R.M.S. is a Heavy Metal power trio from the ATL comprised of Angie Riley on bass and vocals, Thom Mathews on guitar and vocals, and Dave Strandquest on the skins (that’s drums for those who don’t know about beating on things for a living). If you are sick of walking into a club where a band is playing, only to hear “Freebird” or “Play that Funky Music” for the millionth time, R.M.S. is your cure. Played-out standards are not the standard for this band. R.M.S. plays only the best old-school Heavy Metal covers for true Heavy Metal fans. With Angie Riley, a thrashy bass player with a sick soaring voice; Thom Mathews, a high-octane vocalist and a guitarist who can shred his way out of a titanium bag; and Dave Strandquest, an artist of percussive assault and battery. Yes, this is a unique cast of characters who form a trinity to help beer drinkers and hell-raisers once again enjoy their club-going experiences. R.M.S. is here to give you the tribute to true Heavy Metal that no other band can or will.
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Hello and Welcome to Acier Doux , What is the band’s current status ?
Thom Mathews: We’ve been rehearsing and practicing for some shows that we’re doing in April, then in May we are going into the studio to record our next EP.
Dave Strandquest: Yeah. We’ve been spending a lot of time really tightening things up for these upcoming shows and the new recording.
Angie Riley: We like to stay in constant motion. We are very active these days, always coming up with new ideas and moving forward.
What motivated you to form R.M.S ? What did you want to achieve ?
Thom Mathews: Honestly, our motivation came from a love of metal and music in general. Another thing that motivated us was seeing a lot of bands in the area doing metal covers. We wanted to do the same thing, but we consider ourselves as more than just a cover band. We really wanted to pay homage and tribute to true metal bands that we love and grew up with. When we learn a cover song, we pick it apart and try to add other dynamics to make it special and make it our own, so when we play it live, someone will get to see something memorable, as opposed to just some bar band playing covers.
Angie Riley: I was highly motivated to form a band with both Dave and Thom. Dave is one of the best drummers in the Atlantaarea, and Thom is one of the best guitar shredders in the Southeast, if not the entire South. So when I found myself with the opportunity to contribute to this project, I committed to it 100 percent. I knew that by working with the type of musicians that Thom and Dave are, my own musicianship would rise to another level. I felt like this was a good idea from day one.
Dave Strandquest: In addition to the musicianship, we are really like a family. We care about each other, and watch each other’s backs. For me, that has a lot to do with it.
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How did you choose the name R.M.S. for the band ? Does it have a specific meaning for you ?
Angie Riley: It’s just an acronym for our last names, but Thom went to school for electrical engineering, so he knew that R.M.S. is also an electrical term.
Thom Mathews: It means “peak-to-peak voltage,” or something like that.
How would you describe your style ? Which were your influences then ?
Thom Mathews: Like we mentioned before, our style is a tribute to what we consider true heavy metal. We cover everything from Iron Maiden, Ozzy, to Slayer, to Guns n’ Roses. Most of what we cover is more on the technical side of metal. We don’t do songs that are too simple. I’ve always been a shredder-type guitarist, so I like doing stuff from more technical metal bands. That’s why we choose stuff from Iron Maiden, Ozzy, and even Slayer. But after we are done with this next EP, we will not be doing any more covers. Our original songs will reflect what influences us, such as shredding guitars, intense drumming, and wailing vocals.
Angie Riley: As far as playing bass goes, my influences are mainly in power metal and thrash bands (Maiden, Helloween, Hallows Eve, Rigor Mortis, Slayer, and Sodom). For vocals, I mainly take influence from the true masters, such as Rob Halford, Bruce Dickinson, Dio and Sebastian Bach, but I’d like to think that my style is unique to me alone.
Dave Strandquest: I’m more old-school. I share most of the same influences, but I’ve always especially loved bands like Kiss, Rush, Black Sabbath, and Deep Purple.
What’s the next step for the band ?
R.M.S : Getting the next few shows out of the way, recording the next EP, and then writing originals for our upcoming full-length album.
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Which are the biggest problems that a metal band has to confront when it starts ?
Thom Mathews: I would have to write a book if I had to explain it all …but a lot of it depends on location. If you are in an area where metal is big, the biggest problem you have starting out is trying not to get ripped off by promoters. If you are in a place where metal is not so big, then getting shows in the right venues and reaching out to the right people and the right audience can be a bit of a challenge. Also keeping everyone in the band on the same page and focused on a goal can be challenging.
Angie Riley: Yes, but I think as a band, R.M.S. is a pretty cohesive unit. We all get along well, so we work out any difficulties. We all have the same goals in mind, so we work together to get where we want to go.
Thom Mathews: I would have to say, all in all, the biggest problem for a metal band starting out is dealing with assholes. And there seems to be an abundance of them these days.
Which are the changes that you bring in the R.M.S recording ?
Dave Strandquest: We just do our best to make it authentic and to make it our own, too.
Thom Mathews: The only changes that we make when recording
covers is adding certain dynamics that maybe weren’t in the originals, such as harmonies, vocally and guitar-wise.
covers is adding certain dynamics that maybe weren’t in the originals, such as harmonies, vocally and guitar-wise.
Angie Riley: We’re a trio, but we’re not always doing cover songs by trios, so we have to modify them somewhat to maintain a full sound.
Do you have any new songs ? Do you plan to release an album? How will it sound ?
Thom Mathews: After we release our new EP of covers in May, we are going to start getting together our originals for our first full-length, which will have the sound of everything we love – a little bit of thrash, a little bit of classic metal, and a little of our own style.
Dave Strandquest: We’re fortunate because we have friends in all aspects of the music and entertainment business, who are interested in what we’re doing. So that will help us put out a good release. We’re excited about what’s coming down the road for us.
How does a typical R.M.S show look like ?
Thom Mathews: Poseurs running for their lives as we rain pure hellfire down from the stage.
Angie Riley: (Laughs) But in reality we do want to come across like a tornado. Our show is kind of like a whirlwind. We don’t wear out our welcome. We just get up there and do what we do and hope we’ve made an impact.
Dave Strandquest: Just three metal musicians out there playing our best.
Can you tell me more about G.M.A support ?
Angie Riley: The G.M.A has been nothing but supportive to us ever since we became members of the family. As far as the Atlantametal community goes, the GMA does a lot to bring it together and help it grow and thrive. We wanted to be a part of that.
Thom Mathews: We were having trouble finding good shows to reach a metal audience, and the GMA has been so helpful to us. They’re just really great people.
Dave Strandquest: They are fantastic — very supportive.
What do you think about Acier Doux , We wanna Hear from you ?
Angie Riley: We think it’s great that Acier Doux takes the time to reach out to metal bands like R.M.S. to help bring what we do to metal fans around the world.
Thom Mathews: Metal is the purest form of music in the world, next to classical music. It’s as pure as the earth. The reason I say that is because most true metal bands don’t play this style of music for fame, money, or social acceptance. The fact that we can reach people that pretty much live on the other side of the planet is proof. And it’s always a pleasure to meet people from other countries that support this music and love it as much as we do.
Dave Strandquest: You’re doing good work — keep it up.
Please close the interview in any way you like…
Dave Strandquest: Thanks for being interested in our band and our musi c!
Thom Mathews: I definitely want to thank you for your support in giving us this interview. And I want to thank anyone who has been supportive of R.M.S. so far. And I would like to give an extra special thanks to haters, because they motivate me. When someone doesn’t believe in what we’re doing, or wants to see us fail, it definitely makes me work harder.
Angie Riley: Hatred is definitely a motivator for me, especially when I see that it’s directed at us. With that said, anyone who wants to see us fail will be completely disappointed. And once they get over their disappointment, they can just go clean themselves up and get ready to come see us play.
Interviewer : Med Manef Slama
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