Entertainmentopia - Interview: Rev Theory

A lot of buzz has been building behind Massachusetts rockers Rev Theory (formerly Revelation Theory, which we really screwed up in our following interview). We had a chance to talk with Matty McClosky the bassist for the band about what its like on tour, and how their new album, Light It Up, will have everyone screaming, "Hell Yeah!"

Entertainmentopia	An obvious first question, and one I’m sure you guys are tired of answering is, why the name change from Revolution Theory to Rev Theory? (Editor's Note: We pretty much answered our own question)
Matty	Well we decided to change our name from REVELATION Theory to Rev Theory because people kept calling us Revolution Theory, and an assortment of other variations on our name. Plus a lot of our hardcore fans shorten our name to Rev Theory anyway.
Entertainmentopia	What bands would you say have influenced you over the years?
Matty	Well we all have our individual influences, which is good because we have different musical ideas to pull from when writing. But we all come together in our love for certain bands like Guns N Roses, Metallica, Stone Temple Pilots, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden and Filter just to name a few.

Entertainmentopia	What’s it like on tour for you guys? What do you like to do in-between hoping from city to city?
Matty	We love touring. Whenever we are off the road we start to feel stagnant so we try to play as many shows as possible. Its awesome to be able to connect with a crowd and our fan base. And of course we like to party too and bro down with the other bands. When we aren't traveling. between cities we like to explore that areas we are in. We try to experience as much as possible while traveling the world. Its also a good chance to nurse our hangovers, work on improving our stage show, and work on new musical ideas.

Entertainmentopia	Are you guys big Guitar Hero/Rock Band fans?
Matty	We actually played a lot of Guitar Hero 3 when we were in Vancouver recording the second half of 'Light It Up'. They had a Wii in the studio so that was always a good time, especially after a couple of drinks. Recently we got to experience Rock Band on the Seether/Flyleaf tour. It was funny seeing a bunch of musicians playing on little plastic guitars and drums. It seems like everyone is always trying to rock the drumset.

Entertainmentopia	A lot of bands found a whole new audience via Guitar Hero, would you like to see some of your stuff available in those games?
Matty	Hell Yeah! We are definitely hoping to get hooked up with one of the next game releases. its an awesome way for a fairly new band like ours to get added exposure. Plus we think we have some songs that would make a great addition to the game. We think that these games are a really great way to open more people up to rock music.

Entertainmentopia	You’ve toured with Evanescence and Papa Roach, what can you tell us about touring with these guys and gals?
Matty	We've toured with a variety of different bands while supporting our independent release Truth Is Currency such as Hinder, Papa Roach, and Evanescence just to name a few. And I can't say that we've had a bad experience with any band yet. We're pretty easy going as a band so its not too hard to get along with us. Some of the bands like to party a little more then others but we totally respect when others don't. But there are definitely a lot of special and moments that we've shared on each individual tour.
Entertainmentopia	What can fans, and newcomers, expect from *Light It Up*?
Matty	Fans can expect a little bit of departure from our previous record. We really raised the bar on Light It Up and couldn't be happier with the end result. There is definitely a song for everyone in this song. We touch on a lot of different musical flavors and pull from a variety of experiences and inspiration for the record. Listeners can expect to be on a roller coaster from the first note of "Hell Yeah" to the last eerie reverberations of "Far From Over". This record is something that you don't want to miss out on.
Entertainmentopia	Finally, after the new record streets, what can we expect from Rev Theory?
Matty	Well you can certainly expect that we'll be touring incessantly for a long time. And when we get on stage we always bring it. If all keeps going well you will be seeing our faces all over the place as well as hearing our songs. We feel that Light It Up has a lot of single potential with a variety of songs. And if you do make it out to a show you can expect that we'll be out in the crowd afterwards to meet each and every fan. So come watch us rip up the stage and then stop by to say hello.

Entertainmentopia would like to thank Matty for taking the time to answer some of our questions. Light It Up streets on June 10 in the US, look for it at your local record store and listen for "Hell Yeah" now playing on all rock radio stations including Sirius 20 Octane.