Without A Martyr are one of the heaviest bands coming out of the Scranton, Pa area. Recently, they competed, and tour the house down, at a Battle of the Bands to play at Mayhem Festival in Reading, Pa. I took the opportunity to talk to them about their new music, their plans for the future, and how it all got started.
The Interview:
Do you have any upcoming releases? If so, tell me about them!
We don’t have any dates set just yet for our next release but a demo will be released soon, followed by an EP. We will be recording our new stuff like “Mechanical,” “Slit Their Throats,” and “Out for Blood.” In the new recordings, we will show how the band has evolved since getting our guitarist “Iron Mike” White.
How did the band form?
The band formed from front man Eric Ross and drummer Phil Luongo, both of whom had always wanted to start a heavy band. The two got together and started trying to get a sound going, rough in the beginning, because neither did any work with music, or heavy music at that. Weeks later, bassist Mike Bnoc Bieniecki was picked up followed with guitar player “Iron Mike” White.
What are some of your fondest memories of the band?
There are a lot of fond memories but one that stands out is getting airplay on a local radio station.
What do you try to incorporate into your music?
For our sound we try to incorporate something different to each song, like a funk riff randomly in the middle of “Out for Blood,” one of our heaviest songs.
Which artists do you cite as your main influences when writing and performing?
Some artists we can cite as influences are Chelsea Grin, Whitechapel, and Emmure.
Do you play shows a lot? Do you ever tour?
We do play as many shows as we possibly can. We haven’t gotten the privilege to tour yet but we are hoping to in the near future.
How important are appearances to your music?
Appearances are not nearly as important as the music. Its not a bad thing to have a good image but let the music speak for itself.
How do you try to incorporate your live performances into your shows?
For our live performances, we try to keep a high energy by encouraging the crowd to make the pit go harder or sing along or get on the ground and jump.
Check our stuff on the YouTube channel: http://www.YouTube.com/withoutamartyrmusic
We will also be performing at the All Stars tour in Reading Pennsylvania on August 16th, at the Reverb.
Vince-
