Tell me about your band and what kind of previous experience do you have as musicians?
Well, first off… we like to SHRED!!! But mostly, we enjoy the performance! There is nothing that can beat being on stage with your best friends in front of a crowd, doing what we love most! We’ve all came from metal backgrounds and some have had previous projects that you might be familiar with. Carlos’s previous projects include his first band from Brazil, coincidentally called Heaven’s Guardian, as well as OUTWORLD which was the reason for him moving to the USA back in 2008. Gabriel has toured with Blackguard in the past and is currently doing some fill in touring for the video game metal band PowerGlove on their headlining North American Tour. All our members are pretty much self taught but we did all do some sort of music during highschool ranging from Jazz to Mariachi, to even Marching Band, haha. (Immortal Guardian)
Why did you pick your band name? How did you form? Why did you decide to play the genre or genres you do?
We needed a band name that was as equally as epic as the music we write and Immortal Guardian is what we came up with after many trials and errors. Gabriel and I started the band in middle school/high school writing music on the computer software “Guitar Pro 5” and have gone through multiple line-up changes because not everybody know what it’s like to SHRED! So we found people that knew how to throw down and that eventually evolved into the multi-national touring band we are today. (Cody Gilliland)
What can you tell us about the latest record?
It’s heavier, it’s faster, it has catchier guitar and vocal melodies, and is an all around a better representation of who we are creatively and technically. We’ve actually brought some of our older songs that we wrote when we were teenagers that never saw the light of day until this record. So there’s definitely some throwbacks in this one that show our evolution in writing style. (never to return, state of emergency) (Cody Gilliland)
It’s a continuation of the IG tradition of stellar musicianship and incredible vocals, but we’ve also placed a higher emphasis on the melding of styles that “Super Metal” was always meant to represent. We explore the boundaries of metal and shred as always, but we also incorporate Latin ballads, jazz interludes, and classical influences over the entire album. We’ve got something for everyone on this record! (Thad Stevens)
What the kind of album feedbacks are you waiting for?
We’re hoping it can stir more interest in the international markets of Europe, Asia, and South America, as we feel that is where our style would do very well. Certainly we’d like people to enjoy the music, but “Age of Revolution” is not a frivolous title. In addition to enjoying the sound of the record, we hope they seriously identify with the lyrical message and hear it as a call to action. (Immortal Guardian)
Are you gonna to make some world tour in the future? Do you think this is available for everybody option to tour around the globe? What do you think band have to do to get such opportunity?
We’ve been lucky enough to visit Brazil and Russia recently but a more sustained world tour is definitely a goal of ours! We’d love to bring our music to the masses. There are certainly monetary barriers to touring around the world, but it’s also surprising just how receptive many nations are to outside acts. There are many government programs, artist communes, etc., who are willing to help fund an expedition. If any bands are wondering what you have to do to get such an opportunity: just try asking! (Thad Stevens)
Do you believe in heavy music scene without money?
Although it doesn’t make for the best situation for the artist, I believe that “yes”, a heavy scene without money is possible. Just ask any person in a local metal band… Just because their wallets are empty doesn’t mean they won’t be playing that show at the local bar this weekend. It’s something people love to do and money is not going to stop them from doing it. That being said, go support a metal band and buy a record or t-shirt. By the way, did we mention we have a new album coming out available for pre-order? 😉 (Immortal Guardian)
What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?
The more our music is being heard the better, unfortunately, it’s up to the listener to decide if they want to contribute to the band personally or steam music which doesn’t benefit bands as much. I’d rather give away a free CD than someone illegally download my music. Technology makes it a lot harder on bands to make money on their product that we put are heart, souls, and wallets into. (Cody Gilliland)
I think if we were to be most inclined to give our music away for free, it would be at our shows: so come hang out with us! (Thad Stevens)
Who are your musical influences? Have you ever think your band could be so famous as your favorites?
As a bassist, obviously Iron Maiden was and is hugely important to me. I think it’s less important that we become as famous, and more important that we inspire people in the same way that we were impacted by our favorite bands. If I can influence any one person in the way that my favorite musicians influenced me, that’s more meaningful to me than fame. (Thad Stevens)
As a drummer born in the 90’s, i was influenced by a lot of main steam rock/metal like Slipknot and Killswitch Engage that led me to listening to more extreme styles of metal and learning aggressive vocal techniques that you can hear in certain parts throughout this new album. I’d say I bring the more “modern” style into the band, meshing with the “classic metal” style of the other guys. In regards to getting as famous as our favorites, I’d like to believe anything is possible. (Cody Gilliland)
Do you have a formal music education? Do you think it’s a Kind of important thing?
It’s important to have some understanding of the language of music, insofar as it’s necessary to communicate with your bandmates about your ideas in a concise manner. We all speak to each other in terms of key, scales, rhythms, etc. There’s a lot more to theory, but this framework is the basis of our communication. More knowledge will never hurt, but as far as requirements, just learn the basics! (Thad Stevens)
We all seem to have some experience in school where we either learned how to read music or learned the basics of music theory. I personally learned a lot, technically and creatively, from marching band, and from writing Guitar Pro MIDI music then learning how to play it afterwards. (Cody Gilliland)
How do you balance your music with other obligations – mate, children, job?
We all have different situations, whether it’s girlfriends or jobs that some people would kill to have or be content with, but we all have one goal which is to succeed in doing what we love most and rocking out for the masses for decades to come! (Cody Gilliland)
How do you handle mistakes during a performance? Or you can assure there are no any mistakes during your gigs? Do you get nervous before a performance or a competition?
No musician is 100% flawless in a gig. That’s why it’s called a performance! For me, the most interesting and enjoyable part of a performance is in these small so-called “mistakes”. The mark of a great musician is not necessarily in executing their music flawlessly every time, but in recovering and incorporating the night’s idiosyncracies into a true performance of the material, so that every gig is a unique experience! (Thad Stevens)
We’re actually cyborgs that import our midi files into our brains, so we never mess up, right Thad? (Cody Gilliland)
Or perhaps it’s just a romantic defense mechanism! Nevertheless, with all this in mind, I personally don’t tend to get very nervous before any gig, and the lack of nerves helps me play better! (Thad Stevens)
What’s next? Thank you!
We are looking forward to the release of our debut full-length album titled “Age of Revolution”, set for release September 28, 2018 via M-Theory Audio! We will soon be hitting the road across the US in support of the new record with our brothers from Exmortus. We are also working towards hitting the international markets, returning to the South American and Russian regions where we had great success in previous tours, and also tapping into the Asian/Japanese market. We’ll see you on the road soon, but until then you can check us out online at ImmortalGuardian.com! (Immortal Guardian)