Having started out on one of heavy metal’s most well known labels [Roadrunner], you parted ways in 2006…

We always had a love/hate relationship with Roadrunner in the US. There where some awesome people who worked there who really loved the band, but there where also others, perhaps more higher up people, who were in charge of some serious things that affected us; that maybe weren’t into us so much; and that began to affect how we where promoted and things like that. When we came over here, we where shown so much love and so much press, and treated like, well, like how you think your supposed to be treated as a band. Out in the States we just didn’t have the same amount of dedication shown to us, and it was one of those times where, we were at an all-time low, and things were bad in the band - we needed to point the finger at someone. It’s sometimes really hard to point the finger at yourself, we didn’t like the way we where perceived in the States, so we wanted to leave the label there, we still wanted to stay on Roadrunner in Europe, especially the UK, but it was kind of all or nothing with them. So we decided to part ways, and in the States, it proved to be a good idea, our album sales for ‘Resurrection’ outdid the previous Roadrunner release [Nothing Remains, 2005, RR] and likewise in Europe. The only negative side was it didn’t do so well in the UK, and that’s the downside I guess. Nuclear Blast doesn’t have the resources over here that Roadrunner UK has, and Roadrunner has the history, so I guess a lot of people just buy CDs with their name on it, because you tend to be getting great music from them. But to be honest with them it’s very kinda ‘flavour of the month’, and if that’s the kind of thing that we have to rely on; to gain people who maybe like a few songs because of the label that we’re on; then maybe I’m not too bothered about losing those fans. The loyal fans who were maybe there from the first record, or who just love heavy music, those are the people that we love to play to, and over here in the UK, that does seem to be a lot of people. Through those people we gain new people and new fans, and that’s more important to us; to be sharing our music with people who genuinely share our passion.

Well carrying on from this whole ‘Flavour’ Idea, I’ve been a metal head since I was 13, and still love everything from Sevendust, Godsmack, Slipknot, through to the Riff masters of Shadows Fall, Unearth, Killswitch etc.. The current press seems so geared towards the fact the level of musicianship within heavy metal has come on so much that it’s almost as if the press are saying ‘well you know what, unless your guitarist and drummer are classically trained and capable of playing at the speed of light’ then your band sucks.’ Even old staples such as Marilyn Manson, Korn, and even Metallica with St Anger, suffered the press wrath just because the music is simple when compared to the likes of say yourselves or fellow label mates Children of Bodom…

You know what, I’ve honestly never thought about that till you mentioned it. I grew up listening to metal since I was 8 years old, and there where all sorts of metal bands back then - ’Merciful Fate’ with King Diamond singing and Anthrax had the thrash, Metallica had that, but with a darker ‘bluesier’ tone, everybody had their own thing, and the Pantera came along, and they where just totally different. Personally I would say that the magazines are wrong, maybe in this country it kinda works like that, but you always have the following of true fans you know. I guess the press can help in making a band successful. You might, for instance, have a band that is huge in one place and jack shit everywhere else… But sometimes I guess fans will buy into a band if they are promoted right, but just because a magazine or something says something’s great, well that’s their opinion. I wanna have my own. I was guilty when I was younger of doing the whole Roadrunner thing, but being on a label and being associated with the bands alongside that is a little different from being in a mag. But with certain labels, you know you are getting quality music - most of the time (grins). I mean, to be honest, I used to watch Beavis and Butthead, and they would make fun of Crowbar, and I fucking love Crowbar. I wasn’t gonna stop listening to them just because they said so (laughs) but if that’s what a lot of fans succumb to now, then like I said before , I’m not so bothered about them. My only beef I guess is that with some press and labels, if you’re not the flavour of the month then they don’t give a shit about you. Everything can be fine and you get shown a lot of love, but as soon as someone else comes along then all of a sudden no even cares or even answers your e-mails you know, kinda annoying (smiles)…

Ok, so finally, you guys recorded your 10th anniversary show for an upcoming DVD release, when are you looking to have that out?

Well we are hoping for a summer release. Its going to be quite good to get it out and kinda finish this chapter of our band. We have all the usual stuff for the fans like the backstage footage and us screwing around, but there is also a kinda mini documentary following the recording process of ‘The Infection’, as well as the whole set from that show. We played a lot of new material but also have a good couple of tracks from each album we’ve done, so yeah, it should be pretty cool.

Adrien Perrie