"I don't know if I'd say we're one of the biggest metal bands in America, but we're trying to be and we're getting there."

Guitar player Buz McGrath presents "III: In The Eyes of Fire" - the brand-new, fourth album by the American metalcore quintet Unearth.

Vassil Varbanov: Hey, Buz, how are you doing?

Buz McGrath: Pretty good, man! How are you?

V. V.: Good! Where are you at the moment?

B. M.: I'm at home right now, watching TV.

V. V.: Is this in bloody Massachusetts?

B. M.: Yes.

V. V.: Now tell us please more about this new album of yours.

B. M.: "III: In The Eyes of Fire" is our latest record. It's definitely the most brutal and violentВ CD we've ever made... Definitely a thrash metal album, at least that's how I feel it is - really fast, with a lot of breakdowns, guitar heroics and stuff.

V. V.: Can we say that today Unearth is one of the biggest metal bands in America?

B. M.: I don't know if I'd say that. I'd say we're definitely trying to be and we're getting there. The success we've had so far has been very good and the reaction to our music is great, so... Yeah, we could be one of the biggest bands.

V. V.: Having in mind that the American society is based on the idea of competition, which bands do you guys consider being your biggest rivals?

B. M.: Yeah, there's definitely a lot of competition, but it's healthy, as we're friends with most of the bands - Lamb of God, God Forbid, Bleeding Through... All these bands are really stepping up, which makes you wanna step up, too, so the competition definitely helps.

V. V.: We know your new album's been produced by Terry Date, who's quite older than you guys. Has it been a problem to get him in the same vibe?

B. M.: No. I'm sure you know Terry Date has also produced bands like Soundgarden, Pantera and Deftones. He's really old enough to be our dad, but he's very chilled, relaxed and easy to work with.

V. V.: Ok, so what are you going to do today, right after this interview?

B. M.: I'm probably gonna go visit some friends, because we've been on tour for a while and it's good to be home again.

Copyright: Tangra Mega Rock