DEVIL'S ISLAND featuring After Smoke Clears
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 After Smoke Clears sat on the beach. The island is far from the bands home, so how did they end up here and how did they 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?
Nick: Machine Head - The Blackening. Every song on this album is a masterpiece.
Dave: The Contortionist - Language (Rediscovered edition). The music there is so great, with a high amount of technicality but without sacrificing feeling and lots of original ideas.
Kiran: It would have to be Architects - Hollow Crown for me. So many of those songs have meant a lot to me over the years. Despite all the masterpieces created by Architects, Hollow Crown remains my favourite album of theirs.
Aaron: This is tough because I love so much music but the album that I still go back to and still stirs something for me is MudVayne - LD.50. Just the perfect mix of groove and heavy. Ryan Martinie has been a huge influence in my playing style.
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?
Nick: Slipknot - Vol.3. I had this in my room as a kid, and it scared the shit of my sister!
Dave: Although I much prefer other of their albums, I have to say that Sorceress by Opeth would look really good on a wall
Kiran: I love the look of Dayseeker's album Sleeptalk. Ever since I first saw it, I wanted a poster of it!
Aaron: City and Colour, Sometimes. I have the tattoo of this as well.
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?
Nick: Lucky Saint all the way.
Dave: The blood of a thousand virgins
Kiran: Negroni's on tap, all day, every day.
Aaron: I made home brew beer once and can safely say not that! Probably just a nice session IPA.
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?
Nick: An After Smoke Clears t-shirt, for the single ‘The Fear’.
Dave: Definitely our album Edification! A great achievement for me
Kiran: Probably one of my While She Sleeps pieces, I have tons because they're always so on point with their merch designs!
Aaron: I have an original 2011 Northlane tour shirt from their Discoveries tour, it's really beat up but super sentimental.
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?
Nick: Echkart Tolle, everything he says contains wisdom and truth.
Dave: My dog?
Kiran: Honestly probably someone like Neil Degrasse Tyson, cos he'd be able to keep me entertained for the rest of my life with his dizzying intellect.
Aaron: I’m surprised Dave picked his dog over his daughter hahaha… I’d probably pick Bear Grylls because he would at least have some useful skills, but he’s annoying as fuck.
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?
Nick: Lamb of God at Download 2007 is the best live performance I have ever seen. It’s on YouTube but the video quality is poor, so I’d just take the audio!
Dave: That must be my first metal concert. I can’t remember the year or the location as I was just a little kid. The band was called Elefante Bianco (White Elephant), and I still remember the sensation I had, for every beat on the bass drum my heart felt about to explode
Kiran: That's a tough one. A big part of me wants to say Architects at Brixton, just after Tom had passed. The emotion in that room was incredible. But I've always loved Slipknot's Download performance from 2009 as well.
Aaron: Probably Rage Against The Machine - Battle of Mexico City, I had this on DVD as a kid and watched it about a thousand times.
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?
Nick: Bruce Dickinson, because he’s a pilot and would fly over and pick us up!
Dave: Yeah I agree with Nick!!
Kiran: I'm pretty sure Josh from Northlane does triathlon's so he'd probably be a good person to have trying to rescue you.
Aaron: Can’t argue with someone who can fly hahaha
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?
Nick: Definitely not me.
Dave: Yeah I always wanted to try human burger
Kiran: I mean, there's like no meat on me so I don't think I'd be first choice when it comes to snacking… That being said I'd probably volunteer myself!
Aaron: It would probably make sense to be me because I’ve got the most meat on my bones, but fuck that I’ll eat Nick.
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?
Nick: Randy Blythe from Lamb of God.
Dave: Argh!! I’m fighting between Chris Adler and Benny Grebb. If I sacrifice myself can I save them both?
Kiran: Sean Long from While She Sleeps.
Aaron: Dave Grohl, man was part of the biggest band in the world, and came through that tragedy and then created another amazing band on his own, from the ground up. And is still a super chill guy. So pretty inspirational.
