Interview with Josiah Forlong from Thy Assassin
Questions by Terry

You have just released your first album A World Left Behind, how excited are you about that?

It’s been a long time over a year for this dreaming of actually getting it out there we are pretty happy to be finally doing it.

You have also released an EP but this is your first major release, is that right?

Yes we did an EP. We did it quite a long time ago and just threw it out there. We were young and didn’t really know what we were doing and we weren’t that serious about it and we just played shows and recorded a little EP at home and that this time we are a bit more serious and hope to get something more from it.

With the EP behind you has the experience helped you with the writing and recording process?

The EP was recorded at our drummer’s house before he was in the band, it was the first thing he had mixed and mastered when he was 17 or 18 I think it was. Then he moved overseas and then he came back and joined the band and we looked at tracking and writing new stuff. So we recorded everything with him and then it was all mixed and mastered elsewhere.

Is it something you do as a band or something you do as individuals?

With this album we definitely all sat down and recorded together. A lot of it was just me writing and recording guitar and writing drums out for it and a lot of the other time it was me and William our drummer and even Tyler got involved with it as well, especially when it came to parts when he wanted to focus on the lyrical flow and placement and things like that. So we did do a lot of it altogether which was very helpful, everything flows a lot quicker and smoother that way.

How would you describe the lyrcical themes of the album?

Tyler actually wrote one song and we kind of based the rest off of that. I think it may have been the title track A World Left Behind. Basically it’s about how we think the world is destroying its own environment and we are kind of oblivious to it. We are not any better and we don’t make out that we are any better than anyone else but it’s kind of portrayed in an aggressive way to suit the music I guess. It talks about how we think that the world is slowly falling to pieces and what not around us and it’s not really a good thing is it.

How would you describe Thy Assassin's sound?

I would describe the genre as a type of melodic death core but it’s got elements of other metal as well death metal, progressive metal and all that sort of stuff.

How did Thy Assassin form?

Thy Assassin was originally under another name called Aftermath must have been in 2008 or early 2009 and I was asked to join as the guitarist and we wrote a couple of songs and we had a couple of other guitarists come in and out on the other guitar and then we wrote a demo and released that under the name Thy Assassin. Then we did the EP and then shortly after that we bought in a new drummer and our new guitarist and that now we have just stepped down to a 4 piece. Our vocalist is our former bass player. So he’s been with the band right from the start since Aftermath so that’s real good and he’s the perfect person to jump forward and be on vocals so cause he’s been there the whole time.

You have done a few little tours already including a tour with the Australian band Thy Art Is Murder, how has that experience helped you?

Yeah that was pretty exciting one of the best bands I have ever seen or played with it was pretty sick. Playing with bands like Northlane, we have played with them 3 times they were amazing and the experience of playing with a really well known band was awesome. Volumes as well were incredible and playing with bands like that really gives you inspiration and something to aim for.

Who would be some of your own personal favourite musicians both as a guitarist and also New Zealand musicians?

My main inspirations range from a lot of different bands like Thy Art Is Murder and Impending Doom, to bands like Monuments which are not so heavy more progressive. John Brown the guitarist from Monuments would have to be my favourite guitarist. Just the way he writes his music, I have learnt a lot just from listening to their songs and put that into my own writing just to learn their different techniques and what not.

So what do you think of the current state of New Zealand metal?

I think the heart is definitely there but I think it could be better but all the gigs that we have played in the past have been great. You don’t always get an amazing turnout and it’s pretty hard for any bands to get overseas and start making a big name for themselves but I see a lot of potential now in New Zealand music there’s a lot of great bands that are here in New Zealand but they need to get out there because we have a lot of great bands that have potential to do great things.

Could you please give us some words of advice for young musicians?

If you have a goal you really just have to work hard and progress at it and press forward you will find that you will get the outcome that you are looking for. You really just have to try as hard as you can and I think you will succeed.

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