In October, Asking Alexandria released their seventh studio album, See What's On The Inside . After being heavily criticized for the sonic direction taken on their previous album, Like A House On Fire (2020), the English quintet distanced themselves from big electronic productions and decided to return to their roots, opting for a totally organic sound and paying homage to their great rock and metal heroes.
Their efforts paid off. While Kerrang! considered the album proof that Asking Alexandria “has the potential to be much more than a polished radio rock veneer,” Louder classified See What's On The Inside as “outrageously infectious” and granted it the middle spot in the band's album ranking , losing only to favorites like Reckless And Relentless (2011), From Death To Destiny (2013), and the self-titled album.
In an interview with Wikimetal , Asking Alexandria founder and guitarist Ben Bruce explains that the turning point was noticing that rock songs on the radio or in playlists all sounded "the same" or "overproduced," with too many sonic elements – a characteristic he admits the band is also guilty of adopting on Like a House On Fire . "I love that album, I think the songs are great, but there's so much production, so many things going on, that it kind of takes the focus away from the guitars and drums," he reflects.
With See What's On The Inside , the intention was to pay tribute to the bands that the members of Asking Alexandria grew up listening to, such as Metallica , Pantera , Queen , Led Zeppelin , and Nirvana , thus creating an explosive album that would recall a bit of all those names. “We stripped down the sound,” says Bruce. “It was important for us to show the band, just the five of us – vocals, guitars, bass, and drums. So there are no synthesizers on this album, no absurd production, we didn't use computers or plug-ins or electronic programs. It's just five guys in a band.”
Speaking about the criticism his band receives within the metal community, especially for their experiments with diverse sonic styles, Ben Bruce recalls the negative reaction Metallica themselves received with the release of the Black Album , which is now considered one of their greatest achievements and even received a reinterpretation with 53 new artists . For the guitarist, taking risks and doing something new is the most important thing, as is trying to bring rock and metal back into the mainstream spotlight.
“People tend to get upset when their favorite band grows,” he reflects. “And that’s a good thing because you can make friends at the shows, you can meet new people who have similar interests to yours. Don’t you want rock and metal to grow? Rock and metal used to be the biggest genres in the whole world, which was amazing, and they aren’t anymore. We should want to grow and expand and reach new fans. There are more of us out there listening to our favorite bands.”
Brazilian fans of Asking Alexandria who recently arrived, however, may have been waiting for a chance to see the band live and make new friends for some time. The quintet's last visit to Brazil was in 2015, with The Word Alive . Ben Bruce assures, however, that visits to Brazilian soil left unforgettable memories and that the band asks their team "every day" about a possible tour in the near future.
“Thank you so much for your patience, it’s been a long time since we were in Brazil,” he says affectionately in a message to Brazilian fans. “I swear on my heart, I want Brazilian fans to know that Brazil is mentioned very frequently in our conversations. Whenever we’re remembering insane shows and fun times, we talk about Brazil. Whenever I want to annoy James [ Cassells ] I tell the story of when I took over the drums and got more applause than him.”
Speaking about his favorite things about Brazil, Ben Bruce highlights the quality of the food, but also speaks enthusiastically about the energy of the Brazilian crowds, especially when compared to those in the Northern Hemisphere. After almost seven years without playing in Brazil, the guitarist is as eager for his return as his fanbase.
“I always eat a lot when I go there,” he admits. “The food is so good, I always think I’m going to have a heart attack and die [laughs]. But mostly, the fans. They are so passionate about rock! It’s insane! Most countries get kind of tired after a while, sometimes it seems like they’re too cold to have fun, or they’re filming for social media and not fully present with us, but every time we’ve been to Brazil there’s been so much passion that they even sing along to the guitars! That’s fucking cool! I can’t wait to go back. It’s also been so long since we were there that I kind of expect it to be pandemonium when we return.”
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