Stay Sick Records Archives

A brief look at the band’s currently leading the alternative and underground music realms might lead one to believe that heavier music has lost its edge, or at least its public appeal. Sales are down, which is admittedly true for every area of the industry, but unless you’re tuned in to certain niche heavy arenas there have been few, if any, ‘breakout’ acts in the last two or three years. Some might even say hope seems lost, but those people are idiots. Heavy music is alive and well, if you know where to look, and even the extreme corners of the industry have innovative young artists who are working day and night to keep their scene alive.

Enterprise Earth, who were the third band to be announced as part of the still young Stay Sick Recordings, have quickly risen through the ranks of the heavy music underground with well refined, yet incredibly chaotic take on deathcore that is sure to leave your ears feeling as if they have been pummeled by a heard of panicked elephants in the best possible way. The band’s label debut arrived back in December, and since its release acclaim for the band has only continued to grow. We’ve even had the record in regular rotation here at our new office, much to the dismay of the very kind bankers with whom we share a glass wall, and there doesn’t appear to be another album quite like it due out anytime in the near future.

We recently had the opportunity to speak with the BJ Sampson, guitarist for Enterprise Earth, about the record, its reception, and their plans for the rest of 2016. You can read highlight from our conversation below. Afterwards, make the best decision of your month and pick up a copy of the band’s label debut, Patient 0, from your favorite online retailer.

Haulix: Hello! Before we dive in too far please take a moment and introduce yourself, as well as your role within Enterprise Earth…

EE: BJ Sampson, Guitar

H: Thank you for taking the time to chat with me. Roughly two months have passed since your Stay Sick debut, Patient 0, was released. How has the initial wave of reaction and criticism been so far?

EE: It’s been well received. We could’nt be any happier with the fan and industry reaction. We started out with devoted fans and continue to acquire new and equally devoted fans daily. That alone keeps us driven and passionate.

H: Are you someone who reads reviews and the like, or do you try to steer clear of the press and their critiques?

EE: Reviews are ok but its just one persons opinion. Personally, I’m not swayed by the opinions of others. I make my own thoughts.

H: Did you keep busy during the holidays, or did you guys take the end of the year off? I know a lot of artists lay low during those last two weeks because there is not a lot going on in the industry.

EE: We did not take time off. We released Patient 0 in the midst of holidays. There is no “time off” in our eyes. Work. We have time for that around the clock and calendar.

H: I see you have a string of tour dates set for January that keep you on the western half of the United States. Do you have plans to come further East in the months ahead? Please tell us whatever you can about your future touring efforts.

EE: We did a small west coast run with our friends in Traitors. We have plans to be out on the road from March 31st to May 28th. Keep an eye out for date announcements. In addidtion, we will be appearing at “Extreme Thing” in Las Vegas April 2nd as well as “Texas Independence Fest” April 9th.

H: Most people know that your label, Stay Sick Records, was founded by Fronz from Attila. How did you initially connect with him, and what was it about Stay Sick that attracted your band?

EE: Our initial connection was our move first. We reached out to them and the relationship was born.

Stay Sick has a group of individuals working hard behind the scenes that have a track record that is unmatched. It was a “no-brainer” to join forces with people who have equal drive and motivation to succeed.

H: Some have argued that hardworking bands do not need the assistance of a record label anymore, but we have found a lot of people who think like that are not in bands themselves. Can you shed some light on the necessity of a label, or how labels help artists such as yourself?

EE: The misconception is that when you get signed “you’ve made it” and the label does all the work for you. This is false. Being signed means that you have to work even harder. Spend more time with development. Image (art) sound, ect. Blossoming and growing continually in all aspects. Sure, bands can DIY easier and easier these days. However, not many do it well! If you’re in a band that is killing it DIY. CONGRATS!!!

H: There was a time about 6-8 years ago when deathcore and grindcore acts like yours were getting quite a bit of attention from the alternative realm as a whole, but once Ferret Records went under so did a lot of the critical and cultural hype for the heavier side of music. How would you describe the state of the death metal community in 2016?

EE: Its coming around full circle. What you heard and loved back in 2006-2008, prepare to hear and love again, but better. We believe 2016 will be the year that deathcore returns and in a smashing fashion!

H: Let’s turn to your music. What were the main influences, both musical and not, that inspired the material on Patient 0?

EE: Lyrically it was inspired by horror films. We love a good horror movie. Our lyrics are stories told as if describing a movie. They also have some underlying personal life connections for Dan as well. Instrumentally I cant say it was influenced by anything really, I starred at two screenshots of “The Evil Within” while I wrote. That was my inspiration.

H: Did you have any goals for the record? If so, do you feel you have you fulfilled them, or are on your way to doing so?

EE: The goal was to be dark and heavy. We wrote based off of gut feelings so the riffs werent locked into one specific sound. I wanted to keep it open like that so if we wanted a slam or a blast or a death metal feel we could do that with out being locked in completely to one “sub genre” of metal. We will continue to use this approach going forward.

H: I know I have used a few terms to describe your music, but how do you explain your sound to someone who is unfamiliar with your work?

EE: We just ask “do you like metal?” if they answer yes we just say “go check us out”. This is the one time sub genres act as repelant, JUST LISTEN TO IT. If you enjoy it, perfect. If you dont like it, right on.

H: You’ve been a band for just under two years at this point, but you’ve already dropped two releases on the metal community. To what do you attribute your relentless work ethic?

EE: It’s funny because we dont feel like we did anything special with the time frame. Isnt that what you’re supposed to do? Bands should be writing and touring non stop. It doesnt take much time at all to be forgotten in the day and age where 5 new bands pop up a month looking to push through to the top

H: If someone hears Patient 0 and decides your style of music is what they have been missing all their lives, what albums should they listen to next?

EE: They may enjoy Oceano, The Acacia Strain, Whitechapel, Fallujah, Lorna Shore, Rivers of Nihil, A Night In Texas, ect

H: If all goes as planned, what do you hope to accomplish as a band by the end of 2016?

EE: Exposure. We just want to go out and play for as many people as possible and meet every single one of them in person. That’s what it’s all about. Having a good time doing what we all love!

H: That is all the questions I have right now. Before I let you go, is there anything you would like to say or plug?

EE: NEW MUSIC COMING SOON

Pick yourself up something REAL NICE over at our store 😉

http://enterpriseearth.merchnow.com/

or a skate deck here:

http://realtalkskateboards.com/collections/skate-decks/products/enterprise-earth-skate-deck

If you’re anything like me, you probably started the day by recognizing that the start of a new work week had indeed arrived and then immediately began shaking your fists at the sky in anger. Monday is rarely anyone’s favorite day, and from what I have seen firsthand it feels safe to say it’s the one day of the week some people outright hate. I guess to them the arrival of the work week symbolizes the end of their quote/unquote freedom, and as a result they head into the office/factory/restaurant/store with a negative outlook already on their mind. This leads to bad attitudes, which only makes the experience of being at work worse, and for some reason it also seems to make time slow to a crawl. We’re not about that life, and we hope this post can do the same you that the song contained within it did for us.

You never know how long it will take to do something right. Some of the biggest pop hits of all time were written in under thirty minutes, like Lorde’s breakout single “Royals,” but other musical creations take months or even years to come together. The key for creators is to know when something is actually complete, and sadly not everyone is able to recognize that. For some, the inner turmoil associated with whether or not they have done to the absolute best of their ability consumes them. They feel unless something is perfect it is not ready to be shared with the world because that would mean revealing to fans they are not the flawless artists some believe them to be, but that is exactly what they have always been. They are human, just like you or I, and if they don’t learn to accept the fact they too are incapable of perfection they will drive themselves insane. I’ve watched as many fell victim to this path, including myself, and I continue to work to this day to better my own outlook so similar situations do not occur.

The Plot In You spent nearly two and a half years working on the material that would become their new album, Happiness In Self Destruction, and in that time a lot changed for the band. For starters, the band broke ties with Rise Records following a mutually unhappy relationship. The band was getting the support they expected and the label wasn’t seeing the return they anticipated. That could have easily been the end for The Plot In You, or at least reduced the band to being something members did in their free time, but Attila frontman Fronz saved the group with an offer to sign with his new label, Stay Sick Recordings. In the words of the band themselves, it was the deal of a lifetime, and they happily accepted it. I can’t speak to why necessarily, but if I had to guess I would say the band believed that since Fronz himself was a touring musician he understood what they needed to be successful in their own career. If that is the case, they were absolutely right.

What you get when a band has two-plus years to create a record is something eclectic, yet undeniably cohesive with more heart than anything found at radio today. The material on Happiness In Self Destruction takes a hard look at what brings us joy in life, and then proceeds to ask why so many things we rely on to feel good actually cause us pain, such as alcohol and prescription drug abuse. That may sound like a band taking to task those who choose to partake in such activities, but that could not be further from the truth. Instead, The Plot In You are simply shining a light on an ugly truth most gloss over because such actions are typically deemed culturally acceptable. Most people feel good after a couple drinks, so it can’t be that bad, right? Maybe it is. Maybe it isn’t. The point is that a life lived without questioning such things is a poor excuse for existence. Like anything, you shouldn’t do something because others say it’s okay or that it will somehow bring you happiness. You should only do the things that are good for you, and I mean that in a physical and mental sense, as well as emotional. It’s not about handling your high, but asking why that high is needed to reach what you believe to be happiness.

It was Socrates who said “The unexamined life is not worth living,” and on The Plot In You’s new album that seems to be the message they hope to convey to fans. Question everything. Not just the world around you, but the thoughts, ideas, hopes, and dreams that fire across your brain throughout the day as well. Ask why you do the things you do, and be honest with yourself in your response. If you do that, you may discover you are actually your own worst enemy, and that the things you thought would bring joy into your life have actually been causing more harm than good. They didn’t make you stronger, they just made you numb, and now you’re so cut off from the world as a result of your actions you don’t know how to make amends. I can’t give you that answer, and to be honest neither can The Plot In You, but listening to Happiness In Self Destruction can remind you that you are not alone. Everyone you meet is fighting a battle only they can fully appreciate, and at the end of the day it’s on each of us as individuals to figure out how we handle those wars. Some will overcome their demons, but others will not. If you want to be among the survivors, you need to take a hard look at your life and figure out what, if anything, needs to be changed and then act on those beliefs. Then, and only then, can you begin to find true happiness in this life.

James Shotwell is the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also a professional entertainment critic, covering both film and music, as well as the co-founder of Antique Records. Feel free to tell him you love or hate the article above by connecting with him on Twitter. Bonus points if you introduce yourself by sharing your favorite Simpsons character.