One of Prosthetic Records latest recruits have been clocking up the miles in a variety of vans on their current tour of North America. Justin Longshore, guitarist from Through the Eyes of the Dead, took the time to tell Room Thirteen about their vehicle mishaps, the origin of their name and which dead person he’d most like to be, alongside the usual stuff about music, touring and influences.

R13: How is the US tour going?
JL: It's going really well other than the van issues we have been having. Our first van had a transmission leak and caused it to go up in flames. Our second van had some mechanical problems and we put a lot of money in to getting it fixed and it still didn't fix the problem.

R13: Did you loose much stuff as a result of this?
JL: We were lucky because the fire didn't spread to our trailer so our equipment was unharmed. We just lost some clothing, CDs, and blankets. Now we are on our third van for this tour! Other than that, the tour has been amazing. We just got back from California and the shows there were awesome as usual. The package we are with, Ion Dissonance and The Red Death is doing really well and they are all really great bands to be touring with.

R13: Did the van problems set you back much on the tour?
JL: I'd say so. It caused us to miss a few shows that we really wanted to play. We are slowly building everything back up and we are getting back on track. We are going to make up for all the shows that we missed on the next tour.

R13: So where have you most enjoyed playing on the tour?
JL: We really like playing California and Arizona. Those have been the best shows on this tour. We are on our way back through the Midwest right now and are hitting up the east coast very soon. We usually do really well on the east coast so we are looking forward to seeing the outcome.

R13: How would you describe your music to somebody who had never heard it?
JL: I would have to say we are a melodic death metal band. We have been described as metal core but I think we stand out a bit more than most of those bands. People like to label you metal core just because you have breakdowns but I think there is so much more to us. Let the listener be the judge.

R13: What do the bands' lyrics talk about?
JL: I don't write the lyrics so I can't really explain the true meanings of everything but I know Anthony writes a lot of stories through his lyrics.

R13: What are you expecting from the release of 'Bloodlust'?
JL: We are working very hard to promote this album so of course we are hoping to sell a good amount of CDs. We hope to gain a lot of new fans with an open mind in other genres of metal with this record.

R13: Do you have any plans to visit the UK in the near future?
JL: Yes, definitely. There have been talks with Prosthetic about going to Europe in the future. I think we are planning to go in the springtime.

R13: Who inspired you to form a band?
JL: Just growing up listening to my favorite bands when I was younger inspired me.

R13: Where did the idea for the band name come from?
JL: A lot of people think it was because of the Cannibal Corpse song 'Staring Through the Eyes of the Dead'. It actually came about when our old guitarist had a conversation about being a mortician and having to stare through the eyes of the dead. At least that's what I think happened, we never really discussed it and he's no longer in the band. I remember we could never decide on a name and that one clicked.

R13: What is the music scene like in your hometown?
JL: There isn't really a scene in South Carolina. It seems to be growing though; we haven't played there in forever. There is a really good band from Myrtle Beach (about an hour from us) called The Classic Struggle. They just signed with Ironclad Recordings.

R13: Whose music are you loving right now?
JL: I'm really into the new Nevermore and Hate Eternal. That's what I've been listening to lately.

R13: Is there anybody in music that you have a burning ambition to work with?
JL: We'd like to work with Erik Rutan of Hate Eternal for our next album. We love everything he has put out so far. There are a few others in the talks but nothing set in stone yet.

R13: If you could achieve one thing in the next five years what would it be?
JL: We of course hope to sell a lot of records and get on bigger tours. Playing Europe would be awesome as well.

R13: If you could go back in time and be any famous dead person, who would it be and why?
JL: That's a tough one. I'd have to go with Chuck Schuldiner, I practically worship everything he has done. Death are definitely one of my favorite bands of all time.

For more on Through the Eyes of the Dead, take a look at their website here. or their label, Prosthetic Record's web site here.