03/31/2020
While there probably wonât be any live shows for a good minute, I thought itâd be a good time to bring back the AP band interviews.
This is the first one in a few years, and itâs with our friends in Broken Glass Sanctuary! Hope you enjoy.
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Broken Glass Sanctuary
3/30/20
Abysmal Productions: Howâs it going man? Thank you for doing this interview first and foremost. Letâs start off by having you introduce yourself and your role in the band!
Nick Albert: I'm Nick Albert and I'm the vocalist for Broken Glass Sanctuary
AP: So Iâm interested in the early history of the band. If you can, give a quick backstory of the formation. How, when, and where did Broken Glass Sanctuary first come to be?
NA: BGS started in April of 2014. Me, Sam our drummer, Shane our bassist and our original guitarist Andrew wanted to start a band together because their primary band they were in was falling apart. So we all started jamming together and everything fell into place
AP: Only a couple years after your formation, and what is your most recent output, you released an EP titled âThe Ruination Of Perpetual Existenceâ in 2016. Looking back at it now, what are your general feelings towards this release? And how was the public reception when it was initially released?
NA: I'm proud of that release for what it was for that time period. Being that it was our 1st studio experience and getting that under our belts and we were kinda trying to find ourselves. As far as reception it probably didn't get noticed as much as we had hoped at that time
AP: Between the time that EP was released and now, I feel that you definitely kept a presence in the local and surrounding scenes, and have definitely made a name for yourselves.
Not too long ago you announced that you had some changes within the lineup. How have these changes affected the band? And to follow that up, is there anything coming up in regards to new material from this new lineup of BGS that youâd like to talk about?
NA: Yeah well our original guitarist decided to quit in December of 2019 which left us with vacant guitarist position. We had put some posts out looking for a new guitarist but hadn't got any inquiries. It wasn't until my good friend JT of Abysmal P**s reached out to me and said he had a friend that was a killer guitarist looking for a band and recommended Benny Perez. So Benny reached out to us and him and I got to talking and he sent over some demo material and it was the sound that I had always envisioned for the band. Heavy, fast, and technical. So Sam and I jammed with Benny and it was a perfect fit and we asked him to join the band in February of this year. Then shortly after Benny had recommended his best friend Michael Whitehead as a possible lead guitarist and everyone gelled perfectly and the new line-up was born. As far as new material we are currently in the middle of writing our full length album. It will be alot different than our debut EP this is essentially a rebirth of the band. What I can say about the material is that it's heavy, fast, alot darker lyrical themes, and plenty of slams, breakdowns and solos for people to lose their minds to
AP: Iâm definitely excited to hear the new material and the next evolution of the band!
As you mentioned, putting out the EP was something you were very proud of, and Iâm sure was probably a big personal accomplishment, as a first release usually is for a band. Is there any specific moment you can pinpoint that was your biggest accomplishment as a band? Something thatâs really stuck with you and was a big moment.
And on the flip side of that, is there something that you still want to accomplish as a band, something that you are striving toward?
NA: For me personally our return show back in August of 2019 after a 2 year hiatus was huge. Not knowing how we'd be received after not playing for 2 years and playing that show at the Caravan Lounge in San Jose and seeing how packed it was with people wearing our shirts and wanting to see us was an awesome feeling.
As far as something I'm striving to accomplish with the band I wanna put out this full length album which I know every band always says "this is our best work yet" but it's true. This is by far the best we have ever sounded. The additions of Benny and Michael reinvigorated the band. I'd love to tour starting with a west coast run and play some places we've never been. Would love to do a music video and would love to share the stage with some bands I've looked up to
AP: Iâm glad to hear thereâs a new life in the band, and Iâd say all the things you listed are totally possible if you maintain the drive youâve had, especially as of late. Just a few more things before we wrap this up..
What are some current bands in your scene that have you hyped lately?
NA: Our boy's in Here at the End out of San Jose have been killing it, A Waking Memory from Sacramento has been tearing it up opening for some killer bills, Bavmorda, Wurm Flesh, Lost To the Void, Abysmal P**s, Dawn of Ouroborous, Ardra, Muldrotha, 13 Thrones, Anever, man I could go on and on. The scene is alive and well with sooo many killer bands doing big things
AP: Looking towards the immediate future, despite the current state of the world, what are your plans for the band within the next few months?
NA: To get the rest of this album written, got about 7 songs written so far aiming for 10 then get back to playing shows and get in the studio and record this material
AP: Looking forward to seeing everything unfold and see the band come back with full force. And with that, weâll wrap this up. Thank you for the interview and for your expansive answers. If thereâs anything else youâd like to say, the floor is yours! Thank you.
NA: Thank you to those of you that have stuck with us from the beginning for all your support and to those that have discovered us over the last several months we appreciate you all. Can't wait to get this material done and release it and get back to tearing up the stage for you all. Thank you đ¤
