Chronolyth

Brisbane's Chronolyth are the latest band helping to grow the already healthy local metal scene. With a new album - 'Atrophy' - now out, and a national run of shows currently in progress, the northern state lads aren't leaving anything to chance. Killyourstereo.com recently caught up with the group to discuss what has been an important 12 months.

Thanks for the interview, today.

Thanks for having me, Kane. Always a pleasure.

New album out, current tour in progress. It’s an exciting time for the band. As a very easy starting point, how has everything been for Chronolyth so far in 2016?

That’d be an understatement. We kicked off the Atrophy Australian tour last Friday, and the response has been wild. A lot of quiet followers have been coming out from their caves and the turnouts have been great. We’ve even had a fair number of fans telling us they’d have flown from across the country to see us live, it’s really touching stuff.

With all the positive events comes a busier schedule. How are you finding balancing band commitments with all your outside obligations?

It can be very difficult. I’m actually unemployed at the moment while we focus on the tour. The other boys - whether it be study or work - find it can restrict touring and release schedules, but there’s always a way. Sometimes it just requires a bit of patience, knowledge and serious planning.

Similarly, as you mentioned in a Facebook post, you’ve put your “heart and soul” into ‘Atrophy’. Now that listeners finally have the chance to listen to it, what are you most proud of upon reflection?

Well, we came out with a product, which we took our time crafting. It was important to us that we expanded from the sound on our debut album ‘Sovereign’. We didn’t want to make the same record twice and I feel like we’ve achieved that without straying too far from our roots. I’d have to say that a lot of the songs we decided were weaker on the album after recording actually turned out as fan favourites. I’m pretty proud of that because while it might confuse me, it’s humbling to know that our following appreciate the entire discography.

It’s no secret this type of music requires a lot of practice to succeed. In the early stages, what were some tedious aspects and/or hardships you encountered in a pursuit to get to where you are now?

Having every member focused on the task at hand has been a difficult task in the early days. I feel as though we’re sharper as individuals now and had to go through that to learn. The balance between a tight performance and an exciting stage presence is another thing we’ve battled with during our career. It’s all part of the fun in evolving though.

You opened Soundwave in Brisbane previously. What were some of the insights/experiences you gathered from that performance?

Once upon a time we certainly did. It was one of the highlights during our time as a band and something I’ll forever be grateful to take part in. Being still somewhat new to the music industry as an 18 year old, it was pretty intimidating at first. I quickly realised that the crew and other touring bands were generally incredibly polite. I found the boys in Suicide Silence and DevilDriver were incredibly welcoming, I’ve stayed in touch with some of them since, which is also great.

For a local band like Chronolyth, what would you like to see improved to help younger bands get a foot in the door nowadays?

More established bands should take the time to listen to the new bands trying to break into the scene. You never know what potential is out there and it’s only getting harder to make a name for yourself. It’s also a respect thing.

As for the younger bands, get out there and meet people in the scene. Don’t try to brag about your band, but rather get to know the artists in the scene and be genuine. You never know, they might take the time out to hear your music and make a decision for themselves. It’s a mistake I think a lot of young bands make and the quicker you can master this, the quicker you can take the next step forward.

What were some influential albums that got the ball rolling in terms of making you want to pick up an instrument and start a band?

System of a Down’s ‘Toxicity’ was a huge one for me. It was the first heavier record I heard in full as a young teenager. I actually wanted to learn drums, but my friend in high school was already a drummer and wanted to start a band. So I ended up getting a guitar for my birthday, started in his band the next day and I’ve been in bands ever since the day I turned 13.

What’s planned for the rest of 2016 after these shows?

We’ve got some ideas in the works. We’d like to tour as support for international acts, hopefully get overseas at some point before we start working on the next record. Time will tell exactly where ‘Atrophy’ will take us in the meantime. We like to ride the wave somewhat as to never miss an opportunity.

Thanks again for the interview. Appreciate your time.

Thanks Kane, any time.

'Atrophy' is out now and available for purchase via Nerve Gas.

You can catch Chronolyth on the below tour dates. Further details are available via: https://www.facebook.com/chronolythband.