Divyded Proves They Belong with the Best

Kittie, Nonpoint, Art of Dying, Taste of Madison, and Band Camp. Most bands play for years just dreaming of scoring gigs like these, yet there’s one band who have managed to scale the ranks and land those shows in just a matter of months. The immensely talented metal band Divyded has managed to make a name for themselves by doing what so many other bands fail to do these days; stay true to themselves. They ignore fads, trends and cookie cutter band clichés and write music that is who they are. Just one listen to any of their songs and you realize why this band has caught the attention of thousands of hard rock and metal fans. Hard Rock Review's Aaron Manogue spoke with the boys in Divyded; Jason Radosevich, Drums; Chuck Wepfer, lead guitar and vocals;   Ryan Trainor, bass; and Jason Hagberg, guitar.

Aaron Manogue: Talk to me about where Divyded got started.
Divyded: Divyded actually got started right in the middle of another project that we were already collaborating on with some other people. When we had realized that that particular project wasn’t 100% what we were really shooting for, we stepped outside of the box and started brainstorming a bit and Divyded thus ensued shortly after. It has been nonstop work from there on out.

Manogue: How long have each of you been playing your instruments?
Divyded: We have all had our instruments for quite a number of years. Chuck, Jason Hagberg and Ryan have been playing guitar and bass for the last 12, 17, and 12 years (respectively), and Jason Radosevich has been on and off the drums for the last 5 years hitting it more intensely over the last year and a half.

Manogue: Where did the name come from?
Divyded: Well the name came after a lot of thought. We wanted to have something that was different and had a great sound to it all the while trying to convey who we are and what we are. We knew that we needed to be different, develop something that was unique to this ever changing industry that we are breaking into. So essentially we started thinking about who we are. One thought process took us to the next and the next, until we finally just realized that we are essentially "dividing" ourselves from the rest of what seems to be happening at our stage. The light bulb went on immediately after we were thinking of "dividing" ourselves from everyone else and that eventually formed into "Divyded," as we felt that that expressed what we were accomplishing; "dividing" ourselves from the rest.

Manogue: You guys have really been gaining some notoriety lately playing the Band Camp preshow, Taste of Madison, opening for Kittie, Art of Dying and Nonpoint. What's it been like to already be gaining ground with national acts?
Divyded: One word can describe it man, fun! We have a great time at every show we play and it has all been really awesome and we are thankful for the opportunities that we have been given along the way from people like Randy Hawke and Ski over at 94.1 WJJO and Justin Moralez at The Rave in Milwaukee.

Manogue: How have you guys managed to make a name for yourself so quickly in an industry that most people say is down?
Divyded: We work really hard at what we do and try to deliver as much as possible. We stay who we are and don’t follow trends.

Manogue: You guys write and record your own stuff. What do you think the advantage of having that much control over your stuff is?
Divyded: One of the biggest things is that we don’t have any limitations at all. With that freedom we feel like we can write some creative work.

Manogue: You guys really have a unique and noticeable sound, yet you still have that necessary hook. How do you guys approach the writing process when writing music?
Divyded: There really isn’t too much of a method to the madness. We usually start out with a riff on the guitar, or a beat on the drums and try and one up one another with an idea. Someone will play something and someone will be like "Hey wait, play that again." Then we kind of just build up off of what someone is playing and then once we have a concept for a song we start thinking to ourselves, "Ok. That part sounds good, that part needs some tweaking, kick that part out, let's put a stronger part in there," etc. We try to think of everything from a listener’s perspective and while doing that we ask ourselves "Would we buy that?" If the answer is yes, we progress further into the song adding more elements to it, making it larger and better sounding with each step.

Manogue: Your self-titled EP really did a lot for you guys in getting your name out there. Is there any new music on the way or maybe a full length album?
Divyded: We will be continuing to release singles for now. Things may change in the future and we might do a full length down the line but we are just sticking to singles for the time being.

Manogue: If you could only play one more show for the rest of your lives, but you get to chose who you play with, who would it be and why?
Divyded: We would amass a huge show! It would have to be a multi-day event that would include artists like, Rob Zombie, Ozzy, AC/DC, Zakk Wylde, Avenged Sevenfold, Disturbed, Godsmack, and Ted Nugent. Reason being is that all of these guys are talented musicians who are masters at what they do and they kick fucking ass!

Manogue: What's the first thing you'd do if you found out we were in the midst of a zombie apocolypse?
Divyded: Step 1: Gather as many Zombie Ass Kicking Weapons as we can find. Step 2: Get all Non-Zombie personnel that we can find. Step 3: Go from city to city kicking Zombie Ass!

You can buy Divyded’s singles here or check them out at www.Divyded.com.

Interview with vocalist James Hart of Burn Halo

Perseverance seems to be a word that many of today’s bands have become quite familiar with over the years. This is no different for Burn Halo’s vocalist James Hart. After nearly a decade of touring and recording with his previous band 18 Visions, Hart has found himself a new home through another avenue or musicianship. Burn Halo has come onto the scene with a vengeance and has reached even greater heights then Hart’s previous work. They’ve recently been added to the lineup at the illustrious 2011 94.1 WJJO Band Camp and the honor has Hart excited and ready to prove to you all, that Burn Halo belongs on that stage. Maximum Ink’s Aaron Manogue talked with James Hart about what it’s going to be like playing Band Camp, outdoor music festivals and even why someone stole his bike when he was younger!

Aaron Manogue: Burn Halo is slated to play 94.1 WJJO Band Camp at the end of July. What’s it like to have the opportunity to play such a huge festival with so many other killer bands?
James Hart: These types of shows are always a great time. It really gives us a chance to showcase our music and talents as well as validate why JJO wanted to put us on the show. With so many great bands in one day, you really want to bring your “A game” and you want to be able to stand out. You want people walking away from the festival talking about your band with CD in hand.

AM: Band Camp is an outdoor event. What are some of your stories about events such as Band Camp that are outdoors, hot, and with thousands of drunk fans?
JH: Lots of topless people walking around and that’s not always a good thing. You always have the potential for rain too, and when stuff starts coming down it can get real crazy. The fact that the concert is outdoors instead of inside the venue gives people the chance to really let loose. There’s nothing around for them to break.

Interview with Dope and Team Cybergeist Drummer Angel Bartolotta

DOPE
Photo credit-Stephen Jensen

If you've ever attended one of the JJO Bandcamp annual summer shows in Madison WI, then you've very likely seen the chaos and thunder that hits the stage when Dope takes their turn. It's a dirty, shameless, tattooed, sun-drenched mess of bodies, people with their fists in the air, singing along; it's the epitome of crowd-surfing, moshing, beer-slinging, f-word screaming fun. I didn't honestly have a clue I'd nearly fall in love with a song titled "Die Motherfucker, Die," but weirder shit has happened. Over the years I've quietly added one Dope disc after another to my collection with no regrets. They're hard core, seriously unlike anyone else, especially live; maybe a bit intimidating at first and from a distance, but nonetheless, down to earth guys that love to get up on stage and tear shit up. There's a reason 94.1 WJJO keeps asking them back year after year and if you're going to Bandcamp this time around, for 2011, you better not miss their set! You will regret missing it when the Youtube videos start popping up on facebook! To date, the band has released five full-length studio albums, their most recent being No Regrets which was released in March 2009. I'm hoping, as are hundreds of Dope fans, that we'll get some news about the making of a new album sometime soon...we're crossing fingers.

One of the things we keep seeing happen over recent years is "side projects" that band members come up with. Drummer Angel Bartolotta is one of those musicians that has his own thing going on when he's not touring or working with Dope, so he's been very busy with TC while Dope's been....well, not busy.. His collaborative work with his own band Team Cybergeist has channeled attention nationwide from both music lovers and fellow musicians and seems to appease a good deal of Dope fans chomping at the bit for new music.


Angel took some time to share a few things about himself, both in his professional music career and also in his personal life, with his new bride. Remember the lovely, metal babe with long blue hair that rocked the stage and made heads turn at last years Bandcamp? Well, that was none other than Sally Debauchery, bassist for Team Cybergeist, now the new Mrs. Bartolotta. We also talked with Angel about some past experiences at Bandcamp and what he's been up to.