[Interview] Raedon Mac - Control The Storm - Feb 2015

Having recently reviewed Control The Storm's upcoming album Beast Inside, I caught up with the band's keyboardist Raedon Mac to pick his brain and see what makes him tick.

What were the main inspirations and influences for the new album, Beast Inside?

We didn't really start out with a vision for the finished product, we started work on the album 2 years ago and in all honest we were a very different band back then in terms of what we thought we were doing. One theme that has always been a part of our music is " personal struggle" and how best to overcome against the odds. With changing the lead vocalist 3/4 of the way through the process and totally re working the whole album to suit Kate's writing style, ultimately the overall feel of the album changed and started to make more sense. Myself and Rich work very well together in coming up with melodies that work and he is very good at fitting heavy guitars over my plonks on the piano so it's a good partnership.

Are there any major themes running through the new album?

Personal sacrifice, the ongoing battle against the daemons in your mind, suicide and loss, regaining strength through overcoming the battles of day to day life. If you really get into the lyrics you will see that it start out with a battle and as the album progresses you get a bit of drama, tension, suspense, and then the reality that the beast inside, that's been holding you back, controlling you, or ultimately just who you are deep down is a part of you and it's up to you how you let it be a part of your life.

How does Beast Inside compare to the band's 2010 debut EP?

The reality is that we have put a lot more into the album and invested way more in it so I would say primarily that the production is better, that's not to say the original demo was poorly produced because I'd say it was as good as I could have been and in my opinion a far higher quality that most bands put out there. it was a benchmark that I feel we have shown true progression. We have included the songs from the original EP and have RE-Recorded them to bring them up to date. as you can expect if you play songs for long enough they tend to evolve and Kate did such a fantastic job making them her own and I feel she has made them better.

2015 is already shaping up to be a busy year for Control The Storm, with the release of the new album, the UK tour in March and of course the appearance at Northern Symphony. What else can we expect from Control The Storm this year?

Well yes of course the release of the debut album is going to be big for us. We are going to be recording at least 2 more music videos for this album, and will hopefully have album 2 written and recorded by December. As well as all the gigs we can get our hands on! we are looking for label backing and will also be doing as much PR and promotion as we can to get the album heard by as many people as we can and then 2016 will hopefully be a full summer of festivals and more touring.

Kate Norris was recently unveiled as the band's new vocalist. What was the fans reception of her like?

We were very sad to see Hayley leave the band. we had nearly finished the album and were looking at how we were going to move forward. Thankfully we found Kate and we managed to get half the album recorded again in a short space of time. The rest of the album just feel into place really which gave us the time to rehearse and start thinking about gigs again.

We were worried that people would turn on us a little but in all honesty, the reception has been incredible. We did build it up quite a lot and it could of gone the other way and been the demise of the band but thankfully things seem to be heading in more of a positive light. We ended 2014 on a high with 2 really good shows, gained loads of new fans and got the buzz we had experienced during 2012 when we played at Bloodstock Open Air.

Control The Storm hail from Bristol. What's the metal scene there? Is there anything you would do to improve it?

The Bristol metal scene is great, plenty of awesome venues, and great touring bands come through on a daily basis! if I were to change anything it would be the frequency that local acts play the city. And if the promoters stopped putting soft rock on with extreme death metal followed by teen core bands that would be great. I hate to say it, but maybe fewer gigs would boost attendance in the city. But that just my opinion!

What have been your best and worst gig experiences so far?

Best gig with CTS has to be Bloodstock 2012! it was a dream come true and one I want to see the band live again. I was fortunate enough to appear at BOA Last year as The Marauder Snagglefoot on the main stage with Evil Scarecrow. I now have the desire to match that experience with CTS. 2016 maybe.

Worst gig? Metal to the masses Final at the Fleece in Bristol. My laptop played up all the way through the set and Rich suffered technical issues with the cab he was supplied as the speaker cable kept on "popping" out of the back of the cabinet every time he did any palm muting! it ruined the set and left us feeling really deflated!

If you were to replace the soundtrack to any film with your own music, which one would it be and why?

I would replace the theme music from Star Wars with Beast Inside obviously and just because I can.

In your opinion, what is the best keyboard to use for music?

Personally I use Roland and I think I always will. Roland are built to last and all of mine have. My AX-Synth has had a couple of repairs but that mainly down to me dropping it or pouring beer in it!

If I had all the money in the world and could get Roland and Korg to work together?
I would have a custom AX-Synth made with a wireless midi built in and have the sound module from the old Korg Triton Extreme workstation!

To be honest, piano and synths are more about the player than the keyboard.

You have a mighty impressive beard. What advice would you give to someone growing a beard?

Never give up on your dreams! A man doesn't grow a beard, a beard grows the man! Never forget that! Also look after your beard, it will look after you! If you believe you can achieve! And if anyone ever asks you how a man shaves his beard? The only response is: A MAN DOESN'T!

Control The Storm online:

http://controlthestorm.com
http://facebook.com/controlthestorm