When it comes to their audience, local metal band SIKNEsinsALVATION aren’t that picky.
“When it comes to the audience, we don't have a certain subsection or category that we want to reach out to,” lead vocalist Ripton says. “The whole intent in wanting to make you feel is just that. It doesn’t matter if you're 16 or 65, as long as the music reaches down inside you, that's the whole purpose in what we do.”
With a dozen professional shows under their belt, the band are relatively new to the scene, but their hard work should not be understated. First formed in 2006, the duo expanded to a four-piece last year. “I suppose you could say we're a strange mix,” Ripton says. “Our guitarist grew up in the circus and had a folk background before he moved into metal. Our drummer comes from a death metal background. We've branded ourselves as 'Miasma metal' with the idea being that Miasma — in Greek mythological terms — is an entity that developed a consciousness, a power of its own.”
When it comes to band practice, Ripton doesn’t see the rehearsal process through rose-tinted glasses. “It can be stressful sometimes, we have our artistic differences ... [But] we get along pretty well on a personal level. I guess if you didn't, you wouldn't make decent music. We have our little things that keep us grounded. We don't normally get at each other’s throats too much, but it takes a lot of sacrifice. Rehearsals take time away from your personal life — you've got other commitments, photo shoots, brainstorming, management you have to take care of, and the gigs themselves, of course. Also when you have kids and your playing at midnight you can't bring the family along, so that's probably the worst thing.
“On the other hand, the release you get, that expression you're afforded by going onstage is like no other. When the lights are on your face, you know there's a crowd there but a lot of the times you can only see silhouettes, and so it allows for you to unleash and scream your head off, with guitars crunching and the drums thumping in the background. It's hard to put into words that incredible feeling.”
Written by Sam Allen-Ankins
Siknesinsalvation play Vibe, Indooroopilly Hotel, Feb 7, Upstairs at 199 supporting Chronolyth Mar 2 and Metal Of Honor at Chardon’s Corner Hotel Mar 7.
