"I don't consider myself a vocalist," admits Malcolm Brickhouse of Flatbush, NY-bred metal band Unlocking the Truth. "My voice is still going through changes. I know I'll sound different in six months compared to right now."
It's one aspect the 15 year-old frontman is working to improve on now that the band's debut LP, Chaos, has finally been unleashed. Having gone viral after posting videos of themselves busking in Times Square in 2013, the band signed a monstrous $1.8 million, five-album record deal, which they got out of in 2015. Having cut through all the red tape, the trio of Brickhouse, drummer Jarad Dawkins and bassist Alec Atkins are ready to prove they're more than a viral sensation.
Brickhouse took on vocal duties after figuring that would go hand-in-hand with his role as the band's primary lyricist. The band tackle lyrical themes of heartbreak, anger, uprising and strength on Chaos. "Take Control" comes from being bullied in school for their decidedly metal fashion choices, while "Monster" is about rejecting labels others place upon you. "FAYWB" is an acronym for the self-explanatory "Free As You Wanna Be."
Wise beyond his 15 years, Brickhouse is aware that his lyrics will sound immature to some, but knows that further life experiences will take his writing to another level. Despite musical growing pains, when it comes to moving past being perceived as a gimmick for their age or background, he'd rather let the band's tunes do the talking.
"We don't want to sound or look the same as everyone else, but people will still think that way because of our skin colour or age," he says. "If you listen to our music, it sounds different than a lot of metal today and quite grown for how old we are."
It's one aspect the 15 year-old frontman is working to improve on now that the band's debut LP, Chaos, has finally been unleashed. Having gone viral after posting videos of themselves busking in Times Square in 2013, the band signed a monstrous $1.8 million, five-album record deal, which they got out of in 2015. Having cut through all the red tape, the trio of Brickhouse, drummer Jarad Dawkins and bassist Alec Atkins are ready to prove they're more than a viral sensation.
Brickhouse took on vocal duties after figuring that would go hand-in-hand with his role as the band's primary lyricist. The band tackle lyrical themes of heartbreak, anger, uprising and strength on Chaos. "Take Control" comes from being bullied in school for their decidedly metal fashion choices, while "Monster" is about rejecting labels others place upon you. "FAYWB" is an acronym for the self-explanatory "Free As You Wanna Be."
Wise beyond his 15 years, Brickhouse is aware that his lyrics will sound immature to some, but knows that further life experiences will take his writing to another level. Despite musical growing pains, when it comes to moving past being perceived as a gimmick for their age or background, he'd rather let the band's tunes do the talking.
"We don't want to sound or look the same as everyone else, but people will still think that way because of our skin colour or age," he says. "If you listen to our music, it sounds different than a lot of metal today and quite grown for how old we are."
