All Shall Perish have become the frontrunners in a genre known as deathcore. For the past year no new material has surfaced, but they are constantly busy on the road playing shows with the likes of Walls of Jericho, Through The Eyes of the Dead, Despised Icon, and The Red Chord.Â
Currently they are headlining The Big Booty Business tour with support provided by From A Second Story Window and Emmure.Â
Ultimate-Guitar.com correspondent Evan Greenblo spoke with Ben Orum, the rhythm guitarist for the band about the tour, new material, and being in a metal band.
Ultimate Guitar: Just as the current tour kicked off Nodes of Ranvier had to drop off, is everything OK with them? Will anyone be replacing them?
Ben Orum: Everything is OK with Nodes of Ranvier, they had to drop of for personal reasons. Since the drop off was so last minute, there was no time to find another opening band.
Do you prefer to tour with bands of a similar style and ideologies or more arbitrary bands?
I am very into abstract music, so anything out of the ordinary is a huge breathe of fresh air for me. We all love the heavy style All Shall Perish plays, but appreciate a broad spectrum of music, and welcome it on our tours with open arms.
What's in store after The Big Booty Business tour?
After The Big Booty Business tour All Shall Perish will find itself writing its third full length album on Nuclear Blast Records. We are looking to have it out by next August/September. Also in the works is a small Australian tour this December!
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| "My band is very supportive of my choice to start a family." |
Can you spill any details about the new album? Will you be using 7 string guitars again?
Yes, we plan to use 7 string guitars in all of our works. We find it necessary to have the increased flexibility to hit those really low notes, as well as have the extra string to do some insane argeggio work.
Who knows what surprises are in store on the next album, you'll just have to wait and see! I will promise you this though, we don't plan on putting out the same album over and over again!
(Chris, the other guitarist adds) Rusty Cooley is going to do a guest solo.Â
I've seen the Eradication video on TV a few times. The metal scene was a place for people who did not want to conform, but is now entering a larger market. What are your thoughts on this?
The popularity of heavy music comes in waves. You saw it in the 80's with the hair bands, then in the 90's with the nu-metal trend. Extreme music has always been an understood shadow lingering on the sidelines of all of these trends. Nowadays metalcore bands are embracing more and more death metal elements, and you are seeing younger and younger kids getting into the heavy stuff. It's pretty exciting to see it finally gaining some recognition.
What is your opinion on current society?
Most of us are blind to the state of the rest of the world. The US has it so good... most people choose not to think, and that ultimately will hurt out nation in the end.
Are you at all active in trying to change anything? A real life Jigsaw Killer (from Saw) maybe (laughs)?
Our band tries to raise awareness on issues that concern us through our lyrics. Check them out, you just might agree with us.
One of the first bands I listened to that dealt with social issues was Shai Hulud. Are you a fan of them at all? What was the first band you listened to that spoke about social issues?
I've never heard them, but I know some of the other guys in the band are familiar with their music. The first band I heard that tackled social issues was probably Biohazard.
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| "We are blown away that our music has touched people so deep, that they feel the need to put our name on their flesh permanently." |
How do you feel about the disagreement between metal fans and hardcore fans about the term 'deathcore'
It baffles me all the labels that people throw on music. In the end, it's just an easy way to catalog a band. Deathcore is nothing new, bands like Internal Bleeding and Dehumanized have been playing that style years before the term was coined.
Does deathcore separate metal and hardcore fans or bring them closer?
Well... it depends. Yes, it brings the two groups of fans together. But at our shows, they typically end up fighting and things get violent.
What is more important in a live show, being one hundred percent accurate or having a good stage presence?
(Chris adds) (Laughs) You probably heard I suck live. Kids come to mosh mostly or fight or whatever. I do my best ya know. Try and get them both down.
I always read about how little money bands make on tour, and how they are always constantly away from home. How does this obstacle make it hard to start a family?
I have a beautiful little boy named Greyson Orum who is now 15 months old. He is the most wonderful thing in my life. My band is very supportive of my choice to start a family, and gives me the time off if I need to take it. My wife is always very supportive of my music career, and for that I love her to death. Money can be tight sometimes, but to have the chance to do what you love and have the opportunity to be a father, I would say that life couldn't be better!
I noticed on your MySpace profile you have numerous fans with All Shall Perish tattoos. How do you feel about this kind of dedication? Have you deserved it?
We find the dedication in our fans incredibly flattering. We are blown away that our music has touched people so deep, that they feel the need to put our name on their flesh permanently. Every time we get a new picture sent to us of an All Shall Perish tattoo (almost 1 a month), I still to this day am shocked to see such dedication. Thanks guys!
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