A Sequence Of Ghosts | No Longer Captive

Written By: Jameson Ketchum

“It was a lot of fun recording the guest vocals! I’ve never done anything like that, never thought I’d be in a metal song but I’m glad ASOG asked me, I’m a fan!” -Elle Puckett of Poema

The list of quality unsigned bands grows and grows. This month’s newest addition is A Sequence of Ghosts out of Kansas City. Riding the subtle wave of their debut EP last summer, ASOG have crafted another gem that is sure to solidify their place in the up and comers hall of fame. Hostage(s) is a tenacious outpouring of passion and heart, taking a cue from such metal giants as Bring Me the Horizon, but without the full body tats and belligerent English behavior. Add to these facts an incredible DIY work ethic and you have the makings of the next big thing that is here to stay. Zane Callister and Will Steffen divided up the answering duties below.

You guys had a solid EP come out last summer and now you’re kicking it up a few respectable notches with Hostage(s). For those who were introduced to you guys last year, what can they expect from this new batch of songs?

Zane Callister: We feel that the last year has really put things in perspective for us in many ways. This EP is a reflection of what we’ve gone through as individuals and as a band both spiritually and personally. We feel that you will quickly be able to identify with the passion and drive we put into the record. Not that the last EP wasn’t passionate, this record is just a more refined focused sound.

It seems like there’s fewer and fewer quality unsigned bands out there, but you guys tour like crazy, you book yourselves, for being such a young act you seem to have it all together. Where does this work ethic and professionalism come from?

ZC: In our opinion, its all just passion. We genuinely feel called to this band and when you believe in something you should do it 100%. We believe with all our hearts that this is where God has us for a reason. We’ve made many mistakes, and will continue to do so, however, we learn from those mistakes and use them as learning experiences to make smarter, more efficient decisions.

Talk to us about Hostage(s), your sound seems to have evolved in an epic way. What do these songs and this style mean to you?

Will Steffen: We’ve matured as people and as musicians. We’ve put in so much time and effort into this band, whether it is booking, writing, tracking etc. Each song you hear is a reflection of our hearts, something that we feel is lacking in the majority of music these days. It’s just excited to have a product that is truly a representation of who we are.

For those who have yet to hear the record, who would you say is its biggest musical influences and comparisons? I hear Oh Sleeper and a little dash of Bring Me the Horizon.

ZC & WS: (Laughs), the funny thing is that we get the Oh Sleeper comparison every so often and we really don’t see it! However it’s quite the compliment considering they are a very respectable and hard working band. As for the BMTH reference we do get that one often. As a band we listen to a lot of different music but BMTH is one we all share an interest in. Collectively, we are all really into passionate bands like BMTH, as well as others such as Life in Your Way and Underoath. We like to think that this EP is something new and refreshing, granted it does draw musical influence from bands like BMTH and Underoath. All in all we think that this EP is laying down a foundation for what people can expect from us musically in records to come. “Each song you hear is a reflection of our hearts, something that we feel is lacking in the majority of music these days.”

You had some fun guest vocalist drop in on these tracks. Who can we expect to hear and what did they bring to these songs?

ZC & WS: Well the first guest vocal you will hear shows up on the first track titled “The Enabler”. Our dear friend Danon Saylor (A Bullet for Pretty Boy) was a real blessing to have on that song. Danon’s vocals are very raw and powerful and they bring a really strong dynamic to part he appears on. The second guest vocal you will hear is on the second track titled “The Hostage”. Guitarist/Vocalist Elle Puckett from Poema (Tooth & Nail) had a really big part in this song. We wanted to try a lot of new things with this track, and with the help of Elle it was made possible. We wanted to leave knowing we tried everything we had in our minds and her part worked out beautifully. She’s a very gifted singer and we feel that everyone will be very impressed what she brings to that particular track. The last two guest vocals come in the form of two of our closest friends Jake Germany (solo artist) and Patrick Melton (Guitarist of Love Begotten). These two did quite a bit of the production on many of the creative “gang singing” and chant parts. We’re very thankful for their time and input on these specific parts.

“Reach the Shore” really was the first track to catch me. Where did the idea of inserting the old hymn “It is Well With My Soul” come from?

ZC & WS: Throughout the record you will find there is a lot of struggle and conflict expressed in the lyrics. “Reach the Shore” was the final resolution to everything we worked through in preparation for entering the studio. We went through a lot in making this record happen, including losing a member weeks before going into the studio. “It is well with my soul, my heart it surrenders” is an exact representation of our hearts crying out to God, finding true joy in real suffering. It’s so important to know that there are trials in life, and you have a choice, give up or keep going. We chose to keep going when faced with opposition and we were given an opportunity to see God work through that.

Once the album is out what’s the next step? Hitting all the usual festivals this summer?

ZC & WS: We have a tour booked for mid May with our close friends The Overseer which will take us into early June. After that we will be attending Cornerstone where we hope to reach a lot of new listeners with our new refined sound. This July we leave for our first West Coast tour with Come&Live!’s Fallstar. That is going to be an exciting tour for us considering we will be hitting many new markets we haven’t had the opportunity to play yet.