Tell us about yourself and your music
Veritas was started in 2012 and in it’s current form since 2017. We are a hard rock/metal band with a classic sound and a bit of prog. We’ve been compared to early Queensryche, early Dream Theater, Fates Warning, and sometimes early Metallica. Current band line-up is Denny Anthony-vocals, Greg Wenk-guitar, Geno Alberico-bass and Mark Zonder (Fates Warning, Warlord, Spirits of Fire)- studio drums. We released an EP in February of 2019 that did very well for us and received much airplay and great reviews worldwide. Since then, we have been hard at work completing the songs for the full cd release. We also sign a deal with Amplified Distribution for worldwide release in digital and physical forms.
Talk to us more about your latest release
We have been working on this group of 14 songs over the last year and a half. Files were sent back and forth until all parts were recorded since we live in different states. We were fortunate to have Mark Zonder record the drums for the entire cd except the intro track. It was mixed by Daryl Bolicek at Wild Horse Recording and mastered by Thomas Juth at Svenska Grammofonstudion. We also recently signed a deal with Amplified Distribution for worldwide release in physical and digital versions. We have many fans around the globe and wanted to make it easier and more cost effective to get our music to them. Worldwide street date is 8/28/20. Preorders are now available. Links to multiple sites available on our website. www.veritas.rocks on the shop page.
https://soundcloud.com/greg-wenk/03-love-and-burn/s-BH7a7hgYYp4?in=greg-wenk/sets/veritas-threads-of-fatality-advance-promo/s-4lyCoZO6t8f
What inspired you to write this release?
We wanted to release a collection of songs in the style of the music we like to listen to and also a love of music and the creative process. It’s a lot of hard work to release a cd of original music from the writing and recording process to the business side of things. I’m sure not a lot of people think about the behind business aspects that are involved in putting out an independent release.
Describe the writing and recording process
This album process began with song ideas I, Greg Wenk, had built up over a few years. I recorded the main rhythm track and sent them to Mark Zonder. He then would add his drums ideas to the track and send to us to check out. His ideas were usually exactly what we wanted so it was a fairly painless process. After the drums were finalized, I would rerecord the guitar to make sure everything synced and the send the files to Geno for bass. When the music was completed, we would send to Denny to write lyrics and record vocals. Dennys vocal approach I found was a bit different as he writes to the drums and not the main guitar melody. We repeated this process until we had the songs we wanted for the cd and then sent everything to Daryl Bolicek at Wild Horse Recording in Minnesota to work his mixing magic.
Any plans to hit the road?
As with pretty much every band, no plans to play out currently due to the virus and most venues not being open. We are very much looking to getting out and playing. We would love to due some festival shows to promote the new cd.
As an indie artist, how do you brand yourself and your music to stand out from the rest of the artists out there?
We try to interact with the fans on our page and keep updates coming to let everyone know what is happening with the band. We also continually look for ways to get our music out to as many people and places as possible through advertising, radio airplay, videos, digital sites, word of mouth. Our logo helps fans recognize the band and hopefully draws attention to help gain new fans and listeners.
Who have you been listening to lately?
Lately, I’ve been listening to the new Fifth Angel, new Testament, Savatage, Queensryche, Fates Warning, and of course our new release
Who are your biggest influences?
Greg Wenk-my influences are George Lynch, Yngwie Malmsteen, Paul Gilbert, Ace Frehley, Criss Oliva, Alex Skolnick, Jon Drenning, Ben Jackson of Crimson Glory, Chris Degarmo, Michael Wilton from Queensryche, there are many more but those are the main ones that blew me away the first time I heard their playing.
Tell us about your passions
Greg Wenk- I’m generally always thinking about music and have some kind of music running through my head whether it’s something I’m writing or a favorite band. Other than that, I do like classic muscle cars and have a 73 Charger I’ve been restoring for a few years. Seems like a never ending project.
What else is happening next in your world?
We are getting ready for the release of our cd. Street date is 8/28. We are just doing everything we can to promote it and have a successful launch. Lots of interviews. Next we will start the process of recording the next cd. We already have several songs in progress.
Thanks for an awesome interview, Veritas
Connect with Veritas
Website: http://www.veritas.rocksFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/veritasmusickcYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_n7AI_eOFdIJNXX0jvmxagSoundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/greg-wenk/03-love-and-burn/s-BH7a7hgYYp4?in=greg-wenk/sets/veritas-threads-of-fatality-advance-promo/s-4lyCoZO6t8fReverbnation: https://www.reverbnation.com/veritas41?profile_view_source=header_icon_nav