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TRAINWRECK ARCHITECT: "Traits Of The Sick"

TRAINWRECK ARCHITECT -  'Inspired by life and charged with fast and heavy grooves, screaming solos and powerful vocals, The Montreal act, will bring you back to the roots of metal with a few surprises along the way. Gearing up to unleash their debut album 'Traits of The Sick' officially on November 12, 2013. The band have put together a ten track headbanging party featuring an eclectic mix of thrash, classic metal and rock dealing with the idea of humans being human and never willing to be completely satisfied. Jeff Waters of Annihilator -responsible for the mastering as well as the guest spot as lead guitarist on one of the tracks. Find out more about the album and the band, here's their bassist and speaker of the moment:  Eric Litinas

How has the reaction to your latest CD been?

The reaction so far has been mostly very positive. We're happy that people have been enjoying the album and coming out the shows, it means a lot.

How long did this CD take to make from start to finish, recording-wise?

Recording wise took about a year give or take. We didn't have any kind of deadline so we took our time and made sure we had something in the end we were all really proud of. We were also playing lots of shows in that time frame so it was a very busy but exciting year that we all learned from.

What kind of 'sound', production wise, did you have in the back of your mind, prior to recording

We wanted something that sounded very honest, very old school and real. I'm not a big fan of a lot of today's slick production and find you lose a lot of the personality of the songs when you go overboard on production and sounds. So I think we succeeded in making an album that sounds good but also sounds very real and raw.

What kind of input did the producer have during the process

Fern at The Sound Module was great to work with, lots of laughs and even some tension at times. We knew what we wanted so he stayed back when it was needed but was also able to bring out the best of us.

And are you pleased with the final outcome? (sound - production wise)

There are a few things I would have done differently but I am my own worst critic when it comes to our music. Being our first full length album, it was a learning process and overall I'm happy with how things turned out and we're confident that we'll continue to get the sound we want for future albums.

Did the producer (or you) use any (weird) experimental miking and/or  recording techniques?

I think we kept it pretty simple and old school rock and metal sounding. We experimented with some vocal effects in some songs, particularly in the pre chorus of 'The Door Slams Shut' that I think was really cool.

Please inform us about your favourite songs off the album

I love all the songs but I'm particularly proud of 'As Killers Breathe'. Love the way that song turned out in terms of the playing and overall sound, and of course having Jeff Waters (Annihilator) do the guitar solo on it doesn't hurt!

What can you tell us about the meaning behind the title: Traits Of The Sick?

Traits of the Sick comes from a lyric in the song The Narcissist. Human beings can be sick. We're sinful, we're greedy, we're never satisfied.

Any overall theme of mood that you're trying to capture while writing songs?

Music and creativity comes at any time. We never set out to write a song with a particular mood. Sometimes we're depressed, sometimes we're happy, we just write and whatever mood the song morphs into sounding like, so be it.

Do you feel it's (un)fair that people tend to compare your product with the 80s stuff? (considering budget, exposure, marketing, etc).

I'm just happy when people care to check us out at all, what they compare us to is up to them. As long as they're listening! It's natural we'd be compared to the 80's sound because a lot of what we listen to and influenced from is from that era so obviously that will come out.

How did you manage to get Jeff Waters from the mighty Annihilator to perform on your album? (also resposible for mastering)

Raza (guitar) and Simon (vocals) met Jeff a few years ago at a guitar clinic he did here in Montreal and they kept in touch here and there. When the time came to master the album we decided to ask him and he was also cool enough to play a solo on it. Dream come true for us.

What's the story behind the monicker: Trainwreck Architect?

The band name describes life. Mistakes we've made, sometimes life is a trainwreck. But we're responsible for our own actions and we are the architects of our own destruction sometimes. This band is about moving forward and putting all the bullshit in life into something positive. Nobody is perfect, there's a Trainwreck Architect in everyone.

How would you describe the new CD to any potential new fan?

We like to brand ourselves as 'Wreck n Roll'. We bring the fun of rock n roll into metal.

Who are your influences and heroes? (music-wise)
writing songs?

Some of my biggest influences in terms of playing are Dennis Dunaway (Alice Cooper), Steve Harris, Geezer Butler, Flea and Justin Chancellor (Tool).

If there's anything you'd like to add, say, please do:

Thanks for reading and hope to see you all on the road! Wreck on
ERIC LITINAS /Trainwreck Architect

Interview by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
Photos from the band's website
http://www.trainwreckarchitect.net 

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