Interview with Within the Ruins guitarist Joe Cocchi

Joe Cocchi, guitarist for the technical death metal band Within The Ruins was kind enough to speak with me about the band’s upcoming release, Invade, which was released on August 31st. I feel this latest offering is a tighter, more mature release that really showcases the band at the top of their game. The serious riffing combined with an unbelievably aggressive vocal assault should satisfy fans of the extreme scene. Here is what Cocchi had to say about the band and the new record, Invade.

The name of the band is interesting to say the least and sounds as if there is a story behind it. Where did the name come from and what is the story?
Joe: We came up with the name when we we’re in high school, when the band started, a long time ago. To be honest, there is not much of a story behind the name. I think it just sounded cool at the time, and then it stuck with us.

Now that your brand new CD Invade is complete how do you feel about it? Are you satisfied with the outcome?
Joe: More than satisfied. It came out better than we envisioned. We all worked very hard on the album and I think that shows.

What was the writing process like for this CD? Did you guys all write together? How long did it take?
Joe: I wrote most of the music with our drummer. We literally started writing Invade right after Creature came out in 2009. So we spent about a year writing Invade.

What benchmarks do you use to determine when a song is finished?
Joe: I’m not sure. It just feels right to us. If we can be entertained and get lost in one of our own 3-4 minutes tracks, then mission accomplished.

Give us some insight into the record and the meaning behind its title?
Joe: The record lyrically is generally based on life and personal experiences. We all seem to share the same outlook on life, politics and religion so there is a bit of that involved with the album too. I think the title is metaphoric in terms of what we expect the album to do for us as a band.

Are there any tracks on the album that are personal favorites or that have good stories behind them?
Joe: I personally love the song “Versus.” We’ve been receiving a great amount of positive and negative feedback on that song mostly because of the lyrical content. Tim speaks about God and religion in the song. We are not against religion at all; I think the song just questions faith. Religion is a big part of life whether you believe in god or not. It’s simply our opinion.

Every band has its influences. What are some of the bands or musicians that have influenced you?
Joe: We get asked this all the time. Metallica is the reason I started playing guitar. Arch Enemy is one of my bigger influences as a guitarist. We’re all metal-heads for the most part.

How does your live show differ from your recordings?
Joe: I think (or hope at least) that we sound just as good live as on the CD. Playing live is about entertaining as well, so while trying to play the songs as flawless as possible, we also try to make our shows fun and energetic for the people watching and listening.

What kind of touring plans do you have in support of Invade?
Joe: We’re heading out October 1st for a sex week full US tour with Arsonists Get All The Girls and Ion Dissonance which is very exciting for us. The plan as usual is to be on the road as much as possible in support of the new album.

All of that passion that you play with must be tough on you physically. How do you prepare for the physical demands of a tour?
Joe: We’ve all been touring for the past 3-4 years. You learn how to adapt after a while and it just becomes a way of life. It is important though to take care of your body and get the rest you need to be able to perform 100% every night. It is tough at times but always worth the experience.

Any closing words?
Joe: Thank you! Pick up our new album and come out to our upcoming shows to hang out with us!  [ END ]