Hard rockers, Absence Of Despair have been taking the world by storm with their EP release "Monster : Reborn". Since their release, they have hit the road touring, playing shows, in which the band discusses their recent tour activity, the EP and much more!
1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members?
We started 7 years ago when we were 15 years old. Always had the goal in mind of being a touring band, so after playing the local scene for 4-5 years we were finally ready to tour and purchase a van and trailer and the rest is history.
2. Why is there Absence of Despair?
We are a band because we all have a deep passion for writing music and all wanted an outlet to express ourselves and hope to leave a legacy that will inspire others.
3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?
AOD is based out of Providence, RI. The local scene in Providence is very strong, from Pop Punk all the way to Death Core. The kids out here love going to shows and having a good time and are always supportive which is a plus.
4. How would you describe your style? Melodic heavy metal with infectious choruses and guitar solos! Our style differs with every release since we are ever growing musicians. We will always put out an album that sounds completely different from the last.
5. What's your take on the your EP “Monster : Reborn”?
This EP is definitely a much more matured sound opposed to our past releases. Monster : Reborn has so many different influences and dynamics to it and is a lot heavier than our past material, but
yet has infectious choruses that will get stuck in your head.
6. Do you have any music in terms of a follow-up release?Individually we will write riffs and throw around ideas. When it comes to getting together material that will make it to the next release, we will all come together while we are not on tour and write as one and really focus and put our all into the songs.
7. Are you guys a signed or unsigned act? If not, what should labels/zines/promoters know about your band? Why should they be interested in it?
We are currently UNSIGNED. Sumerian Records, Fearless Records, Warner Bros. AOD has our own unique, eclectic sound of Metal. Also we are extremely dedicated to making this into a full time career, we all work our asses off on stage and off stage to bring the best music and live show to our fans possible.
8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?
We are going to keep touring for this release until some point mid-late next year and then write more material. We will also be shopping our music out to record labels.
9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
You can purchase Monster : Reborn on iTunes, Amazon, Xbox and all major online retailers. You can listen to our music on Spotify as well.
10. What were your favorite things about touring in the U.S.?
Seeing the whole country is surreal. Playing for our fans and making new fans all over the U.S. and experiencing how crowds in different states react is always something we look forward to.
11. Did you noticed the economy affecting your tour attendance or merch sales?
Yes and no. Our die hard fans will always scoop up our merch when we are around no matter what. With Gas Prices being lower and the economy improving recently our merch sales have went way up with new fans as well. Merch sales help us to stay on the road and keep doing what we do!
12. What have been some of the largest and smallest crowds you've played in front of?
We have opened up for Bullet For My Valentine a few years ago in our hometown and played to about 1,000 people and everybody in that crowd was loving it and going nuts. Last year we played the Whisky a go go in West Hollywood, CA with The Bunny The Bear and Psychostick and that was a packed house and felt so surreal. The more people the better, but for small crowds it gets very intimate and in your face and can be good and bad.
13. Have any tour horror stories, you'd like to share?
A few tours back we had just ended a tour in Maryland and were heading back to RI and some of us were sick, And the van was not running good. At about 5 am the van broke down on the highway somewhere in Maryland. We had to get a tow to a shop but they could only take the van so some of us had to wait with the trailer on the side of the highway for 5-6 hours in the freezing cold until the van was fixed and met back up on the highway.
14. Do you remember the first show your band played? Technically the first show we played was in a friends backyard for their birthday party. The first REAL show we played was at a legendary local venue in Providence called The Living Room. Those will always be remembered!
15. What band did you have the best time touring with?
We have usually toured by ourselves. We have had tons of good times with bands that we played with on the road.
16. What has been the best prank you’ve played on band mates or other bands?
We play pranks on each other every day! Our favorite was when we were recording Monster : Reborn in Cleveland. While at the hotel room our drummer Billy was sleeping and we had been drinking so we went to Walmart and bought a fully cooked rotisserie chicken and placed it in the bed with him and he woke up and flipped out and threw the chicken across the room and then went back to sleep.
17. What are your upcoming show/tour plans since The Numbered & Nameless Tour is a wrap-up?
We have another tour that we can not announce just yet with an awesome band. We will be announcing in a week or two though so keep checking in our our pages!
18. How about for the rest of this year, what else can we expect to see from you guys?
More tours, new merch, more videos as well. We also have a lot up our sleeves!
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