10 Questions With This Or The Apocalypse
Last year I attended the Atticus Metal Tour III, and wrote a quick paragraph about This or the Apocalypse- a five-piece metal band from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It was the first time I had seen and even heard of them, but they took me by surprise. Since then I have acquired all of their albums and just think they are an amazing, cohesive group. Recently I had the chance to interview front man Ricky Armellino, which can be be read after the jump.
1. When and how did This or the Apocalypse form?
Jamming around in college and started a band for the hell of it. Sort of turned into a real thing.
2. Have you had any member changes or has it been the five of you from the beginning?
It's been a revolving door for some of the positions. Most band are now adays.
3. Is it ever hard to find cohesion with five different personalities and opinions?
Yeah it definitely is. You need a good coach/leader and you definitely need to maintain a certain degree of respect for one another.
4. What are the differences between your albums- style, music, inspiration wise?
We've always just done something different for each album; I'd say we started off as more of a rock-based metal group and eventually slided into a much more melodic form of tech metal. It's pretty crazy listening to each CD and realizing that it's the same band, at least to me.
5. Was the whole process for the latest album easier than the first? What was it like going from doing everything on your own to having a record label?
It was a difficult album to make but all of them have been pretty hard. I think that the record label jumping in didn't change the work load a lot- just shifted it around. It's always been a lot of micromanagement.
6. How has touring been going? Does it get easier to play shows the more you do it and the more you get comfortable?
The shows get much easier to play, staying in shape helps a lot. Touring just sort of feels like your life after you do it long enough. I enjoy it a lot.
7. What is the meaning behind the band's name? What are TOTA's thoughts on the supposed apocalypse "happening" late in the year? Do you carry that over into your music?
The band name was meant to be kind of an ultimatum. A lot of the songs are about ongoing problems in the world.
8. What has been the most memorable show that you have played or the craziest thing a fan's ever said or done?
There have been a lot of memorable shows but one that always stands out is the time our whole tour package covered us in cake while we were playing because it was on my birthday. We all were stage diving and the whole audience/floor ended up covered in cake too, the venue was furious. People were sliding around on the floor. Seeing people who have tattoos of our lyrics or artwork is pretty crazy, I have met a few people who have done that.
9. If you could play any venue with any band, what and who would it be and why?
I'd love to do a basement/firehall/DIY tour with Rage Against the Machine or At the Drive-in. House show/Firehall tours are the best.
10. What are the band's future plans?
We'll be putting our CD out in the next few months and doing some tours. Pretty excited about it.
Short but sweet, Armellino gets right down to some details about the band and the music industry in general. I'm looking forward to the new album and coinciding tour that will hopefully make a stop in upstate New York.
Get acquainted with This or the Apocalypse:
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