INTRODUCING KENT BASED METAL-CORE ACT A HIGHER DEMISE....
A Higher Demise are an upcoming metal-core band from South-East London/Kent. With thunderous rhythmic's, sweeping melodies, brutal riffs and angelic harmonies. A Higher Demise is eager to push their name to the fore front of the local music scene and beyond. We caught up with the guys and Rachael in an East end pie n' mash joint and chatted about Fleetwood Mac, psycho ex-girlfriends and N-Dubz, here's how we got on....
Please introduce the band and your music in one sentence....
Melodic, catchy rock interrupted by brutal riffs, beatdowns and screams!
You’re called A Higher Demise, how did you come about choosing this name?
Originally from a book titled ‘Death of Kings’. However we turned out sounding a lot less heavier than we planned. So ‘King’ possibly referring to a higher being and ‘Death’ is a form of demise… So retaining the same meaning but sounding far more suitable for our genre.
You have recently signed with Ambicon Records, what was the thought process before deciding to sign with them?
We got the distinct impression that Ambicon Records believed in what we were doing; they seemed as excited as we were at the prospect of working together.
What is the best advice you ever received and who was it from?
If it could go wrong, it will go wrong… during a gig - Paul Richards.
Would you rather live with a dog that sings lullabies or a gorilla that can do sign language? Explain your answer
Definitely the Gorilla! You can ignore it. And the dog would just get annoying, surely?
In your opinion, what is the BEST album/record ever released and why?
Hybrid Theory by Linkin Park because it was the album that got every member in our band into metal.
If you had a chance to put together your own ‘super group’, who would be in it? (Only living members please)
Jeremy McKinnon (ADTR)
Slash (GnR)
Dallas Green (Alexisonfire)
JeAnne Sagan (All That Remains)
Matt Greiner (August Burns Red)
What was the first guitar riff you heard and every time you hear it still gives you chills?
Fleetwood Mac – The Chain
The intro to single ‘It’s a Trap’ is loud as the guitar screams, what was the inspiration behind this song and explain how long it took you to come up with the riff?
Psycho Ex-Girlfriends –You all know. The riff itself did not take long to fall into place. It was the first thing written on that track.
Do you own a record that you wouldn’t like to admit you have?
Terry - I used to have an N-Dubz album!
Who designed the artwork for ‘The Doctor Will See You Now’ EP cover? And who is the model?
The band as a whole spent hours brainstorming, eventually agreeing on a theme and rough idea of what we wanted. Megan Ker (Toysin3D Photography) was the photographer that managed to interpret our ramblings into coherent ideas and the model is our now close friend Gothicarnie Wink – Check her out!
What classic song would you have liked to have recorded and why?
We can’t decide on one so either:
Free Bird – Lynard Skynard
Crazy Train – Ozzy Osbourne
Master Of Puppets –Metallica
First gig you ever went to?
Charlie – Linkin Park (2008)
Terry - Lostprophets (2001)
Dan - Finch (2005)
Rachael - The Fratellis (2006)
Dag – Atreyu (2004)
‘My Therapist Knows You By Name’ has an official video, who directed this and what was the concept of the video?
Lee Bethell from Versatile Film Productions and it was created to represent the release of the EP following the same theme.
Where did you record your debut EP and what made you choose that studio?
We recorded at Stakeout Studios by Jason Wilson and we chose this studio because of the amazing reviews and the quality of the results that he was churning out, by numerous of representable bands. And how he instantly understood what we were trying to achieve.
Name three people (alive, dead or fictional) that you would like as party guests?
Jimmy ‘The Rev’ Sullivan.
Genie, Aladdin.
Heisenberg, Breaking Bad.
That would be an interesting party!
There are many good bands and musicians out there, who would you ask the readers of musicmuso to look out for?
Burgundy OR One Day Elliot
If you could describe your music in the form of a fictional character, who would it be?
Ross from Friends because our music is about getting dumped.
Do you think we can ever live in a world where a chicken can cross the road without having its motives questioned?
We won’t. This is because the chicken represents what we stand as a human race. As a species. We are all that chicken, and we are all forced to cross that road. Not because it wanted to, but because it had to. So until we realise the true question, we will never move on. The question is not ‘WHY did the chicken cross the road?’ It’s ‘What happened after it crossed the road’… It became a man.
What are your plans for the remainder of 2014?
Force our songs and gigs on everyone as much as we can!
The lads had woofed their pie n' mash down in record time and were up for a few pints down the Queen Vic, prior to us setting off to see Alfie Moon and Kat (unsure if they still run the Vic?) we threw a few quick-fire questions at them....
Coffee or Tea?
Tea
Coke or Pepsi?
Pepsi
Live Show or Recording Studio?
Live Show
Drum machine or the real deal?
Real Deal
Mac or PC?
PC
Hulk Hogan or Stone Cold Steve Austin or CM Punk?
Stone Cold!
Fry up or Sunday Roast?
Fry up
Lemmy (Motorhead) or Ozzy (Black Sabbath)?
Ozzy
CD or Vinyl?
CD
Car or Motorbike?
Car
Acoustic or electric?
Electric
Shower or Bath?
Shower
Facebook, Twitter or Soundcloud?
Tattoos or Piercings?
Tattoos
Robert De Niro or Al Pacino?
Robert De Niro
God or Google?
SOCIAL MEDIA
www.facebook.com/AHigherDemiseBand
www.twitter.com/AHigherDemiseUK
FORTHCOMING SHOWS
Nov 29th 2014 - Attitude Festival, Lowestoft (UK)
We'd like to thank the guys for taking time out of their day to endure our Spanish inquisition style questioning and we wish them every success in the future. If you;re about for the November gig at the Attitude Festival, head down as I'm sure it'll be a rip-roaring doo!
Interview by Mark Wincott