I am sitting here with Gage Newman (lead vocals), Shant Shakian (lead guitar), Robbie McKenzie (bass) and Shamus Gheraghty (drums) from the band Beyond Resentful. The young band is based out of Warrandyte, Melbourne, Australia. They have influences such as Whitechapel, Carnifex, Amon Amarth, Salt the Wound, Suicide Silence, Job for a Cowboy, Eat a Helicopter, and Parkway Drive. They've got a lot to say, and since they're between the ages of 14 & 16, certainly a lot to prove.
Ok we’re just about ready.
So how did this band start? What was your motivation?
Gage Newman: Well Shant and I have always had a passion for metal music, we always used to jam Slayer songs at lunch at our school, that was when I used to drum. We slowly started listening to heavier music including more death metal and deathcore. I decided to learn vocals, at first I didn’t tell anyone about it. Jake Johnson (our previous drummer), Shant and I were thinking of throwing together a little side project, it was more melodic in the style of Amon Armath and then it slowly just built into where we are today.
You've gone through a few line-up changes along the way?
Shant Shakian: I’m gonna give Gage this question.
GN: Well it’s taken a while to figure out who’s passionate and committed to getting shit done. We’ve always tried to get people who were mates with us and listen to metal aswell, we’ve gone through 3 drummers and a bassist and a backup vocalist to find what we have now, which I am pretty confident with a few tweaks will be the sound and line-up we have been looking for.
SS: Yes we are just trying and trying to find the sound we want.
Have you started playing any shows yet or are you still rehearsing in the garage?
SS: Well in the school room E something all the yr 7’s, 8’s and 9's came and started a mosh around and listened to us outside and inside of the classroom.
Well also we were going to do the talent quest, we have entered into that.
GN: We’ve played a few small in school ones just to promote us but nothing big
SS: Not very sure about the talent quest at the moment because we haven't got any time to meet up in the holidays.
GN: Yeah it’s been really difficult,
but we will try our absolute hardest.
That one in the classroom sounds cool.
Yeah, it's always difficult to find the time to practice.
GN: Yeah, definitely.
Have you had a chance to record any of your material?
Shamus Geraghty: We had booked a studio previously this week, but
due to troubles at school we never got around to it.
SS: Well we have got our Intro and the song Lies, but not recorded cause we need to tweak/fix them up.
We are bringing back some old songs and having a look at them and fixing them up to to our liking cause we didn’t think we did a good job on them, for you guys to enjoy.
GN: I’m currently writing a new song that will be on our 4 song EP including an intro piece, we will try and get some studio time in soon or if not we will just do it at school.
Tell us more about your EP/demo.
GN: Well our new EP that we will be working on very soon will be 4 tracks including an intro. We will be putting on a re-done version of "Lies" and couple of new tracks that we are yet to start working on so if we do get it finished it will be released around Christmas time or afterwards.
Shamus, tell us more about your experience in the band?
SG: I joined in replacement of the old drummer who wasn’t wanting to do it anymore, or just had less commitment? I think that’s what happened, anyway now I’m just enjoying it putting ideas i have into it. I have rehersal spaces at my house for when school doesn’t provide enough time
Shant, what has your experience been in the band, what has your role as the guitarist been like, seeing as you are the only guitarist in the band. Have you ever considered working with a 2nd guitar player?
SS: Well my role in the band is finding riffs on the spot and just enjoying what I do while playing. It makes me happy working with people that like the music I play and write, and it gives me more confidence in my playing. Working with another guitarist would be great for harmonizing parts of the songs and a it would have a more full sound, well that’s my opinion of having 2 guitarists in the band.
So it would be something you would consider in the future, but not something you need right now for the band.
SS: I reckon we do need it right now a second guitarist that enjoys deathcore music
Maybe we would consider finding someone else after we record our EP.
Robbie, what has your role been like in this band?
Robbie McKenzie: I play bass and despite everyone thinking i don’t, I actually do enjoy it a lot.
Shant, Gage and Shamus are my best mates so I couldn’t ask for anything more.
Everyone just assumes you can’t have fun playing bass.
Anyone have anything else to add?
SS: We aren’t going to video or do anything at the moment, we are mainly focusing on working hard on the songs.
SG: Yeah we might have a break from the people and just stay quiet for a little while. We will be working very hard in the mean time, so don’t worry.
GN: Yeah exactly.
SS: Got any weird questions? (laughs)
What's the weirdest thing that has happened at band practice?
Any stories from your experience?
SS: Seeing Jake’s fat, wearing my leather jacket.
GN: We occasionally play classic 80’s rock music like Jesse’s Girl and shit when we are bored.
SS: Yeah punk riffs 80's beats and a ho down singing
Bit of sweet home alabama?
GN: Yeah. (laughs)
I tripped over a chair while playing back to the morgue live.
SS: Yes, the embarrassing moment when Gage tripped over that chair.
Was that one of the first songs you wrote?
SS: Yes it was. The first one,
Could we hear a death metal version of Sweet Chil O Mine any time soon?
SS: Never heard of that song. (laughs)
Never heard of that song..? There's the door. Haven't you seen the movie Step Brothers?
SS: Nope
We might have hit a brick-wall here. At least one of you knows Sweet Child O Mine by Guns N' Roses right? It’s a classic, ask your parents.
GN: Maybe (laughs).
We’ve done a Smoke on the Water Graveyard classics cover
sounded pretty savage.
SS: Yeah
How have you approached the drumming in this band Shamus?
SG: Well basically it has given me a lot more time to focus on the metal style of drumming, and I have something to work on now.
Are you contributing any backing vocals, seeing as you are singing lead for your other project Forsaken Are We?
GN: I would be happy to do any backups on either recording or even live, but it’s up to Gage and I respect every decision he makes.
Were you previously more into other styles of playing?
SG: I learnt drums playing rock, but as soon as I got some double kick pedals I drove off from there and got really into it.
The real question is, can you pull off drumming and singing at the same time.
SG: I’ve tried it’s not that easy, but with practice its possible.
As I said before though it would have to be up to Gage
GN: I don’t mind, his vocal style matches ours well. We just need to figure it out.
Thanks for the chat guys, I’m sure we’ll hear a lot more from you soon.
