Remember the good old days when bands such as Cannibal Corpse & Morbid Angel were the giants of death metal, when bands such as At the Gates were only new on the scene? Well those days have past and there is new blood ready to carry the death metal torch, a band ready for world domination, that band is through the eyes of the dead. Forming a couple of years ago, Through The Eyes Of The Dead released an ep, a split album and last year saw the release of their debut album ‘Bloodlust’ which has received praise from fans & media worldwide. I caught up with guitarist Justin Longshore a few days before the start of their American tour, we spoke about the latest album ‘Bloodlust’, the additions of Jake Ososkie & Josh Kulick to the ranks, hitting the road to promote the latest album and much more. If you love your metal loud, aggressive & brutal then you will love Through The Eyes Of The Dead. Metal Fanatix: Hi Justin, how's things been mate? Justin Longshore: Really good. We are about to go out on a U.S. tour next week with Ed Gein, Despised Icon, Animosity & The Number Twelve Looks Like You , so we are just gearing up for that. Metal Fanatix: Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer the following questions for our readers, as you just mentioned you guys are gearing up to hit the road, what can fans expect to see on this new tour? Justin Longshore: No problem. We are playing a lot more songs from our new CD, "Bloodlust", which came out in October, so we are really excited to show these songs off live. We plan to slay every night of this tour & recreate the intensity that is on the CD. Metal Fanatix: I do want to talk to you more about touring but for now let’s move on to the recently released debut album ‘Bloodlust’ Congratulations on a job well done. Were you guys ultimately happy with the end result? Justin Longshore: Thank you! Yes we are really happy with the outcome & the response has been great so far. We worked with Producer Jamie King on this one again so we knew that we would have a killer record. Metal Fanatix: How did you find working with him? Justin Longshore: We have been using King since our first EP, "The Scars of Ages", and our split CD, "The Annihilation of Expectation", so we knew what to expect when we went into the studio. He definitely knows how to recreate the sounds we are looking for. We told him we wanted it to be heavy, but also really clear to let everything cut through in the mix. I think we achieved that on this recording & I'm happy with the results. Metal Fanatix: What different factors surrounded writing the material for this album? Justin Longshore: I think the structure was a big factor in this. We never really relied on any type of structure, just basic riff after riff. The newer songs are more interesting & touch base with a lot of different genres in metal. A lot of intensity is shown through the songs & they just thrash the whole way through. Metal Fanatix: How long did it take you guys to record? Justin Longshore: We were in the studio for two & a half weeks. We nailed the songs pretty quick so we spent more time on mixing the brutality. Metal Fanatix: These days there are so many effects that one can use while recording, what equipment did you use while recording ‘Bloodlust’? Justin Longshore: Jamie King uses Pro Tools, which is an industry standard. We used two amps, a Peavey 5150 II for the main tracks & a Marshall JCM 900 for layering for the guitar sounds. It's really thick. We also use 7-strings so that's a big part of our sound. Metal Fanatix: Using only five words: How would you describe your guitar playing on the latest album? Justin Longshore: I think we have progressed as far as playing & song writing. The songs flow a lot better & we are using a lot more solos in the newer stuff. Metal Fanatix: Justin, in a few words can you tell us about the following tracks from ‘Bloodlust’: Justin Longshore: The Black Death & Its Aftermath - This was written by our bassist & other guitar player, Chris. We wanted to put a break in there & add a softer side to the album, something we've never done before. We also used keyboards behind the acoustic. When Everything Becomes Nothing - This is one of my favorite tracks on the CD. I think it's a lot more up tempo than most of the songs. It also doesn't really rely on any type of breakdown & I really like the structure. The Decaying Process - I had written this a long time ago, during the split era I think. I always wanted to use it in a song but it never really fit anywhere. I recorded it on a CD for our drummer & he came up with some really cool drum parts over it so we decided to use it as sort of an interlude. I remember doing the feedback in the studio & it was so loud. Everyone left the room during the tracking for that part [laughs]. Beneath Dying Skies - This is actually the first Through the Eyes of the Dead song written as a band. We decided it was really memorable and we should put it on our first full-length to kind of show the progression musically. It's still a fan favorite so we play it live a lot.
Justin Longshore: Our current drummer, Josh Kulick, actually lives in Kansas. Our original drummer actually quit after "Bloodlust" was recorded & never toured with us. We used a fill in for the tour afterwards & he didn't really work out. We searched for a drummer & Josh sent us a video of him playing our songs. Our new bassist, Jake Ososkie, actually played guitar for Arsis. He was a good friend of mine beforehand & when our old bassist quit, Jake showed a lot of interest. Metal Fanatix: Going back to touring for a moment, you have shared the stage with so many great bands. Who have you enjoyed touring with the most & could you share a funny road story with us from the tour? Justin Longshore: We had a really good tour with Ion Dissonance & The Red Death. There's a lot of stories from that tour but I do remember when Ion Dissonance played in Mississippi, they went to a bar & told everyone they were Boys Night Out. People were freaking out & buying all kinds of alcohol for them and they were with some girls as well. I think after they left, they had people text messaging them really pissed off because they found out they weren't really the band [laughs]. You’ve gotta love Mississippi. Metal Fanatix: [laughs] Do you remember the first show you ever played, if so can you tell us a bit about it? Justin Longshore: We played in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I think that was our first show. We only played like three songs but we had a good response. We got payed fifteen bucks, which obviously didn't even cover gas. Metal Fanatix: It’s almost not worth getting out of bed [laughs]. Are there any plans in the works for an Australian tour? Justin Longshore: Nothing is in the works right now but we definitely want to go over there. We just had a tour scheduled with Crowbar for Europe so things are definitely happening. Metal Fanatix: Justin, do you do anything specific to warm up & prepare for a show? Justin Longshore: Yeah, I do warm up on guitar before I play. I usually don't play very well if I don't play beforehand. Metal Fanatix: Ultimately why did you want to become a guitarist, I mean is there days where you just wished you were a drummer or bassist? Justin Longshore: Sometimes! I never could play drums though but I would like to learn. Sometimes I think It would be really cool to be the singer because you don't have to set any equipment up [laughs]. Metal Fanatix: [laughs] You have a very good point there. Who are some of your biggest influences? Justin Longshore: I'm really into late eighties and early nineties death metal. I also like some of the stuff out now but some of it gets really redundant. I am a huge fan of Chuck Schuldiner and Death, they are one of my favorite bands. I'm really getting into the new Nevermore record. I like a lot of stuff, too many to list. Metal Fanatix: What was the first guitar you owned? Justin Longshore: A really cheap Peavey guitar. It was yellow & it had a paint splatter finish on the yellow. It was actually pretty sweet [laughs]. Metal Fanatix: Justin, what do you think you would be doing if you stopped playing? Justin Longshore: I could never do that! I'd be really bored & probably lose my mind. Metal Fanatix: Last year the band recruited new blood in the form of bassist Jake Ososkie & Josh Kulick on drums as you mentioned earlier, what was it about these guys that stood out amongst the contenders? Justin Longshore: They were really dedicated & the musicianship definitely stuck out. I think we made the right decision with choosing them. Metal Fanatix: We’ve only just started the New Year and already you guys are getting ready to tour, what does the rest of 2006 have install for ‘Through The Eyes of The Dead? Justin Longshore: Oh, a lot dude! We plan to be touring constantly on the road & promoting our new record. We have some tours in the works from now until spring so we are staying busy. Metal Fanatix: To become a star these days it seems the only way to make it would be to go on a reality music show like Idol or Pop stars (if you wanna call it that). What do you think about the mass wave of reality shows looking for so called “talent” and do you watch any of them? Justin Longshore: I don't really keep up with it too much, but people like whatever is shoved down their throats. Metal is a whole different game though. Bands that are on Headbanger's Ball are usually the bigger of the genre. I think it's a good thing that they brought it back because it gives bands like us a lot more exposure. They do play a lot of bullshit on there, too. Metal Fanatix: I agree with that. In your honest opinion what do you think about the direction that hard rock & heavy metal music has taken over the last few years?
Metal Fanatix: Which song/album would define Justin Longshore to a complete stranger? Justin Longshore: I would have to go with "Symbolic" by DEATH. It's my favorite album & got me into death metal. It's also very personal to me. Metal Fanatix: What advice would you give to up and coming rock/metal bands? Justin Longshore: Just keep practicing & set yourselves apart from other bands in your own genre. That's the only way to make it. Also, touring is a huge factor in getting your name out. Metal Fanatix: Justin, it’s been awesome to speak with you today, thanks again for taking the time out, do you have any last words to share with our readers? Justin Longshore: Thanks a lot for the interview, we really appreciate it. Everyone go out and pick up our new cd, "Bloodlust". Also check our website and myspace for upcoming tour dates. ‘Bloodlust’ is out now; grab your copy where all pure metal albums are sold, you won’t be sorry! To keep up with all the latest on Through the Eyes of the Dead head to the following sites http://www.throughtheeyesofthedead.com - Official Through The Eyes Of The Dead Site http://www.myspace.com/tteotd - Through The Eyes Of The Dead MySpace Site http://insideout666.mysite.freeserve.com - Dedicated to 40 years of hard rock & metal music © Cameron Edney January, March 2006 Not to be re-printed in any form without written permission. |
