Centura Interview

Hi,

Here’s the interview:

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

 We’re a thrash/melodic death metal band from Charleston, South Carolina. We’ve been a band since 2010 and just released a new EP, called “Amerigeddon,” back in February. Currently, we are a two-man band with Nathan Beaty on bass/vocals and Shay Santiago on guitar and vocals. We are currently on the hunt for new members.

2.So far the band has released 2 ep's, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both recordings and also how do they differ from each other?

 To be honest, our first EP, “Black Sheep,” is very amateur sounding. The riffs and songs had potential, but we really didn’t know what we were doing at that point, like in the studio and stuff. “Amerigeddon,” however, we consider to be our ‘real’ first EP. We got a new drummer when we started writing the songs that would end up on “Amerigeddon,” and he really turned it up a notch and put some real thrash and death metal beats into our music, which our material always needed, but our previous drummer was unable to play. Our vocals got better and we really honed our songwriting skills for “Amerigeddon” and are very pleased with the outcome.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

 I guess you can say a lot of our songs are politically themed, or better yet, they touch on what we consider to be injustices. The title track to “Amerigeddon,” is, although partly hyperbole, a very negative outlook on where we think the U.S. may be heading in the future. It’s really just about the fall of America in the future. In other songs, we also touch on the horrors of war, the two party system in America, and healthcare.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Centura'?

 There really isn’t any meaning behind the band, honestly. Before Nathan was in the band, he jokingly suggested random band names, and one of those was “Cetra” (from the video game, Final Fantasy VII). Somehow, “Cetra” turned into “Centura.”

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

 We’ve played a lot of local shows in our time as a band, but two shows that really stand out are when we opened for Nile and the time we played with Lich King. As far as our stage performance goes, we try to just put our heart and soul into what we play and not just stand still and be boring. We let the music take us over and just thrash out.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

 Well, due to some line-up changes, we haven’t played any shows in several months, but Shay is moving back to town in a couple of weeks and we have a potential drummer (and maybe even a second guitarist) lined up, so we plan on writing two new songs and playing a lot of shows in the near future. Hopefully, we can start touring and playing regionally soon.

7.Currently you are unsigned are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

 We haven’t really sent anything to any labels yet because labels want bands who are out there touring, and we haven’t toured yet, so we don’t want to waste anyone’s time and our own money haha. That being said, we would definitely love for a label to sign us in the future!

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death and thrash metal?

 We’ve gotten some love from not just in the U.S., but in other countries, too. We haven’t received any negative comments about “Amerigeddon.” It seems as though people who really dig thrash and real death metal like our stuff.

9.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

 When Shay moves back here, it’s priority number one to write songs for a full-length. We should be back in the studio sometime in 2015. Musically, I think we’ll have more melo-death riffs and just really gritty, aggressive thrash riffs, and harsher vocals. We might be a tad-bit more technical, too.

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

 We’ve been listening to a lot of Revocation. They’re definitely a huge influence on our style. We listen to a ton of bands and a lot of different music, not just metal. As far as current aggressive music goes, Shay is really into As Blood Runs Black, Within the Ruins, The Black Dahlia Murder, and Unearth. Lately, Nathan has been listening to a lot of Atheist, Vice, The Absence, and our buddies in Marrow of Earth’s new self-titled EP. Outside of heavy music, Shay is a big DMX fan and loves Coheed and Cambria. Nathan just recently bought Esperanza Spalding’s “Chamber Music Society,” listens to Clear Soul Forces religiously, and CKY is his favorite rock band.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

 Shay likes to smoke weed hahaha. Nathan has really been getting into comics lately, especially Justice League.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

 LISTEN TO OUR MUSIC AND LIKE US ON FACEBOOK! STAY THRASH! READ A BOOK!