The End of Everything

By Meghan O'Brien

The End of Everything - LIVE
The Alehouse, March 24, 2005

The End of Everything claim to be the official sponsor of the apocalypse. There is no talk of how this is, but the point might be that they're so good they could kill everything else off. Under this theory, that would include any other metal bands and most music groups would seemingly want this. This band however, is not all about throwing the punches at others and is perhaps one of the nicest bands to have graced the haunts of Portland.
Lead singer Max looks like what some conservative members of society could call scary. He has spiky black hair, eye make-up, the attire of a stuffy funeral director, and a big shiny wallet chain. He could even be viewed demonic and like Lucifer himself, Max can be just as charming. "Be careful when you read the lyrics," Max warned. "It's not advocacy, it's just catharsis." He also said his band was straight edge and then stuck his tongue out and rolled his eyes playfully. The only thing edgy about this band is their sound.

The End of Everything performed first because they had to work their respective day jobs early the next morning. Onstage Max stalked in front of the audience screaming his lyrics while the band behind him aggressively pounded out the rock that could kill us all. The opener, "Wire Coat Hanger," pushed the fans closer to the stage and had them screaming in joy by the end of the number. This humble band won the crowd while barely breaking a sweat. "Troglodyte" showcased drummer Wheeler's percussive style, which energized the song without making the rest of the band seem out of sync. New second vocalist Aaron, who played with Max in Carbonaro, sang "Thump Throat" and proved that while he was the new guy in the group his membership was worthy. Alongside Wheeler, Max, and Aaron are three equally talented and essential guys: Andy (guitar), Sean (guitar), and Ryan (bass).

The End of Everything was asked to do Battle of the Bands but Max said they refused to do it because of the competitiveness. They were included in this year's Phoenix ballot for Best Metal act and have a new full length album coming out this year. It could very well be that 2005 is the year that The End of Everything explode on the scene, hopefully without killing too many of us off. Check out www.theendofeverything.com to learn more about this great band and what their pet names are. - IT! Magazine

THE END OF EVERYTHING
By Matt Morris

Portland band The End of Everything (TEOE) has seen the end of the world, and it is metal. According to their website they are an "official sponsor of the apocalypse." Most metal bands adopt a skulls and sacrilege approach as part of a cliché image, yet TEOE actually shares vague similarities with the end of the world. It will be loud. It will be scary. It will not be ignored. I was lucky enough to be entertained by the band for a little face to face time. My interview with The End of Everything was the beginning of something interesting.

We lounged on minivan seats, enjoying the routine comforts of cigarettes and beer. From an existential point of view the end of something is evident everywhere; the cigarettes burn up, the beers empty, the voice recorder counts down. But TEOE are not concerned with existentialism or the apocalypse right now. They ignore the clock, relax, chat, and philosophize on what really is important: being musicians.

TEOE as you may know it has existed for approximately a year and a half. The newest addition to the roster is Ryan on bass, having been in the band since September 2004. Sean (guitar), Andy (guitar), and Wheeler (drums) have had a core foundation for over two years. "We knew we wanted to play with each other," says Sean. "We liked how we played. We could read each other very well. ...and we just waited for the right people to come through. We tried out different singers and bass players and it came down to: if one of us doesn't like something, we don't go with it, and that's just the way it is."

"We don't go to a vote. It's pure communism," ads Max, vocalist, webmaster, and graphic artist for TEOE. He sits at a piano with one knee crossed over the other and sporting a short Mohawk. "It breaks down really quickly if you even have one person that is not happy with it. They are not going to perform up to par, they are going to have issues with it, they're going to hate that song, hate the band name, and then you're not a unit. ...Now it seems like people who fell in and out of the band, it kind of felt like there was a reason why they weren't there, and a reason why they were there. Right now it seems like we have the most cohesive unit, the most symbiotic unit, and everything that seems to work flows a lot faster."

"Max was retired for about three or four years," recalls Sean. "I remember seeing him at the Bitter End and freaking out thinking Portland was definitely a special place, seeing so many acts in town that rocked my fucking world. ...The core of our band just keeps growing."

Amplifiers growling, dueling guitarists Sean and Andy stand side by side with their sweatshirt hoods drawn up like blinders on horses, concentrating. "I know how he plays, and he knows how I play," Sean says. "His tone covers a lot of highs and mids ...and I cover a lot of mids and lows. Together we get one, full, fat guitar tone that doesn't sound like two guitars riffing away, but one massive tone. ...Wheeler picks up on it, and knows these beats that we are turned on by, and that's just the way we go."

"I just like the energy of [the music]," Wheeler says. At a loss for words he smiles from under the brim of a camouflage hat that reads: MARINES. "I'm always pissed at everything. I'll probably take anger management. I've always been influenced by metal since I was eleven. The first time I heard Slayer I shit my pants... fell in love with metal." Wheeler's drumming is up to par without question. He enjoys hammering out the off-time beats for TEOE and rarely waters them down with a straight 4/4 kick & snare pattern. Like any good drummer, Wheeler emphasizes the rhythm rather than distracts the listener from the whole of the music.

Max built the band website (www.theendofeverything.com) as a multimedia experience. TEOE is a band that realizes the potential for multilateral interaction with the public through computer technology. The mandatory inclusion of biography, pictures, touring, and song downloads already present, their website also showcases original artwork by Max. There is a real mood and message that the website conveys, all of this being a tool that too many local bands overlook. Not everyone can see you play a gig, much less sit down and talk to you about what a song means or show you a collage of accompanying images. Some bands ignore the aesthetics of a professional-looking website (or lack there of) and experience prejudice on looks alone. Bands of today must rely on internet presence as a primary public image for when they cannot communicate directly with fans and venue management.

The band name itself communicates a lot for Sean and other band mates. "It's not so much an apocalyptic point of view," Sean explains. "I don't want it to be just the end of something. Everything has a beginning and an end. It's a good thing, and it's a bad thing. I try to infuse – not necessarily conspiracy theories – but a lot of truths that come to an end if you're smart enough to look for them. ...Since we have this website that talks to the whole world if it wants to, why not use this forum to pass on information that you might find interesting? ...And fit this whole "end of everything" theory of what music and life is about."

Currently TEOE is taking their time recording a five song e.p. release entitled "The Beginning of the End." Gigging has been put on hold to bring newbie Ryan up to speed on current and new material. Then it is back to the grind of local gigs, merchandising, promotion, and taking the vital steps toward selecting good management and funding a tour. Any band will tell you that a plan has to be drafted and executed for any kind of success on the road.

"A lot of people forget what Portland is," notes Max. "Portland is a great proving ground. You're not dealing with the best sound systems. You're dealing with low turn out; they'll sit there and not show any emotion what-so-ever. So you have to go in there, and if you can weather the bad sound system, the poor support, and you can become a very good band and stick together and still have fun – which is the most important thing about this whole fucking thing is just enjoy yourself – and do what you want to do, express yourself in your manner... you can make it pretty much anywhere at that point. You have an iron will at that point. You're mentally prepared for what touring is like, which is tumbleweeds going across the dance floor, club owners not wanting to pay you. You're going to come to expect this and maybe have some backup plans."

Like the Ouroboros serpent eating its tail in the endless round of existence, TEOE mirrors a similar existence from its previous incarnations (e.g. Colostomy, Godamage, Piggus Amongus). Many of their musical themes are social or political, and some are just plain angry. The band has the benefit of experience under its belt as well as talent, undying desire, and plain old hard work. A combination of these attributes may serve this hardcore metal band well for years to come. Of the many required steps to longevity to be taken, they have completed the first few. Apocalypse or not, it is certain that The End of Everything has reached the end of their beginning. - IT! Magazine