tour last year. It was a good time and we made a lot of friends so we decided we’d jam on it again this year.

Your Wikipedia says you have been a band since 2005, what has 5 years in the game taught you about yourselves, music and life?
AA: Man, that is a huge question. My answer could take up 10 times the bandwidth this website has, haha. I’ll keep it short. You can really trust no one, only yourself and God. And sometimes its hard to trust yourself. You wanna trust your friends but they will let you down too. Wash the naivety from your eyes. The music biz is hard and life is harder. You have to take the bitter with the sweet and keep your head up. And no matter what you are doing, at some point, the grass is gonna look greener on the other side. I always hated that saying but I truly understand it now.

Is APFP music that is fun, brutal and just happens to be Christian too or do you intend for your music to be a vehicle for something specific?
AA: These days the term Christian is thrown around real loosely in our music scene. I have realized I don’t really know what the term “Christian band” means. Here’s what I can tell you about the five of us. Personally we are followers of Christ. That will make itself evident in our music. We are just trying to be honest with ourselves and our listeners in our music. Honesty for us is whats most important.

The “Make Me Metal” video for your song “Malevolence” and your t-shirt (notably the Air Jordan and B.A. Barakus) designs are some of the funniest things currently in metal, what sort of feedback have received to your combination of humor, brutality and conviction?
AA: I think most people get it. We aren’t trying to be something we’re not. We’re just trying to jam and have a good time. We like to laugh a lot so we make humor a big part of our band. I mean look at us, we are a funny looking group of guys. I think if anything, we’ve only received negative feedback from the Christian side of the fence. We’ve played some festivals where some of the officials or just older show goers have had a problem with some of our merch. I guess they just don’t get it.

This will be your third full length release with the Facedown Records family, with the metal landscape changing almost daily, how do you stay on top and expand your sound without burning out?
AA: If you haven’t caught my carefree vibe yet then I’ll try to lay it on thick here. We seriously want to write jams that we like and that we think will be fun to play. Yeah, you want the kids to like it too but that doesn’t mean follow every music trend out these days. We try to grow with every record. I think our song writing has improved over the last three records. We are proud of this new record. I think its the record we’ve been trying to make for years.

Last year APFP covered T.I.’s song “Live Your Life,” did you get any feedback from T.I.’s camp? When is the T.I. and A Plea For Purging Tour set to launch?
AA: HAHAH no way man! I wish. We are a small blimp in the music industry. I would be highly surprised if anyone in relation to T.I had heard of the cover.

You’ve mentioned that with “Depravity” you were more honest with your lyrics and are expanding on that with your new album, what do you feel you were holding back that you have decided to communicate with greater clarity this time around?
AA: This time around we are talking about a lot heavier of a subject. The last record was really introspective, dealing with personal trials. This record is focused on the things we see around us. It has its introspective moments. We always have that mindset of – when you point at someone, you got four fingers pointed back at yourself.

With this upcoming release, “The Marriage of Heaven and Hell,” you continue your signature rapid fire brutality while early offerings such as “Eternal Female” showcase electronic elements and other variations to your sound. Is there a base theme behind the imagery, sounds and lyrics of this album?
AA: Musically this record is faster at times, heavier at times, and we have added some new tasty treats we haven’t really ever touched in previous releases, such as clean singing and a wider scale of production. Lyrically the record is a calling out of wolves in sheep’s clothing so the art work with the record really show the listener a good depiction of what we are going for lyrically.

There seem to be a lot of bands of bands that are self producing, whether to save money or keep creative control, how valuable has it been to the maturation of the band’s sound to work with good producers?
AA: I guess its all in opinion. The five of us are pretty headstrong and know what we want. We demo everything out in pre-production before we ever go into a studio with a producer. This allows us to really shape the songs into what we want them to be. The only producer we have worked with is Joey Sturgis. He just would throw ideas in here and there and we could take it or leave it. Its definitely a plus to have a 6th opinion and someone that has fresh ears listening to your tunes but I wouldn’t say its a must.

A Plea For Purging recently was picked up by El Shaddai Records to distribute in Australia, what has been your favorite tour stop outside of the USA and how has APFP been received overseas?
AA: Well, we haven’t been to Australia yet. I hope that works out soon. Out of the 14 other countries that PLEA has been to outside of the U.S. I’d say Germany is one of my favorites to play. All of our Germany shows were pretty fun. Holland totally rules too. Surprisingly we did pretty well in Europe on our first tour. We didn’t know how it’d go but kids were singing along and wearing our shirts! It was awesome. Holland had some killer stage dives too! haha.

A Plea For Purging’s latest album “The Marriage of Heaven and Hell” on Facedown Records available in stores and online July 6th, 2010. Singles “Eternal Female” and “Shiver” available now through the APFP Myspace and iTunes.

A Plea For Purging (Metal/Hardcore) from Nashville, Tennesse is: Andy Atkins – Vocals; Blake Martin – Guitar; Tyler Wilson – Guitar; John Wand – Bass; Aaron Eckermann – Drums.

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.

R.I.P. status showing up for your favorite band is never a welcome designation. As a fan you question whether this is your fault or what might have happened if they just would have called Dr. Phil, but nothing can turn back time to a place where you and your favorite band were blissfully in sync. Kyle Benecke took the helm for Sioux Falls, South Dakota based hardcore band Nodes of Ranvier in time to record and tour what would be their fourth and final album, “Defined By Struggle”. Nodes of Ranvier had long been a workhorse in the Facedown Records stable of up and coming hardcore bands, but 2006/2007 brought many new faces and a change of venue to Victory Records. Defined By Struggle showed great promise as the band seemed to continue their signature sound without any glitches while simultaneously returning to a renewed clarity in the spiritual content of their music. Much to the dismay of fans like myself, 2007 was to be marked as the end of an era for Nodes of Ranvier but we were glad to catch up with Kyle as he sheds some light on the breakup and encourages us with words of wisdom for today.

You are from Omaha, Nebraska and Nodes of Ranvier was based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, what was the timeline and process for you being introduced to the band and finding yourself taking the helm for vocal responsibilities?
Kyle Benecke I’ve known the Nodes guys forever and I was a big fan as well. They asked me to be in the band after Nick left and the rest is history. It all happened really fast.

I was stoked that the fourth album, Defined By Struggle returned to the clarity of spiritual content that was expressed in the freshmen release of Lost Senses, More Innocence. How was the final product of Defined By Struggle received by the band and the fans?
KB As a Christian, I just wrote what I’m passionate about. We had a good response to the music and lyrics. Some people liked the return to spiritual content and some didn’t, no big deal.

Nodes of Ranvier had their trademark riff fueled sound, how did you prepare your voice and how were you able to get into a flow that fit to carry through what the band had laid as a foundation while showcasing your unique vocal tone as well?
KB When I first heard the songs for that album, I was really excited to get vocals down. I felt that all the music they were writing fit my vocal style really well. Not much preparation, just got in the studio and laid down the tracks. We were all happy with the result I think.

When you joined Nodes of Ranvier there were some massive changes, vacancies at drums, bass and vocals as well as a label change from Facedown Records to Victory Records. Did you have any idea that Nodes was going to disband or did that come as a surprise to you?
KB Yeah, there were a lot of changes going on, but I just jumped at the opportunity to do a record with Nodes and Victory Records. I pretty much grew up on Victory bands (Strife, Earth Crisis, Snapcase, Buried Alive, All Out War etc…..) I didn’t know we were so close to disbanding when I joined, but I’m well aware of the fragile nature of hardcore/metal bands. It was still a great opportunity and I had a blast.

It seems a little odd that most of the members who left Nodes of Ranvier before Defined By Struggle and even those involved with the final recording went on to work in other projects (like they still wanted to do music, just not NOR), can you pinpoint what you think led to the decision to put Nodes of Ranvier on R.I.P. status?
KB I’m not positive what led to the demise of NOR, but I have some ideas. I think part of it was just internal problems and not wanting to tour. The tours that we did were pretty bad as far as turnouts go, but again, that’s the nature of this world. At one point you’re hot, and then you’re not. It can be really disappointing. But music is in our blood. We probably won’t ever stop making music or being involved with it in some shape or form.

What are you up to now and do you have any vocal prospects?
KB I’m married and have a full time job here in Omaha, NE. In my spare time I shoot (video) as many shows as I can. (Check out my youtube page if you’re interested: http://www.youtube.com/user/thebenecke) As far as musical projects go, nothing right now, but I’m hoping to get a hardcore project started one of these days. Hopefully soon.

You obviously brought a depth of spiritual content to the lyrical component of Defined By Struggle, what has been your experience with faith?
KB I was raised Lutheran, but I never really cared too much about God, church etc… I became a Christian when I was in high school. My friend shared the gospel with me and that was that. Years later, through another friend, I discovered reformed theology. My love and reverence for Christ grew enormously because of that. Learning/studying about God’s attributes was mind-blowing to me. His sovereignty, love, mercy, patience, wrath etc… Continuing to learn about all these qualities that God possesses increases my faith and causes me to love and serve Him.

The Kyle Benecke Library recommends some pretty heavy reformed tradition reading such as “The Attributes of God” by A.W. Pink as well as straight classics like “The Screwtape Letters” by C.S. Lewis. Are there some key principles, thoughts or quotes that have helped shape your thinking towards life and faith?

KB Reading A.W. Pink destroyed me!!! His book, ‘The Attributes of God’, absolutely changed my perception of God in so many ways. Especially the chapter on ‘The Wrath of God’. So good! Other than that, I love most puritan stuff, Jonathan Edwards, John Owen etc….(Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God is my favorite sermon of all time) Charles Spurgeon’s stuff kills me too. Basically, I like the old stuff. It’s hard to read some of it, but you get so much depth and understanding if you stick with it. Newer stuff: John Piper, John Macarthur, Tim Keller.

A great quote:

When I consider how the goodness of God is abused by the greatest part of mankind, I cannot but be of his mind that said, The greatest miracle in the world is God’s patience and bounty to an ungrateful world. If a prince hath an enemy got into one of his towns, he doth not send them in provision, but lays close siege to the place, and doth what he can to starve them. But the great God, that could wink all His enemies into destruction, bears with them, and is at daily cost to maintain them. Well may He command us to bless them that curse us, who Himself does good to the evil and unthankful. But think not, sinners, that you shall escape thus; God’s mill goes slow, but grinds small; the more admirable His patience and bounty now is, the more dreadful and unsupportable will that fury be which ariseth out of His abused goodness. Nothing smoother than the sea, yet when stirred into a tempest, nothing rageth more. Nothing so sweet as the patience and goodness of God, and nothing so terrible as His wrath when it takes fire. (Wm Gurnall, 1660).

Having been a fan of music and experienced life as a performer, how would you encourage those who want to make the most of their talents and use them to do more than just entertain?
KB I would tell them, don’t fall in love with yourself and respect others. For believers, guard your eyes, heart and mind. If you have the talent to play music, be careful and know what you’re getting into. Have fun, be honest, and don’t be afraid to say what you believe. A lot of people won’t like it and you’ll feel stupid sometimes, but that should build character over time.

Nodes of Ranvier – “Defined By Struggle” is still available from Victory Records. Be sure to check out Kyle’s Youtube page which features interviews and live recordings with bands like For Today, Impending Doom, Legend, The Ghost Inside and MORE.

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.

Singing dreams may start in the shower, but once you’ve stepped out of the security of home and suited up for the stage, how do you keep your dreams from washing down the drain? All over the world there are bands who are emerging from behind the roll up door, to light up stages upon their local scenes, possibly even touring through their home states and if fortunate enough to embark upon national or international ventures. For love of music, for conviction of a cause or simply to chase the Benjamins, whether these artists are mega stars, start ups or somewhere in the middle, they share in the same challenge to keep the fire burning internally and bridge a connection with potential fans. The music landscape has become a hyrid of evolution utilizing the best of both traditional music powers in combination with user friendly technologies such as social networking and variations of pro tools. How does a band who stands in both worlds, a band who is neither an internet phenom nor a corporate chemistry experiment, continue to push itself to harvest the best of its internal creativity and build upon the foundation of support from a seasoned label? The members of Georgia based metal band Becoming The Archetype continue to helm a battleship of brutality that combines conviction with talent, grassroots craze with an international following as well as an epic metal sound with melodic progressions. With sticks ready for battle, BTA drummer Duck took some time to share his perspective on life, music and chasing the dream. Whether you are a fan or an artist in the grind, words from a veteran of the scene can encourage and challenge, especially from a man who wants to, “help you unfold your dang arms.”

As you look back on your discography, do you enjoy each release as its own monster or do you hear more of a progression towards what you’d like Becoming The Archetype to be?
Duck I would have to say yes to both. I like each album for what it is, but I love to hear how we have developed as song writers as well as entertainers.

To my ears, Becoming The Archetype has been on a steady ascent towards more of an epic sounding metal, there is a depth to your music that boasts both maturity that honors your roots and a perpetual growth that is challenges your genre. Who have been some of your influences that have shaped your approach to music?
Duck Individually we all listen to all kinds of things. This means we bring every kind of sound and colour to the table. We enjoy country, hip-hop, jazz, classical, and metal. As far as the epic metal, we are influenced by: Extol, Opeth, Dream Theater, Living Sacrifice.

Do you remember the first metal album you ever listened to?
Duck I think it was Embodyment: “Embrace the Eternal”, I just couldn’t get it out of my head. Either that or Living Sacrifice: “Reborn”.

Do you remember the moment when you decided you had to get the metal out of your system and the only solution was performing?
Duck I always knew I needed to perform, but metal came in around 2000.

Without a doubt in my mind your song “Ransom” was my favorite song from 2009 – from the haunting opening keys to the climactic chorus, “My hands have taught me terrible things, His hands have set me free!” I’m always enthralled with the depth of conviction that comes across in your lyrics especially when paired with your creative brutality.

Have you reached a place as a band where you can get the instruments to transfer all of the components you are attempting to express –where do you feel Becoming The Archetype is at in terms of mastering the communication process through music?
Duck I think that for the most part we have. Music has a way of expressing what we cannot say with words. If anything we have said many things already with our music that we do not have the vocabulary to express.

Last time we spoke, Count Seth was rather prolific in stating,

“Music is a portal to something deep within yourself. Other things can take you to those places, but for many people, music is the strongest connection to that place in their heart where the mind can’t enter. When you hear a certain riff, your heart feel like it gets pushed over two inches in your chest and there is no explaining it. That is what you try to do with a song. If your music doesn’t have that effect on a substantial amount of people, you’re doing something wrong.” (see hurdcore.com interview w/ Count Seth of BTA)

How have you seen your music connect with fans – are you at a point where you carry enough swag with you that connection is almost automatic or do you still have to work to get the crowd moving?
Duck That is a good question. The answer is a “yes” and “no”. At our shows there are always those who would not care how well we played and they would be blown away, in a manner of speaking of course. And there are those fans who are always positioned to go either way. I feel like I am that way too. I like the challenge of having to win people over. But, that assumes that they can be won. The world is fast becoming a place of cynicism. It is our language and currency. It is almost the norm for people to pay to go to shows only to go and fold their arms. I also admit to being that way. I hope that with our material, especially our new stuff where we can help people get back to when they thought things were cool. Or maybe they will just have fun. I am not sure how well that covered all of that question but it was certainly on my heart. We want to help you unfold your dang arms.

In the vein of observing the connection between artist and fan through music, I have a question that is perhaps pseudo-psychological…I recently finished Warren Wiersbe’s “50 People Every Christian Should Know” where he observes that Great Awakening preacher Jonathan Edwards, “Would first aim for the heart and move the affections before trying to instruct the mind.” I don’t believe Edwards nor Wiersbe argue for the power of formula over the Spirit, yet a principle is observed. Whether you group heart/affections or you treat this as heart, affections and mind distinctly, there is a perceived formula for connection with people:

HEART –> AFFECTIONS –> MIND.
In observing artists connecting to/with fans through music, would you say the channel is as simply normative as something like:
BEAT (music) –> ENERGY (performance) –> CONTENT (lyrics)?
Duck That is a very intricately worded question! Simply put, people are drawn to authenticity. So, if our spirit and heart are obvious and authentic; people are more willing to see and hear our words and thoughts. We have been captivated by grace and His kindness leads us to repentance. The fans for the most part are like a mob sometimes and when a fraud is spotted they quickly expel them. This taken to mind and heart; we should aim to be the best at all things that we do and do them with all of our hearts. They will see our good works and give Glory to whom it is due.

From what I understand, you have all taken more of a hands-on approach to editing and production, what is the writing and recording process like for Becoming The Archetype? Which comes first the music or the lyrics?
Duck The music certainly comes first. Sometimes the lyrics are not even all of the way complete before we are most of the way done recording the album. I think it is the setting of the studio that really lets us open up. The writing process is different for almost every song. For the most part however, one of us will come up with some riffs or a song skeleton. That person will bring it to practice or record it. We will all listen together and try whatever they envisioned and then elaborate from there. Sometimes it goes differently.

I know you have been playing at least one new riff at shows, where are you at in terms of preparing to head to the studio with new material?
Duck As of right now we have the skeletons of approx. 11 songs. A skeleton consists of a few riffs with some variation and some suggested transitions. We typically run through all of the ideas in pairs and then add one member at a time. It is a lot of fun but admittedly very exhausting.

Dudes! South African Tour in September 2010 sounds incredibly exciting. This will not be your first trip overseas but will be your first tour in that continent, what do you know about the state of metal in South Africa?
Duck As far as I know thy have a scene down there. Our message boards and sales reports tell us that they want us soon. We want them back. I really do not have much information on their scene but I know there are some pretty good bands coming out of there.

Metal can be pretty cut throat in America, have you found that fans are more or less receptive to Becoming The Archetype in places like Europe?
Duck Everyone in Europe has been amazing. I think they jump at the opportunity to come see us there because they don’t take us for granted. We are not just over there all the time.

What have been some of your favorite spots to play overseas?
Duck I love playing in Norway, Germany, Denmark, I really love them all.

Who have been your favorite mates overseas?
Duck We have so many friends over there it is so hard to think of who to name. Tobe our European tour manager, all of the guys from Sub-scene Norway. So many good memories flooding my brain right now.

Coming from local band to blazing trails with the Solid State crew and storming across the globe, how has the music scene changed over the last few years?
Duck It has changed through the sway of the internet. When we started it was a big thing but you still had to play whenever you could. Now, some of these bands are coming out of the woodwork it seems by virtue of Facebook and Myspace and other social networking sites.

How do you stay fresh in your approach to music?
Duck We stay fresh in our approach by branching out. We love to dive into other genres. We also try to lear other music and play with other people. It keeps us from getting musical cramps.

Do you remember your first show, your first tour, your first studio session?
Duck I remember our first and last everything. Our first show was a battle of the bands in which we were booed and mooned. Our first “tour” was mostly Virginia. That is a long story. And, our first real studio was with a guy named “Steve”. He was awesome and I realized then that I loved recording.

You are based out of Georgia, what were the early days for BTA like?
Duck The early days of the band consisted of collecting ourselves every Sunday at my house to practice and write. We practiced whether we needed it or not. I think that was god for our work ethic. We also played any show we could get onto, including some really awkward moments with Youth groups and New Years parties.

How has being a part of Solid State benefited what you want to accomplish as a band?
Duck Being on Solid State was what I wanted to do since I figured out what it was. That is the honest truth. It was a dream come true. They have let us do anything we wanted with the songs that we wrote and albums we have prepared. They have paid for us to record with some of the best in the business and bailed us out numerous times from the side of the road. They also give us killer distribution and promotion. What more could you want?

What were some of the highlights in 2009 for Becoming The Archetype?
Duck Playing the festival circuit is the highlight of almost every year for myself and the band collective. But, I would say that since we got to go to Europe that had to top it. That tour flat wore us out but, I would do it again in a second.

What are you looking forward to most in 2010?
Duck We look forward to this super busy summer. We are touring with some upstanding fellas. We are also heading to South Africa which has blown my mind a few times to think about.

You’ve been very straight forward in your lyrics and clear about your faith as a band. What do you do personally to keep your faith fresh, especially when on the road?
Duck Well, I read the scriptures daily and keep accountable with someone at home. I use the “Little Book of Hours” and the Lectionary to guide my studies. I also listen to podcasts and teachings from my favorite thinkers, as well as try to spend adequate time in silence.

Do you do anything corporately as a band to keep each other on point?
Duck To keep on point we like to play sports with each other and other bands. We also like to attend movies pretty regularly. Sometimes if a member is making bad decisions we lock them in the trailer with another member in the dark and they fight it out. You know the usual stuff.

As it relates to faith, who have been some of your greatest times of fellowship with other Christian bands?
Duck Some bands that have effected us are Showbread, the Overseer, Extol, Mortal Treason. There are also so many others. We have been blessed to have some really amazing tour mates over the years and sometimes even the bad stuff teaches us allot if we are in the right posture.

Is it ever a struggle to get tunnel vision and only grow as musicians? How important is it to develop as an individual, and what do you do to ensure you aren’t just defined by your music?
Duck I don’t think so. Honestly, it is easy to put your instrument down for a bit when you get home from a trip. But, your life is not something you can step out of in a realistic sense. Being an individual is what makes a band good. We each have a totally different approach to almost everything. Those differences file everything that we do down into the unit known as BTA. We each live our own lives and have interests and social circles that the others don’t fit into. I believe that is extremely healthy

Becoming The Archetype > Metal/Hardcore > Georgia > Solidstate Records
BTA’s third full length album with Solidstate, Dichotomy is available now wherever most records are sold – see BTA on Solidstate or BTA Myspace for more info and tour dates.

Becoming The Archetype is: Jason – Vocals/Bass; Count Seth – Guitar/Keys; Duck – Drums; Alex – Guitar.

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.

At times the hardcore music genre can seem like a state sponsored fishing hole, with an annual stocking of nameless bands drawing both avid fans as well as the fresh-from-Walmart posers looking for the next big catch only to find that soon after opening day the crowds die down and many of those dream catches were less than advertised. Demon Hunter continues to break the mold both musically and creatively, each year further endearing their die hard hunter-core to the mission of “storming the gates of hell” while simultaneously expanding their fan base by blowing the minds of those joining the hunt for the first time. With a complexity to their music that bears the edge of projects long deceased (note Training for Utopia) they continue to wrestle the sharpest melodic elements and fuse them with components that are just plain brutal. Demon Hunter has forged a sound which causes listeners to sing along, enticed by a depth in content, conviction and tonal package that will keep pits circling long into the night. To a large degree, Demon Hunter is a reflection of its lead singer and founding member, Ryan Clark, who is both a dominating presence as a creative mastermind as well as a man of clear convictions yet also a very private and humble individual. The Clark brothers have crafted a brand in Demon Hunter that serves as a model for successful marketing in the indie music scene without selling out your personal or musical values. Ryan continues to carry the mantle after his brother Don decided to step away from his role within Demon Hunter at the end of 2009, but this “newly” formed Demon Hunter will continue to challenge, inspire and motivate global hunters to carry their convictions forward, cowering to no one.

Are you originally from Seattle? How much do you enjoy local culture there and how has the local scene helped you get to where you are today?
RCI was born in Southern California, raised in Central Oregon and Northern California, and I moved to Seattle almost exactly 10 years ago. I love Seattle. Not every aspect of it, but it’s certainly my favorite place on earth. It’s an incredibly diverse city, and there’s never a shortage of things to do. Mountains an hour away, on the ocean, Portland and British Columbia 2 hours away, thriving arts and music scene. On the other side of the coin, I do hate the bleeding-heart hippie culture (which is massive here) and all of their phony compassion (honestly, they’re like the angriest, coldest people on earth), but truly, living in a city with such adversed ideals to my own makes for great lyrical material. I don’t have to go very far to see and understand who my enemies are.

If I recall correctly, you were raised as PKs (Preacher’s kids), what was that like growing up? Your music has never been “church music” by any stretch, were your parents always supportive of your music or have they grown into Demon Hunters?
RC Yea, that’s correct. When we were growing up, it was a love/hate thing for sure. Especially in our teens, we were probably more uncomfortable with the idea that it wasn’t cool or whatever. That’s just how kids are… some of those kids take that mentality into their adulthood and stay bitter at the church, and some are able to see it for what it is. I think that usually comes down to two factors: how your “church” experiences were (how great/terrible the people of said church were), and the effectiveness of parenting. If you attended a legalistic, judgmental church… chances are you are going to have a very jaded view of church or Christianity in general.

Our parents were awesome. They instilled values in us without being overbearing. It took them a little bit to get used to the style of music that we became so involved in, and the aesthetic that followed, but their real concern was in regard to our character. They’ve come to really appreciate our music and they’re extremely proud of what we’ve done.

The metal power duo of Clark & Clark (Ryan & Don) have been together since birth, how did this evolve into your earlier musical ventures such as Training for Utopia?
RC Well, our musical tastes progressed at a very similar pace… we liked old hip-hop growing up (Beastie Boys, Grandmaster Flash, Run DMC, etc.) and when we were in our young teens, we were turned onto punk rock by some friends (Pennywise, Bad Religion, Face To Face, etc.), around the same time, we were also getting into metal (Pantera, Sepultura, Metallica). Punk and metal gave way to hardcore… and that was really the scene that we dove into.

I started a hardcore band called Focal Point in 1993 and we were signed in 1995… shortly after, Don started a noisy hardcore band called Training For Utopia. After one tour, Focal Point was ready to hang it up, and ironically TFU had lost their singer at the same time. I assumed the vocalist position in TFU, and that was the start of about 15 years of doing music together.

The Clark brothers have a deep portfolio of music, especially when it comes to styles as you’ve ranged from hardcore, industrial and now metal. While Demon Hunter retains a thread of heavy lyrics and music with an edge, each progression seems to have a dynamic sound all of its own. What is different about your perspective on life and music that has come to craft the sound for Demon Hunter?
RC I would really chalk it all up to a disinterest in being “cool” or “current,” by way of maturing through a vast number of flash-in-the-pan trends. In the past, we were definitely wrapped up in whatever was happening at the time, and that was fine. However, from the very beginning with Demon Hunter, it was our goal to do something that didn’t fall under the umbrella of a fleeting scene. The fact that Demon Hunter happens to have a broader appeal than our previous projects has nothing to do with selling out our own musical tastes. Our influences are almost solely from the 90′s. The music that we create with Demon Hunter is out of pure love for a particular sound and style. The progression that you hear from record to record is just a natural maturity process- finding our style, and honing it, building upon it.

There was a hiatus from music, at least front-lining in a band, between Training For Utopia and your resurgence as Demon Hunter, was there some burnout in performing and touring with music? What got the wheels turning for Demon Hunter?
RC The biggest factor was moving to Seattle. TFU was kind of falling apart, due to a shift in priorities… and we really had to wait to get our feet planted in Seattle before feeling comfortable enough to start playing again. The desire to write and play music was/is always there.

You’ve been successfully involved with several facets of music outside of performing, from Asterik Studios, to Invisible Creature and art direction for Solid State and Tooth & Nail. Did you set out to be involved with graphic design professionally or did this aspect of your creative nature develop more organically?
RC The visual art career for me was a very organic thing. I’ve always enjoyed drawing, painting, etc. but when I got to be an adult, I didn’t really know what to do with any of it. My brother had been designing for a number of years… and when we moved to Seattle, I really started taking an interest in graphic design. Shortly after I’d really started dabbling in design, a job opened up in the T&N art department. Although my knowledge at the time was VERY limited, Brandon Ebel (owner) took a chance on me and gave me the job. I’ve been the art director here for over 9 years now. Asterik Studio and Invisible Creature both happened while I’ve been here at T&N… they’ve all kind of coincided together.

Demon Hunter takes a pretty balanced approach to music, you guys hit the road hard, but you seem to take your time between tours. Is this a calculated approach to music or more a reflection of your other commitments?
RC Our lack of constant touring has everything to do with our non-band commitments, however, this schedule really worked in our favor. I think a lot of bands tour too much and become somewhat played out. Kids get tired of seeing them every few months and they lose interest. With us, it’s become such an event when we play live, because it’s so seldom. And this means that a lot of fans show up when we play, because if they don’t, it’ll be a while before they get another chance. I don’t think it would work for every band, but this has been a really successful formula for us.

Aside from your hands-on work with art direction at Solid State, you’ve been personally involved in recognizing and developing upcoming bands such as Becoming The Archetype and The Ascendicate. Do you seek out these relationships or as a fan of music are there bands that just grab your attention and you can’t resist promoting?
RC There are a few bands over the last 10 years that have really grabbed my attention… and I felt that if I didn’t reach out and make something happen, nothing would. So despite my job not being that of an A&R rep here at the label, I’ve kind of assumed that position from time to time, in order to work with these bands that I’ve really believed in. Brandon (Ebel) being so cool and trusting, has allowed me to wear that A&R hat from time to time. All-in-all, I’m just a huge champion of the label, and I love the ability to contribute in any way.

This album and tour will showcase a revamped Demon Hunter, most notably the absence of Don, what has been the biggest impact of this transition musically and how hard was it to fill the voids? We definitely want to respect your privacy, are you willing to elaborate any on why Don chose to step away?
RC Absolutely. Don’s reasons for leaving are not necessarily a private matter. It was essentially a shift in priorities. He runs Invisible Creature, and it was getting harder and harder for him to close up shop to tour or record. For me, I’m able to take time off from work, and come back and jump right back into the saddle. For him, it was a real risk when he left each time, hoping that the phone would start ringing the day he returned. Add 2 kids to that equation (the only kids of anyone in the band) and his decision had become a really clear one.

You’ve noted that The World is a Thorn explores greater depths in both technicality and brutality, even elaborating earlier this year, “We’re definitely still working with the DH formula of groove-oriented heavy mixed with melodic… but the heavy is usually faster this time around. And the melodic tends to be a little darker, little moodier.” (Interview w/ Indie Vision Music) What excites you most about the progression in sound that will be heard on this album?
RC I feel like this album is a very natural progression for the band… but in the least boring way, if that makes sense. In other words, we’re a band that isn’t going to stray terribly far from the overall style that we’ve created over the years… but at the same time, we obviously like to keep things interesting with each record. I thing the songs on this record are extremely solid, well-written, well-executed, and are the best version of Demon Hunter to date.

You’ve crafted a PR blitz with 50 Days of Demon Hunter and a tour that includes As I Lay Dying and War of Ages, 2010 is looking like a big year for DH, does the band have any more tricks up their sleeve?
RC Well, at this point we’re just anxious to get out on the road. That’s all that we have on our radar at the moment… but I’m sure we’ll be brainstorming some new ideas very soon.

From The World is a Thorn your song “LifeWar” is basically an autobiographical retrospective on your life, yet most of your music is very personal, is there a song that stand out to you from this album?
RC That song stands out a lot to me, actually, because it is a little more personal and autobiographical. Songs like Tie This Around Your Neck and Collapsing are also stand-out tracks to me. I feel like those songs were maybe more inspired than others.

Your beliefs as a Christian have always come across in your music, what do you do to keep your faith fresh?
RC As for my faith, I do my best to read as often as I can. I get a lot from the Bible and a handful of other books. The last book I read was called The Mortification Of Sin, which was great. I also like to surround myself with like-minded people… but I have a lot of non-Christian friends that, believe it or not, really allow me to understand why I believe what I do.

“Collapsing” shares some of your perspective of living and sharing the gospel with others, in a sense you admit that many are not receptive to the truths that you hold dear yet you believe it is still important to be active in proclaiming truth. How do you approach sharing your faith as an individual (outside of Demon Hunter) and as an artist (through DH)?
RC With DH, it’s easy… I write it, sing it… you can listen or not, but I’m going to wear my beliefs on my sleeve. That’s my platform to do so, and that’s what you’re going to get. That’s the beautiful thing about being in a band- No one has to ask your opinion and you can give it anyway.

With daily life, it’s much more about getting on a personal level. I’m usually not one to speak directly into someone’s life before knowing them. I think people see that as intrusive, and are easily turned off by strangers telling them how to live. Now, I do believe in a generally black and white guideline for living… but if you have a relationship with someone, then you may gain their trust, understanding, respect… and I think you’re much more likely to meet them on an effective level.

Demon Hunter > Metal/Hardcore > Seattle, WA > Solidstate Records
The World Is A Thorn available now nearly everywhere – Solidstate, Best Buy, Hot Topic, iTunes…Currently on tour with As I Lay Dying, Bless The Fall and War of Ages (see DH Myspace or DH Website for more info and tour dates)

Demon Hunter is: Ryan Clark – Vocals; Jonathan Dunn – Bass; Yogi Watts – Drums; Patrick Judge – Guitar; Ryan Helm – Guitar

OREGONIANS – Demon Hunter w/ As I Lay Dying, 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.

With their song “If I Had Eyes, Manhattan Could Fly“, When Bears Attack! lures you into to thinking you should hug your neighbor and get out your lighter just before they begin to peel your face off. Opening with a somber yet elegant melody the vocals shift from harmonious to screaming without a glitch and lead you through a dynamic mix of breakdowns and just the right seasoning of synth to make everything taste right. I am encouraged by the transitions in sound and mixture of elements where nuance and subtlety become as much a part of the package as blistering guitars and hair raising screams. When Bears Attacks displays a creative ability to utilize and master the play between components so that their music isn’t just a mash of noises but a symphony of brutality. If this song is any indication of what When Bears Attack! has in the works then the children of Illinois and far beyond will need to get educated on the danger of bears quickly.

For more information, interviews and updates for live local music. Local bands, artists, concerts, venues and events from rock, hip-hop, metal, pop, punk, hardcore, alternative, indie, organic, progressive, rap and more. Stay tuned to hurdcore.com, friend us on myspace and join us facebook