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I've had friends who've had depression or been on medication because their pituitary glands aren't giving out enough hormones - so I've been around a lot of people who've had problems like that. I've always been open to talk about that.
M. Shadows -
We write when the time comes, and we try to be exciting, and stuff that excites us usually makes the record.
M. Shadows
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I know that sometimes we, as Americans, we reach outside of our means, and every once in a while we like to 'police the world,' but I think we do a lot of good as well.
M. Shadows -
If there's something I really like or a chord progression, I write a note in my Blackberry, and maybe a year later, I'll revisit it and ask, 'What did I like about that?' I really don't try to think too much about it. I like to be fresh.
M. Shadows -
I'm kind of a geek when it comes to talking about chord structures or melody, so I always loved in-depth conversations with musicians about things. I also enjoy when a fan can just put something on, and they really know nothing about music other than they like it and it touches them in some way.
M. Shadows -
We like to wait to a point where we have to get in there and write a record because we're just so built up.
M. Shadows -
The song 'Paradigm' talks about nanobots - and how they can potentially be used to cure diseases and help you live forever. But how much of a human being would you be at that point? If you're 70 percent machine and 30 percent human, are you going to lose yourself?
M. Shadows -
Personally, I just want to hear good songs.
M. Shadows
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Those who are not very good at understanding mental health issues are not going to know what other people are going through in depression. You have to kind of put yourself in somebody else's shoes.
M. Shadows -
Musically, I just like when people are knowledgeable about music and they can talk to you about it.
M. Shadows -
I think everyone in the band has had someone that's served in their family. I wouldn't say that anybody has a military family, but both of my grandfathers were in the military.
M. Shadows -
I think 'The Stage' is kind of left field.
M. Shadows -
What made 'Dark Side Of The Moon' so great is some of the mystique and where it was coming from and just the authenticity of it.
M. Shadows -
I was a fan of 'Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2,' and I got into 'Call Of Duty: Black Ops,' which was my favorite 'Call Of Duty' game of all time.
M. Shadows
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Ever since 'Hail to the King,' we've been more cognizant of our chord progressions, our key changes, drama in songs, a lot of dynamics - we've really added a lot of that in there.
M. Shadows -
If I was to play any song for anybody asking, 'What is metal about?' I'd just play 'Master of Puppets.' The progressions and the bridge are brilliant.
M. Shadows -
I recall us selling out L.A.'s 5,000-capacity Gibson Amphitheatre and flying straight to Germany to play a 300-capacity room where we'd only sold 120 tickets. This was when 'City Of Evil' was really taking off in the U.S., but it seemed like Europe was less interested.
M. Shadows -
For me, a band like Gojira brings something really cool and new to the table.
M. Shadows -
I was talking to my dad about the stuff he grew up listening to, and 'Operation: Mindcrime' is a record that he had always talked about around the house. He always talked about it as the 'greatest concept album of all time.' One day, I started listening to it, and it just hit me. I was like, 'These songs are all hits. They're all huge songs.'
M. Shadows -
We just found that in 2016, if you announce a record, and it's coming out in three months, and you're just giving people breadcrumbs, it's the most boring, drawn-out experience.
M. Shadows
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We kind of reached this point in life where we don't really want to put out anything just to put something out. We really don't want it to be like, 'Two years are up. You've had your break; now do another record and get it out there.'
M. Shadows -
I want to stay away from trends and do what we want to do musically.
M. Shadows -
I just think that a metal band covering a bunch of metal songs is so boring, so 'done before.'
M. Shadows -
I saw The Rev the other night and he was on like four different things. He was like, Dude, Ive been gone for three days!
M. Shadows