Metal isn’t just for screaming. Affiance is a politically charged melodic five piece band from Ohio, who know how to keep an old school metal feel with more high notes than Kellin Quinn. To celebrate Affiance’s upcoming headlining U.S. tour with Close Your Eyes, and My Enemies & I this March, Soundcheck411 writer Eric Walden reached out to guitarist Brett Wondrack to talk about being a metal band with strong political and spiritual topics. Check out the interview below.
Soundcheck411: Affiance is set to tour with Close Your Eyes and My Enemies & I. If you could add a show anywhere in the world to the end of that tour, where would it be?
Affiance: Personally, I’d choose Japan. I’ve always wanted to go there and take it all in. It would be very different from anything we’ve experienced so far.
Soundcheck411: Your albums tackle plenty of political, and spiritual issues. Has your involvement with Bullet Tooth Records altered what you chose to cover over lyrically in the last 4 years?
Affiance: Not at all. Our relationship with Bullet Tooth allows total creative control of our content. It’s a really great place to be as an artist.
Soundcheck411: How do you think your music changed once you were picked up by Bullet Tooth Records?
Affiance: I feel we have just grown. Bullet Tooth gave us the means to continue as artists and explore our musical identity.
Soundcheck411: Has Affiance ever been criticized for covering religious topics?
Affiance: Every once in a while someone will misinterpret our lyrics and criticize us for their interpretation. We like provoking those kinds of conversations with people though. We keep the lines of communication open with our fans. It allows learning and growth for both parties.
Soundcheck411: If you could re-write the script of your lives what would you change?
Affiance: I would have liked for people to understand our vision sooner. We are pretty different from a lot of other metal acts. Some argued that we weren’t “metal” enough because we have a singer instead of a screamer. I think people are finally starting to see that metal is about more than just screaming.
Soundcheck411: Does Dennis have any pre show rituals to hit those high notes?
Affiance: Warm up and drink lots of water.
Soundcheck411: Who is your favorite band or singer who’s not in the rock genre?
Affiance: Radiohead. There experimentation as artists inspires to me to think outside of the box. They have always taken their music where they wanted it to go and have maintained a strong fan base.
Soundcheck411: If you had to add one more instrument to your band, what would it be?
Affiance: Bagpipes. They sound awesome and would be comfortable to sit on when we don’t have a green room.
Soundcheck411: Now that Affiance has been a band for almost 7 years and played tons of shows; who was the most memorable band to share the stage with?
Affiance: Killswitch Engage. That band is hard to top. We have been fans of theirs since day one, so touring with them was a huge opportunity and honor.
Soundcheck411: Did your history education in school influence the lyrical content of Affiance, or was it research and experiences later in life?
Affiance: I guess a little bit of both. School may have laid down fundamental knowledge but I’d say most of what we talk about is what we have learned from our own research and experiences.
Soundcheck411: Lastly, is there anything else you guys would like to say to the Soundcheck411 Readers?
Affiance: Eat cottage cheese. It’s high in protein and low in fat.
