Of the many bands that Necromag seem to bump into upon our fair travels on the Internet, we occasionally come across ones which are actually really fucking good. A Rebours (“Against The Grain” for the curious) are one such band. Hailing from Elmira, New York, this melancholic goth-rock combo carry a very unique sound that fans of The Birthday Massacre, The Cure and Black Light Burns will enjoy, as well as attracting progressive metal fans with their impressive array of guitar solos and musical craftsmanship. As such, it is difficult to place this band in a genre, which is a good thing in this age of play-by-numbers goth bands which are rammed down the throats of the alternative youth.

We interviewed this band last month and are able to bring you the interview right here. We insist you check them out!

NecroMag: We saw from your MySpace pictures that you’ve visited York in the UK, do you have many ties to England and any plans to gig here?

There aren’t many ties—as in family or friends—but I nonetheless really love the UK. Gigging there is most definitely a goal of mine in the (hopefully near) future and I’d love to do a small tour there as well. There’s so much that I love about the UK and I can’t wait to go back.

NecroMag: On first listen, the thing that sets you far apart from a lot of other Goth rock bands is your penchant for the progressive, so which 3 bands would you guys say influenced your sound the most?

Hmmm…good question. The short answer to that is anything “I’ve ever heard and liked.” To boil that down to three bands is difficult. I’d say, right off the top of my head, they are:
1) Fates Warning
2) The Wake
3) Queensrÿche

That short list looks like it leans heavily on a hard rock sound, and honestly that’s not a completely accurate representation of À Rebours. True, À Rebours is definitely a rock band—with some hard moments—but the progressive elements are almost more incidental, as the overall sound, I believe, is still informed by a darker, shoegaze/goth kind of vibe. I just grew up listening to harder, progressive bands as well and that’s woven into my DNA as much as more ambient, darker types of sounds are.

NecroMag: You hail from New York, what is the goth rock scene like in the big apple today?

Pretty decent, still. As with the rest of the country it seems to be waning somewhat, but there are still strong pockets of it that are adapting and morphing into new beasts. It’s all still goth at the core, but the overall definition of “goth” seems to be budding and evolving again, which is exciting.

NecroMag: In the UK, there is a lot of social ignorance towards the goth community, is it the same in the US because on our visits to NYC people have generally been very warm and accepting?

There are still plenty of places in the US that are not very tolerant towards alternative lifestyles. Anything out of place, eccentric, or against the norm is still stigmatized to one degree or another. It really depends on where you go. NYC has always been a place where a million different styles collide and seem to coexist in some fashion. The same is true for LA or San Francisco. That being said, there are places I sure as hell wouldn’t wander into all dressed up like I’m going out, both in those aforementioned cities and the rest of the nation at large. There are areas of the US that are intolerant of EVERYTHING, let alone Goths. It’s all in varying degrees, but it’s there. One has to (a) know where they are and (b) be adept at using one’s “vampiric” charm to diffuse situations!

NecroMag: Where is your favorite place to tour?

Well…ahhhh…anywhere at this point! With gas prices in the US what they are and the economy putting the smack-down on show attendance, I’m not sure when an official À Rebours tour will happen. I’m hoping for the summer of ’09, but we’ll have to see. I’m really interested in putting something together for Europe. I hope that’s not just a pipe dream.

NecroMag: Any info on your second album you would care to divulge?

The second album will be called “The Parliament of Rooks” and it will have (tentatively) 14 songs on it. I’m working hard right now at finishing up the demo for the label, and it should be out in early 2009. The songwriting is tighter and the whole album works together more cohesively than the last. I’m really excited about it!

NecroMag:Anything else you want our readers to know about your band?

I’m glad that there are more magazines—both print and online—covering the scene. Thank you for the opportunity to interview with you!

Also, our website has a lot more info and goodies than the MySpace. Please check it out and stay up to date.

And please, by all means, if you come to a show, come up and say hello!

You can hear the band on their MYSPACE, as well as PURCHASE their music, we look forward to hopefully being able to see them in the UK soon.

Their website is http://www.maurautius.com/

[OxKing]

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