Down a flight of stairs, through a bending hallway and into a smoke-filled, backstage room, there stands Dry Kill Logic (DKL) front man Cliff Rigano. The night is Jan. 7 and the setting is Toad's Place in New Haven, Conn., where DKL is headlining a show. The rest of the band, Phil Accursi (drums), Danny Horboychuck (bass) and Jason Bozzi (Guitars) are engaging in various pre-show rituals and preparations. DKL, an up-and-coming "aggressive" band, has just released their second full-length album, The Dead And Dreaming. Sitting down with Cliff, I had the opportunity to talk about the band, the new album, and the state of the music industry.

justArts: Your music is described by some as "uniquely-styled rage." What would you say makes your music different from other bands out there today in a similar scene?

Cliff Rigano: Well, I just think for the most part there is a real honesty with our music. There is no hidden agenda so to speak. A lot of people are in bands so they don't have to work, or they have some sort of delusions of grandeur. For us, we just do it because we enjoy writing music and it's the choice that we made.

JA: The band has been through a lot of changes over the past few years, specifically in the band's lineup and record company. Explain how these changes have affected the new album, The Dead and Dreaming.

CR: Right now the lineup is stronger than it's ever been. Having Jason [Bozzi] on guitar and Danny [Horboychuck] on bass are two of the best additions we could've had, and obviously having two new guys makes the album different. When we split with Roadrunner [Records] there was a lot of pressure to become a certain thing, move in a certain direction, write music that was more about business and less about art. The guys in the band then, Dave [Kowatch] and Scott [Thompson], were at the point in their lives where they wanted to be married and be homeowners, and when you turn 30, 31, those things become important to you. We're all still friends, we still talk. Some things just become more important than being a full-time musician. Meeting Jay and Danny was just a breath of fresh air because they were so hungry and it reminded us that there is still a real legitimate goal and dream here.

JA: Can you talk a little more about the fallout between the band and Roadrunner Records?

CR: Well, at that time Roadrunner had just parted with Island/Def Jam and it was around the time of 9/11 and certain things within the label had changed. Their sort of M.O. of being a label that developed heavy bands over time changed to being more geared toward radio. They saw that was hitting right then and remember we're talking 2001 during this sort of "active rock" push. I'll never forget the conversation when they told us if we write another album it has to be more about business and less about art. We were no longer at a place where that label supported what we were doing. It's business-I get it. It just didn't work for us.

JA: Heavy music, specifically metal and hardcore, has been gaining in popularity over the last couple years and is finally starting to penetrate the mainstream in some cases. How do you think this extra exposure will affect the actual music that these bands are making?

CR: I don't think it will affect the music. The bands that have broken out over the last couple years are bands that have been doing what they're doing for a long time. I think it's good to see the Shadows Falls, the Lamb of Gods, the Killswitch Engages, the In Flames, and all these other bands doing what it is they've always done, and now being in the mainstream without compromising their art for the masses. There is nothing wrong with being in the mainstream as long as you aren't doing that, and to see these bands that I don't see as having compromised anything in the mainstream is great and I hope to see it continue.

JA: Yeah, clearly it's a good thing just because it makes the music more accessible to people who might like it but may not normally get a chance to really hear it.

CR: Yeah, I mean it's different than if you look at the Disturbeds and the Korns of the world. Those bands have been "mainstream" for years and are selling four million records. A band now like Killswitch Engage is selling 100,000 to 200,000 records in the "mainstream." The mainstream shift has gone away from truly accepting the metal in that kind of light but there is still a perception and awareness that those bands aren't compromising their art.