Interview With Root Zero – Heat 2 M2TM, Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff 15th March 2024
Let’s start with introductions. Who is who and what does each person do in the band?
We’ve got our lead vocalist Sasha Bannister, Llyr Williams and Dan Wood are our two guitarists, Rob Edwards is our bassist, Giacomo Fiderio is our keyboardist and co-lead vocalist, and Josh Powell-Gibbs is our drummer.
Where are you from and how long have you been together?
Half the band is from England and the other half is from Wales. Most of us knew each other when we went to Aberystwyth University, although this lineup didn’t form until we all moved to Cardiff between 2019 and 2020. Dan and Rob are our newest additions, joining in 2021 and 2022 respectively. I (Giacomo) have been writing music for this band since 2016, and I worked on music with a few different people whilst I was at Aberystwyth. Sasha and I are the only remaining members who were involved prior to us moving to Cardiff.
Describe your music in five words.
Ethereal, progressive, gothic, doomy and melodic.
What prompted you to apply to be part of Metal to the Masses – South Wales?
We were part of Metal 2 the Masses in 2022, although that was only our 3rd ever gig so we were fairly inexperienced back then and didn’t make it past the first heat. We’ve learned a lot since then and we’re hopeful that we can progress further through the heats this time! Playing a festival like Bloodstock would be a dream come true for all of us, but we also love returning just to play with other metal bands in South Wales; we’ve played gigs with some of the bands that were in our heat in 2022 so it’s a good way to get to know the other bands in the area.
If you have played Metal to the Masses before, tell us about your previous experiences and importantly, why you’ve returned!
As I said, we played Metal 2 The Masses in 2022 but we weren’t that experienced back then. We’ve grown as a band since then, literally, and figuratively, so we hope we can bring a more exciting set to this heat.
Bloodstock is a big festival – have you attended the festival in the past? If so, what would you say are the best things about the weekend?
Me (Giacomo) and Sasha went to Bloodstock in 2017, it was a great weekend, with our personal highlights being Wintersun, Blind Guardian, Whitechapel, Soilwork, Ghost, Testament, Megadeth, and Amon Amarth. We were blessed with really good weather apart from the day we left, which meant we packed up a soggy tent, but it was great to stay dry during the festival itself. Also, it’s always nice to be surrounded by likeminded people into the same music!
Apart from Metal to the Masses, what do you have planned for 2024?
We’ve got a new single and a 3D animated music video dropping this month on March 22nd, and we also have an album in the works. We’ve got a few more gigs in our calendar too and we’re always on the lookout for more shows to play.
What can we expect from you in your heat?
We always try and focus on atmosphere in our sets, but there are also plenty of hard-hitting riffs in our music to get the crowd moving! There are a lot of loud/quiet dynamics in our songs, with melodic choruses and some soaring harmonies.
And what are you expecting in your heat and journey through the competition?
We’re excited to see what the other bands in our heat will bring for their sets. We’re friends with the guys in Thrakian and have played with them before, so we’re looking forward to watching them again. Obviously, all the bands playing want to make it through to the next heat, but we’re excited for a fun night as well, and hopefully that attitude will stay the same if we progress through to the other stages.
Finally, where can people find details of the band – promote your socials here!
You can find us on all the usual social media places through our Linktree: https://linktr.ee/root_zero We’re on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Bandcamp and all popular streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music etc.
Where are you from and how long have you been together?
Half the band is from England and the other half is from Wales. Most of us knew each other when we went to Aberystwyth University, although this lineup didn’t form until we all moved to Cardiff between 2019 and 2020. Dan and Rob are our newest additions, joining in 2021 and 2022 respectively. I (Giacomo) have been writing music for this band since 2016, and I worked on music with a few different people whilst I was at Aberystwyth. Sasha and I are the only remaining members who were involved prior to us moving to Cardiff.
Describe your music in five words.
Ethereal, progressive, gothic, doomy and melodic.
What prompted you to apply to be part of Metal to the Masses – South Wales?
We were part of Metal 2 the Masses in 2022, although that was only our 3rd ever gig so we were fairly inexperienced back then and didn’t make it past the first heat. We’ve learned a lot since then and we’re hopeful that we can progress further through the heats this time! Playing a festival like Bloodstock would be a dream come true for all of us, but we also love returning just to play with other metal bands in South Wales; we’ve played gigs with some of the bands that were in our heat in 2022 so it’s a good way to get to know the other bands in the area.
If you have played Metal to the Masses before, tell us about your previous experiences and importantly, why you’ve returned!
As I said, we played Metal 2 The Masses in 2022 but we weren’t that experienced back then. We’ve grown as a band since then, literally, and figuratively, so we hope we can bring a more exciting set to this heat.
Bloodstock is a big festival – have you attended the festival in the past? If so, what would you say are the best things about the weekend?
Me (Giacomo) and Sasha went to Bloodstock in 2017, it was a great weekend, with our personal highlights being Wintersun, Blind Guardian, Whitechapel, Soilwork, Ghost, Testament, Megadeth, and Amon Amarth. We were blessed with really good weather apart from the day we left, which meant we packed up a soggy tent, but it was great to stay dry during the festival itself. Also, it’s always nice to be surrounded by likeminded people into the same music!
Apart from Metal to the Masses, what do you have planned for 2024?
We’ve got a new single and a 3D animated music video dropping this month on March 22nd, and we also have an album in the works. We’ve got a few more gigs in our calendar too and we’re always on the lookout for more shows to play.
What can we expect from you in your heat?
We always try and focus on atmosphere in our sets, but there are also plenty of hard-hitting riffs in our music to get the crowd moving! There are a lot of loud/quiet dynamics in our songs, with melodic choruses and some soaring harmonies.
And what are you expecting in your heat and journey through the competition?
We’re excited to see what the other bands in our heat will bring for their sets. We’re friends with the guys in Thrakian and have played with them before, so we’re looking forward to watching them again. Obviously, all the bands playing want to make it through to the next heat, but we’re excited for a fun night as well, and hopefully that attitude will stay the same if we progress through to the other stages.
Finally, where can people find details of the band – promote your socials here!
You can find us on all the usual social media places through our Linktree: https://linktr.ee/root_zero We’re on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Bandcamp and all popular streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music etc.