Interview / Grael

Long Island Core band Grael released their debut EP, to much appraise, at the start of last month. You can read my review of the EP here. I was able to chat with Long Island celeb, Mark Valentino of Grael (and many other bands). Here’s what we talked about.

What was/is the collective goal and vision for Grael?

I didn’t start Grael, I joined not too long after they started. While I can’t speak for everyone else outright, I’d have to say the goal is to write and put out music we want to hear, and do something slightly different than the boom of Swedish influenced metalcore (which I love, and want to do a band in that style). The vision is to bring back the scary factor to Long Island, sonically and show-wise.

You said “bring back the scary factor”, what does that “scary factor” sound like to you - or can you describe what it means to you musically or atmospherically?

We want people to say “what the fuck” when they hear us for the first time. To me, the Swedish style of metalcore has a balance of pretty and brutal, which I do like a lot, but we want to be the opposite. Dark, apathetic, and I suppose you could say misanthropic too. When I started going to shows when I was around 15 years old, and before my time, shows were actually scary; violence everywhere, room clear-outs, and so on. We want to invoke that again.

Grael has gotten a lot of love from the very beginning. Recently I saw that after the release of this EP, just a month later, Grael’s monthly Spotify listeners jumped to 10k. Do you pay close attention to things like this and does it put any pressure on the band to quickly release more material?

I wouldn’t say we pay close attention to it, I think we were just monitoring it because most of us have never had a band reach 10k monthly listeners, let alone in the first month. As far as pressure goes, there is no pressure. We have a general idea of what to do, and Streets Of Hate isn’t on our backs saying “do you have the next 3 LPs done yet?

The Long Island music scene is always popping off, how are you seeing Grael in regards to where you fit in and/or how you stand out?

I do think we’re doing our own thing, but can fit on most hardcore bills. The only other band I can think of that’s doing something similar to us is Resection. Most other metalcore bands here are going for that Prayer For Cleansing/Undying/Hamartia/Invocation Of Nehek/etc style, which is awesome.

You are in several Long Island bands, several great ones at that. You’ve played so many venues in NY, from the famous AMH, to the Paramount, to Gramercy Theater, and now Grael will be playing Knockdown Center opening for Sunami & Scowl. What are your feelings getting up on stages and playing all these venues I’m sure you’ve just attended shows at before? Do you have goal spot you’d like to play?

It’s kind of a surreal feeling. Saint Vitus was my holy grail venue that I wanted to play when I started going there, and I’ve been lucky to play so many times. Once I did that, it made playing “bigger” venues kind of easier. But playing bigger venues in the literal sense of the word, is something I’m still getting used to. There’s a weird center of attention feeling that I would say doesn’t align with my personality at all, but it’s cool to be getting these opportunities.

What are your 3 metalcore records?

This is very difficult to narrow down to just 3, because it changes constantly. I’ll give you some that have been in my current rotation, covering all forms of what I think “metalcore” means:

1. Prayer For Cleansing - The Rain In Endless Fall

2. Kickback - No Surrender

3. As Hope Dies - Legions Bow To A Faceless God

4. 7 Angels 7 Plagues - Jhazmyne’s Lullaby

5. Poison The Well - Opposite Of December 

6. Skycamefalling - 10.21

7. Arkangel - Hope You Die By Overdose

Jane Doe is the easy and obvious Converge pick, but I’m gonna change it up and throw When Forever Comes Crashing into the fold this time. That’s 8, and will all change tomorrow

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If you haven’t already listened to Grael’s World Without End EP, I suggest you go listen to it.