Drummer Gabriel Michael’s American accent echoes over the phone.
He’s enthusiastic to talk about his band, Surface Rising, which is composed of Thunder Bay’s vocalist Jesse LaBerge, bassist Dave Angell and guitarist Justin Sillman.
The four-piece rock outfit is based in both Ontario and Atlanta.
Surface Rising has been making waves since 2001 and has shared the stage with the likes of Killswitch Engage, Sloan, Thornley, Theory of a Deadman and Apocolyptica, while writing continuously and shaping their sound.
They are heavy yet melodic with a modern twist. The band return to Thunder Bay on Friday, April 29 at Crocks.
Angie Valente, tbnewswatch.com: Explain your connection to former Guns N’ Roses guitarist, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal.
Gabriel Michael: We played the Life is Beautiful Festival in Las Vegas in 2014 and we caught his attention. He took us under his wing and he wants to work with us. He has his own record label and we hope to produce with him. He plays guitars on two of our songs, Afterlife and New World, which are up-coming songs off the new record.
AV: Some publications label the band as a hard rock. Do you identify with this genre?
GM: Jesse considers ACDC to be hard rock. It’s alternative hard rock. We have melodies and harmonies, we’re not just one tone.
AV: When were Thunder Bay musicians Angell and Sillman added?
GM: In 2014.
AV: What have the new members added to the table?
GM: Dave Angell has brought music knowledge, theory, production, and studio skills so we can make music more frequently. Justin Sillman is the most amazing guitar player we’ve ever played with and one of the best in Thunder Bay. He studied music in university and has real credentials. There’s a balance of theory as well as a whole other element to the music now.
AV: When can we expect new music?
GM: We do have a brand new record, we have 12 songs that we recorded this year. It was recorded at Dining Room Studios (Dave Angell’s studio.) The record is self-produced but we recorded two songs with Bumblefoot.
AV: What can fans expect from the live show?
GM: A mix of old and new material. It’s definitely high energy and we’ve added a lot more to our sound in many ways. We made it a lot bigger than anyone’s heard from us. We’re putting on more of a show than in years past. We do play with some backing tracks. It’s a much bigger sound
Surface Rising play Crocks on Friday, April 29 with The Straight and Narrow, 12 Gauge Prayer, and WhoIsJamesBlack.
