"Music in general is a reflection of society, and, right now, society seems to be addicted to pain."

SONIC EXCESS: Can you tell us a little bit about the background of ADDICTED TO PAIN, prior to recording the EP? I understand you and BOB HORVATH (bass) were in a band before ADDICTED TO PAIN. Was the sound and style of EYESORE similar to ADDICTED TO PAIN?

LEO CURLEY: Yes and no. It's definitely similar qualities, but me and BOB (HORVATH) were the only two guys that came out of that. Vocally, it has some of the same styles from EYESORE. Guitar wise, it's a lot more metal and hardcore. The EYESORE stuff was almost like TOOL. So we definitely are a bit more edgy and heavy than EYESORE.

SE: Upstate has always had a great scene, from hardcore to death-metal. Is ADDICTED TO PAIN a good representation of what’s going on up there now?

CURLEY: Yeah, as far as the hardcore metal type stuff. Our drummer (GREGORY NASH) is not really a death-metal guy. He has a single kick and is very meat and potatoes. So the death-metal doesn't fit in too much, but the hardcore definitely does. We grew up in Albany, NY. On Sundays is when we used to get all the hardcore matinees shows. So it’s definitely a lot of influence in that direction.

SE: I really enjoyed ADDICTED TO PAIN'S EP, but with only four tracks, it left me wanting more. When can we expect to see a full-length album?

CURLEY: We are hoping to go into the studio at the beginning of the year and finish up our full length with ALEX PERIALAS (producer). Hopefully, we will have that out by the spring or early summer.

SE: I understand ADDICED TO PAIN originally wrote 12 songs, but only recorded four. Will you be using the remaining eight for the upcoming album?

CURLEY: It's possible. We are going to take all of those songs that where left off, as well as all the new stuff we write. The way the process works with ALEX PERIALAS is that we go and throw everything at him, and whatever catches his ear is what we end up doing.

SE: In a new band's first few albums, they are struggling to find that signature sound and chemistry. Was the EP difficult to write, and, in hindsight, would you do anything differently?

CURLEY: The thing with ALEX is that he is a Pro-Tools master. He has been using it since it came out, but he also still has a 48-track board and the outboard gear that you just can’t recreate with digital. He (ALEX) has a lot of old amps and things like that. I actually used an old Marshall head.

SE: ADDICTED TO PAIN has elements of thrash, hardcore and doom-metal. Is this due to everyone’s different taste in music?

CURLEY: Kind of. Like I said, I grew up as a hardcore kid. Our drummer is a real, old school IRON MAIDEN and JUDAS PRIEST type of guy, and our bass player likes anything that is bass driven, like TOOL and stuff like that. So, a lot of different influences have gotten thrown into the cesspool, so to speak. We have that hardcore edge, but we still have that musicality.

SE: During the first few years, many bands are hungry and go onto the stage or into the studio ready for battle. Which does ADDICTED TO PAIN have the most appetite for?

CURLEY: Definitely to get out there and play.

SE: ADDICTED TO PAIN is currently on tour throughout the East Coast. Will a full US tour be booked soon?

CURLEY: We are hoping to. When this started, it was originally going to be a full US tour, but, with business agents and blah blah blah, it ended up getting cut down to two weeks for up here in the Northeast. That’s good, because that’s where we are from. We were supposed to hit the southern tier, but it’s good we get to hit our core.

SE: What does the title ADDICTED TO PAIN mean to you, and what is the band’s musical philosophy?

CURLEY: The name is a whole nightmare. We originally had it real simple. We were just called PAIN, but their where a couple of other bands that had that name. They never had a trademark. So we went out and got one, but it wasn’t good enough for the lawyers. They said we gotta change the name. Eventually, it sort of fell out of my mouth one day. Music in general is a reflection of society, and, right now, society seems to be addicted to pain.

SE: Thanks Leo. Any last words?