Getting to Know: Toronto Metal-Punk Outfit, Avarice
In today’s Getting to Know, we meet Avarice, a Toronto-based trio that finds itself to be the lightest band on metal bills, and the heaviest band on punk bills. If you are in an up and coming band that would like to partake in a Getting to Know feature, contact editor@riffyou.com to receive the questionnaire and instructions. Thanks!
Band Name: Avarice
Band Members: Troy Bell (lead vocals, guitar), Riley Bell (bass, backing vocals), and Alex Dabic (drums, backing vocals).
Years Active: 2
City of Origin: Toronto, ON.
Who are you and what do you do?
“We are Avarice. We’re a metal/punk band from Toronto, ON.”
In 100 words or less, tell us how your band has gotten to this point.
“We’ve gotten to the point we’re at in several ways. We always write every song with the intention of it being better than the last. Strong song writing is very important. The other most important thing is the live performance. We focus strongly on making sure that the rock show is just that, ‘a show.’ We make sure that we spend every bit of energy we possibly can at every show.”
What is your latest release and how would you best describe it to someone who hasn’t heard your band?
“We released a six song Self-Titled EP in November 2013. Our sound is a mixture of heavy metal and punk rock. We focus on mixing aggression and melody together into a single blend of potent, high-octane rock. It’s very important for us to have high energy in all songs.
When making an album, which aspect of the process do you put the most time into and why?
“We think song writing and rehearsing is easily the most important part of the recording process. To us, the song is everything. Production is also important, but we would much rather listen to a great song at lower quality, than a crappy song at great quality.”
What is the best part about your band and why?
“The best part about our band is the live show. We put everything into our performances and make sure that we’ve pushed out every last ounce of energy we can muster. Our songs are built for energy, and we believe in making every performance one to remember.”
What makes your band unique from the rest?
“Our style of music sets us apart from other bands. Our style fits right between punk and metal, and that makes us typically the lightest band when we are on a metal bill, and the heaviest on a punk bill. That makes it harder for us, but also makes our sound unique.”
How does your band survive the challenges of touring/gigging?
“We all pool together our resources and have a lot of help from our friends and family as well. We also are great friends and that helps to keep the band working smoothly when you have been together as long as we have.
Would you rather be critically-acclaimed; rich and famous; or an under-the-radar band with a dedicated fan base?
“We would rather be critically acclaimed. Don’t get us wrong – the fame and fortune would be nice – but making good music is the primary focus of our band.”
If you’d have to compare your band to another one out there, living or dead, who would it be and why?
“Trivium is a band that we sound somewhat like. Most like their work on Ascendancy, but with less screaming and a less abrasive sound. We’re probably less metal focused as well…more of an even blend between the two genres.”
Which band/musician would you like to share many drinks with? What would you talk about?
“We’re not sure since there are so many bands we love. We’ll say The Offspring because they inspired us to get into music. We’d probably just talk about that, and how they wrote some of our favourite songs.”
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