>Browse other Artist Interviews
Interviews - Hardcore Band Forever is Forgotten
This is a hardcore band with a startling unique sound!! The
huge guitars and otherworldly chords will grab your attention.
Forever
is Forgotten Web Site
BUY
'Dying Beautiful'
FIF's Newest EP!
LISTEN!
Tied To a Stranger's Hand
Forever is Forgotten has already
played shows extensively, and is close to selling out the initial
pressing of 500 copies of their self-released EP, ‘Dying
Beautiful’, which was professionally recorded at Studio
One in Racine, Wisconsin and mastered by Trevor at Mastermind. They
are admired and respected throughout the Midwest metal and hardcore
scene, having toured and played anywhere a show has been offered
to them. Summer tour plans are now being put together and will be
announced on their website.
The Interview
Access Rock: How long ago was the band formed?
Evan: Last January (2001) we started the band.
I found Scott, the drummer, and up until then we had a lot of different
members passing through the band. Finally we're settled now with
a solid line up.
Access Rock: In the song 'Dying Beautiful', I
hear some jazz harmony in there. Were you guys always in hardcore
bands or did you spend some time playing with other kinds of bands?
Justin: I've probably been playing guitar for
about 12 years. Within that time, I've dabbled with jazz, funk,
hip hop, and a lot of kinds of heavy music. The junk that you hear
on our latest EP is what I've been into right now.
Access Rock: The way your songs move reminds me
a little of Frank Zappa. What music did you listen to growing up
and at present?
Evan: I never really heard Frank Zappa until maybe
five years ago. I never really had an interest in classic rock,
although I appreciate it. Whenever I would see Zappa's name, I would
think of him as a typical classic rock kid. When I was in high school
I didn't care about anything except punk rock!
Access Rock: So you haven't heard much of Frank
Zappa?
Evan: About five years ago I did, and I laughed
my ass off!
Justin: I grew up as a punk kid. I like all of
the pop punk kind of stuff. My all time favorite metal band is Cannibal
Corpse.
Access Rock: How old are you guys?
Evan: 20 years old
Justin: I'm 26.
Access Rock: You guys must have some different
influences.
Justin: We do, but, luckily enough we have the
same vision. Growing up, I was into John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili
Peppers) and Dave Navarro (Janes Addiction). As I grew up, I started
losing influence and got more inspired. For a while I listened to
a lot of electronic music - jungle and hardcore. I played the guitar
with it and tried to come up with something rhythmic. I experimented
with that for a while, I never really had a band. I didn't want
to be one of those guitarists where you can really hear his influences!
For a while I couldn't stand metal and hardcore. The stereotypical
mindset for metal was tough, not down to earth. My perception was
that they are all about being evil , dark, and antisocial. I never
really got into metal until about 4 years ago. My friends played
me this metal band Converge and I was blown away.
A few months later I heard this band called Creation is
Crucifixion. After I heard these bands I thought, 'it's
time for something new!'. Those have been a couple of my favorite
bands so far, except for Blondie! (laughs). I don't listen to a
lot of metal and hardcore anymore. I'm really into a lot of artsy,
indie rock, and emo. There are so many bands that are coming out
with a lot of metalcore - if I listen too much to it then the next
thing I know, we're not original. The last thing I want to do is
listen to a bunch of metal then go practice and play metal!
Access Rock: Absolutely, that's what you have
to do! You can get stuck in that trap and God knows we don't need
anymore bands that are just rip-offs of metallica or whoever.
Access Rock: Do you guys play 7-string and 6-string
guitars?
Justin: I just play 6-string, I always have. I
was about to jump on the 7-string thing, but... I just figured if
you tune down, then that's enough. Why invest another $700 or $800
dollars into a fad?
Access Rock: I just started getting into the 7-string
and it's pretty cool! It's definitely a very slick thing to have
that big, whopping, .60 on your bass string!
Access Rock: It seems to me that the essence of
hardcore or emocore is raw emotion and density of sound. How would
you describe your music?
Justin: Evan wants to say evil.
Access Rock: What do you think makes your band
different from other hardcore bands out there?
Justin: I don't think anything does yet.
Access Rock: Your band hasn't been together that
long.
Access Rock: The guitar sounds that your getting
are very heavy. I'm sure that our readers will want to know about
your gear.
Justin: I don't know if we can disclose that information
- it's kind of embarrassing! Evan and I both have the same equipment.
Same guitars, same heads..we use a triple rectifier (Mesa Boogie)
and we throw a Boss Metalzone (distortion pedal) in it!
Access Rock: Interesting! Whatever works, right?
What guitars do you have?
Evan: I think my model is an RG-47 (Ibanez).
Justin: I have something similar to his. I really
don't know what model it is.. It's an Ibanez, it's red, it's got
6 strings, it plays nice, it feels good, it sounds good. It's got
a Floyd Rose tremolo which is candy to me.
Access Rock: How are you guys managing the band..
finances, booking, gigging?
Justin: Scott, our drummer, pretty much takes
care of that.
Access Rock: What has the touring schedule been
like in the past few months?
Justin: For the past month we've been taking time
off and writing one song! Our writing process is
still slow yet, but as far as the shows in the past...about a month
ago we went out for a week-long tour, and in August we'll be doing
the same. Starting next month we're going to start playing weekends,
so that we can get back for our jobs on Monday.
Evan: So far it's just been the East Coast and
the Midwest. We'll be in New Jersey, New York, and possibly Philadelphia.
It's kinda short right now while we're trying to balance our day
jobs. In January '03 we'll be on the West Coast for 2 weeks and
in the summer of '03 we'll be all over the place.
Access Rock: What's your writing scenario?
Justin: As far as lyrics go, all three songs have
been written by different band members. Dying Beautiful
and Destroying a Lifetime of Innocence we're
written by Chris (vocals) and Scott (drummer). Evan (guitar) wrote
Tied to a Stranger's Hand.
Access Rock: What about working out your guitar
parts or harmonies?
Justin: Actually, today I just moved to Milwaukee.
Up to now I have been commuting an hour and a half from Madison.
Evan and I haven't had much time to write and hold hands. A lot
of the music on our EP stems from guitar lines that I wrote like
three years ago. Right now it's been a lot of old ideas of mine
in combination with a bunch of new ones. It's going to be a different
story now that I'm here and we can focus a lot on the music.
Access Rock: So, after you came in with your lines,
Evan worked some chords and riffs around that?
Evan: Yah, I used some side riffs that complimented
the theme or the main direction of the song.
Access Rock: Do you talk about what Justin is
playing as far as chords or do you do it by ear?
Evan: He'll show me the riff and if I want to
play exactly along with him or if I want to branch off and play
something that highlights it, I do that by ear.
Access Rock: What's your musical training in music
theory, etc..?
Evan: I started taking a course in music theory,
but I discontinued that.
Justin: I never found much use in learning other
people's material .. I'm not saying it's not worth learning, it
didn't feel right. I thought it would take time away from my own
stuff or trying new things out. Metal has given me a chance to grab
on to more theory as far as harmonizing and time signatures. I taught
myself by listening to recordings and playing along with them, trying
to find the right key. After a while, I know where the different
octaves are going to be.
Access Rock: Some of the baddest musicians were
self taught!
Access Rock: What advice would you give to other
young bands out there?
Evan: Listen to Yngwie Malmsteen and Joel Stump.
Justin: Never take your band members too seriously,
but always respect them.
| 
