Only A Shadow Remains
Live for today
Only A Shadow Remains is a one-man thrash metal project from Florida whose new album 'Control' just came out February this year. Being an introduction to a consummate independent musician's painstakingly prepared product (forgive the alliteration), this interview will be of particular interest for those wanting a glimpse into how the game works far beyond the mainstream. For his Archaic Metallurgy debut, mainman Armon Nicholson talks about life, metal, and what it's like inside his head.
AM: Introduce us to your double life. You play thrash during the evenings and by day you...?
Armon Nicholson: I'm a linguist in the US Army. It has its perks, but sometimes the long hours can interfere with my music. Of course in a perfect world I would just be a rock star and support myself with my music, but they, we all have to start somewhere!
AM: Oh right, don't you have another band?
AN: Yes. I front a three-piece band known as End Of Forever. We're more along the lines of hard rock, with a touch of blues. It's not the most serious band; it's something we formed in our free time because we all loved music and making music. It's a way to vent our pressures and stresses of everyday life.
AM: What was your biggest motivation to pursue a solo project?
AN: I love heavy metal, especially thrash metal. Where I was living at the time didn't have a big metal scene, and I had started writing a bunch of music, so I just decided to go solo. In the end I think I prefer writing and recording all the music myself. It's more difficult sometimes, as there's no one to help me with a song if I get writer's block, but the music always goes in the direction that I want it to.
AM: Is it possible to measure your satisfaction with the album you just released?
AN: On a scale of 1-10 I would give it an 8. I'm very happy with my writing of all the songs, but I was rushed when I was recording it, so there's some mistakes on there I'd like to fix. But I had already recorded and re-recorded some of these songs multiple times, so I just told myself "fuck it!" and pushed forwards. I knew if I took the time to start re-recording everything and fixing every little mistake I'd be stuck recording this album forever, and I had a deadline to meet!
AM: Will physical copies of 'Control' ever see distribution, even on an underground scale?
AN: Yes. I've already got a few copies floating around, and I'm working on getting a few hundred more copies made so I can start distributing it to everywhere possible, and submitting it to any label with an open ear. Self-distribution isn't easy, but I'm working hard on it.
AM: Did you enjoy the process of recording and releasing your own music? Was everything done at home?
AN: I really enjoyed writing and recording my music, and designing and arranging everything. However, it took a lot more time than I thought it would. I put a lot of thought and effort into every aspect of this album, from the track order to the liner notes. Everything was done right here at home, yes. It was a labor of love, so to speak. Self release and self promotion take a lot of effort, thought, and sometimes money, but I thoroughly enjoy it.
AM: How familiar are you with current recording software? Do you ever noodle around with sound engineering?
AN: I've used the same recording equipment, more or less, for years now, so I know it in and out. I've messed around with sound engineering just for my own recordings, but I would love to get more into it.
AM: Since you did 100% of the work on 'Control', did it ever get stressful?
AN: Towards the end, it definitely got stressful. My person life and my job were getting very busy toward the end of the recording, so I had to rush a few guitar solos and the vocals. In a few spots, unfortunately, you can tell that my voice was tired when I recorded a few songs. For my next album I'm taking my time, so I won't run into that problem again.
AM: Are there still unreleased songs in your hard drive or hidden in a shoebox somewhere in your house? Will they ever appear in a future release?
AN: Oh, there's tons! I have nearly all of the songs for my second album written and recorded, and I probably have another dozen or so songs just waiting to be used. Before I release my second album, I think I may release an EP. I've got a handful of songs that are great, but I don't think they belong on an album of mine for varying reasons, such as tempo or genre. I also have a bunch of instrumental songs written; I may release an album of dark instrumentals at some time.
AM: To be honest, I find the music excellent but the themes kinda redundant. I'll mention as much in my review. Which is more difficult for you, composing music or just writing?
AN: Thanks! I know what you mean about the redundancy; towards the end I started to realize that lyrically, many of the songs were too similar. This song is about murder, this song is about murder and torture, oh hey, another song about murder! I wrote it at a very dark time in my life and I think that's reflected in the lyrics, but looking back I should have included some more variety. My next album fixes that issue, it contains a much broader lyrical variety. Honestly I think the most difficult thing for me is finishing songs. I have at least three or four dozen songs right now that are really great, but only halfway written. I can write the first half of a song in five minutes, but I have to find the right inspiration to finish it, and that inspiration comes from completely random things. It may come from a few words that I heard someone say, it may come from a riff I thought of after seeing a great concert, hell it may come from seeing a movie or piece of artwork.
AM: If you had to choose the best "singles" on the album, what would it be?
AN: Oh, tough question. I really like the title track myself, even though I don't think it's my best performance. I definitely think it's the heaviest song on the album. With Only A Shadow Remains being thrash metal, I would want a song to not only represent me and my music, but it must properly represent thrash metal. 'Work of Heart' has been a fan favorite since I released this album, and I love the song, but it's one of the slower songs on the album. If I had to choose three though, it would be 'I'm inside You', 'Work of Heart', and 'Black'.
AM: Are there any plans to get a full band together and bring Only A Shadow Remains in front of an audience?
AN: Nothing would make me happier! I'm hoping to eventually be able to do that, even if I just rounded up some friends to play live who weren't actually a part of the project. Playing live is a high that no drug or drink can match. And I believe it's the ultimate way to give back to the audience, and to your fans. You support my music, so I'm going to put every ounce of energy into playing the best show I possibly can. I'm really big on giving back to the fans. Musicians are nothing without their fans, that's something I never forget or take for granted.
AM: Let's delve into past history a bit. When did you start on the path to becoming a musician?
AN: I started playing guitar when I was 13 and I haven't stopped since. Metallica's 'Ride the Lightning' was my bread and butter for those first few years and no matter what I learn now I can still hear elements of that in almost everything I write. I learned pretty much nothing but old thrash metal for many years, but in high school my music teacher convinced me to join jazz band and I must admit I learned a ton from that. It gave me a great appreciation for jazz musicians and taught me about music theory, composition, reading and writing music, and improvised soloing. After that my musical tastes started to vary a bit, and they got a bit lighter, I guess you could say.
Around 2006 I heard Slayer's 'God Hates Us All' for the first time, and musically it kicked me right in the face. Even though many people feel that album wasn't as "thrashy" as Slayer's past releases, it brought me right back into the realms of thrash metal. Because of that album, I started tuning my guitars down to C#. Tom Araya is a big influence for me, vocally. I also started getting into melodic death metal around that time, which had a big impact on my lead work, and including harmonies in my rhythms. Now I'm at a place that I'm happy with my style of playing, and my skill, so I've been trying to write songs that push my limits. I think as musicians we should always try to improve ourselves. Even if we aren't improving our playing skill, we should try to improve our songwriting skill.
AM: Are you all metal or is there room in your heart for Jazz? Pop, even?
AN: I've written a few short pieces for violins and violas, and even for piano. The last time I enjoyed any pop music was probably when I was in elementary school. I have written a few blues songs, but nothing serious. As far as writing music that I plan on releasing, I'm all metal.
AM: Which albums are currently rocking your world this 2010? Mine would be the latest from Fear Factory, Overkill, and Armored Saint, even Hypocrisy circa 2009. And you?
AN: There's a few CDs that stay on constant rotation for me, and that's Cannibal Corpse's 'Kill', Slayer's 'God Hates Us All', and Arch Enemy's 'Burning Bridges'. Although it's not always in my immediate listening queue, 80's Metallica is something I never get tired of hearing. All of those albums have been very influential for me, also.
AM: Let's now talk about gear. What weapons do you have in your "arsenal"?
AN: All my guitars I built myself. I started building electrics a few years back, and absolutely fell in love with it. You can check them out on the "gear" page of my band site, www.onlyashadowremains.com. I've bounced around on amps for quite a while. I've played Marshalls, Randalls, Crates, Soldanos, Mesa Boogies, and never been 100% satisfied with what I heard. I picked up a Bugera 6262 head a while back though, and absolutely fell in love with the sound. The lead channel on that amp absolutely crushes! I've tried various string brands and sizes over the years also, and I always come back to D'Addario. To my ears, other string brands sound dull. I use custom gauge strings, 11-56. It's taken me roughly 15 years, but I'm finally at a point where I'm truly happy with my sound; I don't need any major overhauls, just some fine tweaking and I'll be there, right in audio bliss.
AM: What's your hometown like?
AN: It's a small town in North Florida. I never really liked it. In fact, I joined the Army just to get out of there and see the world. It's the kind of place that you can go away for a week and leave your front door unlocked and you don't have to worry. That is one aspect I always liked about it. The people are also friendly. I'm more of a big city kind of guy though. I felt like my life was being strangled there, and I had to get out.
AM: Let's give the readers a glimpse into who you really are. This procedure was "invented" so to speak by Marcel Proust in the 19th century. I give a phrase, you answer it honestly. Ready?
AN: Yes!
AM: My character.
AN: Open, honest, and I laugh at everything.
AM: The qualities I admire... In a man.
AN: A good solid work ethic, assertiveness, and a crude sense of humor.
AM: ...In a woman.
AN: Femininity, caring personality, and a good sense of humor.
AM: What I like about my friends.
AN: I know I can depend on them if I need to, and I can always turn to them for honest opinions about anything.
AM: Principal defect.
AN: Sometimes I'm not confident enough in regards to my music.
AM: Favorite occupation.
AN: A rock star, of course! It's what I was made for!
AM: Idea of bliss.
AN: Playing a world tour, traveling everywhere with my music and my girl, and supporting my life with my music.
AM: Biggest misfortune.
AN: My mother's suicide in early 2009.
AM: Famous person I'd like to be.
AN: Instead of being another famous person, I'd rather make myself famous.
AM: I would like to live in...
AN: Probably San Francisco. It's a beautiful city, and they have a good, strong metal scene.
AM: Favorite color.
AN: Red.
AM: If I were an animal, I'd be...
AN: Leopard.
AM: Favorite artists.
AN: H.R. Giger.
AM: Favorite authors.
AN: Robert Jordan, Stephen Hawking.
AM: Favorite sexual position. (Alright, so I added my "own" criteria.)
AN: Woman on top, reverse cowgirl.
AM: Favorite names.
AN: Nicholas, Chloe.
AM: What I hate most.
AN: That I don't have more time and money to devote to my music.
AM: My role models.
AN: My father, older brother, and Jack LaLanne.
AM: Historical figures I admire.
AN: Albert Einstein.
AM: Historical figures I despise.
AN: Hitler.
AM: The military campaign I like most.
AN: I'm not a huge military buff, even though I'm in the military (go figure). My grandfather, however, was in WWII and I remember hearing all kinds of stories from him when I was a child.
AM: A talent I'd like to have.
AN: I'd love to be able to paint.
AM: How I'd like to die.
AN: Peacefully, in my sleep, when I'm at least 100 years old.
AM: My soul's condition.
AN: I don't believe in souls or anything supernatural.
AM: The faults I can accept.
AN: None. I see faults as something that must be conquered and improved.
AM: My motto.
AN: Live for today.
AM: Considering all the other things that keep your life busy, do you still have time for practice?
AN: Every day I try to practice at least an hour. Without practice, one cannot properly play thrash metal. Or any other form of music, really, but thrash rhythms take a lot of wrist strength and endurance.
AM: Too bad we have to wrap. Thanks for the patience. What's it like inside your head?
AN: Very busy and never slowing down. Between my job, my music, and my personal life, I never seem to get much of a break. But I don't mind. I love life, and this is the only one I have, so I have to make sure I enjoy it as much as possible. Thanks for your time.
Interviewed by Migual Miranda.04/26/2010 20:26