"It's nice to connect with the fans"

Today we welcome into the interview room, Manu Patel from the band Under Blackened Skies.

Welcome Manu, first please tell me your roles in UBS?

UBS is;
Aaron Sheldon - Wielder of the mighty axe, sharpened with his power beard prior to every gig, ensuring maximum impact to slay.
Chris Locke - Axe-wielding partner in crime, this champion wrestler can suplex any riff into submission.
Manu Patel - The bearer of the torrid and vicious vocals, charismatic king of the depths of Metaalvyr.
Paul Hunt - The ginger beast behind the brutal bass strings of Thunder.
Andy Davies - The pounder of skin and metal with rods hand crafted by the legendary Vic & Firth. with the speed of the Artful Dodger.
The Mighty Crowd - backing vocals at UBS live shows.

So how did UBS begin?

Back when life was just beginning there was a shrine. Within this shrine there lay a mystical sword inscribed in an ancient language. When translated it said: "Whomever shall take this sword and plunge it into the depths of Metaalvyr shall awaken the 5 warriors of UBS, who will bring forth an almighty force with the aid of their enchanted weaponry." So yeah, that happened and here we are!

What do you think makes you stand out from other bands
I don't really think that one can define the ability to stand out, as each person, each band, has their own uniqueness to bring to the table. We do strive to make everyone at our shows feel like part of the UBS family. It's nice to connect with the fans and give it our all at every gig.

What/who influences you?
We have too many influences to take note of. One thing we endeavor to do is to use them all in various ways to make our music our own. We don't really feel like there's one or two specific bands or people that define our sound.

What do you think the Future holds for UBS?
Given that we are all timeless entities and know the future, we don't think that we can answer that question fairly. If we were to "hazard a guess" so to speak, I would say that UBS plan to tear through every city in the world, blasting out our heavy brand of music, delighting all in its wake. We are currently climbing the mountain that is the music industry, and we never intend to turn back. As for what the future really holds, hopefully an ice cold beer fountain and free buffet at the top of said metaphorical mountain.

What would you like to be in three years with UBS?
In three years we would like to be well on my way to producing a major release, touring with major bands, doing festival runs etc. Oh yeh, we would also all like a pony each!

Do you have any up and coming gigs?
We have a couple of gigs definitely confirmed. One being 14th April 2012, at Fixxion Warehouse, Wolverhampton and Basementfest 2012. We are putting together a mini-tour which is being finalised as this is read, which means more dates and locations will be announced on our Facebook page and other sites.

Interview by Daniel Rooney