Under the Stone: All Work & All Play

“[Under the Stone] always has to get better; if [we] sound professional, then that’s good—we’re doing a good sleight of hand. Every band is going to say […] they want to be better, but the truth is we really do.”

Despite my efforts to sing the band’s well-deserved praises, Under the Stone drummer Rory Packard’s honest, self-effacing approach skirts any attempts to do so.

The upside, however, is this apparent modesty has helped Under the Stone develop the introspection and maturity of a seasoned band, which prevents them from blowing smoke up their own asses—even if they are really good.

In just a few short years, Under the Stone has achieved a respectable level of local SOCAL acclaim. Their self-titled full-length release is recognized as a professionally polished representation of their mélange of melodic Metal and Thrash.
Add to this a history of landing big live shows supporting well-known acts like Cattle Decapitation, Fear Factory, and Brujeria, and it would appear to many that Under the Stone has reached some level of success many bands would find deeply satisfying—But Under the Stone is not a band that rests on its laurels—for them, there’s always more work to be done.

“We want to make sure we’re tighter as a unit, we know our faults, and where we need to improve, but we also want to be able to perform everything we write as tightly as possible, and to really make an effort in order to do the songs justice,” says vocalist Alex Gonzales. “Basically, when you’re in a band, you notice every little thing that goes wrong, where as the audience doesn’t. [Thus], we consciously work harder on every aspect [of our music].”

There is some wisdom in this: Under the Stone certainly has shown that their work ethic pays off: the Under the Stone record shows potential commercial appeal. Featuring the “single” “Prototype,” which also has an accompanying music video, the record was nothing short of a testimony to the band’s continuous pursuit of perfection.

“The songs on [Under the Stone] are what they are—I think the first album is always a band’s definitive album [that illustrates] how the band defines themselves musically,” Packard says.

But in keeping with the band’s overall approach to tightening and strengthening their music, Under the Stone is working actively to evolve their sound on a subsequent release that promises a true musical evolution. “What we’re looking to do [on the next record] will be more musically challenging than what [we did] on the first record,” Packard says. “For me, I know that what I’m about to embark on is going to be much harder than what I did on the first album.” Where as the band’s first release certainly has its “Metal” moments, their next release will undoubtedly showcase their otherwise dynamic moments the band braids into their sounds; there’s a lot going on there. While the aggression and quickstep tempos are identifiably heavy, the melodiousness of their interludes is comprised of evocative movements relaying requisite emotional depth. “I love playing music that’s musical—I can say the same for everyone else in the band […] if there’s something that we all feel and can relate to, we want to feel it in the music. Music makes you feel, and we want to feel it,” Packard says. “As a band, I don’t know what makes us ‘Metal’ per say—we have so many different influences like Bjork,” Gonzales says. “—And I admire drummers like Dave McGraw from Cattle Decapitation, who makes the impossible possible. They are extreme in everything—that’s their style…it’s incredible and it has a lot to do with the influences they listen to,” Packard says. “For my own playing, I listen to so many different types of music, it’s hard to say that I play just one style.” Having recently parted ways with guitar player Don Lauder, Under the Stone is utilizing the line-up shift to make full use of standing lead guitar player Chris Knowles’ uncompromising multifaceted musical approach to amass their new sound. “Throughout every iteration of the band, I had to [compromise the complexity of the music] and write around something or someone; but I am at the point where I am just going to write what I want to, and for who we currently have in the band, I know that we have nothing to worry about—everyone will be able to play it,” Knowles says. “[Knowles] is an amazing guitar player, and whomever we get to replace Lauder will have to be able to keep up with our new musical direction—that will be tough,” Gonzales says. Although it could be said Under the Stone’s standards for perfectionism are high, perhaps its more accurate to say the band is set on constant evolution: that despite whatever acclaim or success they achieve, they recognize there are even greater summits to reach. In essence, they are tireless, and something tells me they like it that way. “We’re just going to keep playing what feels and sounds right to us,” Gonzales says. “This is the music we want to play, and that’s all that matters to us.”