It has been a little over a year since vocalist Tom Barber joined Chelsea Grin and the band released Eternal Nightmare. Since that time the band has been on tour nonstop. I got to talk to Tom on the second leg of the Eternal Nightmare tour as it stopped in Pittsburgh for their sold-out show at the Rex Theater. We talked about the album and where the band goes from here are they begin writing their follow up album to Eternal Nightmare.
GA: The band’s last full-length Eternal Nightmare was released July 2018, this was your debut in the band, and there was a ton of hype for this new material. A year later now looking back at it, did you expect to be where you are at now, highly celebrated in the deathcore and heavy metal community, and where do you go from here?
TB: Honestly, I am just happy people are receptive, and were so accepting. Chelsea grin has been a band for 10 plus years, and people like what they have done (musically), it’s an original sound. As a guy coming into the band, you are always going to be nervous putting out material, because its obviously not the original sound for vocals and whatnot. I am happy people were accepting and receptive about it, and that we are developing new fans because of this change. I am also surprised about people coming up to me and saying they never heard of the band before. This is really surprising to me, as I grew up listening to Chelsea Grin. Its crazy to me to hear this. Overall though, I still feel like I am looking in from and outsiders prospective with doing music in the band, I am still a fan and can’t believe I am in the band. I go into thinking about it like when I was a kid and remembering they first came out, and now I get to be apart of it. As to where we go from here, we continue to put out good music, good content, and to show people we are a force to be reckoned with.
GA: The band is currently engaged in Part 2 of the Eternal Nightmare Tour. How has it been touring this album and seeing the crowd’s reaction to the songs? I’d imagine at this point people have learned the songs to join in with the live set and know when to get hyped with the music changes.
TB: People have been loving it. I am happy people love the new record. I think that this tour continues to get better every night, because people are still getting used to everything. People are saying this song, or this song are their favorite songs, as compared to when I first started and wanting to hear older songs then make up their opinion if they like it. People are coming up to us now and saying how much they are enjoying the new record, its good to feel that acceptance. The people are coming out, even tonight at The Rex Theater it’s a sold-out show. It’s an awesome feeling, and I am excited to play and watch everyone.
GA: This tour has been massive for the band, what are some areas you have hit that have stood out for you?
TB: I like going anywhere were they have recreational marijuana. I love places where I can go and look at new shoes and get new fashion items. I believe the place down the road is called Zed’s; they have awesome cloths in there. We just went there today, and we all dropped some money on some cool stuff. It’s the little things for us, we like good food, good smoke, just having good times.
GA: Has the band begun working on follow up material to the Eternal Nightmare yet?
TB: Yes, Stephen has been busy writing. We do have a record in the process right now. I am very excited to see what people will think of it.
GA: It’s always hard to leave a band especially one you were a major part of, I think the band did a great job with selection of your replacement in CJ McCreery (former Signs of The Swarm). Lorna Shore is about to release new material with him, what are your thoughts on the new material about to be released?
TB: I heard the new song Death Portrait yesterday and its very heavy. The one riff in the song sounds like a superhero part, it is very awesome. I love what they are doing. I love that the fire is still there. I had a chat with Adam the other day. I was telling him, dude it sounds great, and you are making the great moves and doing great things, as they deserve to. From the start of Lorna, and from when I started with them it has always been a dream to see their success. I may not be in the same tribe with them anymore, but I get to watch a vision of mine grow for them. I get to see it from an outsider prospective and get to see it as a fan. I have goosebumps saying this, and its exciting to see it all happen. Lorna has been a major part of my life, there are a lot of amazing memories for me and some crazy ones, but no matter what they deserve all the good that is coming to them. They are working hard and continuing to do good.
GA: When you came into CG did you alter your approach to the music in way from say doing vocals in LS? With CG the music is a different feel from your former band, moving forward is there any aspects to doing vocals that you look forward to possibly exploring, i.e. like possibly singing more than just screams and lows?
TB: Chelsea Grin likes to do weird shit and incorporating anything into the music. It is not just about one style. They have songs with singing, then songs with acoustics, they have over the top heavy songs, it’s a mixed bag. I know the band before I, was a staple for deathcore. It was something people grew up hearing. I am 28 years old and I will never forget the first time I heard the song ‘Judgement’. I remember I was sitting in my room and hearing it and being like how is that possible. Like how anything can sound like that. Its wild to see where things are going. I am very excited to try new vocals. I am very excited to do new things, whereas when I was in Lorna it was highs and lows. There is nothing wrong with that, but with CG I have the ability to do whatever I want and can explore with my techniques. I am not saying when I was LS that I couldn’t do what I wanted, but from a fan perspective there was a level of expectation with the sound. It is a certain fanbase where they expect you to remain loyal to what they have grown to love. Change in vocals in my opinion is very hard for this situation, as people are accustomed to that iconic sound. With White Chapel and Phil Bozeman when he started singing, everyone was like, what the fuck is this? Bro it’s dope. It’s like what do you mean what is this, this is exploration. This is creation, this is evolution, its whatever you want to call it; it’s enjoying and exploring what can be done with the music. You should be able to do that, it’s like trying to eat pizza everyday of your life. You are going to get fucking sick of it. You got to do other things, eat other things, try other things. Life is about exploring; you aren’t going to find the loot being on level 1 bro, you got to go into the caves and get out of your comfort zone. You have to journey deep into the abyss.
GA: It has been a debated topic that album sales are down in general since the rise of streaming platforms, and that bands are not making their lionshare of revenue from album sales. So, what are other ways to help support a band where it would make more of an impact, since the business model of being musician continually evolves and changes?
TB: What is crazy about it is, you can tell people the truth, and they will go yea or no. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t force it to drink. I could tell you what could help, I could tell you what could hurt; but at the end of the day people are going to want something and their means of obtaining it will always be the easiest and fastest way possible. Even if that’s without spending a dollar or supporting anything. We are not multibillion-dollar corporations, we are not Walmart, or Target, its not like that for us. The money we make at the end of tour gets divided up and we must pay back a hell of a lot of people, you get a little chunk of change after that month of so of work. I just wish people could see that support is what makes everything grow. If you supported a band like you support Starbucks everyday when you go and buy a $6 cup of coffee every day. Its like you can do that, but you can’t buy a record one time. Even if a band comes through your area maybe even twice a year, and your really like them, go out and see them. Go buy a ticket, even if you don’t buy a shirt, be there. Be a number, be apart of the room, because you know what even if you don’t buy anything else, you are apart of that crowd that sold out the show for that night. You were one of the hundred or thousand for the night, you were one of them that helped show the band is relevant. It helps to show the band, what they are doing is continuing to thrive. It’s not something that is a dying art. This is a thriving underground that people don’t pay attention to, because a lot of it is misunderstood. I feel this type of music doesn’t get enough coverage, there are so many free thinkers in this realm than there is in anything else. It seems like other genres are about material things and have vapid points of interest, half of these kids are being stultified by all this shit. Real motherfuckers listen to metal, all these kids are strong. You meet all these men and women at a show, and they are there to enjoy, they are all there to feel the camaraderie of the show. The screaming, the guitar, the mosh pits, the hot ass sensation of being in a sweaty room, we are creatures of vibration. So, when we all vibe, we are literally altogether. It’s like why are we sweating and jumping up and down in a condensed room, I don’t even know you but its ok, but any other day of the week on your daily commute and you are a little to close to me, can I have my space. We just love feeling good, so when we all feel good, the vibe is good.
GA: It’s that feeling of community and the welcoming that comes with it.
TB: That’s what metal is.
GA: This is a background question; If someone wanted to follow the band online, where could they look for your social medias, as well if they were looking to purchase merchandise but couldn’t make it to a show where is your online store located?
TB: Our Instagram has a lot of our bio information on there. We also have a Facebook where you can look up information on the band. I feel like the most commonly updated thing we have is the Instagram. I feel like people interact more on Instagram. We are on the major platforms though, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, to keep you up to date. You can also find links to our merch store through those platforms.
GA: Anything else you would like to add?
TB: Shout out to every band on this package. Shout out to our families. Shout out to anybody that supports the band. Shout out to the people that don’t support the band, because either way I would love to meet you and to hang out with you and try to change your mind. This music is for everybody to enjoy, and it’s everybody’s world. Just because you don’t enjoy something, it doesn’t mean you can’t learn to enjoy it. I feel like there is a sense of joy when you can be with people and just have a good time and not let anything bother you. To let a noise bring you all together. It is very cool to see. Love one another and stay happy.
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