All That Remains Interview In Metal Edge
August 24, 2008 by Scott
Metal Edge is one of my least favorite metal magazines, but when one of your favorite bands is the cover and featured artist, it’s kind of hard not to buy it.
Rosa Henriquez had the privilege to interview All That Remains for Metal Edge Magazine during the recording of Overcome. Below are just a few excerpts from the interview that I found interesting.
Oli Herbert on the subject of ATR being labeled a Metal-Core band:
” Yeah I hate that word, ” Herbert later confirms. “Metalcore, the way I see it, is a term for kids who have just learned how to play their instruments, who don’t really have the background to play metal. It sounds like a hodgepodge of hardcore and metal that just shouldn’t exist. I know there are a lot of metalcore bands out there who are good or whatever, but I just don’t like the label. It’s always seen as a negative label. ‘Oh, they’re a metalcore band.’ I don’t like hardcore at all. I mean, I’m friends with people in hardcore bands; that has nothing to do with anything. I just don’t like the music, I’m a purist, so being labeled anything but a metal band upsets me, speaking for myself of course. It’s basically giving someone a half compliment and half insult in my mind.”
Phil Labonte talking about his early days of metal influences:
“I heard Carcass, started playing guitar, and then it just kept getting heavier, started listening to Cannibal Corpse and Grave and Entombed; if there was any singing, I wouldn’t listen to it,” he says laughing. “If it wasn’t just really pukey vocals, I didn’t want to have anything to do with it. Carcass was the biggest band in the world to me.”
To read more of the interview, check out the September Issue of Metal Edge. It’s a short enough interview that You might be able to read it in the store.
You can even register over at Metaledgemag.com and read the digital issue
Image Source: Metaledgemag.com
I agree with Oli there are way to many sub-genres in heavy metal nowadays and some genres definitely differ from others by a lot, but how many bands that have appeared in the last 5 years or so are actually called Heavy Metal bands on a regular basis by people who actually listen to the music? Not too many which creates a lot of bias amongst fans of certain sub-genres of metal in a lot of situations.
gotta give him that on the sub genres. there’s like 10 or so, at least, added every year. i’ve had times when i’ve recommended an album saying it’s metal and they come back going, oh that’s metalcore or grindcore or something. i can see why metalcore is insulting though but if some people can’t see through what you’re labeled as, you can probably do without them.