UNVEIL THE STRENGTH

The music industry is evolving, but Unveil the Strength is pushing back on the acceptance of mediocrity. What became the defining characteristic of hard rock and metal – passionate musicians who wrote meaningful lyrics and composed their own music – is now being replaced by whiny, uninspired performers who complain about their girlfriends or their disdain for everyday life. Unveil the Strength, a sextet composed of former members of iconic bands such as Five Finger Death Punch, Sacred Mother Tongue, Athanasia, Invidia, Flatline, Devolved, and Stratovarius are returning to the soul of hard rock: writing and performing real songs with real meaning. Says Matt Snell, bassist for Unveil the Strength, “We want to put the grown man back in metal – that spirit is being lost in the shuffle. We’re going back to the roots, to real fucking metal.”

Despite the band’s old-school approach to writing, they’re taking a contemporary approach to marketing their music. For their upcoming EP, Unveil the Strength will not do a traditional record release. Snell reveals, “The landscape has changed so much regarding how to successfully get music to the public, so we’re going a different route. We’ve already finished the first EP. Right now, we’re halfway through the second one and we have video concepts for every song. Instead of releasing all 12 songs at once that will just be put up on the internet to be stolen, our idea is to constantly release new songs all the time. We want to unveil this record to the public, with a video to go along with each song every month.”

Their unconventional approach to releasing new music complements their scattered work arrangement. Although the band is officially based out of Austin, TX, Unveil the Strength is truly an international band with members in London, Holland, Nevada, California, Colorado, and Texas. All of the band members have professional studios where they can record their own instrument’s tracks, so the group easily collaborates by file sharing.

Their first recording, a five-track EP titled Foundations was recorded in Austin, TX. They wanted an edgier sound than what is currently being produced in the States, so they have been working with Rob Kukla of Studio Fredman and Henrik Udd of Henrick Udd Recording in Gothenburg, Sweden. Udd is known for his impeccable production with acts such as Architects, Bring Me The Horizon, At The Gates, and Delain. The upcoming EP, slated for a late fall release, is still in the recording process, but Snell admits, “The production is amazing on the new album. It accentuates that we’re an active rock band – but we’re a little bit heavier, a little bit edgier. It illustrates that we can write, and that we have an ear for metal.” Snell is especially proud of Mark’s lyrics, which he describes as “real.” Snell goes on to praise Mark’s extraordinary writing ability, saying, “Mark has had an amazing life. He is a Marine; a veteran. He’s lived on the streets, ya know? He’s seen and done a lot. He writes from his core being and writes real songs that relate to the band’s message.”

The band’s message, which Snell insists is not political, is to find your strength internally. Snell explains, “Strength comes from within you. Strength is a personal thing. It’s integrity. It’s your interactions with the world. We’re not sending a political message; it’s a healing message.”

Mark Wölfe

Matt Snell

Andy James

Caleb Bingham

Tim Hassemer

Unveil the Strength is:
Mark Wölfe – Vocals (Devolved)
Matt Snell – Bass (5FDP, MYACUMEN, INVIDIA)
Andy James – Guitar (Sacred Mother Tongue, Andy James Guitar Academy)
Caleb Bingham – Guitar (5FDP, Athanasia)
Matt Guillory – Keys/Programming (Stratovarious, James La Brie solo records, Mike Varney)
Tim Hassemer – Drums (Flatline, MYACUMEN)