​Gemini Syndrome: new album ‘Memento Mori’

By Bryan Grob 

bryangrob@hotmail.com

A little over five years ago when Los Angeles 5-piece Metal act Gemini Syndrome stopped at the Nestor Tavern for their 5th show in the region, they had reason to celebrate.

The day prior they’d signed their recording contract with Warner Brothers Records, only a few miles down the highway at the Mainline in Downer, Minn. It came as no surprise to anyone who’d heard the band’s self-released 5-song EP or caught the band live.

A bombastic blend of ethereal beauty and aggressive pummeling, at times within the same track, Gemini Syndrome has created a sound that is uniquely their own. Yet if comparisons had to be made, you would find them somewhere between Tool and Mudvayne.

"Lux," the band’s debut album, was released in 2013, featuring radio favorites ”Pleasure and Pain" and "Stardust.” That, alongside tours with Five Finger Death Punch and Sevendust, put the band on the national map in a big way.

Fast-forward a few years and you find Gemini Syndrome ready to step up to whole new levels. With the release of their new album. "Memento Mori," on August 19, Gemini Syndrome has taken the groundwork they laid out on "Lux," to epic new heights.

Their first single, "Anonymous," from “Memento Mori,” is one of the most anthemic songs of the year, and the follow-up single, "Remember We Die," shows just how deftly the band blends pure melody into their hard rock soundscape.

HPR had a chance to speak to frontman Aaron Nordstrom prior to the band’s show this Friday, that finds them returning to the Nestor Tavern with tourmates 9Electric and locals Shadow Lab.

High Plains Reader: Gemini Syndrome as a band seems to aim to create art that is all-encompassing, from the artwork to tarot cards to your videos. Is it a conscious effort to have them all be a part of the overall puzzle that is Gemini Syndrome?

Aaron Nordstrom: Absolutely. The aim is to connect the music to a visual context as well as a cerebral one; to hear, see, and think about ideas at the same time, making connections between different mediums at the same time.

HPR: The new album, “Memento Mori,” shows the band going to new levels. What went into the new album? What do you hope people get when they sit down to listen to it?

AN: I feel this record is a more mature and evolved version of the band. We have grown through the years as people and musicians and artists, and it reflects in the music. This is a step on our journey and a stamp in this place of time for us. “Memento Mori” is a reflection of the things we have gone through to get us here and a look forward to what we will experience next. It's the middle of the story of life and the universe.

HPR: Gemini Syndrome as a whole seems to really try to get not only a sonic sound, but a sound that shows spirituality and introspection. It is inspiring. When you sit down to write your lyrics, what is it that you try to convey?

AN: I use this as a means to understand my own experience. Part of that comes from observing other people and what they go through and relating my own reality.

HPR: The single, "Anonymous," refers to the Anonymous Movement, and it even got a positive response from Anonymous. What are your thoughts on Anonymous and what inspired you to include the movement in your lyrics?

AN: It certainly refers to the hack group, but I think on a deeper level it's talking about being a community. Being a part of something bigger. To realize that you aren't alone here can mean a lot to people. Any kind of revolutionary thought or action is always questioned and fought against. The Anonymous group happens to be the present representative in our time. Or at least one of them. We aren't saying to be hackers or anything like that. "We are one in the same.” It's a call to recognize your connection with the world around you, your community and society, your fellow creatures. To me it seems like a basic idea, but yet the world struggles with it for some reason. Separation is an illusion, and that's the point of the whole album. Remember that you have to die. We all share that same quality, if nothing else.

HPR: Gemini Syndrome signed your record deal in Downer, Minnesota, a few years ago, and you guys have been here quite a few times. What memories do you have about Fargo and playing here in the area?

AN: We have good memories of Fargo. I remember we all slept on the stage overnight once. That was a unique experience and a fun one. Looking forward to coming back. We have made friends and family there so it's always good to return.

IF YOU GO

Gemini Syndrome with 9Electric & Shadow Lab

The Nestor Tavern, 1001 NP Ave, Fargo, (701) 232-2485

Friday, August 26, 7pm doors, 8pm show

21+, $10 at the door