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interview Brent Rambler, lead guitar for August Burns Red
November 29, 2005
Pennsylvania-born August Burns Red has hit the scene with their chaotic form of metal and everyone is talking about them. If you haven't had the chance to check out the debut album from August Burns Red then you are simply slow and need to get off your couch and go buy a copy. The cd is insane, brutal metal that beats your ear drums until you hear nothing but a chaotic distortion of fury! You can check out the album review here.
Dennis: I know bands hate this question
typically but where did you guys come up with the band name and what
does it mean to you?
Brent: Well, actually the name has a real gross
meaning behind it, our very first singer witnessed a horrible accident
about 3 years ago that involved a friend of his loosing his hand in a
wood chopping accident. Apparently it was real hot out, and in the month
of August, thus the name came about. We know it's really cliche and
everything, but things took off really fast for us and we just never got
around to changing it.
Dennis: You guys are currently finishing up a freaking insane tour with
Bury Your Dead, Terror and Scars of Tomorrow. How has the tour been
going and what has been the coolest moment of the tour?
Brent: The tour was incredible. We had a blast
getting to hang out with all of the bands, and we made a lot of friends.
The coolest moment of tour was getting to play for a packed room of kids
every night. Normally that's not something that we get the chance to do.
We're can't thank Bury Your Dead enough for taking us out, and showing
us a good time. Oh and one night we went out with BYD to a club and got
our dance on, sadly for us, they chose not to dance with us. Bummer
Dennis: Your debut album is freaking intense! I stated in our review
that the album is, "Insane, brutal metal that beats your ear drums
until you hear nothing but a chaotic distortion of fury!" With the
music being so complex and chaotic, how did you even being the process
of putting the songs together for the album?
Brent: Well, usually JB comes up with the basis of
the song, and then the drums get added, and all of the other stuff is
thrown into the mix. It seems to be a good process.
Dennis: How did you guys team up with Solid State?
Brent: Well one day Solid State emailed us
requesting a press pack. We got really excited, sent them one and kept
in contact until we signed. I actually found out they had contacted us
while I was ice skating. I got so excited I did a triple back flip, with
perfect form I might add.
Dennis: Knowing that you are an a label of predominately Christian
bands, how do you think that draws people to pull Christian messages
from your lyrics or is that important to you as an artist?
Brent: It is important to us that people know that
we are indeed Christians, which is one of the reasons we pray on stage
before we play, usually. We do this because we think it lets people know
that we are all Christians, without having us stand up there and ram it
down peoples throats. As far as our lyrics go, many of them deal with
other things in life, because even though we are Christians we still
deal with the everyday things that everyone else does. However, if you
want to interpret all of our lyrics in a Christian manner, then more
power to you, we just want our lyrics to come across with some sort of
positive message.
Dennis: What songs have meant the most to you since you have been
touring?
Brent: Well we haven't been touring all that long
so its hard to pick one that means the most, but for me I would have to
say that the most fun songs to play are Your Little Suberbia is in Ruins
and Consumer.
Dennis: Why choose Jesus with all the other choices in the world?
Brent: Because He set such a loving example for
everyone to follow. He judged no one and accepted everyone with open
arms, even if they were considered the scum of the Earth.
Dennis: Labels are something that everyone deals with from both a
Christian and mainstream perspective. How do you handle labels that are
placed on you and what are some misconceptions that have been placed on
you?
Brent: I don't think it's a bad thing to be
labeled as a Christian band or a secular band, which is why we choose to
tour with Christian and secular bands. On this past tour people brought
our Christianity up a good bit, but never was it meant in a negative
manner. A lot of people just have questions about it, and as long as you
don't get offended and are open minded about it, then you shouldn't have
any problems with misconceptions or negative labels.
Dennis: As a new band getting attention now from all over, what has been
something you have said or done since then that you wish you could take
back (or embarrassing moment if nothing comes to mind)?
Brent: As a whole we haven't really done many
interviews yet, so I don't think we have anything to take back. An
embarrassing moment for me personally was one time we were playing a set
in our home town this past September and for like 2 songs I felt the
buttons on my pants had come undone because I could feel a slight draft.
haha So for that whole entire time period I rocked out with my back to
the crowd, for fear I would expose myself.
Dennis: If you could pick one band to tour with past or present, who
would it be and why?
Brent: Right now, I would say Darkest Hour because
I love their new album.