Something wicked this way comes. From the foggy majesty of Seattle, Washington comes Aiden, a young band who meld punk, post-hardcore and goth influences into a lethal stew that recalls the best of bands like AFI and H.I.M. With music that defies categorization, Aiden dubbed it horror rock, defining once and for all the dark lyrical influences and vital energy displayed both live and on disc. NIGHTMARE ANATOMY is Aiden’s Victory Records debut: a heavy clash of hardcore and up-tempo melodies that belies songs with decidedly grim themes. Aiden entered the studio in March 2005 for pre-production at Robert Lang Studios, before heading to Orbit Audio for five weeks of non-stop recording. Produced by longtime friend (and producer of their debut) Steve Carter, who has worked with the band since the beginning. The songs on the album are imbued with references to pain, darkness, immortality and redemption. From ‘Die Romantic’ a dedication to the memory of a friend whose suicide will not be forgotten, to ‘The Last Sunrise’ which explores addiction and abuse, to ‘Genetic Design For Dying’, a love letter to a parent asking forgiveness.

Aiden hit the road on the Victory Records Tour in America during July and August 2005 with The Hurt Process, The Junior Varsity and The Audition, but there was no rest for the band. In October 05’ they joined Hawthorne Heights, Silverstein and Bayside for the Never Sleep Again Tour in North America. NIGHTMARE ANATOMY was in stores October 2005. When asked about the new record, Will (vocals) sums it up: “What we have is a collection of cohesive new material and something to say. We aren’t holding anything back on this record. We are ready to let the world know we‘re here.”

So we are in Manchester for the Kerrang! XXV tour, and the opening band on the bill is Aiden. It seems reports on the road suggest that they are certainly more than holding their own; in fact they are fast becoming this year’s new thing! We catch up with lead singer Will prior to show for a quick chat and he is psyched about being over here, ‘We are from Seattle, USA, we got signed just over a year ago, this is our third trip to the UK and it’s just awesome. We plan during 2006 to go worldwide with this. Being signed to Victory records is fucking great, it’s a buzz and right now they are the shit for sure, everyone that works at the label is super rad! They are super supportive of the band, they love their job, they love music, they are really like us guys but running a label. It makes being on a label so much better because you know they understand from the floor up, it’s really cool.’

As a band have been around a little longer than you may think (April 2003), Will states, ‘Almost three years, I was working in a warehouse, shipping boots and stuff for snowboarding, but I always wanted to be in a band, from the first time I heard the Chilli Peppers and Nirvana, something just clicked in my head and said, ‘that’s it, that’s what you’re going to do’, and being from Seattle, there was always a scene before and after Kurt. Watching all those bands on MTV, going to the live shows really inspired me to want to do this, I just wanted to pick up a guitar and play rock music. Over the course of time I got into punk rock, Nofx, Misfits, Bad Religion, also it’s the darker stuff that really influences this band, like Joy Division, Bauhaus, The Dammed, all of those bands are real big influences on Aiden for sure, there is certainly a gothic element to us.’

Seems like there was a defining point when Will knew he was a singer, he agrees: “I’ve been in bands ever since I was fourteen years old, it really is all I ever wanted to do, and every band I was ever in I was telling everyone, this is the one, we really are going to do it, try, try, try and then try again is the thing, don’t stop. People will always laugh, or dismiss you, but fuck ‘em’ you know - Do I ever!” Will has a passion for what he does: “The strange thing is that when I joined this band we were just happy to play some shows local, a real stepping stone process, it was just about songs to begin with, then it was straight to wanting to record a record, just do it. We did that, released it ourselves, then all of a sudden people started to show up at gigs more and more, singing the words to our songs, and we were blown away. So then we set up small tours around where we were, mostly inner state, because two guys in the band were still in high school, that also made it hard to tour full time. Sometimes we would do out of state gigs, but not too many, but kids kept showing up wherever we played. So by the end of that year w figured we might as well see if all this that we had built up would get us signed to a label.’

So I asked Will was it a hard time being in the band. “No, we were working, playing at the weekend, getting support slots, believing the dream, we sent our shit to every indie label out there - Hopeless, Fearless, Epitaph, Vagrant, and VictoryVictory noticed, we had some offers from other labels too, but we believed that Victory would be the best place for us. There is a whole circle, both inner and outer, that surrounds these labels, everyone talks to each other about each other, good or bad, but Victory are the best.” Boy he is not wrong, Victory has fast become the #1 Independent label in America during 2005.

Will continues, “You know what, it’s not about a bunch of a&r guys going out and checking out bands, when most of them have not got a clue, looking for the next big thing, when they missed the last big thing. It’s a network of people out on the road, checking stuff out, they are all part of one scene talking about everything within it, the bands are discovering favourite new bands while they are on tour. I was not that familiar with Bullet For My Valentine before this tour, but I love them now, they are great guys and great live, they say the same about us.”