One of the hottest acts to take the Main Stage at Bamboozle last weekend was Detroit natives, We Came As Romans. Destroying their set with heavy drums, guitar riffs that can't help but have you playing air guitar along and two wicked vocals that compliment each, the band was only just getting started on their summer tour.

This past weekend I had a chance to sit down with Dave Stephens, the unclean vocalist of We Came As Romans, to talk about playing the Bamboozle Festival, being on tour and the apocalypse.

I'm very nervous but very excited, he revealed to me before the bands performance. I feel like that's a lot of pressure, Dave says of We Came As Romans performing on the Main Stage. But my band seems to do better in a situation like that. We always seem to pull through for it. Were all very excited, all very nervous.

The band hardly seemed to be suffering from nerves when they jumped on the stage, fully captivating the audience's attention, and getting every listening body moving to the music. Their dominating stage presence could have had something to do with their constant touring schedule since the release of their second album, 2011's Understanding What We've Grown To Be.

We Came As Roman's most recent venture touring schedule lead them to the Philippines.

It was the first time I've ever been to a third world country, Dave explained of their show in the Philippines. It was pretty eye opening for most of us. As great of an experience for the guys in the band, the show was also great for fans, with Dave describing it as insane.

For like five American dollars they got beer, they got a meal, they got a t-shirt, a magazine, and they got to see like eight to 10 bands. Something crazy like that.

While being on tour is a lot of fun for the band, it also affects their new music. Dave explained that generally the band works on an 18 month cycle for their records, but sometimes it might be a little longer or shorter depending on our touring plans. Luckily the tour bus provides a place for the guys to throw down idea.

For fans who can't get enough of Understanding What We've Grown To Be, they can rest easy knowing that We Came As Romans are currently working on writing material for their new album.

We're working on some new stuff which we are all really excited about, teased Dave, But nothing is even completed yet. We more or less started brain storming for it.

Being out on the road isn't all work for Dave though. I have more time to kill on the road most of the time, he explained about their touring schedule. I work out a lot more on the road than I do when I'm at home, which you think would be the other way around.

Dave does get down to business though before performing, having a pretty strict pre-show ritual. Typically I try to hydrate as much as possible. I try to drink a lot of water. I sound better the more hydrated I am, said the unclean vocalist. After listening to him scream the lyrics at their Bamboozle set, I can understand the need to stay hydrated. Besides hydrating for endurance, there is more to Dave's pre-show rituals. I eat a meal three hours before and avoid any carbonated beverages all day until I play. I avoid really sugary drinks and caffeine. I just avoid food and drinks and stuff that mess me up a little bit. I also start warm ups about an hour before, he said concluding his pretty serious list.

Keeping on the subject of serious matters, we turned our discussion to the apocalypse. I hope to believe that it's not true, he said, stating that he feels that an end of the world prediction comes a little too often. Even though he's not ready for the end of the world (as are many, many others I assume), he does have a plan of attack if zombies took over.

If it was zombies, real zombies, he says after thinking about a 28 Days Later type of zombie apocalypse. I'd probably want some kind of silence rifle, Dave laughs, and then adds, and then like a sword or something.

For the few that didn't get a chance to check out We Came As Roman's head banging set at the 2012 Bamboozle Festival, you have a chance to catch them this summer on the Scream It Like You Mean It 2012 tour with fellow Bamboozlers Texas In July.

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