Matt Wachter Of Angels & Airwaves: 'We Still Feel Very Much Like A Punk Band'

Life seems to be getting progressively busier for bassist Matt Wachter. During his time in 30 Seconds To Mars, it wasn’t uncommon for his band to fly to China for a video shoot or even tour 11 months out of the year. Wachter’s decision to leave 30 Seconds To Mars was partly influenced by his desire to spend more time with his family, but as fate would have it, the year ahead doesn’t seem to be easing up on the activity. His latest role as bass player in Angels & Airwaves (UG Profile) is taking him in even more directions, with much more than just music on the horizon.

Although Wachter officially joined Angels & Airwaves back in April, he immediately began writing his own bass parts for the band’s latest release I-Empire, which is slated for a Nov. 6 release in the US. With intricate arrangements and an atmospheric sound, I-Empire comes across as almost an epic undertaking in itself, but the band has been simultaneously working on a string of other projects. Along with planning a touring schedule for the coming year, the quartet also has a documentary and a completely separate full-length film in the works. While some may think there is almost a grandiose feel to all of Angels & Airwaves’ projects, Wachter was quick to mention in a recent interview with Ultimate Guitar that he and his bandmates still feel very much like punk rockers at heart.

UG: When you joined Angels & Airwaves back in April, was the band already in the process of writing I-Empire?

Matt: I’ve been telling everyone that I came in at the halfway point, but the rest of the band insists that I came in before that. I guess it’s my word against theirs! I would say it was a little bit before the halfway point. They write and record at basically the same time, so I jumped on board. I kind of got right in the mix pretty quickly.

Did you have a hand in the core songwriting?

No, Tom does the majority of all the writing, with varying degrees of how flushed out all the ideas are. He kind of bounces them around, and we’re basically his sounding board for ideas. As far as how specifically the bass goes, he laid out the scratch tracks for all of the songs, like a general idea for the bass lines. He was just like, “Make them better. If you have any ideas, try them out. Anything that’s going to make the song better, go for it.” Not that I wasn’t expecting it, but I wasn’t expecting that! It’s a very difficult thing. I didn’t want to disrupt the balance or the way things worked, so I tread very lightly in a new situation or new environment.

Would you work out the bass parts by yourself and then bring them into a session?

For me personally, I would work on parts by myself. Adam, our drummer, was always nearby. If I felt something wasn’t working, I could kind of run it by him and see what he thought. It was just weird because a lot of the stuff that I was recording, everything was already recorded – the drums, guitars. So in a lot of the songs, bass was the last thing to go down. In that respect, I kind of had my work cut out for me. Everything that Atom was doing, I could just listen to over and over again. I could work my parts around his or weave them together.

"The record cover was painted by Drew Struzan, who actually did all the Star Wars posters in the 70s."

Was the recording process somewhat different from your experience with 30 Seconds To Mars?

You know, it’s not very different. We kind of worked in a very similar manner. It wasn’t that much of a departure.

Considering that Angels & Airwaves has a very distinct sound, did you change up your equipment at all?

Yeah. I started using Fender basses, whereas in my last band I was using G&L. I had always used a Fender in the studio. I was just using the G&L live, but then it switched over to Fender. I have just been using Fender Jazz basses in the studio and live now. That was the biggest change. Other than that, I’m still using through Ampeg cabinets and heads.

What is it about the Fender that stands out to you?

To tell you the truth, it’s kind of like a no-brainer. You just plug it in, turn up all the knobs all the way up, and that’s it. You don’t have to fuck with it. You just plug it in and you play it. It’s not like, “Oh, what does this knob do? What does this switch do? Oh, if I hit it, it’s going to fuck everything up.” You just plug it in and you play it. It sounds awesome.

It sounds like you prefer things to be pretty straightforward. Have you ever been a gearhead?

It’s funny, too, because I’m kind of a walking contradiction. I am kind of a gearhead. I love getting new pedals and seeing what they do, but I still lose my patience pretty quickly with things. So if you turn something on and don’t hear a difference, it’s like, “What the fuck does it do?” I like things with big, drastic changes.

How different is it working with Tom in comparison to Jared?

It is different, and not to say that I didn’t have creative freedom in 30 Seconds To Mars. When A Beautiful Lie came down to my bass, everybody left the studio and said, “Go for it.” I said, “Wow, okay.” In 2 or 3 days, all the bass was done and that was it. Obviously with the synth and all that stuff, that was a little different.

With Tom, it’s just different. All of us in the band come from very, very, very similar backgrounds. We all grew up listening to punk, playing in punk bands. So we kind of speak the same language. If he says to me, “Oh, I want this to sound like Fugazi” – I know instantly what he’s talking about and I can nail it. It just makes sense to me.

Did you think that you would have ended up in a punk band? Angels & Airwaves doesn’t really incorporate too much punk into the music.

It’s not, but at the same time it is. We still feel very much like a punk band, but we’re not playing punk music so to speak.

"I kind of got right in the mix pretty quickly."

Do you ever bust out a punk tune when the band plays live?

Oh, yeah. We actually talked about putting a Descendants’ cover on the new record that was like a secret track! It just came down to we really didn’t have the time to do it. Whenever we’re just sitting around, somebody will just start playing a punk song and then we all kind of join in. It’s fun.

I love the Star Wars motif that is going on with I-Empire, particularly with its movie trailer on your website. Were you involved in all of that?

Not really. All of that stuff was kind of well under way when I joined the band. The record cover was painted by a guy named Drew Struzan, who actually did all the Star Wars posters in the 70s. He painted all the movie posters for like Blade Runner, and he still does posters to this day, like for Harry Potter. That was kind of the focal point for the direction of the art, and it branched out from there. Tom got in contact with Drew and got him to do the painting. As far as everything else goes, the documentary has been in the works for the past few years.

There’s also another feature-length movie that we’ve been working on, which probably won’t be released until fall of next year. That’s something that we all definitely have had a vested interest in and have been involved with the creative process of that. You can only do so many things at one time, and we definitely like to push that and see how far we can take it. Tom, especially, likes to see how many things he likes to do at once and what his breaking point is. It’s kind of an ongoing thing.

What can we expect from the movie that you’re releasing next year?

It’s kind of changing as we go. The original idea started out with us wanting to do a vignette for each song on the record. It was just going to be set to music. Then we were like, “You know what? This is going to be really fucking boring. It’s going to be like 10 music videos back to back.” So we just kept saying to ourselves, “What do we want to see?” So now it’s turning into still the same vignette for each song, but it’s interwoven into this storyline with dialogue. It’s hard to sum it up because there are so many different aspects to it. We have this young director and cinematographer who is young, ambitious. He lets nothing get in his way and he’s just amazing. He’s running the show right now.

Are you used to being in a band that has so much going on?

Absolutely. 30 Seconds To Mars was very similar in the respect that there was so much going on. 30 Seconds To Mars is one of the hardest-working bands out there. Whether you’re going to China to do a video or going to Iceland, they’re very much always thinking outside of the box. That’s what attracted me to Angels & Airwaves. They kind of had the same mentality.

"I like things with big, drastic changes."

Was the split with 30 Seconds To Mars amicable?

Yeah. We’re all adults now and it’s not like we’re 17 years old anymore. Tom has a family and has kids, and I was at the point in my life where I wanted to spend more time with family and not be on the road 11 months out of the year. This was much more conducive to that. I can spend time with my family and still play music. I was like, “This is a win-win situation.”

When you listen to I-Empire, is there a particular song that stands out to you?

The very first song on the album is “Call To Arms,” and it’s exactly what the title says. It’s like a battle cry. It’s so triumphant. It sounds like the beginning of a battle or a war, in a positive way. I think it just sets the tone for the record.

Were you in the band during the first stages of writing “Call To Arms”?

It was still kind of in its infancy. There was a good portion of it recorded. Guitars were all recorded, keyboard was all recorded. The only thing that wasn’t really laid down was the drums. Again, it’s kind of weird to say that because drums are usually the first thing to get laid down in music. But again, the way we do things is specific to each song. If a song idea spawns a keyboard line, we’ll lay the keyboard line down real quick and then put the drums in later.

Do you consider yourself as much of a keyboardist as a guitar player?

Not so much these days. It’s still something that I love to do. I was classically trained as kid. It’s not necessarily like riding a bike! I’m so afraid to jump back on it, but I still have, for a lack of a better word, chops. So I’m trying to get that back up because we want to incorporate a lot of that into the live show. It’s something that I’m actively getting back on the horse.

Will you be announcing more tour dates in the coming months?

Yeah. It’s kind of weird. We’re still in negotiating phases, which is kind of weird to say. Usually everything would be solidified at this point. It’s basically that the music industry is on unstable ground at the moment. We’re trying to think of new and interesting ways to present the live show, in ways that you haven’t seen before. We’re definitely ambitious little fuckers!

Ultimate-Guitar.Com © 2007

Check out a preview of the band's single "Everything's Magic" of I-Empire at the official Angels And Airwaves UG Profile.

Buy the album at I-Tunes.

Comments

[kill 'em pretty]

cool, think the whole star wars painting is a bit cheesy though

[stradivari310]

I hate AVA's first album.. but I love star wars.
Maybe I'll give the new album a chance.

[The Rock King]

Angels & Airwaves are so underrated.
The new website will be sweet.

[FlamingYouth]

im still trying to decide whether i love or hate these guys

[edibledevilboy]

i dont know why he went from such a successful band to one that's really fighting to get a good reputation... especially since now he's about to embark on a full album's tour when 30STM are probably much nearer to completing the touring for their album... anyways - good bands

[zapatista89]

im undecided on ava
they sound average and tom was the first guy with a guiatr i looked up 2, but i cant get over the general over-seriousness of the band

[FLB]

matt's a great guy. great bassist. i love that man.

[StringsofBlack]

Tom takes himself waaaaayyy too seriously to the point where he seems asinine.

[C&C Magik]

stradivari310 wrote:

I hate AVA's first album.. but I love star wars.
Maybe I'll give the new album a chance.

Ahhh your amazing. You made me laugh so hard.

Ehh, A&A hasn't impressed me yet.

[ValenceElectron]

This band is nothing like a punk band, at least not a real one. The article name is just asking for flaming to ensue.
Anyways, they do seem weirdly serious all the time.

[UrMomsMom]

What the hell is punk about AVA ?? there is nothing punk about this band other than their members were once members of great punk bands... They should just go back to their respective bands and reunite and stuff... Blink reunion though probably will never happen

[punkdisasters]

I-Empire is a great album! You can listen to it on their new website angelsandairwaves.com takes you there!

And there's a trailer for the movie which looks like a "real" ****ing movie!

[SmileOfHavok]

Both AvA albums have been so repetitive. Tom uses the same verses over and over again to the point where you just want to turn off the song and listen to Blink CDs again and reminisce about the 90s and early 00s. My opinion at least.

[coltsfball32]

yea I agree, AVA isn't bad but they haven't done anything to impress me. They may have some great songs on this album but they won't be taken seriously until their music stops being serious. Then again I wouln't want any band to sell out so maybe they should just stay with their boring songs and really small fan base.

[burnout202]

shit sandwich

[sashki]

I think their seriousness seems so odd after the immature fun of Blink 182.

[Cied Shredder]

When were they ever punk? They were just pop with guitars to be honest.

[macbeth182AVA]

i love angels and airwaves. everyone just needs to take a minute and think. does it matter if you like the people in the band? no. but they spend their life writing and making music so that we can listen and enjoy it. they work their asses off for us. respect that. grow up.

[Its_Rock77]

if most of you would have actually read the article, you would know that they didnt say they were punk. they said thats where they come from and what they grew up with. are the titles of these interviews really ever relevant to what's actually said? no.

[pookman]

yeah but if tom says "make this sound like fugazi" its implying that the music will sound at least a little punk

[ct17storm]

I ********ing love AVA, there my favorite band thats because theyre music is so unique and inspiring. I'[m glad they're serious because if they weren't they wouldn't be doing so much with they're band, even though it is more than that. Check out they're website. www.angelsandairwaves.com

[Zoso68]

its funny, the first thing that i said when i saw the cover was "damn that looks like star wars or something"

[Mojo89]

im pretty sure some one tried to tell me they didnt think angels and air waves considered them selves punk? once again sid vicous would be rolling over in his grave.

[musiclover2399]

I'm not going to say anything about the punk thing but the band is indeed very interesting. The music does make you feel like you could do anything you know?

[Serjem]

they dont seem punk to me :/

[Blink1821992]

There not trying to be punk :S hes sayn that they all come from punk backgrounds, There music is awesome anyways rather have blink but whatever.

[GregMisiakk]

There seems to be no line between "crap" and punk.

[pinheadslts75]

This is where we throw our heads back and laugh at these asstards

[Mojo89]

I decided to look these guys up and I can assure you in the song I heard there was no punk influence what so ever. In fact old boy was singing about being in high school and grades and sports and what not how old is he? Has he never mentally gotten passed high school? Sorry folks this band is a bust. It's lame. Tom needs to grow up for sure.

[Pavura]

good article.
what's Fugazi?
i am not exactly a know-it-all of everything punk.

[stradivari310]

well the movie trailer looks really weird.. kinda like a cross between Apollo 13 and a chick flick or something.

[BennyStruggle]

Pavura wrote:

good article.
what's Fugazi?
i am not exactly a know-it-all of everything punk.

Fugazi is a hard rock band that combines punk, grunge and metal amongst other rock genres to make their style of music quite unique considering when it came out most music was glam metal, hair metal or grunge.

[HighStwnSfineSt]

The album cover is a mix between star wars, and stupid pink floyd shit...I think. We all know the truth, and we want to see Tom making up those stupid easy riffs, and watch him and whoever have fun while performing, because the members of Blink-182 were entertainers, we're not impressed and we're actually dissappointed. "Everything's Magic" actually has one extra note in it, but it is, Anthem Part 2 and any guitarist like myself, would notice that. Tom make up something original.

[HighStwnSfineSt]

We all know the truth, and we want to see Tom making up those stupid easy riffs, and watch him and whoever have fun while performing, because the members of Blink-182 were entertainers, we're not impressed and we're actually dissappointed. "Everything's Magic" actually has one extra note in it, but it is, Anthem Part 2 and any guitarist like myself, would notice that. Tom make up something original.

[HighStwnSfineSt]

oops

[punkrox101]

i agree with everyone's opinion about the I-empire album artwork. It reminds of the Revenge of the Sith poster.

[StringsofBlack]

question. If indeed Tom isn't full of himself, why exactly is his face on the album cover the biggest and in the center of all their faces?

[MentalityBand]

Oh good. There's news.
Big emo band star still has 'punk' daydreams.

[poad]

AvA has nothing to do with punk... tom should know what punk means.. he became a jerk anyway..
by the way, i prefer them playin live. at a live show, they can't play all the sh*ty stupid long intros, and stupid keyboard effects, and i can hear the overdrive of thoose amazing mesa boogies, that sounds much better..

[punkrockjoe]

And there's a trailer for the movie which looks like a "real" ****ing movie!

Yea I watched that, it was pretty impressive but somewhat overblown.
If AVA can make a feature length film that isn't an absurdly grandiose philosophy about life maybe then will I be impressed.

[jxmxsc]

why the hell did he leave 30 Seconds to Mars? theres no excuse...

[Tele Echoes]

wow, punk poppin and not stoppin til' their melody be droppin from the talent they don't got sloppin.

[Zell182]

This new album can't be any worse than the last pathetic one.

[ZeppelinruleZ]

these guys take themselves way too seriously. i listened to their first album and sounds like they are trying to hard to be "epic". it's almost like they're trying to rip off u2. kinda pathetic.

[sheadude6778]

k..I think these guys are ok and I'll probably get the new album..but why are they so serious? and have ya noticed on the first album that most of the songs sound the same? what's with all the "ooohhs" and synth and the other crap...I miss blink

[SL!!!]

ValenceElectron wrote:

This band is nothing like a punk band, at least not a real one. The article name is just asking for flaming to ensue.
Anyways, they do seem weirdly serious all the time.

True. It's funny though, cus they're just very mediocre and his voice is so very annoying to me.

also, Tele Echos....hahaha, just wow, thank you for writing that.

[angelsairwaves3]

See, everyones all like "oh he said we are still punk" If you read it what he f**kin means is they still can act all dumb and stupid from their past punk days, but at the same time they take their music very seriously. Just because everyone is pissed that tom left the band, doesnt mean they should hate him and his music. Oh and the athem part 2/everythings magic thing... TOM WROTE ANTHEM PART 2! So stop saying that he should be original. He can take his music and use it the way he wants. If +44 took that song and used it, you wouldnt hear anyone complaing. But since tom took it., everyone is whining like little B**ches "oh he is so unoriginal. Why dont you all just grow up and if you dont like the music, then dont read articles about the band, dont listen to the other albums. They make music for THEIR FANS, not for sumbags like yourselves.
AVA Lives ON

[Guitar Z-neous]

whatever

[HighStwnSfineSt]

yeah really whatever dude, apparently you dont look forward to new guitar shit, because i do from Tom. I always learn AVAs new shit. And i know mostly everything from Blink. I love learning Toms new shit. I was just pissed he took something from what he wrote already.

[PLOP]

*faints*

[HighStwnSfineSt]

im not saying your wrong, im just restating what i tried explaining earlier.

[HighStwnSfineSt]

and yeah id complain if +44 took it. I have grown up and you sound like a little kid calling us all scumbags

[davidgilmour]

pop punk*

[nolanxxx]

punks dead

[nolanxxx]

pop punk may not be dead, but it should be

[angelsairwaves3]

yea whatever is all you can say. just admit it im right. i made all of you not know what to say

[angelsairwaves3]

oh and like i said stop reading about them if you ave a problem with them

[jerkoffjack]

Blink 182 was fun for a few minutes but that was before i hit 16. AVA isn't a horrible band. Far from it. But what they do is disposible and mediocre. Radiohead have nothing to worry about, that's for sure.

[HighStwnSfineSt]

i dont have a problem with them.

[HighStwnSfineSt]

jerkoffjack, ur completley right.

[ZeppelinruleZ]

hey angelsandairwaves3, take it easy psycho.

[triviumpwns]

yeah this band is not only boring but lame and very unoriginal, tom made a huuuuuge mistake leaving b 182, not only will he never make the money he did in blink, but he has lost alot of fans and will probably never be a big part in the music world ever again

(sigh) tom...your such a douche

[themexican04]

angels and airwaves suck balls. why tom why?

[themexican04]

angelsandairwaves3, you are a tool

[Horneyman71]

tom isn't a guitarist anymore it seems. he is a songwriter.

[qwerty_555]

angels and airwaves rock!!!

-]

[ibanezbass27]

The first two albums were like a two-parter that told the first and second part of a story about life and stuff according to tom, so the third album is gonna be different, i have a feeling its gonna be better since there gonna try out new shit hopefully alittle more like blink and less repetative and stuff but i still love them

[ibanezbass27]

and i completely agree - tom barely plays guitar in AVA, when i saw them live he played like 5 songs if that

[HighStwnSfineSt]

thank you ZeppelinruleZ , triviumpwns , themexican04, and Horneyman71

[wtfisthatadew]

GregMisiakk wrote:

There seems to be no line between "crap" and punk.

+1
well put

[blinkmuhfukka]

tom turned into such a douche

[blinkmuhfukka]

maybe if toms voice would be how it used to be it wouldnt be so bad

[angelsairwaves3]

at yet you all still come on here and read ava stuff, funny...

[dieloony2]

When he was with blink, he was punk (somewhat) now hes old and dramatic. meh

[dieloony2]

angelsairwaves3 wrote:

at yet you all still come on here and read ava stuff, funny...

When a emo band says they are punk it kinda peaks some interest.

[angelsairwaves3]

emo band? Dude emo is all sad and shit. AVA is nothing but uplifting music to make you feel good. Sorry "emo" is out of the question to label them as.

[werty22]

BennyStruggle wrote:

Pavura wrote:

good article.
what's Fugazi?
i am not exactly a know-it-all of everything punk.


Fugazi is a hard rock band that combines punk, grunge and metal amongst other rock genres to make their style of music quite unique considering when it came out most music was glam metal, hair metal or grunge.

I wouldn't call them hard rock or any type of "rock." I always considered them post-hardcore. I've never noticed any metal or grunge influence. Then again, I haven't listened to them that much.

[berny182]

didnt really like the first album. if you were bum'ed out by the first album. give the new on a chance. ITS AMAZING

[nolanxxx]

there is no such thing as unique music anymore, AVA is not unique at all, i've heard many mband slike them

[The_Crunge]

why are they referred to as AVA? if anything it should be AaA..idk

[leSRVpaul1990]

....you still consider yourselves punk rockers? really?

after selling millions of albums to the under 15 mid-puberty crowd you still consider yourselves to have underground "punk" appeal.
when your music is dominated by synthesizer and your lyrics appeal to romance and inner feelings you still consider yourself punk rockers.

you play bass poorly, that's about the only thing that you have in common with punk.

fail

[ElectricOrgasm]

nolanxxx wrote:

there is no such thing as unique music anymore, AVA is not unique at all, i've heard many mband slike them

name 5

unique music:
fiery furnaces
the unicorns (when they were around)
swallow feathers whole
bright calm blue
dear hunter
fall of troy
treos

bunch of shit from indie to hardcore right there dude

[godisasniper]

Matt is a great bassist, loved his 30stm work.

[dinley]

angelsairwaves3 wrote:

See, everyones all like "oh he said we are still punk" If you read it what he f**kin means is they still can act all dumb and stupid from their past punk days, but at the same time they take their music very seriously. Just because everyone is pissed that tom left the band, doesnt mean they should hate him and his music. Oh and the athem part 2/everythings magic thing... TOM WROTE ANTHEM PART 2! So stop saying that he should be original. He can take his music and use it the way he wants. If +44 took that song and used it, you wouldnt hear anyone complaing. But since tom took it., everyone is whining like little B**ches "oh he is so unoriginal. Why dont you all just grow up and if you dont like the music, then dont read articles about the band, dont listen to the other albums. They make music for THEIR FANS, not for sumbags like yourselves.
AVA Lives ON

what a tool. haha i bet this guy jerk's off to the adeventure song every night xD

[ToyPJs]

angelsairwaves3 wrote:

See, everyones all like "oh he said we are still punk" If you read it what he f**kin means is they still can act all dumb and stupid from their past punk days, but at the same time they take their music very seriously. Just because everyone is pissed that tom left the band, doesnt mean they should hate him and his music. Oh and the athem part 2/everythings magic thing... TOM WROTE ANTHEM PART 2! So stop saying that he should be original. He can take his music and use it the way he wants. If +44 took that song and used it, you wouldnt hear anyone complaing. But since tom took it., everyone is whining like little B**ches "oh he is so unoriginal. Why dont you all just grow up and if you dont like the music, then dont read articles about the band, dont listen to the other albums. They make music for THEIR FANS, not for sumbags like yourselves.
AVA Lives ON

He's got a point the artist writes music for their fans not the critics.

[ToyPJs]

sashki wrote:

I think their seriousness seems so odd after the immature fun of Blink 182.

sashki people grow up.

[ToyPJs]

ElectricOrgasm wrote:

nolanxxx wrote:

there is no such thing as unique music anymore, AVA is not unique at all, i've heard many mband slike them


name 5

unique music:
fiery furnaces
the unicorns (when they were around)
swallow feathers whole
bright calm blue
dear hunter
fall of troy
treos

bunch of shit from indie to hardcore right there dude

We want to talk about unique

5 unique bands:
Pink Floyd
Queen
Jimi Hendrix Experience
Journey
The Beatles

All old bands but you can't say they weren't unique.

[angelsairwaves3]

thankyou toypjs at least someone else knows what theyre talkin about thank god

[Decembero]

Matt Wachter Of Angels & Airwaves: 'We Still Feel Very Much Like A Punk Band'

well you dont sound like one.

[Revalk]

To be honest, I gave AVA an open mind, despite my general dislike for Tom, but their songs just aren't anything too special. They are alright, but there isn't a sing song they've put out that just jumped at me and I was like, "Damn, that's a good song."
In addition to this, the whole punk thing is a little silly. Yes, I understand they come from punk roots and they all have an affinity for it, but lets be honest, they don't sound like a punk band, so you're not a punk band.

[Wazoo]

ava is emo. run back to the offspring atom and take matt with u

[angelsairwaves3]

like i said earlier ....
angelsairwaves3 :
emo band? Dude emo is all sad and shit. AVA is nothing but uplifting music to make you feel good. Sorry "emo" is out of the question to label them a

[djmay71]

punk? wow...if AVA is punk, then A7X is death metal

[ThunderKiss65]

I'm not a fan of Tom DeLonge. He seems to have gone so far up his own arse with this y'know? Like "yeah, U2 and The Cure are my influence" in a Total Guitar interview. If that was the case, surely he wouldn't have spent so many years in a pop punk band and would've formed Angels and Airwaves when this music was relatively new?
He just wants to distance the 'New Tom' from the 'Old Tom', and tbh, it's not convincing.
BUT, I don't mind the music. It's okay, nothing major, nothing that hasn't been done.

[ThunderKiss65]

sorry for the 2nd post...but punk? Seriously? Come on.

(and I also realise that the article isn't about Tom DeLonge, but seriously (apart from the Offspring's Atom Williad (he's out now right?)) does anyone know any of the other guys?

[angelsairwaves3]

um yea matt is from 30 seconds to mars and david is from boxcar racer and hazen street. oh and ryan sinn the former bassist was from the distillers

[SkAsupafly]

atom willards the only cool member of the band... i better check out ther new album. i didn't care much for the last one though. Punk my ass hahaha

[qwerty_555]

i love the new album, my only problem is the song names...star of bethlehem, everythings magic, love like rockets, rite of spring...
is it just me or do they sound really really REALLY gay???

i like mark hoppus betta
lol

[di4gram]

I really don't like the new stuff.

It's just not his style. It's pretentious- you don't go from blink 182 to U2 overnight unless you want to alienate all your fans.

Maybe some day when U2 retires, AVA will be the new U2, but I doubt it. It's just too much "art" shit, and not enough rock and roll. Just like U2 and Bono, who in my opinion is pompous and full of himself.

[whatever182281]

Dude. I couldn't agree more with qwerty_555. All of the names of the songs sound really gay. Although I do like AVA because part of them used to be blink which is an awesome band.

[distortion4116]

i haven't really heard much except, i suppose it was their first single (though i didn't care for it to much), but my gf saw them live and said all there songs pretty much sounded the same

[pigmaggots]

This makes me giggle....he left 30seconds to mars because they toured 11 months of the year....and has now gone to another band, finishing up their 2nd album which will only lead to huge tours aswell.....ummm..duh?

[akaDan]

Mojo89 wrote:

im pretty sure some one tried to tell me they didnt think angels and air waves considered them selves punk? once again sid vicous would be rolling over in his grave.

Sid Vicious wasn't a punk, he was a poser.

[Uranutan]

akaDan wrote:

Mojo89 wrote:

im pretty sure some one tried to tell me they didnt think angels and air waves considered them selves punk? once again sid vicous would be rolling over in his grave.
Sid Vicious wasn't a punk, he was a poser.

lol

[HighStwnSfineSt]

Btw for everyone, the new album I-Empire to me, is kinda weak, three good songs that stuck in my head out of 12*** Everything's Magic, which i heard in August, Star of Bethelem, which i heard in september, and now Rite of Spring, he makes a reference of mark and travis...its a good song.

[ThunderKiss65]

angelsairwaves3 wrote:

um yea matt is from 30 seconds to mars and david is from boxcar racer and hazen street. oh and ryan sinn the former bassist was from the distillers

david.....last name.....and then I'll retract half of what I said. Not all.

[angelsairwaves3]

kennedy..david kennedy...

[angelsairwaves3]

so i think you should take that all back because you dont know what youre talkin about

[ChickMagnet41]

LOL!!!! A movie?? Seriously?? I watched the trailer a good 15 minutes ago and im still laughing at it.

[AirwavesBlink44]

Travis kicks ass, he would make AVA rip!

[AirwavesBlink44]

All of you who say Blink was cool when you were 15 are big-time posers. Like the music because you like the music, not because it's popular at the moment. I don't care how old you are or how old you were when you listened to Blink. If you liked Blink back then and not now you're probably listening to top 40 and "one hit wonders." And you probably can't think for yourself anyway. Does your Mom still do your laundry?

[qwerty_555]

AirwavesBlink44 : couldn't agree with you more!!!!!

[DwizzleDizzle]

Tom how could u go to some pussy band, blink was and always will be a way better band, as good as AvA is, nothing will compair to Blink! After Blink died, tom did too, he stopped being an awesome, funny, rocker, and became some pussy who cries when he plays songs, and Rite of spring from the I-empire album is just tom saying he's ****in retarded and wishes he could still be in Blink

sorry everybody, and sorry tom, but AvA will never be the same as Blink no matter how much u want it

[qwerty_555]

yer i also agree with DwizzleDizzle. blink-182 was awesome, they were funny and their songs were great. I think since the break-up, tom has become a lot more serious and....just not fun anymore. But i think that mark is still funny, and although he might not be a bright and cheerful as he was with blink, +44 songs are much better than angels and airwaves. everyone of AVA songs sound like too much has gone into it, every little bell and tinkle of whatever the hell is in their song. but all of their song still manage to sound the same.

rite of spring is obviously about blink-182, but how old is tom now? 32? high school was 16 YEARS ago man, and he always joked about himslef getting kicked out of school. but suddenly its not a joke anymore. he's realised it far too late. tom has lost that spark. to be honest, i don't think much of the new album. its all about romance, in one song (i can't remember the name) he sings the words "did you know, that i love you?" over and over again. its too repetetive.

this album sound like the last one, just with a faster beat and more guitar.

and SORRY about any spelling mistakes! some dude got p!ssed at me for using internet slang on another article...somebody;s living in a box.....

[angelsairwaves3]

zzzzzZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZzZ BORINNGGGGG QWERTY BORRRRINGGGGG

[qwerty_555]

im sorry, i was under the impression that i'm ENTILTLED TO MY OWN OPINION????

[angelsairwaves3]

BAHORINGGGGG

[qwerty_555]

angelsairwaves3.....

omg are you like some 13 year old freak who can't stand to have anyone say anything about their favourite band?????
everyone has their own opinion, and not everyone agrees with you!

you suck

[angelsairwaves3]

im f**kin amazing

[qwerty_555]

think again tool

[Under_The_Oath]

Shame Angels & Airwaves suck monkey's balls.

[angelsairwaves3]

everyone loves me

[Necromanga]

macbeth182AVA wrote:

i love angels and airwaves. everyone just needs to take a minute and think. does it matter if you like the people in the band? no. but they spend their life writing and making music so that we can listen and enjoy it. they work their asses off for us. respect that. grow up.

O my god.. They dont work their asses of for US!? I hope they dont anyway, because making music is all about having fun and doing what you love. IF the work theyre asses of for us, the only thing they are conserned
about is money, for christ sake.

respect that. grow up.

[qwerty_555]

yea. tom has a sh!tload of money anyway.

[duuude182]

awesome!!! i can't wait 2 see them live!!! AVA ROCKS!!!!!

[mobious128]

holy $hit, I thought people fighting over Metallica and Megadeath were immature... you guys take the god damn cake. First off, blink wasn't anything special, decent at best. Angels and airwaves is just..... they're..... I can't even describe the pure strenghth of thier sucking power. I knew a girl that could suck a golf ball through a garden hose,(I shit you not!) and she doesn't even compare to this horrible excuse for music. These guys are the lovecraftian equvelent of cuthulu, in terms of sheer lack of talent and artistry. Meaning that if someone were to listen as avidly to them as say....angelsairwaves3, they would turn into a raving slavering cockhound, a pole zombie, or knobgoblin. And besisdes, who the **** wants to be punk? thats a badge of honor? you can take pride in that? I have a mentally retated half-blind cousin with freakin flippers for hands that can play three power chords and sing about the government. He's got throat cancer for christ's sake, and he still sounds better than anything from blink or angels an airwaves.

And yes you're entitled to your own opinion, it just doesn't matter.

[qwerty_555]

omg LMAO

[darkfire_storm]

While some may think there is almost a grandiose feel to all of Angels & Airwaves’ projects, Wachter was quick to mention in a recent interview with Ultimate Guitar that he and his bandmates still feel very much like punk rockers at heart.

some old dude can feel young at heart, but it doesn't change the fact that he can't get a hard-on. this band is not punk, and is in no way associated with punk. i love blink-182, but i'll even admit that (at least in their newer work) they were not punk.

[BennyStruggle]

Call me stupid if u want but where does the V come from in AVA? Did the "&" used to be "vs"?

[BennyStruggle]

mobious128 wrote:

holy $hit, I thought people fighting over Metallica and Megadeath were immature... you guys take the god damn cake. First off, blink wasn't anything special, decent at best. Angels and airwaves is just..... they're..... I can't even describe the pure strenghth of thier sucking power. I knew a girl that could suck a golf ball through a garden hose,(I shit you not!) and she doesn't even compare to this horrible excuse for music. These guys are the lovecraftian equvelent of cuthulu, in terms of sheer lack of talent and artistry. Meaning that if someone were to listen as avidly to them as say....angelsairwaves3, they would turn into a raving slavering cockhound, a pole zombie, or knobgoblin. And besisdes, who the **** wants to be punk? thats a badge of honor? you can take pride in that? I have a mentally retated half-blind cousin with freakin flippers for hands that can play three power chords and sing about the government. He's got throat cancer for christ's sake, and he still sounds better than anything from blink or angels an airwaves.

Your criticisms are great- you remind me of Lester Bangs in your style. But your grammar and spelling needs some work

And yes you're entitled to your own opinion, it just doesn't matter.

[dio_dude]

A&A are just big U2 ripoffs, and all of blink's stuff, even though it's better than A&A, sounded all the same. mobious128 is exactly right

[dio_dude]

btw, is anyone sick of those fukin bell noises and all that crap at the start of every fukin song

[Necromanga]

mobious128 wrote:

holy $hit, I thought people fighting over Metallica and Megadeath were immature... you guys take the god damn cake. First off, blink wasn't anything special, decent at best. Angels and airwaves is just..... they're..... I can't even describe the pure strenghth of thier sucking power. I knew a girl that could suck a golf ball through a garden hose,(I shit you not!) and she doesn't even compare to this horrible excuse for music. These guys are the lovecraftian equvelent of cuthulu, in terms of sheer lack of talent and artistry. Meaning that if someone were to listen as avidly to them as say....angelsairwaves3, they would turn into a raving slavering cockhound, a pole zombie, or knobgoblin. And besisdes, who the **** wants to be punk? thats a badge of honor? you can take pride in that? I have a mentally retated half-blind cousin with freakin flippers for hands that can play three power chords and sing about the government. He's got throat cancer for christ's sake, and he still sounds better than anything from blink or angels an airwaves.

And yes you're entitled to your own opinion, it just doesn't matter.

[qwerty_555]

dio_dude: totally agree!

and bennystruggle: the reason why angels and airwaves is called AVA is after toms daughter Ava. Well, at least thats what i think it is. lol.

[murphy_smash]

AvA is over rated, and tom is a tool, their sound sucks. now +44 is a band that is worth listening to, not this techno crap.

[murphy_smash]

also by no means what so ever are they a punk band. being a punk i am insulted that they would even say that.

[Nosebleed101]

Wow.
Have you guys looked back over this column? You sound like such asinine, trivial pricks. You are putting so much care into one tiny little issue... Who cares if they are punk or not? Seriously, if you can call Blink punk (which you can, I am not saying you are wrong), then you've opened the avenue of what punk can be considerably. So why can't it be this? Punk is a way of life, not just a style of music.
angelsairwaves3: calm the f**k down, dude. You're are putting far far too much care into other peoples opinions. its OK to like a really really really REALLY F**KING SHITE band like Angels and Airwaves. Just don't make me listen to them.

[TheHyra]

JESUS CHRIST!!! everyone just stop arguing about this!!! everyone has an opinion about it and if you don't like someone's opinion you should just leave it at that, PLEASE! and AirwavesBlink44, i was 12 when i first heard Blink-182 and liked them, i didn't know that they were popular, now don't go thinking everyone is only in it for the popularity because that's where most arguements come from, generalising (god, people are gonna hate me for this!)

[firsttoknow]

murphy_smash wrote:

also by no means what so ever are they a punk band. being a punk i am insulted that they would even say that.

lol, do you take yourself seriously dude? "as a punk, i am insulted people think they are punk when i dont know them at all" seriously, just stop. you look like a fool

[brad_dunne]

Zell182 wrote:

This new album can't be any worse than the last pathetic one.

they are both ****ing amazing. how can you not like them...