A cloaked figure gazes upon a thousand-yard vista of turmoil, strife, and purgatory. In the …
As Brisbane outfit Pavilion put out their debut EP, Age Of Fear, you may be stumped as to who these guys are drawing on as influences.
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They’ve mashed together intensely distinct sonic elements from many different areas and interesting as it is to hear, even guitarist Michael Fabricato, can’t quite put his finger on what to call it. “We have so many influences,” says Fabricato. “I think there is a strong Metallica influence in there–you should hear that–you’ll also hear a bit of Avenged Sevenfold in there, too. A very big influence on us.
“Those two are the top two in my opinion, but it’s very hard to choose a top genre or band.”
There’s a Hands Like Houses on steroids thing happening, a comparison Fabricato was not expecting, but nevertheless appreciates. What Pavilion has done has merged a classic heavy metal aesthetic with an amped up hard rock element–and yet the characteristics of each genre are still distinct. “That’s what we were aiming for,” says Fabricato. “I find you usually get too much of one.”
“You go on the heavy side and it’s that generic heavy metal screaming and on the other side it’s casual rock–I think it’s cool to get yourself in between. You have a very original sound. I think we pulled it off on the EP.”
I think everyone goes through a part in life where they have to really force themselves to come out on top, and if you can relate to everyone, that’s always going to work in your favour.
[ Michael Fabricato ]
There’s a relentless aggression in the EP, and yet there are also wonderful elements of ambience and thoughtfulness, one track in particular, Truth Untold, demonstrative of this marriage. That in turn moves Pavilion into exploring the thematic ideals that both heavy metal and hard rock can present. “You’ve got that heavy breakdown but then nice melodies and casual verses,” Fabricato breaks down the band’s structural ideas, beginning to explain a little how they remain conscious of such ideas throughout the song writing process. “I think it started when Peter [vocalist Peter Muldoon] and I started writing music.”
“Peter came in with his Breaking Benjamin influences and I came in with my Trivium influences. It was sort of like meeting in the middle. Add in a drummer and bassist and they bring their influences, too, and it becomes this mash of elements.”
Age Of Fear as a story is pretty persuasive. The lyrical content is very sit up and listen. “They aren’t all the same but you will get a similar message from each song,” says Fabricato. “They’re all up for interpretation–it’s very melodic.” Not many bands, as Fabricato says, will be so open to hear other people’s interpretation of their work, which might leave you wondering what Age Of Fear means to Pavilion. “Lyrically, I think the word would be “pain”,” says Fabricato. “The anxiety thing is very big in the lyrics.”
“I think for us it’s about pain but breaking through that and coming out on top.”
Not a sentiment unique to any one member of the band, Fabricato says. “I think everyone goes through a part in life where they have to really force themselves to come out on top, and if you can relate to everyone, that’s always going to work in your favour.”
“I wouldn’t say anyone in the band in particular, but it is something that everyone does go through.”
Without the subject matter being anything Pavilion has gone through personally, you might wonder how they render themselves an authority on such a subject. “Throughout the song writing no one was going through any terrible times,” admits Fabricato. “I think everyone feels it at some time, that’s sort of the point.”
“We know what you are going through, so to sing about it and show you can come out on top is a nice way to do things.”
Moving forward with this EP, Fabricato says Pavilion has received some really positive feedback. “Truth Untold has come out as one of the favourites,” he says. “Everyone has their own opinion, their own favourite song, but very good feedback from fans, and new fans for sure.”
There are EP tour dates coming up throughout Australia, according to Fabricato, and Pavilion are certainly keen to make appearances at festivals, even ambitious enough to want to push for support slots with a pretty big name. “I think we’ll have to have a look at who’s coming in the next year–I do know The Offspring are coming, that would be a dream!”
