Written By Cary Barnhard

All That Remains was on tour with Gwar, supporting their latest release "This Darkened Heart", a showcase of their kinetic sound drifting seamlessly between melody and relentless aggression. Heat Beat was able to get lead singer Philip Labonte on the phone from what sounded like a club packed full of rowdy patrons. The following questions and answers were shouted over the din.

HB: What's it like touring with Gwar?

PL: It's amazing! I think the smallest show was like four or five hundred people. It's the biggest tour we've ever done and it's just been a great time!

HB: What can people expect from All That Remains on stage?

PL: It's pretty high energy. We've got, obviously, not an extravagant stage show. But, We get on stage and give it out all and try to put on a good show for people. We have people that go as crazy as they want. If people know the words, they sing along. I'll be out front and jump into the crowd. It's definitely one of those shows where crowd participation is absolutely encouraged.

HB: Have you had any particularly memorable shows recently?

PL: Pittsburgh was cool. Montreal was really cool. A lot of shows on this tour were really cool. The kids have been showing up right off the bat, it makes you feel good!

HB: How did All That Remains get together?

PL: We've been together about five years. I used to sing for Shadows Fall. This was my first side project. I was writing stuff for a band so I could play guitar again. Things weren't coming together over there so I made this my full time gig and the rest was kind of downhill from there, I guess.

HB: So this is more in line with the kind of music you want to play?

PL: Yeah. On "This Darkened Heart" I wrote probably eighty percent of the music and I wrote all the lyrics. This is definitely more along the lines of what I was looking to do musically as a band.

HB: How does the writing process work for you?

PL: Usually I'll come to practice with like three or four riffs that I think go together. I'll Bring it to the band and we all kind of elaborate on it. We all work together on arrangements and stuff. It's definitely a collaborative band, but most of the stuff I've come up with. I think that will change on the next album we do. I'll be focusing on vocal and the other guys will be contributing more.

HB: How did you get started playing music?

PL: My aunt and uncle got me a guitar when I was 14 years old. It became an all- consuming thing; I just played all the time. I started going to shows, seeing local bands and stuff. It just became something where that was all I did. It became a lifestyle.