Introducing: LiveKill – “Our live performance is designed to move the back of the house just as it does the front.”

Southern Florida’s LiveKill recently announced the release of their upcoming EP, entitled Turned to Grey, out September 28, 2018 via SWOL Records. LiveKill performs an intense, high-energy blend of alternative metal and hardcore styles with deep lyrical messages about the fragility of life itself. Turned to Grey is available for pre-order now via Amazon, iTunes, and Google Play. LiveKill recently revealed their second single, “In This Moment”, and its music video, directed by Alex Morgan (Whitechapel, Gojira, Bad Wolves).

To pre-order LiveKill’s upcoming EP Turned to Grey follow the link to the platform of your choice:

Amazon | iTunes | Google Play

Turned to Grey will also be available on streaming services Apple Music and Spotify upon it’s release date of September 28th.

1. How would you describe your sound if talking to someone who has never heard your music?

A lot of people I don’t know ask me this question when they hear that I’m in band and I tell them we are straight up “metal”, but not really associated with a subgenre. Just recently, as we have released some of our music, I see us being labeled by outsiders as Alternative Metal. I had to look it up and see what wiki was calling Alternative Metal and I would agree with that assumption.

2. How did LiveKill first come together? Is the band still all original members?

In 2016, I started the band with a friend of mine, Damon Winkler. Eight months after that we were at the local practice studio and I saw Carlos sitting there on the couch waiting to practice with his band. I hit him up on Facebook the next day and here we are. Last year, Damon stepped down to focus on his family. Finding people that best fit the sound I want has been a long process. Usually, when I would talk to people about joining the band, they would listen to what I was doing and typically they’d reply with a “Fuck Yeah” that’s great, and two days later I would hear from them and they would say this really isn’t the type of metal they are used to. So the way I see it, the people in the band is what makes “LiveKill” what it is today.

3. What show would you consider to be your “breakout gig” to this point?

We are an emerging artist, we have not played out much, as we have been perfecting our sound. We have several shows lined up, one with Doyle and another with (Hed) P.E. following the release of the EP. So, I don’t think have had our “Breakout Gig” yet. When I get that call from someone asking us if want to join in on a national tour, I’d consider that to be a breakout gig.

4. What does it take for a band to stand out in a music environment such as Florida?

I haven’t pushed much to get the band out there until recently. I like how Metallica’s drummer Lars Ulrich put it, “The old formula on how to release music and get known is gone, it’s the wild west out here.” I use that and try to look at what it takes for a band to succeed in a market like we have today. A friend of mine in the music business put it to me like this, “If it’s not different then why do it?” That being said, our sound is not your typical metal sound.

5. What should people expect from your live performance when coming to see LiveKill?

When I started writing the music for LiveKill, I went to a-lot of local shows, large and small, and the one consistent thing I noticed is that the national touring bands coming through are playing the same clubs and sports bars the locals play at. Not all, but most of them, and the PA’s are terrible. So I took that and used it to write music that would still sound good live on a small or large stage. Our live performance is designed to move the back of the house just as it does the front. We have a tremendous amount of energy on stage and you can see that in our music video ” In This Moment “.

6. Who is the primary songwriter in the band?

I write the music and Carlos writes the vocals. Our process for writing is different than the other bands in our area. We have a lot of pre-production and layout before we bring a song to the band. I get some people saying that’s great for not wasting time and I get some people telling me how you have to have the whole band in a room contributing to the writing process. I’m all about “let’s jam and see what happens”, but for me everything in the songs is done on purpose for a reason, I have my own way.

7. What should people expect from the band in 2018?

We have been pushing hard to get our music out there and heard the last month. The prerelease for the EP “Turned to Grey” has had a huge response with people from all over the world messaging us telling us they love it. We have a lot planned over the next two months and we are working with Adrenaline PR to get our music heard. The unexpected is what to expect from us – we received over 120,000 views on Facebook for our lyric video and over 70,000 views on the music video! We are excited to get out there make an impact on the metal scene.

8. What was the first album you purchased?

Hard to remember the first purchase, but I do remember being in 7th grade showing friends AC/DC and Metallica for the first time. I would guess it was Megadeth, “Peace Sells” – that album lit me up and moved me inside.

9. First concert you attended?

1986 at The Sunrise Musical Theater in Sunrise, Florida – Quiet Riot and Poison. I was front row with stage against my chest! Great time.

10. Most influential band to you personally?

When I’m stuck musically and I want to hear something that opens me up, my first go to is Gojira. I love the simplicity in the guitar riffs that allow the drums to set the mood of the song – the guitar brings the emotion while the vocals bring it all together. It makes such an impact that I can’t turn it off. Another one is Anew Revolution. I love the songwriting and the way the songs move you. Recently, I have been turning on some of the newer stuff from Overkill, Atilla and In Flames. I do get a lot of inspiration from other guitar players like Emil Werstler, Wes Hauch, Ryan Knight and Ola Englund.