UN: I don't want to start off by kicking a dead horse, but I really didn't hear much about what led to the break up of Coalesce. In hardcore it seems like the bands that were ahead of their time always seem to implode. Was there tension in the band or did it just seem to come to an end on it's own? Would you say that there is very little chance for a Coalesce reunion? I hate that word, so let's say a reforming instead.

Sean: Well, lots of things contributed to our demise. Religion, money, flaky attitudes, control issues, and just growing up or out. There was a lot of tension at the end. You get 3 passive aggressive dudes, and one control freak together and you are going to have problems. There is not much of a chance of us doing anything again that I can see. Cory is busy with the esoteric, and James Dewees is moving to New York for a TV job, so that would only leave me screaming in a mic alone.

UN: How did the idea to re-release Give Them Rope come about? It seems like the newer people into metalcore might not know who Coalesce are and that is definitely a bad thing, considering you guys helped shaped the current metalcore sound. Do you think the re-release might serve as a new introduction for a lot of people?

Sean: I was always unhappy with the way the record sounded and looked, so since coalesce enjoys a post mordam popularity, i was lucky enough to get to go back and remake it correctly. It was always my favorite collection of songs, and now it looks and sounds right too. i was lucky to get to do this.

UN: The new artwork has a very different look then the original. Would you say this is more along the lines of what you had originally intended? I liked the original layout for all of the photos, but damn I couldn't follow the lyrics to save my life! The new booklet has more pages and a lot more space to work with.

Sean: Yeah the cover is the exact portrait of the original concept, just in a different medium. we originally commissioned a guy from Canada to do it, and got jipped, so i decided to use a picture last minute since we wanted to get it out and go on tour. now since i had time, i commissioned another Canadian, and he did great. i love this cover, it's perfect to what i imagined.

UN: Was there anything specifically you wanted to change when it came to remastering? I think the guitars are noticeably louder, and the whole thing just sounds better. You guys still kept the raw quality of the original in tact though.

Sean: We wanted it to sound raw, but not like mud. The original mastering was so bad, but we were charged $500.00 every time they redid it so we had to cut our losses. Bad idea for us. We used ed rose's mastering sweetheart, so it was perfect this time.

UN: Would you say that this is the definitive version of Give Them Rope? Possibly a special edition if you will. Do you think that original copies of Give Them Rope will become a bit of a collectors item?

Sean: I would say it is, but people who are fans of the band, and grew to love the flaws wont say it is. regardless, i hope they appreciate the effort.

UN: I was actually curious to ask if Relapse has been keeping your album you released with them in print. I haven't really seen it in stores in quite sometime. While on the subject of Relapse, do you think that they pushed you guys as much as they could have? Looking back I remember hearing much more about the band before you signed to Relapse and not much afterwards.

Sean: I actually have no idea what relapse is doing with it. Well, we broke up before recording, and didn't tour, I can't blame them for putting much into a dead band. It was one of those things, that if we had a decent van, the band could have lasted a year longer, and made more money. when a band has no tour support, you have to expect them to break up. especially, again, with 3 passive aggresives, and one control freak.

UN: Do you guys ever sit back and think that you guys were ahead of your time? I'm sure it must be a weird thing to have someone say about your band, but if the shoe fits wear it I guess. I personally think that you guys have had a huge impact on quite a few of the newer bands. No one has really taken over the reigns of creating the same rolling riffs and odd rhythms, but vocally I hear an influence the most I'd say.

Sean: Actually no, we don't really. It's a compliment when we hear it, but we don't think of ourselves that way. When you were there, and lost the money, read the bad reviews, and all the other stuff a long the way, it just seems like a band, a band that had a weird longevity afterwards, but when it was happening, didn't get great support.

UN: Ideally, what would you want someone to get out of Coalesce? Are you guys looking for new fans at this stage, or would you say that the re-release was mainly to make the band finally feel satisfied about the album? Music is timeless, so re-issues are just as relevant as the originals.

Sean: Well, the release is more of me being selfish and getting my way, haha. We aren't looking for new fans, or new record sales, I'm a record collecting purist, and if i was a fan of this band, i would appreciate it. That's all.