After an energetic live performance at Newport TJ's, I managed to catch up with Ben (vocalist) from Miocene... An after party of the Welsh Pundercats (don't ask!) and Miocene, saw a rather large crowd of people gather upstairs... I was lucky enough to catch Ben in a state that could be interviewed compared to half the other folk who were well outta it...

Miocene are a creative metal band from London. They formed a few years back, Ben, Graham and Alex had been m8s for ages... Leo joined the crew after waking up a well and truely hungover Ben after a party much like the one we experienced that night. Leo was soon auditioned and joined the guys, welcomed in to the Miocene 'State of flux'.

Q. So, tonight you played with two bands whom have grown together and supported each other since forming through their college years (The Kennedy Soundtrack +Trip). Have you experienced the same rapport with any other bands out there?

Ben: Not really. Where we're from in Essex, there are bands that form in colleges, but they form because they hate everyone else and negavitity is created.

Q. Are there any bands out there nowadays that you support and are behind?

Ben: EVIL KNIEVIL...They're fucking wicked!

Q. Your new EP 'Cellular Memory' is out April 1st. How does the new EP differ from your debut EP 'Refining The Theory'?

Ben: We wrote music that's in our heads, rather than music we can play live in order to get a reaction from a crowd. It's a lot more intense basically, a lot more together, not quite there, but it's getting there!

Q. Where and with whom did you record the new EP?

Ben: We recorded it with Harvey Birrell at Southern Studios London. We went in over two days in September. It was actually the first weekend after Sept 11th! We didn't originally want to do it, because of that, but we had the studio time booked up. We went in there and what came out was intense. I mean you felt asthough world war 3 was going to breakout the next day.

Q. I've heard youv'e experimented with a few new things on the new EP, could you elaborate....

Ben: Our drummer Leo's dad was the guy who played the french horn on Star Wars, that guy can play some shit man...He came in the studio with us and added a few things. A lot of them written in the studio are physically impossible to play live.

Q. The last song off the new EP is called 'Why metal sucks in 2002'. Why does metal suck in 2002?

Ben: Alien ant farm are the reason metal sucks man!! These bands think they're bringing what was once the underground to the overground, in the same package is a good idea, but it aint anything other than pretty fucking insane! Linkin Park basically... that's bull shit and I'm in the same genre as those guys?!...

Q. There is a pretty broad distance between...

Ben: I think so, but I think people looking from the outside wouldn't see that. When your 10 yrs old I'm sure Linkin Park make a lot of sense...ahhh!!

At this point I can say I feel Ben's pain as he holds his head in to a pillow in fustration...The guy really hates them! Also some wrestling breaks out and saves Ben from his pain, Graham was called a pussy for not joining in to reply "I aint no pussy,I've got a bad back!!" It was the highlight of our conversation....Miocene are wicked guys, they are cool on and off stage. The new EP 'Cellular Memory' is now out through Infernal records. They have just finished their UK tour, but I'm sure you'll be able to catch the guys soon at a venue near you... They have to be seen and heard out loud. I'd like to thank my mate Clarky for arranging the interview, and thanks to Ben for taking some time out..when he could have been getting stoned!

Interview by Beth Groves

Photo - Ben gettin down in Newport. Courtesy of Beth's mate Alex (sorry I can't be a little more specific!)

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