The Odious Construct are releasing a killer EP “Shrine Of The Obscene” next month October 12th and I chatted with the guys about their band and new record label.  Check out the first single right here.

https://www.facebook.com/TheOdiousConstruct
https://theodiousconstruct.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/TheArtisanEra/?fref=ts
http://www.theartisanera.com/
https://theartisanera.bandcamp.com/

The Odious Construct:
Casey Ryle – Vocals

Wes Yee – Guitars

Ben Jackson – Guitars

KC Brand – Drums

Sam Datu – Bass

TMR: Who’s your favorite band on your new label The Artisan Era?

Oh man. Every band on this roster is god tier, that’s an impossible question to answer! -KC

TMR: What shows does the Odious Construct have coming up in support of your new release?

We have a show lined up in October and were planning on actually having Decrepit Birth headline for us.  There’s a number of bands that were trying to get in, but nothing set in stone yet. -KC

TMR: What did you guys do differently this time around for “Shrine Of The Obscene”?

Our upcoming EP has more experimentation with different orchestra instruments. We used the harp a lot for our last EP, but we expanded on that and used a koto, viola, choirs, and of course more harp to keep the songs more interesting and dynamic. Our next EP also has a lot more character to it since everyone had more input and was more involved in the song-writing process. The last EP was mostly just me and KC since it was older songs we had written before we found the right band members. Our single, Shrine of the Obscene is a pretty good representation of everyone’s hand in the songwriting process, and musically it creates something more interesting. – Wes

TMR: What is the theme and meaning behind Shrine Of The Obscene?

The title track/EP title is an overall portrayal of how we as a modern society tend to relish in the pain of others, as a form of escape from our own suffering. The “shrine of the obscene” is a physical representation of this worshipping of others suffering. -Casey

TMR: What are your biggest influences outside of death metal?

Marty Friedman was a huge influence for me, back when he was in Cacophony with Jason Becker, to his stint in Megadeth, and all of his instrumental solo albums. The biggest thing that I took from him is the importance of melody. I really try to focus on writing something that is memorable and has a flow to it that will hook the listener. I think that’s one thing that kind of gets lost these days since a lot of people are focusing on “how can i make this more technical” instead of “how can make this more melodically interesting?” – Wes

TMR: Guilty pleasure band or artist?

I haven’t been listening to too much metal these days, so i’ve been casually listening to Kpop or Korean music. Right now I’m on a Heize binge which is a mix of like korean hip hop/jazz/r&b. – Wes

Some of our members dabble every now and then in some early 2000’s nu-metal bands like Korn or Mudvayne. I actually like a lot of bands without vocals, either djent or post-rock/metal/whatever genres. -Casey

TMR: Describe your typical Odious Construct show?

I mean, we try to be as energetic and engaging to everyone as possible,  Usually try and start the set off with a fast one just to get the blood flowing and set the tone for the set. We’re actually setting up a light show currently so that should add some extra zest to everything. -KC

TMR: How did you get into music and did you ever think you’d be doing it as a signed band?

I personally have been around music since I was a toddler, my dad was a drummer, and I kinda picked it up from him.  Didn’t start playing seriously though till maybe the 8th grade talent show haha. All my friends were chanting my name with the beats I was playing it was super cool!  But I guess after doing that, I decided that drumming was something that was going to stick. So it did. And no, never thought I’d be a signed artist. Especially not to a fire label like this one.  Although small, there are some killer acts on this roster man. Everyone is insanely talented and good at what they do. -KC

TMR: That is some nasty art! Who designed your EP cover?

We got lucky with that one!  Leonardo Devidson drew up that one.  Killer artist! -KC

TMR: Design your dream tour composed of 4 bands. Who makes the cut?

Ooh, tough one. But I think we all agree on these four: Baby Metal, Dragonforce, Attila and Nickleback, of course. -Casey

TMR:  What band would you love to play with you haven’t yet? And what show was your most memorable?

I mean, if I have access to any band I’d pick probably pick someone like Opeth or Between the Buried Me. The most memorable show for me was when we played a small festival The American Legion in Tahoe with Cattle Decapitation headlining. The extra drive in the snow just added an extra layer of atmosphere. – Sam

TMR: Describe your biggest or most important moment as a band.  

I think we would all agree that getting signed to The Artisan Era for our upcoming EP release was a huge step for us. We all look up to everyone on that roster and to be apart of that is a huge accomplishment for us. -Wes

TMR: How has your journey been since The Odious Construct started? How many sacrifices have been made to keep the band going?  

Being a small band, especially new, can be extremely challenging at times. -Wes

TMR: How did the band start?

We were formed back in early 2015.  Wes and I had departed from a thrash metal project that kinda just lost its spark overall.  Took some ideas had floating around and wrote Flatline, (last song of our self titled EP) and asphyxiation, which has currently been unreleased.  Shortly after writing a few tunes we got ahold of our buddy Ben, who actually played drums for a band called Legions Requiem, and was also someone that Wes and I grew up in the Sacramento metal scene with for quite a number of years.  Having dabbled in guitar just a little, Ben picked up everything super fast, and quickly became proficient enough to help write. You’ll hear a lot of his stuff on Shrine of the Obscene. Sam and Casey were a bit tough to find, scouring craigslist and social media, we all got in contact with each other and it just worked perfectly. We have great chemistry and I couldn’t imagine having other band mates honestly. We’re all musically on the same page for the most part, so its nice to be able to work with like minded people. -KC