Metal Anarchy

Time for the next edition of Metal Anarchy’s “new music showcase,” the feature where I introduce you to up and coming bands that readers of this site may find interesting. This time I have an exclusive Q&A with State Of Illusion.

METAL ANARCHY: Tell me a little about your band:

STATE OF ILLUSION: Jacob Porter (Vocals/Guitar), Cameron Price (Guitar), Bryce Chism (Drums), and Brandon Rodgers (Bass).

The band formed in 2005 for a high school battle of the bands. We released an EP and two full length albums before life got in the way for a couple of the guys in 2010. Jacob pushed State of Illusion forward behind the scenes and re-emerged with our album, Aphelion, in 2014. Cam joined the band in 2015 and we hit the ground running. By the end of 2016, it was clear that that line up was not meant to be, but we established a new line up of fill ins in January of 2017. Cam was back on guitar, Bryce filled in on drums, and Tom Carden from Solarist played bass. What was supposed to be a one-off show turned into another show and then another. Mid-way through the year, Bryce and Cam had decided to stay on as permanent members. Tom left to devote all of his energy to Solarist and brought his former bassist, Brandon, into the band to shoot the music video for our single, “Blind”, and he stuck around. This line up has hands-down been the best so far. Huge things are coming!

METAL ANARCHY: Who are your main influences?

STATE OF ILLUSION: While we all come from very different musical backgrounds, State of Illusion’s influences in 2005 were bands like Staind, Cold, Tool, A Perfect Circle, Breaking Benjamin, etc., but more recent influences are bands like Periphery, Thrice, The Contortionist, etc.

METAL ANARCHY: What is your latest release and why should readers of this site check it out?

STATE OF ILLUSION: Our most recent album release was Aphelion in 2014, however, in 2017 we released State of Illusion – Live which is a two disc live DVD/documentary. It showcases the 2015-2016 line up of the band in an intimate performance of every song from Aphelion at Full Sail University in FL along with a 2.5 hour documentary showing everything that the band has experienced throughout the years. Regardless, while we know rock fans will love Aphelion, we believe that it would appeal to anyone who gives it a listen. It is very accessible on the surface but it has a ton of depth. We self-produced the album and recorded it in our houses, which really shows what you can achieve with a lot of hard work and determination!

METAL ANARCHY: What can people expect when they go to your live shows?

STATE OF ILLUSION: Professionalism and energy. We don’t want you to see an unsigned band. We want you to experience a show you would ordinarily pay $40-$50 per ticket for.

METAL ANARCHY: Where do you see your band heading in 5 years?

STATE OF ILLUSION: To a city near you! We are working towards radio play, touring, etc.!