I also got the chance to sit down with the guys from Louder Than Quiet. They were hard to get together because I made them miss Stolas on stage. But as Rico put it, this is work. It comes first. You've got to work before you play.
Pretend I'm the center of the clock.. From bottom left Dominic, Ali, Anthony, Rico, and then Danny making his "twerk face"
Meet the guys from LTQ...
Urico Schuler - Lead Singer/Resident Screamer - Age: 24 - Current Relationship Status: Engaged
Daniel Seay - Lead Guitar - Age: 19 - Current Relationship Status: Single
Ali Rezghi - Rhythm Guitar/Vocals - Age: 21 - Current Relationship Status: Has a girlfriend
Dominic Buie - Bass - Age: 21 - Current Relationship Status: "Single as fuck"
Anthony Alexander - Drummer - Age: 23 - Current Relationship Status: Single
***Please note some answers are direct quotes and others are paraphrased answers from individuals and the group***
Q. How did you guys meet and form LTQ?
A. Ali and Dom met at a birthday party in 2010. They met Danny in 2013 then Mr. Airospace aka Anthony in 2014. Then meeting Rico changed everything.
Pretend I'm the center of the clock.. From bottom left Dominic, Ali, Anthony, Rico, and then Danny making his "twerk face"
Meet the guys from LTQ...
Urico Schuler - Lead Singer/Resident Screamer - Age: 24 - Current Relationship Status: Engaged
Daniel Seay - Lead Guitar - Age: 19 - Current Relationship Status: Single
Ali Rezghi - Rhythm Guitar/Vocals - Age: 21 - Current Relationship Status: Has a girlfriend
Dominic Buie - Bass - Age: 21 - Current Relationship Status: "Single as fuck"
Anthony Alexander - Drummer - Age: 23 - Current Relationship Status: Single
***Please note some answers are direct quotes and others are paraphrased answers from individuals and the group***
Q. How did you guys meet and form LTQ?
A. Ali and Dom met at a birthday party in 2010. They met Danny in 2013 then Mr. Airospace aka Anthony in 2014. Then meeting Rico changed everything.
Q. What makes you different from other bands?
A. We are all black and we're mixing 2 different genres.
Q. How would you describe your current sound?
A. It's (pronounced with French accent) super garbage.
Q. Are you working on new stuff you'll be releasing soon?
A. Yes. We are working on some Go-Go and will be releasing the single for Red Gemini.
A. We are all black and we're mixing 2 different genres.
Q. How would you describe your current sound?
A. It's (pronounced with French accent) super garbage.
Q. Are you working on new stuff you'll be releasing soon?
A. Yes. We are working on some Go-Go and will be releasing the single for Red Gemini.
Q. If so, tell me more about it. What direction is the new stuff going in and how is it different?
A. Dark Metal. Ali - "Go-Go is so technical. The way they play the bounce beat for 30 minutes." It's like "Behemoth meets Oceana."
Q. I saw that Anthony is involved in another music project/band, Airospace.. Are any of your other members involved in other projects as well? Tell me more about that.
A. Ali and Dom rap as well.
Thoughts: I actually got to hear them flow outside after the show and they are dope MC's. I got in on this cypher and definitely held it down though... Probably not as well as them.. But it's all good.
A. Ali and Dom rap as well.
Thoughts: I actually got to hear them flow outside after the show and they are dope MC's. I got in on this cypher and definitely held it down though... Probably not as well as them.. But it's all good.
Q. How do you plan to succeed in today's music industry?
A. Rico - "Hustle like you ain't got nothin."
Q. I'm looking for your take on how you guys see the present and future of your band and your scene. What are your thoughts on that?
A. Our scene is dying but it will survive if we stick together.
Q. What do you think your band contributes to the scene that you see is lacking?
A. We're black. We have originality, personality, sexuality, and all those other alities. Anthony - "Killswitch. We felt excluded before they came along. But, even then, there has always been only 1 or 2 black guys in metal bands. This meant a lot though because we felt comfortable to come out to a show."
We also all contribute to the sound. Rico - "It also goes back to our ancestors in Africa. Drums are a way to communicate."
A. Our scene is dying but it will survive if we stick together.
Q. What do you think your band contributes to the scene that you see is lacking?
A. We're black. We have originality, personality, sexuality, and all those other alities. Anthony - "Killswitch. We felt excluded before they came along. But, even then, there has always been only 1 or 2 black guys in metal bands. This meant a lot though because we felt comfortable to come out to a show."
We also all contribute to the sound. Rico - "It also goes back to our ancestors in Africa. Drums are a way to communicate."
Q. What did it take to get where you are?
A. Danny and Rico - "Practice, dedication, support." Luck, commitment. Smarts. Ali - "Can't make it in a band without being smart."
A. Danny and Rico - "Practice, dedication, support." Luck, commitment. Smarts. Ali - "Can't make it in a band without being smart."
Additionally, as I mentioned in my message the other day, finding an all African American hardcore band is like finding a unicorn. The only other all African American metal band I could even find is a band called Bad Brains that actually formed in DC in the late 70's and they top lists of African Americans killing it in metal. So LTQ may not be the first.. But it's definitely one of the few, maybe even the only one, currently on the scene...
Q. Since LTQ is such a rarity, what is your take on the lack of diversity in this genre of music?
Kids are afraid. They told their black friends they play guitar and got laughed at and asked why they play "that white boy shit".
Q. But what about bands like The Roots Crew?
Black musicians aren't supposed to play double kick.
Anthony - "We've been conditioned to believe we're not supposed to play white boy shit"
Rico - "People abide by rules that stem from culture... Stem from religion." They think we're playing the Devil's music.
If people gave it a chance and weren't afraid there would be more diversity in households music-wise and the kids can find different platforms.
Q. Do you guys see yourselves as pioneers?
A. Ali "We had to come out of nowhere. We don't want to be known for being black. We want to known for being good like the people we look up to."
Rico - "People got nicer after we played."
Dom - "They put me down very gently from crowd surfing." (They really did. It's in video of them performing Red Gemini.)
Q. Do you want to or hope you'll inspire other kids of all different races and ethnicities that are underrepresented in this scene to play metal and get out there?
A. BIG FUCK YEAH!!! Don't be afraid to be who you are!
Q. What do you want new people who've never heard of LTQ to know about you?
A. That we're black and can lay it down like a motherfucker!
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