by Kenneth Morton

Based out of Florida and featuring a former member from Glory of This, Ambush! is one of the most exciting hardcore bands on the scene today. Fans of acts such as Snapcase and Comeback Kid will become absolutely ecstatic when they hear the impassioned music this young band has to offer. Their debut CD American Monster has been unleashed through Hotfoot Records.

Here is a recent interview we conducted with guitarist Grant Fury…

Where is the band from and what is the music scene like there?
We all originate from northwest Florida (Pensacola/Panama city). The scene here is great. It’s not huge but we have good venues (The Red Door, Sluggo's) and a lot of kids that care.

Is there any story or concept behind the title American Monster?
It's every bit as political as it sounds. It refers to the idea that we "the youth" can change things if we take in the information that is available to us. We have a tool that no generation before us has ever had, and that's the Internet. For the first time, we can view what the government is doing to us, and spread that information like wild fire. People like Alex Jones and David Ike finally have legs to stand on as far as having a medium that is unfiltered by the people that have silenced their ideas for so long. I guess the concept is that we are zombies waking up to what's going on around us.

Where do you get your ideas and inspirations for the song lyrics? Please cite a few song examples and what they are about.
We write about the things we care about Our Country, Friends, Family, etc etc. We have one song named Courage. It's basically about how we as a band support same sex marriage and civil rights for the gay community. It's a super huge standing point for our band. Testing The Immortals Name is about losing a friend to drug addiction and how helpless it can make you feel. Kyle writes all the lyrics but he writes in such a way anyone can relate if you are close to the subject at all. Every night we play Testing The Immortals Name and I think about an old high school friend of mine named Brandon Dillon. He was slowly ruining his life and which eventually led to an overdose. Some nights I get choked up thinking about him and I know fully Kyle didn't write that song about Brandon. It's cool to work with someone like that. He is able to tug on your heart, and never have met you, and not know what your struggle in life is. Anyone that reads his lyrics should be able to find something that gives them goose bumps.

With so many hardcore bands out there, what do you think makes Ambush! stand out from the crowd?
Our music is fast punk rock with breakdowns. Standing out is tough in this genre; however, from drawing on influences from bands we respect and incorporating it into our own, AMBUSH! relies on our energetic live show. We also rely heavily on our positive message to remain fresh and relevant in people's minds.

What did Tom Denney of A Day To Remember contribute to the recording process? What made you decide to choose him to work with?
I have known Tom for a long time. My former band Glory of This, and A Day To Remember did a lot together earlier in their careers. So when we were trying to figure out who to do our album with the budget we had, Tom offered to do it for a really great price. He did a great job. Tom would sit Blake and I down to discuss the music we were writing and the direction we were going. It was super cool working with him.

How was your appearance at Cornerstone and what was the experience like?
Great! Tons of kids at our shows. We hung out with all our Facedown Records friends (For Today, Take It Back, Plea For Purging, Impending Doom) and our tour mates at the time, Saints Never Surrender. If you could get past all the silly Pro Life shirts (fuck a woman's choice/right to remain in control of her body, right?) and other ignorant things we dealt with, Cornerstone was an awesome time. People knowing full well we were not a Christian band accepted us with arms wide open. One of the generators there "The Phoenix Stage" we knew because they have venues in Mansfield, Ohio we have played. Those people were awesome. They would let us come grab water, and feed us everyday. The guy that owns it "Jake's Dad" I don't even know his name cause I referred to him as "dad." He was such a solid dude; it would remind me what it must be like to have a dad. All that was ever asked of us was to not cuss.

Do you consider Ambush! to be a Christian band? Do you feel affiliated in any way to the term?
Christian band?? I just laughed out loud. In no way is AMBUSH! a Christian band. About half of our band are outright atheist/naturalist and the ones that do look to a higher power for answers dislike organized religion and what it does to make people guilty about themselves. As well as the damaging effect it has had on our political system. This is a hard question to answer cause of the variety of views in my band. We would rather not be affiliated with either side of the religious argument, but if you were to ask myself (Grant) how I truly feel, I could probably go on for days. I am sure you would get the same willingness to speak about it from one of the Christians in my band, too.

What can one expect from a live Ambush! show?
We play hard and fast. I hope there are pile-ons and sing alongs, stage dives and high fives. It's intense. We keep it posi bro! hahaha

What are your thoughts on this year's Presidential election?
I really wish people had come out stronger for Ron Paul. What a good message that guy has. I think a person like him is what we need to fix our economy. We need to get rid of the Federal Reserve like "whoa". It does give me hope that he did as well as he did though. So maybe in four more years (since there's no way in hell that John McCain is going to win) maybe we will be ready for someone like Ron Paul.

Grant, why did you leave Glory Of This (GOT). What does Ambush! offer that Glory Of This did not?.
I actually made it to the end of GOT. As far as what AMBUSH! offers over GOT? Easy, it has a message. GOT stood for nothing, while with AMBUSH!, our message comes first. I like the style of music we play better as well, so all in all it's a win-win for me.

When looking back on the two Glory Of This CD's, what do you think of them now?
I am proud of what I did then. I was 18 when Glory of This emerged. I literally went from graduating high school to touring 10 months a year. So with everything I learned I am super thankful for that experience.

There was a one time Glory Of This reunion show in May. How did it go and would you ever want to get back together and do the band full time or one final tour?
It was fun. I made up with some of the guys. I hated for a long time after GOT finished. As far as going back, no way. I am moving forward with something I love more and I wouldn't ever give that up. GOT has its place in my heart, but that part of my life is done and I don't mind that at all. I have a great band, awesome friends, a super sweet wife, and the cutest dog ever. I would trade nothing in my life.

Will Ambush! be playing any shows in the LA/OC area any time soon? Have you played out here before?
Yeah and we are stoked to be doing so. I have been to California with Glory of This, but AMBUSH! has never been. We have dates with Suffokate, Blood Stands Still, and Catalepsy early September and in mid September with CDC, American Me and Blood Stands Still. Here are the dates:

With SUFFOKATE, Blood Stands Still, CATALEPSY AND AMBUSH!
9/2/08 SAN JOSE CA - San Jose Skate
9/3/08 FRESNO CA
9/4/08 NEWPORT BEACH CA
9/5/08 LAS VEGAS NV

With CDC, American Me, Blood Stands Still and AMBUSH!
9/16/08 ANAHEIM CA - Chain Reaction
9/17/08 SAN BERNADINO CA
9/18/08 BAKERSFIELD CA - Studio 99
9/19/08 SANTA CRUZ CA - The 418 Project

What would you like a listener to remember the most after hearing American Monster all the way through for the first time?
Your friends matter, your family matters, and the way everyone feels about our country matters; and that it's ok to be you. So be strong, stand upright with your chin up, and ready to take on the world.

Any final words of wisdom?
Look around you, and take nothing for face value. If you think about 9/11 and accept the official story, you are the kind of person that needs to sit down and seriously think about your view on the world and where you get it. The government lies to us everyday. George Orwell said "In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act." That act means nothing if people aren't listening. So open your eyes and ears and really listen.

Ambush links

Ambush! on Myspace: Ambush! Official Myspace Page!
The Highwire Daze Home Page: Return to the Main Page!

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