The metalcore world has had some great acts coming out of it this year, and Borderlands is a clear example of one of these incredible emerging artists. We recently spoke with vocalist Rui Martins, about the release of their new record, "Voice of the Voiceless".
You guys released your debut full length, Voice of the Voiceless, on June 10. Congratulations! After having released the Awaken Dreamers EP back in 2012, what would you say was the biggest difference this time around in terms of how the writing process occurred for the album? Did the sessions feel more different than usual, if that makes sense?
Thanks! I wasn't there when the boys released Awaken Dreamers, I only came into the band after Nuno's departure, 'Voice Of The Voiceless' was already written and I just needed to add my vocals. Although I wasn't there in the writing process, I believe that the sessions were completely different since 'Awaken Dreamers' was the band's first work, and Borderlands were still trying to find an identity. 'Voice Of The Voiceless' clearly resumes what Borderlands is, and you can hear an unique sound there if you pay close attention, something that I did not found on 'Awaken Dreamers'.
About how long did it take for the entire record to come together, and were there any challenges that you were met with along the way when writing or recording? If so, what were they, and how did they impact the final product that we hear today?
The album writing process was done with time and so did the recording process. The album was written since 2014 but due to financial issues it took a while to come out.
The album was ready and suddenly comes Nuno's departure; that's where I step in and had to re-record all the vocals and the band had to send the tracks again to Nicolas Delestrade. The final product just shows how carefully this record was written, and having the time to do it, had a massive impact. With all these problems, it took 4 years since Awaken Dreamers for it to come out.
You worked with Nicolas Delestrade, who mixed and mastered the album. For you as a band, what did he bring to the table as a sound engineer that helped propel the album forward in the direction that you wanted it to?
He brought an unique sound to it, he brought more soul into our songs and he even added little details that really stood out.
I’m asking this as someone from the United States, but what kind of metal scene is there in a region like Portugal, and how has it helped your band grow as a whole over the years?
The metal scene in Portugal is a bit harsh, because there are plenty of bands for a small country, but people keep being very supportive to us and when they can they attend our shows, and we even played with some big names that came to our country. That's what really helps us grow as a band.
These are the last two questions, and to provide some background, I ask them to every artist that I interview as a way to close things out. First: what kind of message, if you have one, would you like fans to walk away with after listening to your music?
I would like our fans to walk away with a mix of emotions, I would like them to rethink in the world we live in, to know that the world can be evil and yet so beautiful at the same time, to find themselves as the individuals they are, to write some music and have us as an influence, that would be the biggest goal!
Finally: what does music mean to you?
Everything.
Borderland's new album, Voice of the Voiceless, is available now. For more information and music from Borderlands, visit www.facebook.com/Borderlands
This has been another Shameless Promotion.