Los Angeles based heavy metal band Kauze are releasing the first single off of their upcoming studio album ‘The Rise To Power’, and we’re bringing its exclusive premiere to you. Listen to it using the YouTube embed below. We also had a conversation with frontman Lane Steele, and this is what he had to say about the song:
“This song encompasses everything Kauze is as a band, implicitly. A lot of bands have trouble doing that, so I’d say that ’12 Rounds’ is our ‘Into The Pit’. It has everything we stand for a a band. So there’s a lot of brutality, and a lot of dynamics, but not a lot of what people would expect based on our previous records like ‘Epiphany’ or ‘Waiting For The Punch’ or anything like that. This is a lot more straightforward rock/metal type thing. It’s a very new feel and new approach. The song itself is about overcoming obstacles, and basically the chorus is ’12 rounds till the end to whatever it is’, kind of like looking at life as one big fight and one big obstacle to overcome. It’s a good song for a band that writes about death and fucked up shit. It’s definitely one of our more positive-messaged songs I suppose.”
Steele goes on to talk about the musical style on the new album: “I’m proud of the entire discography, but I look at the past work as our own artist development stage. We were still coming out of our shell and developing. This is going back eight years to 2005. Basically, it took all these years to come and do those records and EPs, I being the only member from those eras, those were a lot of growing stages and ascension to becoming more of what the idea of Kauze should be. What we accomplished was ‘The Rise To Power’ record. In that regard, we are pretty happy. Our previous work was nowhere near as heavy or fast as this, and the production values were just totally dwarfed. So the production, songwriting, branding and imagery of the whole thing is what we think everyone’s going to really dig.”
Steele has been the only constant member in the band, so when we asked him about the current lineup, he said, “I had a longtime writing partner for the ‘Waiting For The Punch’ and ‘Epiphany’ era, and once that didn’t work out for the new album’s sessions, I sought out another guitar player which I found in Jason Williams. He’s been in the trenches with me for Kauze here, for the better part of two years now. We did the pre-pro, recorded the album, been doing a slew of shows [including an opening slot on Testament’s recent LA show]. The drums were recorded with DevilDriver drummer John Boecklin, and since then we recruited a drummer named Zac Morris, who some might know from a band called Ugly Kid Joe. He’s a blaster, and a super heavy hitter. My bass player John Riviera Davis is great too, he brings a lot to the table and brings a lot behind the scenes. It’s just a great time when we get together. We’re all really in tune with each other.”
A music video for ’12 Rounds’ will be released on March 13th, and the release date for the album is to be announced soon. Meanwhile, the band will open for Otep on April 19th at the Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood.
Check out Kauze online at:
facebook.com/kauzeband
twitter.com/kauzelsk
youtube.com/kauzetv1