Post by The Centurion on Aug 21, 2007 16:57:33 GMT -5
And interview with Matt Skrzypczak from Feast Eternal for your reading pleasure.
Dan:What is your name and what role you play in Feast Eternal?
Matt: My name is Matt Skrzypczak and I am the drummer for the band. I also do all the graphics and artwork and also do all the web design and such for all the sites related to Feast Eternal.
Dan: Can you give us a little background about the band?
Matt: We have been around a while. I started with the band in 1992 and joined TJ and John. TJ was playing guitar and John was on the bass at that time. We have had a lot of ups and downs. John left the band for a while and Josh Potrafka filled the bass spot. Then we kind of took a while off and TJ, John and I started playing again and that is when we recorded “Prisons of Flesh” and toured in our state for a while. Just before we were to go out of state John was in a bad accident and we had to make some changes. Metal Blade records were showing interest in us at the time and we were scheduling some shows with Crimson Thorn. Those things went away since we did not know what was going to happen with John. He recovered well and we started playing again. I had some personal trouble in my life and so we stopped playing again. Eventually TJ and I started writing again and purchased our own recording studio and signed with Open Grave Records in June of 2006. We just recorded “With Fire” and it is at Redline Mastering getting finishing touches to the album. We are currently looking for a second guitar player and a bass player so we can play shows again. We really only need a guitar player to play live again.
Dan: In your words how would you describe Feast Eternal's music?
Matt: We really just try and sound like what we would listen to. We are a death metal band with melody and a blackened feel to our music. A lot of people equate us to Bolt Thrower because of the drum work. I was really influenced by that band.
Dan: Your album Prisons of Flesh was recently re released by Open Grave Records in the US, could you tell us a bit about the re release and the two included bonus tracks?
Matt: Well…it was re-released with two new songs that we created prior to writing “With Fire” material. Serpents Proclaim was played live a couple of times and Rage of Angels was something we had for a while. We decided those were the two songs to better give our fans a glimpse into our new material for “With Fire”. That was the first time actually recording in our new studio and we had a big learning curve with the bonus tracks. Open Grave decided to re-release the whole album with the bonus tracks instead of our idea of making an EP for a lead into the new album.
Dan: How did you end up signing with Open Grave Records? and how has the experience been with them so far?
Matt: James, owner of Open Grave contacted us after listening to our myspace page and told us he was interested in signing us. I kind of let the letter stay in my inbox for a while until I decided to answer him. That gave TJ and myself time to discuss things and find where we wanted to go with the future of Feast Eternal. James and Open Grave have been wonderful. He is one of the hardest working men I have ever known and really cares about the bands and the label.
Dan: Tell us all about your new album With Fire (all the juicy details, music, lyrics, ideas, release date).
Matt: “With Fire” is very different than “Prisons of Flesh”. It has much more melody and mood and has a blackened feel to the music. Topics for the songs are a little more “in your face” than was on “Prisons of Flesh”. We deal with harder issues and try and get into the meat of what we feel is relevant in today’s world. We range in topics from lying to finding where we are truly in our hearts and how we express ourselves to our common man. There is some praise on this album, but we really tried to deal with issues o this one. It will be released in stores in early October.
Dan: Now I understand that Feast has only two members, yourself and T.J. do you think the band will ever recruit new members and go on tour?
Matt: I wish we could. TJ and I are in our mid thirties and would like to take off with this soon. Like I said before….we are looking for those willing to step up and do this with us. We are really looking for members that are serious in being kind of like a family. TJ and I are family men and best friends and we think it is essential. It is hard to find people up here in Traverse City, Michigan who will play this type of music. Most of the Christian scene is stuck in metalcore and finding a new member is like the needle in the haystack it seems. We cannot really move ourselves. We have families, jobs and mortgages that tie us to this area and do not want to move to complete the line-up.
Dan: After taking a break from Feast for awhile, did you notice any major changes (good or bad) in the Christian metal scene since your return?
Matt: Well…sometimes we get frustrated in the stagnation in moving forward with the scene. We find the secular scene moving so quickly and in order to be viable in ministry you need to move musically with it. We notice that the Christian scene tends to get comfortable where they are at. Not all bands are that way, and I do not want to offend some people, but that is how I see it.
Dan: What band or albums would you consider to be an influence on Feast's sound?
Matt: We listen to a lot of secular music. Some of it we cannot listen to because of the blasphemy and such. Bands we like include: Bolt Thrower, older In Flames, Amon Amarth, Immortal, At The Gates, Nile, Bloodbath, Dark Tranquility, Fragments of Unbecoming, Gojira, Insomnium, Rush, Black Sabbath, etc… I could go on and on and on…!
Dan: What types of music besides metal do you listen to?
Matt: We like some stoner rock and progressive stuff. TJ likes big band stuff from time to time and I play the cello so I like to put in some classical once in a while. We also enjoy worship music. Vineyard is one of my favorites.
Dan: Any last comments or shout outs?
Matt: Always stay true to the Father in Heaven. If you don’t know Him, make that commitment. Ask Him to reveal himself and he will in a big way if you are serious. Support the metal scene and interact with it. Make it better than it is so we Christians are leading the scene. Make really good music for the Lord. Get into changing this world with the love of God. Question your leaders and look into what they stand for. Always be true and do not hide behind masks. If we can face our own reflection then we can change ourselves and allow God to change us into a better person. Lie on His anvil and let Him hammer away and shape you into the man or woman of God He wants you to be.
Dan:What is your name and what role you play in Feast Eternal?
Matt: My name is Matt Skrzypczak and I am the drummer for the band. I also do all the graphics and artwork and also do all the web design and such for all the sites related to Feast Eternal.
Dan: Can you give us a little background about the band?
Matt: We have been around a while. I started with the band in 1992 and joined TJ and John. TJ was playing guitar and John was on the bass at that time. We have had a lot of ups and downs. John left the band for a while and Josh Potrafka filled the bass spot. Then we kind of took a while off and TJ, John and I started playing again and that is when we recorded “Prisons of Flesh” and toured in our state for a while. Just before we were to go out of state John was in a bad accident and we had to make some changes. Metal Blade records were showing interest in us at the time and we were scheduling some shows with Crimson Thorn. Those things went away since we did not know what was going to happen with John. He recovered well and we started playing again. I had some personal trouble in my life and so we stopped playing again. Eventually TJ and I started writing again and purchased our own recording studio and signed with Open Grave Records in June of 2006. We just recorded “With Fire” and it is at Redline Mastering getting finishing touches to the album. We are currently looking for a second guitar player and a bass player so we can play shows again. We really only need a guitar player to play live again.
Dan: In your words how would you describe Feast Eternal's music?
Matt: We really just try and sound like what we would listen to. We are a death metal band with melody and a blackened feel to our music. A lot of people equate us to Bolt Thrower because of the drum work. I was really influenced by that band.
Dan: Your album Prisons of Flesh was recently re released by Open Grave Records in the US, could you tell us a bit about the re release and the two included bonus tracks?
Matt: Well…it was re-released with two new songs that we created prior to writing “With Fire” material. Serpents Proclaim was played live a couple of times and Rage of Angels was something we had for a while. We decided those were the two songs to better give our fans a glimpse into our new material for “With Fire”. That was the first time actually recording in our new studio and we had a big learning curve with the bonus tracks. Open Grave decided to re-release the whole album with the bonus tracks instead of our idea of making an EP for a lead into the new album.
Dan: How did you end up signing with Open Grave Records? and how has the experience been with them so far?
Matt: James, owner of Open Grave contacted us after listening to our myspace page and told us he was interested in signing us. I kind of let the letter stay in my inbox for a while until I decided to answer him. That gave TJ and myself time to discuss things and find where we wanted to go with the future of Feast Eternal. James and Open Grave have been wonderful. He is one of the hardest working men I have ever known and really cares about the bands and the label.
Dan: Tell us all about your new album With Fire (all the juicy details, music, lyrics, ideas, release date).
Matt: “With Fire” is very different than “Prisons of Flesh”. It has much more melody and mood and has a blackened feel to the music. Topics for the songs are a little more “in your face” than was on “Prisons of Flesh”. We deal with harder issues and try and get into the meat of what we feel is relevant in today’s world. We range in topics from lying to finding where we are truly in our hearts and how we express ourselves to our common man. There is some praise on this album, but we really tried to deal with issues o this one. It will be released in stores in early October.
Dan: Now I understand that Feast has only two members, yourself and T.J. do you think the band will ever recruit new members and go on tour?
Matt: I wish we could. TJ and I are in our mid thirties and would like to take off with this soon. Like I said before….we are looking for those willing to step up and do this with us. We are really looking for members that are serious in being kind of like a family. TJ and I are family men and best friends and we think it is essential. It is hard to find people up here in Traverse City, Michigan who will play this type of music. Most of the Christian scene is stuck in metalcore and finding a new member is like the needle in the haystack it seems. We cannot really move ourselves. We have families, jobs and mortgages that tie us to this area and do not want to move to complete the line-up.
Dan: After taking a break from Feast for awhile, did you notice any major changes (good or bad) in the Christian metal scene since your return?
Matt: Well…sometimes we get frustrated in the stagnation in moving forward with the scene. We find the secular scene moving so quickly and in order to be viable in ministry you need to move musically with it. We notice that the Christian scene tends to get comfortable where they are at. Not all bands are that way, and I do not want to offend some people, but that is how I see it.
Dan: What band or albums would you consider to be an influence on Feast's sound?
Matt: We listen to a lot of secular music. Some of it we cannot listen to because of the blasphemy and such. Bands we like include: Bolt Thrower, older In Flames, Amon Amarth, Immortal, At The Gates, Nile, Bloodbath, Dark Tranquility, Fragments of Unbecoming, Gojira, Insomnium, Rush, Black Sabbath, etc… I could go on and on and on…!
Dan: What types of music besides metal do you listen to?
Matt: We like some stoner rock and progressive stuff. TJ likes big band stuff from time to time and I play the cello so I like to put in some classical once in a while. We also enjoy worship music. Vineyard is one of my favorites.
Dan: Any last comments or shout outs?
Matt: Always stay true to the Father in Heaven. If you don’t know Him, make that commitment. Ask Him to reveal himself and he will in a big way if you are serious. Support the metal scene and interact with it. Make it better than it is so we Christians are leading the scene. Make really good music for the Lord. Get into changing this world with the love of God. Question your leaders and look into what they stand for. Always be true and do not hide behind masks. If we can face our own reflection then we can change ourselves and allow God to change us into a better person. Lie on His anvil and let Him hammer away and shape you into the man or woman of God He wants you to be.