Features

Arise And Ruin is a Canadian band who just released a pretty rockin' album on Victory called "Night Storms Hail Fire". If you haven't checked it out yet, you should because you're missing out on some serious whiplash! Bassist Ben was kind enough to take some time out and answer our questions... read on!

PRT: Who are you and what would you like to tell our readers about yourself?
Ben: My name’s Ben, I play bass in Arise and Ruin, I love to barbeque and I have some bitchin side burns rite now!

PRT: For the people out there who haven’t heard you guys yet… if Arise And Ruin was the lovechild of two other bands, which acts would’ve had sex and which position were you conceived in?
Ben: ENTOMBED pulling a sixty nine in the backs seat of a 82 Trans Am with CROWBAR, but like WILL HAVEN were watching outside jerking off and taking pictures and sending them to The CROWN!

PRT: Can you give me the history of the band written in one minute or less starting… NOW!
Ben: Alright, so I met our guitarist Brent in grade four on the playground, we talked a bunch of shit about how snow mobiles were awesome and our aspirations to own dirtbikes, then like 25 years later we were in a metal band touring all over the fucking place, poor as hell and no dirtbikes in sight.

PRT: I once read that the Canadian government supports bands a lot. Is that so? And if so, how does it work exactly?
Ben: Yeah I’ve heard that rumor as well, but we have yet to see a single dollar from anything like that, maybe it’s because we are on an American label or maybe it’s because we are ugly, I’m going to stand firm on the fact that I feel like even if we did get that government money our bad luck would swing around and our van would just blow up right there and we would end up even poorer!

PRT: Your new album is called “Night Storms Hail Fire”. Are you happy with the way it turned out?
Ben: Fuck yeah I am, it’s the most stoked I’ve ever been on one of our records, I guess mainly because I feel like it’s the most us from the song writing to the production we just did what we though was cool, as opposed to what was safe or what the kids would like or whatever, so yes I love it.

PRT: I seriously liked it but some of the other reviews I’ve come across online weren’t too crazy about it. Do you read reviews and do bad ones have an effect on you?
Ben: Thanks bro! I’ve read a bunch, most were in German, from what I gather they seem to like the album over there and get what we are doing, a lot of the meatballs over here in north America were looking for another “perfect” sounding record, but that’s not what we wanted to do, fuck it, a review is just one persons thoughts on my record, some will dig it some wont, regardless I’m stoked on it!

PRT: On your biosheet it said in big bold letters ‘death to false metal’. Yet you are signed to Victory, which to some is the epitomy of false metal. Have you already received any negative comments about it?
Ben: People are always talking shit about Victory, it’s almost never a complete show unless some kid comes up and asks some ridiculous question about how much Victory sucks, sure there are bands on the label that I don’t listen to, but it’s a diverse line up which is pretty fuckin cool and this is the label that brought up bands like Earth Crisis, Hatebreed, Snapcase and a gazillion other bands I used to shit my pants over when I was a kid, enough said!

PRT: What’s up next for you guys? Lots of touring?
Ben: Yeah it’s looking like another year of life in the van for us starting in about 2 weeks, but we love it and it looks like we are finally going to have the chance to play Europe, maybe our luck will be better over there and nobody will rob us!

PRT: If some day Arise And Ruin comes to an end, what would you like to be remembered for as a band?
Ben: For just being ourselves would be sweet, we are nice guys and like to party and make music together, the time I peed on Ryan was pretty awesome, but I don’t know if that one will go down in the History books?

PRT: Any last words for our readers?
Ben: JUMP IN THE FIRE!