ONI RISING

Welcome again to my Entertainment Ink column. As you all have noticed on the previous post, I interview bands from the surrounding areas. The band that I had the honor of interviewing for this post is, Oni Rising. To get better acquainted with the band’s sound, I took a listen to a few tracks off of their facebook page. The band’s sound seemed to be very similar to the influences they stated, such as Pantera, Deftones, Meshuggah, and any great metal band in the industry. The music seemed to touch on various subjects and did not pertain to one main thing as a lot of bands do. I will admit, I loved that about the band. After some off and on head banging, I anticipated asking, the bassist, Leo, a few questions. Read on ladies & gents and enjoy

1.- To start off, everyone always asks and I know it’s typical, but what’s
the story behind the band name?

The band is influenced by Japanese folklore and the Oni is a big part of
it. Oni is Japanese for Ogre, Devil or Demon and many stories depict them as good creatures that devour the souls of the wicked, but in today’s society these are malevolent three eyed creatures with horns and claws.
The band’s name can be translated to Demon Rising (Oni Rising) and we are making a statement that evil is rising in society and we need to be aware and do something about it. In no way is it to depict devil worship of any kind.


2.- What bands do you say have the biggest influence for the band?

Each member of the band has different influences that determine what ONI RISING sounds like, they range from Meshuggah, Pantera, Lamb of God, Devin Townsend, Nine Inch Nails, Gojira, Deftones to name a few.

3.- Which band would you say is the dream band you wish to open up for?

Metallica and Iron Maiden

4.- Which has been the band’s biggest act or gig that the band has had?
We will be Opening up for Machina (band that has ex-members of
Evanescense) on Nov 5th @ AJ’s Bar in Laredo TX

5.- Are there any upcoming shows coming up that you would like the readers to know about?
Primarily that Nov. 5th gig with Machina... It's going to be a really good show.

6.- What do you say is the message you try to deliver with your music?
To think outside the box, we write about anything that inspires us from
spirituality like “7 Furies” where we talk about an individual’s
relationship with God or a song like “Judgment Day” where we depict the
violence in the world.

7.- Out of the various songs written, who do you say does most of the work lyrically or is it a shared job each member provides?

Each member provides a piece to the puzzle, most of the lyrics are written by Roger Salazar or myself (Leo Vela), the music backbone is done mostly by Javy Garcia, Ed Vela, and Hector Cantu, but we all provide insight here and there to add layers to the songs.

8.- To end the interview right, would you like to share any info for any
new fans you hope to gain on where to contact and listen to the band?

We would like to thank Drink Laredo for the interview and a chance to tell the people a little more about our project. To all our fans and friends
that help us promote and support our band in every way possible we are thankful. And for all other people interested in ONI RISING you can look us up on www. onirising.com to check out and download our demo, sing up for the mailing list and be part of the street team. You can like us on Facebook to be updated with all the events, and latest news about the band.

After these few questions with Leo, I feel better acquainted to the band
and really anticipate them branching and getting more exposure around the
state. Next time they’re at a club near your neighborhood or town, go
check them out. I will guarantee some head banging will be induced at
some point whit their music. Thanks again to Leo for answering the
questions for Entertainment Ink and hope that the band makes more
appearances on Drink Laredo & Entertainment Ink. As stated before, their
next gig is with the band Machina (band that has ex-members of
Evanescence) on Nov 5th @ AJ’s Bar and don’t forget to visit their face
book page with the link up above. Until next time, this is your
entertainment minion, signing off!

-Dora



Oni Rising on Drink Laredo - DrinkLaredo.com

ts with Oni Rising's Luis Javier “Javi” Garcia

By Dave B. Roberts (Photo courtesy/copyright Keyla Camacho)
Check out this interview in its entirety featured in the forthcoming Ax Facts & Stats Volume 2 book due for release in the Fall 2011, featuring Q&As not featured in the online interviews!


My name is:
Luis Javier “Javi” Garcia .

My hometown:
Laredo, TX.

My current album or project is:
Oni Rising.

Former bands:
The Lust of God, Sed, Texas Death, Hattrox, Payback, Black Desert.

My guitar influences growing up were:
Kerry King, Wes Borland, Kirk Hammett, Slash, Jimmy Page.

The guitars I use are:
ESP EX-351 and a PRS Singlecut.

The strings and tunings I use are:
Elixir Nanoweb and Dunlop Heavycore; tuned to Drop C or Standard D.

My current rig setup consists of:
Dime D100 Amp head with Crate 4 x 12 rack, with Digitech RP300 and Dunlop Slash signature crybaby wah.

The greatest invention for guitars is:
Electronic Tuners!

My normal songwriting process consists of:
Thinking of an unorthodox beat with a weird chord formation in my hand. I build upon that thereafter.

My favorite guitar solo from our band:
Intro to "7Furies."

My favorite all-time guitar solo (from another guitarist):
"In The Fire” by Roadrunner United… the song has Corey Beaulieu and Matt Heafy from Trivium rip through a solo duel! The most impressive solo to date!

Favorite all-time song (any artist) is:
"The Art of Dying” by Gojira, I can listen to that song all day won’t get tired of it.
Favorite song by our band:
"Save Me" or "Warrior’s Mind."

Favorite song to perform in front of a live audience:
"Broken Destiny!"

My Career highlight thus far is:
Being recognized for my songwriting skills by y’all! This is too big an honor!

My most embarrassing moment on stage:
The strap on my guitar loosened and my guitar fell to the ground… horrible!

Other than my guitar and amps, the one piece of my gear that I cannot live without is:
My tuner and picks.

The first song I ever mastered on guitar:
"Master of Puppets."

My first guitar was:
A Spanish acoustic guitar made in Paracho, Mexico. Electric: A Jay Turser SG imitation with alnico pickups… I regret selling it!

If I am only sure of one thing in life, It's:
I will die… It’s unavoidable.

The one ritual I always perform prior to going on stage is:
Play Angel of Death, War Ensemble, PostMortem, Raining blood by slayer, then Master of Puppets, and Saint Anger by Metallica… That’s my warm up!

The exact moment I knew I would pursue a career in music was:
When I first got on stage!

The one thing most fans don't know about me is:
I have an identical twin brother who plays sick guitar!

The best advice I could give beginning guitarists:
Have fun! But practice for short periods of times, many times! Or else it will become a chore or an annoyance.

CD(s) I'm listening to right now:
The way of All Flesh by Gojira.

My 3 all-time favorite albums:
God Hates Us All by Slayer, Sacrament by Lamb of God and R30 by Rush.

Favorite junk food:
A Mexican candy called Lucas! It’s sour and spicy at the same time… makes my mouth water just thinking about it!

My biggest pet peeve:
Cleaning after them when they take a dump!

The word or catch phrase I say too much is:
"Indeed!"

The hardest part of my job:
Dealing with arrogant doctors.

What I like to do in my "off" time (hobbies):
Read, watch movies or anything related to meditation and to Tibetan Buddhism… also meditate!

The first thing I do when I come home from touring is:
See my parents and my girl.

Previous or first day job:
My first job was Loss Prevention at a retail store.

Right after this interview I'm going to:
Hit the road again…

I couldn't imagine being on the road without:
A laptop with recording software or internet.

If I wasn't doing the musician thing, I could really see myself working as:
A laboratory technician.

Favorite movie:
Enter the Dragon with Bruce Lee.

My mission in life:
Heal people either by helping them get better physiologically with science and medicine or psychologically with music and my compassion and loving kindness meditation practices.

My guilty pleasure band or artist:
Jamiroquai!

My next goal is:
To make a heavy metal song that becomes a classic!

The greatest contribution guitars/music have brought into my life is:
An emotional release, my guitar is my second mouth… It’s another way of expressing my thoughts and feelings.

Check out our Website at:
www.OniRising.com

The one musician I would love to work with that I have not yet had the chance would be:
Joe Duplantier.

If I could have three wishes, they would be:
Make a living of the music industry, become a Buddha for the benefit of all sentient beings, and just being wealthy in all aspects of life.

When it's all said and done, I want the world to remember me for:
My songs, my attitude, and my songwriting. - Axe, Facts, and Stats 2011 Book