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 INTERVIEW QUESTIONS: RAW PAIN DOWN (RPD) – Echoes of Silence
 OPENING / HOOK
- First off—Echoes of Silence is out now and making noise… how does it feel to finally have this album unleashed to the world  A relief to have it out and distributed. It took a while to complete post covid.
- For people just discovering Raw Pain Down—how would you describe your sound in one sentence?  Exciting
 THE BAND / IDENTITY
- You guys are coming out of the New Jersey metal scene—what’s that scene like right now, and how has it shaped your sound?  The scene in north Jersey is very healthy There are plenty of bands, hard and metal, performing and releasing material. Just take a look at Dingbatz and that is a good measure as to what’s happening locally and in some respect, nationally since they do get acts from all over the country there.
- You’ve been compared to bands like Exodus, Judas Priest, and Iron Maiden—how do those influences show up in your music?  The song forms and lyrics tend to be close to those styles. We do have one lead guitarist but sometimes the singer will play rhythm playing somewhat different parts than the lead giving the sound a texture close to those classic bands. Lyrics tend to cover similar topics of struggles, stories (we have a new Harry Potter song). Angry Man is directly about a violent criminal and the dread that brings in society.
- What separates Raw Pain Down from the rest of the modern metal crowd?  The vocals are more traditional and melodic, not so distorted/scream and atonal like many of the newer styles of metal.  The singer likes to keep the verses and choruses melodic the people can sing along with.  There are times where he’ll sing with a timbre that is more modern. Â
 THE ALBUM: ECHOES OF SILENCE
- Let’s dive into the album—what does Echoes of Silence represent for the band at this stage?  The album in the aggregate has songs that cover topics like personal struggles like Tornado, religion and secular themes Quicksand and Echoes. We like to address issues in humanity and some make believe, like the new song based on the third book of Harry Potter. We are an art and leave some of the lyrics up to interpretation and not so direct on a subject.
- The title alone is powerful—what’s the meaning behind Echoes of Silence?   The lyrics behind that song are when people stop thinking and let religion take over and there will result in a stop in the evolution and innovation of society. Just think, if Galileo didn’t pursue observing and applying his studies to the moons of Jupiter, we’d most likely believe that the sun still revolves around us.
- This record blends thrash, progressive, and classic heavy metal—was that intentional, or did it evolve naturally?  That is definitely intentional. The guitarist composed the majority of the songs on this record. And his style is exactly that.
- Is there a track on the album that you feel defines RPD right now?  Tornado and Take A Walk.
 SONGWRITING / THEMES
- The album touches on resilience, rebellion, and introspection—where did those themes come from?  Personal experience and observation of others.
- How personal is this record compared to your previous work?  This is a new band and we haven’t recorded prior to this album. We are currently ready for the next album so it will be the goal to out do this one in quality.
- When you’re writing, does the music come first—or do the lyrics and message lead the way?  It depends. Sometimes the singer will have some lyrics written about a topic or the band will be practicing and an idea comes to the guitarist or other member, but mainly guitars starting with a riff.
 PRODUCTION / SOUND
- You worked with producer Chris Drapeau—what did he bring to the table that elevated this album?  Chris is awesome. He has a really good ear for the band’s sound and he’s a pro at ProTools. We had to record quickly since we were on a tight budget. So he knew how to organize the recording in a way that met our goal. He also is a guitarist and has plenty of experience touring and recording with his previous bands. Â
- Sonically, this album feels big and aggressive—what was the vision going into the studio?  Yes With Chris, he knew our live sound was just that. So he made sure to capture that in the studio.
 LIVE ENERGY / PERFORMANCE
- Your sound is described as relentless—how does that translate to your live shows?  For one, we are pretty exhausted at the end of a show. We bring it to the audience. We want them to have a night to remember from the songs and performance of them in a way that is inspiring. Seeing a band live should not be a disappointment. Just as we saw bands when we were younger and went home elated and psyched to practice and do just like what we saw, that’s how we want our fans to feel.
- What can fans expect when they come see Raw Pain Down live?  To leave happier than they came. To be inspired and to think about some of the topics and maybe see what they can do to make the world a better place or just feel a catharsis and just feel better.  We want them to love the music and bang their heads!
 METAL CULTURE / COMMUNITY
- Metal fans are some of the most loyal out there—what does the metal community mean to you guys?  Everything. Without them we’d wouldn’t have any gigs!
- Where do you see modern metal heading right now—and where does RPD fit into that future?  Well, modern has a timbre that is becoming repetitive with the rhythmic atonal singing style and the low tuned 8 strings and odd meters.  I, Shadow, don’t know if I would listen to those bands in my car as much but do find them exciting live, bands like Jinjer, but only so much on the bill that is in the same style. However, fans still like something they can sing along with and a chorus they can take home with them in their mind. RPD is going to stay true to ourselves. We are experienced musicians and know of these more modern sounds in guitars and vocals, but we will continue to create and experiment if new sounds come up naturally.Â
 FUTURE / NEXT MOVES
- Now that Echoes of Silence is out, what’s next—touring, videos, more music?  We have finished 2 videos and a 3rd is in the making. We are performing with the Kings of Thrash (Dave Ellison formerly of Megadeth) this May 7th. We want to be at a metal festival here and in Europe this summer.  We have material ready for the next album but will record those songs one at a time and release them as we go since that seems to be the way people listen these days. We also have an arrangement of our songs for a string orchestra of which we will have an acoustic set up for. Kind of like the old Unplugged from MTV days. We are just securing a venue at the moment. It will be a new way to hear our songs.
- Are there plans to take this album worldwide? Our distribution through CD Baby has made it worldwide.
 PERSONALITY / DEEP CUTS
- What’s been the most intense or memorable moment for the band so far?  We just played an acoustic show in Willimantic CT and it was an interesting crowd. Some of the bands there were really interesting too. But playing at Dingbatz is always great. Eveyshow is intense!
- If you could tour with any band—past or present—who would it be and why?  Dio. His level of professionalism playing live is on the next level. That would only make us better. Â
 CLOSING / PROMO
- Where can fans stream Echoes of Silence and follow everything Raw Pain Down?  Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and all the major music streaming platforms.
- And for anyone on the fence—why do they need to crank this album up today?  If they want to feel better there’s nothing like metal.