Interview with Shaun of "In Malice`s Wake".
Interview by Decadent
& Ermin H (Moonlapse). |
HM: Hey Shaun, great of you to join us for a chat here at Northern Shadows [HM]. You front the local Melbourne band called `In Malice`s Wake`; tell us a bit about how you guys formed and what you`ve been up to lately.
Shaun: G`day - Well in the beginning, Mark and I founded In Malice`s Wake, (although we went through a few name changes before settling). We spent a good six months putting material together, after which time we found Ben through a classified ad. Once Ben was on board we played about 5 or 6 shows as a three piece band, until we added Dave on guitars. We then went on to record a demo, which has landed us a whole heap of shows, and we are now at the point where we are just about to record our second EP. We play an average of 2/3 shows a month around the Melbourne circuit, so we keep fairly busy.
HM: What`s been the response to the band from the various gigs you guys have been doing, and notably also the demo you released a while back?
Shaun: The response has been great! We`ve just recently played our 20th gig, and in that time we`ve gotten rid of about 80 - 100 demos, had the chance to play with some killer bands on some excellent line ups (Psycroptic, Omnium Gatherum etc), had some wild crowd responses and a hell of a time! We are hoping our next recording will help us push the band to the next level.
HM: You play an old-school style of metal that some may argue died in the 90`s. How do you feel in essentially perpetuating and reworking the old melodic thrash sound of bands like `Testament` and `Death`?
Shaun: We`re just huge fans of that sound, and the above bands. It`s always a buzz playing our songs live because of the energy they generate, especially with a good crowd. Bands like Testament are great because they incorporate killer riffs, amazing leads, great vocals, intricate clean parts, bass lines, well written lyrics, killer drumming, and solid song writing - as well as a charged live show that`s full of energy. These are elements that we are constantly trying to include in our own music - and we take it as a massive compliment to be associated with such bands.
HM: Your lyrics (particularly those on the first demo) seem to deal a lot with the decline of humanity. Is this a conscious choice, and if so, what has prompted it?
Shaun: We tend to put down lyrics after a song is musically complete. Usually, the music will lend itself to a particular vibe or setting, and it just so happens that lyrical themes of destruction and the downfall of humanity seem right for the song a lot of the time, haha. Some of the lyrics also deal with using your own mind (Lure of Corruption), living your dreams (The Path Less Traveled...) and human weakness (Weakness in Numbers). I try and put a lot of thought into the lyrics, and I`ve found Chuck Schuldiner, James Hetfield (back in Metallica`s metal days) and Chuck Billy to be inspirations lyrically.
HM: What are your primary influences in metal?
Shaun: For me personally, I draw a lot of influence from the thrashier side of metal - Testament, Kreator, Megadeth, earlier Metallica/Sepultura etc. But I`m a big fan of bands like Dark Tranquility, Carcass, Opeth, Children of Bodom, Death, DragonForce, Dream Theater...etc. Mark, Dave and Ben love most of the latter also, but Mark also likes a fair bit of black metal (Darkthrone, Mayhem, Immortal, Burzum etc.) - and we haven`t been able to stop him from playing Motley Crue songs lately...haha. Between the four of us we have a pretty diverse taste in music.
HM: Do any of the guys in Malice have any side projects?
Shaun: Only Dave - Dave also plays with the Melbourne band "The Catwalk Syndrome" who are doing quite well. They have a great live show and some killer songs - we have played some fun nights together.
HM: Do you find it`s difficult to get recognition, playing metal in Melbourne?
Shaun: Yes and no…building a fan-base has been a slow process, but we`re utilizing a mailing list and a website to let people know where and when we are playing shows (http://inmaliceswake.no-ip.com <- cheap plug). There are people in Melbourne who put a lot of time and effort into organizing some great metal shows, and they have done a lot to help us reach a wider audience. From what I`ve seen/heard, Melbourne has one of the more active and healthy metal scenes in Australia, which makes things easier. There is also quite a good network of metal bands down here - we play regular shows with thrash/death bands such as Annihilism & Desolator, who are also good friends of ours. All this helps in regard to being recognized - and if certain things are confirmed we already have a few killer line ups to play on during Jan/Feb with some great bands.
HM: What do you think are virtuous elements which are lacking from bands on the current scene?
Shaun: I`d love to hear some more lead playing, memorable riffing and song writing. I`ve seen a few bands that are technically brilliant, but I`ve walked away without being able to remember a single thing, which is a little disappointing. At last years Metal for the Brain (03), I got the most out of bands like Dungeon, Vanishing Point, Psycroptic and Astriaal (amongst others), because they employed both killer songwriting and technical playing. At the end of the day the songs are going to be what people take away from the shows.
HM: What does Malice have in store for us in the near future?
Shaun: We have just finished the pre-production phase for our next 4 track EP, titled `Blackened Skies` and will be in the studio laying down tracks in early November. We`ve taken our time getting things right both in terms of production and songwriting and if all goes to plan, this will be a very solid release. We plan to have 100 pressed initially, and will be playing as many shows as possible during the summer, hopefully with a few shows interstate if everything works out.
HM: Thanks a lot for joining us, Shaun. We hope to see you make a name for yourselves on the national scene, and beyond. Feel free to add any last comments.
Shaun: Thanks heaps mate - hopefully we can get around Darwin`s way one of these days. Till then - Keep it metal.
