4th December 2019

Under The Influence #23: Together In Tragedy on “10 Code” by Villains!

Oswego, Illinois Villains changed their name to Yuth Forever after releasing “10 Code” before bowing out on a high in the summer of 2016 partially down to other projects like Darke Complex. The album itself sees Tyler Dennin of Sworn In fame appearing on “Man Of The Evening” while blending Progressive, Death Metal and Metalcore sounds. The haunting lyrics are the forefathers of today’s Gloom movement, curled up in sorrow, loneliness, heartbreak and loss with an aching Nu-Metal passion.

Together in Tragedy vocalist Alex Woollams comments: “There are few complete albums or EP’s that have inspired me from start to finish, it’s tough to pick one but the biggest influence on me from a release is “10 Code” by Villains released in 2013.

Never before had I experienced a sound I loved so much from the get go, many bands have tried to replicate it but none come close. The pure emotional honestly in the lyrics does not come off as angst-y or cringe-y, it perfectly describes the lowest of low feelings and dark thoughts; they are one of the few bands that helped me understand what I have felt. I strive to do the same with my own lyrics for our band. The delivery isn’t screamed nor is it quite spoken, a style once again I’ve tried to emulate in certain passages to add rawness and honestly to the music I write. This release made me want to pick up a guitar for the first time as well and I went straight for an 8 string like them, I think they’re the reason we decided to go down to drop E too. They write simple compositions that are relentlessly groovy and turn incredibly violent. I listened to their music over and over to be able to figure out how to write riffs as they do since I’m yet to find a band that can match them. The leads do nothing less than compliment the rhythms perfectly, setting eerie moods that aren’t overly spooky or horror base; another influence on our recent music subtly in the background. The bass on this thing was recorded with a .174 gauge on the low E, which absolutely got me interested in thick strings that I didn’t even know existed and led me to buying a bass soon after my guitar purchase. Somehow for being so low it isn’t muddled in the mix, which taught me that you can go low and still retain tonality and clarity, a must for our music to feel the groove. Villains have been much more of a personal influence to me but there is an essence of them in our
music as well. If you have not yet heard this piece of music, I highly recommend you give them a listen.”