10 Years – Violent Allies – September 18th
12th August 2020Â
âThe Unknownâ is the second song to be released from the album, following âThe Shift,â earlier this year. That was the bandâs first new music in two and a half years and has already gone on to have over a million streams.
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Growth transpired over a lifetime. The process never stops. Rather, it ramps up as time passes. The gold-certified trioâJesse Hasek [vocals], Brian Vodinh [guitar, drums, bass, backing vocals], and Matt Wantland [guitar, synth programming]âhave embraced a heightened sense of vulnerability and sonic adventurousness on Violent Allies.
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âWe donât ever try to recreate what weâve done in the past,â explains Jesse. âWe knew we had to challenge ourselves to see what we had in us. If itâs not stressful, youâre not challenging yourself to grow. From the beginning, music has always been therapy and an outlet. We let ourselves enjoy the process, be vulnerable, and talk about those emotions. We got back to why we love music with the maturity of where weâre at in our lives. We were able to harness that love of creating from a wiser and more developed perspective.â
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âWe were hard on ourselves,â admits Brian. âIt was more intense than during records past, but it was worth it. The outcome was exactly what we wanted it to be.â
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For nearly two decades, 10 Years have built a formidable catalogue, the groupâs gold-selling 2005 breakthrough The Autumn Effect spawned the hit âWasteland,â which went gold, infiltrated the Billboard Hot 100, and clinched #1 at Active Rock Radio and #1 on the Billboard Alternative Songs Chart. They landed three Top 30 entries on the Billboard Top 200 with Division [2008], Feeding the Wolves [2010], and Minus the Machine [2012]. Most recently, 2017âs (How to Live) As Ghosts marked a reunion between Jesse, Brian, and Matt. Not only did the album smash into the Top 5 of the US Top Hard Rock Albums Chart, but it also provided the hit âNovacaine.â The single ascended to the Top 5 of the Billboard US Mainstream Rock Songs Chart and had an incredible 29 million streams across all platforms. The album has gone on to have over 51 million streams. Along the way, they sold out countless headline shows and toured with everyone from Korn, Deftones, and Stone Sour to Chris Cornell and Linkin Park.
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During 2019, the three musicians headed to Los Angeles, rented an Airbnb in Woodland Hills, and spent five weeks recording with GRAMMYŸ Award-winning producer and Feeding the Wolves collaborator Howard Benson [My Chemical Romance, Halestorm, Papa Roach, Three Days Grace].
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When talking to the band members they share, âTime spent in the studio or simply collaborating on our vision was a catalyst in reaching creative clarity like weâve never had before. It was fun, because we were back to being brothers. No matter how frustrated we might get, once we looked out at it, the energy was unexplainable. Our mission was to really connect with the songs, break them down, and build them back up.â Brian adds, âThe younger versions of us wouldâve been going to Hollywood every night and partying. It was different. We actually came up with a lot of ideas, melody tweaks, and had really good brainstorming sessions.â
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On âThe Shift,â melodic guitars slide across a caustic beat before a rush of distortion ignites the refrain, âWe are a violent virus, without a remedy.â âLyrically, itâs about the polarization of society and the human impact on the earth itself,â states Brian. âWe were thinking about how humans can be a virus to the Earth.â Airy keys echo through âThe Unknown.â It builds towards a sweeping celestial chorus. âWeâre in a wide-open world weâve created, but we have to step back and look at where we are and adapt,â continues Jesse. âWeâre all in the unknown right now.â
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There is a broad, dynamic range pierced through the album all the way from the opener to the heavy drums and distorted guitars on âDĂ©jĂ vu,â to the instrumental âPlanets IIIâ and culminates on âSay Goodbye.â The conclusionâs cinematic soundscape and poignant lyrics bid farewell to Jesseâs late grandfather and emphasize âthe band at our most vulnerable,â according to the frontman.
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âAfter all of this time, 10 Years is a brotherhood,â Jesse concludes. âIâve spent the better half of my life accomplishing what I never thought was possible with these guys. Itâs been an unexplainable, crazy, and awesome journey since Brian first asked me to join the band on his 19th birthday. Weâve beat the odds and continue to live life. It bothers me when people donât try to push themselves to enjoy what life has to offer. Life is beautiful, if you really go for it and try. It can show you beautyâand thatâs what this band has shown me.â