Thanks
Since we don't have the standard album artwork inserts we STILL want to thank so many people that have played an important role in each of our lives. This is a great format to offer these thanks as opposed to an album where space is limited because we have LOTS of thanks to give!
Mike Semesky would like to thank:
I'd like to thank: My parents, first and foremost, for their unconditional support of my music; from the shreaking notes of my teenage years to the voice I've developed with time and practice. My older brother Chris for exposing me to all different genres of music when I was a kid (we need to find those mix tapes!), and my younger brother Pat for always keeping an open ear and mind to new tunes and trends (what else could we possibly talk about for hours at a time?). My girlfriend Kenleigh for sticking by and supporting me through the years and countless hours invested in my musical endeavors. My friends for always listening, supporting, and being the loudest at my shows. Drew Mazurek for always providing an awesome studio experience. And of course my bandmates Justin, Nate, Josh, and Chubbington for giving me the opportunity to create with them something that we love and are extremely proud of.
Josh Clark would like to thank:
God, my beautiful wife Amy for her unconditional support, my parents, the rest of my family, my bros in the band, Justin for writing amazing and innovative guitar riffs, Mike for always having a great collaborative mindset accompanied by great original ideas for vocal lines, Nathan for laying down phenomenal bass lines, and Chubb for holding everything together rhythmically, our vocal producer Drew Mazurek, and everyone else that has ever invested true interest in my musical endeavours, Thank You.
Nathan Heavel would like to thank:
God for giving me the ability, my parents and sisters for their undying love and encouragement, my friends who are like extended family to me, Justin for the opportunity and for being the most driven and dedicated mastermind behind this project who encourages and pushes others to excellence, Mike Chubb for his solid grooves and "happy beat" that puts a smile on everyone's faces, Mike Semesky for descending from the heavens with his angelic voice, and Josh for over a decade of working together and his endless flow of creativity to help throw this over the top. Last but not least I would like to thank every listener, fan, or critic who at the very least embraces our vision of creating real, unadulterated music without the influences of the industry.
Mike Chubb would like to thank:
My lovely wife Mary Beth for always having my back and supporting me through all of my musical endeavours. My two beautiful sons Braeden and Jacob for making me smile every day. My parents, for their unconditional support on this musical journey and life in general. My brother Josh, who's always there to support my music and loves to come out for live shows. A very special thanks goes out to the BBS (Zak, Colin, T-bone) because without you I may have never started playing drums in the first place. Mike Semesky for his amazing vocals and the ability to write great lyrics and vocal melodies. Josh Clark for his awesome vocals and writing abilities that compliment Mike so well. You guys have some of the best harmonies I have ever heard. Nate Heavel for being the best bass player I have ever had the opportunity to jam with. You write some of the most amazing bass riffs on the planet. Justin Gosnell, what can I say about my brother from another mother. Your drive and relentlessness has gotten us to where we are today. Without you I would have thrown in the towel a long time ago. Thanks for keeping this going and giving everyone the opportunity to record in some of the best studios in the country. Drew Mazurek for making us sound better than I could have ever imagined. You are the man. Last but not least, thank you to anyone who takes a minute to listen to our music.
Justin Gosnell would like to write a novel, er, I mean thank:
I apologize for the length of my Thank You list. I've had many important people in my life and I just can't leave anyone out. With that said…
My Mom and my Dad (the latter of whom unfortunately passed away right in front my eyes way before our time together should have ended). Rest In Peace John-you WERE my real dad and words can't express how much it means to me you raised me 100% as if I was truly your own blood and I am so proud to carry on your name. You both allowed me to make my own choices in life and FULLY supported them to no end and passed no judgement on me for those decisions and for my ideals and beliefs.
While we are on the topic of parents, and even though it's 100% the opposite of thanks, a huge FUCK YOU to my biological father-you are a text book definition of the word coward. I can't even write in words how good it feels to post that here for all the world to see and on the website that displays my greatest personal achievement of my entire life. I don't wish ill will on you. I know I made the effort to make you a part of my life many times in the past with my last and final attempt made over a decade ago. I know you're miserable in your existence. You get what you give in this life.
And now back to the thanks...
Thanks to the rest of my family especially ALL of the Barnetts and my "Aunt" Terry! Rest In Peace to you too Mikey-growing up beside you was so much fun and my only regret is that I wish you would have understood how much you meant to me and that I'd of told you that on the last Thanksgiving we spent together before you took your own life. We shared some of the best memories I have of my childhood but 23 years together just wasn't enough. One day I hope I know why this happened.
Thanks to my best friends for life Travis Vicknair and Erin Murphy (and her awesome family too!), my loving and beautiful girlfriend Megan who's the greatest dancer to ever live! My longtime supporter and heckler Jessica P. and my long time supporter and non heckler Terri R., my amazingly supportive big sister, 2nd mom, and spiritual advisor Linda Mills who keeps me in place at all times. Linda has been and will continue to be a valuable asset to this project and just to my life in general.
Thanks to my big time brothers in Periphery-Jake, Matt, Misha, Spencer, Alex, and Tom for not only being great people and friends but also for allowing me to serve them daily helpings of fart à la carte and harass them for weeks on end whilst traveling across North America multiple times. Thanks too for letting me know every band I like sucks and always making sure I know my mixes suck too. Listen to the future of metal here: www.myspace.com/periphery
Thank you to Casey Sabol. Even though you used up all my windex you've been an awesome friend and extremely interesting person just to know in general. I really appreciate all of the time you take out of your busy schedule to give me great feedback and help me expand my knowledge of recording and engineering. There are MANY things on ALL of these tracks and will continue to be on anything and everything I record in the future using the tools you've provided me with. I'm a HUGE fan….get your fucking album done already so I can snap one off on the CD case. Find out why I feel the need to do this here: www.myspace.com/caseysabol
A very special thanks to my great friends that have been working with me on this project-especially in it's current lineup. Nate, Josh, Mike, and of course my brother Chubb are all near and dear to my heart….
Chubb: You've stuck with me from the beginning through all the major ups and downs in the last 8 years but it was totally worth me moving from Delaware to Maryland to start a band with you. We've had a simple goal set for the better part of a decade to just have an albums worth of finished tracks and it's just now in 2011 we've FINALLY reached that goal. We create the yin and yang of pessimist and optimist that always proves to be entertaining to us both. You stuck by my crazy ass WAY longer than I thought you would and definitely longer than I would have expected you to. It's a little nuts to think it really did take us 8 years to get a disk with 10 songs fully finished that we're completely proud of in our cars CD players just to jam too. But holy shit, it happened. I don't know if this project will catch on. I don't know if there will ever be a demand for us to play live or tour for this project. But all that aside, I DO know it feels so great and like a huge accomplishment has been made and the weight of the world lifted off my shoulders and I'm completely satisfied with the idea that all we may accomplish is just being able to FINALLY get these tracks out there in the world even if it's just 20 people that hear them and like it.
Nathan Heavel: Not only do you have to endure living with me and dealing with my non-stop harassment-but playing in a band with me as well. You were the first person to come into the project right at a time where Chubb and I were both deeply depressed and in need of a spark of hope after a long period of inactivity due to the strain from consistent letdowns and negativity that seemed to hang like a dark cloud over this project. You're a pro anyway you cut it, from being a model roommate, to having a perfect rig, to spending months refining your parts to absolute perfection, to cutting most of you parts in one take-and first and foremost-coming up with the most incredible bass lines. To say you breathed new life into these songs instrumentally after your addition is an understatement-you're a true master at writing on the bass and not treating it like another guitar. Thanks as well for always ignoring my bass lines I write or suggest and coming up with something that is always 100 times better than my idea! I always laugh at myself when you email me your finished idea.
Mike Semesky: I love you for your incredible voice, writing ability, and conceptual ideas and always going for that "perfect take".
Josh Clark: You're amazing voice as well along with your writing ability and your approach to singing being that of a painter filling a canvas and I love how you are always going for that "abstract take".
These 2 singers come together in the middle and just blow my mind every time. A few years ago I never thought we'd find another singer suited for the project. At the lowest point I even went as far as to take vocal lessons for quite some time from one of the best teachers (the amazing Carol Westcott www.carolwestcott.com) but that wasn't even close to enough to get me to sound like anything other than a rabid jackal (not Carols' fault! lol). Then Mike came into the picture and it was a revelation. As if that wasn't enough when the opportunity to add yet another stellar voice to this lineup came to the table about 8 months after that it was and still is a bit surreal. To even find one amazing singer is a difficult task for sure, but to find 2? With no egos and who get along with each other with zero qualms?! I'm VERY lucky. After you get used to it sometimes you take it for granted like anything in life but many a day I sit back and really think about it and soak it in to reconnect with that initial feeling I had about it when it first came together and I just feel so privileged to have them both here killing these vocals time and time again.
I'm honoured and very humbled to be able to record with my absolute favorite musicians. I can say that and know it's 100% the truth. There have been opportunities galore for being able to record with someone "famous" or "notable" over the years-which I am TRULY appreciative of and feel very humbled as well by those offers/opportunities but they've been turned down without even a second spent thinking about it.
I'd like to take a few lines to give a more specific and heartfelt thanks, as just a simple "thanks" alone isn't enough to cover it.
To everyone in the project-I DO greatly appreciate and understand the trials and tribulations of working with me in something that is this important to me and that I'm fiercely protective off. I know I'm not perfect and I know I'm not always right. I know you have to endure my O.C.D., my bi-polar'isms, my A.D.D., my A.D.H.D., my far out business plans, my secretive nature to everything I do or plan for us to do, my 10 paragraph long notes and emails that could have probably been just 2 sentences and still got the point across (JUST like this whole thank you section I've made haha), my endless changes I want to make and critiques I give, and of course my absolute insanity at all times. You'll probably never really understand how much I love you guys for giving me the room and vast space to do what I feel strongly about doing and even supporting it when you might not agree and still staying in the project. It's hard to believe how grounded, egoless, and dedicated to this everyone is and I'm glad we get along so well and I hope it stays that way for a long time. Some people assume or think that this is "my" band or that I "write everything" and this couldn't be farther from reality when it comes to the music we create. Without these other guys these tracks would essentially be instrumental guitar tracks placed on top of poorly programmed drum beats and bass lines that pretty much always follow the root note of the guitar chords, and that is a FACT. And on the bright side, if this project just totally flops and we all move on to other things, at least you'll have some funny stories to tell your kids of all the stupid/bizarre/random shit you've watched me do during our time together haha. Ok, it was long and sappy but I said what I needed to say.
I would like to give a big thanks to Greg Kennelty at themetalregister.com/blue Dawn Music/pennlive.com, Jimmy and Chris at heavyblogisheavy.com, and Grover at thenumberoftheblog.com for their support and being the first blog/news sites to get behind Vestascension and believing in what we're doing. I love you guys!
Thanks to the many other musicians that I've played with in every incarnation of the this band over the years-from Lifted to The Revolution Theory to Vestascension-your time jamming with me at any point in the history of this project and at one time making it your focus is greatly appreciated and regardless of good or bad times there's so many great memories. I give thanks for the time spent working on music together and I'm really looking forward to working with many of you again in the future (except for a certain individual and that anal plug bass player that stole my car to go make a drug deal).
A HUGE HUGE HUGE thanks to Drew Mazurek (HIGHLY recommend this guy to the billionth degree. Get him to make your shitty songs sound amazing here: www.drewmazurek.com) for all of his hard work over the years (I love you Drew-NO HOMO). Drew has probably obtained every single grey hair he'll have in his lifetime soley from working with me on this project. I can bet on it. You make it magical though dude! John Wesley from Porcupine Tree (book time at his studio he owns in Tampa Florida here: www.redroomrecorders.com) for his help, production, engineering, trusting me with your SICK guitar collection, and just his pure awesomeness in general. Justin Meldal-Johnsen (Have him produce your project out in Los Angeles California here: www.justinmj.com) from Nine Inch Nails for taking a shot at working with some total noobs(us). You provided SO many great ideas and it was an honour to work with you. A great big virtual hug goes to Brandon Paddock (hire him for mixing/mastering and just check out his amazing songs here: www.myspace.com/brandonhallpaddock) for his incredible job he did mastering all of these tracks. Additional thanks to Kory Gable (Hire him if you're in our around Lancaster Pennsylvania. Very reasonable prices and totally cool dude: www.myspace.com/pinuprecording) for providing great drum tones and really cool ideas and also to Steve Wright (he never sleeps: www.wrightwaystudios.com) and Brett Hestla from Dark New Day for additional engineering duties.
HUGE THANKS to Steve Mercado (Check him out here: www.iamshadowmonster.com) for the amazing design work and being an all around a pleasure to work with, Josh Clark at Josh Clark Design (Check him out here: www.joshclarkdesign.com)for his excellent design work and website creation, and lastly Mike Ritter (Check him out here: www.rittermedia.com) for his excellent-and most importantly-unique logo work.
A HUGE thanks to Nick "OGB" Wilt for years of friendship and working through the good and bad and for providing the awesome guitar riff that ended up sparking the track "An Endless Voyage" to pour out of thin air after a long period of severe writers block on my end. Big thanks too for giving me the opportunity to engineer and produce your new project with Josh Morningstar and both of their willingness to be my "guinea pigs" with my new gear and having the patience to sit there for long periods of time while I'm trying to figure out how all the new shit is supposed to function correctly lol-it means a lot to me you trust a project that's so important to you in my hands and are comfortable with being the first band I've actually made a real effort to make a good recording with in my home studio. I'm very much looking forward to working together on this project-the material is awesome and it's going to be epic!
Diane Richter for her wonderful live photography over the years (Check out her profile and hire her here: www.dianerichterphotography.com)-nobody makes me look as good as you do!! Kerri for taking the time to proofread all my gibberish! ALL the "ladies" I didn't previously thank (Leo, Judy, Karen, Anna and Brandon even though he's not a lady lol). Mike Cole (incredible tattoo artist (Check out his work here: www.mikecoletattoo.com) for the amazing art you've placed on my body for the rest of my life. I simply can't wait to continue the process with you! Albert Hoffman, Timothy Leary, and Alexander Shulgin for planting the seed that sparked my imagination and expanded my mind to the endless possibilities of artistic creation. Joe Begly, Tim Warner, Chris Badatanal, Mark Mathias, and Jim Martin for the great times I spent in Seventh Seal (Amazing new songs coming soon: www.myspace.com/se7enthseal) and a huge thanks to all the fans of that band as well. Mark Holcomb for being a straight up awesome dude and for the incredible encouragement and support (Hear is fucking AMAZING songs here: www.myspace.com/hauntedshores)! Danny, Renee, Jerry, and Robert for giving me all the time off I ever want to tour or even when I just want to travel all over the place recording and doing all kinds of weird shit. Thanks as well for letting me torment the hell out of the entire staff there when I'm bored haha!! Thanks to the people that cover for me to make that happen too and everyone I have the pleasure of working with daily-it all makes my "day job" awesome. All my old school Vermont friends, all my Virginia friends or yore, all my Delaware friends-I wish I had more time to spend with all of you. Pat Vasold for helping me buy my first house and just being a great friend in general. Bruce, Kelly, and the kids. Vanessa D., Zilla, Justin F., Dustin B., and Jen F. for her amazing framing work that covers every wall in my house and preserves and display some of the greatest memories of my life (check her out here: www.anglesframing.com)as well as her awesome son Chris. Ellen Baker for her wonderful studio pictures she took for me (check her out here: www.ellenbaker.com)Ernie and Justin, Captain "the mother fucking man" Ron, Chrissee, Ann, and Chuck, Christina, Gustav, Scott Garish, and anyone in general that's been there for me or supported my music career. I hope one day I see the release of McPherson and Pickard.
Special thanks to Dave and Laura for being good roomies that facilitate my ability to tour and still make my mortgage payment as well as your DEEP support and full belief in me and my music. Pat Cock (or Koch if you really wanna get specific) for his EXTREME support and allowing me into his musical world to craft some great tunes with him and for always being there to shoot the shit about all things music related. PS I love Brian Wade (his incredible band found here: www.myspace.com/blindrhetoric).
Big thanks too for all the bands I've shared the stage with over the years and been able to tour with and all the Baltimore bands trying to slug it out both in bands I'm friends with and ones I don't even know or don't even like. They say there is no real talent to be found in Baltimore-I hear it all the time from bands looking for musicians and I've even said it myself-but I've had my eyes opened and found there is an immense amount of talent to be had here. I hope this city can finally piece together some more unity amongst the bands in it and realize we are all working together for one common goal. It's my belief this area could have had a "scene" much like the "Seattle scene" that would have taken many bands to the top of the heap but alas it has never happened due to the lack of trying to work together or competing with one another in an unproductive manner. There's no room for snobs and elitism. Most of you are playing local bars in the area and with that kind of attitude you'll never make it anywhere in this current business model. The era for rockstars is over. Get it together-work together-make it happen.
Universal thanks to the extraterrestrial beings of the universe for letting me get this music finished and released before bringing me back home-I'm ready now.
To all the dreamers don't ever give up. Keep at it and say fuck you to the naysayers. Life really can be anything you want it to be-it just might take an immense amount of work and dedication to see it through. Always remember something I heard long ago-If anyone ever tells you your dreams are too big it just means their dreams aren't big enough. Peace, Love, and Respect to all those who deserve it or have earned it.
