When we heard Upon The Warlords Crawl, we all sat back with mouth agape, shaking our heads in awe as we listened to the sonic devastation blast from our speakers. At that moment, we had to know more about these guys . . . so, we wrote a few letters, made a few phones calls, unleashed a horde of carrier pigeon in an all out effort to contact Truth Corroded. Fortunately, the band heard our call and were more than accommodating with their time. Sit for a spell and read up on what bassist Greg Shaw has to say on how Truth Corroded is more than just a musical outlet, but a way of life!
Every musician is influenced by those who came before them, but what were your major musical epiphanies that inspired you to create music? What major musical moments helped define you as musicians?
For me personally - Metallica - it is no doubt a common starting point for many my age, but to this day, the R.T.L to A.J.F.A period was a major part of my life and was my major musical moment. However, for the original members of the band - Jason, Mark and myself - Sepultura was a very major influence, and our musical bonding, as the three of us started out together as a Sepultura cover band.
Our major influences are mostly from that era - late 80's / early 90's thrash and death metal - bands such as Dark Angel, Slayer, Forbidden, Kreator, Violence, Testament, Exodus - and later early Malevolent Creation, Entombed, Atheist, Pestilence. Many of these bands are creating some incredible albums to this day - maybe their best ever - and that is inspiring.
From the era of our roots to this day, there have been some other major musical moments for us - in particular Neurosis. But also Napalm Death, Gojira, Behemoth, Burnt By The Sun, Mastodon, Lamb Of God, Isis, Cult Of Luna - all of these bands have provided inspiration.
With so many heavy metal and extreme metal acts toiling around in obscurity, how do you feel Truth Corroded separates itself from the rest of the world?
I think we are no better than any of the many great bands that are in the same level of obscurity as us - I think we are all just looking to find the right set of ears to help take it to the next step.
But, while I do not think we are particularly different, or offering an innovation - ultimately we are best termed an extreme thrash metal band, and that is the style we are hungry to play. What sets our sound maybe a part though is that we use our influences and shape songs that are the sum of our influences, and not just a particular movement. We are thrash but we are looking to build on that sound.
Many bands over the past decade have found a sound that is regarded by music media as cutting edge and then just emulated that sound - and many labels market around that as well - with advertising stating 'if you like this band....then this is what you want! They sound and look the same!
You will hear the influence of particular bands in our sound, it will be a broad range of bands spanning many years of heavy music. But the song itself is written to be Truth Corroded.
What do you see as being the biggest obstacle in getting your music heard in some of the more major markets, such as the U.S.?
I think it is that we are an Australian band trying to enter a market ( such as the U.S and Europe ) that is already very competitive, with many great domestic level bands seeking an audience or market support. So, it comes down to publicity and touring - get over there and show the bands capacity, or get it heard where you can. Doing this interview is a step forward, and we are grateful to people like yourself who help the band get out there, or for the support we have received in building the bridge for such an opportunity.
However, to get out of Australia is hard as well - it is far and expensive to hit the places we need to. Truth Corroded have also looked to our region and toured through Asia - and the bands from there also face the same difficulties.
“Despair Your Black Earth” is one of the most eerie, emotionally charged, heavy ass, post-apocalyptic epic songs I’ve heard in a great while, filled with great hopeless imagery and, I feel, a definite high point on the album, if not the bands catalog. What piece of your music are you particularly proud of?
That song was conceptualized to complete the album, and we are working on building an end to the next album that will also take the listener to such a place as 'Despair' did. It was a song that crunched up against an album that was quite extreme in pace, and demonstrated another aspect of the bands’ sound and what we are looking to create.
For me, I am proud of many of the songs on that album, it was our best written and sounding album and we are looking to build on that with the next one. Once again we will be working with Jonas from Scar Symmetry, and I think that working relationship will produce yet again the sound we are seeking.
In terms of particular songs, 'Crown The Apocalypse' - ' Buried Alive By Demons' - 'The Disfiguring' and ' We Are Failed'. But there are two other songs from our previous album ' Our Enemy Is The Weapon' that I think also stand out - ' Sky Laden With Flies ' ( a song we originally wrote with our ex-drummer Adam Milburn who passed away ) and ' Resonance Of The Coming Fire '
It’s been a few years since the release of your last album, Upon the Warlord Crawl. What are the plans for a follow up? Any new wrinkles to the Truth Corroded sound that we can expect?
We enter the studio to track the songs in our home state of Adelaide in July, and then send the recording over to Jonas Kjellgren from Scar Symmetry in Sweden to mix and master the album. So far there are 12 songs written. Some of the songs are the fastest we have written, but I think the new songs also have - without a doubt - some of the most crushing heavy riffs we have written. All up I think there is a good balance to the songs, and will show the progress of the band from the last album.
What was the mindset going into writing and recording Upon the Warlord Crawl? Was there a particular message that your were trying to get across to the world?
Lyrically there was a lot of reaction to the war on terror and the many faces to that war. It is an anti - war album, and the message implied in the title is a warning for the way forward. War has reached its conclusion - the next step is termination.
However, Mark also confronted other concerns, such as politics within our own country and environmental politics.
As music, it was also a reactionary album, we wanted to destroy. And on the next album, we want to annihilate what survived the last album haha
The business of music is a brutal place. Changes in technology have made it easier than ever for bands to get their music out, but harder than ever to make a living? What are your plans to move the band forward? How do you stay motivated in this brutal business?
We are next looking to open the doors to Europe and the U.S - we have established a foundation for South East Asia, China and Japan, but the next step is the U.S / Eur.
It is easier to get your music out there, and it has changed how bands market themselves and release music. But this has enabled Truth Corroded to build contacts and bridges to reach new audiences. I think for us it is looking at how you can find opportunities - that can be on many levels, online sourcing, networking the local and overseas industry, and particularly for us, looking at opportunities available from the government to help build your global profile. We are motivated by the opportunity to build our profile outside Australia and the chance of performing overseas in new places.
Heavy metal is as much an attitude as it is a lifestyle, but we all have financial responsibilities and bills to pay and there are no immediate riches in the music business. What keeps you driven? What force gets you to wipe the sleep out of your eyes and attack each new day?
What drives us is the music. We are still avid about the genre, and always looking for new inspiration, or finding it in the work of our established influences. It is a very significant part of our lives, we all work day jobs, pay off houses or loans, some members have children, but there is still the hunger to create and vent through metal music. Getting together to create a song, rip it out on stage and tour is a fulfilling experience, and a part of what makes us the people we are as much as a band.
Since 2007, we have had the opportunity to tour overseas, and each year since then, that opportunity and scope grows, and it is very inspiring. We have had some incredible experiences, played some incredible shows, met some incredible people and played alongside some awesome bands. We have also had the chance to play alongside bands such as Lamb Of God, Behemoth (in China!), Sepultura, Arch Enemy, In Flames, God Forbid, Death Angel and Chimaira. We have gone from being an Australian band with a national following, to an Australian band with an international following. A few years ago we would not have thought it was ever going to be possible. As a band we will never be able to live off being a band or be the next big thing, but we will take the journey as far as it goes, and I look forward to each step along the way.
On a personal level, what do the band members do in their spare time? How do you clear your heads and relieve any tension or boredom when away from the music?
I don’t get spare time bro! Haha. I work full time, go to University part time, me and the singer Jason run a record label and book a venue, and I manage the band. Our guitarist Mark works full time, but is avid about soccer and coaches his kids’ team, and Darren is busy running his own business.
For us, the band is how we detach from our 9-5 work lives and responsibilities. The social side to being in a band, getting to tour together, and with friends, drinking and partying after a show . . . that is how we unwind.
Greg, rumor has it that you have an authentic Australian curry recipe that the world needs to know about. What, if anything, can be told about that? Are there other recipes that you've got under your hat that we don’t know about?
Hahaha - Alex! Yeah - I do. I really like cooking, and curry is my specialty. But it would not be very metal to offer the reader a recipe hahaha
Finally, what words of wisdom or warning can you offer to our readers?
If you have not heard the band then please check out our music on www.truthcorroded.com - if you like thrash metal and bands such as Testament, Slayer, or new bands such as Lamb Of God, then Truth Corroded will get you thrashing. We have a new album coming out soon, please check it out, make some noise and get Truth Corroded over to America in 2011!
