Chasing your dreams is no easy feat, no matter what that dream may be. It takes a “no risk, no reward” type of attitude to live life exactly how you want to live it.
Although forming a metal band in the middle of your undergraduate studies comes off as a very unconventional approach to success, this group of musicians is reaping the fruits of its labor.
“Avail the Lost” is a local metal band comprised of six members who share a passion for music and performance.
The newly established outfit formed in April 2017 already has songs featured on iTunes, Spotify, YouTube and a multitude of other streaming services. The band is made up entirely of college students — three of them currently attending Kennesaw State.
The band members recalled how it took a few months of adjusting to perfect their unique sound since all members have different backgrounds in music. However, it’s a sound that many seem to appreciate.
The band’s last performance, a show featuring local artists at the Masquerade venue in Atlanta on Dec. 29, was completely sold out.
They have also since performed at His Rock Music, a venue in Cumming.
“Avail the Lost” are happy about the amount of success they’ve achieved in such a short time and are now working to perfect live performances, marketing and creating songs for their next album.
The band members met at different points in their lives — some of them have known each other since high school — and others met through mutual friends and various sports outings.
Originally, Tristan Trust and Mitchell Martin decided to collaborate as a band while playing guitar together over Christmas break in 2016. After about four months of searching for mutual friends and people in the metal community to join, “Avail The Lost” was officially formed.
Influences from many sub-genres under the “umbrella of metal,” including underground hard-core, classic rock and metalcore, play into their style. Their lyrics are influenced by horror movies like “Nightmare on Elm Street,” “The Shining,” “Silence of the Lambs” and “Legion,” according to the band members.
The band describes their lyrics as somber, figurative and hyperbolic with lots of metaphors.
“Avail The Lost’s” songs can often be somber, but not all metal music is somber or angry, which is a common misconception, according to the band members.
Brian Ra is a sophomore interactive design major at KSU. He is a vocalist and lyricist for the group and has practicing vocals for three years.
Tristan Trust is a senior psychology major at KSU. He is also a vocalist and guitarist for the group and has been playing guitar for 13 years.
Mitchell Martin is a senior sports management major at KSU. He plays guitar in the band and has been playing for one year.
“Avail the Lost” has three other members, including drummer Carson Goodwin, guitarist Eric Fitz and bass guitarist Chris Worrell.
Goodwin has been playing the drums for over 10 years and is a junior law student at KSU but is currently taking a semester off. Fitz has played guitar for two years and is a senior chemistry student at Georgia Gwinnett College. Worrell has played bass guitar for five years and is also a biology major at GGC.
Since its formation, the band has released one EP entitled “Heavy Hearts” and two singles, “Welcome Home” and “D.I.A.P.O.L.,” which stands for “Death is a Part of Life.” You can listen to some of their music on their YouTube channel.
