Recommended Aussie Tunes:Psycroptic | The new single "A Fragile Existence" | Listen

Interviews : I Killed the Prom Queen- “It took a few months to really get the ball rolling” (with Kevin Cameron and Benjamin Coyte)

By on March 3, 2014

I Killed the Prom Queen have been infamous in certain circles within the hardcore community, hitting their stride in 2006 with the release of their second studio album Music for the Recently Deceased. Forming in 2000, a bunch of school friends probably never dreamed that they’d climb to the heights of success they reached or have fans hunger for them in their absence the way that they did. The demand for Prom Queen to reform seemed as strong as the passion that Jona Weinhofen (lead guitar, vocals, keys) had and so with that fervor the band officially got back together in March of 2011.

Prom Queen have certainly had a revolving door of members, specifically lead singers, and just a few hiatuses, the longest spanning from 2008 till 2011. The new line up included relatively new additions; Shane O’Brien on drums replacing original member JJ Peters, who went on to pursue his other project Deez Nuts, and Benjamin Coyte who stepped in on bass, Jamie Hope on vocals (a member since the reformation), Kevin Cameron on rhythm guitar (a member since 2002) and original founding member Jona Weinhofen. Three years after their rebirth, I Killed the Prom Queen have released their third studio album Beloved, which is as strong, intense and heavy as could be hoped for.

“Getting in the headspace of writing that kind of riffing and playing that kind of guitar which I hadn’t done for a long time, that was the toughest thing for me personally”, Kevin Cameron explains. “It took a few months to really get the ball rolling with ideas that we were all happy with and it was in the last month of writing that we were making some strides with this sound which is more advanced than what we were doing before”, he continued. On the new members Kevin adds, “Having Ben and Shane as the new blood, they definitely brought in a lot of enthusiasm and a different outlook. They were very opinionated about song structure and parts, so a good half of the album was us locked in a room arguing about what would be better, which is what we needed to do. It was good having that democracy”.

‘Beloved’ is the second album to be recorded in Gothenburg Sweden and be produced by Fredrik Nordström, who has worked with artists such as In Flames, At the Gates and Arch Enemy. On the decision to record with Nordström again Kevin comments, “We didn’t think anywhere in Australia, at the time production wise, could accommodate us with that larger than life sound that we wanted those songs to have”. Choosing to work with this production team again was a wise move for the band. The elements of Scandinavian metal within Prom Queen’s metalcore sound truly stand out with a brilliant purity on their latest record. ‘To the Wolves’, the first single released from the album hits you hard like an elbow to the face with heavy riffs and resentful lyrics. A little later down the tracks the hauntingly beautiful ‘Kjærlighet’ emotively clutches at the heartstrings of anyone who’s ever been in a long distance relationship. On the subject of love long distance Benjamin Coyte commented, “I guess that’s always really up and down. It’s certainly where Jona was at, at the time. It’s easier with technology today, it’s not like having to write a letter in the second world war where you have to wait six weeks to get it, which is good in that respect”. The final track ‘Brevity’ rips open the stiches from the other assorted songs infused with love, longing and hopelessness with its guttural vocals, weighted chords and violent lyricism.

‘Beloved,’ out now via iTunes and Epitaph Records.

All in all, Prom Queen have made a triumphant return to the hardcore/metalcore world which appears to have brought as much joy to the die hard fans as it has to the band. The audiences across the Soundwave Festivals have received the boys well, and with a long and rather hectic tour schedule on the cards that’s something I’m sure doesn’t go unappreciated. It looks as if I Killed the Prom Queen will have a healthy career ahead of them full of longevity. There is definitely a demand for their music and the renewed passion and appetite within the band is solid and steadfast.

About

Amber has been a writer and photographer for 2020 BMX Mag, Reverb Street Press and 3DWorld. She has booked and managed hardcore bands and takes an interest in anything from hardcore to hair metal, particularly if it screams dirty Hollywood. Amber is also the author of a sex blog. You can follow her on Twitter Twitter or check out her blog.