With a new album on the way, now is the perfect time to find out a little more about today’s Headline Act. Take it away, Raze…
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
We’re all from about Hertfordshire – we meet in Watford to practice.
How did you meet?
We’ve come together over time, either meeting online or through word of mouth.
How long have you been playing as a band?
In this current iteration – a bit over a year. We’d played together a little longer beforehand, but it’s since then that we’ve been properly going at it.
Before you get sick of being asked… where does the band name come from?
To raze is to completely and utterly destroy. We thought this would be pretty fitting for a metal band – it kind of tied into the phrase ‘raise the roof’ as well, which was pretty cool. I like that it’s a simple one word statement, and that it’s quite bleak and definite.
What are your influences?
We’re definitely inspired by a lot of (post-)grunge bands, we’re talking Alter Bridge, Alice In Chains. But equally – heavier, groovier stuff like Machine Head, Pantera or Lamb of God. Plus some progressive touches.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
I’ve never heard post-grunge and groove metal fused to such an extreme – vocally, I deliver gritty, grungy cleans alongside death metal style gutterals. The music follows suit; we like to work in time signatures and extended harmony.
Do you have any particular lyrical themes?
Our music is emotionally expressive, with deliberately speculative lyrics. I write about matters personal to me, however I like to paint lyrics with colours and imagery, and leave the rest open to interpretation. That way the music is more relatable for whoever is listening.
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What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?
We’ve been playing shows with this lineup for a year now – and in previous iterations for a while longer. We’re very comfortable on stage and I think
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
We once had a guy climb on stage when we were playing, and as the music dropped he did a backflip up in the air and landed teeth first into the floor. He vanished pretty quickly afterwards… hope he was ok.
What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?
I use the TC Helicon Voicelive Play for vocal delay throws and effects – we use Line Six Helix for live guitar and bass tones.
What, if anything, are you plugging/promoting at the moment?
Our debut album Pyrography is out on the 28th July. You can pre-save or pre-order the album here!
What are your plans for the next 6 months or so?
We’ll be playing some shows to promote the album – some more info here. We’re also looking at some more video content, maybe some remixes, and we’re thinking about new music!
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!
Opening would be our guys in Screamin’ Irene – they’re playing some really interesting stuff and put on a great live show. The headliners? I’d love to open for a Reuben comeback show.
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