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A lot has happened in the three years since Pierce The Veil released their debut A Flair For

The Dramatic in 2007. The band have toured the world including Warped Tour in 2008 and Taste Of Chaos in 2009; converted countless fans to their unique brand of progressive post-hardcore; and most notably, grown as both people and musicians from these cumulative experiences. All of this figures into the group’s long-awaited sophomore release Selfish Machines, an album that sees the band—frontman Vic Fuentes, drummer Mike Fuentes, guitarist Tony Perry and bassist Jaime Preciado—coming together to craft an inventive album that is certain to challenge people’s perception of the band.

Recorded with Mike Green (Paramore, Set Your Goals) in Los Angeles, the album ended up being more involved than initially planned—but that ended up being a blessing in disguise. “It was actually a pretty intense process,” Vic explains, adding that the band didn’t finish the album in the time allot ted which forced him to stay in LA for an extra two months working on vocals and bouncing between recording studios working on new ideas. “It was definitely necessary to take the extra time with this recording,” he continues. “We’re not settling on anything with this record because from the artwork to the songs and final mixes, everything has to be perfect.”

From the soaring pop sensibility of songs like “Bulletproof Love” to the upbeat aggression of “Caraphernelia”, the album shows how versatile Pierce The Veil have become, whether they’re screaming their hearts out or gently bearing their souls. There are also plenty of sonic surprises on Selfish Machines, most notably the emotive, piano-driven ballad “Stay Away From My Friends” which displays the band’s more sensitive side. “That song was my first crack at writing on piano,” Vic explains. “I’ve got a piano in my house now so I’d been messing around on it and ended up writing some riffs, which I think definitely gave the album a different feel,” he continues, adding that he hopes to eventually implement keyboards into the band’s live performances.

Although Pierce The Veil have toured incessantly for the past three years, they made some time

late last year to write these tracks and instantly threw themselves into the songwriting process. “It’s pretty hard for us to write on the road because we’re touring in an RV most of the time with tight quarters, which doesn’t bode well for creativity,” Vic acknowledges with a laugh. “We have a studio at home that I like to hang out in, so I basically just shut myself out from the world for three or four months and spent all day and night writing,” he continues. “Every song is super personal; they’re all very real about our lives and I think once people read them they can probably see a little bit about what’s going on with us.”

“We are all in one way or another selfish machines,” Vic explains when asked about the album’s title. “In no way is this a negative thing, it’s human nature. We all have natural tendencies to want, love, and take. When it comes down to it, humans have animal like qualities that we keep inside and even try to deny—but no matter how morally good someone may think they are or try to be,

we are still humans,” he continues. “One example of this is how we are all constantly searching for someone to love, or even more desperately, someone to love you. It is human nature broken down to its bare bones, no bullshit, just rock bottom honest feelings and desire. No trying to be nice, shy, or respectable, it’s about the ‘evil’ thing inside of us that is really not evil at all, it’s just there and always will be inside of us all.”

Having played with bands in nearly every subgenre, Pierce The Veil have always prided themselves on not confining their band to one particular scene or genre—and the harmony-rich songs like “I Don’t Care If You’re Contagious” are guaranteed to expose them to entirely new crowds of followers with Selfish Machines. “Every band that I’ve ever loved and admired has constantly grown and each record is a little different in their own way and I think that’s how it should be because it keeps you setting new goals and trying to change for the better,” Vic explains. “This record is definitely going to take us new places and after this we’ll keep writing and try to make the next one even better,” he summarizes. “We’re always looking ahead.”

“This record is definitely going to take usnew places”

Recorded with up-and-coming producer Joey Sturgis (The Devil Wears Prada, Emarosa, Attack Attack) at his Foundation Recording Studio, the 10-song follow-up to their breakout EP, Dreams, finds the band expanding their blend of pop-infused metal.

Although recorded with the same producer, there is still an intentional difference between the two albums. We Came As Romans didn’t let the fact that they are only a six-piece hold them back from achieving a more symphonic sound on To Plant A Seed. “I played the trombone from Elementary school until I graduated high school and I always took the sound of a symphonic band or an orchestra with me,” explains Moore of their decision to add orchestral elements to the album such as the violins, brass, and piano interlaced throughout the album’s dynamic layers.

Not unlike the EP, the lyrics on To Plant A Seed reflect We Came As Romans’ goal of spreading a positive message through their music. The band hopes, “when people hear the album, they might not change the way they think or the way they act right now, but hopefully we’ve planted that ‘seed’, that thought of love, and it can grow.”

The theme of the album is carried through to the artwork. Painted by acclaimed artist Paul Romano (Mastodon, Chiodos), the album cover depicts a “very innocent looking boy in which the ‘seed’ has been planted in his mind and it grows to his heart, out of his palms and becomes branches,” describes Moore.

When asked if they are a Christian band, lead guitarist, Joshua Moore replied, “We have Christian

dudes in our band and we have non-Christian dudesin our band, and as a whole, we’re not a Christian band. We definitely get it, but we also get it a lot because our music, as a whole, has a positive message to it, and there aren’t a whole lot of bands with a positive message who aren’t Christian bands. Typically, it’s just Christian bands who promote a positive message. Just because we have a message, and it’s not about killing each other, we get the Christian band tag.”

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2008’s game-changing Suicide Season, an album as subtle as an unexploded warhead sticking out of an inflatable kiddie pool. The overwhelmingly positive response to the disc was massive enough that the reverberations were felt at the Los Angeles offices of Epitaph Records, who issued the disc stateside. The following year, the band co-headlined Taste Of Chaos with labelmates Thursday, hammering away at the psyches of audiences. (On a historical note, BMTH were the first British band to grace the cover of AP since Radiohead in 2001, appearing on our TOC issue, AP 248, in March 2009.) Near the end of that tour, guitarist Ward was asked to leave the band; his replacement, Jona Weinhofen—formerly of the Australian outfit I Killed The Prom Queen and fresh from a stint with L.A. metalcore vets Bleeding Through—was enlisted for his musical skills and boundless onstage energy. With an

In the history of rock ’n’ roll, Great Britain has never failed to bring the heavy. So it

should come as no surprise that Sheffield-based Bring Me The Horizon are heir-apparent in the next generation of 21st century metal. Formed in 2004, front-man Oli Sykes, guitarists Lee Malia and Curtis Ward, bassist Matt Kean and drummer Matt Nicholls licensed their debut EP, This Is What The Edge Of Your Seat Was Made Forand attendant full-length, Count Your Blessings to influential metal label Earache for domestic release in 2007. Those first recordings were thrash-happy exercises short on finesse, and the quintet had to deal with persnickety critics and detractors who claimed they were more obsessed with scene accoutrements (tat sleeves, haircuts and attracting girls) than making any kind of musical declarations. While BMTH never took these criticisms to heart, they did come back with

influx of new blood and a shared taste of new electronic music (which sparked the creation of Cut Up!, a full-length remix disc), BMTH set off to Sweden to again work with acclaimed producer Fredrik Nordström (At The Gates, In Flames) on the follow-up to Suicide Season. In October of 2010, There Is A Hell Believe Me I’ve Seen It, There Is A Heaven Let’s Keep It A Secret, was issued by Epitaph, featuring sparkling electronic flourishes (some created by former From First To Last singer Sonny Moore) and guest vocalists both likely (Josh Scogin of the Chariot, fellow Briton Josh Franceschi of You Me At Six) and left field (Canadian electro-pop maven Lights). Having conquered crowds from Warped to Taste Of Chaos, BMTH signed on to co-headline AP’s 2010 Tour Fall, alongside August Burns Red. In 2009, drummer Nicholls summed up the Bring Me The Horizon experienwwce succinctly to AP. “We just like it when kids at shows know the words. It would be cool if the 5 million people that listened to us on MySpace buy the CD, but we won’t lose sleep as long as they are listening. As long as they come out and sing along, we are stoked on it.” That attitude totally beats fretting over your SoundScan numbers, doesn’t it?

The Gamechangers TourWarehouse Live (Ballroom)

Houston, Tx. 4.13.11

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Maybe A Day To Remember’s latest, What Separates Me From You, will be the album

when all the haters finally quit hating. For now, though, it’s really good that they haven’t: ADTR work best angry.

There’s a spot about midway through “Sticks & Bricks,” the pummeling opening track, when singer Jeremy McKinnon professes, “My heart is filled with hate.” (Right around when you’d expect him to grunt, “Disrespect your surroundings.”) The vitriolic delivery seems sincere, but even if you don’t buy into all of the personal emotional factors underpinning Separates (smack-talking the smack-talkers, a recent, devastating breakup, assorted perils of touring), the album simply kills. If McKinnon wants to blame it all on other bands who won’t bro-down with him, or girlfriends who’ve bailed, just thank the guy, and go back to breaking furniture.

Now four full-lengths into ADTR’s career, what’s most impressive about Separates is the evolution it marks. One of the key players in the burgeoning popcore scene, the Ocala, Florida-based five-piece—who also include guitarists

“Everything is bigger, whether it’s the hooks or the breakdowns”

Neil Westfall and Kevin Skaff, bassist Josh Woodard and drummer Alex Shelnutt—push their love of extremes to new heights on Separates, getting full-on medieval for the heavy parts, contrasted with the most melodic work they’ve done. Everything is bigger, whether it’s the hooks or the breakdowns, and instead of clouding the band’s appeal, it’s only intensified it. Both pit fiends and pop-punks can find something on Separates to get their hearts racing, if noteverything.

There may not be one single standalone cut on Separates that shines to the degree of Homesick’s “The Downfall Of Us All,” but the new album is arguably the more evenly stacked of the two; it’s practically filler-free. After setting the breakneck pace from the get-go, Separates hits a high-water mark three tracks in with “It’s Complicated,” a hyper-fusion of New Found Glory and Four Year Strong, with a syncopated verse

A Day To RememberThe Gamechangers Tour

Warehouse Live (Ballroom)Houston, Tx. 4.13.11

recalling the Used’s “Taste Of Ink”; next up is the even more impressive “This Is The House That Doubt Built,” arguably the best track. The song, reminiscent of My Chemical Romance’s brilliant “Helena,” shifts seamlessly between dark, brooding opening chords and gigantic choruses, with a real melodic bridge—not just a brutal breakdown. ADTR have grown further as songwriters and Separates is their auditory canvas; with the help of the production “dream team” of NFG guitarist Chad Gilbert, longtime collaborator Andrew Wade and ex-guitarist Tom Denney, the band use every second of the album’s 10 tracks to proclaim that popcore’s heavyweight belt currently resides in Ocala.

McKinnon & Co. maintain the record’s locomotive-like momentum to its end—the album’s last four songs rival any that precede them. “All Signs Point To Lauderdale” plays like a triumphant sequel to Homesick’s “NJ Legion Iced Tea,” complete with huge gang vocals; “You Be Tails, I’ll Be Sonic,” is the band’s best fusion of pop and heavy within the space of a single song yet, and closers “Out Of Time” and “If I

Leave” bravely steer into almost pure pop-punk territory, yet win by knockout. The former of the two actually finds drummer Shelnutt laying down a bona fide backbeat in addition to the requisite double-bass rolls, while the latter song is the closest the band have ever come to mirroring fellow South Floridians NFG, one of their key inspirations.

Perhaps there will always be haters, and the hated, for McKinnon to shout at—the more a band succeed, the more rancor is usually aimed their way—but there’s never been an A Day To Remember album with as much potential widespread appeal as What Separates Me From You. Whether it’s crafting a pop-punk anthem or delivering a sonic beatdown, ADTR do it better than most everyone, and for the rest of us, that’s where the separation lies. After all playing in different groups in the Ocala

music scene, singer Jeremy McKinnon, guitarists Neil Westfall and Tom Denney, bassist Joshua Woodard, and drummer Bobby Scruggs came together in 2003. Soon after, the band embarked on a “DIY” tour, playing well over 200 shows, making a name for themselves. They were signed to Indianola Records, from which they recorded their debut full-length debut album, titled And Their Name Was Treason in May 2005. The album sold 8,690 copies but the band felt that bigger and better things were to come. “A friend of mine said he had the AIM screenname of someone at Victory Records,” Woodard said. “I didn’t believe him, but I still started communicating with the guy. We IM’ed back and forth for about six months, and it happened that we were playing with the band On the Last Day in a town outside of Chicago—and this guy was going to be there filming it. It

was our first time we ever played in Illinois, yet the 50-60 kids there were singing along to our tunes like they’d been fans all their lives.”

A Day to Remember have been described by critics as metalcore,[14] pop punk,[15] post-hardcore,[16] and emo.[17] A Day to Remember’s song structures typically follow a metalcore verses and blends into a more pop-punk style chorus. Fans and critics alike have described this blend as “pop-mosh,” and “popcore”.[18] When asked in an interview with AbsolutePunk about their sound, Jeremy McKinnon stated: “It’s weird. See it’s funny because we have been doing this for so long. When we started, this shit was not cool. EVERYONE told us mixing the two genres wouldn’t work. Hell, a lot of people still feel that way. We’ve just always played what we wanted to hear, and to be honest people weren’t doing it back then. We loved pop punk, we loved hardcore bands, and we couldn’t decide what to be. So we said fuck it. Let’s do them both.”

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the raging swarm”

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photo credit: Amanda Lopez | swag credit: Dunnie

C Plus is a 23 year old emcee/songwriter hailing from the Natomas section of Sacramento, CA. Building his rep. on stage and in the booth over the last 4 years, his ties to local factions such

as Neighborhood Watch, Turf Hop Alliance, and The All Star Cast have made him somewhat of a staple in the city’s ever-growing Hip Hop scene. His music is the line where street savvy wordplay and conscious lyricism meet and blend smoothly over thick snares and dusty soul samples. Not one to be boxed in, he is just as comfortable on a mellow tempo loop as he is on a high energy club record, showing true versatility. In his free time P skateboards, attempts to detox from his retail addiction, and blogs for 12ft Dwende.

ALL C.I.T.Y.creative. intelligent. troubled. youth.

OUT NOW

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T H ERUNUP

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THE COMPANYOli, who started the alternative street wear brand in 2005 with just several t-shirt designs, said, “I never imagined when I created those first few tee shirts that I would one day be opening a shop in London. I’ve been in Sweden for 6 weeks recording our 3rd album and fly back in London on the morning of the opening. How the shop looks in the flesh is going to be as much a surprise to me as it is to everyone turning up on the day – but it’s really exciting and I’m really looking forward to it.”

THE COMPANYFounded in 2010, Knocksteady is a collective of individuals who live day to day pursuing their passions. Our aim is to push new music and media to the masses via select musicians and artists to create a unique lifestyle brand that promotes positivity and originality without losing sight of the greater social power. The Knocksteady team consists of a diverse group of friends and family coming from various backgrounds which allows us to attract an audience from around the globe.