Punktuation-What do you guys call yourselves?
Other then calling ourselves things like idiots and stupids we are theoretically and I guess pretty generally known as Reversal Of Man.
P-AKA?
ROM-I guess the AKA of the group is that we are Matt, John, Jeff, Dan and Chris. If that is the artsy kind of cornball answer you were fishin for that is.
P-Where do you reside?
ROM-In Tampa Florida by way of Orlando Florida.
P-How do you feel about the scene there as compared to other places you've been?
ROM-I think it's all pretty similar in the scope of things. There's plenty of in fighting and the "cool" kids and the nerdy emo kids and the boring crusty geeks and the metal masquerading as hardcore kids and the incestual dating aspect that most scenes everywhere has in their roster of things you just gotta do if you are a large group of people. It's all pretty similar to the hierarchy of high school.
P-How would you describe your sound?
ROM-Four on the floor rock n roll, but I guess just your basic noisy hardcore band.
P-Give a description of your history:
ROM-Well John and Matt started the group years and years ago with three other gentlemen which they disposed of and got three other gentlemen who soon were relieved of their positions as instrument players and then got Jeff, and Dan and myself somewhere throughout all the quitting of the other band members.
P-What are some of the highlights during that period?
ROM-Really I guess that's not a question that I can answer. But I'm pretty sure that someone would say making music and travelling with your buddies and meeting new people and having a good time and other things that sound like that.
P-Any specific show that stands out in your mind?
ROM-All the shows that we played with Combat Wounded Veteran cause they are really funny.
P-What was it like touring through Europe?
ROM-I actually wasn't in the band at that time. But from what I gather it was quite an amazing experience for the boys.
P-Is the scene different there from North America?
ROM-I see that a lot of the kids in Europe are more down for being serious about the politics that they mouth off about, where in America it seems more like armchair revolution and Chomsky lip service.
P-Why did you guys nearly break up?
ROM-Well at some point on tour, two members had to leave, one for negative reasons and one cause touring is pretty tough on him. So the band had to hoof it as a three piece for like IX weeks, which was a mangling experience but something that made them a more tight knit group of individuals.
P-What was it that kept R.O.M. going when there were talks of breaking up?
ROM-Realizing that they could actually pull it off and still be on the crazy tour that had been booked. And also I think friends.
P-What recordings have you guys put out?
ROM-Lots, but the exciting ones right now are the Revolution Summer 10"/CD, This Is Medicine LP/CD and the soon to be out split something with Combat Wounded Veteran. Exciting! We love them!
P-How do you think your music has changed from your beginnings?
ROM-Well from an outsiders point of view, in the beginning there was a lot of Groundwork and Frail influences and now it's all been very removed from that form of music and is currently being drawn from the very eclectic tastes of all the nerds in the band.
P-Do you think there are any bands that are pushing the limits right now, or who we should watch out for?
ROM-I actually don't think that there are bands that are pushing limits in hardcore currently...Well musically anyway..I think you gotta go into some experimental areas for that like The Flying Luttenbackers or The Ruins or other things that are not always hardcore related. The only really exciting bands that I can think of recently that were amazing and doing something different in a very small working space were Palatka, In/Humanity and My Lai. All those bands were amazing but all are deceased and in newer bands that aren't as exciting. Or so I think.
P-What do you guys do in your free time?
ROM-Work a lot or go to school or build stuff or read or watch movies or practice.
P-Do you guys have any unique traditions or rituals while playing a show or practicing?
ROM-We are not a black metal band.
P-How is hardcore music important to each and every one of you?
ROM-I don't think it's the music that has stuck with us as people, it's more the ideal of DIY and all the other junk that goes with it that has got a good hold on us.
P-What do you guys plan to achieve in the future?
ROM-To tour a lot and have fun and to convince Davy that he needs to shave that eyebrow and to get his taste bud back on line.
P-What might somebody who is unfamiliar with Reveral Of Man expect when seeing or hearing you?
ROM-That we are all cute and that we sound like this: ODFSDEROEDKPEESDPIROIROEROWOPDDKKIWOIIAAAAAARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! live.
P-Any final words of wisdom?
ROM-You are a gentleman and a scholar and that wasn't being gender specific at all cause that's fucked up. Thanks for the interview sweety!