Keep up with Matt here:
I started playing drums at around thirteen after playing guitar for a few years – for a while I took lessons and tried to learn all different styles, then got really hung up on metal for a few years to the point where I'd only really practice double kick and blastbeats! These days I try to inject other styles into my playing as much as I can, the new album "And So It Came To Pass" has got loads of groovier sections on it which has made all the songs far more interesting to play. I started jamming with Tom and Henry in around 2005 – shortly after that we self-released our first EP 'Annihilate To Liberate', which met with great feedback from the press and fans, and led to a deal with the UK's Siege Of Amida Records. This gave us the perfect platform to release our debut full-length album 'Enduring The Massacre', which we recorded with Chris Fielding at Foel Studio, Wales (Primordial, Napalm Death, Electric Wizard). Having toured the album internationally with bands like Cephalic Carnage, Psycroptic, The Black Dahlia Murder, Despised Icon, Ion Dissonance and Hour Of Penance, we decided to quickly follow it up with the new record 'And So It Came To Pass'. The new album is a far groovier, more varied offering, which was recorded once again at Foel Studios with Chris Fielding, and mixed and mastered in Denmark by Jacob Hansen (Destruction, Xerath, Trigger The Bloodshed, Aborted). When the album comes out in early 2012, we plan to tour it to death! As well as playing with Dyscarnate, I enjoy working with other musicians and producing my own music in as many different genres as I can.
Matt Unsworth Interview:
SDM: How old were you when you started playing?
Matt: Around thirteen I think – I'd been playing guitar for a few years already, but whenever I jammed with mates all I really wanted to do was jump on the drum kit! I took a few lessons at school and my parents bought me my first set, it was all downhill from there…
SDM: Did you play in a school band or any drum corps?
Matt: Just a couple of bands with friends when I was at school, my first real group was Dyscarnate.
SDM: Who are your top 5 metal influences?
Matt:
Kevin Talley
Adam Jarvis
Paul Bostaph – God Hates Us All is probably my favourite metal album drum-wise.
Joey Jordison
Vinnie Paul
SDM: Who are some other of your favorites?
Matt: Any drummer I've ever shared the stage with really! Our European tour with Cephalic Carnage/Psycroptic last year was full of talented players – the drumming was just obscene. John's style is really interesting, it's awesome to see so many jazzy nuances thrown into his playing, especially when wearing sandals. Dave is probably the most consistent drummer I've ever watched, and I've no idea how Jean from Ion Dissonance remembers all his parts – ludicrous. We played a couple of shows last year with Despised Icon and The Black Dahlia Murder too, throughout their performances my eyes were just glued to Alex and Shannon. I love watching other drummers at gigs, it really motivates me to improve my playing. Lille from Defeated Sanity is another one, just insane.
SDM: Let us know 5 CD's that are in your current rotation
Matt:
The Cinematic Orchestra – Live At The Roundhouse
Agony – Fleshgod Apocalypse
Sylosis – Edge Of The Earth
Feed Me – To The Stars
Black Sabbath – Master Of Reality (It's a rare occasion that I don't have at least one Sabbath CD in my current rotation!)
SDM: What do you do to warm up before a show?
Matt: Bosh out some rudiments on a practice pad, and the first 30 seconds or so of each song on the set list – plus consume the obligatory banana, of course.
SDM: Do you read music? Regardless of answering yes or no, please tell us how it might have effected your playing?
Matt: I do – I learnt to read music initially when learning to play classical guitar when I was younger, this really helped me with making notes for drum parts as I already understood how to read rhythms etc. I've slacked a bit in the reading department the last few years, but I don't think it's the sort of thing you really need these days playing this kind of music – but it's certainly been beneficial in some respects.
SDM: Can you tell us about the gear you use?
Matt: First of all, there's far too much of it! I use a 6 piece Sonor kit with a 13" Pearl Reference maple/birch snare (I've yet to find another snare I prefer the sound of!). Axis Longboard pedals with e-kit triggers/Alesis DM5 module and a Gibraltar rack, playing with Vic Firth 5B sticks. I recently picked up an endorsement with Zildjian, so got myself some A Customs, which I much prefer the tone of to the Z Customs I was playing before, they're a little bit more subtle and a lot brighter. I also use a Roland SPD-S to trigger samples live.
SDM: If you could give one piece of advice to young drummers, it would be…
Matt: Become a vocalist – there's not as much to carry around. But if you do have your heart set on drums – then absorb as much as you can from watching other drummers at shows, and practice your nuts off.
SDM: Who gave the best live performance you've ever seen?
Matt: Adam Jarvis totally blew me away when Misery Index were touring Heirs To Thievery. Every time I see them his sound gets more and more pulverizing – he hits proper fucking hard!
SDM: Aside from drumming, what else do you like to do?
Matt: It all involves music really! I play guitar and produce my own music in as many different genres as I can. I also love to exercise as much as possible – getting down the gym or pool a lot has certainly helped me stamina wise with my playing!
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More Video Links:
2. Initiation Of The Misled – Tour Diary – On the road with Cephalic Carnage, Psycroptic, Ion Dissonance and Hour Of Penance.
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