DEVIL'S ISLAND featuring Enquire Within
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 Enquire Within sat on the beach. The island is far from their 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.
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?
Jacob: Starting the interview off with a tough one…I think I will have to pick TEKKNO the most recent album by Electric Callboy. It is probably my favourite album of 2022!! How can you not enjoy riding on the TEKKNO TRAIN!
Henry: Mannnnnnnn, you gotta choose something to sort out every need 
I would probably go for Life Is But A Dream… -A7X, a song for each mood you wanna get into plus listening to the full album without stops is an absolute banger!
Dan: I’ve got so many different thoughts, do you go with an album you just love, or do you do what Henry did, something really varied. I’d have to say Nightmare, Avenged Sevenfold. It was my first metal album back in 2010.
Erim: Haahaa here I go with the obscure rubbish I listen to. Probably Barcelona Absolutes, that album is so good, some truly beautiful moments in it, if you are curious, go on YouTube and watch the video of Please don't go to the backdrop of a stunning Japanese aquarium, that video has been played at least 70000 times by me.
Amelia: Well with that amazing reference I almost wanted to pick Rust in Peace, which is my favourite album of theirs. But to me it would have to be the Sound of Perseverance by Death, that album has a brilliant balance of riffs and more progressive influences. I adore the production and the artwork for it. I will never get tired of that album.
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?
Jacob: probably Fauna by Haken. Why? It's a monkey in a suit drinking a cup of tea with a picture of a very fancy elephant in the background. So refined. What's not to love?
Henry: Blush - Wolf Alice…… I'm stuck on this island okay…. I'm gonna be lonely….
Dan: and there you have the 2 ends of the spectrum… I’m gonna go with from Mars to Sirius, Gojira. I love their artwork.
Erim: Its got to be a prog album cover, they are so colourful and secretly I'm just a unicorn deep inside. Let's go for Asia's Alpha.
Amelia: Mars Red Sky’s self titled album. I find the artwork as comforting as the music.
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?
Jacob: Mezzo Mix, it's a German drink where you get Coke and mix it with Fanta (it is real believe me!) I could drink that all day and be happy…shame it's not really here in the UK.
Henry: Smirnoff Ice 😍
Dan: I’m very boring, I mostly just drink water these days.
Erim: Damnit Dan beat me to it, the other idiots will die without life saving water, but as he's chosen that I'll go with another choice. It's got to be Thatchers orange, so fruity!!!
Amelia: Since water is already taken.. Pass me the rum!
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?
Jacob: I actually have a Maximum the Hormone Beach Towel. If I'm gonna enjoy my time on the island a beach towel is definitely up their on the list!!
Henry: I need something productive and useful, maybe my Kiss lunchbox?
Dan: Interesting question. I’m gonna go with my Xentrix Shirt. It’s of their new album Seven words. I got it when I was working stage management - helping them load in and set up before their set. They’re great guys and it’s a really good memory.
Erim: I have Mike Portnoys cowbell, can I take that? I would just love to annoy everything on this island for entertainment.
Amelia: *rummages through her millions of band shirts* I really like this Undergang t-shirt, I pick that!
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?
Jacob: The band are some of my best friends. I can't imagine spending this time with anyone better!!
Henry: *insert any pornstar name here*
Dan: I guess Henry let the intrusive thoughts win there. Literally, anyone else. I love these guys, and gal, but there is such a thing as too much time! Maybe someone with an engineering degree, help me get out of this place.
Henry (again): I do have a Master's in Physics ….that's close enough 😅
Erim: One of my other bands with better looking less smelly members ;). I actually think this band would be pretty amazing to be on an island with, but if not maybe my cat Marshmallow, he's pretty amazing. Oh and maybe my girlfriend, but the cat first, she can be a distant second haha.
Amelia: Have you read their answers? Anyone else but them!! But in all seriousness my festival crew, everywhere we go is a good time. We’ll probably get so drunk we’ll wake up in a completely different location with civilization without a clue of how we got back!
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?
Henry: Santana baby, any headliner show will probably do me just fine
Jacob: I'm gonna go out of field here, there is only one live show I can answer for this. Cory Henry, North Sea Jazz Festival 2017, Purple Rain. I DARE any of you to listen to all of that without feeling something. Probably one of the most beautiful and heartfelt performances I have ever heard.
Dan: I wasn’t there, but any show from Death before Chuck died. Incredible band. I really wish I could’ve seen them.
Erim: It would be Yes songs from Tsongas
Amelia: Any Motorhead show, I miss them!
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?
Jacob: Bruce Dickinson - Iron Maiden. He is a qualified pilot so can fly us out!
Henry: What he said
Dan: That’s not a bad shout, but I wonder how they plan on letting Bruce know where they are?
Erim: Dave Grohl Foo Fighters, he has that sing learn to fly, hopefully by now he's learned, so I'd ask him to come and save me. How lovely would it be to be saved by Mr Dave Grohl!!!+
Amelia: I’m going to write to Bruce Dickinson as well because I don’t trust Jacob or Henry to give him the right info to come pick us up.
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?
Jacob: it's me isn't it?
Henry: *already getting the homemade wine out for the TRÜE band* - you was dead to us to begin with
Dan: I’m dreading whatever “homemade wine” is. I think Henry might have to go just for that.
Erim: Jacob, you've been eating a lot of tasty Gusto Meals recently, I'm hopeful that flavour will be reflected in your flesh.
Jacob (again): I find this answer scarier than Henry's one….
Amelia: Sketchy wine sounds like a good pairing with singer stew!
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?
Jacob: Ending it on a tough one as well damn! Well…it has to be Weird Al Yankovic really. He has had an incredible, long, varied career in simply making the music he wanted to make. I was a fan of his long before I was even interested in making music myself.
His influence on me is not necessarily musical but more of his outlook. He brings so much joy into the world through his art, but also finds joy in it himself. I remember hearing a story about how after hearing about his parents sadly and tragically passing away a few hours before he still decided to get on stage and perform, his answer to why he still did it really resonates with me "since my music has helped many of my fans through tough times, maybe it would work for me as well".
Henry: Dimebag Darrell, from hearing the stories from current professionals. He seemed to be the most loving/ caring musician in existence.
He always brought a smile to everyone's face when needed, plusssss he could easily drink them under the table his cheeky black tooth grin.
He would fucking love my Kiss lunchbox 🤣
Dan: That’s deep. Probably Matt Heafy. His philosophy on practice and perseverance has been really important to me, both in life and as a musician. There are so many bands out there and trying to rise above that is incredibly difficult. It can be overwhelming, but instead of looking at other people and seeing where they’re doing better than you or getting better shows. You need to celebrate their success and use it as encouragement to get out there and play your music. It’s not about trying to be better than other people, it’s about sharing what you love most.
Erim: I saved Mike Oldfield, this guy is the reason I love music so much. He's weird and wonderful, and I'm really sad I've never managed to see him live. But yeah I'd love to talk music with him and create something with him!
Amelia: Although I don’t know the artist as well as everyone else’s picks, it would have to be Plini. He’s definitely my guitar hero, and one of the reasons my leads sound a bit “weirder” than maybe other metalheads with the same music taste as me. He has always appeared to be very wholesome and relaxed on stage, it always feels like he’s creating what he enjoys at the time and doesn’t compromise for other paradigms. His imagery and soundscapes feel genuine to himself. I have always used his work to remind myself to stay true to myself and keep creating music out of passion and not necessity.
Thanks for your time. We hope you get back to dry land before you're next due out on tour!
Henry: Wait you aren't letting us onto your yacht…….
Jacob: YOU HAD A YACHT THIS WHOLE TIME!?
Dan: Well, at least I can swim.
Amelia: (Jacob can’t swim haha)
