Matt Konfirst
Born and raised in the Chicagoland area, I was strongly influenced by the metal scene in the early 90’s. Some of my most influential listening experiences came from this time period. (Required listening: MEGADETH- Rust in Peace, METALLICA- …And Justice for All & Master of Puppets, SLAYER- Seasons in the Abyss, ANTHRAX- State of Euphoria, DEATH- Symbolic, and PANTERA- Cowboys From Hell) It was during this time period that I formed a band with some friends from high school called Acriminous. (Check out the Music Page for downloadable versions of the whole 1995 Acriminous demo!!!) We were wicked heavy but my interest was pulled towards the intricate parts and song structures of bands like Death and in the Metallica and Megadeth albums mentioned above. It wasn’t a big leap into shred and progressive music.
Instrumental guitar CDs became my passion (More required listening: STEVE VAI- Passion and Warfare & Alive in an Ultra World, JOE SATRIANI- The Extremist, STEVE MORSE- Coast to Coast, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN’s Rising Force, JASON BECKER- Perpetual Burn, JOE STUMP- Night of the Living Shred, JON FINN- Wicked.) Top that off with bands such as DREAM THEATER, SYMPHONY X, KAMELOT and NIGHTWISH, and you’ll have a good idea of where my music is coming from. From 1998-2001 I attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, where I was able to develop my playing, writing and recording skills. I was introduced to classical music, and I became interested in its melodies and harmonic depth. (For cool classical music listen to Bach’s violin partitas and Shostokovich's String Quartet #8 in c minor.)
My first solo disc was released in 2004 and was entitled “An Effigy of Solitude”. This album was an attempt to explore the inner reaches of the mind of someone who was gradually losing focus on reality. (See the accompanying story on the Buy Music page.) The photos used as album artwork were taken in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan at a place called Pictured Rocks National Shoreline. The barren pair of rocks that adorn the cover sit atop a small plateau overlooking Lake Superior. Their stoic appearance seemed a fitting testament to an album based on an individual reflecting on the turmoil within their mind, while keeping a calm outward appearance. The back of the CD case has a photo of a quiet beach that I stumbled across after wandering for more than an hour though a thick, shadowy pine forest. The contrast between the dimly lit forest floor and the brilliance of the sunlight reflecting off the water onto the beach was a metaphor for the striking things you may find if you only take the time to explore…
With the release of “War of Righteousness” the philosophical focus of my music shifted from exploring internal turmoil to the problems that arise when one individual or group of individuals attempt to force their will on another. The disparity between what we want as a person and what the rest of the world wants from us can sometimes be quite drastic. When we accept that there are differences, things tend to run fairly smoothly, but when one group attempts to impose their will on another disharmony ensues. Road rage, school shootings, racism, religious intolerance and wars all arise when an individual isn’t allowed to exercise their own free will. The cover to this CD is a drawing I did myself. An adult and a child stand at a distance from their home. The bombed-out wreckage of buildings sits in an open plain, where the two solitary figures look back with remorse at the destruction of the life they once knew. There is no going back. Their lives have been changed forever. They had live their lives in quiet anonymity, enjoying the small joys that life sometimes brings. As the child stares into the destruction the first seeds of his own intolerance start to germinate, and the cycle goes on…