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Prepare for the Canadian Invasion |
They may not
yet be a household name, but I think the guys from 3 Mile Scream
are going places. Like hopefully, the U.S. Although their tour
schedule has yet to take them out of their native Canada, they’ve
got one album out, another on the way, and have already captured
the admiration of some major players in the metal music scene.
Recently I had a chance to speak with the band’s frontman
on what they’ve been up to, how certain industry people
got involved, and what the next steps are for the group. MM: We worked really hard. We had the album that’s out now, we had been completed for like a year and a half already, and we were shopping it around, and no one had bit until Tom picked it up at Corporate Punishment. So we were patient, it’s not that we didn’t want to get something out, it’s just that no one had bit just yet. MWE: Tell me a little bit about the process that you went through to finally get A prelude to Our Demise out. MM: From beginning to end?
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| MWE: Yeah, what was your writing process; is there one key player who does all of the writing, or is it a collaborative effort? MM: No, it’s really a collaborative effort, and it took a good two years that went into writing it. We were growing a lot as musicians throughout that time, and there were a lot of different influences coming from all the musicians, you know? And a lot of it was Rich, before we got our second guitarist, and then he just sort of added to it, but there are also songs which were written with the new guitarist, which definitely had more of that European feel. Which is sort of going where our newer album, which is coming out shortly, is more in that vein. MWE: What’s the meaning behind the albums’ title, A Prelude to Our Demise? MM: Sort of
like a summation of the whole…all the topics on the record
are fairly like, I don’t want to say negative, but sort
of like showing our, my, opinion of where our world is going.
And I really think that unless we decide to make some drastic
changes in our behavior, that not only our environment, but that
our corporate world and everything is just going down the shitter.
And it’s just really a reflection upon my beliefs of where
our world is going. MWE: Is that where your personal inspiration comes from, is what’s going on in your life at that point? MM: In my life, in the world, everything, yeah. It could be anything from big social issues to like, personal problems that I’m having in my own life, to witnessing other friends that are going through some shit. It just motivates me to write something down, you know? MWE: Do you think it was the attention that you got touring with big-name metal bands that got you noticed by major players like Jean Francois Dagenais and UE Nastasi? MM: As for him, being from Montreal, it’s a very good place to start off. Both Jean Francois and Nastasi, of course Jean Francois’ from Kataklysm, they’re both from Montreal, being in a band from Montreal for so long, five years of being really serious, and gigging so often, you’re bound to run into people. And I think more so than like, playing so much and getting to know…I don’t know if you got to see that Randy from Lamb of God was really into us, that more so, than playing a lot. Just the right place at the right time, meeting the right people and that’s about it.
MM: Yeah, we’re pretty relentless that way. We’ll knock on the door until we have to kick it down. My bassist Mike, is basically like our semi-manager until we get a main-time manager to take over the business there. But, he’s relentless, getting us…calling promoters and hassling them. And now once we’ve got our foot in the door playing shows, we know these bands and they can help us out as well, but I really don’t think that many bands that are in the big positions actually have much control over who’s on their bills anyway. I think that most of the time it’s like a package deal. MWE: Which again leads into my next question, why do you think that you garnered so much attention from so many big-name bands before you had even put out an album? Is that a reflection of the hard-core plugging that you did, or was it just that they heard you and went, “these guys rock, we want to be a part of what they’re doing”? MM: I think it’s a combination of the both, like any band that came through Montreal back in the day, like Mike was there, my bassist was there, and other various members would be there trying to meet these bands, getting to know these bands, and get that contact. And once they heard the material, they were really into it, and we’re pretty different from other bands out there. We’re really heavy, but we also have like, the clean singing part, but not necessarily typical clean singing parts, either. So, I think it’s like a combination of both. MWE: Like you said, with Randy from Lamb of God, you guys got some rave reviews on your last album from some pretty well-known groups. How did you get your music out there? I mean, there were God Forbid, Unearth, Lamb of God, Kataklysm, they reviewed your CD, how do you do that? There’s not a lot of bands that are willing to… MM: Yeah, you just gotta put yourself on the line and act. First they’re your friends, and then, “I know you like the music, your name is important, we’d really appreciate it if you can give us your thoughts on the record.” Like Randy, we had known him, so we just said, “We’re puttin’ together our press kit and it would really help us if we could give us a quote on the record.” And he sent us, the quote that you see is just a little section of what he sent us. He sent us a much more in-depth big quote, which was really helpful. And God Forbid, we had played with them, and I just asked John, I was like, “John, man, I need your help bro, what do you think about our band?” And then he gave us the quote. And Byzantine, we had played with them, Jean Francois from Kataklysm, we had recorded with him, so that sort of gave us that. MWE: Do you plan to stay on with an Indie label like Corporate Punishment, or do you aspire to being signed to a more major label? MM: Well, I just want to be on the road. On this Indie label, I can get on the road every day, that’s fine. As of right now, it’s not happened just yet, but with the next record we’re hoping to step bigger, because with the bigger, you get the bigger tours, and the more time on the road and the more exposure. And it’s no disrespect to our current label, we really like our current label, and they’re really doing good stuff for us, but it’s all a matter of getting on the road for us. MWE: Makes sense, that’s how you get out there and get new fans. MM: Yeah, absolutely, but it’s just the beginning. We just got our booking agent, so definitely. But I have no complaints about Corporate Punishment, though. I really like them. MWE: I know that you’ve been heavily influenced by old-school European bands, are there any fresh ones on the market that are capturing your interest? MM: Personally, myself, right now, what I really enjoy that’s sorta new, I like The Human Abstract that came out, the mixture again of the heavy and the singin’. Anything really new, I’m not really into new, new, new bands, though. I guess I need time to get used to them. I really like Meshuggah, still the old-school Swedish, so I’m at the gates, then. When I joined the band, I wasn’t necessarily into metal, and I’ve been sort of getting’ schooled over the past five years. Definitely before, I was more into Mike Patton and Maynard from Tool. MWE: Kind of a strange question, but, a lot of the European metal bands do do songs in their native tongue, being from Montreal, do you ever consider doing any tracks in French? MM: Not an original, I would do a cover of a Quebec band like…I can’t even think of one, like most of our band is really English, and it’s not that we don’t like singing in French or speaking in French, but we’re pretty getting, like, assimilated to be more and more French, so singing in English is definitely something that I’m proud of doing. But it not just that, ‘cuz I mean our drummer is a basically French-speaking member, but also, I want to definitely break out of Quebec. I don’t wanna stay here, so I’m gonna start writing in French, then I’ll be stuck here. (Laughs) MWE: You’re just reading my mind here, because I was about to ask how the Canadian metal music scene differs from that in the U.S.
MWE: Like Toronto? MM: Toronto and the outskirts a lot, like Hamilton and all kinds of places, Kitchner, and doing all kinds of gigs around there. Cambridge, Ottawa. MWE: You may or may not know the answer to this question, but I’m a percussionist myself, and I was very impressed by Norm’s drumming. Do you know how long he’s been playing? MM: With us, he’s going on four years, and probably about 10 years, I’m guessing. In bands. MWE: I know that you guys have a “no sleep, no need” ethic, you work very hard, but what do you enjoy doing in your down time? MM: Down time, personally, I like listening to music, talking about music, and planning our next steps. No, I like watching movies, fine films of course, lots of really stupid stuff, to really numb my brain from this and the world. Take a real break from the whole music scene. MWE: What lies in the future for 3 Mile Scream? MM: We’re gonna be on the road. MWE: Do you know how wide or how far the scope of your next tour will is going to be? MM: We’ve already recorded our next album, it’s done, about to get mastered, so there’s no need to break for that. So I’d like to leave tomorrow (laughs) and come back in like four years or something. But right now, logistically, we have a tour coming up three weeks from Guelph to PEI. And there’s like further tour in the works right now because we’ve just signed on to Vangogh Activity, booking activity, so they’re organizing us some stuff for across Canada, I think. MWE: Do you have any plans for hitting the U.S? MM: We definitely want to. It’s all in the timing of getting the right booking agent to find the right tours for us to get us down there. It’s definitely a major part of our plan, for sure. Putting in these weekend shows and then going to work on Monday…I want to be on the road all the time. We did last weekend with Cryptopsy and I was telling my band, I’m like, “I feel like this is a tease. ‘Cuz we’re out here, we’re doing it, but I have to go back in a few days.” MWE: Especially with some of the caliber of the bands that you’ve already toured with and the great reviews they gave your last CD, with this one coming out, if you could get to the U.S., I’m sure they’d be more than happy to try and include some stops with you guys. MM: I think it’s just a matter of time, finding the right time. Once we earn our keep, I think, up here in Canada, by going across Canada, I think the booking agencies will probably take us more seriously. MWE: I wish you the best of luck in getting your new album out and getting a good reception, and expanding your tour. Is there anything else you’d like to put out there? MM: Well, we’re happy, we’re moving forward. Taking baby steps, but we’re still moving forward, so we’re happy. MWE: Well, I’m in Michigan, so you’re pretty close, if you were in Windsor, Detroit Michigan is just across the bridge. MM: Yah, that’s our plan of attack. MWE: The way to infiltrate the United States, MM: Yeah, through there, that’s our plan, through the Ambassador Bridge. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
O' Canada, you gave us shit like Celine Dion , but you’ve redeemed yourself with 3 Mile Scream. Their album, A Prelude to Our Demise, is one of the most enjoyable melodic metal records I’ve heard in a long time--and I hope the title is not indicative of the fate of the band. First impression: KILLER DRUMS by Norm Geneau! I especially loved the heavy snare's precision going rat-a-tat like an AK-47 throughout. This is not to say that the almost impossible guitar noodling by Ben Ayotte and Alex Delis is not of the highest quality as well, reminiscent of some of the finest European metal forefathers...my only negative comment is that I wish that the guitars were more audible (and Mike Marino's bass is almost completely lost in the mixing). The rage-filled vocals by Matt McGachy blend well with the energy of the music, mixing in screaming, growling and melodics with ease. "Prelude", a dark, beautiful, haunting melody, opens, providing a tantalizing contrast, and setting the stage for the ferocity and energy to follow. The remainder of the tracks feature excellent and effortless tempo changes and use of syncopation, resulting in the rare metal album where all of the songs don't sound the same. Now available and two years in the making, A Prelude to Our Demise should rank highly on any metal lover's wish list.
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MWE:
That leads right into my next question, how did a relatively new,
and at the time unsigned band end up touring with people like
Unearth, Soulfly, and Strapping Young Lad? How did that come about?
Did they just hear you and think you were awesome, or did you
try to contact them to get yourselves out there?
MM:
I’ve never been to the U.S. yet. I hoping that it’s
excellent. I have a feeling that it’s definitely more happening
than is happening up here. Not that it’s not good here,
but there’s not many opportunities for us up here. I know
that it’s a stronger following with bigger shows and more
kids showing up. We’ve had, in Ontario, we’re getting
a very warm reception, which is very good. More so than in Quebec,
we’re getting…I feel that we’ve been playing
so much in Ontario lately that I feel we’re more so more
like an Ontario band.
Track
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