Unlocking the Truth are an amazing group of musicians. Their brand of heavy metal is currently making hard rock cool again.
We recently spoke with the band Unlocking the Truth about their new documentary Breaking a Monster. Lead singer and guitarist Malcolm Brickhouse, bassist Alec Atkins and drummer Jarad Dawkins are the youngest members of today’s heavy metal scene. The three musicians are growing in popularity across the globe and currently have an album out called Chaos.
Here is what they had to say about their new film and current place in metal.
Fandom: Tell us about Breaking a Monster.
Alec Atkins: We have a documentary out about the progression of the band since the beginning. It’s about the group. It shows signing the Sony contract that we have and our personal life.
Fandom: How would you describe your music to people who haven’t heard you yet?
Jarad Dawkins: We have our own style of music. We first grew up listening to hip-hop and stuff and our parents had their music. It’s kind of weird for us to like metal. We all have our influences with a little more rhythm in there. It’s a different kind of metal.
Fandom: Let’s talk about some of your influences. Malcolm, you play a Slayer guitar throughout the movie. Are there any bands other than Slayer that inspire you?
Malcolm Brickhouse: Well, Slipknot and Disturbed.
Fandom: Alec, you say in the documentary that you want to become the best bass player in the world. Who do you look up to for influence?
Alec Atkins: The people that inspire me are Doug Wimbush from Living Colour, Robert Trujillo from Metallica and Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Fandom: Jared, who do you look up to as a drummer?
Jarad Dawkins: Band-wise, it would have to be Disturbed. Individually as a drummer I have no influences. The reason is that I want to be known for what I can do. I want people to be able to say that I have my own unique style.
At this point in the interview, Alec Atkins and Jarad Dawkins were unable to continue due to technical difficulties. We were able to speak further with Malcolm Brickhouse. Here is the remainder of our conversation with the frontman of Unlocking the Truth.
Fandom: The first time I heard about Unlocking the Truth was through Vernon Reid. Do you have any stories from working and touring with Living Colour?
Malcolm Brickhouse: They’re like our uncles, y’know. They took us in and we went on tour with them. They made us feel like we were at home. We had fun. They’re just like normal people to us right now and our mentors.
Fandom: In the film you continuously work on your voice, but now with Chaos and the music videos for Take Control and Monster it sounds like you’ve found your style. What are your thoughts on developing as a vocalist?
Malcolm Brickhouse: It’s a lot better for sure. I still have a way to go. I think it’s getting better every single day. I’m still finding my voice and I keep doing better and practicing.
Fandom: A lot of metal fans say you guys sound like you’re in your 30s and that you play like a band with decades of experience.
Malcolm Brickhouse: It’s a big compliment. Y’know we put in a lot of practice, so it feels good to appreciate that. I feel like we could always get better. I appreciate all the compliments and everything, but I guess I’m really hard on myself. No matter what anybody else says, I want to keep progressing.
Fandom: We can’t wait to see where the band is going and what your direction will be. Are you planning on touring anytime soon?
Malcolm Brickhouse: We’re looking forward to touring most likely next year, and we’ll have new music and everything. We’ll be doing that in the future.
Fandom: What response are you getting from Breaking a Monster?
Malcolm Brickhouse: A lot of people like it. We have screenings that ask a lot of questions and we’ve gotten some really good reviews.
Fandom: So to wrap up, what are you a fan of right now?
Malcolm Brickhouse: I’m into producing right now. I’m making the demos for the band and I also make beats on the side. I have a whole studio setup in my basement. That’s what I’m into now.
