Click below to stream “The Revelation” from start to finish and scroll down to see what members of Rev Theory had to say to us about their new album, the band’s writing process, tattoos, and how their song “We Own The Night” became the WWE theme song.
The single “We Own The Night” is available now to the public. It is an awesome song and I love it. I am wondering how this compares in style and structure to the other songs on the album that is yet to drop? Is it faster, harder or just a taste of things to come?
Rich Luzzi – Lead Vocals (RL): It definitely is a nice mix of the album, one of our more melodic tunes on the record. Overall the record is pretty heavy.
Matty McCloskey – Bass (MM): This song is definitely a stand out on the record. We took a nontraditional approach and I think it really paid off. Dave sent us the track early on in the writing process and we were really digging the vibe and just kind of went with it. We wanted to take some chances on this album and I think this set the precedent of the lanes we wanted to explore.
Dave Agoglia – Drums (DA): “We Own The Night” is one of the more dramatic songs on the record. It has a lot of melodic elements, but gets heavy in the chorus. It has a mid-tempo groove compared to most of the other songs on the record, which are faster and harder. Definitely one of my favorites.
How did “We Own The Night” become the official theme song of NXT’s hit series “Breaking Ground”? Can you tell us the story behind it?
Julien Jorgensen – Guitars (JJ): We’ve had a great relationship with the WWE over the years and they’ve been very supportive. As soon as we finished the album, we sent it to them. It just so happened that Breaking Ground was being wrapped up and they were in the final hours of finding a theme song for the show; just great timing. “We Own The Night” fit the bill vibe-wise and voila!
RL: First of all, we need to send a BIG thank you to everyone at WWE, including Neil Lawi and his amazing team at WWE Music Group. They’ve been some of our biggest supporters for many years – BTW they also hooked us up with the incredible Randy Orton for his entrance theme song. Like Julien and Dave said, “We Own The Night” was the combination of great timing and a great fit. But we want everyone at WWE to know how grateful we are for their continued support.
What is the writing process for your band? Is it a one-person thing, a group thing, or does it just happen organically?
MM: There isn’t any definitive writing process for our band, especially on this record. Julien and I are always on the front lines of the process, but we leave the door open to collaboration. The best part about writing and producing this record was that we weren’t beholden to the pressure or influence of other producers telling us how to sound. There was very little outside influence… we just wrote what we wanted to write when we felt inspired. Granted, self-producing this album was a long and arduous process, but I think the work stands for itself.
You have shared the stage with some of the biggest names out there. Who do you want to share the stage with next and why?
JJ: Metallica or AC/DC or Soundgarden; all insane bands that I grew up digging. I think it would be a trip to play with the ‘Hall of Famers.’
MM: I would love to play with Deftones. They are one of my favorite bands and I’m in awe every time I see them live. Their sound and live performances are phenomenal.
DA: There are so many great bands that I would love to share the stage with. I recently saw Guns N’ Roses play this summer and I would be so pumped if we ever got to play with them. Metallica, Soundgarden, and Foo Fighters are some others that would be an honor to play with.
RL: That’s a tough one for me. I always have a great time playing with Avenged Sevenfold. To me, those guys are the modern day Metallica. They ‘bring it’ on every album and live performance.
“Guns” is a great song. For me, it seemed a bit lyrically different than most of your other songs. Can you tell me what was the driving force behind the lyrics?
MM: This song came to life completely by chance. I had been developing the track independently, inspired by some of my favorite bands. Rich came out to LA to sing some vocals for the record and I played him the track. After hearing it he flipped and we immediately embarked on writing and laying down the vocals. We had been dealing with some internal struggles and this song was a chance for us to put our differences aside in order to create something great. ‘Lay Down Your Guns’ speaks as a metaphor for our ability to come together as a creative force and put our differences aside. Some people have been interpreting this as some sort of political stance on gun control, but it really has nothing to do with that.
Talk about “Piece Of Me.” Almost seems to be a juxtaposition of “Guns” lyrically. Was there a catalyst moment musically and/or lyrically in creating this song?
MM: That’s a great observation, but not something we planned out at all. In the grand scheme, we just wanted to write what was coming from our hearts and release the songs that we thought were most impactful. “Piece Of Me” was a song that came together when Julien and I were hanging out in LA. We were just jamming out the riff and I started spitting out lyrics and melodies. It was actually a lot of fun putting this song together and completely spontaneous. I didn’t think that people would react to it the way they did, but I suppose that is part of the fun in writing music.
JJ: Look, sometimes you’re a pacifist and sometimes you just want to pass a fist through someone’s face… we’re lucky to have the creative outlet of music where we can express ALL of our emotions, however extreme they may be. “Piece Of Me” is a song about those times when ‘enough is enough.’
DA: Julien and Matty came up with “Piece Of Me,” and it’s one of my favorites on the album. I love the super heavy riffs and aggressive lyrics.
Besides the album dropping and the WWE projects, what is next for Rev Theory? Do you have plans for future tours?
RL: Just getting this album out is a big accomplishment for us. It has been a long road and has taken many years to bring this to life. We wanted to get it out so people could hear the music. We’ll take the next steps when the timing is right for everyone.
What, if anything, should your fans expect to be different in this album from your previous studio album(s)?
RL: This record is pure Rev Theory. It was the first time we were able to write and record the album with little to no outside influence.
JJ: I love the direction of our overall tone – this excites me for the future. We have begun to dial in ‘our’ sound in addition to creating great songs.
MM: The number one difference in my mind is that we fully produced the album ourselves. From the first note to the final master, we made this record on our own. This is a feat that most bands cannot claim, and I believe that we have accomplished this with aplomb.
DA: This album is very heavy and aggressive, but also has a hint of electronic elements in some of the songs. As producers, Matty and Julien did a great job of experimenting with different sounds. I hope the fans love it as much as I do.
Tattoos? I know all of you have ink, can you tell me about your tatts? Who is your artist? What do you have? Why did you get them?
JJ: Sara Lou in LA; she’s great and has done a number of pieces. Mike Bellamy from NYC did my first tatt, a three quarter dragon sleeve, it’s been almost 17 years. I got a big monkey from Andy Kurth and a Viking from Brian McCrone. Mostly for nostalgia, in hindsight 🙂
RL: Tattoos became a hobby while on the road. When traveling, we get to meet some pretty great artists, so in between shows and days off, we get tattoos. All of my tattoos have meaning. Each one represents a moment in time, kinda like my own storybook. Some of them have more significant meaning while others were very spur of the moment. One thing is for sure- when I look at them, they take me back to that period in my life, which is the coolest aspect about them. Some of the artists I have worked with are Brian McCrone (Cleveland Ohio), Andy Kurth (Flint MI), Michael Bellamy (NYC), Grant Cobb (Los Angeles CA), Osmany Ponce (Miami).
MM: Most of my current ink was done by Andy Kurth at Electric Chair in Flint.
DA: I have the Rev Angel, which is our band logo on my left arm which everyone in the band has. On my right arm, I have a David and Goliath piece, which I absolutely love. I got that done in Los Angeles at Forgotten Saints by an artist named Bryce Nadeau. It took two eight-hour sessions to complete. I got it as a reminder to keep fighting and working hard in this crazy business. He did an amazing job and I’m so proud of the piece.
Every band member has the Rev Angel tattoo. Even occasional Rev Theory touring guitarist Paul Phillips has it. Here’s a photo that Paul recently posted on Instagram
Do you have plans for more tattoos and if so what and by whom?
MM: My favorite artists are Steve Moore and Jeff Gogue and I would die to get inked by either of them.
DA: As of now I don’t have any plans for more tattoos. But in the great words of MacGruber, “Never ever say never…ever”.
RL: I do want more, but as I get older, I find that I definitely have to psych myself up to sit. My next piece is going to be done by Bolo out of Miami, he just doesn’t know yet!
JJ: No specific plans just yet… but I’m sure that will change. To be continued…
