Unearth

31 October 2008 | 10:55 am | Staff Writer
Originally Appeared In

Having just released their new album 'The March', Unearth are back in the spotlight. With producer Adam D back at the helm, the band is sounding better than ever and proving that they are the true kings of metalcore. We caught up with bass player Slo to talk about their upcoming Soundwave appearnace, partying and all things metal!

More Unearth More Unearth

Having just released their new album 'The March', Unearth are back in the spotlight. With producer Adam D back at the helm, the band is sounding better than ever and proving that they are the true kings of metalcore.


We caught up with bass player Slo to talk about their upcoming Soundwave appearnace, partying and all things metal!

Your name/instrument and your favorite drink ?

My name is John "Slo" Maggard, I play bass for unearth, and my favorite drink is Jim Beam and diet coke, big fan of jagermeister shots with hot sauce as well.... We call em the scumbag!

Your new album 'The March' has just been released in Australia. What's the response been like? Do you take much notice of what people say about your band?


So far the response has been amazing!  We are very happy with this album.  We take in account what people say about it, but in the end this is exactly what we want to play right now.

A lot of bands have done a piss-poor job when it comes to writing original, heavy records in the last few years. How do you think you've been able to keep pushing forward as a band without rehashing old ideas?

I think we just play what we feel, and I think Trevor does a great job of keeping our story interesting lyrically.

Unearth have always had a lot of duel leads, but the new record has a lot of legit guitar solos. Was it a conscious move adding more traditional guitar work to the mix or is that just how the new songs were turning out?

The guys were just writing what they were into at this point.  We have always been fans of solos and the guys had a lot of great ideas, so we just ran with it.

The March is your first record to feature Derek Kerswill. What did he bring to the writing and recording compared to your previous drummers?
 
Derek is a solid dude and he is super patient when it comes to writing and structuring parts, so that made the process very smooth for the rest of the band.  He cares dearly for the quality of the music and his part of it. Without him this album would not have been the same.  Derek rules!!!!

You guys return to Australia in Feb/March 2009 for the Soundwave Festival.  Are you guys looking forward to it? I vaguely remember some of you guys yelling about Nandos after a show one time down here. It's probably one of my favorite places to eat.

We can't wait to get back to aussie!  We love it there and the people are so good to us!  We are very anxious to be a part of the Soundwave this year! Nandos.... Mmmm delicious haha.

Is there any bands you are excited or keen to check out on the Soundwave Festival?


Actually I'm pretty excited to see every band on this tour!!!

Adam D has returned for production duties on the new record, 'The March' being the third album he has produced for Unearth. What is it you like about his sound so much? Your last record 'III: In the Eyes of Fire' was produced by Terry Date, who is responsible for some pretty seminal metal albums like EVERY Pantera record. What made you return to Adam D?

Adam just really understands us both as people and musicians... Anytime we get a little crazy, he's there to bring some order and clarity to the madness haha.  In many ways, we feel like he is a part of the band and a part of our family.  Love the dude to death!

How did appearing on the Aqua Teen Hunger Force movie soundtrack come about? Are you guys fans of the show?

I guess one of the guys behind the scenes of the show is a fan of the band, and yes we are also fans of the show. We were asked to submit a song and we delivered.  We are very happy to be part of it, and it’s a fun fuckin song!

Do you have any pre show rituals?

We like to engage in what we call "power hour".  We basically listen to awesome tunes really loud and drink our faces off... By the time we go onstage, we feel like we are headed to an awesome party!

Best cure for a hangover?


Gatorade.

Favorite restaurant/meal on tour?

I like anything to do with pasta or sushi.

If you could be in a band with any 4 dudes, who would they be? Living or dead...


Mmmmm.... Sorry , I think I'm already in that band haha.  I really love being a part of Unearth, we are the best of friends and we know how to throw a party!

That's pretty much it. Anything else you want to share with us?


Thanks for the interview and to all the unearth listeners out there in aussie, we love you guys and thank you so much for the support over the years!!! See you soon on Soundwave!!! Cheers!!!!

Thanks for your time !


'The March' is out now via Stomp. For more info on the band head to their
Myspace page.

Don't miss a beat with our FREE daily newsletter