The Downbeat - Aric Improta - Night Verses

Episode Date: January 24, 2020

My guest this week is Aric Improta of Night Verses / The Fever. Aric is a true artist, everything he does exudes creativity and he's definitely one of, if not THE most original drummer out there. We first met at Meinl Drum Fest in 2017 where he play one 40 minute drum solo without breaks. The guy is a freak. We talk about art, music, touring weird places and what it was like to work with multiple Grammy award-winning producer Ross Robinson.

What the fuck is up? What the fuck is up? Sorry if this sounds different. I'm in a different room. Long story. How's it going? It's been a minute. It's always been a minute.

I promise I have two recorded. I'm trying to be much better at this. I'm trying to make it so we're going to have, you know, every maybe two a month. I'm working on it. But I just need the quality to be good, you know? I don't want like crap guests. I want good.

guests. What have I been doing? I've been in Australia. I've been in the best country in the world, Australia. Do Australia tour there, did Australia tour there. The worst Christmas of my life. So that's nice for me. I hope you had a good Christmas. Mine was terrible. And I went to Australia with the best country in the world. I've got sunburned on day one through the clouds. No one told me there's no ozone layer there. fried up like a little white turkey boy. Played some shows, played Unified Gathering, which was fucking sick. It was just so good. I want to be back now.

I'm back in miserable Britain. My miserable life with the rain and the cold. And I'm just ready to go on tour. And Australia doesn't have another tour until April. Quick plug with sleeping with sirens and the amity affliction. And straight up in the park. and Unity, and if you don't know who Unity, TX are, fucking go and check them out because they're so fucking sick.

My guest this week is Aricin Proto. The back flipping, GoProing, skateboarding, most ripped guy I know that doesn't go to the gym, drummer from Night Verses and The Fever. we talk about how hectic touring is. I'm fairly sure I insult him for a few things by accident in his bands. Talk about working with producers. Talk a lot about art.

We talk about a tool. We talk about it was great chat. It was a bit impromptu. Yeah, it was wicked. He's got a website. www.arokamproo.com where you can pick up shirts and prints. He's a very good artist.

He does Remo drumheads, custom drumheads and stuff. He's such a legend. I met him once at, I met him for the first time at Minal Drum Festival, I think, 2017. And we just hit it off

because we really share similar music taste and outlook on music, I guess. He's much more diplomatic than me. So most of this podcast is me, like, ripping on people. And he's like, there's space for everyone. You know, that's my dynamic, isn't it, by this point?

There's still T-shirts. I've still got Downbeat T-shirts. There might be new ones by the time you hear this. www. www.the-down-b-e.at. So it says the downbeat. But with a dot in it, it was clever. It was registered in Austria. Yeah.

That's about it. I think. I ain't got anything else to plug. How are you? Don't reply because you'll look fucking mad doing it, talking to yourself in your car or cooking or wherever you are right now. Aragon Proto on the Downbeat Podcast. What's up, dude? Hello, mate. How are you? I'm pretty good. How are you?

You didn't sound like you meant that. No, I am. I am. I'm pretty good. It's just as you said, that. See, I need to be more focused and just think about this conversation. But as you said that, I went and remembered all the things I'm doing in the next three days. And then I think that's what affected it. But I am good, I promise. You had like a low-key free count. Yeah, actually. Just because we're, so we have a fever tour in two days. And initially, I was supposed to come home for a week

after and then do the night versus tour um but they booked Malaysia and India in between so I have to go straight from there to night versus so it's like a trying to catch up for two tours and two days oh my god hang on so you're going from India to a night versus tour yeah and trying to do it uh I mean like I'll practice in my head like I'll practice on my lap and stuff but our setup is not going to give me time to run the song so it'll definitely be like like a crazy sound check the day of. Oh, but you know what's sick about that? Actually, I did that on this last Australian run where, for whatever reason,

I'm not going to go into on a fucking public podcast, but I wasn't at home for the two weeks off that I had since October. So I didn't, I couldn't practice. I fucking just left my house in a bit of a hurry. and I didn't practice for our fucking headliner in Australia I didn't touch a drum kit for two weeks Oh my God But I was kind of sucking at the end of the last tour

Just a little bit Okay And then I didn't touch a drum kit for two weeks And then we played the first show in Australia And I was fucking jet lagged And I was like, just so tired And I fucking crushed it Really?

It was like, yeah, it was like My body needed it there's a thing in powerlifting where if you do the same thing over and over again your body needs a delode or actually you start going backwards with the weights you start being able to handle less and less weight and I think it has parallels with drumming

like I needed that break it was forced upon me but I fucking I played so much better on the first day of the Australian tour jet lagged as fuck than I did probably the last two weeks of our Europe pain. So, yo, but I have to ask you this, because we talk about this in fever a lot. Like, I don't know if you have the same thing.

But I feel like everybody in fever doesn't feel any of the pain or anything until the last like show or right after the last show. It's almost like we, I mean, obviously this isn't the same as what you're talking about, but we have this thing and it's like we can mentally hold it all together. And then almost like your body knows this is the last show you get to go. home and all of a sudden everything just shows up the last like two days. I mean, I definitely blow the last show of tour almost, almost, almost every single time. Really?

Once, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's the only time on a tour where I really, really like actually fuck up sometimes. See, I, I've definitely felt that. I also feel like it doesn't matter how long your tour is, the last. like maybe the last three days always seem like the longest days. Like you could come off of a, um, you there?

Sorry, I was making some noise. I'm here. I'm just fucking, I'm trying to move my shit because I'm currently in a bedroom right now. Oh, got you. Um,

we also have like, uh, I don't know, it's like if I'm gone for three months, the last three days always seem long. And if I'm gone for like two weeks, the last three days always seem long. It's weird.

Tour is not like real, it's not like real life at all. It's like, um, inception. Yeah, it's pretty much it's like, you're on the second level of inception

where it's like one minute in the real world is like seven hours on tour. Yep. And then the last three days are the, um, are the planet on, uh, interstellar where the wave moves slow.

And it's like, like years. Yep, yep, I fully understand the reference. So is your flight, what's your flight, India to what? So we first do Japan. So fever does a few days in Japan and then we fly to Malaysia and then we fly to India and then I fly to Scotland.

Wow. You're doing India with fever? Yeah. So we have Japan as a headliner. or headliners. I think it's like two shows headliner, a festival in Nagoya, and then we do a festival in Malaysia

and a festival in India. And I think, I got to check, but I think that India festival is us, Chon and Diplo, and then some other people. Wow. That's a lineup.

Have you ever been to India? No, I have no idea what to expect of you. Is it, is it in New Delhi? No. It's... Oh, mate. Why, is that the only place I should go?

I mean, I've been to New Delhi, but where is it? I think it's... I can't think... It starts with a P. I should know this, but I've just been practicing too much. Let me look. Mitchell also starts with a P. Yeah.

Thank you for that. I'm looking on here right now. We are going to... On Wi-Fi. I thought it was like I thought it was I don't see the thing is I don't want to say this wrong I thought it was Poon India but if that's not it

then I just sound crazy I don't know okay yo I have a crazy story that also starts with P well what happened I mean it ends with P in India I'm going to tell you this

okay don't if they are I know you don't I'm pretty sure you're T total but if any of you bunch smoke weed and they ask you do you want some

weed and they say do you want the good stuff or the bad stuff yeah request the bad stuff what happened because

I'm surprised I've never told this story on the podcast mum and dad don't listen to this bit basically if any of your guys smoke weed

just if someone asks you if you want the good weed or the bad weed ask for the I had weed. Okay. Because we played the show.

New Delhi. It's like 5,000 people, my old death metal band, biotrophy. Finish the show. It was wicked. People were so nice. Food was so nice. The whole area was wicked. That complete culture shock, but it was awesome.

Anyway, so this guy comes to the show and he's like, do you want the good, do you guys smoke weed? And I was like, yeah, me and our base is smoke weed. and then this guy's like Do you want some weed? And we were like, yeah. And he goes, do you want the good weed or the bad weed? And I was like, well, obviously I want the good weed. Right.

So he goes and he gets this weed. He skins it up. And me, our bassist and him, like I start smoking it. And then I start feeling really weird. And next thing I know, a snap into consciousness back in my hotel room which is about a mile away

okay just just as I've come while staring myself in the eyes in a mirror completely naked right with a bidet blasting water at my ass like there's no exaggeration

this is what happened from the good news no it's no exaggeration right and then so I that's literally the net thing I know and I'm like, well, they've got these like little shower fucking bade things. Yeah, fucking blasting water right at my ass. I was like, fucking immediately as soon as I come, I like snapped out of it and I was like, whoa, I'm really fucking high. How did I get here? So everything before that is completely blank. Like you don't

remember it. Completely blank. Oh my God. So I clean up all the fucking come and all the water that's everywhere, pop my clothes back on, go back to the venue, which is like, fucking mile away. Get there. No recollection of what happened on the way back. Get there. And then

our bassist is just like rocking back and forward in a corner. And I'm going up to him like, mate. And he's like, I'm having a really bad time. I'm fully fucking tripping balls

by this point. Oh my God. And then I'm like, mate, you just got to have a wank. It'll make everything right. He doesn't do it. I'm fairly sure

he never smoked weed again after that. And the next day, I asked the promoter, oh no, whoever gave us the weed. I was like, yo, what the fuck was in that weed? And he was like, oh, you said you wanted the good stuff. So, you know, like angel dust. I was like, whoa.

What? As in like PCP. And he was like, yeah, it's PCP. I was like, I wasn't intending on smoking PCB last night. Oh my God, dude. India, huh? Man, who would have thought it's probably massively illegal in India? Dude, if anyone's listening from India

and you're a policeman. That was a lie. That whole story was a lie. It was fake. I made it up. Okay? Dude, I, 5,000 people at a death metal show

bringing PCP. This is not what I, not what I expect of India. So I'm curious what it'll be like for fever. Certainly wasn't what I expected. I think you have low, I think when Tessaract go, they play to like 20,000 people.

That's awesome. I guess India knows what's up. They fucking do. Stray was in role. in stone India and like I'm desperate to go Australia oh that would be awesome I know I like it's weird like the way that we had this set up I'm trying to kind of like gauge all these different places with fever because obviously fever's been like really lucky that we get to go to places I

don't think most bands do in the first two years of being a band but at the same time it kind of gives me a good heads up because sometimes we'll go to these places and get offers for night versus and I kind of know whether or not it's a place I want to go back to with them. So it's like a good, good way to test out if I want to go back. And I'm really curious how indie is going to be because I was just talking to Aaron from intervals at NAM. And he said it was crazy. He said it wasn't like anything he's ever done, but that it was one of the best shows he's ever played in his life. They like, they made us like confetti cannons and a huge fucking wooden backdrop with our band

logo and stuff. It was just so surreal. They just do it real different. Forgot to mention. my hypotheses for the, what happened with the PCP was that I'd smoked it, obviously by accident, I thought I was just smoking weed. And then what happens sometimes when you're on an illicit drug, I've heard from other people, is you get something called the come-up shit where your body is like, this is a poison, reject it, and you need to shit like immediately. So what I've probably done is I've run to the hotel Because I don't want to fucking shit to myself in New Delhi, India

In the middle of university I've ran back to the hotel Done the shit Then I've used their little bidet thing That squirts water to clean your asshole And in my pretty fucking lit state I've been like, yo, this is sick And then I've like basically just fuck

Fuck myself with this water thing basically and then jerked off and then I snapped into consciousness. That's what I think happened. You're a maniac, dude. I don't think I have any, like I have weird tourist stories, but nothing like that. I have so many. It's quite disturbing. So it's pretty prog metal out there.

Yeah, where did that come? How's the fever on it? I don't know. I mean, maybe this festival is just, I mean, it's got to be pretty wide variety if diplos on it. I know Chon is up there, but like, we basically, it sounds weird, but we like get these offers to do festivals, and sometimes it's not even enough to make it out there, but we just do it because we want to go to these places and see how it works.

And normally, that's kind of like our introduction to whatever the new country is. And then when we come back, after the festival a few months later, there's just like this super down audience that we come back to. So it's been amazing because I've never been in a project where the like turnaround is that, you know, like instant. Usually it's like you have to visit a place over and over and over before people start to show up. But for whatever reason, that seems to be the case with this band

where if we do a festival somewhere and when we come back, it's like we're really lucky that people are appreciative of it and show up. So I think we're trying to do the same thing When we got the offer, we were just like Well, we don't know what to expect But this seems to work out when we've gone to the other places And we'd love to like get to see new spots So that's both India and Malaysia are kind of that deal

So you haven't done Malaysia before? No, I've never been there at all Malaysia's fucking sick as well Have you done any of Southeast Asia? The only I've done No, I don't think so The only places I've gone in Asia are Japan and I did Seoul Drumfest in 2016,

so I was in Korea for a couple days, but I don't think I've really gone anywhere else in Asia. But you're just doing one Malaysia show? Yeah. I mean, we're out there for a little bit. Like, I think we'll be there for three or four days just because the way it worked out, it's like travel time and we're just hanging out.

So I'm trying to see some stuff. Is there something I should see? That never happens. You're so lucky because that never happens. Usually it's play the show, fly immediately to the next, country play the show like Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and you just you just literally don't sleep for like six days. So that's sick that you're getting you're getting the VIP immediate. Yeah, I'm stoked. I don't know. I still act like a tourist everywhere I go, partly because I just

don't know how many of these places I'm going to get to go to when I'm older. You know what I mean? Like literally in the time that I've been traveling, so much has changed as far as like security and everything else. So anytime that we get to go someplace, I'll straight up spend like sometimes seven hours walking around before the show just so that I can see everything because I don't know when I'll be back. Yeah. It's fucking when you, I only really notice when I'm like watching TV with someone and there's like a city and in my head, I don't say out loud because people start getting annoyed. In my head, I'm like, oh yeah, I was there. And it's like every city on earth pretty much in any TV show.

By this point, it's like, yeah, I've been there. It's fucking insane. It does make me feel very lucky, but I don't ever feel it until I'm, like, watching TV. Or it's like Anthony Bourdain, and I'm like, scrolling through.

And I'm like, there is maybe three of these that I haven't been to. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, I think, how long have you been touring for? That India show was in 2010, and that was, the wind up of that band. I think I went on my first tour when I was 16,

so that would be 16 years ago. Wow. Okay, yeah, because I didn't start touring. Like, I'm catching up. I think I've done like 30 countries now, which is still crazy. Like, it's unbelievable, but a lot of this stuff in Asia is, like, super new to me.

I didn't start touring full-time until 2012, just because I was never in a band that was good enough. Like that whole time I ended up getting a degree in film because I was just trying to figure out what I'm supposed to do even though I wanted to drum. So I didn't start touring, yeah, full time until 2012. So I'm like, I'm a little behind you on that one. You've definitely been to more places than I have. But still, you are, you are a rising star, my friend. We should probably talk about some of that shit instead of just catching up because people want to know shit.

I don't have anything written down so that's just how I do these When did you first figure out you could do a backflip When I unlocked Rodney Mullen's Final video in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 And his 40-year-old self could do a backflip I was like all right I can do a backflip And you just tried it

I know exactly the video you're talking about He does it in Venice Beach Yeah, and then you watched that and then you just tried it Well, to give you like a backup To be fair, I did do gymnastics But I couldn't do a standing back tuck Like I competed but you What I was doing, you just didn't do that

So I'd never even tried it And then when I saw that video It was like Probably like five years after I'd quit gymnastics Because I only did it till fifth grade Yeah, I just tried it and it worked That's crazy Dude, honestly, though, it's more just getting over it.

Like, most people can jump high enough to do it. You've just got to huck it and hopefully not land on your head. Yeah, that's the thing that will stop me from ever doing it. And also the excess weight. I'm not the most aerodynamic of shapes. No, but that's because you've got, like, 100 pounds of extra muscle. It's not like you've, like, ended up this, like, blob, dude. I don't think there's that many dudes that are your size that are in backflips because you probably weigh twice as much as me.

Yo, have you seen that fucking juju guy on Instagram? I have seen that guy. Man, he is so fucking jacked and so big and he does backflips. Yeah, he does. Also, like, sometimes it doesn't make sense because, like, Zion, he's like the rookie sensation in the NBA right now. he looks like he couldn't jump more than a foot and he's doing like windmill dunks and stuff like that he's huge he's like like however big Charles Barkley was

at like his peak in the NBA Zion looks like he's that big but he's doing dunks between his legs and shit like that that's fucking sick some people just have that extra gene I don't um okay so

let's talk about night versus for a bit okay that's been going for a minute And that's like your, I would say, obviously there's other people in it as well, but it's kind of your baby, isn't it? It's your fucking vanity art project. It's definitely, I mean, I try and, like, do whatever I have in my head in that band, like, even if it doesn't seem like it should fit. So, yeah, to that degree, yeah, but to be fair, I've been writing with Nick and Riley since I was 12, and we're only still writing together because we kind of like, writing the same stuff. So it's like even if we don't listen to the same music,

when we come together, if somebody's like, all right, this part could be better, nobody really argues. We just kind of work on it until we get there. So yeah, it's like,

it's cool for that. They're awesome. They're like, Nick's my favorite guitar player, uh, and Riley's my favorite bass player. So it's like, I'll probably write with them until I'm 70.

Oh, man. It's so sick as well. And also, touring is a three, piece must be the best thing on earth. Dude, yeah, I get to do it for both. It's so tight. Like, I definitely have tried...

Oh, shit. I forget. Why the fuck doesn't Fiva have a bassist? Dude, honestly, um, we don't have that many problems. So, like, it just seems like it was working. And initially it was like, okay, we were doing everything in threes. Um, but we were just like, why, like, roll the dice and find out if we bring someone in that's going to make this a problem.

Like, the three of us get along really well, and we all kind of came from the same type of background as far as, like, the type of show we like to play. So, I don't know, things kind of took off before that ever really got figured out, and then we just kind of thought, well, we'll keep going. It's a different world, isn't it? Because Animals as Leaders still have, like, a load of bass on track. I just find it weird that no one go, like, obviously no offense.

I don't care, to. But I find it weird that no one, like, gets really annoyed about that. People are so quick to get annoyed when like Sam from architects cuts his hair differently and you guys are getting away with not having an entire instrument

on the stage. Dude, I think, honestly, we talked about this before. It's kind of tough right now with the way that modern music is because if you go to a festival like our best reference out here is Coachella,

it sells out before the lineups announced, right? So you have a bunch of kids that are just going for the experience. and a lot of them show up not knowing these artists. So if you have, like the year I went, I went only because at the drive-in was reuniting and that was my favorite band my whole life. And you go look at the drive-in

and they're playing next to like Swedish House Mafia. And if you're a kid that doesn't know either, Swedish House Mafia has like a perfectly mastered recording, like playing at the exact volume it's supposed to be and everything sounds complete. and at the driving sounds like at the driving and I just think in those festival settings when you're just a real band

with just your instruments it's a lot harder to compete with like these DJs and stuff like that when have most of the festival sold out by people that didn't even show up to see either of those bands and so that's the one thing that's kind of fun about fever is experimenting because I don't really I mean I could be wrong but I don't really think

there's a lot of bands that kind of like come from the background we did and play the type of shows we do but then also have that type of mix and coming through like the speakers and I think it's actually helped out in a lot of those festival settings. I mean if we like we all grew up on punk and it's not something I think we ever thought we would do and night versus is literally like anti-track. Like I have to play every sample or it doesn't end up in the song. But um but in that regard it's been kind of cool just because it's like it almost gets people that wouldn't normally watch the band to check it out in a different way so I don't know maybe maybe that's just in my head but that's the only reason I think it's been working no I know what you mean like people whose perception

of music is only what is on the radio and what is on a CD so when they hear like the same sort of people that when they hear an untrigured kick drum they think that sounds like shit yeah I mean it's really like that's actually real life my friend totally if you guys weren't going so ape shit there's no way you would get away with it i think that's what it is as well you guys go fucking bonkers well i think to that point like that's a lot of stuff right like even the same thing with um something like the idea of backing vocals it's like if you're a good singer like a really good singer and you have backing vocals, people don't really care. Obviously, it's nice if everything was real, but they're like, okay, well, like, if Adele had backing tracks with vocals, people just

be like, well, she sings her ass off, so it doesn't matter. But if you use that stuff to make up for what you're doing, like you couldn't do it. Oh, mate. So many bands do that. So many bands that, the bands that load in the fucking 8-U rack-mounted bullshit and then they're like, they're gang chants and everything are all on the track and, oh, I want to fucking throw it in the fucking bin. See, I, it's weird. I try so hard to, like, look at all of this stuff objectively because, honestly, I don't like music like that.

Like, in general, it's not what I listen to. I mean, you know, like, every time that you post a band, like, I almost always write you like, oh, my God, dude, this is my favorite record, too. It's kind of weird, actually, how much music... It, yeah, carry on, but I've got a... point afterwards. Okay, yeah. So it's not where I come from, but at the same time, like, my opinion of music has changed so much as I've gotten older. And I try and remember that as I go, because there's so much stuff I hated when I was younger. And then I got older and I was like,

oh, okay, I guess that makes sense. I understand why they did that. And, and like, at the same time, part of the fun of it being art is that there are no rules. So I kind of just had to use that that rule I told you where it's like if it's not like faking how good you are then I don't really give a shit what you're going to do. The only time that I'm like

oh God is if somebody's doing it because they couldn't actually play the parts that they wrote. Like the heart machine. What you were saying about us having music in common is fucking weird because we both listen to really weird

like obscure things. The fact that you had XeraF3 in your CD collection is crazy because I worked at the label that did that, right? Uh-huh. At candlelight for a minute. And it didn't sell that many copies,

despite being one of my favorite metal albums of all time. Yo, it is so good. But you have one of the copies. It's so strange. I got it from Darren. Do you know Darren? I know Darren very well. Yeah, Darren used to,

because Darren liked a lot of the same stuff I did too, and he was working with Night versus Early on, and he was like, yo, you should check this out. and I heard it and was like, dude, this is dope. And I've never heard anybody talk about it other than him and you making that one post. But it's a trip. And then you also literally post OPEF every like three days. And I honestly think, even if it's not the band I claim to be my favorite, that's probably the band I listen to most in my life.

Definitely, but definitely only like I've got a select few OPEF albums that, are some of my favorite albums of all time and then I don't like the rest. All right, where are you at? What albums do you like? I will start at, I guess, Blackwater Park. Okay. And then I will go,

I like deliverance, I like damnation, I like watershed. Okay, I was gonna say you better like watershed. I like ghost reveries and I think watershed's the one where I like it but it's the last one

and then fucking Heritage I don't give a shit about and all the other ones I don't give a shit about. Okay, that's my OPEF list. All right, here's the thing. You named the best OPEF albums, so I don't have any argument against you at all. There's stuff before Blackwater Park that's really dope,

but I get that it's still like, underdeveloped Blackwater Park. And then after Heritage, have you tried anything after that record or were you just like, screw it? I don't like this sound. Is there one called Sorcerous? Yeah, there's that album.

I quite like this. Some big fucking riffs on that. But I just miss I miss the like the heavier shit. No, I get it. The faster shit. Like when I think, wait, but do you like,

do you like damnation at all? Yeah. Okay. Damnation, deliverance. I mean, I know damnation isn't heavy at all, but it's still like if you just took all the heavy bits out of that era, OPEF.

Right, right, right. I know, because they, Then he kind of started to do those like 70s prog notes and that's something I had to get used to because I don't like, dude, I think that's the biggest turnoff for me for a lot of bands is they can play amazing stuff. But if their mood isn't like a real mood, I can't connect with it. Like I like when something sounds sad or like when something sounds like really, really, really fucking pissed. but I don't like when it starts off pissed and then it gets like those like educational notes and then all of a sudden it's like kind of sad

but but then goes to major like when bands start to just mess with the mood too much I completely disconnect yeah I'm 100% with you on all music and I basically just think it's insincere like right I only like I figured this out the other day because someone was like do you only like depressing music And I was like, well, kind of. But I just like music where I can feel the emotion,

whether it be fucking angry, like I like deathcore, a lot of people don't like deathcore, but some deaf core is so pissed off. It's like fuck. And like sad and, you know, you can't really make a good happy song musically. I mean, you can, but I prefer like a melancholy or whatever. But the minute, like you said, the minute an emotion is either like too flip-floppy or doesn't feel sincere, I'm out of that band.

Totally. There's no way. And the same with the fucking the prog throwback shit. It just sounds a bit wacky. But did you ever hear that Stephen Wilson album, the Raven that refused to sing? No. Do you know who Stephen Wilson is? I do.

Yeah, the Porcupine Tree guy. Yeah, I'm like 50-50 on him. Like, he's sometimes he's cool and sometimes it's like, dude, come on. I'm exactly the same. So this one album he did, like I could give a fuck about Pokemon Tree other than the fact that Gavin Harrison is unbelievable. Yeah, hey, hey, that's the most tasteful drummer on the planet, maybe. On the fucking planet, with the best drum sound consistently.

But he did this one album, Stephen Wilson, the Raven that refused to sing. and it's like it's a 70s throwback album and it's like it throws back to like pink Floyd and rush and shit but it's really sad and Marco Minimum plays drums on it it's fucking unbelievable you're going to love it I know you're gonna love it okay sick no I'm down dude I think that really is like the line

because that's when you were talking about all this other stuff it's like that's the one thing that I can't really get behind a lot of heavy music anymore is that a lot of these people just don't actually sound angry. And like I don't, or it doesn't even need to always be angry. Sometimes it's just literally like you're so frustrated

about something that you have to scream even if it's out of key or whatever else. And it's just weird for me that there's so much music now where they're just like, well, this guy screams because that's the one thing he knows how to do more than him having anything to scream about. You know what I mean? Yeah.

like all of that stuff even it okay and i will say this like there's a fine line with with drumming but even like with metal drumming sometimes it's really hard for me to watch someone they could have like the best ideas in the world but if you're playing heavy music and you're just barely tapping your drums it just seems so like like counterintuitive i don't know it just doesn't seem like what like i like i want to see somebody hit really hard even if it means that they don't get to play as fast. Yeah, but let me throw a devil's advocate in here about this because I, for the most part, agree with you.

But when I see someone do a drum cover and it's like a song they didn't write or it's a Justin Bieber song or something and they're like going real ham on it on on YouTube with no audience and I'm kind of like, come on. Like with all the fucking, with like, there's no way you're actually into that that much. All right. So one, I'm going to talk about that. But before we say this, I give inferno a pass because he writes sick drums. And there's no way you can play at fucking 290 without tapping.

Yeah, so he gets a pass. I saw them two nights ago. He was unbelievable. Dude, he is, yeah. And the fact that, uh, that Krim could sit in for that is also insane. And he hits hard actually. that it is possible. Crim,

crim hits hard. The standard is cream actually for death metal. Crim is dope. But Inferno just, I mean, I've liked Behemoth forever and he's always been sick. But to your point about the Justin Bieber thing,

I do need to say this. I have always yelled in my room and played as hard as I could. And I do think you can do it by yourself because I've just had like an excessive amount of energy since I was a kid.

But it's tough, right? Because you see a bunch of people that are clearly, like, never head-bangged in their life. And then when they turn on the track, they're trying to head-bang and play at the same time. And you're like, okay, this is weird. You misunderstand. Right.

So I know you go nuts in your videos, even in your fucking YouTube videos, your GoPro videos. But that's because you're like, you're doing skate tricks, essentially. You're like, you're an anomaly here. I'm not going after you. You're like a fucking freak artist.

man you know like i can imagine you doing a show one day where there's no drums and you just paint yourself in like a corner and everyone's watching it's in like fucking Williamsburg and everyone's going yeah that's nice yeah really nice love the brushstrokes i can really feel the rage that's gonna be minel fest 2002 exactly no drums i've just given you an idea there and you're actually thinking about it but i mean like the guys with the super shiny polish drum videos and they're playing along to fucking yummy by Justin Bieber. No, I got you.

And they're going fucking apes shit and like winking at the camera and shit like that. Fuck off. Winking at the camera. And then they edit it anyway and put it on the fucking grid and lie. Fuck off.

Dude, it's a it's definitely a crazy time. I, um, you're so fucking diplomatic. You don't want to have a go at anyone and I'm just. just rinsing everyone. No, the thing is, yeah, it's fucked up, though.

There's space for everyone, bro. No, no. Check out this kickflip. Here's the thing is, all of my friends and, like, my favorite humor is, like, the most cynical, critical stuff. But at the same time, like, I like to use that standard, right? Because I just go, like, okay, well, then that means that the people that are good enough or original enough get to where they're supposed to.

Like I have people The reason I say is because I have people that think That like what I'm doing Is like me being What's a word? Like cocky or something Like me screaming is like being cocky Or like wanting attention

And that's the stuff that I just know Like I've just been doing that Since I was a kid in every Everything I've done You know what I mean? Like even when I play sports and stuff Like I don't know I've just had too much energy So when I see someone like that

Even if I don't like it I'm just always like I mean maybe that kid has a like a disorder maybe there's something about that kid I don't know I like I'm just not that's the only reason like I hold off because I never know about these kids maybe this kid has like a permanent wink problem

and like every time that he plays this kid has not got that this kid's got a permanent fucking douchebag problem but see again this is my favorite thing like all my friends are like this I just, I don't know, I have to be careful. Oh, you're so smart. I don't, but then I just do a podcast and then I just talk shit on everyone.

No, but dude, look at that. Look how well that works, man. Like, I listen to all your podcasts. Like, you're a really, really good drummer. But I've probably listened to more of your podcast. Barrett podcasts. And that's not even saying anything about your drumming. It's just, you know what I mean?

You don't really get to pick sometimes the things that just come naturally to you. like you have so much stuff in your life and the thing that you're good at is you can get as nerdy as you want and then also just rip on someone about some dumb shit and most people can only do one or the other I'm a nerd and a bully and most people aren't that's what I've done

the thing is I even had it in my fucking Instagram bio at one point my Instagram bio was in drumming I wear a medium but in podcast it's an XL that's dope But I don't think enough people got the joke

But that's what it was Let's get this back on fucking track Okay Because I just asked about backflips And then we went off on a tangent But it was a nice tangent Um So

Not you fly in to Scotland Glasgow Yeah Tour starts in Glasgow Yep We do When is it? When's the Glasgow date?

Dude I need to be more on top of this. I'm sorry that I don't have the exact date offhand. I'll look it up right now. Hey, I'm the presenter. I should have this already. In my new, I'm going to get a new apartment. I'm basically moving back down to Reading. I'm getting a new apartment, a two-bed apartment, and the other bedroom is going to be just a podcast room. Oh, that's dope. I'm going to fucking upgrade to video and shit and just have people in. It's going to be sick. That's awesome. Okay, so this is February 11th is Glasgow at broadcast. And then we do, yo, have you ever been to Milton Keynes?

Yes. Okay, I've never been there. That's the 12th, 13th is London. No, 15th is complexity festival in Netherlands and then the 16th. Are you going? Well, probably not by that sound. You're doing London the same day as fucking psilosis. Oh, well, fair enough.

Reunion. Where are you playing in London? Uh, two, nine? Where the fuck is that? I don't know. That's probably not a good sign if you don't know it. I'll be in London. I'll be in London that day, but I'm going to be with psilosis.

Silosis is dope. Yeah, I'm like looking forward to them coming back. I'm finding out where this fucking venue is. Okay, so if you could get a band to reunite for one show and you could see it, who would you want to see? Motherfucker, this is my podcast, but yeah, that's a great question. Pretend I asked you that. Pretend I asked you that. Anyway, Eric, if you could get a band to reform,

any band ever, who would it be? I asked that question to you so that I could have time to think of my answer. But the first one... No, actually, no, I take it back. I take it back. I have the answer. No hesitation.

Go. Original lineup of Mars Volta. Like, I would pay for whatever for that. I mean, obviously... You would take John Theodore over... fucking Thomas Pridgen. Yes. Here's the thing.

They're all dope in their own right. And to be fair, I actually think that Thomas Pridgin playing on a Prague record is one of the most pivotal things in drum history. I don't think any of these white Prague kids would be playing linear fills if he didn't write the intro to that Waximilar song. Man, that song is fucking unbelievable.

That whole album rips. It is. But John Theodore is my favorite drummer over any drummer anywhere. So that's the only reason. It's definitely like a, it's not really a fair assessment for me to say, but there's something on those records, especially the first two, that like when I heard them, I was like, this is exactly what I want because it's weird enough and creative enough to be completely

him, but you don't lose somebody that's not an musician, which is like, that's where the problem is, a lot of the stuff I started liking after. It's like as a musician, I like it, but as a regular person, I'm lost. Yeah, the first album's definitely the most regular. But then I kind of like how fucking crazy they went. No, it's dope. Don't get me wrong.

It's all dope. Are they not reforming? Did I not hear that they were reforming? I did hear that. I'm not sure, though. Are we not supposed to be talking about it? I met. We both heard it.

I met Cedric at Aftershock last year when we played, and he told me that. but like he didn't really give me the details um which obviously makes sense because he's just like who is this kid here but uh that lineup and and and him john theodore on those songs like i don't know it's just the coolest thing he's also the only drummer i'd seen up to that point that could play a simple beat so well that i was like oh okay i kind of want to write this too every time everything else before that like i was just this dorky kid that thought like the more notes you put in the better. And he was one of the first people to make me really appreciate being able to hold back

and then knowing when to get weird with what he was doing. Fuck, yeah. I still haven't thought about what I want, who I want to reform. And then if not that, I would probably, I'm not going to say that. No, go. Nah, fuck it. I would probably say the Smiths. I know that people have all this stuff with Morrissey right now.

But I do love the Smith's music. you quote me on that part yeah Morrissey's out I'm afraid Morris is cancelled however Johnny Johnny Marr is the fucking best nah he's a genius

Johnny Moore is insane um so fuck Cliff Burton era Metallica doesn't count because there's still going um fuck I'm trying to think he'd split up

the problem is that a lot of bands just got shit. Wait, what do you mean? Like Metallica. Oh. Like, like, like, they're still here. I mourn the old band, but they are still here.

They're like a fucking shell. Well, okay, then we can adjust the question to where you could see them. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Let me fucking think. I just don't want to think of anything real obvious. I'm sure there's a fucking, sure there's a good one. there's a doom band called Warning

who did one album and it was that good of an album it's that good that of all bands to reunite I gotta check this album out they did two they did two albums but only one of them's on Apple Music because like rage is reformed rage would be my go-to

but they've reformed right like I'm not going to say Dinnager because they're definitely going to reform. What's your favorite Dillinger album? Miss Machine, it's got to be. Yeah.

Okay. I don't want to be like the lame, cool guy, but for real albums, Miss Machine, yeah. But I do love, um, why can't I think of the name? The one with Mike Patton on it. Oh, love it. That whole three album, let's call that an album, the three album stint of calculating that irony is a dead teen. Yeah.

And fucking Miss Machine. Unbelievable. It is. But as a full album, I'll give you, like, because, because I already needs a dead scene's only four songs, right? Yeah. Yeah.

So full album, Miss Machine, for sure. But they're all pretty fucking good. I do enjoy every Dinnager album. But back to your answer. It's not Dillinger, and it's not this warning band. You just don't want it to be this warming band. You just want it to be a band.

bigger band that you know. Well, this isn't fun if I don't know the band. Who the fuck is split up? Honestly, maybe Xerath. Okay. I'll take that. I'll stay. I can't because they split up.

Every band I'm thinking of has already reformed. Poisoned the Well, they reformed. Wait, have you seen Rage Live? Yes, twice. Where'd you see them? Reading Festival both times. Okay. Oh, I didn't realize that they played.

played two of those. They played one in like 2000 and one in 2006. Okay, that's tight. I got to see them at LA Rising, which was this thing that we had in, I think it was 2010. And it was crazy because my girlfriend at the time wasn't tall enough for where we were at.

So we went on the ramp in the back so that we could like get a little bit of a slope to see. And literally over 30, people came out on stretchers because so many people were pitting so hard for that band I've got my band I know who I want to reform who and for the listeners at home I am talking about ISIS the band not ISIS the militia group that's a good answer have you ever seen them yeah only once I saw I'm at Oxford Zodiac in must have been 2011 maybe when Waver and Radiant came out

2009 actually okay um fucking incredible they're so sick what's your favorite record from them see

I want to say oceanic because I feel like it's the best one but the one I go back to the most is panopticon

I knew you were going to say one of those too and in fact wavering Radiant the last three tracks on Waver and Radiant fucking absolutely rip see I do

like that he remembered to turn on his snare and wavering radiant um that record is unbelievable uh absence of truth is right before that right yes and um fucking fucking it's the one before that not oceanic not paying off the con uh what's the cover it's the one begins with tea it's got i think it's got like blood drops on the cover um i know what you're talking about i know it's weird because I love those old, like I love Oceanic and I love Panopticon, but the first one I heard was absence of truth and then I loved it and then Wavering Radiant and then I went back. So even though I like them, I think Waving Radin is my favorite because that song Ghost Key is like in my top 10 songs ever written. Hey, the album that I was trying to remember was fucking absence

of the truth because it's the absence of truth isn't it? Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like little fucking hair or something. Yeah. Do you know what? That's my least favorite Icy's album. In the absence of truth? Oh, not in rivers but in drops is on that though, isn't it? That song is sick.

Oh, man, and holy tears. Fuck. I just thought I thought I hated this album, but I don't. There's no reason to hate any album from this band. They're dope. So, see, I heard a rumor, because they reformed to do that cave-in memorial show. Yeah, but they called themselves

Celestial. Celestial, which is a way better name anyway. I know. Just come back so I can wear your merch without wearing a t-shirt that just says ISIS in huge letters. See, it sucks so bad

because one, I actually did think that was a sick name, obviously way before all of this stuff came to my attention and all this shit started happening with other ISIS. But then, they made all these other bands and they're cool but like ISIS is the band is still better than all those bands like I like old man gloom I like palms I like all of the like a sumac but I still

think ISIS is the band is better than any of the other ones yeah but you know it's probably because fucking the drummer's not in any of those bands oh the drummer's in palms was me yeah and I believe he's supposed to come on a podcast actually I'll talk to him sometimes I believe because he does music for like HBO shows now I think he had a lot

a lot of the like soundscape input I don't quite me on that I haven't heard that from him I just imagine so because that to me is what is missing from every band that's come out without him in it

and now that's what he does as a job totally no that makes sense but yeah that fucking band absolutely rules. So, I think that was the first band that got me into, like, post-metal. And, like, from ISIS, I got into, like, Godspeed and shit like that.

Yeah, yeah. Hang on. Songs can be 10 minutes long. This is fucking sick. And then you like the new Coltaluna, right? I love it. That's my favorite album of last year. Over, oh, yeah, you told me you didn't go crazy over a tour, huh? Yeah, man, I really didn't.

I did. I did it like five times in a row. And at that point, I liked it. And then I put like Annamor on. I was like, oh my God. It's like, it's just one of the best albums of all time. 13 years for that is not an adequate amount of time. A time to product ratio. In my opinion. Here's a thing. Anybody I know that loves that album had to listen like 15 times.

I don't know anybody that could do it in less than 10. Everybody I know that loves it, listen to it more than that. Because all my close... I think I've done 10. All my close tool friends were like, it's just okay for like the first month and half of them now are like,

it's my favorite record they've ever written. Those people need to be fucking... Check those people's fucking hard drives. Check their hard drives. These people are... on a register somewhere. You think Onama's the best one? I think that lateralis,

those two together are like just the top. They're pretty unbeatable. I love both of them, yeah. Okay, I think... And I like undertow better than 10,000 days. Oh, you're crazy then. I think that they,

that Maynard hit his peak on Onima because he was like pissed. His melodies didn't sound like anybody. He was like his own. And like I almost feel like he at that time like was like a little bit more of the star than anyone else. And then I feel like lateralis, they all like peaked at the same time. Like he was dope.

The band like really figured out how to be themselves and all play together. And then on 10,000 days, I feel like the band stepped up and Maynard kind of chilled out a little bit. And I don't really know how to judge the new one. I still like it. I listen to it all the time. and like when I compare what was put in on that record to almost all the other records of the last like five years,

it's still way crazier than anything else that's out. But I get where when you go back and you listen to the like the ones that you fell in love with and the ones that were them when they're just like writing. But also even like the production though, if you listen to a song off or any of their albums and then listen to the new one, like I'm not being that guy but it's quieter.

it's mastered choir. The Tom's don't have, it's like that nice fucking, I know it's the same guy, it's fucking evil Joe Bressi, but the Tom's don't have that same fucking, like, high end,

like, oh, just unbelievable sound. They're just like, okay, Tom's. You cannot come out after 13 years with okay Tom,

sorry. No, no, I can, I can get back behind that because I do think 10,000 days is like one of the dopest recordings I've ever heard in my life.

Oh, fucking phenomenal. The drums on that record sound like unmatchable. Like I think that's my reference every time I go in somewhere at this point is I just want to sound as close to 10,000 days as possible. You ever play that back to back with Wave Room Radiant? Because it's the same room. Oh, I didn't know that. No, I haven't.

Yeah. It's the same room and the same producer. And the drum sound is pretty fucking similar. That's dumb. What a fucking good drum sound. That's what I mean. You can't have 13 years off and then not beat the previous album's drums. sound. Every

stray album, the drum sound has got better. Better and better and better. And if we had 13 fucking years, it would be, it would come out sounding like a fucking space station. I don't know how it would come out. Let's talk about how good Will Putney is at recording drums. Just the fucking man.

It's just an unbelievable person. I've recorded with literally some of my favorite producers in the world. Like if I had a short list, all the ones I've recorded with, were for night verses were like, and fever, were people that I've always wanted to work with.

But when it comes to drums, it's like still nobody comes close to working with Will. Wait, you did a Ross Robinson, didn't you? Yeah, that was crazy. Come on, you must have a Ross Robinson story. If anyone's not listening, Ross Robinson is fucking the original. He did the first corn album, didn't he?

Yeah, first slip album. First corn, first slip knot, first limp biscuit, first glass jaw. First, deaf tones that never got released. He has a crazy story about death tones. But I don't know, dude, he's awesome and I learned a lot from him. I have a lot of crazy stories. Like, we kind of went in knowing that he doesn't like doing a click and knowing that something

crazy was going to happen. So we were like prepared for the worst and it still just gets crazy. There's nothing you can do. Like the very first day, he kind of. of, well, first of all, we wrote 20 songs. So we played all 20 songs. And he goes, all right, this will be easy. A lot of these songs sound the same. So we'll just cut down and figure out what we need. And like, we had worked our ass off. And to just be like, yeah, a lot of these songs sound the same. We're not going to use a lot of these was like, uh,

like seriously like kind of tough. And at the same time, we're just like, all right, so let's see what happens. And dude, imagine this. Like, you're trying to play for your favorite producer the songs that you've worked your ass off on. And he's like, no. click and he's going to hand tap tempo a delay on your drums and you're supposed to follow the delay but he forgets to adjust the delay as you change songs so he wants you to just play no matter what even when you have a delay on your snare that's completely off tempo from the song and he didn't give our guitarist any uh effects which he writes with effects constantly and no clean channel and he had his laundry machine playing in our headphones

while he was trying to record, I mean, hear our songs. And why? Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. He, it was playing in the background or he miced it up to put it into your headphones. No, like, it was playing in the background, but like just as loud as all the music. So he was basically like, I'm not going to listen to demos,

show me your songs, no clean channel or effects, no click, you have to follow the delay on the snare that I'll choose when I want to tap tempo it. and basically, if it's a good song, I'll know. If it's not, then it's not a good song. So that was like the first two days of him and we were just like, oh my God, because we wanted to show him the stuff that we were like proud of

and it's just like, you know, our band only has one guitar player and a lot of our dynamic bounces between him switching like clean and distortion. All that stuff wasn't an option. So we played the songs, got through it with Ross, and then it's crazy because he chopped some of the stuff

we had done up and his sense of like melody and weird ideas is amazing like the thing the stuff that he showed us just from chopping up vocal melodies and parts and stuff was it was pretty fucking tight where we're just like okay he's still got like this magic um but then it's like we would just do crazy stuff like he his whole thing is he wants you to give to be uncomfortable and then uh he wants to capture you at your most uncomfortable as much as possible as much as possible on the record. So it's almost like you could never actually recreate it live because he wants the most emotion in every single section of the song.

So like if he could get a screamer to like scream so much that there's one take where you hear his voice go out, he wants to use that moment on as much of the record as possible. I get that to an extent. But like when I get stressed out, I play fucking terribly. Yeah, but he's patient. It doesn't make you hit harder. I hit fucking hard all the time. And it's like, it just makes me play shitter because I'm thinking, I want to fucking kill this person.

But he's, first of all, he would love that. And he's patient. So even if you want to kill him and you play worse, he'll wait a hundred takes until you get the one that's you pissed and also playing okay. Like, I'm so on the fence about whether or not I think this is the sickest thing on earth or I think it sucks. I mean, it doesn't really matter. It's just like if you hear a record that he likes, then that you like that he does, then you're like, that's how he got it. And if you ever want to make a record like that, it won't be the same unless you do it with him. Like when you go into it knowing that, yeah, it's shitty because you're going to have to go through some stuff. There's no way around it. But like the things that he did, whether or not people like the record, I don't care. The things that he did in that room and like the process we went through, it's stuff that I can remember for the rest of my life that no other producer in the world would do. And like, under. understanding, like he does a lot of reverse engineering, which I didn't really understand at the time. Give me an example. Give me an example then. Other than the fucking laundry. Yeah. So like for writing,

he would take two of my drum beats and stack them on top of each other and he'd say you need to make a beat that sounds like this. And it'd literally be eight limbs doing things. And I'd have to replicate that. And then whatever I came up with was what the beat ended up being. Or like he'd say this whole outro, you can't use snare, you can only use cymbals kick and your rack tom. And I'd sit there for like two hours until I could get something I was actually happy with. But then I end up with this beat that I never would have written. And after two hours, I found something that like, that I am happy with. Like it fits the part and everything else. So it's just a lot of that. Some of me thinks this is just some fucking time killing, like wizardry.

Like, I wonder what happened. I wonder if it'd be good. Because like that suicide silence album I did is for fucking worst out of my world. Okay. Okay. So I'm not arguing with that. But like to the point, here's the thing about Ross. And like, honestly, this really goes into like real art.

Like, uh, he's not, he doesn't feel responsible for how good the record is. Honestly, honestly. Like he's trying to get you to go through something. And if you're a dope musician or a good songwriter or you, you know how to hang, you're going to come out with something that's kind of cool. Like, there was a lot of stuff we had to go back and, like, listen and fix. Because if we just did exactly what he said, our record would have been a lot worse. But that's the thing.

The thing is if you're, like, and this is no offense to suicide silence, because I don't know what they went through or what they're going for. But, like, if you're just going to trust it and not have any say, then you're going to get some weird shit. But clearly on all the records he did, Ross was like half giving his ideas and then the band's coming back and like molding it. And he, he obviously wants as much control as possible

because that's how weird it can get. I mean, it can get weirder that way. But, um, but for us, like he'd even do stuff like with Nick's pedals. He would tell Nick to play the part and then he would do the pedals. Like,

and just turn knobs. So like, you know, sometimes you can adjust an effects pedal and like, you'll get a sound that you could never actually make unless somebody was physically turning that knob. He'll do that. And then Nick would have to learn how to replicate it,

even if it was, even if it was a different way. So again, like, that whole process, we just didn't understand when we were younger. Like, we're so used to writing something deliberately, whereas Ross is just like, it doesn't matter how we get it. We need to get this thing that feels different

and is like unimitatable. And then you have to find a way to recreate it. And that's something that I'd never had to do before that. And now Night versus does it every time that we write. That's pretty cool. So it's basically, recording the Ross Robinson is like an ayahuasca trip. Yeah.

Like, if you have the shit inside of you, it's going to come out. And it might be nice. It might not be nice. But afterwards, you'll be a changed person. Yeah. And I think for suicide silence, it's tough because, like, the genre. Like, here's where Ross kind of has a problem, in my opinion, is he doesn't want to, like, update. And he, I mean, he has the right not to.

I mean, the dude lives on Venice Beach. He's got enough money. He doesn't have to care. But, like, suicide silence is, came up in a genre when, like, the role. recordings were very specific and like the appeal of that genre was really specific. So when you step back and try and do what Ross is doing, it's like so different from their old shit that I don't even really know how they would have been able to pull that off. Also, I feel a bit sorry for them on that album because like you said, if you rely totally

on basically what you've got and then going to Ross, it might not come out the best. but I know a lot of the guys, maybe even all of the guys in Suicide Silence, their favorite record of all time is the corn self-titled. So, like, they just went in and, I guess, just fully trusted him. It's like their favorite iconic album, and then they're like, okay, and he's like, yeah, let's fucking do this wacky shit. And they're like, oh, I guess.

I fucking guess. And then it comes out and everyone goes, yeah, this stoink. I just looked like I wonder what the perception would be and this is where I mean Ross's update thing is I wonder what the perception would be if that exact record came out like amongst all those corn records in the early 90s because again Ross is just like yo this is how I make records this is how I've made records I'm not changing it and all right would for sure be well received back then and that's I think the difference is when you're in there and you start to it's hard to explain man like you know if you're

fan. Like he found Slipknot, he found corn, he found Glassjaw. Like, you're, you, when I was a kid, I looked at these bands and I had no idea what they're coming, how they're coming up with these things. Like, I could learn them, but it just didn't make sense to me. So when you're in the studio and the guy that got those bands where they're at is showing you all of those things and you start to hear it coming out of your instruments, it's weird because like, yeah, you could hear the shitty side of it, but it's almost like your brain attaches it to the records you love. So you forget what it sounds like in 2016, 17, 18, 19, 20. So it's this weird, like, mind trip because you're so stoked that, like, your guitar tone

sounds like at the drive-ins did and you never knew how to get it. But that might not be the best thing considering, like, the history of your band or, like, modern recording. You know what I mean? Yeah. I don't know. It's tough. He also, he keeps you in there, like, long hours.

So you're just like, this is all I'm listening to. This is all I'm into. a trip but but i don't regret it man he's he definitely learn a lot from him i um i just looked on his old music credits that was the last album he did no way he hasn't done an album since that all music it's the last credit for producer he did the he did the used when their last record when did that come out like two years ago one year ago two years ago are you sure yeah i'm looking at him right now.

I mean, I toured with them right after they did a Ross record. Like, I know he's always working on stuff, but I don't know. I mean, I don't know. No, that was 2017, and so was Suisseau Silence.

Suisse of Silence was the last one he did. Oh, damn. I don't know then. I see him, and he tells me about projects he's working on, so I know he's doing stuff. This is what I always say about stuff, like bands that get shit, or are getting shitty.

Just fucking go for a different producer and don't go for a big fucking name because big names are just fucking yes, man. Like Metallica needs to just go to fucking Will Putney. I think a lot of bands could go to Will Putney and get a really dope record. Sepaltura, right? Sepaltura, all their new shit,

I'm like, it's so nearly fucking unbelievable. It just needs to be at, Will Putney's studio. Which is such a shame because Eloy Casigrande is probably like one of the best metal drummers on the planet. I think he is the best. He's definitely my favorite. You know what's sick about him is that, uh, and for the record, it sucks because I

purposely don't watch a lot of my favorite drummers because I don't want to imitate them. Like, I try so hard because it's so easy to see something you like from somebody and go like, oh, cool, I'll do something like that. But the cool thing about Eloy is that he'll play something. you've heard a million times, and he just plays it better than everybody else. It just has this fucking source on it,

this Brazilian fucking source. I know. Like, he can do the double-base beat that I first put in a song when I was 15, and he'll make me go like, oh, I forgot how sick that is. I should probably try and put that

in the new Night versus record. And that's why I'm, like, really careful. Like, I have, like, a list of drummers. I check their album out once when they come out and I never go back to it, because I don't want to imitate it. And I know it's too easy to do it. Yeah.

Not easy to imitate them. Like, okay, for the record, I don't mean easy, like, it's easy to play this shit. I just mean easy to want to try and copy it. Animals is Leaders one. I listen to their record one time when it comes out just to know where the bar is at, and then I don't go back because they're dope. And the last thing I want to do is, like, look back at my Night versus Record and be like, oh man this just sounds like

the coolest instrumental band or whatever you know what I mean like I don't know I can understand that one because you're three piece instrumental I can understand you not wanting to steal that however love Matt's drumming now he's incredible I honestly

I honestly just I'm that guy though I musically I prefer the fucking first album because it's just a little bit dumber it's like the metal on it is a tiny bit dumber. So I can bang my head to it a little bit more.

But the drumming is obviously way more sensational since Matt joined. Yeah, I think it's weird. So I had a conversation with my friend about this and he was chilling with this critic or some guy that reviews albums. And we're talking about Carnival. Do you listen to Carnival? Love Carnival.

Okay. And Steve Judd has some of the dopest drum parts on those last two records of anything in the last 15 years. Yep, yep, yep, yep, yep. But we were talking about their last two records and like, I personally love Sound awake more than almost any Prague record in the last like 10 years.

But... Yeah, I'll give you that. But I think... What is it, asymmetry, the one after that? Yep. Is that what it's called? It is. Okay.

I think that record is more original. Like Sound Awake sounds like all of the Prague I like put into a band in this unique way. And then Asymmetry sounds like a record that only Carnival could write and no other band I've ever heard could write that record. And even though I like Sound Awake better, if I was going to do like an album review, I'd have to give just as much credit, if not more, to Asymmetry, because they did something I hadn't heard. And so I try and keep that in my head when I'm like judging stuff because people, don't understand how much harder it is to make something new than to imitate it. Like, once you've heard it, it's never the same. Like, skateboarders talk about that all the time. Like, if you come up with a trick, it's so much easier to do it once you've seen someone else

do it. And so when bands do something that sounds like I've never heard anything like it, even if I don't like it in that moment, I always have to give them that credit because that's more that's more impressive to me than just writing a really good record that's like 60% tool. You know what I mean? Yeah. You are a true artist. I think I said this the first time I met you. I was fucking drunk as well.

But you're like an actual artist. Like not as in like, I mean, everything you do is fucking sick. But not as in like, everything you do is a masterpiece. As in like you're a fucking crazy person. and the way that you think about things is very unique and it's like any artist in any field has that mentality that you have like the what you were saying about creating and you know it being much harder and fucking you know not wanting to imitate it's very good stuff and I feel like we're going to have to end the podcast there because we'll never top that conversation. Sounds good, dude. Thank you so much for having me. I know this was like kind of a crazy thing to throw together right before I leave for tour, but...

Hey, it was sick. Just do a quick plug. What are you doing? You're doing some fucking fever shit, and then you're doing night versus UK and Europe or just UK? UK and Europe. I mean, it's like, it's only six dates, but it is... I'll pull it up right now. We're doing three in the UK and then a show in Cologne and a show in the Netherlands.

And that's Complexity Fest. And then before that, fever is going to be in Japan and then Malaysia and India. Oh, shit. There's something we didn't talk about and it's also a plug, but I also want to know about it. You've just done a fucking web store with like loads of limited art shit. Yeah. Yeah, I've been trying to get it together for a while. And this was the first time I've had more than two weeks home in the last year and a half.

half. So yeah, I got up prints, t-shirts and sticks and stuff like that. And I'm just going to keep doing prints more often than anything else because it's like I have all of this art that I haven't been able to get to anybody. So yeah, it'll be available on the store, which is all on my Instagram. And if, like, if people pick it up, it's obviously the most, it's, I know personally from like podcast shirts. It is the number one way to support like the music. I know buying the fucking music feels like it's more, but buying merch and prints, that shit going straight in my fucking pocket, yo. Yeah, honestly, it's crazy, but like the music industry, if anybody's wondering, even if you're a

drummer that's trying to make it, they don't have any money for you, especially as a drummer. So you've got to find... You have to be a merch store. Yeah, if you've got to find a way to sell things directly to the people that care about you, because if there's even one middleman, they're going to take more than 50%. So where can people go and pick up your shit? You can either find it on my Instagram.

There's a link or at ericomproda.com. I just finished the website. So that should all be up and pretty easy to get to. Fuck, yeah. And I'll do a little plug at the beginning of the episode as well. Cool. Okay, mate. Oh, yeah, dude.

Enjoy your fucking travels. Thank you, man. Thank you so much for being down to get this all going. I'm glad we got it done. Bye.