Interview with Marc Matthews (ENGRAVED DISILLUSION)

Marc Matthews speaks about the incoming album, “The Eternal Rest”, but as well about his musician past, theirs equipments and the futur of ENGRAVED DISILLUSION.

Hi Marc ! Thank to have accepted this interview. How are you and how is Engraved Disillusion doing?

Hey, the band is doing really well thanks. With the imminent release of the new album, The Eternal Rest, we are all really excited!

Engraved Disillusion is a new band, created in 2008. Could you please share some information about how did you start to create the band and what “style” are you playing ?

Founding members myself (Marc), Toby and Chris had played in previous bands together, after the dissolution of various bands we decided to put together a band that encompassed the various elements of metal and rock that we enjoyed. Initially the band started out as heavy, melodic death metal outfit, over the years our sound and style have progressed somewhat.

Why did you chose the name “Engraved Disillusion” ?

The name was chosen, as we felt it was the perfect phrase to describe the inherent and engraved disillusion and apathy in Western Society.

Let’s speak a little bit about your introduction to music, how did you fall into it ?

I wasn’t raised in a particularly musical household, although I have always been extremely creative. I have always enjoyed music, and from an early age found intrigue in the creation of musical compositions. I first got into heavy/rock music in my early teens, approximately around the same time I started playing guitar. From there my passion for music and the audio industry has developed and progressed.

What was your musician / band inspiration at this time ? What are your musician / band inspiration now ?

The Eagles, Hotel California, was the song that inspired me to play guitar and got me hooked on Rock music, it really snowballed from there. The intro, to this day, is still incredible and the harmonies and structure of the solo at the end shares similarities with some of the Engraved song writing.

Do you remember the first concerts you saw?

I can’t quite remember the first memorable gig but my first memorable festival was Download 2007, some killer bands there that year!

And on the other side, do you have some souvenirs about your first gig? Does everything was all right as excepted?

Our first gig was a battle of the bands in our hometown (Taunton). We played a song that we had never played as a band before, only as individuals. Needless to say it didn’t go overly well. It was also the one and only gig where we had a drum solo as we didn’t have enough material. Putting all that aside it was really good fun and the placed was packed, surprisingly we actually won the competition!

How did you learn music/guitar– self-taught or lessons?

I was self-taught up until about 4 years ago; I then started to have lessons with this great guitar teacher. I wanted to knuckle down and learn the theory behind music and refine my playing. I seriously advocate guitar lessons; I wish I had started sooner.

What was your first guitar model?

I bought a £30 nylon strung acoustic from Argos at age 13, I still have it to this day! My first electric was a cheap Fender Stratocaster which I bought off a next door neighbor.

I really appreciate your guitar composition, even if the band only released one EP and one album, it’s very easy to notice that the melodies are always warm and colorful and even bring some joy !. How do you manage to create the lead and then the solo?

Toby is the primary lead/solo composer, he’ll generally come up with an idea and then we’ll jam over it at rehearsal. As a band we’re pretty good at recognizing a good lead and the subsequent harmony. That being said we also know when no to harmonize, it’s not something we do because “it’s our style”, we do it because we think it’ll benefit the song.

Speaking and composition, may we know how does the song are created?

The songs were composed during jamming sessions at our houses and at rehearsals. When we get together with an idea, we can always rely on one of us to realize the potential of a song. The great thing is, all five of us have an input in the songwriting, bringing unique and different musical tastes to the table.

What is your live rig / studio gears ?

I used a Jackson DKMG, Peavey 6505 though a mesa 4×12. Out front I use a Maxon OD808 with a Boss NS-2. This setup was used for both Embers and The Eternal Rest. In the effects loop I use a Boss DD3 Delay, Boss GE-7 graphic EQ and a TC Electronic HOF reverb. I try to keep my setup as simple as possible; I like to focus on showmanship and the audience rather than dancing around on pedals.

How was welcomed “Embers of Existence” by the public ?

“Embers of Existence” was received really well by the public. We received some sick reviews and off the back of those reviews some great gigs in Europe!

If you will have to give one or two words about this EP and album, which words will chose to describe them one by one ?

Epic and Breathtaking

Could you please share some information about your gear (guitar, amp, pedals) for the EP and the last album ?

We used the same setup on the recordings as we do live, we like to emulate our album sound live as close as possible. However, the Desolate EP guitars were tracked using a Peavey 5150 on both sides.

What is a standard guitar warm up / training for your ?

I run through some chromatic exercises and mix it up with string skipping, along with alternate picking to get the right arm properly involved. I might also run through a few scales if I’m feeling particularly ropey.

Which advices could you provide to a new and advanced player?

Develop an ear for music, listen to everything and try and break the composition down, then transpose it onto guitar (if it isn’t already). This will help introduce creatively into your playing, allow you to think outside the box and be adventurous with your playing. Also, source a good quality guitar teacher to teach you the basics (i.e. picking and fretting)

Speaking about advices, as you play a melodic death metal, how does a player can start to play this music style ? Are there some specials technics which need to be master first?

Melodic music requires the musician to play with emotion and feeling whilst incorporate heavy elements. I would advocate listening to as much melodic and varied music as possible. You don’t necessarily have to be the most accomplished player, I’m learning all the time and still taking guitar lessons, just play with passion.

On a weekly basis, how muchtime do you spend practicing?

At the moment we rehearse once a week and I probably practice sporadically throughout the week when I get time. It’s the business end of the new release; subsequently a lot of time is taken up administering the band and no actually playing unfortunately.

Let’s speak again about Engraved Disillusion which will release their new album “The Eternal Rest” on the 31^st October. When did you start to composed the songs ? What do we have to wait ?

The songs were recorded at Thin Ice Studios with Karl Groom (Dragonforce and Threshold) in June. We scheduled the release in October as we wanted the best possible promotional run up and wanted everything to be perfect with the release. As we’re self releasing that are a lot of aspects to consider and get right first time.

How did you record the album ? Which studio did you choose and why ?

We recorded the album with Karl Groom at Thin Ice Studios (Threshold and Dragonforce). It was recorded over the space of two weeks in June 2014, we stayed in a pleasant fishing lodge! We chose Karl as his experience; workflow and work ethic suited the recording process we had in mind. He shared our artistic vision and his input as a producer helped elevate The Eternal Rest to high musical standards that we have achieved.

Does some limited / or digipack edition will be release ?

We are planning on releasing limited edition vinyl copies of the album and maybe some acoustic renditions of a few tracks. However, we have no concrete plans at the moment.

Metal-Archives.com stated that you have no label, is it true? How could it be ? Is it a personal choice?

Yes, we are currently unsigned. We have had major label interest but the terms and conditions haven’t been quite right for us. We’re very experienced and believe that unless the right offer is put on the table we’ll continue on our own terms.

Does Engraved Disillusion will be on tour this year (or give some gigs) ?

Yes we will be on tour this year and into 2015. We aim to tour the UK and hit Europe again in 2015. Our next show is the album release show 31^st October in our hometown, we’re also officially releasing the album the same day, it’s going to be an amazing night!

Engraved Disillusion plays a called “melodic death”, played by many band in the past, and which continue to play it as well for some. Isn’t it difficult for you, as a band, to be compare with other bands and to fight to be among them ?

It certainly isn’t easy but we like to think that we have elements that are unique to us. Our sound incorporates classic rock and progressive elements, as well as the melodic metal sound, as the writing process develops with each release our sound is constantly evolving. This allows us to set ourselves apart from our peers, we’re not afraid to write music that can be considered controversial or different to our fan base. We like to experiment and try new ideas all the time.

What are your favorite albums and what are you listen?

My top three albums are probably Whitesnake “1987”, The Black Dahlia Murder “Nocturnal”, and Sylosis “Conclusion of an Age”. There are probably more that I can’t think of tight now but I know for a fact that I’ve listened to theses albums to death! I’ve just listened to the new Mastadon track; I was a big fan during the Leviathan era and will probably go back down that road in the next few weeks.

Do you have a last word for the french reader ?

Watch this space, Engraved Disillusion will be big in 2015!