Epi-Demic’s recent split with Solanum – Passages to Lunacy – proves that there’s plenty of life left in underground Thrash Metal in 2015. Adam was kind enough to answer some questions about the band and what they’re up to…
For those who are unfamiliar with your band – introduce yourself!
Epi-Demic is a group of three guys from Calgary Alberta Canada playing a furious style of Crossover/Thrash Metal. Adam (that’s me), I play guitar and do the vocals, Kyle plays bass and Aaron plays the drums and does backup vocals. We have all been friends since high school when we started hanging out and playing music together. All of us were into Old school Hardcore Punk/Thrash Metal/Crossover and we wanted to start a band in that style. When we started jamming we wanted to create a sound that was heavy and aggressive but also unique and all our own. In the beginning learning how to play our instruments the music had a hardcore punk feel to it but as we got better as musicians it developed into a Crossover/Thrash style. The three of us have been playing music together for almost 10 years. We love what we do and hope to do it for a long time to come.
Give us a bit of history to Epi-Demic
Aaron and I started jamming when Aaron got a drum set and started practising. I had jammed with a few other people with no real results, but when me and Aaron started playing something clicked and we knew we had something that we could develop and put some work into that would be good. After a while we began looking for a bass player, we tried a few people out and kept writing material. Kyle had been playing with another group at this time, which eventually disbanded. In 2005 Aaron and I asked Kyle to jam with us and Epi-Demic was born. As we started to form a sound and an identity as a band we set our sights on getting a set together and playing some shows, eventually we landed a show at a local bar but there was a problem…I was still a minor! We managed to sneak around that roadblock for about a year with the help of a fake I.D. and a little luck, and we have kept going from there. Since then we have played many, many local shows, toured the west coast of Canada and the U.S., released a demo (The Plague Begins) and a full length (Madness) and have had a lot of fun doing it.
What are your influences
Like I said earlier we all started off listening to Hardcore/Crossover/Thrash music in High school when we started Epi-Demic so that was our main influence. Musically We’re into bands like: Cro-Mags, Warfare, Autopsy, No Mercy, English Dogs, Dr. Know, Ludichrist, Attitude Adjustment, Possessed, Demilich, Exodus, Overkill, Artillery, Excel, Beyond Possession and Asphyx just to name a few. My band members are an influence to me, they inspire me to play better and write better stuff all the time. Life in general is an influence for me for sure, the world around me both the good and bad definitely play a part in the music and lyrics I write.
What are you listening to at the moment that you would like to recommend?
Here are 10 albums I’m really into right now:
1. Anacrusis, “Suffering Hour”
2. Autopsy, “Acts Of The Unspeakable”
3. Corrosion Of Conformity, “Technocracy”
4. Fear, “More Beer”
5. Morbid Angel, “Gateways To Annihilation”
6. Sodom, “Mortal Way Of Live”
7. Demilich, “Nespithe”
8. Excel, “Split Image”
9. Broken Bones, “Trader In Death”
10. Pestilence, “Malleus Maleficarum”
What do you think about the current state of the Thrash Metal scene in 2015?
Overall it’s doing really well and is healthy in my opinion. I think the scene is the scene, It’s usually really good but it can suck at some times. Sometimes you go to a show and have a blast sometimes it’s populated by dick heads and that can be a drag. Bullshit aside, I think it’s a good thing that there are bands both new and established playing thrash in 2015 and there are venues for these bands to play and for people to go enjoy themselves. I think that there is good music coming out right now and some that’s not so good but that’s not a new thing. Sometimes it feels like there are bands that go for a style that is derivative of things that have been done to death already. I like bands that don’t go for the lowest common denominator and push the envelope, thankfully there are bands like this in the thrash scene today.
How did your new split with Solanum come about?
The split with Solanum was sort of a spur of the moment kind of thing actually. Epi-Demic had not planned on recording a split at all, but a friend of ours showed us their demo and we really liked the music. We got in touch with them and they sent us a few copies of their album and we sent them a few copies of ours. After that they decided to do a short tour of the west side of Canada so we helped them out by hosting a gig for them in Calgary, a few months later we went out to Winnipeg where they are from and played a couple of shows. Along the way the idea for a split came up and we were all into it so we made it happen. It all came together very quickly and it was a lot of fun to do.
What did you want to achieve with this new release?
First of all we wanted to make an album that was heavy! The songs we chose for the split are songs that we have worked very hard on, and put a great deal of practise and thought into. Now that the album is pressed and available at http://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/store/hpgd103.html we want to take it as far as we can and get it into as many ears as possible. The split has received some very positive reviews so far which is good to hear, hopefully it will get both bands more exposure on an international level as well as at home.
Are you happy with how it turned out?
Absolutely! It’s everything we wanted it to be. Both bands put down some killer material that speaks for itself when you hear it. The production is raw and gritty, which I think helps the album as far as the atmosphere goes. The cover art is something that really stands out to me and it could not have turned out better. It’s a haunting image that fits the title of the album “Passages To Lunacy” perfectly. The whole process from meeting the guys from Solanum, to recording the songs, getting the album together and finally releasing it has been a very smooth process. We had high expectations for the split and so far it has delivered on all fronts.
What can you tell us about the lyrics?
Epi-Demics lyrics deal primarily with the darker side of being human and the world around us. On the split in particular the lyrics are about suffering and pain. “Time Is Running Short (Dying On The Cross)” deals with the psychological pressure placed on people in this day and age, and how giving up in a tense situation is the worst thing that one can do for oneself. “Famine” is about starvation and hunger in all of its wicked forms. “Nuclear Dream” is about us as humans losing our way as a people and needing to make changes and start again. Finally “Stewing In Misery” is about depression and desperation, and wanting to break away from these negative feelings at any cost.
Give us a bit of information on the songwriting process.
We write all of the music together for the most part, when one of us has an idea we jam it out and see where it goes. As we get a feel for the song we add new parts and experiment with different ways of playing things until we get it the way we want it. Once we have the music written we practise it until it’s ready to play live. At this point I take the song and explore the overall feeling of it until I create a theme for the lyrics and figure out what I want to say. After the lyrics are completed once again we practise it over and over until it’s ready for performance. We don’t force anything that we feel isn’t working, we like to let the music come naturally.
How do you see your songs/direction developing in the future?
I can see the music getting more textured and complex in the future, the foundation of the band will always remain the same, crossover is what we play and that will not change. I think as we progress as musicians the songs will get more intricate even if we didn’t want them to, maybe they will get longer maybe not. Bottom line is that we will always play fast, heavy, aggressive music. It’s hard to say exactly what Epi-Demic will be like in the future but you can rest assured that it will intense and unique in its brutality.
What’s your favourite song on the split and why?
Good question. From Solanum’s side I would pick “Manipulated”. The song is sheer insanity and has some really cool riffs and grooves. Cam’s vocals on it are hard and unforgiving. If you like to bang your head make sure you check this song out. On the Epi-Demic side my favourite song is “Nuclear Dream”. From the opening riff to the last, this song is something that I’m very proud of. The duelling vocals between Aaron and I really worked well on this song, and every instrument comes through and plays its role well. This song took some time to write, so finally hearing it recorded was very satisfying to me. I also feel like the lyrics are some of the best ones I have ever written, and for that reason I would say it’s my favourite on the album.
What’s next for Epi-Demic?
Epi-Demic is going to have a busy year. It is our intention to record and release a new full length album before the end of summer 2015, the majority of the songs have been written already but we want to do a couple more to really fill the album up. In addition to the new album we hope to do a tour of the east side of Canada and the east coast of the United States this summer. Starting in Calgary and going all the way to the tri-state area will be a large undertaking but we are optimistic and excited to break new ground in cities that we have not played before. We’ve done most of our shows on the west side, so to go play uncharted territory is something we need to do. And as always we will keep the underground spirit strong, piss on fashion, and assault eardrums everywhere we go.
Album stream: https://hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/passages-to-lunacy-split
Order CD: http://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/store/hpgd103.html
Epi-Demic facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theplaguebegins13
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