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BACK
 PHOBIA
– Sincerity Through Persistence
By Adrian ‘The Energizer’ Bromley
NET-only
"This
new record is definitely a lot more mature for me as a songwriter.
I think you can really see the progression of the band," says
Phobia singer Shane McLachlan about the band’s new album for
Deathvomit/Necropolis Records, Serenity Through Pain. "I
think we just took our music beyond what we had been able to do
before as a band.
"When we signed to Deathvomit we also got a bigger budget.
That allowed us [the band is rounded out by guitarist Steve Burda,
bass player Bruce Reeves and drummer Matt Mills] to really take
the time with songs in the studio and be creative with what we were
doing, rather than rush through the studio and bash out the songs.
I think this whole record is great and that people who come in contact
with it will be able to relate to what we are singing about and
just get into the music."
And I guess as time goes on you eventually find it easier to express
yourself more clearly. Is that true?
"Yes, it is," he states. "When I started off writing
lyrics and music for this band, I was having hard time expressing
those ideas, but as you spend more time writing, you really begin
to find yourself and your music. Making music and getting good at
it is an experience, and I think I reached it here with this record."
Having been a fan of Phobia’s grindcore music for a few years
now, it was great to throw on the new album and experience what
they brought to it. As any Phobia fan will tell you, with this band
you may think you know what you are going to get, but there are
always a few surprises along the way.
"I think a lot of people who know us go with the music and
what we do and don’t really freak out if we turn things around
or do something a bit different. For those people out there who
don’t know us, right away they might assume that we are a socio-political
band and do not want to deal with us. We are just that, but that
only makes up a small portion of what Phobia is all about. There
are a lot of great things on this album that should entice people
to check us out—some real intense stuff, as well as cleaner,
more melodic vocals and just some really intense subject matters.
I’ve been through a lot in the last few years and I felt it
necessary to express that in Phobia’s music."
He adds, "I think people who pick up this record will be getting
something a bit different than what may be out there. That is what
I want. I don’t want to make the same record two times in a
row. Sure, there are certain characteristics that bind our albums
together, but other than that, I want each Phobia record to be a
new musical experience for us and the fans.
"I think like a few other bands in the scene, we stick to our
guns and make sure we do what we want to do, not straying away from
our earlier roots and go off and make a record that isn’t us,"
says the singer. "We are a very sincere band, and our music
is proof of that. A lot of bands aren’t honest about what they
do when they should be. I look at all of these metal magazines and
I see bands trying to emulate one another and rehash someone else’s
music, and it just gets old after a while."
Seeing that Phobia has been doing this for more than ten years,
what has kept the band going?
"I think the bottom line is strong communication between all
of us as a band," he explains. "We have been doing this
so long that it feels like a family. I think this band is a relief
for everyone in the band because we all have hardships in life,
but being in Phobia allows us to have an outlet for all of our problems
and thoughts. As well, I think everyone is still having fun doing
this. This isn’t boring to us at all. I love to write and express
my views and I still have a lot to write. This is far from boring
to us after all of these years. There are always going to be issues
in the world, problems that I face that will keep fueling what I
do."
And unlike the average person out there who has to stand in the
middle of a supermarket and scream their head off if they really
want people to hear their problems, you as a musician get the opportunity
to put it down on record for everyone to hear. How cool is that,
Shane?
"I feel lucky being able to do what I do, because if I didn’t
have this band, I think I would be ‘going postal’ and
blowing people away," he says, laughing.
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