Misery System makes an aggressive splash into the death metal scene with their new single, "The Promised Land."
Misery System is a melodic death metal band based in the United States. While both members Jake Cullen (Guitarist) and Travis Brockett (Vocalist) reside in separate states, they are proving that you don't need to be within proximity of each other to make a fantastic first single to catch the attention of the scene.
While only freshly formed in the Summer of 2021, the band is already starting to make a few waves with their new contentious single, "The Promised Land."
With the inventive use of super-sonic quick guitar riffs and impressively destructive vocal control, this thrilling experience is only but a small taste of what Misery System has to offer this year.
“This song tells the story of the downtrodden taking back what was theirs from the rich and powerful “leaders."There are a few ways you can take the lyrics, and I always like to leave things open to interpretation for the listeners. I feel that many can relate on a personal level or look at things within the big picture. ”
What was the idea behind Misery System? What was the scene around you like at the time that prompted you to form the band?
Jake: The idea behind Misery System wasn't anything crazy, I just wanted to make music that I enjoy. The scene here in Sacramento really took a blow these last few years for sure. Covid has been super hard for everyone.
Travis: Misery System started as the brainchild of Jake. I think he had been sitting on this one for a little while before I came along. For me, deathcore was what everyone was doing and while I love it, it was not the direction I wanted to go.
Was it always the plan to have this particular sound for Misery System, or did you have other ideas going into this?
Jake: More or less, I would say this is the sound I wanted to go for. I love fast riffs and fast music so this is kind of just what happened when I sat down with my guitar.
Travis: Musically, the sound was right up my alley. I have always liked fast, crushing death metal. When I heard it, I was instantly on board. For me, my vocals didn’t have to change. I have been doing this a long time and I know what is comfortable for me and what styles fit well with my voice.
What are your musical influences? There is a wide range of tones and strength featured here lyrically and a lot of diversity instrumentally that makes this such an enjoyable experience.
Jake: Archspire and Inferi are some main influences for me as of late, that’s a constantly changing thing for me though. Right now, I’m really into the tech-death scene. I'm a metalcore guitar player at heart though for sure.
Travis: When I think about my vocal styles, I have drawn inspiration from artists like Vincent Bennett (The Acacia Strain), Trevor Strnad (The Black Dahlia Murder), Howard Jones (Light The Torch), Brook Reeves (Impending Doom), Mark Hunter (Chimaira), and Randy Blythe (Lamb of God).
Where were you at mentally and lyrically speaking for "The Promised Land?" Can we dive into that a bit?
Travis: There is a lot of aggression that comes out in this song for me. I have always been someone that uses life experiences in my lyrics. I try to let some of that anger, hurt, and frustration out with the pen. This song tells the story of the downtrodden taking back what was theirs from the rich and powerful “leaders."There are a few ways you can take the lyrics, and I always like to leave things open to interpretation for the listeners. I feel that many can relate on a personal level or look at things within the big picture.
What was this writing and recording process like for this track compared to other projects you have worked on in the past? How did it challenge you in ways that other projects did not?
Jake: The writing process was a bit weird for me, this is one of the first tracks I composed kind of by myself. I am used to writing and recording with a full band so this has been an interesting challenge for sure. The guitars were literally tracked in my kitchen. Matt Schmidt did a fantastic job on the mix and master. Travis put the icing on the cake with his unique vocals.
Travis: This one was very different for me. All of my recording experience before this was in-person with someone else running everything while I screamed into a mic in a box. This time, I was in my own little studio in my basement, laying down vocal tracks. So I recorded my vocals, added some layers, and sent everything off to Matt. He mixed it, sent it to Jake and me for approval, and then finished the song up. There were lots of DMs sent between Matt and me, and some between Jake and I, until it was how we wanted it.
I know this is your first release with this band, but how is it shaping how you guys move forward? What does this mean to you personally?
Jake: It is our first release but I’m very excited about it, the response so far has been very positive. Travis and I just recently got in contact with each other through our mutual friend Matt and as soon as that happened, things started coming together very quickly. I'm just incredibly happy this track got to see the light of day, for a while I didn’t think it would ever actually be released! Massive thanks to both Travis and Matt.
Travis: We are excited about the reception thus far. I think that we have a good idea of what we want to do and how we can move this forward. It has given both of us some motivation and will launch us forward into more music. It means a lot that Jake and Matt took an interest in my vocals and I can’t thank them enough.
What do you want listeners to take from this release?
Jake: I hope listeners just vibe with the track, Travis and I never really discussed lyrical content or anything, but he really knocked it out of the park. I think his lyrics encompass how many of us are currently feeling for sure.
Travis: That we are a talented band that has come to lay down some heavy death metal. That we offer something a little different than what you might be hearing on most metal playlists today.
What is next for you guys?
Jake: Next on the agenda for us is an EP! We have a few new songs in the works, I can’t wait for everyone to hear them!
Travis: We are working on wrapping up the EP which will be three songs (The Promised Land included) and then we are looking at heading into an album next.