The song is called “Silver Lining,” it’s a love song from a father to his son, and even includes sweet lyrics like “My ray of light shine down on me, show me love, I’m nothing without you.” It’s not the sort of thing you ever hear sung in a death-metal growl and backed by fearsome power chords — unless you’ve heard it done by the Jesus Piece.
That song is one indication that the Philadelphia quartet isn’t your usual metal/hardcore band. “It was a bit of a challenge to aim that song in a positive direction,” singer Aaron Heard said this week. “I was thinking ‘Is this too cheesy?’ but it felt good — At the end of the day it’s just a song I wrote for myself and I’d rather write for my own heart than for someone else’s ear. Besides, anyone who knows me would know how much I love my little guy.”
They hit the Paradise Saturday on a package tour with fellow hell raisers Sanguisugabogg, Peeling Flesh and Gag.
Onstage Heard is less of a loving dad than a screaming demon, Rolling Stone magazine recently named him the most powerful voice in current metal. “It took me a few minutes to process that a magazine that powerful would even care about us,” he says. As for his stage persona, “I can probably chalk that up to some meditation that I do before the set. I like to encounter all the negative things I may have felt since the last time we played. And I usually write about things that bother me and that I feel strongly about. I draw those feelings and visceral anger into something that I might be able to channel, to make sure that I’m putting everything I can into it. I want to walk away from the set feeling relieved and feeling like I’ve brought myself to a better place.”
Unlike the early hardcore and metal bands who inspired them, Jesus Piece don’t mind sneaking a little melody or jazz influence into their music. But Heard says they remain true to their roots. “Honestly, we’re not trying so much to take it anywhere different. The bands we came up with were all writing from the heart, trying to put their own personal experiences into songs, and I’m not sure if people do that so much anymore. When it comes to writing I try not to have any specific inspirations but try to keep it as close to my heart as possible. With the new album we didn’t want to reinvent ourselves, just shake things up for a little different experience.”
As for that fearsome low voice, “It’s something I only use for the shows, and I’ve got it dialed in. I love to really sing but I’m not very good at it, so this is a happy medium.” But could he sing a slow ballad if someone forced him to? “Sure, I could sing it. I just don’t know how much you’d love hearing it.”
