Misguided Aggression

HAPPY SUNDAY METALHEADS!

Every Sunday, since they tend to be kind of boring days, I am going to bring you a Question and Answer period with a member or members of your favorite bands! In the interview I’ll try get you the latest scoop oh what’s happening with them!

Today, I talked to Ben Dobson from Misguided Aggression, from Woodstock, ON, Band includes Ben D, Ben T, John RG, Randy A & Rob D. They just got off playing a show last night which sounds like it turned out great for them! Misguided has been a heavy weight in the South Western Ontario scene for the last 6 years, but especially in the last 2 years. They have done many Ontario & Quebec runs and have done a tour out east. They really got attention with their last album Hatchala and have plans for a new album expected for release this year. But enough of me talking – you can hear the lastest on Misguided Aggression from Ben!

The first question I will always ask is what is your favorite song right now – this was Ben’s reply!
Favorite songs are always hard to pick, it’s one of those things that’s constantly changing but as of right now I must say my favourite song is Meshuggah’s “I”. It’s a twenty minute tune that takes you on a journey of metal awesome-ness from start to finish.

But on with the interview!

1. With 6 years in the scene, how have you seen it change?
Hard to believe it’s been 6 years already! We have scene quite a few trends in the scene come and go, because that’s what trends do, they come, and go. The underground hardcore/metal scene is one of those things that (like all other music scenes) changes quickly, and you either have to follow it, or stick to your guns and do what you truly want to do. We’ve found the best thing for us is just to play the music we want to play and do things our way, and that seems to work for us.

2.What do you think makes some bands last for 5+ years when some can’t keep it together for a year?
I can’t say for all bands, but the main thing that’s kept us going all these years is being friends first. I think that is a big part in what’s kept us together all this time. We were all buddies to begin with before we got this band going, and we’ll be buddies after, I think that is really important. We had a couple lineup changes in our first couple years, but we still remain friends and on good terms with our past members. Music is meant to be fun, and entertaining, and a lot of bands and people forget that. Don’t get me wrong, we take our music and this band very seriously, it’s a big part of our lives, but you can only take yourself so seriously before you become a stick in the mud, and I find that is a common trait of a lot of the bands you see that have a revolving door of members.

3.The scene has been at a bit of downfall as of recent…what do you think is causing this?
The music scene is like a rollercoaster, it’s constantly going up and down, It will be awesome for a few years, then take a downward spiral for a few years, then back up again. But currently, I think a big part of the decline in the scene is oversaturation, which is always an uphill battle. There simply are too many shows going on, and when people get too much of a good thing they start to lose interest. Right now the problem we are facing is instead of having, one metal show every week or two weeks in a certain town with a few hundred people out rocking out, we have 4 or 5 shows a week with like 10-20 people coming out. Then there’s the fact of the terrible economy issues, and album sales etc etc. but we won’t go that indepth today!


4.On another note…what plans do you guys have coming up?
We just finished up recording for our next album, we are currently collaborating with our artwork guy to get the ball rolling on getting it released soon, so if you’ve been following us don’t worry it’s coming! We’re aiming for likely a March or April release of the album, but nothing is official or set in stone yet.

5.How have your recent shows been?
As of late we’ve been concentrating more on the record, we haven’t been doing a ton of shows but the few we did over the winter went pretty good, I think we are right at the beginning of this rollercoaster ride of a scene going back up again, we can only hope right? We have plans to tour this summer, so if all goes well we should be looking forward to an exciting year!

6. How did recording go?
Recording went really well, we recorded the album at Icehouse Studios in Goderich with Tom Ireland and Rob Mckercher again, if it’s not broke don’t fix it and we work well with those guys. Icehouse has a great relaxed environment to record in, and I’d recommend recording there to any band.

7.What is going to be different from your new album and Hatchala?
This new album, is more of an evolution in our sound. It still sounds like us, but I feel like we are a little more on the money with the direction and approach we want to take this time in comparison with “Hatchala”. We are going for more of a groovy, in your face, aggressive sound and I think we finally captured that.

8.What are the major influences on this album?
Well we all work together in the writing process, and I feel like there are lots of different things that influence our music, we all have a wide variety of tastes whether it be rap, dance, ska, metal, punk. There are bands I can for sure say people will compare us to, but I always found the best thing to do in music is just to do what you want and not focus on being another carbon copy, that never lasts and it’s not real, and people can tell.

9.Any touring plans?
We are planning to get on tour this summer for a couple weeks, we tried last summer but things just kept falling through for us and we didn’t end up making it out. We are hoping to get ourselves out west this summer, and if all goes well we will do so!


10.What band do you predict is really going to take off this year?
There are a ton of awesome bands right now in the Canadian Metal Scene, and while I can’t say for sure whether they’ll take off, they are worth checking out! Terrorhorse, Odium, The Serpent & The Siren, Derelict, Norris, Endast, Unleash The Archers, Assassinate The Following, Baptized In Blood, and tons more
And there you have it!
- Bring On The Payne

Howdy Metalheads!

Today is Friday, so I have got a Top 10 for you to check out! Today’s is coming from guitarist, Randy Allcock of Misguided Aggression from Woodstock, Ontario. Misguided Aggression began in 2004 and since have put out 3 independent releases, their studio album Hatchala and are expecting a spring release in 2011. They will be hitting the Eastern Canada roads in July 2011 and place across Ontario & Quebec all year – be sure to check them out and stay tuned for news regarding their upcoming release.

Here is Randy’s Top 10 -

- Bring On The Payne

Rating: 8 / 10
After many Ep’s Southern Ontario’s very own Misguided Aggression release there debut album Hatchala. This album is a mix of classical, technical and thrashy metal riffs with crushing hardcore breakdowns. MA herein show they are heavily influenced by classic metal bands such as Meshuggah, Pantera, Lamb Of God and Unearth; which they blend with newer metal/hardcore bands of today such as: For Today, Beneath The Massacre and Acacia Strain.

Some of my personal favorites are “Mustard Gas And Roses”, “Pigs In Market”, “Flesh To Gold”, “Metal Horn Bessy” and the melodic and technical instrumental song “The Palamnaeusus Fulvipes”.

Misguided Aggression are simply a band you just have to check out for yourself. The energy they give off live in concert is positively ridiculous and somehow they make absolutely everyone move. This band is great for people heavy into classic metal.

If you want to hear something different, yet familiar, then check this band... they are pretty sick. 8 Metal Horn Bessy’s out of 10. [ END ] - PureGrainAudio

Misguided Aggression may just be the Great White North’s answer to Lamb of God. On Hatchala, the Ontario quintet serves up a slab of brutal, in-your-face, fist-pumping metal.

Eight tracks clocking in at just over 26 minutes might lead one to think that te band took a single-minded approach to the recording, offering up quick blasts of metal with little variation. Such is not the case. Instead, Misguided Aggression uses the chug-a-chug template and folds in elements of groove, clean vocal melodies, slight hints of hardcore (think Unearth) and prog-based breakdowns (earning the band comparisons to Meshuggah). (And you can blame the short running time on a couple of instrumental interludes, the opening title track and “The Palamnaeusus Fulvipes”, which acts like a coda for the preceding track more than a stand-alone song.)

There are crushing head-bangers (“Pigs in the Market” and “Our Kingdom Come”) and more expansive, complex opuses, too (the systematic dirge of “Mustard Gas & Roses” which features one of the most blood-curdling howls this listener has heard in some time, and “Flesh to Gold”).

But the track that truly stands out from the pack, and one that will probably ultimately be one of the best metal anthems of the year, is “Faces of Abomination”. The track utilizes the best of what Misguided Aggression has to offer: sick breakdowns, unbridled groove, thick riffs and glorious howls. The song marks the only time the band opts to throw in the slightest clean, melodic vocals (dropped way down in the mix), and also features this nice little trick of slowing the song down to an almost-standstill, adding to its urgent feel.

At 26 minutes, the whole trip is over far too soon, and you’ll soon find yourself reaching for the repeat button. Bands like this sometimes like to overstay their welcome, but Misguided Aggression should have no fear with exploring this metallic soundscape again and again. Highest recommendation to fans of straight-ahead metal. - Inside Pulse

The metal scene in Southern Ontario is on fire. At the forefront of a legion of bands pouring gas on the flames is Misguided Aggression, a Woodstock-native 5-piece known for their high-energy live shows, crushing grooves, and tireless work ethic. Guitar player Ben Dobson stepped out of the band’s whirlwind schedule for a moment to answer some questions and let us know what’s up.

How would you describe the sound of Misguided Aggression to our readers who are just now discovering you?
Ben: I would describe our sound as a gnarly combo of Meshuggah and Lamb of God, with a bit of Pantera thrown in. It’s our own kind of dirty-old-school-meets-techy-riffing style. We strike a balance between challenging ourselves technically and making sure we have a good time. We believe in sweet riffs, because what would metal be without riffs?

What is your writing process? Who brings in the music, the lyrics?
Ben: Randy (Allcock, guitar) writes a lot of the guitar stuff, but John (Godfrey, bass) and I also bring in things. Then we jam it out as a band and move things around to put a song together. Rob (Demedeiros, vocals) comes in with lyrics afterwards.

The title of your debut album is Hatchala, which if I am not mistaken is the Hebrew word for “beginning”. How have things changed for you since the release of this album?
Ben: Since the album came out we’ve had tons of opportunities to play on much bigger shows, and more frequently. We’ve been able to keep a solid schedule and promote our music at the next level compared to what we were doing before.

Continuing on that line of thought, what do you feel being on a label has changed for you guys? What would you recommend to new bands looking to get signed?
Ben: Being on a label has given us a vehicle with which to get our music out there. It also frees up of the financial burden of having to magically come up with money to pay for pressing, distribution, promotion, etc. The only thing I can recommend to bands that are looking at signing with a label is to make sure they know what they’re getting themselves into. They should read the contract thoroughly, and be prepared to work their asses off because the money to put out records isn't free, it has to be paid back at some point. That’s one thing a lot of bands don't understand I think.

A video was produced for the track “Our Kingdom Come”. Can you let us know a bit about that process and what it was like?
Ben: The video is about a guy who is dealing with a lot of bullshit at work and at home and basically enters an underground fight club (the video takes direct inspiration from the movie Fight Club). He engages in a match and envisions his opponent as his co-workers. The video helps capture the angry essence of our band very well. Although it wasn't grueling to make for us by any means, we owe a lot to the actors and all the extras because the fight scenes took a great deal of time and work to film. The filming of our performance was fun although it got a little tiring headbanging over and over to the same song. [laughs] You have to capture the most intense shots possible. It was a great experience overall and we’re extremely happy with Chad’s (Archibald, director, Black Fawn Films) work on it. Check out the video at this location.

It has been said that the video also mirrors the energy of your live shows. What are your goals on stage?
Ben: I think to us the most important thing live is to have a good time and just let loose. Hell it’s just music, it’s meant to be for fun. Our goal live is for the people watching to have as much fun as we are!

What’s in store for Misguided Aggression in the next year? Any writing, recording, touring, or other plans?
Ben: We’re currently writing a new album. We have tons of new material that we’re really excited about. We’re hoping for a new release before next summer. We’re also in talks right now about organizing a full Canadian tour around the same time.

Any last words?
Ben: Come out and party with us next time we’re in your area; we always love a good party. And keep checking back because we have new brutal tunes coming soon! [ END ] - PureGrainAudio

CD Review – Misguided Aggression
Hatchala
Year Of The Sun

If there was one place in Canada where a band like Misguided Aggression could emerge, it would no doubt be Ontario. The origin means straight-to-the-point no compromise approach, pure and innovative yet old-style metal and of course the usual little acknowledgment outside the area. For a very young and virtually unknown band the list of achievements is impressive: a tremendous energy and desire is necessary to release three independent recordings and make a name on the road.

In fact, without even seeing them live it is clear that their performances are stealing shows. Their first studio album “Hatchala” is like a testament to what a die-hard metal fan should expect on their gigs: torn ear-drums and broken ribs. And shattered teeth if you can find them afterward. They are very talented musicians, obviously influenced by the mammoths of the genre, but at times you realize the mammoths are called that for a reason. Misguided Aggression is something you’d like to see as a yet another wave that will form metal of the future.

These guys have been working hard to deliver their ideas, concept, skill and vision to people who appreciate metal in it’s undissolved form, were spotted and rewarded with a chance to bust their asses even more, which they have probably taken without a trace of doubt. Old-school is the influence, a clever but scarce mixing of genres is the music itself. “Pigs in the Market” might remind you of All Shall Perish, while the rest of the album is influenced by the likes of Lamb of God. It must be noted that their striving towards originality at times is a bit over-zealous, creating somehow flawed songs, which could otherwise be high above average.

Nevertheless, whether you are an overweight hit-me-in-the-head no pussy metal believer or an avid metal fan and connoisseur – this album is definitely worth checking out.

myspace.com/misguidedaggression

By arceon - Abort Magazine