When I last checked in with the guys from Witness Chamber, the band was talking up their debut EP, 2021's Paradise Awaits. A lot of shows and woodshedding has happened since, and the Boise, Idaho-based metallic hardcore band is back with new heat.
Joining the growing roster at DAZE that also includes such mosh-centric acts as Pain of Truth, Serration, and Big Boy, Witness Chamber just dropped a killer EP called True Delusion. The 6-track collection features guest vocal performances from Jess Nyx (World of Pleasure, Mortality Rate) and Maximus Hall (Ego Death).
True Delusion was recorded and produced by Ryan Morgan (Misery Signals, 7 Angels 7 Plagues), mixed by Taylor Young (God’s Hate, Twitching Tongues) and mastered by Nick Townsend (Deadbeat, FireBurn):
To celebrate the digital release (vinyl and CD shipping soon) of the EP, the members of Witness Chamber sent me a list and their thoughts on 5 bands that helped inspire the material on True Delusion.
I don't know about you, but I'm always intrigued reading these kinds of lists. Enjoy!
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Kickback
Kickback has a certain vibe to their songs that makes you feel kinda insane, which I think is awesome. From the aggressive riffs to the ambient interludes on their records, we definitely got a lot of influence from No Surrender and Les 150 Passions Meurtrieres and sort of tried to match the hostility that a lot of their songs bring.
Also Stephen's vocals are crazy and Max from Ego Death sounds just as crazy so that's a big reason we wanted him to have a guest spot on the record. NWHC.
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Foundation
One of the greatest straight edge bands to ever do it? Foundation's fast parts and build up sections are unmatched so naturally it influenced a lot of the music on this record. From Hang Your Head to Turncoat, the band doesn't have a bad release.
Foundation is one of the bands that inspired Witness Chamber as a whole rather than just our latest record and I think when turncoat came out, we all were just graduating high school or still in high school and it was such a pivotal time in the shaping of our taste in hardcore, since then, they have continued to be a driving
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All Out War
While we don't sound that much like All Out War, the way they set up riffs and lead into mosh parts literally blows my mind and gets me excited to write riffs. I was listening to a lot of For Those Who Were Crucified and Truth In the Age of Lies while we were writing and was looking to emulate their ability to have the coolest verse riff you've ever heard flow seamlessly into the hardest mosh riff you've ever heard.
Without a doubt, a major staple in my writing as a guitarist.
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Dying Fetus
Honestly, the same kind of thing as All Out War. We aren't a death metal band by any means but Dying Fetus just knows how to write a riff. To convey such intense aggression in such a vast discography blows my mind.
So many modern hardcore bands cite them as an influence and there's a reason for it. If listening to the breakdown on "In the Trenches" doesn't make you feel like committing violent crimes, then you need to reassess some things in your life. Maybe take a step back and travel for a while.
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Underoath
Our drummer Jason was listening to Define the Great Line and Lost in the Sound of Separation while writing and wanted to imitate some of the feedback/textures/ending transitions and try to add them into our style.
The coolest part about writing is finding influence in several facets of music and adding your own twist and making it yours. Haters be damned.
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True Delusion is available now digitally, with vinyl and CD coming soon via DAZE (pre-order). The vinyl also includes the band’s Paradise Awaits EP.
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