Synastry - Jimmy
Posted on August 29, 2008 at 10:22 pm by admin
I reviewed Synastry’s latest album, “Blind Eyes Bleed”, and it wasn’t half bad! It was a decent start, so I got a chance to get an interview with vocalist Jimmy to see what he had to say.
Way Too Loud: Everyone always loves to talk about their influences and the bands that got them up and playing, so can you tell me about yours? Maybe Obliveon?
Jimmy: Funny you should mention Obliveon, because a lot of people keep telling us we have a similar sound. We aren’t actually directly influenced by Obliveon, but the more I listen to them, the more of a resemblance I can hear.
Mainly our influences in Synastry are Fear Factory, Meshuggah, Mnemic, Arch Enemy…basically most of the older US and Euro bands that incorporate different aspects into their songs, whether it be the riffing, the solos, etc..
WTL: I know there’s a lot of hometown spirit in Montreal, so can you tell me how well the action is with you guys over there?
Jimmy: Montreal is an awesome place, that’s for sure. There are many metal bands coming out of this city, and that’s a really good thing because it creates a kind of competitive atmosphere. Competition is good, because it makes you strive to be better than what you were previously and also to motivate you to surpass your contemporaries.
This aspect of the Montreal scene is something I love and hate at the same time, because if you do better than your best, you can make it out of the city and start doing something with your band. Yet, make one slip up, and there’s 10 other bands waiting to take your place.
No matter what anyone says about bands helping each other out, it only goes so far, because there’s only room for one at the top, whether it’s in Montreal or the rest of the world. The scene we have grown in has helped us be ready to take on all comers.
WTL: I’ve noticed that when you tour there’s a lot of Ontario dates when you tour. Have you been building up a good following in Ontario?
Jimmy: Yes, since we have started touring, the cities in Ontario have been really good to us in terms of shows, fun and replay value. There’s more cities in Ontario I would like to play, and of course, the rest of Canada as well, yet, it seems the Ontarians have a fond place in their heart for us (as do we for them).
WTL: Do you think you fulfilled the intention of “Blind Eyes Bleed”? Many said it seemed like you were trying to blend organic tones with the mechanical industrial side.
Jimmy: I think that “Blind Eyes Bleed” fulfilled it’s purpose as far as being a first record. The blending of the mechanical and organic tones was more of an experiment than anything else, yet, it captured who Synastry was at the time when we wrote and recorded it. The record comes off a little unique sounding as a result, and that’s always a good thing. We want to avoid sounding too much like other bands, that’s why we didn’t go into the fully processed world.
WTL: It’s probably way too soon for you to think about making a new album, but I personally loved the slower songs the most. Is there any chance you’ll focus a bit more on that aspect on your next album? Just a personal wish.
Jimmy: It’s never to early to think about a new album! We’ve been writing new songs since before “Blind Eyes Bleed” was even finished being mixed, so we have a plethora to choose from. As of now, we are going into the studio to record disc 2 in January with producer J.F. Dagenias from Kataklysm. As for what the songs will be like, we have a mix between faster and slower songs but, we are focusing more on the groove aspect of the riffing. There will be a few songs that may seem like odd choices at first, but we wouldn’t put anything too off the wall in it. I will say this though, expect another guest on this album, but I don’t want to say who it is just yet.
WTL: There’s a lot of bands out there right now. Do you feel any competition from an indirect sense?
Jimmy: Competition comes from every corner. It sounds cheesy to say, but we have to be ready to outdo any band at any given time. That’s a big task, yet, we are evolving with each new riff and each show we play, and without any brashness or cockiness I can confidently say we are getting better at ‘bringing it’ each night we play, and we want to make that perfectly clear on our next album.
WTL: On the other hand, there doesn’t seem to be too much stirring the world of metal and industrial. Do you think you’re unique take gives you a leg up on so many other bands?
Jimmy: I think our sound is a bit fresher than most bands simply because of the samples and some other elements we bring to the table. We’re not going to play at 220BPM simply to show off our cock size, and we’re not going to play the same redundant breakdown like every other band. When we do a blasting part, we try to make it sound a bit unique, as we also do in our breakdowns, because we usually have a bit of a melody going on in those.
WTL: Where in the world would you like to play?
Jimmy: I would love to tour the world a hundred times over. There isn’t one place I’d rather play more than another, though I think playing in Athens, Greece, would be pretty damn cool.
WTL: Who would you love to tour with more than anyone else? You can name as many bands as you like.
Jimmy: That’s a really long list, so I will keep it neat and clean, and I would like to tour with these bands because I think their fans would dig us… Kataklysm, Cannibal Corpse, Fear Factory, Meshuggah…shit man, this is a loaded question, I think I’m going to stop right there! (Laughs)
WTL: Who would be someone who’s feasible, but not obvious you’d like to tour with.
Jimmy: I think touring with friend’s bands could be the most fun you can have on the road, so….I’m gonna say…all my friend’s bands! (Laughs)
WTL: Since bands get asked about their band name all the time, have you ever lied about what your band name means, or just flat out lied about your band name just for fun?
Jimmy: (Laughs) No, we never lied about that. Synastry is an astrological method of deciphering people potential relationships through use of their birth charts, and that’s a fact!
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