Band of the Day: Life Against Time

Too often, it’s easy to assume that heavy metal’s popularity is fading, but British hardcore quartet Life Against Time are proof that it couldn’t be more alive. The young group have set out to be the UK’s answer to The Architects, with a sound that’s both melodic and savage at the same time; a mix which you can’t help but get caught up in. The band opened up to us and showed us who the real Life Against Time are.

Simple things first – where are you guys from?

Kidderminster in Worcestershire (plus one rogue Southerner).

How did you meet?

Lee brought us all together one at a time; he started jamming and writing with Andy before Graham arrived and finally Chris completed the line-up. Chris and Andy have played together before but the rest of us were all new to each other. Despite this, the chemistry has been there from the start.

How long have you been playing as a band?

Almost a year now.

Before you get sick of being asked… Where does the band name come from?

Our lives seem to be ruled by ticking clocks. Resisting that patter and breaking free of the mundane is where Life Against Time (LAT) comes from.

What are your influences?

We have some shared influences, such as Architects, who are a gold standard live and on record, but LAT is really more about what influences the individual members how they bring that into the songwriting process. That ranges from Killswitch Engage, Every Time I Die, Emarosa and Machine Head to Radiohead, August Burns Red, Incubus, and My Vitriol.

Describe your music. What makes you unique?

Soaring harmonised riffs, crunching and catchy chord voicings, anthemic vocals, brutal screams, deep basslines and thunderous, technical drumming. We’re always looking to build epic music that moves people – that’s the requirement for any LAT song.

Do you have any particular lyrical themes?

We will always leave interpretation wide open; we want the songs to mean something to anyone who listens to them. An individual’s personal connection to a song is far more meaningful and powerful than a band telling them what to think. Having said that, there is a sense of hope throughout our lyrics.

What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?

LAT’s live show is all about high energy and huge sounds. We don’t hold back on showing our passion for the music and we leave it all out there on stage. We have played just the one show as part of the Metal to the Masses this year and are looking to go all the way to Bloodstock and beyond.

What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?

We managed to get through our first show without any fatalities, which was a bonus – we’re not really interested in any deliberate, contrived actions on stage. We once went swimming within an hour of eating which was pretty hardcore. We also set off a fire alarm with water vapour, so clearly we’re living right on the edge.

What kit do you use/guitars do you play / etc.?

We could go on for hours about this; tones and sounds are so important to LAT and we don’t compromise. Lee uses EVH guitars and amps with a Kustom cab, while Chris uses Ibanez and Bugera through a Marshall 1960a with celestion greenbacks. Graham plays Warwick basses through Eden amplification and Andy uses Tama kits with Pearl mods and Zildjian cymbals.

What are your plans for 2017?

Our debut single, What You Have, comes out on the 1st of March. We’ll be promoting that, hopefully recording a full EP with the fantastic Jay Shredder of SLL Records and storming Metal to the Masses. 2016 was the creation of LAT, 2017 is about challenging ourselves to reach as many people as possible.

If you were second on a three-band bill, which band would you love to be supporting and which band would you choose to open for you? A chance to plug someone you’ve toured with, or a mate’s band we’ve not heard of before!

We’d all love to support Architects. Their songs are incredible, the live show is amazing, and their strength in light of recent events is inspirational. Other bands it would be cool to share the stage with from our local scene would include Crows and Crosses, Our World Below, and Parkhurst.

Our next show will be the Metal to the Masses semi-final in Wolverhampton. We’d love for anyone out there to come and experience LAT!

The What You Have single is out now and you can hear it via Spotify and iTunes

Life Against Timefacebook | twitter | youtube

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Chris Bailey
Chris Bailey
March 4, 2017 9:02 AM

This is a brilliant read!! Very good content, keep things like this going.. it’s great for bands and the local scenes.

Mosh
Admin
Reply to  Chris Bailey
March 18, 2017 3:40 PM

Thanks, Chris – that’s what we’re here for!