1 Up with Wills Dissolve

Wills Dissolve

If you've had it with simple power chord based thrash metal and think that perhaps it's time to get on with something more progressive, then you need to head down to the most progressive state in these United States of America.

Of course, we're talking about Texas.

A state so progressive they have...ok I can't complete this joke, because it's going to be bad, bad bad, but Texas has some great progressive cities like Austin and Houston.

Speaking of Houston, there's this band from that city called Wills Dissolve. Their influences include Opeth, Isis, and Ahab.

Either they're really serious about music, or they're pretentious as hell. Personally, I'm in either way. You should check out their upcoming album, The Heavens Are Not On Fire, HERE.

While you're ingesting those fat tracks, find out how they live their digital lives on...


Glacially Musical: My first system was a pong clone, the yellow and black Odessey 300. What was your first Console? 

(Nick Block) I never had a console growing up. I always used to go over to my friend's house down the street to play SEGA Genesis and N64.

(Branson Heinz) Sega Genesis. First game was Sonic the Hedgehog

(Andrew Caruana) My first system was the original NES. My uncle gave it to my parents for Christmas when I was 4 or 5. Played quite a bit of Mario, Duck Hunt, and TMNT with my dad.

(Shaun Weller) First game console was the NES, although I don't remember it too well. My parents tell me that when I was three that I knew every secret to Super Mario Brothers 3.

When I was five my parents traded our NES for a Sega Genesis, so I grew up heavily on that.

GM: My stepdad was certain we'd destroy the TV playing Pong so we had to play it in secret, either when he was a sleep or when he was out of the house. Did you have to jump through any hoops to play games? 

(Nick Block) I was pretty limited with video game time.

(Branson Heinz) I wasn’t allowed to play on weekends when it was sunny outside. My Dad wanted me to play outside, get some sun, and use my imagination.

I liked doing both so I rarely complained.

(Andrew Caruana) By the time the N64 rolled around, my parents got in the habit of rounding up controllers until my brothers and I had done our chores.

(Shaun Weller) Absolutely not. I was partially raised by my Sega, I just had to have all of my homework done first. I was very good at everything I played too, my babysitter sent me to bed cause I kept beating her at Road Rage.

GM: What about hand held games? Is that something you ever got into?

(Nick Block) I had a Gameboy growing up. I remember my favorite games being Kirby and Darkwing Duck. I play Marvel Contest of Champions on my iPhone now.

(Branson Heinz) Not terribly no.

(Andrew Caruana) I had a Game Boy Color, and a Game Gear. I currently own a Switch.

(Shaun Weller) I got a Gameboy pocket when I was ten, although I played the original gameboy at my grandma's house, and my cousins had the Game Gear. I mostly played Pokemon and the handheld Zelda games, but I eventually got into all the handheld Final Fantasy games.

GM: The idea of not being able to play something drove me nuts, so I started playing games in their original Japanese. Did you ever get into imports? 

(Nick Block) I never did.

(Branson Heinz) Never did.

(Andrew Caruana) I will neither confirm nor deny the use of emulation software to play the Japanese versions of Final Fantasy V and Bahamut Lagoon.

(Shaun Weller) Can't say that I have, there wasn't enough money in my house to get into imports. 

GM: What's your favorite sports game? 

(Nick Block) I used to play the FIFA series a lot. I play the NHL EA games occasionally.

(Branson Heinz) The Madden football games.

(Andrew Caruana) Of all time: NFL Blitz

(Shaun Weller) Definitely all of the Tony Hawk Pro Skater games, up until THUG II. I was not very interested in sports for most of my life, my sister was much more into them than I.

GM: Dragon Warrior got me hooked on turn based RPGs, something that's still happening. What's your favorite style of game and what was the first one you played? 

(Nick Block) Turn based RPGs are great! Heroes of Might and Magic 3 is one of my favorite games of all time. Diablo 2 is probably my favorite game of all time and I played it for probably over a decade.

(Branson Heinz) First person shooters are my favorite. Goldeneye on N64 is, to date, the best video game Ive ever played. The Doom series is my favorite series of games.

(Andrew Caruana) Turn based RPGs are a favorite pastime: the first 10 Final Fantasy games are amongst some of my favorite games of all time.

(Shaun Weller) I really love turn based games, FFVII changed my life when it came out (I still have a copy), and Chrono Trigger is still one of my favorite games to this day. Nowadays I'm going between JRPGs and RPGs, but am really enjoying all of the Indie games coming out.

That creativity is lacking in a lot of the major players these days.

GM: Favorite system? 

(Nick Block) N64. Star Fox 64!

(Branson Heinz) N64 is the one I have the most fond memories of. Goldeneye, Mario 64, Quake, Doom 64, and Star Fox 64 were all my favorites.

(Andrew Caruana) Super Nintendo; so many stellar games.

(Shaun Weller) Honestly, my Xbox 360, cause I have every game released on NES, SNES, Genesis, and Gameboy on it. But I still have my N64 to grind out all of childhood favorites on.