AGOURA HILLS, Calif. – September 07, 2010 – In conjunction with the upcoming debut full-length release from SYSTEM DIVIDE, The Conscious Sedation, Metal Blade Records has teamed up with BlankTV to premier the extreme modern metal act’s single Hollow. Be sure to head over to BlankTV, the net’s biggest punk and indie music channel, to check out the single Hollow and while you’re there check out the music video for the song The Apex Doctrine, which was shot by Kevin Custer (Hatebreed, Testament, Dope, Dying Fetus, Suffocation).

If you like what you hear and see head over to the band’s landing page and pre-order the album while there is still time to take advantage of the discounted prices. The Conscious Sedation is available by itself or bundled with a t-shirt.

Vocalist Miri Milman breaks down the lyrical content on the track Hollow:
“This song is personal to me; it speaks of a person that suffers continuously yet doesn’t have the courage, guts, or strength to change his/her situation and keeps on being stuck in this downward spiral.

It is about the fear of changing something in your life for the better, the fear of taking that step which could make everything better. The song develops towards the person actually daring to take the step and seeing there is always light at the end of the tunnel.

This is obviously the ballad of the record, the calm between the storm. We wanted to also add to the diversity of the record and not only have fast songs all over the record. While being a softer System Divide song; it still has a part that will crush your balls with a smile We hope you will all enjoy listening to it as much as we had writing it! METAL!!!”

The Conscious Sedation track listing is as follows:
1. Vagaries Of Perception
2. An Intoxicating Affair
3. Echoes
4. The Apex Doctrine
5. Lethargy
6. (N)Ether
7. Hollow
8. Purity In Imperfection
9. Repent/Forget
10. The Conscious Sedation
11. Stagnant Progression

About the band:
Founded in the summer of 2008, SYSTEM DIVIDE quickly became a transnational project. The band set out to revolutionize the conventions of the over-saturated melodic death metal genre, proving that extreme metal can have more depth than blast beats, while female vocals do not have to conform to the precepts of the “Goth” genre. In mixing many styles, The Collapse, the band’s debut EP, breaks all the rules of extreme metal and is a landmark release for the new band.

As opposed to interjecting simple, predictable clean choruses into contrived song structures, SYSTEM DIVIDE unites serene female vocals and extreme vocals driven by lyrical themes that confront and seek to break everyday themes of disillusionment, societal materialism, and individual apathy. Musically, the band delivers myriad styles of riffing and grooves, while augmenting the entrancing soundscapes with hard-hitting drums and intricate bass lines. These elements together define the unique, spell binding, hypnotic sound of SYSTEM DIVIDE.

In order to achieve this complex calculus of sounds on The Collapse, Cole Martinez handled tracking duties at Conquistador Recordings. Mixing and mastering duties were handled by Jacob Hansen (Aborted, HateSphere, Volbeat) at Hansen Studios in Denmark in April and May 2009. Artwork for The Collapse was completed by Colin Marks (Strapping Young Lad, Aborted, Nevermore). The result is a sonic and visual masterpiece that metal has eagerly been waiting for.

The band recruited Michael Wilson (ex-Abigail Williams) as a second guitarist after the release of The Collapse EP and continued writing material for its first full length, The Conscious Sedation, which will be available online and in stores everywhere September 14, 2010. Following the philosophy of ‘if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it,’ the band once again recorded with producer/engineer Cole Martinez. Mixing and mastering for The Conscious Sedation was handled by the infamous James Murphy (Aborted, SWWAATS, Lazarus AD, Sigh, Arsis).

http://www.myspace.com/systemdivide
http://www.facebook.com/systemdivide
http://www.twitter.com/systemdivide1
http://www.ilike.com/artist/System+Divide
http://www.youtube.com/systemdivide

AGOURA HILLS, Calif.

September 07, 2010 – Metal Blade Records has teamed up with premier horror site Bloody Disgusting to exclusively stream the extreme horror metal act DAWN OF ASHES’ new album, titled Genocide Chapters, in its entirety starting today! Be sure to head over to BLOODYDISGUSTING.com, a leader in the online horror community delivering sought after content such as horror movie reviews, trailers, interviews, news, and now music content, to check out the new album Genocide Chapters before it even hits stores and be sure to leave a comment. If you like what you hear head over to the band’s landing page and pre-order the album while there is still time to take advantage of the discounted prices. Genocide Chapters is available by itself or bundled with a t-shirt (two designs available!) and can now also be pre-ordered on iTunes.

Genocide Chapters track listing is as follows:
1. Conjuration of the Maskim’s Black Blood
2. Nyarlathotep’s Children of the Void
3. Seething the Flesh in the River of Phlegethon
4. Transformation within Fictional Mutation
5. The Ancient Draining Room
6. Reanimation of the Dark Ages
7. London’s Anthem for the Pleasure of Mutilation
8. Sacrilegious Reflection
9. God-Like Demon
10. Carnal Consummation in the Empty Space
11. Epilogue-Beginning of the End

“If you ever have a craving for a dosage of evil, Genocide Chapters is one of the best places to turn… It never gets repetitive or boring, while still maintaining a worthwhile playtime. It also doesn’t hurt that Genocide Chapters is an extremely diverse album in terms of tempo, arrangements, and general moods… Genocide Chapters is a fantastic album by DAWN OF ASHES… They really hit the nail on the head with this release, and I have to applaud them for taking a big risk, and more importantly, succeeding tremendously.” 4/5 Metal Music Archives.com

“A crucial component to DAWN OF ASHES’ impressive third outing is the overarching atmosphere that permeates the material on display. Throughout most of the long-player, tracks are interwoven with spine-chilling segues ranging from a soft downpour to muffled screams to droning feedback. These brief moments of transition mesh perfectly with the keyboards that awash every composition, conceiving that sinister and frightening aura of which is vitally important to the subconscious impact of such a record…Music enthusiasts of the world, give DAWN OF ASHES’ latest release Genocide Chapters a genuine listen and more importantly, a chance.” TheNewReview.com

About the band:
Deep from within the bowels of the earth an unholy quartet rises, hell-bent on bringing the metal masses a new form of dark, heavy and demonically devastating music sure to strike fear into the hearts of the bravest of men and bring the weakest to their knee. Kristof Bathory, Volkar Kael, Bahemoth and Othuum, four vile forms that control a new era in which nightmares become reality and the sounds of the macabre merge to form a catastrophic symphony, have summoned forth the sounds and visions of horror, hatred and suffering that is spewed forth in the name of chaos to create the extreme horror metal attack that has come to be known as DAWN OF ASHES – a name created to reflect upon the birth of death and failure, that which was once only an unspoken nightmare, but now is an unstoppable plague come to corrupt the flesh of man…

Since DAWN OF ASHES arrival in 2001, the band’s goal has been to dominate the music scene with a sonic force so vile and evil the listener will be both entranced and terrorized by the sheer ferocity the band delivers. DAWN OF ASHES does so by conjuring new sights and sounds into the world of extreme melodic-death metal, an ambitious feat that will have to be experienced to be believed when Genocide Chapters is unleashed on September 14th, 2010 with a major tour in support of the album coming in the fall.

This horrific act entered the studio in the winter of 2010 to record their Metal Blade debut with producer Fred Archambault, known for his work with Avenged Sevenfold, Death By Stereo, Eighteen Visions, and many more. Handling the cover art for Genocide Chapters is Machine-Room (My Dying Bride).

It’s time for a new chapter in metal to DAWN, so prepare yourself for total aural annihilation as the ASHES will never rest upon the weak, and our evil will never die…

DAWN OF ASHES is:
Kristof Bathory (horrid screams / keyboards)
Volkar Kael (guitar)
Othuum (bass guitar)
Bahemoth (keyboards)

Websites:
http://www.myspace.com/dawnofashes
http://www.dawnofashes.com/

Ninth studio album due out this November on Nuclear Blast Records

ENGLAND – One of the most infamous and notorious names in metal, Cradle Of Filth, continue to shock, excite, disgust and inspire in equal measures. Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa, the latest chapter of the band’s dark history, is to be released through Nuclear Blast Records on November 9th, but fans can get a preview of the album at the new Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa mini-site, which is live now at: www.peaceville.com/cradleoffilth.

The mini-site features info about the album, a gallery of new band pics and elements from the album artwork, a link to download a MP3 of the track “Lilith Immaculate”, downloads and more.  The site will be updated on a weekly basis with video blogs, fan competitions, promo videos, an iPhone app, new downloads and more.  Previews of
different tracks from the album will be added every Wednesday starting September 22nd.

Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa is the band’s ninth studio album, and in the words of Cradle’s infamous frontman, Dani Filth, is “without doubt the fastest and most brutal album we’ve created to date.  As an acquaintance of the band so aptly noted, this is like ‘Iron Maiden on crack in a graveyard of angels!’”

“This album is Cradle at our most sinister and darkened fairytale,” continues Dani.  “A gothic horror themed slay-ride of fervour and perversion; yet amidst the orchestral melodrama and lush, cinematic production, there sits stalwart a ravening beast of furious riffing, flesh ripping vocals and monstrous, unstoppable percussion.”
Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa was recorded at Monkey Puzzle Studios near Bury St. Edmunds in Suffolk, England.  It is the follow-up to 2008’s Godspeed On The Devil’s Thunder.  Artwork comes courtesy of Natalie Shau.

The Grammy-nominated, Cradle Of Filth, has been a pioneer of extreme music since their 1994 debut, and has continued to evolve with each subsequent release.  The band has continually refused to bow to convention, or conform to prevalent trends and fads, and has constantly sought to push the boundaries of their art.  This rings true once more onDarkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa.

A loyal stalwart to the satanic horror ethos, Cradle Of Filth has again created a concept album, this time based on Adam’s first wife, the lascivious demoness Lilith.  Throwing medieval nuns, Knights, Templars, Greek mythology, lashings of sex, occult lore, and violent bloodshed together into a creative milieu, Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa is a dark erotic nightmare set to Cradle Of Filth’s unique scope of
supreme vampyric metal.

Whether through their wildly elaborate & theatrical live shows (which incorporate giant lumbering puppets, fire-breathing dancers, freaks and stilt-walkers), provocative merchandise (including the now legendary ‘Jesus Is A C***’ t-shirt), breathtaking artwork, or the weighty subject matter of their albums (their latest told the story of a French Lord who fought alongside Joan Of Arc before embarking on a horrific killing spree), this is a band whose uncompromising stance has been rewarded with legions of fans around the world, making them the most successful British heavy metal band since Iron Maiden.

Stay tuned to www.peaceville.com/cradleoffilth for more info.

Massachusetts technical metal outfit WITHIN THE RUINS have just released their sophomore album on Victory Records, entitled Invade. Clocking in at just over 40 minutes of pure unadulterated intensity, ‘INVADE’ has already proven to be one of the most highly-anticipated (and subsequently well-received) technical metal albums of 2010. Immediately following the release of ‘Invade’ the Western Mass Quintet are proud to announce they will be heading out with Arsonists Get All the Girls, Ion Dissonance, And Hell Followed With, Destruction of a Rose and Struc/tures on a full US tour, presented by Malus Clothing.

Recently, guitarist Joe Cocchi took time to demonstrate the musicianship and extreme skill it takes to play the title-track and single off of last month’s release.
Missed the video? Watch it here!

The music video, directed by Eric Richter, gives a taste of just what these tech-metal-masters are capable of! Click here to watch!

Known for sophisticated time signatures, skilled guitar work, choppy rhythms and commanding vocals, this is the live set that you do not want to miss!

10/15/10 Temacula, California @ The Vault

10/16/10 Canoga Park, California @ San Diego, California

10/17/10 San Diego, California @ Soma

10/18/10 Tucson, Arizona @ Skrappys

10/19/10 Albuquerque, New Mexico @ The Fusion Factory

10/21/10 San Antonio, Texas @ White Rabbit

10/22/10 The Woodlands, Texas @ Shadowplay Lounge

10/24/10 Waco, Texas @ Art Ambush

10/25/10 Metairie, Louisiana @ The High Ground

10/27/10 West Palm Beach, Florida @ Ground Control

10/28/10 Tampa, Florida @ The Brass Mug

10/29/10 Columbus, Georgia @ Gallery 13

10/30/10 Greenville, North Carolina @ Backdoor Skatepark

10/31/10 Springfield, Virginia @ Jaxx

11/1/10 Jermyn, Pennsylvania @ Eleanor Rigby’s

11/2/10 Vineland, New Jersey @ Hanger 84

11/3/10 Howell, New Jersey @ The Dippy Dome

11/4/10 Patchogue, New York @ Club Karma

11/5/10 Albany, New York @ Bogie’s

11/6/10 Manchester, New Hampshire @ Rocko’s

11/7/10 Holyoke, Massachusetts @ Waterfront Tavern

11/8/10 Danbury, Connecticut @ Heirloom Arts Theatre

11/9/10 Buffalo, New York @ Broadway Joe’s

11/10/10 Toledo, Ohio @ Frankie’s

11/11/10 Southgate, Michigan @ The Modern Exchange

11/12/10 Bartlett, Illinois @ Local Noise

11/13/10 Jefferson, South Dakota @ Jefferson Community Center

11/14/10 St. Paul, Minnesota @ The Space

11/15/10 Wichita, Kansas @ Eagles Lodge

11/16/10 Denver, Colorado @ Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom

11/17/10 Boise, Idaho @ The Venue

11/18/10 Seattle, Washington @ Studio Seven

11/20/10 Orangevale, California @ Club Retro

About the band:

Recognizing the talent and passion of Massachusetts natives, WITHIN THE RUINS, it’s no wonder Victory Records added them to its growing roster. This quintet is armed with a unique take on blending technology and metal together to write music that sets their band apart from the numerous metal bands today. WITHIN THE RUINS have mastered their technique of bringing breakdowns, riffs, tempo and a dash of personality together in order to form one cohesive entity.

The development of WITHIN THE RUINS first began in 2002.  That was when founding members Joe Cocchi (Guitar) and Drummer (Drums) began making music together.  Around 2004 the band decided to take a more serious approach and started heading out on the road, doing DIY tours from 2006-2009.  At that point in time the lineup was comprised of Tim Goergen (Vocals), Mike Beaujean (Bass), and Kyle Marcoux (Guitar), in addition to Cocchi and Drummer.  As things progressed for the band, January of 2010 brought change when Jay Van Schelt (Guitar) was brought in to replace Marcoux; this change refueled the band to write their best record to date.

It would be easy to attribute their unique sound to the countless hours WITHIN THE RUINS dedicates to practicing each week. In order to perfect their technical styles, the members practice every day. “You do it long enough and you’re going to see results,” noted Cocchi. “We constantly try to take our music to the next level, challenging ourselves as well as the listener.” This mindset helps WITHIN THE RUINS stay focused as they devote most of their time to evolving their sound, growing as musicians and building their fan base.

Relentless practicing to hone musical skills is one thing, but WITHIN THE RUINS also feels that touring makes up another important aspect in their quest for musical recognition. They have already toured with fellow Victory label mates EMMURE, CARNIFEX, and WRETCHED, as well as August Burns Red and Shadows Fall. Along the way, their fan base has spread from Massachusetts to California, leaving their mark on each state as they pass through. “It’s different everywhere, that’s why it’s such an experience,” Cocchi said. “We just like to have a good time and talk to people at the shows.”

A testament to their incredible work ethic in regards to touring, WITHIN THE RUINS have successfully completed 3 tours this year so far, played a whopping 165 shows in 2009, and have four headlining tours under their belt.  There’s no doubt that they have worked steadily to expand the reach of their fierce, progressive rock and technical metal thus far and they show no signs of letting up.

WITHIN THE RUINS is currently preparing for their second release on Victory Records, Invade, which is slated for release August 31^st, 2010. “This is some of the most powerful and mature material we’ve ever written,” say members of their newest creation.  They are also quick to note that “it’s heavier, faster, and contains more meaningful lyric content than our last album.”

August 31, 2010: the invasion begins.

THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN SEP. 29^TH

“Run Away With Runner Runner To NYC” Contest Live Now Through Sep. 15^th

Debut Single “So Obvious” Charts At Top 40 Radio

Video Added To MTV Hits, MTVU and Teen Nick

Self-Titled Debut Album To Be Released On Dec. 7th

(New York, NY – Sep. 7th, 2010) – New pop-rock group Runner Runner who was recently named a “hot band” by J-14 Magazine will perform their debut single “So Obvious” on the Late Show With David Letterman on Sep. 29^th.  Fans can enter the “Run Away With Runner Runner To NYC” contest now through Sep. 15th to win a trip to NYC to see Runner Runner perform on The Late Show With David Letterman and have dinner with the band.  All contestants must at least 18 years old and can enter at: http://www.runnerrunnermusic.com/runawaywithrunnerrunner/.  “So Obvious” is the first single from their self-titled debut (EMI/Capitol Records/C.E. Music/MRV Records) which will be released on Dec. 7^th.

“So Obvious” has been steadily climbing the charts since it impacted radio earlier this summer and debuted at #40 last week on the Top 40 airplay charts.  The video has been added to MTV Hits, MTVU and Teen Nick and has been raking up thousands of You Tube views a day.  The single is available now at iTunes and Amazon and is also featured on the “NOW That’s What I Call Music! Vol. 34” which is in stores now.  Runner Runner made their TV debut by performing “So Obvious” and another album track “Papercuts” on Jimmy Kimmel Live on July 20^th.

Runner Runner is wrapping a summer tour with Secondhand Serenade and White Tie Affair on Sep. 4^th with a hometown show at the House of Blues in Anaheim, CA.  They have recently added some headline dates along with shows with Electric Valentine and Son Of A Bad Man through Oct. 9^th (full schedule below).  No stranger to the road, Runner Runner has played over 200 shows on bills with bands such as Fall Out Boy, All Tim Low, Gym Class Heroes and Angels & Airwaves and have played the Vans Warped Tour and Bamboozle.

Prior to 2008, the members of Runner Runner had been in a variety of other bands, Jon Berry (bass) was a founding member of SoCal pop-punk band Rufio, Ryan Ogren (vocals) was the vocalist/guitarist of the New Jersey-based Don’t Look Down and Nick Bailey (vocals/guitar), Peter Munters (vocals/guitar) and James Ulrich (drums) were members of the Orange County based skate-punk group Over It.  After numerous tours together as separate bands, the five musicians gravitated towards each other and formed Runner Runner.  They are the first band signed to Clear Entertainment/C.E. Music, a new label formed by David Letterman’s Worldwide Pants Inc. through a partnership with EMI’s Capitol Records and music industry veteran Jack Ponti’s MRV Label.

“Run Away With Runner Runner To NYC” Contest:

http://www.runnerrunnermusic.com/runawaywithrunnerrunner/

“So Obvious” Video:

http://www.youtube.com/runnerrunnermusic#p/a/u/0/PxRNKeMkAeY

For photos and other press materials on Runner Runner, please visit: www.emimusicpublicity.net

Visit Runner Runner at www.runnerrunnermusic.com

Facebook – www.facebook.com/runnerrunner

MySpace – www.myspace.com/runnerrunnermusic

Twitter – www.twitter.com/runnerrunner

Youtube – www.youtube.com/runnerrunnermusic

# # #

Runner Runner on Tour:

Sept 7              Majestic Theatre                     Madison, WI – WZEE show

Sept 8              Nile Theater Front Room        Mesa, AZ  w/ Electric Valentine

Sept 9              Launchpad                              Albuquerque, NM w/ Electric Valentine

Sept 10            The Hangar                             Wichita Falls, TX w/Sherwood/Cady Groves

Sept 11            Plano Amphitheatre                Plano, TX w/ Sherwood/Cady Groves

Sept 14            White Rabbit                           San Antonio, TX

Sept 15            Ayers Event Center                Corpus Christi, TX

Sept 16            The Venue at the Down Under Tyler, TX

Sept 18            Ohio State football game WNCI/Columbus; KSME/ Fort Collins, CO show

Sept 19            Back Booth                             Orlando, FL w/Son Of A Bad Man

Sept 20            Jack Rabbits                           Jacksonville, FL w/Son Of A Bad Man

Sept 21            1982                                        Gainesville FL w/Son Of A Bad Man

Sept 22            Swayze’s                                 Marietta, GA w/Son Of A Bad Man

Sept 24            Pollo Perf Arts Center             Lancaster, PA w/The Ready Set, Hot Chelle Rae, Shontelle, David Archuletta

Sept 25            The Oasis                                Charleston, SC w/Son Of A Bad Man

Sept 27            Broadway Bar                         Long Island, NY

Sept 30            Club Paradise                         Buffalo, NY

Oct 1              Smiling Moose                        Pittsburgh, PA

Oct 3              House Café                             Dekalb, IL

Oct 5              Zeke’s                                     Ames, IA

Oct 7               Black Sheep                           Colorado Springs, CO

Oct 9               In The Venue                          Salt Lake City, UT

NEW ALBUM “A PUBLIC DISSERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT” OUT SEPTEMBER 21^ST

(New York, NY) – “Time Bomb,” the brand new video from Tommy Lee and his Methods Of Mayhem will make its premiere tonight, Tuesday, September 7^th, on NBC’s Extra! Tune in at 7:00PM in New York City and Los Angeles, check local listings for times in other cities.  The video features Tommy Lee starring in numerous fast-paced vignettes coupled with futuristic visual effects and is a stunning optical companion to the ferociously catchy song.  Log on to www.extratv.com or www.tommylee.tv after 7:30PM, EST/4:30PM, PST to view the video in its entirety.  “Time Bomb” is currently heating up at radio at the Active and Modern Rock formats.

Methods Of Mayhem’s new album A PUBLIC DISSERVICEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT will be released on Tuesday, September 21^st via Roadrunner/Loud & Proud Records and features Lee collaborating with the world.  Lee and his team, including producer Scott Humphrey, singer-guitarist J3 and others, wrote and recorded the songs for the album, then made the core components of each available for download on www.thepublicrecord.com to anyone who wished to add their playing or otherwise re-interpret the music however they saw fit. The song files were made available on The Public Record on October 5th, 2009. By the end of the submission period in February, 2010, the page was viewed over 1 million times and over 10,000 submissions were uploaded.  Lee listened to every single submission that was uploaded, chose the best, and integrated the actual audio tracks into the album’s final cuts.  Every musician whose part was used is credited and thanked on the album…and those who made the cut will find out for the first time on Tuesday, September 21^st when the album is released!

Methods of Mayhem self-titled debut was released in 1999 and was certified RIAA Gold.  The album featured Snoop Dogg, Kid Rock and Fred Durst among others.  Methods Of Mayhem’s set was a featured highlight of 2000’s Ozzfest.

PROSEVERE

Gary Segars (Vocals)

Memphis, Tennessee

Myspace.com/prosevere

By: Shauna O’Donnell

HEY GUYS THIS IS SHAUNA O’DONNELL AND YOU ARE LISTENING TO MUEN TALK. I HAVE GARY THE VOCALIST OF PROSEVERE ON THE PHONE TODAY.

MUEN: HI GARY, THANKS FOR BEING ON THE SHOW.

Of course, no problem, thanks for having me.

MUEN: NO PROBLEM, GLAD TO HAVE YOU. YOU GUYS ARE FROM MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

Correct

MUEN: I HEAR BANDS THERE ARE REALLY GOOD TO EACH OTHER, LIKE YOU PUT UP EACH OTHERS FLYERS AND HELP EACH OTHER OUT.

We do, there are a few select bands that really go out and work hard. Our biggest thing is to get out of the city of course, but when we are in town we make sure that everyone has the right amount of support. There is not a huge scene here and you don’t want anybody falling back.

MUEN: THERE ISN’T A BIG ROCK SCENE THERE.

It used to be really big and then we lost our active rock station. Now all we have are two classic rock stations. The Clear Channel owns one and the other is some other national company so there isn’t a lot of local presence. If you want to make a name for yourself, you have to get out of the city, but you can never ignore your hometown.

MUEN: TELL ME ABOUT THE NAME OF THE BAND. HOW DID IT COME ABOUT AND WHO CAME UP WITH IT?

That was actually our bass player. The name came from the word persevere. It was actually just a play on words. We saw that Korn did whatever they did and the same with Limp Bizkit. It was just a play on words to come up with something that was “us.” We have all been doing this for over a decade. It was something that represented what we are about. We persevered through a lot of bullshit and now we’re coming to fruition from it. We probably had 25-30 different name ideas and that was the one that kind of stuck out to all of us.

MUEN: I LIKE THE NAME.

I’m glad you do.

MUEN: IN 2008 AN EP WAS RELEASED INDEPENDENTLY TITLED VERSUS. UPON ITS RELEASE YOU TOURED EXTENSIVELY WITH THE LIKES OF SAVING ABEL AND EGYPT CENTRAL. WHERE HAVE YOU TOURED?

It has only been the Southeast region. We have been from Chicago to St. Louis, down to New Orleans all the way into Florida. Not a whole lot or as much as we want to, but we all still have day jobs at the moment. We get out a lot more than most local bands I guess you could say.

MUEN: YOU WORKED WITH SOME GREAT PEOPLE ON THAT EP.

Oh yeah, Dan Martinie was one of the producers on it. He had just got out of college at Belmont University. We had heard some of his stuff and he didn’t really do a lot of riff rock. He worked more with hardcore bands like Sophia and Parallels that my little brother is actually in. His stuff was more screaming, but he had an ear for what we wanted to accomplish with the songs. We decided after going over the few different guys that he was the guy that we wanted to work with. We got him to work on it and then it was mastered by Brad Blackwood at Euphonic Mastering. Brad has worked with Saving Abel, ZZ Top and Smashing Pumpkins. He has done mastering for everybody. He is a big, big name.

MUEN: THERE ARE FOUR OF YOU IN THE BAND, HAVE YOU EVER CONSIDERED BRINGING IN A FIFTH MEMBER?

We have discussed it a few times. When Jeff left Egypt Central a couple years ago, we talked to him a little about coming in because he wanted to stay a little more regional. He didn’t want to be on the road as much at first because he just kind of got burned out on it for a little while. We played with him a couple times and there were a couple other guys that we talked to, but unless you have that chemistry it will never work out with songwriting and everything else. We stick with the four piece.

MUEN: WELL MAYBE SOMEDAY DOWN THE LINE YOU WILL RUN INTO SOMEONE WHO WILL FIT.

Oh yeah, if the producer who is working on our new record ever decides to go out on the road, he will be the fifth member. He was pretty much already a member of the band anyway.

MUEN: YOU HAVE TAKEN YOUR SINGLE “SHOTS” TO THE AIRWAVES RIGHT?

Yes

MUEN: IS THAT THE ONLY SONG OR HAVE YOU TAKEN OTHERS?

We had a song called “The Question” that came out before “Shots.” “The Question” is still a fan favorite and one of the heavier tracks on that record. It is very heavy and very melodic at the same time. People seem to get what it’s about. That song is about deciding what you want to do in life. For me, when our last band split up, Eric our guitar player and I were trying to figure out if we wanted to keep playing music. We’re getting older and I have a daughter at home that is five this year. It was time to decide if we were going to do it for a living or if it was still going to be a hobby. We wrote the song and figured out that this is probably what we want to do and I think other people connect with that. Sometimes you get stuck in a rut and you’re not sure exactly what you want to do with your life and you need something like that to pick you up.

MUEN: ABSOLUTELY, I AGREE. YOU GUYS JUST FINISHED RECORDING A FULL LENGTH ALBUM IS THAT RIGHT?

Well not a full length, it is actually an EP. We are still working on the full length, but we are releasing this for label shopping, which is a fun, wonderful experience if you’ve never done it. It’s getting out making contacts and using the ones you already have. It’s interesting, time consuming and stressful, but at the end of it, it is worth all of the blood, sweat and tears you put into it.

MUEN: YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO TAKE REJECTION WELL.

Oh yeah, it is something that you get used to. You have to think about all the different things. Take a band like Shinedown who just went platinum on this last record, so they sold a million records in the U.S. You look at that like it’s a huge deal, that’s one million people that bought that record out of billions of people that live here. It’s just remarkable how we look at success in life. You have to be able to take the bad with the good.

MUEN: ALONG THE WAY YOU HAVE BEEN GETTING ADVICE FROM MEMBERS OF SHINEDOWN AND 12 STONES. WHAT KIND OF ADVICE HAVE THEY GIVEN YOU?

The guys in Shinedown have helped us out quite a bit with knowing how to talk to press and make ourselves look a little more hyped. They have helped us out with different songs and the song’s structure. Anything that you can think of that a band would need, Zach Myers from Shinedown has always been insanely helpful. He’s from Memphis and we all grew up in the same neighborhood. He and I played in a band together six years ago. It’s a little weird to see him doing that and me still doing this. He has been extremely helpful and any time that he has, he helps us out as much as he can. The guys from 12 Stones are the same way. Justin Rymer used to be in a band called Breaking Point and he is the guitar player for 12 Stones now. Those guys have been all over the map and they know what it’s like to have to go out and label shop. Right now they are actually label shopping as well because they just split with Wind Up Records. It’s good to know people that have been through it before that can help you learn from their experiences.

MUEN: I LOVE THE GUYS FROM 12 STONES, THEY ARE ALL SWEETHEARTS.

Oh yeah, they all know how to party, they are a lot better at it then we are. I think that’s the thing people forget, guys in bands are just regular people too. We have jobs, of course our job may be playing on stage, but at the end of the day everybody is pretty much the same.

MUEN: SPEAKING OF JOBS, YOU STILL HAVE A FULL TIME JOB.

Oh yeah and it sucks!

MUEN: THAT HAS TO BE HARD. DO YOUR JOBS UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE TO PLAY SHOWS?

They are, but I think the most important thing is that they understand it is kind of a secondary thing. If you find a job that is not supportive of what you want to do with your life, it makes it ten times harder and you are never going to be able to fit in there anyway. If your heart is not in what you do, it’s difficult. If you can find a job that you don’t have to put everything into, it makes it a lot easier. I’ve been lucky, I’ve been at the same place for six years and I have time off whenever I need it.

MUEN: THAT’S GREAT; I WANTED TO GET BACK TO THE EP REALLY QUICK. HOW MANY SONGS ARE ON IT?

This new one will be five songs.

MUEN: HAVE YOU TITLED IT YET?

It is called Burn the City. That was actually a track that was written with our producer back in March. We had four other songs that we had already completed and this one came out of nowhere. It’s really difficult being in a city that’s not as supportive as other cities that you travel around to. It’s weird because our crowd in Memphis, while we love our friends and everyone that comes out to support us, the city as a whole is not supportive of the rock scene. It is very important to us to make sure that rock doesn’t just die here. All of us, Sore Eyes, Joan Red, Egypt Central and bands like that whenever we are here try to make sure that this city remembers that we are all from here and we’re not just gone all the time. We want other bands to pop up and we want a scene here. It’s important to us. Burn the City is more or less about burning ideas of rejection from the city that you are from that aren’t as supportive.

MUEN: WHEN WILL IT RELEASE?

That is a very good question. It will be done mastering next week and the single goes out to radio on October 1^st. It won’t be a Nashville release yet, we will do radio first and by the first of the year the new single will be nationwide. Regardless of whether we get picked up by a label or not we are in the position to be able to go out and do it ourselves.

MUEN: YOU WILL BE SHOPPING FOR A LABEL; WILL YOU TRY FOR MAJOR OR INDIE?

Both, what we want is somebody that we feel will compliment the band. Someone we can work with, share the same ideas with and not someone who will make us a “one hit wonder.” We want somebody that we feel we can do a whole career with. We aren’t interested in doing this for a few years and then quitting. This is really all that we’ve got, this is our lives and this is what we do. We want somebody that will be there long term, even if the first record doesn’t hit right off the bat, we want to make sure they are behind us and believe in what we’re doing.

MUEN: WHO WORKED ON THE ALBUM WITH YOU PRODUCTION WISE?

On this one it was Jay Hall. He is the engineer for Skidd Mills. Skidd has done all sorts of people and Jay has worked with him on Taddy Porter, Saving Abel, 12 Stones and Egypt Central. There is a band coming out now that is not so much rock, but really fun to listen to called The Delta Saints. They are beyond incredible. He is phenomenal; I couldn’t envision us doing this with anyone else.

MUEN: HAVE YOU PLAYED ANY OF THE NEW SONGS LIVE YET?

Yes, we did a few dates over the summer trying out the songs. We got a really good response.

MUEN: WHAT ARE THE PLANS AS FAR TOUR SUPPORT FOR THE NEW EP?

We are almost booked up all the way through December now. We are working with a band called Nonpoint. We are going to try and hop on a few dates with them after October. The Miracle Tour ends the first weekend of October and then they are starting a new run. We are talking to their booking agent quite a bit and he is interested in the songs, so we are going to go out and do a few dates with them. We will try it out and see if it works. We have a few dates with Saving Abel and we are talking to Flyleaf’s agent who wants us out on a couple of dates in October. Once the single goes nationwide then we will start bringing what we do out a little further than the region we are in right now.

MUEN: IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVE A PLAN, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING AND YOU HAVE A LOT OF SUPPORT.

Oh yeah, without support from everybody else we would still be playing music, but it wouldn’t be nearly as much fun.

MUEN: YOU GUYS HAVE MASTERED SOCIAL NETWORKING, WHICH IS DEFINITELY A HUGE HELP. DO YOU GUYS SHARE THAT DUTY OR IS IT JUST ONE OF YOU?

We share it somewhat, but I’m a computer nerd, that’s my job here at home. I’m on the computer probably 75% of my day. Without social networking I’d be lost. I do the majority of it, but the rest of the band helps out quite a bit, but for the most part I’m handling almost everything.

MUEN: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE INTERVIEW. BEFORE I LET YOU GO WAS THERE ANYTHING YOU’D LIKE TO ADD OR SAY?

Listen to the music, spread the word any way you can, the most important thing is word of mouth. To anyone that is listening I’d like to say thank you so much for paying attention and we will see you guys very, very soon!

Tour Kicks off September 16^th

LOS ANGELES, CA  – SEPTEMBER 1, 2010 – DGC/Interscope Records rock band Escape the Fate (singer Craig Mabbitt, bassist Max Green, guitarist Monte Money and drummer Robert Ortiz) has revealed that their eagerly anticipated major label debut will be self-titled and unleashed on November 2^nd.

Max explains, “We’re making our mark on the world 100% through blood sweat and tears and so we felt we should set it in stone by self titling our album.”

The first track, “Massacre,” from Escape The Fate premiered this weekend on MySpace and received over 200,000 page views in just 48 hours.  It is available on iTunes, and can be heard via: http://interscope.edgeboss.net/download/interscope/escapethefate/audio/massacre.mp3.  The pummeling song gives fans an electrifying mouthful of what’s to come. Max offers, “We chose “Massacre” as a street track for the fans because it is full force and us at our peak. Right out the gate it makes you wanna get up and break something!”

The band’s forthcoming third album was produced by Don Gilmore (Bullet For My Valentine, Linkin Park).  Escape The Fate blends metal licks with pop melodies and soaring guitar solos with anthemic choruses into an epic sound only hinted at on the band’s previous discs: 2008’s This War Is Ours and 2006’s Dying Is Your Latest Fashion. The album’s rousing first official single, “Issues,” will impact at radio this month.

“There are no more questions about who we are. This album is us, through and through,” says Monte. “Every member has grown, and we’re waving our flag. Welcome to fucking Escape The Fate.”  Max adds, “Our record will be the cure for the modern day music epidemic. We are wiping the slate clean and re-writing rock music as you know it!”

Known for their incendiary live shows embracing the raucous Sin City lifestyle, Escape The Fate hits the road this fall as direct support to Bullet For My Valentine.

Escape The Fate U.S. Tour Dates:
9/16 Wichita, KS   The Cotillion
9/17 Oklahoma City, OK  Diamond Ballroom
9/18 Houston, TX   Warehouse Live
9/19 Austin, TX   Stubb’s BBQ
9/21 Tampa, FL   The Ritz Ybor
9/23 Lake Buena Vista, FL House Of Blues
9/24 Charlotte, NC  The Fillmore
9/25 Washington, DC  9:30 Club
9/26 Norfolk, VA   The NorVa
9/28 Scranton, PA   Scranton Cultural Center
9/30 Philadelphia, PA  Electric Factory
10/1 New York, NY  Roseland Ballroom
10/2 Albany, NY   Washington Ave. Armory
10/5 Providence, RI  Lupo’s
10/9 Cleveland, OH  Time Warner Cable Amphitheatre
10/10 Buffalo, NY   Town Ballroom
10/12 Indianapolis, IN  Egyptian Room
10/13 Madison, WI   Orpheum Theatre
10/14 Fargo, ND   The Venue
10/21 Spokane, WA  Knitting Factory
10/22 Seattle, WA   Showbox Sodo
10/23 Portland, OR   Roseland Theatre
10/25 Boise, ID   Knitting Factory
10/26 Reno, NV   Knitting Factory
10/27 Los Angeles, CA   Hollywood Palladium

www.escapethefate.com

www.myspace.com/escapethefate

www.facebookcom/escapethefate

www.dgcrecords.com