Ventana
Gas Masks & Industrial Composition
By: Christian Cipollini (Posted By: Bear Frazer)
Last updated February 8th , 2010

Donning post-apocalyptic attire with faces hidden behind apparatus more suitable for a chemical warfare attack, the imagery is formidable to say the least.  And while this group is very much about the imagery, the entire act is cohesive - from music to lyrics to the live show they promise is anything but calm.  So just who is this unit known as Ventana?  Well, there's something familiar about this band - say maybe a Mushroomhead similarity - and that's right on the mark says mastermind/producer/keyboardist Rick Thomas.

Thomas, perhaps better known as St1tch from Mushroomhead, says Ventana is a five year work in progress and most certainly embraces the similarities. "Things I've learned being in Mushroomhead for ten years are obviously going to be applied to launch this band," he explains. "We use the Mushroomhead resume for leverage, but Ventana has hold up to expectations and be its own entity."

For Ventana, Thomas and company wanted to bring the industrial sound further into a mainstream-friendly environment.  He says by combining obvious influences, such as Ministry, Manson and Nine Inch Nails, with the subtle elements of various other genres helps make the music more accessible.

"I try to take the industrial sound and turn it into a more commercial and marketable sound," he says. "I want the shock and awe to hit the average guy who watches football too."

What does Ventana want people to get from the music?  According to Thomas, a sense of how far down a dark path the digital age has taken us as a whole. "This record is meant to be a warning. It's outspoken but meant to make people think."

Whether or not humanity will step back into a more tangible and "real" interactive world is where Thomas says he's torn.  ""Half of me thinks no, and half thinks yes.  That's why there's that theme on the record. It's instant gratification that's killing us.  Even cable is all digital now.  What happens if shit goes down, and all the enemy has to do is shut down the internet?  We're fucked."

Since unleashing their debut album American Survival Guide Vol. 1, Ventana has been busy touring with the likes of Dope, Crossbreed and of course Mushroomhead.  Thanks to a little networking, Thomas says the band got notice from the powers that be behind the Saw VI motion picture soundtrack.

"We got thrown in at the last minute." He recalls of joining the intense soundtrack filled with contributors like Hatebreed, Mushroomhead and Shadows Fall. "The album was already full with like fifteen tracks, so they put us on the digital version."  He said the track "Watch Us Burn" being offered as a download-only was enough to make them happy.  

Acute sense and focus in the business of making music, Thomas admits he doesn't get, nor like too much downtime.  "I feel unproductive if I'm not working on something."  So it's no surprise Ventana has already been planning their next sonic assault, a follow up volume.

"Between me and some of the other guys in the band, we have about twelve or fifteen songs in the bag. It isn't just bullet holes and distortion; there are things you can sing along too."

Rick Thomas doesn't put Ventana above his responsibilities in Mushroomhead.  That said, he absolutely believes the time constraint limiting his side project is actually quite motivating, thereby enforcing the music and shows be carried out full-throttle and with a goal of perfection.  "A lot of those songs were rewritten over and over," Thomas says.  "I didn't want to make a band that would be forgotten in a week. Over a thirty minute live set, I think I wear myself out more than I do in Mushroomhead."

To check out or purchase their album, American Survival Guide Vol. 1, click here.

[Tags] Metal

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