Aufgewachsen in einem "Hip-Hop" Neighbourhood haben sich die drei zu einer Band namens "Unlocking the truth" formiert um Heavy Metal zu machen - und das entgegen einer Menge Widrigkeiten. Aber lest selber!

UG: First of all – Wow – I've seen a short film (made by „The Avantgarde Diaries“) of you and I have to say I normally don't get inspired by young metalheads like you are, but your message is strong. „It doesn't matter who you are or where you are or who judges you as long as you do what you love and be yourself.“ Are there any artists who inspired you to form a Heavy Metal band? I guess you have to have some inspiration to literally go against the common „Hip-Hop“ culture when you grow up in that kind of neighbourhood?

Malcolm: The artists that inspire me are Jeff Loomis, Disturbed and especially Escape The Fate because their lyrics talk to me. Hip hop didn't talk to me as much as metal did.

Jarad: My favorite bands are Chelsea Grin, Motionless in White, Born of Osiris, In Dying Arms , Living Colour, Megadeath, Metallica, etc. We watched Naruto, Bleach, Dragon Ball Z and other animations and the background music spoke to us in our own way.

UG: Speaking of the neighbourhood. Are there any other fans of this kind of music in your area and is there any support of your friends/teachers in school?

Malcolm: No one in my neighborhood who I know likes metal, but there are two girls in my school that listen to it.

Jarad: My friends in school that watch animations like the music in the background too. Some of my friends already listen to metal sometimes

Alec: No there are not any heavy metal fans in my neighborhood that I know of.  
 
UG: I guess there aren't a lot of parents who let their kids play „Metal“ at all. Mine just thought I went insane and liked it more when I listened to pop songs on the radio. Obviously your „Momager“ (as I guess your ?mom? calls herself) supports you in every way possible?

Malcolm: Yes, that is my mom and all of our parents support us. She is the one who gets us most of the gigs. She's one of the main reasons that this band is where it is now. 

Alec: Yes I get lots of support from my music teacher in school. Yes, our momager and my parents support us in every way possible.
 
UG: Your career started as „Tears of Blood“ in the Apollo Theater in 2012 – Why did you change the name of the band to „Unlocking The Truth“ and what does the bandname mean to you personally?

Alec: I wasn’t in the band when they were Tears of Blood and when Malcolm invited me to become a band member, they were already Unlocking the Truth.

Malcolm: We changed our band’s name from Tears of Blood to Unlocking The Truth because we found out that someone else was using that name so we had to change it. We made a list of band names and Unlocking The Truth got the most votes. The name doesn't really mean anything.
 
UG: Heavy Metal is the genre I started listening to about 20 years ago. What is so fascinating about that style and could you think of maybe becoming a Death or Black Metal Band some day later?

Jarad: In this business, my goals in a band are mainly to become successful and very talented, and also to inspire people with our music. I can see myself becoming a black metal band member later on. What is so fascinating is that the music is very creative and you can express yourself in your own way.

Alec: Yes, I can picture us sometime soon even becoming a deathcore band because we have already started working on those kinds of beats and riffs.

Malcolm: What I find fascinating about the style is the uniqueness of the style. No other music talks to me the way metal does. I do look forward to becoming a Death Metal band member. That’s the kind of music I listen to.
 
UG: What was your greatest achievement with the band to this day and what do you dream of at the moment?

Alec: My greatest achievement was winning the first round at Afropunk Battle of the Bands. We’re going to perform there on August 25th.

Malcolm: Our band’s greatest achievement, in my opinion, was winning the first round at The Apollo Theater. I dream of performing at Download festival.

Jarad: I think our greatest achievement was to perform on the TV show Totally Biased. I dream of playing at many venues such as the Download Festival, Rock am Ring, Hammerstein Ballroom, Madison Square Garden, Roseland Ballroom, etc.

UG: As I understood you haven't released any material yet? How much material do you have at the moment and will there be a album or EP in the near future?

Jarad: The band is working on two cds currently: Physical Therapy and a self-titled album. Hopefully, we will get some music out sometime this summer. 

Malcolm: Yeah, we have approximately 40 songs ready for an album. We are still making music, but we will pick our best songs to record. We already have 5 songs that are in the process of being recorded. Start The Game, Monster, Anything Else, Clock By Syn, Other Side. Hopefully, it should be ready sometime this summer.
 
UG: Normally I ask the metalheads I interview that they should think back to the start of their career and if there would be anything that they would say to their younger selfs when they had like a time machine to reach back and meet themselves. I think that's just too early for you guys so I guess my last question is: Can you think of 2025 and where you will be with your band at that time?

Malcolm: I think by that time we will be able to headline Download Festival on the main-stage. So I picture myself headlining Download Festival.

Alec: In 2025 I picture myself playing all over the world. Thank you for interviewing us. I hope I meet you one day too.

Jarad: All over the world touring. 
 
UG: Thanks a lot for your answers and keep on rocking no matter how hard it will be! Maybe there will be a chance to see Unlocking The Truth in Germany?Alec: Thank you for interviewing us. I hope I meet you one day too.

Jarad: Thank you for this interview.

Malcolm: Thank you for this interview too.

Das Interview führte Grave von Undergrounded und Malcolm, Alec und Jarad von Unlocking the Truth.