It has been ten years since the release of Alove For Enemies — “The Resistance”. Reflecting back on that time, the biggest thing that stands out in my mind is how the record was made. We did not have the biggest budget, but were fortunate enough to have one in the first place. “The Harvest” was done at the reputable Trax East studios in NJ, but we only had seven days to do the whole album. All of us, to this day, are still unhappy with the way that first record turned out. With “The Resistance” we were adamant with the label that we wanted to return to Atomic Studios in Brooklyn to work with producer, Dean Baltulonis. Our instructions to him were simple : capture the songs with the raw energy used to perform them live.
We had over two weeks to work , we were much more relaxed, and very, very focused. Oddly enough there was a spat of journalists coming to do interviews for 3 days in a row. We were not used to that at all, but I believe we handled it well. I distinctly remember how serious each of the guys took their parts, and how it was very much an open forum, bouncing ideas off each other, etc. And Dean was great, offering his opinion when he felt passionate about an idea, but also not being overly controlling. To me, it felt like the way records are supposed to be made.
When it came time to record my vocals, I remember the guys all giving me plenty of space, leaving to go get sushi or coffee, allowing me to concentrate and do the best job I could. Dean set me up in a way that replicated the energy of having the entire band behind me, I held the condenser microphone in my hand, and we shut the lights off. Certain songs came easier than others, the lyrics that reflected what I was feeling at the time, proved to be much more emotionally draining that I had anticipated. Two such tracks were ‘Tread on my dreams’ and ‘Hall of mirrors’. Reading and listening to the words now are still rough. That being said, I think Dean did an outstanding job helping me through it and getting the best performance possible.
I am extremely proud of the record. It was a time in the bands history when we felt there was a lot of things working against us. The title had so many meanings, from the fact we felt like the resistance in a world full of oppressors, both physical and spiritual, to the idea that Jesus himself was a resistance in his own right. To the dangers of blind obedience. —
We had all watched the film, ‘Equilibrium’ around that time, and although its campy action and special effects were not the best, the main ideas behind the story really captured our attention. I won’t get into that too deeply, but fun fact : every song title is a reference to that film.
Looking back ten years later, I am proud. It was a fun process, and more importantly a meaningful one. As a band, we got to travel all over the world, be on TV, meet amazing people, all while we got to play music together. If I could do it all again I would. I am grateful for the experience, the memories and the enduring friendships.
