Underoath is a very popular Christian metalcore band from Tampa, Florida. Signed to Solid State Records, the Grammy-nominated six piece just released their newest album, Lost in the Sound of Separation, on September 2, 2008. I sat down with lead singer Spencer Chamberlain in the back of their tour bus just before they took the stage in Dallas on their headlining tour with D:ET friends Saosin and The Devil Wears Prada.

Describe your sound for those who may not have heard you before.

Spencer Chamberlain: Well, we’re heavy, we’re loud. Hopefully, we don’t sound like anyone else so it’s kind of hard to describe. I’d just say we’re heavy, loud rock. I don’t get into any of that subgenre, weird label thing. It’s too much.
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Eyes Set To Kill is a screamo rock band from Tempe, Arizona. What sets them apart, besides their obvious musical talent, is their seemless integration of female vocals with harsh screaming over relentless riffs and pounding drums. They have been exhaustively touring the country promoting their album Reach. I caught up with them in a cramped “green room” in downtown Dallas that could have doubled as a sauna on their latest headlining tour.

So how did Eyes Set to Kill get started?

Alexia Rodriguez: The band actually started when me and Aneesa both took lessons and tried to find people to play with. We didn’t want to do a cliché girl band so we tried to find guys to jam with. We went through a lot of members but we have the perfect people now.
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Vayden is a local band from Phoenix, AZ that is destined for great things. With the most solid rock album (Children of Our Mistakes) I’ve heard this year along with the support of label Silent Majority Group, the band is on the verge of being a nationally desired act. Twice now I’ve had the opportunity to watch Vayden’s electrifying live show: once when they opened for Sick Puppies and again at their sold-out Phoenix send-off show. On both occasions, I realized why they have become such a highly followed band in the area. I was lucky enough to catch singer Curtis Casey, guitarist Armin Peterson, bassist Jason Salomone, and drummer Bruce Weitz backstage before their final Phoenix performance of the summer.

How did Vayden get started?

Curtis: Vayden got started when Armin Peterson woke up one morning with a dream and then he called up his friend Jason (Salomone)…no, no, we started out of a basement in Mesa, AZ and Milano’s Music Store and it was basically that me and Bruce (Weitz) wanted to start a band. So we went about doing that and picked up Jason to play bass and Armin’s the prodigy student of our guitarist Rob Robbins who will be playing later on tonight, too.

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What does the title Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces mean to you?

Shaun: Philosophy. It�s my philosophy on how to approach the way things have been going this year. I mean, as soon as we think we�re out of it, something bad happens: the guys from Red have a van accident or we�re playing in Portland and one of the security guys goes outside and has a heart attack in the parking lot. It�s just one thing after another. We played San Diego and the fucking crowd didn�t give a shit, I mean not at all. It�s been a bizarre year.
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South African rock band Seether has changed over the past two years. Sure the hard riffs and driving beats are still there, but it is the experience gained through life’s curveballs that really sets their new album, Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces, apart. Shaun Morgan, John Humphrey, and Dale Stewart first gained notoriety with their 2002 album, Disclaimer, and its massive single “Broken.” With this one song, Seether was put on the rock map. Now several albums, a highly publicized break-up, and a stint in rehab later, Seether has released their most solid effort yet.
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