A Supergroup Like No Other - World Gone Cold
We have all listened to an artist and daydreamed about our idea of a perfect collaboration. World Gone Cold, the new metal supergroup, has turned our dreams into a reality. The quintet consists of Ryland Raus (Attack Attack! & Inhale/Exhale), Mark Anthony (The Letter Black), Andrew Stanton (Disciple), Tim “Yogi” Watts (Demon Hunter), and Traa Daniels (P.O.D). Each member brings their unique talents to the table to produce an unparalleled sound and dynamic when combined.
World Gone Cold started as an outlet for one of the members before it rapidly snowballed into the melodic force it has grown to be. Driven by the desire to make a powerful, unapologetic metal album, Mark Anthony (The Letter Black) set out to create the vision in his head, but he quickly realized it would be a challenge independently.
“I wanted to make a metal record, just for myself. But the thing about doing a solo album by yourself? It just isn’t as fun.”
So after that, Anthony got in touch with Travis Wyrick (producer for P.O.D, 10 Years, and Dolly Parton), who suggested Anthony contact Ryland Raus. Once the duo connected and Raus had the opportunity to hear one of the instrumentals Anthony had put together, Raus and Anthony joined forces.
“He wrote his parts for the song in just a few days and sent it back to me, and it was awesome right out of the gate,” says Anthony. “The whole point in making this a band versus a solo project was to get creative input from other people, to let them be themselves, without micromanaging them.”
The pair continued collaborating and quickly began enlisting friends from their musical wheelhouse to form what would soon become the metal supergroup.
“My whole thing was to surround myself with killer guys that just love to play,” Anthony explains. “There’s no pressure to write ‘hits.’ We’re making music we enjoy, and hopefully, everybody else will, too. The music quickly became fun, poppy, catchy melodies over dark, heavy guitars. Between the five of us, we have the seasoned guys who have been doing this for 20 years, bringing our more classic metal influences, and the younger guys like Andrew and Ryland, who brought the newer vibe”
I had the opportunity to chat with the group regarding the upcoming release.
Who came up with the name for the band? How did you decide on the name?
I think I came up with it, but we were just all discussing name ideas, and the lyric by Jeff Buckley came up, “…mother dear, the world’s gone cold.” So it became World Gone Cold, and it stuck.
What is the inspiration behind the EP?
We’ve all created music for a long time, and we’ve grown to love blurring the lines between genres. Not everything is always black and white, and our music shows that. We wanted to combine pop and metal to create something that’s fun to listen to, but you can still headbang and workout to it.
What was the writing process like for this EP?
Mark wrote most of the songs, and he sent them to Ryland to write lyrics. Then they sent them everyone else’s way to come up with our parts, and when we all sent it back, everything just fit so easy. The way it all came together was just super smooth.
What is a favorite track from the EP? Why is this a favorite?
Left To Save is my personal favorite. I feel like it’s the song that best showcases all of our abilities and the defining characteristics of the band.
As individual artists, who are some favorite groups or artists each have toured with? Why?
In Flames is my favorite touring partner. They are the fathers of melodic Swedish metal and couldn’t be better dudes!
Who are some musical influences for the group?
We all like Architects, BMTH, Sevendust, and Alter Bridge, so there are definitely some hints of that in the music.
How do you balance music and other obligations?
Honestly, you just have to do it. Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses, so there’s not a perfect outline of how to do it. Just figure out where you’re slacking or missing out on things and try to do better. It’s easier said than done, for sure.
Have you ever dealt with performance anxiety? If so, how did you navigate this challenge?
I haven’t personally dealt with it that much. Mine is more excitement than anxiety, but I have a lot of friends that have had anxiety about performing. Some of them had pre-show rituals they’d do - vocal warmups, finding somewhere quiet to sit and relax before going onstage, etc. and that seemed to help them a lot.
What are some of your favorite venues you have performed at?
The Norva in Norfolk VA, Orange Peel in Asheville NC, Pops in Sauget IL, The Glass House in Pomona CA, Amplified Live in Dallas TX. Those are always a great time!
Where was the first concert you ever went to and who did you see perform?
Petra in Greenville SC! Great show.
What are your opinions on covers?
I love them. I know people have mixed opinions on them, but I think it’s cool when you can take someone else’s music and create your own version of it. It takes a different kind of skill to do a good cover.
How do you feel social media has changed music?
I think it’s made it a lot easier for people to be artists without ever leaving their homes. Used to, you had to be in Nashville or LA, find a studio, pay tons of money to produce and record, get a record label to put your music out, etc. but now you can make a killer album in your living room with just a few pieces of equipment if you know what you’re doing.
What are your plans for the group in the coming months?
WORLD DOMINATION. Haha honestly though, we just want to put out all this music we’ve been sitting on for the last couple of years. We want to tour and have a good time with the fans!
The quintet is releasing its seven-track EP on March 17th, with singles dropping periodically throughout February and March. The first single from the EP, Opposites Attract, will be released on February 3rd. Rockfest Records is producing the EP, and after getting a first listen, the tracks are worth the wait. The EP keeps listeners on their toes, and no two songs sound alike. World Gone Cold stands out lyrically while delivering melodic brilliance with a catchiness comparable to Nine Inch Nails and Rob Zombie and a postmodern urgency akin to I Prevail, Bring Me The Horizon, or Architects.
“This is a very diverse collection of songs. The writing seemed to come very natural for us. There was no strain or argument for what the sound became it just kind of kept evolving from song to song. It felt as if we were on some sort of quest to keep blending and manipulating the boundaries of modern metal and pop combined. There was no shame in this process. Each member added their own vibe unapologetically and I think that clearly shows throughout the EP.”
