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| The Time has come to Break the Earth |
Contributing writer Octavio Ramos
Based
in the Duke City of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Break
the Earth taps into an eclectic mix of metal approaches, from
technical death metal and ambient metal to facets of melodic metal
and even doom metal, to produce a distinct and modern style of their
own. The band recently unleashed their full-length debut, titled
Numbered
Days, which is
available to snag off bandcamp. Numbered Days consists of 12 tracks,
each of which stands on its own yet contributes to the cohesion of an
album proper. The band consists of Paul Sanchez on vocals, P. M.
Duffy on guitars, Alex Camacho on bass, and Hiram “Beast” Viezca
on the battery. I caught up with Duffy and Viezca, who let me in on
the latest happenings with Break
the Earth.
Tell
me about your band name? What is the significance of “Break the
Earth”?
Duffy:
“I had a nightmare after reading the news about how the planet is
heating up and nuclear war always seems imminent. We are all in some
way doing our part to ‘break the earth,’ I thought. So, it was
born out of my paranoia of some mass-extinction event we haven’t
realized yet.”
How
did you guys come together?
Hiram:
“Duffy and I found each other on the Craigslist site. We were both
looking to start a band, so we decided to meet at Midnight Sun
Studio, owned by this real cool dude by the name of Tommy. I remember
within the first two get-togethers or so we wrote the guitar and drum
parts to the song ‘First Blood,’ so I knew we were going to work
well together. Alex I’ve known for a long time, and he agreed to
play bass. We had a hard time finding a singer.”
Duffy:
“Paul was referred to us from my good buddy, Mindy, who knows or
has met almost everyone who is a musician here in Albuquerque.”
Hiram:
“I remember we met him at Midnight Sun and played the parts we had
at the time for ‘First Blood.’ When this dude opened his mouth to
sing, out comes this explosive vocal! I was, like, this is the guy.”
Please
describe your musical approach and resultant sound.
Hiram:
“I really like what we write. We just write whatever feels right
and sounds good. We have many different influences, from blues to
death metal. What you get is a very heavy sound with awesome solos
and a natural groove that anyone can get into.”
Duffy:
“We have very eclectic influences. I probably listen to more fusion
and punk rock than the rest of the guys, who are really knowledgeable
about death metal. We absolutely must have a groove to our sound that
gets the blood pumping. I get bored when every song sounds exactly
the same when I see a band live. I didn’t want that with this
band.”
Tell
me about your full-length studio CD, titled Numbered
Days. What can
listeners expect to hear?
Duffy:
“I think Numbered
Days is a great
introduction to the band. I feel like we are reaching for our
potential. Every song has its own vibe, yet they all flow into each
other. You can listen to it in parts or as a whole and it still
sounds great, not just a bunch of random songs all over the place
that sound patched together. Much of the credit has to go to how
these guys put 100% into it. Most of Alex’s bass tracks and ALL of
Hiram’s drum parts were all done in one take. When I listen to them
I still trip out on that. Paul sounds terrifying. He really made this
album work. It is an intense album of 12 songs that anyone who loves
metal can appreciate.”
What
inspired the song “Skin of Evil”?
Duffy:
“It started as just a name from my favorite episode of Star
Trek. I told Paul this
and he wrote lyrics that really fit the topic—one of my favorite
sci-fi villains ever.”
How
was it working at Dement Ted Studios in Albuquerque?
Hiram:
“Dement Ted Studios was great! Charlito is the owner/engineer
there, and he did a great job on the album. Charlito has a great ear
for sound and was very easy to work with.”
Duffy:
“He deserves a medal for putting up with us. Consummate
professional and a fantastic guy.”
Describe
a typical song-writing session for Numbered Days. Would you call the
approach a democracy, dictatorship, a republic, or a monarchy?
Hiram:
“Song-writing is a very collaborative process. Everyone gets to put
in their input. Usually, Duffy and I come up with a rhythm and Paul
and Alex will fill it in as we go. Paul also records our sessions for
reference later. I find that it helps to remember ‘that really
awesome part that we came up with last week.’”
What
can fans expect from Numbered Days when you perform live?
Hiram:
“Fans can expect a high-energy, explosive performance! Fans want a
show and will definitely get one from Break the Earth. All of us are
very passionate about our music and it definitely comes through on
stage. I like to say, what you hear on the album is what you’re
going to hear live.”
Do
you have a favorite Albuquerque venue? Explain why.
Hiram:
“My favorite Albuquerque venue is the Sunshine Theater. The sound
there is fantastic and the staff has always been very easy to work
with.”
Tell
me about your personal approach to percussion, both as an independent
instrument and how it contributes to the band’s signature sound.
Hiram:
“I’m very passionate about drumming. I’m always learning new
things and I like to be as creative as I can as a musician. I get to
work with three very talented musicians in Break the Earth, so I do
my very best to stay on my A-Game.”
Anything
you would like to add?
Break
the Earth: “Break the Earth will have their CD release party for
Numbered Days on November 18 at Burt’s Tiki Lounge in Downtown
Albuquerque. Tickets will be $5 at the door!”
Break The Earth Info:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/breakth
eearthband/
BandCamp: https://breaktheearth.bandcamp.com/releases