The Top 5 Metal Albums of 2024

Minority 905, Not following Anyone - LEADING INSTEAD

Hello Gauntlet fans, I will admit the word Pop appearing the genre description for this band, causes facial ticks and occasional hypergraphia. But what the hell this is some serious innovative music, and its about fucking time. The writing is exceptional with new conventions sprinkled all over "Dangerous Ambitions." I love what they do with the bass bringing it up front on some of your tunes. Being a drummer my self I can't describe it but Spasimir Vasilev is producing an awesome set of beats and fills with the basic kit. The Guitars really crescendo at times. I love the rapid stops and the vocal melodies and phrasing are great. Axes, Drums, Power cords, heavy bottom - that's all I need to say real music is coming back!! Just look back to the humble beginnings of Heavy Metal in the 70's and the 80's and the NWOBHM. People who became fans in this generation think if there are no blast beats, atonal growls, and 32nd kicks its simply not Heavy Metal. Some like to put music in containers that can be confining and transient because, for example, the metal Genre is over 50 years old now, while constantly changing and evolving. I consider Alice Coopers whole catalog metal.

These guys have attitude and they are gonna do wtf they want - now that's punk right.

Here is an aggressive and innovative band that balances out but definitely moves the adrenaline. Overall I was very surprised and delighted to hear this album. The band I will be interviewing here is comprised of Vocalist/Guitarist (John Aquino,) Drums (Spasimer Vasilev,) Bass backing vocals (Steve Wolwyn.) Lead Guitar and Backing vocals(Chris Goodfellow)

We will be talking about the new album Dangerous Ambitions. So lets start with Punk.

THE GAUNTLET INTERVIEW

Gauntlet(Kenny) Punk originated as a movement and didn't care much about money. Often Punk bands would give away their records. The theme of your record is the arduous task of a making a living as a musician. Are there any ideologies about what Punk stood for that you have carried over? Or is it just a sound now with no activism, A style per say?

Steven: The biggest ideology that I’d say we’ve carried over from the punk world is essentially doing what you want and not caring what other people think. A lot of people have given us shit over the years for playing covers, but we’ve continued to do it anyway. We also wouldn’t have the worldwide following that we have today had we never made those covers.

John: I don’t really think about it. I like the idea of embracing individuality and accepting one’s self if that counts.

Spasimir: I agree with what Steven said. The thing that got me into punk rock and pop punk was more the music and not so much the message behind the songs. That’s why it’s the genre that I want to play.

Chris: ^ What Steve said, personally I don’t really mind the idea of giving away records or generally just getting the music out there by hand with no money exchanged, but, if people can support us with money, I don’t really see the issue with that, it’s not like we’re forcing them to buy our record, we don’t give people the hard sell and pressure folks into it, ever. I think the whole deal with the punk scene and “selling out” as in gaining money from your art, and being against that, is just a stupid style thing. Punk is about being an individual and living how you want despite what society at large tells you, marching to your own drum beat, I don’t know why or when some idiot decided to make it so that to be punk also meant anything to do with the style/movement/whatever had to be fully non-monetary. If they really believed in that, then why do venues make them pay a door fee or pay for drinks at the bar? If those venues “supported real punk ideals”, then they would just make all of that stuff free, right?

Gauntlet(Kenny) I have been on a crusade to get bands more money, so they don't need two jobs, etc. It has become very difficult to make a living as a musician. Has anyone in 905 been able to reach this goal? Talk about that a little bit?

Steven: No not at all, haha. It was difficult enough making a living from music 30-40 years ago, but with the internet and streaming essentially making recorded music a free resource it’s become even harder for musicians to make a living from performing music. However many more artists and talented individuals can be discovered much easier than ever before, so the internet’s impact on the music business is a double-edged sword in my opinion.

Spasimir: I think that nowadays every band needs to think like a business and learn how to use the tools that the internet provides to get more growth and turn that into a profit. We still haven’t really figured out how to do it all but I think we might be on a good path to getting there.

Gauntlet(Kenny) The theme of this record is fairly apparent. as a vision quest for you guys and an encouragement for others? Does the band have an over-riding value or ideology that they adhere to?

John: I think a lot of the songs on this album is kind of like me talking to myself. It would be cool though if the songs on this album can encourage others to go after their ambitions too.

Chris: With what John said there, as in the album is him talking to himself, I would say that the album does give me motivation too. Every time I listen it reminds me that we have something, and it’s got potential. I’d like to think that it’s not just because “oh it’s a record I helped make so of course I’m gonna be narcissistic and like everything about it”. To me, it honestly stands as a firm reminder that this is our future and that we need to keep pushing forward.

Gauntlet(Kenny) Was there a moment in your youth was there a moment in your youth when you had an experience and decided at that moment, this is what I am gonna do for the rest of my life.

Steven: When I discovered that post-secondary music programs were a thing at age 15, that was when I decided I wanted a career as a professional musician. Whether I was playing a rock band, jazz group or orchestra, that was fine by me.

John: I don’t really know, I can’t credit one single moment for it cause it’s an ongoing thing for me. There’s lots of experiences and people that have inspired me, not necessarily just musicians but just people I look up to in general.

Spasimir: There is no one single moment. The more I played in the marching band the more my love for music and drumming grew. At some point, I got invited to play at a few weddings around town with some of the other bandmates where we actually got paid for playing. But I wouldn’t credit it all to that one moment. Another big part comes from discovering all of the bands that I love now and watching videos on YouTube of them playing to thousands of people and thinking “that is so awesome, I’d love to be able to do that one day”.

Chris: I came 2nd place in a singing contest at my secondary school where I had never previously sung before an audience or anyone. That was my first “moment” where I finally realized “oh my god, I have something in me that I can be good at that isn’t just video games”. After that was just seeing other famous musicians and taking inspiration from them, learning about their journeys, and starting to forge my own path.

Gauntlet(Kenny) Bands always have tension and disagreements? How do you resolve that when it comes up?

Steven: Yeah we’ve had some disagreements over our time as a band, and that’s just part of the process if you’re all serious about where the band is going. Sometimes you have to set your ego aside and at times you agree to disagree if no compromise can be reached.

Gauntlet(Kenny) What is the worst disagreement you have ever had? What did that look like?

Steven: The track order of our album Dangerous Ambitions lead to some pretty heated discussion. It looked weird, I guess?

Spasimir: The track order thing did get pretty heated. Another disagreement we’ve had was about whether we should play more shows or cut them to less and try to do as much YouTube work as possible.

Gauntlet(Kenny) When you are not writing rehearsing and recording, what are some bands/artists you listen to (a little bit of everything is not allowed?)

Steven: But I do listen to a little bit of everything :( ……. I also listen to Green Day, Billy Talent, PUP, Tokyo Police Club, Eminem, 2Pac, Linkin Park, System Of A Down, and the list goes on…..

Spasimir: Lately I’ve been on a big rap phase. I’ve been listening to a lot of Kendrick Lamar, J Cole, Kanye West, Migos, Nas, 2Pac, Biggie. I also like a lot of the newer pop punk bands like The Story So Far, Neck Deep, Knuckle Puck, Real Friends, Modern Baseball. Eventually I always come back to bands like Metallica, Linkin Park, System of a Down, Paramore, All Time Low, Green Day and blink-182 with the latter two being less frequent as I’ve heard their whole discographies so many times.

Chris: I listen to a lot of video game soundtracks, stuff from Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Heroes, assorted Kirby games, Zelda (specifically Wind Waker), Metroid Prime, Super Metroid, Pokemon Colosseum, Portal 2. Those soundtracks all stick with me, outside of that is Green Day, Paramore, and then not-pop punk stuff, like Jonathan Coulton, Ninja Sex Party (and Skyhill), TWRP, Red Hot Chili Peppers, deadmau5, REZZ, Dr. Dre, older Eminem (early career to mid-2000s), Migos, and then out of left field, Avril Lavigne.

Gauntlet(Kenny) What are your favorite pastimes.

Steven: I love both watching and playing basketball, Netflix is awesome and playing video games can be another good one.

Spasimir: I love playing video games, playing my drums at home, going to shows, going out with friends, going to the gym, biking, hiking. I also like to watch lots of YouTube.

Chris: I do two things in this world because I am not interesting, I play music, and then I go home and play the same few Nintendo games and maybe a random indie PC game here or there.

Gauntlet(Kenny) We’re gonna go bizarre here: 1) I have an immortality pill I am offering it to you, will you take it 2) What happens after death?

Steven: 1. Probably not. Living forever will lose it’s fun after a while. 2. Our lifeless bodies rot into our coffins or urns.

John: If the most important people in my life live forever with me then sure. If not then we’ll go to heaven together.

Spasimir: 1. Probably not. I think all the motivations that happen in life come from the fact that we have a limited time on this Earth and we need to make the most of it.

2. I hope after death there is some sort of heaven / afterlife / reincarnation etc.

Chris: John said it best for the live forever bit, like if I could grant immortality to the important people in my life then sure, but otherwise no I don’t want to live indefinitely and watch everyone I care about inevitably die just to form new relationships and watch those people die too.
As for afterlife things, ehh, I’d be fine just being able to be a ghost and watch over people or something, maybe I’d spend a while haunting a spooky house so I can scare some kids or something, I dunno.
Heaven sounds cool and all, but I feel like I’d be bored pretty fast, like, if Heaven is a place where everything you want is just there for you, then there’s no effort to get it, or supposedly the effort was your whole waking life, but then what happens after that? You’d live in it for at best like a year or two (assuming time works the same there) before either wanting more, or getting bored, it’s like the immortality thing, there’s inherent drawbacks to it that conflict with human nature.
Reincarnation would be weird because I wouldn’t know what I reincarnate as, and I wouldn’t remember my previous life anyway, so I wouldn’t really have a choice if that’s what happens. I know what I wouldn’t want though; to be stuck living the same life over and over in an infinite loop, even though that specifically makes the most sense to me for “what -really- happens” because of deja vu and seeing places and situations that you feel like you’ve been in before, like a previous life is trying to break through your mind with that previous knowledge.

Gauntlet(Kenny) Last question, Are any of your names aliases?

Steven: Nope.

Info:
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Apple Music: apple.co/2PCHoFx
Spotify: spoti.fi/2P412ZM
Physical CD: minority905.bigcartel.com/product/minority-905-dangerousambitions-cd

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