Soon after the release of their debut demo in May 2017, Virginia’s WRISTMEETRAZOR are back with a full LP, released in cooperation with the world’s leading screamo record label Zegema Beach Records and German emotive hardcore stable Time As A Color, who celebrated its 10th anniversary earlier this year. The ‘I Talk to God,…But the Sky is Empty’ double 7” LP 7” sounds very comfortable razing speakers with violent spasms, but it also successfully operates outside the confines of the screamo and adds some serious licks of good old metalcore / metallic hardcore vibe that makes it punishingly ferocious and dangerously venomous. Some slower psot hardcore interludes prevent the listeners to go completely nuts. Wow, this is one hell of a debut, ladies and gentlemen. Stream it right here, read the full review by Open Mind / Saturated Brain HERE, and check out our quick interview below.
WRISTMEETRAZOR features members of A LIFE OF TORMENT and solo/grind project Secondgradeknifefight. “I Talk to God,…But the Sky is Empty” 2×7” is available via Zegema Beach Records (Canada/North America) and Time As A Color (Germany/Europe).
Hey guys! What’s up guys? How’s Richmond? How does it feel to be on the verge of the release of this great record?
Jonah: Hey how’s it going! Believe it or not none of us are actually from Richmond! I live outside DC while Zach resides in Tennessee and Justin in Las Vegas. But Virginia in general has been consistently coming out with some phenomenal bands left and right. We had started writing all of these songs back in April so to see them get to where they are is very very cool.
How did you come up with the idea to start this band?
Justin: Originally, the band was a solo project that Jonah was doing. Him and I both talked in length about expanding it to being an actual band, and immediately began writing for what would be both “I talk to god…” and “…but the sky is empty”. We found Zach shortly after to finish the line up.
Can you expound a bit more about your backgrounds, experience and your relationship with DIY punk and screamo scene? What made you decide to become an active member of the community?
Jonah: For me personally I grew up with my dad consistently listening to bands like Ministry, Quicksand, Slayer, etc and I started discovering new bands on my own and going to local shows whenever I could. I’m 22 now so I’ve been actively going to shows anywhere I can, starting bands, and meeting like minded individuals for awhile now.
Speaking of which, how’s your local punk scene doing these days?
Justin: We all hail from different parts of the country, but in Las Vegas, my local punk scene won’t let me book hardcore shows at the local DIY venue. We have a lot of division here.
Can you recommend some cool new bands worth checking out this winter?
Jonah: I could list too many for my own good, but for the sake of time I recommend checking out Vatican from Georgia, Slow Fire Pistol also from Georgia, and Drei Affen from Spain. All three bands have been kicking for a few years give or take but all have recent releases that I’ve had on repeat non-stop.
Ok, so back to the record, the feel of “I talk to god…but the sky is empty” is to some degree nostalgic, and it sounds really great. Musically what did you want to convey with this album? Tell us about your current tastes and inspirations that drive your creative energies.
Justin: Thank you. Musically, Jonah and I were heavily influenced by bands like Neil Perry, Joshua Fit for Battle, pageninetynine when writing the record. The record is our interpretation of suffering. At times, more personal and at other times, more political. Ultimately, the listener extracts their own meaning. Nothing is being spoon fed to you, we want you to acquiesce whatever emotional response feels natural to you while you listen.
Lyrics wise, what do you think is exceptionally worth tackling?
Jonah: The most important lyrics for me personally are in 1716 which are written in memory of a friend of mine who met an untimely death due to addiction about two years ago. All of the lyrics for each song though are very special to us definitely, all covering heartache, depression, religion, etc.
Can you tell us about the cover art concept? Who’s that man and what does he represent?
Justin: The figures on both of our records was drawn by our good friend Connie, who plays in a band called SeeYouSpaceCowboy. The artwork is a mirror of the previously mentioned concepts the record was built around. It’s how we felt our bleak outlook explored throughout the record was properly expressed with, while also borrowing from a period of time we admire. The screamo scene in the late 90s and early 00s created some of my favorite album covers aesthetically. That was clearly kept in mind while we conceptualized what we felt would properly represent the songs.
How did you team up with Zegema Beach and Time As A Color?
Jonah: Funny enough, when I had released the demo myself before Wristmeetrazor became real with me, Zach, and Justin, I had an email for our now good friend David asking if we’d like to work with Zegema Beach in releasing future music. After already knowing the label for releasing our friends in Seeyouspacecowboy Zegema Beach was the first choice in mind for releasing the record. Time As A Color hopped in and very generously offered to assist in the release of the record, in which we are eternally grateful to both labels.
Will there be some live shows in support of the record?
Justin: We already have a few shows for the beginning of January in the works, as well as further touring plans throughout the year. We’d also always love to play Europe if anyone there would have us hint hint.
What’s the future of WRISTMEETRAZOR?
Jonah: We aren’t stopping anytime soon. We’re continuing to write music and are already planning some shows for the new year, which we are all looking forward to. Basically, as long as we have blood in our veins, and melancholy in our hearts we’ll still be kickin’
