Underoathfan94's Blog

Well, I got another buzznet page. It's xxskrapxx but for some reason it says you have to be 18 to view my page. I sure am not 18 so I don't know what's up. Just thought I'd let you know.

                                                                                                        -Brittenay

Spencer Chamberlain of UnderOath

Cory Brandan of Norma Jean

Tim Lambesis of As I Lay Dying

Ryan Clark of Demon Hunter

 

If you guys thought that playing klezmer music was the best way to reach kids with your message, would you do that instead of metal? In other words, is the primary purpose of your music to deliver an evangelical message?

Tim Lembesis- Looking at the history of all four of our bands answers that question. It works out great for us that heavy music and metal is a very fast-growing genre right now, but when we started playing heavy music, it was in no way popular. When we recorded our first album, we would be jumping up and down if we sold 10,000 records.

Spencer Chamberlain- You've got to do what's for you. If you're writing something that you hate playing, you're not doing anyone any good. Even yourself.

Cory Brandan- This is the music we grew up on. I wasn't always a Christian. I play music that I love. In that sense, we're no different than our peers. We just sing about what we believe in-I think most bands do that. Our message is important to us because it's our lives. We're not singing about this because we're like, We need to recruit some Christians. We are Christians, so that's what we sing about. The music is just what we love.

Tim Lambesis- When we were first getting started, I went to see Norma Jean. The turn-on for me was the fact that you could obviously tell they were passionate. I am a Christian, but I could've cared less if they were a Christian band. I was turned on by the absolute passion behind their music.

Ryan Clark- I think in our personal lives, God comes first in everything. But for me, if there was any other music that was statistically more effective in reaching kids, I don't think I would change at all. Metal is what we do. There's a realness to it that I think a lot of kids are drawn to. I think if you look at metal and the whole argument whether Christian metal should be allowed, or whether it's a legitimate... I mean, how many guys in the "evil" bands live evil lives and are actually evil and rude and mean to people and worship Satan? What, seven guys across the world? Some guys in Emperor? How many of their fans are worshipping Satan and burning cats? None?

Cory Brandan- We sing about the devil too. But that's because we believe the devil is real. It's part of the Bible.

Is the Bible a 100 percent divine thing handed down in perfect completeness, or is it a work of man that has really important lessons in it?

Cory Brandan- The Bible is essentially a history book written by men. If you read through, you'll see them writing about something they're going through that day and they'll put their opinions down. Yes, it is written by people, but I do believe it is 100 percent the word of God.

So everything in it is true?

Tim Lembesis- I believe the whole Bible to be the word of God, but I also believe that some-this is an area where Christians disagree with each other-that there is some that is either figurative or symbolic.

Ryan Clark- A lot of the Old Testiment is aimed at the world pre-Jesus, pre-Resurrection, so there are cultural differences in terms of a relationship with God. There are things in the Old Testiment that are fairly irrelevant. Not that thay aren't important, but to a society post-Jesus, post-Resurrection, there are Old Testament laws that served a purpose but are no longer needed after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

What about the New Testament?

Ryan Clark- I think people who dig into it would be surprised how relevent it is. There's so much of the Bible that's like, Wow, I'm dealing with that today. I think you'd be surprised at how much people are able to draw out of it even today.

Cory Brandan- One of the things the Bible says is that there's nothing new under the sun. Yeah, we've got cell phones and cars, but our personal lives are still basically the same. Anybody should go read Proverbs. You'll read it and go, That makes sense to what I'm going through. Then there's really grat stories and analogies... It's just a good guide, whether you believe in God or not. There's so much good stuff to learn outta that book.

Ryan Clark- The Bible is ultimately our handbook for life. All of us here believe that.

So lets talk about the rules for a moment. Are drinking, smoking, and doing drugs really bad, or is premarital sex the real big no-no of a sin?

Spencer Chamberlain- A sin is a sin. There's none that are worse than another. In God's eyes, getting drunk and running around is the same thing as murdering someone or premarital sex.

Tim Lambesis- I think socially, some things are viewed as worse. Premarital sex is something that really affects future relationships in your life. So that's why, to me, it's viewed as a big sin. Things like drinking and smoking are ina gray are for a lot of people... One of the things the Bible is very clear about is not being controlled by anything other than the Holy Spirit. I think when somebody is totally wasted or tanked or watever, they're definitely beyond the point of control. Who knows what's in control at that point? I say the same thing about any addiction.

Ryan Clark- I think people view the lifestyles of hard-rock or heavy-metal musicians in a certian way. Even to the non-Christians, the smoking/drinking/partying thing is definitely a step down from having sex with girls on the road. I don't think it takes a Christian to actually view that as "seazy" or a little bit more wrong than just hanging out, partying, and having drinks.

Spencer Chamberlain- Yeah, even before I was a Christian, I didn't think it was right to just make out with a bunch of different random girls, let alone sleep with them. To me, that was just morally-to my body and myself- degrading and stupid.

Are you all pro-life?

Ryan Clark- I'm definitely pro-life. Pretty much 100 percent. Someone asked me, "What if your wife was raped? Would you have the baby?" That scenario is kinda silly because it's just an extreme case. There's a lot of studies that have gone on where doctors who've done a million abortions eventually see it on an ultrasound and then cmpletely stop because it's horrendous. It's very hard to look at an ultrasound of a baby in a late-term abortion and not say "That's insane" when you see the sound waves of the baby screaming.

Tim Lambesis- Is it easier because the child doesn't have a name yet?

 Ryan Clark- People make decisions based on their lives and what they feel is a priority and what changes they are going to have to make. I wouldn't doubt for a second that it would be hard to raise a baby that was a product of rape, but there are plenty of people out there that are a product of a rape and if you ask them if they want to be alive or not, they'll certainly probably answer yes in most cases.

Tim Lambesis- This topic's sorta unique, because my wife works at a pregnancy clinic, and the demand for adoption is so high. There are people on waiting lists who want to adopt a kid that's less than 2 years old. I think the old cliche phrase of two wrongs don't make a right applies to this because even in a rape-type situation, two wrongs don't make a right. If my wife was raped and I couldn't handle raising the kid because of all the emotional anxiety attached to that, I would have no problem giving that kid up for adoption and knowing that it would be in a very, very loving family. I think the alternatives in the U.S. are so great that abortion doesn't seem to be a good option so much as it is maybe convenient.

Does each of you have a clear moment when you were changed, or saved?

Cory Brandan- Not just one. If I could break my life into three stages, it would be: Growing up and learning and being a human on Earth, then coming to know God and going through a phase where I'm like, I got this figured out, then later realizing that I never stopped that first learning stage. It's just life. There wasn't a efining moment, where rays came out of the sky.

Ryan Clark- For some of these guys, I know it's different, 'cause not everyone was raised in a Christian home. I personally was, so my story is not one of peaking highs and low lows. My father was a pastor, so I was raised in the church. I went to a church twice a week for my adolescent life. When you're in high school, the Christian thing is not cool, and you don't want to be associated with that, so there was definitely a phase where I didn't want to be a Christian and thought it was cheesy and didn't want to talk about it. But then there are moments when it becomes real to you, when you break away from what your parents believe and you actually start to take it seriously. Adulthood becomes more serious business and you think about death, responsibilities, priorities, and your relationships. There's a reality check to it all.

Spencer Chamberlain- It's still a continuing process. You're never ganna be all the way on top where you're a shining light and you can just kinda glide along till you're dead. It's a battle, always. I didn't grow up in a Christian family at all. I went to the darkest place possible, trying to figure it all out. I didn't learn from anybody else or from a church. It ws straight up me going, This doesn't work for me, this doesn't work-until I found what happiness was. And for me, that was finding Jesus.

Tim Lambesis- That moment came when I was coming home from school one day, sitting in the car in the driveway in front of our house. Just sitting there for an hour because there was so much on my mind. For me, looking at life and seeing how meaningless so much of what I pursued was. But that was the moment I really realized what was of worth. Having said that, I didn't fully grasp the whole idea of Christianity and faith until I read a book called The Case for Christ. It gave me an assurance that the accounts in the Gospels were something worthy of putting my faith in. And the resurrection of Jesus, if that was in fact something that was real, changes everything about the way we live our lives. It was really understanding the power of Christ's resurrection and looking into the history of it and realizing that ecerybody, whether they're Christian or not, has to make a decision about who Jesus was and whether or not he rose from the dead. Most people just want to aviod that question.

As someone who has definitely done his best to avoid that question, am I going to hell?

Tim Lambesis- My older brothers ask me all the time: "What about the guy who grew up in Uganda and never heard the Gospel? What about the isolated tribes in South Africa?" I think in those situations, people are responsible for what they know. There's enough evidence of God's creation just by being alive. But as far as where you're at and the choices you made, I could never see your heart. That's why God's judgment is so just, because he's givin us a choice whether to be with him or to not be with him. To answer your question with a question, Being that you know roughly whom Christians claim as God and knowing who that God is and what His charactor is like, do you want to spend the rest of eternity with that God? If you do, He's more than happy to say, "I'll politely step aside and allow you to go somewhere where I am not." To me, that's the whole concept of Hell. So whether or not somebody will or will not go to Hell kinda comes down to... You have to answer their question with that question.

Ryan Clark- I think at the same time, all of us would tell you that the way we believe salvation works is that it's an acceptance of Jesus Christ and that He died for our sins, and that's what the Bible says is the only way to the Father-i.e., it's the only way we can communicate with God and the only way you can go to Heaven. What's to say that if a 3-year-old dies, that they had that opportunity to make that decision? That whole paradox is completely out of our worldly minds. Hopefully, there's a plan for the person in the middle of the Ugandan village that never got reached.

Cory Brandan- Plus, Hell is kinda funny to me now. It's so blown out of proportion. The Bible doesn't really explain it either. So I'm not ganna sit here and try to explain Hell to people, 'cause I don't know what it is. I'm not God.

Tim Lambesis- One thing we can all agree on is that Hell is definitely a place of deep sorrow and deep regret. A negative place where people wish they weren't. But as far as Iron Maiden's Number of the Beast cover, I think those things are so fr away from what the reality of Hell is. Because if I was to start a band that was conceptually about what Heaven is like, what it'd be like hanging with the angels, there is no way I could accurately portray that. So people that are just so stuck on being satanic, and that being the whole imagery for everything they do with their band, there's no way they could be accurate in what they're doing. There's some bands that have that energy, and I love their music, but their whole approach is so cheesy, and what they say really means nothing.

Does the fact that George W. Bush is an Evangelical Christian create an uncomfortable set of associations for you?

Tim Lambesis- It drives me insane! My beliefs always being attached to President Bush really bothers me a lot. He's so supported by these extremely conservative churches. It's almost like if you disagree with any aspect of what George Bush does, it's unChristian of you.

Ryan Clark- The Bible talks all the time about not putting your faith and trust in men and people of this world. And that's something that people forget about a lot. We do get attached to everything bad that's ever happened to us under the name of Christianity, and not every Christian believes in every radical statement made by some crazy TV preacher or political leader. Everyone has their own viewpoints. People need to understand that we don't align ourselves with people. We align ourselves with Jesus and with the Bible and the teachings of the Bible.

When you're onstage-or meeting fans one-on-one, for that matter- how do you decide if it's an appropriate moment to discuss your beliefs?

Tim Lambesis- I think for starters, the message should only be given to somebody who wants to hear it.

Spencer Chamberlain- Most of our bands aren't saying something about God onstage in order to trick or convince anyone that it's cool. But if it opens up opportunities for conversations, if they're curious-or if they hate it, even, and they just want to come and tell you how much they think it's wrong-that's cool. I'll tell them what I've been through, what I believe, and what changed me. If that can help, cool. If not, whatever.

Cory Brandan- If you get onstage and you talk about that, it's very, very impersonal, and what we believe is very personal. I definitely want people to know what our beliefs are, and just like other bands, we sing about what we believe in and what we're very passionate about it. But it makes more sense to hang out after a show and talk with people and try to answer questions. Having a conversation makes more sense.

Spencer Chamberlain- To question is the first step.

Compared to when you guys blew up what do you think of the metal scene now?

I don't get that involved with labels and categories that are organized in neat packages. I don't go to a lot of other shows. I wouldn't know if I was seeing Norwegian or spiky black metal; I don't know what that is. The more that people are exposed to our music the more they are open to other forms of expression. There aren't any other bands really doing what we do. There is a larger appreciation for art in music for people that come to our shows.

Why is art so important to this band as opposed to others?

That's the key. The universality of music and symbolism. That's what I like about art. I get a piece of the artists but at the same time I can apply that to my life even if I haven't had that experiance.

What new symbology have you applied to this work that you haven't in previous albums?

I can't tell you that. It's not out yet.

Have you picked the art yet? How do you pick the artists?

I'm actually sticking with the same guy that I have worked with on the other two, Paul Brown. You know I find it rare that I find people that believe in art the same way and put as much place in their time as other people. It's rare to find people with that gift for passion and he is one of those remarkable little beings that my contellation is blessed with intersecting with. We tried to get experimental with House Of Secrets. I think that a lot of people don't get it. People don't like to read insructions. We're ganna try to go back to what we did, all the cool interesting things about the first record.

Why do you put art on such a pedestal?

Why shouldn't I? What should my focus then be? Ipods? Celebrity TV?

Well than how has it saved you?

It's just like asking a bird how it flies. I don't know if a bird really knows. I think finding my own sence of uniqueness of overt conformity allowed me to feel better about who I was and that's what art gave me: It was a celebration of my own world. Without having to feel like I needed to live up to someone's idea of what a woman should be or what I should be. Should I be a housewife or a teacher or a librarian or a nurse or something like that? Art gave me the abilty to say, gender no longer matters, my socioeconomic status no longer matters because art is a weapon that can be applied anywhere. i don't have to be on the right side of the tracks. I don't have to have testiclkes. It gives me my own sence of awareness and self acceptance which I think is really rare in this world.

Have you read a lot about gender theory?

I've read a bit on some social identities and so forth sure. I think if anybody dis believes that we socialize our children in a certain direction in life just to go to a toy store.

What about this socialization tonight at this show?

I hope that they come to our shows that they can, and what I've seen is that people lose that costume they are supposed to wear in theur daily lives and just to be free, just kind of explode like these beautiful fiery butterflies. I get emails and messages from people that say that they have never felt comfortable speaking out in a crowded room or expressing themselves openly, but the anonymity of our shows of the ritual we propagate here they can let go. I have seen some of the most timid weakest people, at least in their minds, that's how they see themselves; they are modest hiding in the corners before the show. Once the show explodes they are in the pit and they are exploding (like) thay have lost their minds. Aftereards they kind of fall back into themselves. Something has changed. That's what I hope happens.

What responsibility do you feel you have as an artist toward your listeners and fans?

To be honest and vulnerable as I can be. To make every show count no matter where we play, no matter the venue, no matter what type of audience. If it is 5000 or 50-every show counts. The way I see it if we got a show up, those people are more important than five thousand cause these people actually showed up for the right reasons versus a bunch of other people going cause it's popular.

For those coming to your show for a catharsis, do you feel it's more important to come here to a smaller venue?

I like playing music. I do. And sometimes I enjoy the smaller venues. Once you have played really large places there is a certain energy change impossible to get unless you are right in the crowd. With these smaller places it means more to people. There is a different type of intensity and intimacy. There is a heightened level of emotion that you can't manufacture anywhere else and it's a very seductive energy.

 

Give us a little background about when you guys formed.

James and I were looking to start a band. I ended up putting some Myspace bulletins out, and changing my AOL Instant Messenger away message to something like "looking for band members, contact me if interested!" i ended up getting some responses, so I scheduled a date for a practice. Me, Chris and another dude went to my house and were jamming a little bit of random stuff. We ended up heading over to James' house, where we met up with our bassist and vocalist at the time. We wrote part of Swords, Dragons, and Diet Coke there. A while later we added a second guitarist, and a new bassist and vocalist. The original bass player and vocalist were only in it for a few practices. They never played a show with us, and were not on PATTERNS OF A HORIZON.

How would you best describe your band's sound?

Catchy metalcore that you can bang your head to.

How has your upbringing influenced your music?

I went through a phase where I listened to nothing but metalcore. I think that's probably the phase that helped us create this band, even if it's not exactly the style of music we listen to on a daily basis.

What was the easiest thing about recording the new disc? The hardest?

The easiest was the fact that we had no clue  we were writing those songs for a CD. We only wrote them to play at shows, just to do whatever. The hardest was finding out the CD was going to be in stores. We had to make sure it didn't suck.

What is the one factor which sets your band apart from other bands?

Contrast, I suppose. Some of the parts are super heavy, some are not at all. We try to mix it all into one huge melting pot of music.

How does your band generally write songs (process by committee, one member shows the rest, etc)?

We used to with a couple of members showing the rest, then the rest would add layers over it, but for our newer songs, it's more a group effort, writing until we all enjoy what comes out.

What hes been your best musical axperience so far? Worst? One you learned the most from?

The two best have been playing at the Saints and Sinners festival, and getting to play with Silverstein. Those shows were huge with so many kids and were so much fun. The worst are any of the shows that we have to deal with fights, and our hometown tends to like fighting. Ones we've learned from are just all of tour in general, as we learned how to deal with each other, as well as how to be calm.

Where do you feel your band fits in with the current musical climate?

I think the type of music we write is getting a bit more popular in today's world. Hopefully everyone will get to experience our style of music. I believe that's what any band would wish for, just as any painting artist would hope for everyone to view his work.

Do you prefer the recording studio or the stage and why?

Definitely the stage for me. I can't stand recording. It's so stressful. You have to make sure everything is perfect. The stage is only a few hundred kids at a time, but the record is meant for thousand upon thousands.

When I'm not in the band, I'm....?

Playing Nintendo Wii, World of Warcraft, Guild Wars, or eating at Chipotle - the best restaurant inthe world. Or working my 40 hours a week day job fixing computers. I'm a dork.

What's the best advice you've ever gotten and by who?

Our agent Dave Shapiro gives some really good advice... nothing in particular that I can think of, but he's always good to go to with question.

What would make 2007 the best year ever for you?

Touring with Underoath. I want to, please?

Any final remarks?

Jesus rules. Thanks to our fans for buying the CD. Thanks to kids for coming to our shows. Thanks to you guys for interviewing us.

 

POEM # 1

When you look into her eyes,

all you can see are lies.

But there are some things that you'll never know, 

because the truth she refuses to show. 

When she thinks about her past she cries.

But why is something you'll never realize.

Everyone she trsted always lied.

She's hurt and lost inside.

She can't find her soul.

She's going out of control.

She doesn't ask for a comforting hand.

Because she knows that you won't understand.

For now she just wants to be alone.

That... you should have known.

She lets her sadness build until it's anger,

not knowing she's in great danger.

Being beat and stabbed on the inside.

Like death taking her for a ride.

She fights the world thinking she can't win this war.

She thinks she'll end up on the floor. But once again she'll fight.

Until there's nothing left in sight.                                                                                            

 

POEM # 2

So wipe away your final tear,

and get yourself away from here.

This is all evil and pain.

Let your fears fall with the rain.

So close your eyes and walk away.

Just prepare for a new day.

There's still hope behind all you're pain.

You may be lost but you're not insane.

Leave your past behind you

and find something better to do.

This place is full of hate.

Don't let the old you reincarnate.

I've been there and done that

and I really don't want to go back.

It feels like your world is caving in

and everyone notices all your sins.

And no matter what you do,

They find anothe rreason to hate you.

But now you have to be strong.

Don't worry about getting along.

And don't be afraid to fight back.

You weren't the one who started the attack.

 

POEM # 3

All the pain you see in my eyes

is something I cannot disguise.

All that pain I try to hide.

But somehoe it's not satisfied.

It keeps coming back for me.

It just won't let me be.

So I act like I'm big and tough.

Even though I've had enough.

It's because I have no self-esteem.

Not everything's what it seems.

When I try to talk about it,

you just through me back in my pit.

You say I need to go to therapy.

I just need you to back off and let me be.

All you do is push me back in the dirt,

and I'm the one that's hurt.

You treat me like a voodoo doll.

You hold me on the floor to where I can't even crawl.

So tonight I'll say my final prayer.

I've now realized life's not fair

 

POEM # 4

I try to forget it all.

But my past is hanging on my wall.

Everywhere I look it begs me to come back.

It's just the self-esteem I lack.

Taking my life won't get me out of this cell.

It would just bring me down to hell.

You say you should love life while you're living it.

But for the people with problems, you never gave a sh*t.

When you get me mad I fill with tension.

 And when I hit you, you say I like attention.

But look who's getting loved,

while I'm the one getting shoved.

It has always been this way.

But now I have something to say.

You hate that I'm right,

and you're finally losing this fight.

I finally came out from under the gun.

I'm tired of you having all the fun.

Just so you know, I'm not going back to the old me.

I've locked it up and swallowed the key.

 

 

can you tell which one is your favorite and which one sucks

Yeah, so I saw the best band in the world (UnderOath), along with Norma Jean and Maylene. That is pretty much the best line up ever. It was Tim's (guitarist of underoath) B-Day, and he croud surfed, but when he got back on stage he fell. Not to be mean or anything but that was funny. Wait that wasn't funny, it was histarical. All the bands were awsome live, but the stupid people didn't turn Aaron's (drummer/singer of underoath) mic up enough. You could barely hear him, but what you did hear was awsome. After the show I went and talked to Underoath and Maylene. They are really the nicest people I ever met. They were nicer to me than my parents were on my B-Day. Oh yeah, Spencer (singer of underoath) and Tim like to spit while they're on stage. I got hit with Tim's spit. And after the show when I went to talk to the guys, Chris (keyboarder of underoath) was wearing gogles and was walking around with his shirt up. Well anyways I encourage you all to see them in concert. And if you don't like them you suck!

       Can u guys tell me what u think of it? PLEASE

 

                                                    HELP!

                  Why can't you hear all her dreadful cries?

                   Or see the fire burning in her eyes.

                   She tries to let it burn

                   I hope one day you will learn.

                   Why can't you hear the scream in her voice?

                    She doesn't let it out by choice.

                    Why can't she be heard?

                     Doesn't anyone understand the word?

 

P.S. Please don't copy this

If u don't know already, i'm an UnderOath fan. So if u don't like UnderOath, u most likely won't like this page. Not to be rude or anything, but if u have something bad to say about UnderOath keep it to yourself cause I really don't want to hear it. I also like a lot of metal and rock. I love to talk about bands that I like. i'm also a Christian, but I don't mind talking to people that aren't. So whatever religion you are we can talk about anything any time. And I don't label people.

1.Who's ur fav. band/singer?
2.How old r u?
3.Do u cry a lot?
4.Do u get beat up or do u do the beating up?
5.Who do u have a crush on that's famous?
6.Do u get along with ur parents?
7.Do u say sorry a lot?
8.What's ur fav. color?
9.How many brothers/sisters do u have?
10.R u the oldest, middle, or youngest child?
11.Do u smoke?
12.Have u ever stolen something?
13.What song basically explains ur life?
14.Do u get good grades in school?
15.How many people have u gone out with?
16.What's a guilty pleasure of music that u listen 2?
17.Do ur parents try 2 change u?
18.Do u hate school?
19.What grade r u in?
20.Do get annoyed easily?

Heroine has a very urgent vibe. Where does that energy come from?

It comes from our sense of never being comfortable with where we are at. We don't fit in now, and we never have fit in. We don't look like any of the bands out there. Everyone wants to label us as a screamo band, but I look like a hippie metal Jesus. I have long hair and facial hair. A lot of my having so much facial hair has to do with the fact that when I was 13, I couldn't grow facial hair. I'm 24 now and I can grow a full beard.

Who is the Heroine referenced in the album title?

The heroine is whoever, actually. It's kind of a paradox. We chose that name because we knew people would instantly think of the drug, and that's a direct pointing of the finger, like saying, "Look at you, you're so negative. You immediately think of the drug, when obviously, the spelling indecates that it's a female hero." And a heroine can be a mother or a savior. It means life, essentially.

Why should a rock music fan throw his or her hard earned cash down to buy Heroine?

Our music is like a semi-truck filled with explosives going off at the same time. We definitly care a lot more than other people. We might not know everyone that is into our music on a personal level, but we use our music to care. Our fans are extremely loyal, and they don't get that way from us trying to make a buck off them or trying to cash in.

How did From First To Last fans become so loyal? What's the secret?

From us getting on stage, playing live shows, and showing them we want to give them something. When you were  kid and you wanted attention and you wanted to show your mom and dad that you loved them, you jumped around and did things to show them you loved them and to get their attention. That might sound a little weird, but it's the same thing in a different sense. Each new record is an evolution of our band. The album is like our kid, and we act it out and carry it out. That's how our fans know us, because of our live show. That's where we connect.

From First To Last has gotten relatively big in a short period of time. How are you dealing with the success?

Are we successful, really? We all live under the poverty level, I can tell you that (laughs). But I can see how people see us as successful, because of the attention we are getting. And again, that comes down to our fans who come to all of our shows and rock out with us. We're not those people who give a crap about getting big and becoming famous. We're more into making music, seeing it as art, and expressing ourselves.

Were there any memorable moments from working with producer Ross Robinson (Slipknot, Korn, At The Drive-In)?

It was awsome. We've always been fans of his work as a producer. It was a big deal that we did get to use him. He knows how to get more out of you. We recorded the guitars standing up and we headbanged. We had to tune our strings down, so that when we played, they were in tune. Ross would scream and yell at us, giving words of encouragement. It was coming out over huge speakers in the studio, so it was like being at a concert. It was so loud.

Is there anything you're interested in now that's not related to the band or the new album?

I just bought a book called The Tao. It's about balance and harmony. It's about uniting the body, mind, and spirit. And if you reverse destructive habits, you can become a better human being and evolve. I bet no one knows I'm into that. They think I dress funny and play music.

Not all band members live in Florida. How do you make that work, like practicing and songwriting?

We never practice, and that's what works for us. We don't practice at all. For the most part, we record and learn our songs. In the studio, Ross made us do things on the spot. That goes back to the book I'm reading. It's all about that state of doing, and not about the stste of not doing. It's all about being able to ley it rip!