There’s one thing satisfying about good, spherical numbers, so it is handy that X: The Godless Void and Different Tales, the tenth album by …And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, arrives in the band’s 25th yr. The Godless Void encapsulates the band’s distinctive mix of punk vitality, satisfying melodies, and dramatic grandeur in a approach that successfully sums up its work to this point, whereas additionally serving as a welcoming entry level for recent ears listening to the band for the first time. Editor Heather Phares praised the album with a four-star evaluate, noting that the band has “grown into their reflective facet over the years, and they’ve not often sounded as relatable, or affecting, as they do right here,” leading to “triumphant proof that they are as passionate as ever.”

The band’s core duo of Conrad Keely and Jason Reece has survived all method of report label jumps, lineup adjustments, and even Keely’s prolonged relocation to Cambodia. The Godless Void marks the band’s first new album in six years, and as Reece informed us in a current dialog, the pair knew precisely what the report must be. He additionally shared his ideas on the varied methods to make use of a crescendo, how the band knew it was time to take a break, and the excellent situation for listening to his music.

AllMusic: When it is time to get began on a new album, do you and Conrad sit down beforehand and be sure to’re on the identical web page musically?

Jason Reece: We have been very explicit about what we have been going to do, and it took time to determine that out. We had a lot of time, which was good in a method, however you can too get misplaced. There was some level the place we have been jamming, and we recorded hours and hours of jams and music concepts, and then did not use any of them. Which is type of cool, you must discover what the path is, and as soon as that occurred, it looks like you are going to have extra of a level and extra of a imaginative and prescient of the way you need the album to sound in the finish.

AllMusic: As soon as you discover that imaginative and prescient, is it one thing you are capable of articulate with one another or is it one thing extra understood?

Reece: We’re fairly verbal. We undoubtedly speak about it, even to the level of being a little loopy about it. We weren’t at the level of stress-free and letting it occur, and we have been being very essential, as a result of we did not need to repeat ourselves. Any band that is been round for a whereas, that is one of your essential fears. Some bands embrace it, “That is our sound, that is what we do,” however we’re at all times making an attempt to jot down one thing that we’re thinking about and discover a method to make it sound recent to us, and hopefully recent to the those that like our band, so it does not sound like we’re simply going via the motions.

AllMusic: There may be a sense even on these early albums that this wasn’t a band that might be simply boxed in. Was that a aware factor, to make it simpler to discover different areas in a while?

Reece: Our favourite bands have been the ones that have been extra experimental and open-ended, they did not essentially match into a sure style. As individuals, we get pleasure from every kind of music, so we weren’t like, “We’ll be a hardcore band.” The humorous factor is, proper now I’ve this hardcore band facet undertaking, and we’re very conscious of making hardcore punk rock songs, and we’re following a standards, whereas Trail of Dead is the reverse of that.

You can write one thing that can remind you of that in a method, however it may be something. The opening observe off this report is like an orchestral piece, so we have run the gamut. I believe that is thrilling, that makes issues extra unpredictable and you undoubtedly need to have that in your life, or at the very least I do. It retains issues attention-grabbing.

AllMusic: You have been performing some full-album exhibits earlier than placing this report collectively. Are these rewarding for you creatively?

Reece: For us, we observed that going again to these albums, they do not sound dated. So enjoying them reside, it felt like there was a relevancy to them, and there’s an vitality that’s actually legitimate. In order that added inspiration to finishing the new one, as a result of we would take these breaks and go do these exhibits and come again and discover the way you’re wanting again at your 22-year-old self and realizing that you simply’re not embarrassed about the music.

AllMusic: Crescendos are a software you utilize pretty usually, even on a music like “Gone,” which builds and builds however does not completely boil over. What makes you resolve to carry again generally?

Reece: We undoubtedly needed to have a sure climactic really feel to it, but it surely undoubtedly does not go over the edge as a lot. For me, I used to be pondering of a music Kate Bush did known as “The Large Sky.” It builds all through the complete factor, with a new layer coming in every now and then, and I used to be impressed by that. So once we have been scripting this music, we have been making an attempt to construct these layers that might are available, and it provides a sure drama to it. It is one of these issues that matches with the supply of the lyrics, in order the lyrics get extra and extra intense, the music does, too. They’re symbiotic, and it has this pensive rigidity to it that I like. It jogs my memory nearly of Huge Assault, like one thing off of Mezzanine.

AllMusic: When Conrad first informed you he was shifting to Cambodia, how did you deal with that information? Did it make sense to you?

Reece: We have been at a level the place it appeared like a good time to step again, and he was going to go hang around together with his dad, who lives in Thailand, and I believe he needed to get his shit collectively. He was residing in New York, and his life type of acquired uprooted, and it is one of these locations the place it is cool to reside there, but it surely’s costly and you must have a good motive to reside there. He liked Phnom Penh and the way it’s this rebellious, wild west, type of chaotic metropolis the place something goes. If you reside in America, there’s a lot restriction and so many guidelines, it may be good to reside in a place the place there is not any guidelines.

AllMusic: Have been you capable of put the band to the facet throughout that point, or is it at all times hanging over you?

Reece: I had two children, and so to not take into consideration the band was a good factor to do. We have been at a level the place we had a administration staff that we did not like, reserving brokers, and we simply needed to fireplace all people. That was simply a very releasing time, the place we stated “let’s have a look at the way it all performs out,” and then time glided by, and Conrad finally stated, “I will transfer again to Austin,” and it appeared like a good time to get issues going once more. Folks have been popping out of the woodwork who needed to place out the report, new reserving brokers, so issues have been all coming collectively.

AllMusic: The report is a nice entry level for entering into the band. Is that one thing you concentrate on with each, how accessible it will likely be?

Reece: For me, this report looks like any stroll of life can relate to it. It is not a very alienating report, it desires to carry you in and take you on a street journey. We have at all times liked making information that have been the type of factor that you’d throw on if you’d drive out to the nation or no matter. I believe that is a super setting to listen to our music.