(Credit: Shawna Abrams )
The idea for the Faces Unturned tune “Why?” came to the Fountain Inn metal band’s singer while he was in the shower.
As soon as Travis Abrams dried off, he called his wife. He recited the basic lyrics to her and she wrote them down for him.
“And when I walked out into the living room,” Abrams, 35, says, “Aaron (Lord), our guitar player, was in there playing acoustic.”
Those icy arpeggios Lord was picking that day stuck. “Why?” can be heard on Faces Unturned’s debut EP “Road of Despair.” The group also includes drummer Shane Hall and bassist Mozer.
Mozer?
“Honestly, I’ve only known him by Mozer,” Abrams says. “Never even asked him his full name.”
In 2011, Faces Unturned added a second vocalist James Morefield (who along with Mozer is also in another local metal combo, Trauma Slave). Morefield handles the low growls, while Abrams hits the high-note screams.
How has adding a second singer and new bassist affected Faces Unturned’s overall band sound?
Before, people said we had a Southern rock feel with a Godsmack twist. Once we got them in, it kind of pushed us into a harder direction. Kind of like Linkin Park, but heavier.
What’s the story behind the lyrics to the title track on your EP “Road of Despair”?
I wrote that song way before (Faces Unturned) even started. I was just at a bad point in my life, and I came home one day, sat down and looked out the window and wrote that song. I didn’t want anyone else doing the stupid things I was doing. That’s actually one of our more popular songs. I think people can relate to it. They all have their demons they’re not proud of.
What sort of stupid things were you doing?
I was partying like there was no tomorrow. Doing drugs. I think we were partying for like a week straight, and I couldn’t do it anymore. I had to change my life. It just wasn’t working.
For the Faces Unturned song “Why?” were you writing about a specific experience?
I was just thinking about some of my family being overseas and things that go on with my family and other families. My brother-in-law has done several tours of duty and he’s been injured several times. He was telling me about things he was going through and how life was over there. And our family wasn’t getting along … Those were the things that were on my mind.
When Faces Unturned was just starting, you used to sit around with acoustic guitars and put together songs and play covers. What are some of those covers?
We did some Three Doors Down and even some country. (Lynyrd Skynyrd’s) “Gimme Three Steps.” “House of the Rising Sun.” We actually did (White Zombie’s) “Thunder Kiss ’65.”
What’s something a metal band should never do?
Lord, that’s hard to say. [Laughs.] Probably play a battle of the bands for an older, classic rock crowd. They don’t really enjoy it as much as the newer generation does.
Faces Unturned (w/Suffer Content and Southern Plague) plays Gumby’s Food & Spirits 7 p.m. June 25. For more information, call 864-242-5922 or visit www.reverbnation.com/facesunturned.
