The Justice

San Francisco Death Metal band Animosity has received much acclaim for their tight and technical performance on their new album Animal. According to lambgoat.com, their album sets "the standard for what 'deathcore' should be." They are currently on tour with Between the Buried and Me and HORSE the Band and will be playing at the Palladium in Worcester, Mass. on Nov. 2. Daniel Ortner conducted a phone interview with lead singer Leo Miller.



justArts: Could you describe your music and vocals to the uninitiated non-Metal fan?

Leo Miller: The vocals are screaming and a guttural attack similar to a lion and bear. Our music is tech prog Death Metal-a dash of extreme with lots of notes and riffs.

JA: How are you different from every other band in your genre that have recently become popular?

LM: We pay less attention to mosh parts and breakdowns. Each riff is noticeable. We are a very different band. We are honest and real.

JA: What do you mean by honest and real?

LM: Our lyrics, for instance, are unlike most Metal bands. Our new album is about me and how I'm feeling. In the past our lyrics were based on real-world problems such as politics and religion. We are more grounded in reality than many bands in the genre.

JA: So why the change to writing personal lyrics?

LM: This is the first album I've written about myself. The last albums were all social commentary. Our new album, Animal came after a very difficult two years in my life in which my girlfriend was killed by a drunk driver. It was a major loss. I've been on tour ever since, and finding a comfort place is difficult.

JA: How else is the new album different?

LM: It's both more aggressive and angry and melodic at the same time. It has very original production by Kurt Ballou of Converge.

JA: You are touring with bands of a very different style and genre. How does it feel, and how receptive are audiences to your more aggressive music?

LM: Our last two were with Unearth and Terror and people were more interested in fucking things up. None of the other bands are aggressive, and we bring a diverse element. Fans are more interested in listening to every thing we do.

JA: What do you think about the current metal scene?

LM: It's bigger and more popular, but as far as the music, I'm much less interested in new stuff that is coming out. Some of my favorite bands, such as Dying Fetus and Cephalic Carnage, have been putting out disappointing albums. All these bands that changed my life went on to make shitty records. I want to be into Metal but I can't find anything refreshing.

Continued...

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