For the first time since 2011, North Carolina native metal collective To Speak of Wolves will be taking their talents to Baton Rouge.
The band was founded in 2007 by Phil Chamberlain, brother of Spencer Chamberlain, frontman of the widely popular metal group Underoath. To Speak of Wolves was born following the breakup of Chamberlain’s old project, Sullivan.
Over the years, the group has undergone a number of personnel changes, although the current lineup is the longest lasting, guitarist and University mathematics junior Aaron Kisling said.
“All in all, I think there’s been over 20 members in To Speak of Wolves,” he said. “There were some growing pains in the beginning, but we eventually found the right people and settled in.”
The band currently consists of vocalist William “Gage” Speas, guitarists Aaron Kisling and Corey Doran, drummer Phil Chamberlain and bassist Seth Webster.
 To Speak of Wolves has released two full-length albums, 2010’s “Myself < Letting Go” and 2012’s “Find Your Worth, Come Home.” The group is currently working on a new EP slated for a winter 2016 release, Kisling added.
“Since touring isn’t such a big part of the band these days, the new record is going to be a little bit more interesting,” the Kisling said. “It’s probably going to be more dynamic, and it’ll probably have a wider range of influences. We’re still in the ‘fleshing it out’ stage.”
The upcoming performance at Baton Rouge’s Brickyard South on Wednesday is part of a week-long touring stint that’ll take the band throughout the southern United States.
While the group won’t be performing any new material during this set, they will be playing some tracks from their previous records that have never been performed live.
Although the band was originally formed in North Carolina, its current members are scattered throughout the country – two live in Tennessee, two live in North Carolina, and Kisling lives in Baton Rouge.
However, this physical separation doesn’t get in the way of the group’s artistry, Kisling said.
 “Sometimes it’s difficult to organize, but with technology, with Skype and FaceTime and things like that, it makes it pretty easy to jam together,” he said. “We also use Dropbox and Google Drive to sort of notebook ideas back and forth when it comes to writing.”
To Speak of Wolves has always been heavily influenced by the music of contemporary metal acts like Underoath, Norma Jean and The Chariot, but the group is hoping to push the envelope on their new EP.
“We’ve talked about having the new record be a bit less challenging for the listener,” Kisling said. “I’ve been wanting to push toward a lot of singing, not a lot of screaming, which I think is a step in the right direction.”
Kisling added that balancing LSU and To Speak of Wolves is a “constant struggle,” but he encouraged other University students pursuing a similar career to focus on their education first and foremost.
Also performing with To Speak of Wolves are metal groups Grinders and Slow The Knife.
When: Wednesday, May 25 at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Brickyard South, 174 South Blvd.
Tickets: Free

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Courtesy of To Speak of Wolves

To Speak of Wolves