We took a moment to speak with The Convalescence!
MPM: You guys are based out of Ohio that’s been around since 2011 how did you guys get started and where does the band name deprived from?
Keith: Originally the band was made up of members of other bands from the Toledo, OH area (Blood Of The Prophets, From The Depths, and HardHeartAway), It was started mainly as a side band while the other bands were recording or doing other projects. Basically we had to find a way to make money and figured we could play regionally on the off time from our main bands and get work that way. Once we released our first EP “Memories” The Convalescence quickly became everyone’s main focus. The band name means the healing process and in a way that’s what it was for everyone involved at the time going through drug, alcohol, personal, and financial issues. The band helped everyone move forward and get things on track.
MPM: Your last album was titled This Is Hell which was released in 2017 through Unique Leader Records and I absolutely enjoyed it front to back. Could you guys discuss how the new album, Monument Of Misery is gonna take new heights for the band?
Keith: This Is Hell was a great album don’t get me wrong, but Monument Of Misery blows it out of the water. This album is heavier, darker, and has more depth than anything we’ve done before. There is very little clean singing on this album, Just stuck to brutality on this one.
MPM: You guys combine various genres of metal including deathcore, death metal, symphonic black and parts of hardcore with different musical backgrounds. What can The Convalescence offer unlike other bands in the extreme music community?
Keith: Our band members come from very diverse musical backgrounds and since everyone in the band writes and contributes to the music it’s bound to cross over several genres. We don’t really worry about what other bands in the extreme music community are doing, We’re not worried about sub genres or labels we’re just writing heavy music.
MPM :You guys are now signed to Legend Recordings, how was the response after being picked up by another label?
Keith: The reaction to a new signing is always good and we’re happy to be working with our long time manager Chris Bianchi on the release of this new record.
MPM: You guys put out a single called The Return featuring Matt Mcgachy from Cryptopsy. How’s it like collaborating to one of the most well known death metal vocalists in the genre?
Keith: Working with Matt on this track was a blast, We met on the “Back To The U.S. Tour” in 2015 when we were given the opportunity to tour with Cryptopsy, Disgorge, Erimha, and Soreption around the Eastern and Midwest United States, Those guys were all so cool to us even though we were super new to the National touring circuit. We’ve been friends with the Cryptopsy guys ever since and have had their guitarist Christian Donaldson mixing and mastering our last few albums and since we were finally going to Canada to record the album with him at The Grid it was a no brainer for us to try to get Matt on a track. I’m just beyond stoked that he said yeah and he absolutely crushed his part.
MPM: You guys have been announcing some killer tour announcements including Summer Slaughter and the CD release party with The Breathing Process, A Feasting Beast and Hate Unbound. Would you say this is the busiest year for the band?
Keith: Honestly it’s pretty routine at this point to be on the road all year we’ve been doing minimum 100 dates per year since 2014 but each year the shows keep getting bigger and we make it a point to try to appear on bigger tours and festivals each year to try to reach even more fans.
MPM: Monument Of Misery comes out on the 28th of June through Legend Recordings. How was the process of making the album and what could fans expect to hear the next evolution for this release prior to This Is Hell and past albums?
Keith: Well This Is Hell and Poison Words were mainly written on the spot in the studio and we used programmed drums for those albums. Monument Of Misery is our first album using live drums and we were able to spend a few weeks prior to leaving for the studio to do our own Pre Production sessions to make sure the songs were really everything we wanted them to be before leaving for Montreal. We were also rehearsing the full new album as a full band prior to leaving on that tour which just helped when it came to tracking the parts.
MPM: Coming from a fan of your music since 2016, what are your thoughts on the current scene of Metal and for Ohio where the band originated from?
Keith: The Ohio Metal Scene is great man, Maybe not what it was in 2007 when a local deathcore show would pack in 500 people but there is still a lot of support and a lot of great bands coming out of Ohio.
MPM: Do you guys prefer recording or touring when you guys don’t have anything planned up?
Keith: I always prefer touring to recording just because I like to travel and see something new every day and perform live for a new crowd every day.
MPM: Before wrapping up this interview, I would like to personally thank you guys very much for allowing me to help the word out and know what The Convalescence can speak many ways for people knowing the music. Are there any last words like to give out to the fans who’ve supported you all since day one and are there any upcoming events or announcements people can expect from the band in 2019 and onward?
Keith: Thank you to everyone who has been supporting us over the years and thank you to the new people that are just hearing about us now, We couldn’t do what we do without people like you supporting underground heavy music. Thank you so much. As far as announcements just keep watching our social media we have a lot planned for the remainder of the year.
Interview by Jake Butler
