News | Scene Point Blank

As you may or may not know, Scene Point Blank features a different record on the site each month.

This month we're sharing, in-full, the new EP from RIG TIME!, a heavy/hardcore/doom/metal band formed in Wisconsin. Reborn includes 5 brutal yet engaging tracks and was released on July 29 via State of Mind Recordings.

The band previously released War in 2017, followed by extensive touring that continues today amid all the logistical nightmares that bands face while hitting the road.

We caught up with drummer/vocalist Bryan Fleming to get a feel for how RIG TIME! is doing, roughly two months after the EP's release:

SPB: First, the record is out and you've been playing a lot of live shows. What song is your favorite to play right now? Has that changed since the record came out? What song seems to hit audiences the hardest?

Bryan: Since we released Reborn in July, we have been playing every song on that record live recently. I think we both really enjoyed playing “Backstab” because it is very fast paced and the crowd always seems to get into it with us as well. There are definitely highlights in each of those songs, though, that are refreshing to play live.

SPB: Every RIG TIME! show is all ages. How has pandemic-related booking affected that? Is it easier, harder, or the same?

Bryan: It has felt pretty much the same when it comes to booking all ages shows. It can be a struggle to find venues or promoters who will ensure the event will be open to anyone, but we have stuck with that belief since the beginning and even cemented it in the lyrics of our song “Manifesto.” We’d rather be a band that stood for something we believe in and raise awareness about the importance of the generational cycles to creating art and having live music be an experience for all who want to have it. We put music first and all other factors second.

SPB: Your lyrics are blunt and direct -- they go for the throat, so to speak. What inspired this approach? Is it your personality or seeing how other bands do things, or a bit of both?

Bryan: My lyrics stem from a desire to be honest, not only for my own expression, but also to show that sincerity is powerful in its rawness. I do use metaphors in some songs and in songs, like “Clean,” I lay it all out in the open. I have intentionally transitioned to not use any profanity in my lyrics anymore. I have stuck to that since everything written after the album War in 2017. The first and last tracks on that record were my way of purging out emotionally immature impulses of just screaming profane words to make a point. I have found much more depth, connection and vigor in how I write now. Every time I want to make a point that might instinctively come out as a swear, I challenge myself to find a more colorful and vivid way to say it, which has helped me feel much more proud of my writing and my overall emotion to the songs have grown stronger. In writing a song like “Backstab” it was difficult because it is an angry song, but I ultimately felt I said what I needed to say in the way I wanted to say it.

Growing up, I listened to a lot of nu-metal and that taught me it was okay to talk about your feelings in heavy music. Listen to anything from that era and you’ll hear songs about hate, self deprecation, and emotional struggles. On the other hand, I also grew up listening to Bright Eyes and Modest Mouse, which showed me how lyrics can paint a picture in a totally different way. I just want to have words that stand out to the listener, but are also intriguing and still loyal to the original subject matter that inspired them.

SPB: What is something about this record that you haven't told anybody (publicly) yet?

Bryan: Originally, Reborn wasn’t our plan.

In 2020, we had a full-length planned and when everything shut down, we had to reevaluate. Some of these songs were not written for the full-length album, and many of those are in queue to be released in the future. We wanted Reborn to be our official introduction to who we are now and show the changes we have made in the band.

SPB: You're a very active band, doing things yourself, playing all ages shows and spending a lot of time on the road. While a record from this summer is hardly "old," I imagine you're already looking at what comes next. So...what is up next for RIG TIME!?

Bryan: The previously mentioned full-length album is a big focus. We have some of those older songs and some brand new songs all planned for it. It’s definitely the best material we have written, musically and lyrically. It’s like Reborn turned up. We will be focusing on touring and all the things that come with the journey. We want to take this as far as we can go and then a little further. We want the whole world to hear Reborn and what we have coming next.