Alternative-metal band, Nonpoint, are back with a vengeance with a brand new album, an all new line-up and a few surprises for those who see them at Soundwave next year.
When a band has a drastic line-up change, the consequences can be dire. Not so for Nonpoint, who prove to be the exception with their latest album, ‘The Return’, which is receiving significant acclaim from both old and new fans of the band.
Lead singer, Elias Soriano, is pretty excited to be bringing his band down under for next year’s Soundwave festival, where he has a few surprises for fans. “[It’ll be] slightly different, we have a couple of changes in the line-up; we’ve added the addition of Mr. BC Kochmit, our new bass player, Adam Woloszyn, our new rhythm guitar player, Rasheed Thomas. [There will be] a lot of hair upfront, a lot of hair. You guys will be seeing a lot of hair!”
Originally forming in South Florida, Nonpoint released their first album, 'Separate Yourself', back in 1998 during the popular nu-metal scene that produced artists such as Korn and Limp Bizkit. Nonpoint has released an impressive nine albums since, with their latest looking to be a game changer. “[It has] a lot more song-based songs [about] sending home a sentiment and keeping the thought and the storyline focused,” Elias says, “making sure that it is doing everything it can to connect with the listener.
“[As] the band grows and as we get older, our biggest goal is to stay connected and [stay] as relevant to our fan base as much as we possibly can.”
Nonpoint certainly has continued to stay relevant, maintaining a following through the decline of nu-metal. Elias attributes the band's longevity to a number of things. “I think we stay honest with our song writing … You get to write music that fucking rocks. We try to do that. We are very hyper focused about that. We’re doing out best to stay connected with our fans by staying as heavy as we can with our music while making sure how music has as deep a message of some of our fan’s favourite songs.
“So we try and stay as true as we can to where we started while allowing us to grow a little bit; allowing us to change it up sometimes.”
But it was also their inspired cover of Phil Collin’s signature song, ‘In the Air Tonight’, that featured in Michael Mann’s 2006 film ‘Miami Vice’ that really propelled the band forward. “It exposed us to a broader audience; a lighter audience than what our core fan base used to sing at the shows.
“It’s definitely something that we enjoy doing. It connects with a wide variety of fans. That’s what we really are about,” Elias says.
It was during their last visit to Australia that they released a cover of Michael Jackson’s ‘Billie Jean’. Elias says the band are looking to honour that tradition next year. “Right now, we are doing a cover of ‘I Shot the Sheriff’ that Rasheed is playing… it’s getting some attention… Nobody has done it yet. It’s not a rock song, so it’s fun to pick it up a little bit."
With the upcoming Soundwave dates the second time the band has toured Australia, Elias is hoping for some downtime to experience our culture. “I’m going to be doing the beer and the coffee. You guys have great coffee. You guys have great beer. I’m definitely going to be doing some barbeque. I’m a foodie. I’ll be delving into the delectable food fare of Australia. Mainly drink.”
His priority though, is to honour the fans. “Our stage show is what we value and we pride ourselves the most on. Our fans know that. They can expect a Nonpoint show times ten. We don’t get that many opportunities to play Australia. We are going to be at our best.”
Written by Nicholas Ivanovic
Nonpoint Soundwave 2015 Tour Dates
Sat 21 Feb & Sun 22 Feb - Bonython Park (Adelaide)Sat 21 Feb & Sun 22 Feb - Flemington Racecourse (Melbourne)
Sat 28 Feb & Sun 1 Mar - Brisbane Showgrounds
Sat 28 Feb & Sun 1 Mar - Olympic Park (Sydney)
