First week numbers are in for All That Remains’ new album For We Are Many — the record sold nearly 30,000 units in the first seven days of its release, landing at number 10 on the Billboard 200. That’s a pretty crazy number considering I don’t know anyone that’s bought a CD in the past five years. Nonetheless, when I found out last week that the band was projected to rank high on the Billboard charts, a question came to mind: In a time where metalcore is seemingly at its peak, how does a band adjust to the constantly changing music scene? All That Remains guitarist Mike Martin insists that the key is not adjusting.
“We don’t adjust to the scene,” says Martin. “We’re not going to change the way we dress, the way our hair looks, and we’re definitely not going to change the way the music sounds. So far it’s been in our favor.”
I met up with Martin on the band’s stop in L.A. last weekend to discuss their new album, the band’s musical philosophy, and to get insight into the recording process with Killswitch Engage guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz, who handled production duties on the record.
Take me into the studio with Adam D. What goes through your mind, what do you guys talk about? Martin begins: