Ya know, you’ll be able to nonetheless love Jesus and love steel…apparently. And due to this, Challenge 86 was among the many in style acts in Christian steel. They went into retirement some time in the past, however a dwell video recorded yesterday (October 10) by frontman Andrew Schwab revealed his targets of resurrecting (wink wink) the band underneath the title P86 Omni.
The PRP did the nice work of transcribing entire video, so for those who can’t watch it, then scroll by the very lengthy scripture under.
“Clearly, I introduced the top of Challenge 86 some virtually 5 years in the past and since then have been making the stuff to associate with that cycle. The double album, ‘Omni‘, which was actually enjoyable to work on and the books. So, the place are we at proper now? The place are my eyes pointing for the long run and the way does this all play out? Nicely, let me first clarify my choice to announce the top of Challenge 86. Two causes for this: One, creatively talking, I felt like we had been chasing our tails — I used to be chasing my very own tail personally — for a really very long time. Clearly, we had some very excessive factors early within the profession.
“Uh, highlighted by Drawing Black Traces. Another mentionable highlights, particularly ‘Wait For The Siren‘, later-stage profession. Challenge 86. However I all the time felt like, particularly in current historical past, that the artistic field that was painted for this band and for this entity was very properly outlined, particularly by the top of album 10, which was Sheep Amongst Wolves.
“Early on within the profession, a nü-metal/publish hardcore sound after which every part after that was a bit extra of a tough rock type of factor. And I felt, I don’t know if the the phrase is stifled, however I felt creatively stagnant for a number of album cycles. Prefer it was getting more durable and more durable and more durable to put in writing new music.
You sit down to put in writing a riff or a music and it’s like, ‘No, we did that on album 7. No, we did that on album 4. No, we did that on album two.’ And it simply felt stale. Plus every part associated to the legacy of Challenge 86 — particularly the old-fashioned legacy, you realize there’s some, I don’t know if the phrase is baggage related to that, however there’s undoubtedly an impression in folks’s minds of what that factor was.
“I used to be all the time combating in opposition to that each step of the best way, each album. We tried numerous issues. We had been creatively schizophrenic alongside the best way and I had a hankering to attempt some various things that weren’t actually Challenge 86, sonically. And that got here out throughout the album cycle —the final album cycle — on ‘Omni‘ the place I mentioned mainly, screw it. I’m going to do one thing that’s much more aggressive, rather a lot darker, and type of a distinct lyrical method; sci-fi, cyberpunk, a extra steel method.
“So, type of every part I needed to do however felt like possibly wasn’t the proper match for Challenge and I simply mentioned, ‘Screw it. That is what I need to do.’ Together with writing a novel and doing animated music movies and dwell present visuals and even an ARG. These had been all issues that had been part of the ‘Omni‘ cycle that I by no means had the possibility to do on the earlier Challenge 86 album cycles, if that is sensible.
“There was type of a artistic reinvention that was very intentional and form of me deliberately, utilizing the identical phrase twice, departing from the normal Challenge 86 method. And that was an important train for me to really feel impressed once more. The opposite a part of me form of saying the top of Challenge 86 was, simply to be frank, a priority over my growing older vocal cords and the normal Schwab shout. And I discuss all this within the ‘I. Want. Fact‘ guide —to not shamelessly plug, however to shamelessly plug, you guys ought to try the guide the place I discuss all this extra.
“I simply felt like I’d attain a sure level, having struggled with vocal accidents over time, a vocal twine nodule that I developed 20 plus years in the past on the Truthless Heroes album cycle that simply the Schwab shout was going to run its course fairly quickly. I had some scares alongside the best way the place I felt like my voice simply wasn’t going to final anymore and I wanted to do one thing to reinvent that.
Sarcastically, by the Omni album cycle, uh, I began going rather a lot heavier with my vocal method. And imagine it or not, that led to a lot much less vocal fatigue dwell and within the studio. And it felt like a whole artistic reinvention from the best way that I used to be singing, to the visible id, to the sonic id uh, to the lyrical method.
“The conclusion that I got here to within the course of of constructing Omni was one, man, if it might really feel like this, I’d undoubtedly be open to doing extra of this type of stuff as a result of that is actually enjoyable. I’m not shedding my voice. I’m not stressing about it. I’m not feeling this form of spectre or this shadow of getting to dwell as much as Drawing Black Traces or Spy Hunter and even Fall Goliath Fall. this can be a model new factor in each manner.
“So possibly that is only a pure form of reband, restart, reboot, reinvention. And that’s the conclusion I got here to in direction of the top of the Omni cycle, or the top of recording Omni. It’s like look, I introduced the top of Challenge 86 and I meant it, however that is one thing model new. And this will likely appear arbitrary to all of you. However for me, I wanted a whole reboot and a restart. And it what it actually got here right down to was I’m taking some dangers right here, creatively to go in a brand new route. A heavier, extra steel, extra digital, extra thematic, much less overtly religious — however religious nonetheless — simply differently, with the method right here. And if everyone likes it, then possibly this factor has legs. This concept of reinventing it.
“It turned out that folks for essentially the most half actually dug the Omni stuff musically. It was fairly thrilling. It was actually thrilling for me, which is what I wanted to make extra of it. But it surely was very thrilling for lots of you. And that was all of the containers checked for me to no less than entertain the thought of taking place this street once more.
“What does that seem like? Nicely, I really feel prefer it’s nonetheless within the spirit of Challenge 86, but it surely’s type of a model new moniker and reinvention. So I really feel like transferring ahead what makes essentially the most sense is to name this factor P86 Omni and to proceed the thematics, the narrative, the story, the conceptual worldbuilding that we began in Omni Half One and half two and proceed that into an element three and past. And make each cycle comprise a novel, comprise a narrative, comprise worldbuilding and comprise addressing of the rising technocratic order in the actual world, our relationship with know-how so to talk.
“And categorical my sentiments and ideas about it on this manner, on this artistic expression of mankind’s form of darkish nature as he pertains to innovation. So, I don’t know if all that is resonating with you guys or not. However I’m explaining essentially the most thrilling choice that I’ve to announce shortly right here, and that’s extra music is coming.
“I’m formally saying Omni Half 3 is coming down the pipe, and we’re going to start out the pre-order and Patreon to help this, to lift funds for this subsequent month. I’m simply lining up a number of items of the puzzle in order that we are able to launch this factor as quickly as doable in time for the vacations. I’m November tenth proper now. If every part traces up, that would be the date. It could find yourself being a bit of later. We’ll be posting a ton about this on all of our socials. Search for a trailer. Search for visuals.
“What does that imply? Nicely, identical to we’ve carried out on the newest album cycles, an extended lead pre-order. Nevertheless, this will probably be a a lot shorter cycle. I cannot be saying a double album. It is going to be a single album with a guide. The guide will come later, most likely as like a stretch purpose. And we’re a one-year turnaround. So, I’m giving my workforce mainly a 9-month window from saying this to complete producing the music.
“The purpose right here, I have already got rather a lot lined up: a manufacturing workforce, artists, graphic artists. We’re already working with a theme. I have already got an album cowl idea title. I have already got a top level view for the guide. I have already got a top level view for the album. I have already got half the songs ideated when it comes to lyrics. Lots of it’s already… I’ve been engaged on it the final 3 months. So, it’s in movement and we’re going to hit the bottom working.
“I actually needed to capitalize on the momentum that we created, the brand new momentum we created with Omni Half 2 and this vitality and pleasure I really feel for this world that we’ve began to construct and the thematics. And actually all of this revolves across the emergence of AI and the entire fast-moving bulletins that we see each day which can be altering our world when it comes to how we relate to at least one one other and every part in between. The way it’s going to have an effect on our lifespans, our well being, our impending merger with synthetic intelligence and past.
“So, I’m actually excited to work on this and convey it to life right here within the months to return. we really simply completed a model new music that may be a Patreon unique for our platinum members. I do know you guys are going to kill me for that, but it surely’s a deliverable that I wanted to provide that I promised to these greater tier highest tier Patreon supporters as a fruit, excuse me, of supporting this earlier cycle.”
