Guitarist Nick Hipa of San Diego, California metallers AS I LAY DYING recently answered a number of fan-submitted questions for Fret 12. You can now watch the chat below.
AS I LAY DYING‘s latest release, the “Decas” EP — a collection of new tracks, covers, remixes and more — sold 9,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 61 on The Billboard 200 chart. The effort reached No. 2 on the iTunes Rock chart. iTunes also offered a free track (“Paralyzed”), which was downloaded by a staggering 125,000 people in one week.
Meant to tide fans over until the release of the band’s hotly anticipated new studio LP (due for release next year), the “Decas” EP marks AS I LAY DYING‘s decade of making music and features three new songs, three cover songs, remixes, and more.
Commented AS I LAY DYING vocalist Tim Lambesis: “We wanted to at least do an EP when the idea first came up. We were touring at the time and knew we wouldn’t have time to put together an entire album of new material.
“‘Decas’ literally means ten, and to me it is a collection of songs to celebrate our ten-year anniversary as a band.
“We were able to round up three new songs that we felt represented the different sides to our band. There’s a song you’d generally expect from us, one on the heavier side, and then one of the most melodic songs we’ve ever done. We took a similar approach on the cover songs. We wanted one song that represented a thrashier, heavier influence.
“Interestingly enough, we were asked to do a SLAYER cover song with an anti-war theme for a video game months earlier, so that worked out perfectly. Next, we represented the melodic guitar influence with JUDAS PRIEST who is responsible for starting much of that within metal. Lastly, I came up with the idea to do a simple, raw, energetic song that was outside of our genre but still influential in some of our musical upbringing.”
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