Funeral Rain Press Corps

Here is another ancient interview originally posted at the FRZ MySpace page. It’s one of the first interviews I did, with Adrian from Adrian H and the Wounds. Hope you enjoy, and look at my related interview with Jay Raker, formerly of Adrian H and the Wounds when you’re done reading this.

You started in Texas, moved to Portland. Why?

I grew up in Texas and began to tour with bands a a young age. Long story short, I played through Portland and became enamored with the town. Wanted to take on a new scene and the rest is history.

How long has Adrian H and the Wounds been an entity?

About 2 years with the Wounds although the core of the songs have been in existence for some time.

How many changes has there been in the core of the band? Is Shiggy a new member, or is that the stage moniker for Jay Raker?

Shiggy has replaced Jay on bass. (No comment on the reason why)

When you’re getting ready to write some new material, you said you write the lyrics first. How do you go about this? Is it a planned event (“I’m going to write some songs in two days”) or is it spontaneous (“I’ve got to get these lyrics out now!”). Or does it depend on the situation?

Its incredibly spontaneous. I don’t know where the inspiration comes from and I’ve learned not to question it.

How about the music itself? Do you guys have a set day of the week you get together for a jam and rehearsal, or is it all just a phone call away?

A phone call usually does the trick.

Have there been any changes in the sound of Adrian H and the Wounds, or is this what you’ve been making since the start?

There’s always change but the overall Wounds sound is consistent.

How many different bands have you guys been in? Is there anything obscure on the neterwebs fans can try to find from these other bands? And how about current side projects; any of those kicking around?

Too many to list. One example, Shiggy plays for this killer Japanese punk rock band, ‘Pitchfork Motorway’. Great music.

How old are you guys? At first glance, you guys seemed like somewhat older guys, like 28, 30, but after seeing some other pics I was thinking even possibly younger?

Gentlemen never reveal their age.

Who are Adrian’s top three favorite bands? Shiggy’s? Broken Heart’s?

Thats a tough one!!
Adrian H: New Model Army / John Cale / Bauhaus
Broken Heart: anything weird
Shiggy: anything Punk

What other genres are you guys into; anything that you think would surprise your fans?

I’m into old Secular Choral music
Broken heart loves 70′s/80′s expiremental music
Shiggy….PUNK ROCK !!!

Are there any particular bands you’ve done shows with that were really cool to do the show with? Or, similarly, any particular bands you’ve opened for that you said “Wow. We’re opening for this band. Sweet.”?

Sisters Of Mercy / Voltaire (many more to come!!)

Any particular shows in general that you find yourself remembering more than others?

Actually, I’m beginning to forget many of them. After a while and many shows later, it all becomes a blur.

How long have you been playing your respective instruments? Are there any instruments you guys play other than what you play in the band?

We’ve all been at our craft for some time. We change it up once in a while and play multiple instruments but Shiggy is the true musical chameleon.

When: Tuesday February 15, 2011
Where: Edmonton Event Centre, Edmonton, Alberta

It’s so awesome to get onto the guest list for a concert that you REALLY want to see. But it’s lame as shit to be turned away at the door due to a clerical error. But it’s even more awesome when you’re walking through West Edmonton Mall (where the venue is housed) and you see the singer for the band that you’re at the show to see walking around.
You call his name. He turns around to see who the hell just recognized him. You chat for a moment. He laughs at the situation, and basically sneaks you and your wife into the venue so that you can watch the show.
And then after it’s all over you realize: “Fuck man, I just met Blake Judd and didn’t get my picture with him.”
As we got into the show late, we ended up missing all of Turisas, except for most of the last song. All I have to say about that is LAME. They seem like a really cool live band, and there’s something kind of sexy about a hot chick headbanging while playing accordion, so to have caught the whole set would have been sweet. Based on half of one live song: 7 out of 10.
The second act, Daniel Lioneye, was really fucking odd. I did some quick research into them, and they’re a HIM side project. Their singer is in fact Linde from HIM. They played a mix of black metal, melodic death metal, and Black Label Society-esque Southern rock, all with a stoner rock feel more than sound. Pretty good, but not something I would personally buy. 6 out of 10.
Nachtmystium took the stage to barely any fanfare. Poor bastards in the crowd had no idea who Nachtmystium are, it would seem, because there wasn’t much cheering. And as the band got off the stage, there still wasn’t much cheering. I hope it’s because everyone was stunned by how awesome they played.
Seriously, Nachtmystium became one of my favorite bands after last night. The sound wasn’t as muddied as Daniel Lioneye’s, making Blake’s vocals intelligable, and keeping all the instruments fairly well balanced. It’s hard as hell to do that at Edmonton Event Centre, mostly because it’s a shitty designed venue. Throw in a band that actually fucking PERFORMS and you’ve got a guaranteed win.
Sadly, Nachtmystium do perform a style of metal that does require one to have an attention span, intelligence, and the ability to recognize more than one musical influence at a time, which is probably part of the reason there were not as many people into the music as I thought there would be. Yes, Edmonton, that is a mild insult. I hope you’ll overcome your shortcomings in the future, because this band is pure win. 9 out of 10.
Cradle of Filth had the baton passed to them, and they were really good at getting the crowd into the tunes, but I’ll be honest when I say I’ve never been a huge fan. And after seeing them live, I’m still not a huge fan. Dani’s a great frontman, but at times seems awkward with himself more than others. The lady at the keyboards is gorgeous, and while no Sarah Jezebel Deva, she does the female vocals that SJD did on the albums wonderful justice, especially in “Her Ghost in the Fog”. The rest of the band, Paul, Dave, Martin and James, brought Cradle of Filth’s Gothic-tinged black metal sound to a loud and proud level for Edmonton once again, getting the crowed pumped and the pit somewhat violent looking. The sound man obviously had not shit the bed, as pretty much everything that Cradle did was crystal clear, so kudos to him. But ultimately, I prefer Cradle of Filth’s recorded music more than their live show. 6 out of 10.

Astrosoniq | Quadrant
Already known for their spaced-out, sci-fi inspired brand of psychedelia, Quadrant sets a new pace to Astrosoniq‘s never ending trip into the realms of rock’s history. Knee-deep in a space-jam wonderland they wander through the tides of contemporary rock with ten anthems of sheer class, matured through their 10 years of history together as a band. This is Astrosoniq at their absolute best; pummeling drums, pounding bass lines, powerful riffs and effect-laden vocals, with more experimental and challenging elements than ever before, while still maintaining their hallmark sound. Quadrant is out in North America February 22, 2011.

Wive | Pvll
The music of Wive pulls from and fuses together a broad range of musical elements, including classical composition, electronic/glitch, melodic pop nostalgia and minimalist sensibilities. Quickly swinging from piano-lead waltzes to massive synth washes to straight-ahead melodic hooks, Wive creates an aesthetic that is both somber and hopeful. The recording of Pvll took place in various living rooms, basements, garages and closets in several locations as time, space, and temperature would allow. Utilizing the internet to bridge the gap between the members spread throughout Minnesota, the compositions were relayed back and forth to be honed, refined, dismissed or created, and then polished in a live room. Pvll is out in North America February 22, 2011.

The Antikaroshi | Per/son/alien
Per/son/alien is The Antikaroshi‘s way of telling stories by using only fragments or short lyrics. Having grown up in the East German punk/hardcore underground and raised by direct in-your-face lyrics, with subtleties not to stir up governmental attention, The Antikaroshi try to figure out where they stand now, over 20 years later. Approaching this culture and their music with the knowledge of these circumstances, The Antikaroshi admit that whatever is created will be just a trace – the bit within the byte. So the three-piece delivers an album full of struggles, inner conflict and uncompromising emotion. The sound is deeply rooted in post-rock back and the DC punk/hardcore explosion in the 90′s and even recalls many cherished records from the Touch & Go roster. Per/son/alien is out in North America March 8, 2011.

Beehoover | Concrete Catalyst
The Beehoover of 2010 are unstoppable. More potent than ever is the unclassifiable German duo’s attack, as they’ve honed to precision their unique combination of bass, drums and vocals, capture/release rhythms, the call and response between the two members, and those incredible riffs… Concrete Catalyst now sees the band elaborating their songwriting into unexpected finesse. Prog-laden textures create distinct walls of sound within the raging riffery, culminating into a monolithic album that is so much more than just a collection of songs, yet was recorded and mixed by the band in their own rehearsal room/studio in less than 30 hours. Concrete Catalyst is out in North America March 8, 2011.

Wino | Adrift
The first acoustic solo album from doom legend Scott “Wino” Weinrich, Adrift is easily the man’s most personal and powerful material to date. Stripped down to the bare minimum — just his voice and his guitar — the songs on Adrift follow classic American songwriting ideals offering a compelling mixture of emotion and storytelling. Wino is a man on his own in a boat without sails. He’s fighting against tides and storms, enjoying the moments of bright sunshine; bound to the will of something external — the wind, destiny and the drift. The twelve tracks on Adrift help elevate this already iconic musician to a new level of storytelling, setting Wino up to fall right in line with greats like Johnny Cash, Woodie Guthrie, Neil Young, Bob Dylan and other classic American songwriters. Adrift is out in North America March 8, 2011. Read General Blaspheme’s review.

Genres: Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Progressive Rock
Label: Nightmare Records

Seeming to take a page from Canada’s Scratching Post, Clandestine are playing a type of music that is full of melodies with a powerful female vocalist. The music itself ranges from Scratching Post-esq hard rock to early Deftones nü-ness, with some more progressive passages akin to Tool during the Lateralus era.
Pretty good stuff, if you ask me.
Favorite tracks are “Disappear in You”, “Philistine”, and “Dead to the World”, with “Phantom Pain” definitely recommended.
8 out of 10.

Clandestine on MySpace.

Nightmare Records is pleased to announce the signing of Los Angeles, California’s Clandestine. Clandestine is female fronted melodic rock with a serious kick you in the face attitude. Their debut album The Invalid will be released on February 15, 2011. Nightmare Records is based out of St. Paul Minnesota and is distributed by RED.

Mixed by well known producer Sylvia Massey (Tool, System Of A Down), this band has wickedly infections melodies and music that crosses many lines in the sand of purists rock, alternative, electronic and metal genres an extremely impressive, 10 fresh songs equaling a 45 minute slab of hard edged rock that never fails to deliver on all levels.

The band is fronted by singer June Park who wields a very impressive almost otherworldly and fierce voice. Enigmatic and engaging she is without a doubt, a star on the rise. The four-piece is fulfilling the thirst of today’s music fans that are in search of a new sound that triggers their ultimate aural pleasure.

Clandestine‘s ultimate goal is combining diverse influences and styles that mark a new generation with an unnamed creation while striving to provide a sonic link from the past to the future.

Clandestine is a truly unique band, combining progressive rock with female fronted metal, a touch of electronic music that enhances the futuristic timbre, and some smooth huge pop melodies. “The Invalid” is a must for fans of bands as diverse as Evanescence, Dream Theater, Fair to Midland, Rush, Lacuna Coil, Tool and Between the Buried & Me.

What more can you ask for?

Clandestine on MySpace.