BLEEDING THROUGH Frontman Says New Album Has Been Received Very Well Despite Weak Sales

Simon "Astrocreep" Crampton of Sonic Shocks recently conducted an interview with vocalist Brandan Schieppati of Orange County, California's BLEEDING THROUGH. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Sonic Shocks: How are feelings in the BLEEDING THROUGH camp at the moment, how are you feeling as a band?

Brandan: We feel great. We feel like this last year has been really positive for us. We did three successful headliners in the States and it feels really good to know that over the years BLEEDING THROUGH has maintained this very steady pace through the States. In 2006 it was a lot bigger, but then in 2006 everything was bigger. I mean, that's just the way it is, there was a third of the amount of bands and people had money then; the economy and the amount of bands is killing a lot right now. For us to know we have that steady fan base in the States was really reassuring and really positive. Over in mainland Europe we feel it's always going to be a fight, it's always going to be us trying to prove to somebody that we belong on that stage. In the U.K. they have always supported us so we are very fortunate for that to be happening. Right now we feel good. We do this for fun. It used to be like a business for us, but personally, in our lives, we've moved past that and so it's going back to like the way it was when we first started, when it's just about the music and going out and having fun.

Sonic Shocks: You guys released your self-titled album back in April. How do you feel about how that album has been received?

Brandan: I feel like the people that actually got it loved it. I've heard very few people criticize it; it's had the best reviews in the press that we've ever had with any other record, and I feel like the kids that buy it really enjoy it. It's weird, though, because it didn't really sell very well, but like I said before, we don't really care about that, about what our record sells. It's record number six for us. How many people buy six albums by a band? Prime example: SLAYER is one of my favorite bands, I haven't bought a record since "Divine Intervention", but I have all their records, they somehow miraculously appear on my iPod. (laughs) So the record didn't sell well, but at all the shows kids know it and they are singing it so that's all that really matters to us, so I think it been received very well.

Sonic Shocks: When I listened to the album, I felt like it was the perfect amalgamation of everything that you guys have done on your major label albums up to that point. Do you think it's the album that best represents who you are as a band?

Brandan: I think so. I think that's one thing that needs to happen when a band writes new material, it needs to progress but it needs to come more into its own. I think if you wanna know what BLEEDING THROUGH has done throughout our time, then listen to this record and it's pretty much everything we've ever done, but I think it's very refined to a sharp point.

Sonic Shocks: One thing I found interesting when I listened to the new album that the difference to listening to "Declaration" was that the album was very aggressive and there are very few melodic parts this time around, so when they come in they have more impact than they usually do, it gave the album some real kick.

Brandan: That was a conscious thing we did; we wanted those parts to really stand out so putting them few and far between, it was kind of like the calm after the storm.

Sonic Shocks: In hindsight now that the album has been out for a few months, is there anything you would change about it?

Brandan: No, not at all. I love the record; it's one of my favorites we've ever put out. If you listen to it and listen to every song, you can enjoy every single one of them, but still it leaves room to grow; I think with record number seven we will go back and listen to the self-titled one and figure out ways we can expand on it and go from there.

Read the entire interview from Sonic Shocks.