ALL THAT REMAINS Frontman: 'We Don't Want To Be The Biggest Band In The World'

LongIslandPress.com recently conducted an interview with ALL THAT REMAINS vocalist Phil LaBonte. An excerpt from the chat follows:

Long Island Press: The band's musical background and influences read like a who's who in metal — from SHADOWS FALL, to KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, to LAMB OF GOD — what kind of sway does that have on your sound? And how do you think you are influencing the metal bands trying to break out right now in the scene?

Phil LaBonte: "There's gonna be similarities with KILLSWITCH, Adam produced the record. So the similar sound is because of production — plus there are a lot of connections between all the Mass. (Massachusetts) bands, UNEARTH, KILLSWITCH, etc. I'm okay with that. We definitely don't sound like any of those bands. It is an interpretation of the same influences. We all hung around the same bars, played in each other's bands. It's a big incestuous family. The Mass. sound is not people trying to rip people off. We don't take [comparison] as a negative thing. I mean some people are gonna crap on it but there is a certain sound that Mass. bands have, we are all from the same area, play the same shows, have gone to the same shows — it's what happens. We're the same twenty or so dudes jamming."

Long Island Press: The band is doing really well — selling 13,000 copies in the first week is pretty amazing — are you surprised by the success, what is it like?

Phil LaBonte: "Am I surprised by press coverage? No, I'm not surprised; it's what I had hoped for. I'm not like, 'Holy cow, I can't believe it.' We did a lot of groundwork. We had a great buzz going on for the band. It's never one of those things that just happen, we really laid a foundation. We're getting what we hoped for. The chart was a surprise though, definitely. The reaction to the record is great. Ya know, the press covers band that are doing stuff, and we seem to be doing the right stuff. We love it, the reaction to the record is a bit of a surprise — I didn't realize how much impact the last record had on people. After each show at Ozzfest we go to the FYE tent and we're signing and kids say you guys are my favorite band. It makes you feel really, really good. I didn't expect we'd have that kind of impact on people. Most people don't' know we've been together for 8 years. It's really cool, feels amazing to get kudos."

Long Island Press: How is the new album different than the past albums?

Phil LaBonte: "We wanted to move ahead, we listen to a lot of different kinds of music, from metal to pop. There are some pop style songs we love. You know the standard structure. Verse, chorus, bridge that is way pop songs do. I love PANIC! AT THE DISCO, I love PRINCE, NICKELBACK. ALLEN JACKSON. TIM MCGRAW. Pop-rock. Other people in the band are into those styles too. We want to write an extreme record but have it still make sense, have that formula. Your average person doesn't sit through 14-minute songs. Me either. I'm over it by four. It's kinda what we wanted to do, make a good record but we're not trying to change the face of music. We want to entertain people. 'Hey you, have a good time, buy beer, a shirt. You had a sh*tty day? Forget about it, come have fun.' We don't want to be the biggest band in the world. It's about having fun, not world domination. Too many people take themselves far too seriously. I mean there's a certain amount of silliness in screaming on the stage like a lunatic, you've got to be having a good time. If I see Jeanne [Sagan, ATR's bass player] doing something funny, I'll stop and laugh. We are all sarcastic and fun, that's what it's about. Sh*t, there's enough serious stuff going on in this world."

Read the entire interview at www.longislandpress.com.