Interview: AVAT, Miami metal rockers

Hailing from Miami, Florida, AVAT are a metalcore band hearkening back to the 2000s sound of A7X, Trivium, Killswitch, and the like. With only a few tracks out so far, they’re in the very early stages of their career, but still have a refined, clear-cut sound that will entertain fans of the aforementioned bands. Their newest track, “Dead or Alive,” has already amassed half a million views on YouTube. I got the chance to ask them some questions before they take off!

New Fury Media: I hear a lot of variety in “Dead or Alive,” like Avenged Sevenfold and Bury Tomorrow.
What bands inspired you?

Roly Vee: Definitely Metallica, Avenged Sevenfold, Trivium, and Killswitch just to name a few.

Dimitri Anchipolovsky: Those bands definitely had a big influence on me, and that can be reflected in our music. Bands like them, Killswitch Engage, Trivium, Breaking Benjamin, As I Lay Dying, Seven Dust, In Flames. They all really heavily influenced me and the way I write for AVAT.

Jonathan Rivera: It’s so funny you say that because Avenged Sevenfold is definitely one of them! I grew up listening to a lot of Trivium, Ax7, Killswitch, Lamb of God, Atreyu, Bullet for my Valentine, Disturbed and Mudvayne. They shaped most of my style early on, and I still see subtle ways their music affected my writing today.

New Fury: You’ve released a total of four tracks over the years. Are you gearing up for an EP soon?

Roly: We’re really testing out various ideas now with the singles format and enjoying that although, we do want to visit an LP soon.
We are in the process of writing out more material and weeding out various styles trying
to dial into our own.

Dimitri: It’s hard to say as of right now. I think it’s something on the to do list, but it’s not a tremendous priority at the moment. AVAT is still experimenting with different writing
styles and methods, because although we ourselves are extremely happy with the music we’ve put out thus far, we feel that we can be better. Once we reach peak satisfaction in our writing capabilities, an album/ep will be coming shortly after.

New Fury: What are your favorite bands in the Miami scene?

Roly: From Miami specifically, that would have to be Nonpoint and Poison the Well. On a more recent and local level, Stone White Elephant and Top Tier are killing it lately and our label mates Of The Wasteland are cooking up some awesome stuff.
Shout out to my boys in Acaedia, Abiotic, and Omnisium!

Jonathan: Miami has tons of awesome bands in the scene! Some of my favs include label mates Top Tier, Of The Wasteland, and Stone White Elephant.

New Fury: I noticed you don’t have a guitarist – what are you looking for in a six-stringer?

Roly: Well, we’re definitely missing another one but Dimitri is nothing to scoff at. He is one of the hardest working individuals I’ve had the pleasure to share the stage with.
I’d like to naturally find the next good fit for the band of course, but not at the sacrifice of
what we have built. They would definitely need to be hard working, self reliant
individuals that not only have a passion but a greater understanding of life itself.
In other words, don’t take yourself too seriously and help us write some amazing music.

Dimitri: He’s gotta have a beard, have good taste in music, and a cool name that grabs people’s attention, like Dimitri or something…if only cloning wasn’t illegal

New Fury: Who’s on the list of dream bands for AVAT to tour with?

Roly: Dream bands you say? I’d like to include Avenged Sevenfold, Metallica, Protest the Hero, Papa Roach, Killswitch Engage, Nonpoint, Slipknot, 10 Years, Nothing More,
Trivium, Skillet, Atreyu, Rage Against the Machine, FFDP, Thrice, Of Mice and Men,
Bring Me the Horizon.
I think that’d make one hell of a tour.

Dimitri: Hard to say, because there’s nothing I’d love to see more than for AVAT to tour with all the bands that have inspired me to be a musician and play in a band myself.
Landing a tour with any of the bands I mentioned before would be nothing short of a
dream. However I feel that I’d also love to hit the road with some of the other bands I’ve
played with here locally since we’ve gotten to know each other fairly well, it’d be a really
cool experience.

Jonathan: My top dream band to tour with is definitely Trivium. They are the first metal band I really started getting into all the way back in middle school, and I’ve been a huge fan ever since. Other bands would have to be Ax7, Killswitch Engage, Metallica, and
Slipknot.

Thanks to AVAT for speaking with us. If the plays on “Dead or Alive” and the talent audible in the band are any indicator, they’re on the right track to grow, and quick!