DEVIL'S ISLAND featuring Of Our Design
Welcome to this weeks edition of Devil's Island! Every week we maroon a band or artist on the island and see what they get up to, how they cope with being all alone on a small island in the middle of the ocean. It's not your average desert island and we'll see just how each person copes with the extreme conditions.
This week when we arrived at Devil's Island we find Of Our Design sat on the beach. The island is far from his home, so how did he end up here and how did he cope with life on Devil's Island?
Find out now...
Welcome to The Razors'e Edge and our somewhat lovely, warm desert island. Don't worry about it's name I'm sure it's not as bad as that would suggest.
So you're marooned here on this island, but before you ended up shipwrecked you chose one album that you couldn't live without. Which album did you each chose and why?
George: Deep Blue - Parkway Drive. Sounds like it’d fit the scenario and give me some bangers to try and escape with.
Haydn: That’s The Spirit - Bring Me The Horizon. This album just doesn’t get old. If I’m dying on a deserted island, at least I can die listening to a masterpiece.
Ant: Ashes Of The Wake - Lamb Of God. “Pure American Metal”. I was really starting to get into heavy music when this album was released and I remember being blown away by the musicianship. I’ll spend my time on the island air drumming along to ‘Laid To Rest’.
Kieran: All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us - Architects. This album for me is the pinnacle of the metalcore scene. I have so many fond memories of me and all my friends listening to it front to back on repeat in the car and at house parties all summer long. It massively inspired my songwriting and guitar playing from then on and I never get tired of listening to it.
Oli: Altered State - TesseracT. My polyrhythmic atmospheric happy place.
Just behind that palm tree is a shack for each of you to stay in, with enough space for you to put up a poster on the wall of one album cover. What album cover do you each chose?
George: Amarionette - Sunset on This Generation. I think the colours are cool.
Haydn: This Place Will Be Your Tomb by Sleep Token. Just to remind me to try and not swim back to the UK 😀 (Though it is a very good album, also.)
Ant: Resurrection - Chimaira. I always thought the cover of this album was pretty unnerving, in a cool way.
Kieran: The Poison - Bullet For My Valentine. This album was my first introduction into heavier music and it was the album cover that really caught my eye. For sentimental reasons, this would have to be on the wall.
Oli: End of Existence - The Browning. Dragons are cool as hell.
There's also a bar on this here island. But alas each of you only get to choose one drink for the entirety of your stay. What's your tipple of choice?
George: Pepsi Cherry Max & Vodka. Bit of Caffeine to help me escape and my hangovers aren’t as bad if I’m only drinking vodka
Haydn: Strongbow Dark Fruits. I know some may say it’s a dirty drink, but it’s the drink of gods. Besides, on a desert island you’re going to want a summer drink!
Ant: Flensburger Gold. Germany just does beer the best for me.
Kieran: JD & Coke. I’ve always been a whiskey lover and you can’t go wrong with this absolute classic combination.
Oli: Spiced Rum & Pepsi Max. Aye Aye captain.
Your suitcases were lost when your ship sank, but you each managed to salvage one item of band merch. What’s the merch and for what band?
George: I don’t own much band merch these days but if I was then I’d save my Parkway Drive shorts that are still somehow alive.
Haydn: Dayseeker - Origin vinyl. It’s a 1 in 100 gold splatter press and one of my top albums, I would be devastated if I lost it!
Ant: My Architects ‘100 days’ limited edition long sleeve. I was one of the OG crowdfunders!
Kieran: Memphis May Fire t-shirt. I remember them having some pretty wild designs back in the day and I personally owned quite a few. I wore their shirts for such a long time.
Oli: Make Them Suffer x Champion limited long sleeve. Super comfy!
You’re sat on the island thinking “I’m stuck here on this island with my bandmates for eternity”… who would you rather have been shipwrecked with?
George: Sounds perfect to me, you don’t need the internet to make music. I’m sure me and the band can get some material down while we’re stuck.
Haydn: Those guys off youtube who can build anything with the resources around them. That’d be handy.
Ant: Definitely worse people to be stuck with but I’ll take the diplomatic route and say my wife!
Kieran: In all honesty, I couldn’t think of anyone better to be shipwrecked with. We’re all so close with each other that it feels like a family. I feel like we’d all be able to help each other survive the island in many ways and none of us would really fight or argue.
Oli: As much as I love these guys, I’ll take my partner - she’s a real good cook!
There's a walkman in your pocket, on the tape inside is the recording of the one live show that stands out for you. It could be any show, from any band, anywhere in the world. What show is on that walkman?
Haydn: Bring Me The Horizon at the Royal Albert Hall. They performed with a full orchestra and even till this day, the thought of that show gives me goosebumps. Absolutely fantastic experience!
George: What Haydn said!
Ant: My all-time favourite band is Finch. I went on a bus all the way to Manchester to see them when I was about 15 years old at a tiny little show on possibly their first UK tour in ‘03. I hadn’t been to a lot of shows up until that point and that one really left a lasting impression on me as a fledgling musician. Honorary shout outs to Children of Bodom & In Flames at Brixton Academy in ‘06 and Parkway Drive at Ally Pally in 2019.
Kieran: This is a real tough one. For me it’s between the Bullet For My Valentine show at Alexandra Palace in 2008. That was the first real concert I ever went to and always held a special place for me. The other would be Architects at Brixton Academy in 2016. That show was shortly after the death of their guitarist Tom Searle and I’ve never seen a band be able to connect with an audience or put on a performance like they did that night.
Oli: TesseracT at Manchester O2. They didn’t put a single note wrong and put on the grooviest show ever.
You're getting desperate, you decide the only course of action is to put a message in a bottle and hope someone finds it. Your message could be to any member of any band, but should be the most suitable for a rescue attempt. Who is it?
Bruce Dickinson! That man can fly planes!
You've been stuck here for a while and food supplies are running low. There's only one thing for it... which fellow band member gets sacrificed to help the others survive?
Ant and George are safe… Ant makes really good tea and coffee while George is just skin and bones. We’d probably have to go for Haydn as he’d provide the most food, plus as a vegetarian he’s free range!
Finally, when the ship sank you each managed to save one person from the wreckage. That person is the one musician that has influenced your career the most, shaped your way of thinking and your outlook on life. Who did you save?
George: Telle Smith from The Word Alive. I think his energy and dedication to music throughout his life is unmatched and I’d love to get some advice from him.
Haydn: Probably Jake Taylor from In Hearts Wake. That band has influenced me so much, gotten me through a lot of hard times and even opened my eyes to the impact we have on our planet. They do such an amazing job of spreading this message within their music and even pathed the way of carbon neutral merchandise, amazing!
Ant: Matt Greiner from August Burns Red. Not only is he an incredibly awesome drummer and a big inspiration of mine, he is just an incredibly rad human being.
Kieran: I’d have to choose Sam Carter. He’s a very outspoken man with arguably one of the most unique vocals in the scene. His outlook of spreading love and compassion to everyone, determination to eliminate discrimination of any kind, love and appreciation for his fans and desire to to do what he can to help the planet all make up a very respected person. His ability to command a crowd is nothing short of incredible and the emotional speeches he gives always fill me with goosebumps. Plus, he’s basically trademarked blegh’s at this point.
Oli: Adam “Nolly” Getgood from Periphery. The man is a genius. It simply isn’t fair that one person can master every aspect of writing, playing and producing. His aggressive bass tone & playing style is something that I have taken inspiration from.
We hope you get back to dry land soon!
Hope to see you at OOD fest on said desert island, cause I don’t think we’re getting off here! SEND HELP!
