DISTORTED SOUND MAGAZINE
DISTORTED SOUND MAGAZINE
“I write lyrics for myself and my band, it's my release and our release, but, if it reaches
out to people and they connect with it, that's huge for me...”
one likes to be called metalcore because metalcore has
almost become a dirty word, I guess it's the same for
every genre” explains Mark when probed to describe his
band's sound. “Nu-metal in its day became a dirty word
because you had a flood of nu-metal bands and the same
goes today for djent, the djent movement. You get two
or three bands who are unique in their style of approach
and then the rest of them get branded with this generic
tag that no one likes. I'm glad that people say that we
don't fit to a particular genre and that we can appeal to a
variety of fans, that's been the thing we've always gone
for.” From Mark's honest revelation about connecting
with people on the lyrical front to the band's multi-genre
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“I'm glad that people say that we don't fit to a particular
genre and that we can appeal to a variety of fans, that's
been the thing we've always gone for.”
soundscape, it seems like there is this overarching sense
of community and inclusion with THE FIVE HUNDRED.
That's a characteristic that makes this promising outfit
instantly likeable but in this modern climate, building
this community has never been tougher. The British
metal scene has experienced a sheer cataclysmic
explosion of growth with a legion of cutting-edge talent
making waves, so, for a young and emerging outfit like
THE FIVE HUNDRED, the competition has never been
tougher. Mark agrees with the health of UK metal right
now and rather than being intimidated by the level of
quality shown today, he is ready to rise to the challenge.
“Despite what some people may say, I think heavy metal
is in its healthiest state it ever has been. In terms of
creativity, certainly, in terms of how much stuff is being
put out and the quality of stuff that is being put out. In
terms of the amount of music that is coming out and how
many amazing bands are coming out of the UK, I don't
think we've ever been in a healthy position like we are
in today” Mark explains. “It's like a healthy competition!
You hear what your peers are releasing, like the latest
VALIS ABLAZE album. I listen to that and think “shit,
this is amazing!” In a healthy kind of way I listen to that
and I want to write something that I feel is even better
than this, it inspires you to do better. There is so much
good stuff out there and you want to be in amongst it all!”
With the correct mental attitude to his musical creativity
and a striking debut album under his belt, for Mark and
his bandmates in THE FIVE HUNDRED, their future is
beaming and the world is very much their oyster.
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