Los Angeles (and Australia) based extreme metal warriors DEVOLVED have answered fan questions on FACEBOOK.DEVOLVED unleashed "Reprisal" 11/20/2012 on UNIQUE LEADER RECORDS.
FROM DEVOLVED:
We have been receiving a number of fan questions since the release of the new album, so here are some responses from DEVOLVED drummer John Sankey :
Q) What is your favorite song on the new Devolved album 'Reprisal'?
A) There isn't a weak track on it, I really dig them all! If I had to choose right now I'd say 'Terminal Enslavement' because it is really fast and brutal but has a lot of hooks and a great chorus. Tony Campos (Soulfly, Prong, Ministry, Asesino, x-Static X) came down to the studio and recorded guest vocals on that song which was very cool!
Q) What does the title of the album 'Reprisal' represent?
A) 'Reprisal' is a reference to the fact that I really had to prove myself with this album and make this the best Devolved record so far. After our last cd I went my own way with Devolved and worked on this album without any of the previous band members. So it was a big challenge which made me very determined to make an amazing record that would far surpass any of the previous Devolved releases, which it absolutely does!
Q) Why did you change band members for the new album?
A) People want different things and go their own way for various reasons, and that's basically what happened after our previous album 'Oblivion'. I felt like the direction of the music and the dedication to the band had begun to lose focus and wasn't cohesive anymore, which comes from the individual members of the band wanting different things. I've always had a very specific vision for Devolved since day one, in order for me to create that vision I needed to work with different musicians for this new album, so it was a necessary change which definitely worked out for the best for everyone.
Q) Is there hard feelings between yourself and the x-members of Devolved since you moved on with band?
A) No idea, for me it's all about the music and that's what matters. If anyone has anything negative to say my only response to them is to listen to the new album, that will do the talking for me. I'm very grateful for the hard work and contributions previous members have made to Devolved, but other than that it's history to me, we all move on so best of luck to them.
Q) 'Reprisal' is a lot heavier and faster than the other Devolved albums, why is that?
A) Because that's exactly how I wanted it to be, like I said there was a lot to prove with this album so it had to be sicker than anything else we had done before and we had to push ourselves to the limits of our playing! It was a very conscious decision to make this album the heaviest yet but I also wanted it to be the catchiest, just because music is really fast and brutal doesn't mean it can't have big hooks and memorable choruses. I'm really proud of the balance between those 2 elements on 'Reprisal', to me that's what really sets this album apart from everything else out there.
Q) There are sick guitar solos in the new songs, why didn't you have that element in your music before?
A) Because Mark Hawkins wasn't in the band before! Mark is one of the most talented guitarists in the metal scene today, his playing has totally allowed us to expand the Devolved sound. With 'Reprisal' I really wanted to incorporate solos and more guitar layers to add another dimension to the music, I knew what Mark was capable of and what he could bring to this band, that was the main reason why I contacted him to be part of Devolved. We also got a handful of other amazing guest guitarists to record solos on various tracks, so there's a lot of shredding on this album!
Q) How did you meet the new members of Devolved?
A) I met Mark Hawkins (Guitar/Bass) a few years ago when his previous band toured with us through the Southern States of the USA, and I do another metal project based out of Los Angeles called 'Throne Of Ashes' with Mark Haggblad (Vocals), he is a great vocalist and also a very talented producer/Engineer so he was an obvious choice to bring into the band.
Q) Will Devolved be touring for this new album?
A) I really hope so! I'm super keen to hit the road again and play this new material, it will be brutal live. It's very expensive to tour with the economy the way it is and all the changes in the music industry over the past few years have made things difficult as well. We already have a number of offers for possible tours so fingers crossed we can make it happen.
Q) Were you asked to join Fear Factory since you wrote all the drum parts on 'The Industrialist' with Dino Cazares?
A) Burt and Dino from FF both discussed it with me but I was unable to tour with them due to visa restrictions since I'm from Australia.
Q) What are your top 10 metal albums of 2012? (Not including Devolved or Fear Factory)
A) 1. Kreator - Phantom Antichrist. 2. Black Breath - Sentenced To Life. 3. Prong - Carved Into Stone. 4. Testament - Dark Roots Of Earth. 5. Gojira - L'enfant Sauvage. 6. Stone Sour - House Of Gold And Bones Part 1. 7. Sophicide – Perdition of the Sublime. 9. Deftones – Koi No Yokan. 9. Overkill - The Electric Age. 10. Sylosis - Monolith.
Q) Who are your favorite top 5 drummers in modern metal?
A) Gene Hoglan x 5. He sets the standard for all metal drumming in my opinion and is a true drumming pioneer, as well as being a very cool and humble dude. If I had to pick 5 'modern' guys I'd say : David McGraw from Cattle Decapitation, Adam Jarvis from Pig Destroyer, Trey Williams from Dying Fetus, Samus Paulicelli from Decrepit Birth and James Payne from Hour Of Penance. There's so many other killer drummers out there which is cool to see but for me these days it's all about writing great songs and cool drum parts that fit the music.
Much thanks for the questions and support!
Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-\m/ -l-
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