UN: Misery Signals came out of the ashes of 7 Angels 7 Plagues. Was the material used for the debut Misery Signals MCD material that would have been used for 7 Angels? I'm sure once the new members came into the fold the material took a turn into what Misery Signals is now though.

Ryan(bass):Yes actually 3 of the 5 tracks on the EP contain parts that were being used for new 7 angels material. In the end a lot was changed and also most of the riffs used were written by Ryan (misery signals guitarist). Really we just didn't want to waste anytime and those songs helped to get us an immediate start with Misery Signals.

UN: How did the singer from Compromise come into the picture? Did you guys meet during one of 7 Angels Canadian tours? His vocal approach on the new record is just flat out amazing. I'd say he has one of the most original sounding voices in metalcore right now.

Ryan(bass):We all actually met on a 7 angels 7 plagues tour in the states during the spring/summer of 2002. Compromise did a few dates with us and that is actually the tour where they got into the fatal accident costing 2 of them (Jordan and Dan) their lives. Once Temo Rios of 7 angels quit a couple months later we asked Jesse to come down and try out for 7 angels which he did finishing out the last few months of 7a7p's existence.

UN: I think that "Of Malice and the Magnum Hearts" is one of the first album to really up the technicality in hardcore and not come across as a Dillinger Escape Plan clone. I don't even hear one hint of Dillinger. Would you say it was important for the band to keep the music challenging but at the same time keep it original?

Ryan(bass):Oh absolutely. That is exactly what we strive to do. There are definitely technical aspects to the music we write yet we keep it simple enough so that most can still grasp and enjoy it. Originality is also very important to us. We like to think that there are very few bands out there right now doing what we do.

UN: Is it somewhat tough to stay technical and keep things structured? You guys must take a lot of time tweaking the structures and making everything flow. I actually think that you guys are really one of the first bands to add a lot of structure to technical music. A lot of bands just seem content throwing in a million riffs and seem to forget that while it's impressive no one remembers it when it's over.

Ryan(bass):Right again....structure is one of the most important things in what we write. Basically what happens is riffs are brought to the table and then we spend the majority of the time trying to figure out how to put them together the best we can. Nothing we write is thrown together or what you might call "Filler." Each riff of each song is carefully structured to fit exactly where it is in the song. If we cant find a place for a riff then it is dropped and we try something new.

UN: I think it's about time someone got Devin Townsend to produce a metalcore album! The guy is just a phenomenal producer. How did he come to be involved with the album? The album sounds phenomenal and he managed to get you guys a production that stands out among all of the metalcore bands around right now. It sounds like a metal record more so then a hardcore record.

Ryan(bass):Well our singer Jesse has been friends with Devin for years and years. That's the main reason we got the opportunity that we did. We sent Devin a copy of the old ep and he loved it. So I guess a combination of the two is how we got involved with Devin and we are all extremely thrilled with the job he did on "of malice...." He really is one of a kind.

UN: Did Devin have a lot of input musically on the album? I know certain producers sometimes offer advice, so I was curious to ask if he was into making the most of the bands material or if you guys just basically went in with everything set in stone and knew what you wanted the album to be.

Ryan(bass):Well a little bit of both i suppose. we went in with all the material written and ready to go and didn't actually change anything but Devin added a lot over what we already had. Im sure you can hear Devin's influence on the record as far as vocal parts and keyboards and the sounds that he got out of our instruments onto cd. Overall a very exceptional job on his behalf.

UN: Many of the songs on the new album deal with loss. The tragic accident involving Compromise was undoubtedly something that was bound to come up lyrically. Do you think that Misery Signals allows you guys to channel your emotions and stands as a way for you guys to communicate? Misery Signals is as heavy as they come, but the lyrics are quite unique for this style.

Ryan(bass):Yeah this band has always been sort of an emotional outlet. 7 angels was the same way. With Misery Signals though it deals more with real loss, not just everyday struggles that we all have to deal with and i feel like you can hear it through jesses vocals....still to this day while listening to "The Year Summer Ended in June" and its lyrical content I get all choked up and i would think most anyone who has dealt with that kind of loss would as well. Our lyrics are something that a lot of people can relate to.

UN: I find it interesting that the band essentially has two local scenes. Has either side of the band put any thought into moving? It must be a pretty long drive from Alberta to Wisconsin and vice versa. How does it end up working during tours? Do you guys meet somewhere and get things going from there?

Ryan(bass):Well relocating to one place has never been much of a reality. Everyone just has too much at home to leave behind so we just deal with it the best we can. Usually what happens is we meet up a week or two before tour and practice and then hit the road. Once we end tour we drive the Canadians halfway and they have a friend come and pick them up. We’re going to start looking into easier ways such as flying which will be more expensive but most definitely worth it.

UN: What does the bands touring schedule look like for the rest of the year? I'm sure you guys are going to want to pound the pavement as much as humanly possible to spread the word about Misery Signals. Once people get the album in their hands I expect many people to be completely blown away.

Ryan(bass):Well after hellfest to finish the summer up we do a small run with Bury your dead up to Edmonton to play a fest called Yesterday Was Everything which is an annual memorial to Jordan and Dan of compromise. After that we take some time off until we hit the road with Six Feet Under in Sept and then dillinger escape plan/everytime I die in October. That is all we have lined up for now but we are expecting to be out through early December and then possibly Europe early next year.

UN: Do you think that Misery Signals is a band that can appeal to a wide range of music fans? I could see fans of Shai Hulud getting into certain aspects of the band, fans of Meshuggah being into the odd rhythms and fans of heavy hardcore being into the breakdowns. Obviously you guys write for yourselves first and foremost, but it must be nice knowing that there are a lot of different people who are into the band.

Ryan(bass):Yeah there are several influences involved in our writing which opens us to wide range of listeners. I feel like that is one thing that sets us apart from other "metalcore" bands. We aren't afraid to try new/different things. we don't have a strict formula when it comes to writing. There doesn't have to be a certain amount of mosh parts or soft parts in every song or odd timed parts every other riff etc....we write it so its whatever we want it to be.