Review Fix Exclusive: Q & A With MOAM Frontman Mario Galdos

Review Fix chats with Memory of a Melody Frontman Mario Galdos, who discusses the band’s upcoming self-titled album and their goals for the new year as well as their influences and favorite tracks.

Review Fix: How did the band come together?

Mario Galdos: I formed Memory of a Melody in 2008. The band first consisted of Craigslist musicians who were interested in being in a rock band looking to have fun. The goal was to write catchy songs with memorable hooks. Fun became a quick past time when Memory of a Melody won a battle of the bands, which gave us local presence and landed us several shows with large national acts. In 2010, the band’s lineup changed and Wade Sigue and Roel Castillo became both lead and rhythm guitarist shaping what now is Memory of a Melody (or MOAM for short). They went into the studio and recorded the album “Things That Make You Scream” with Gold Record Producer and former Union Underground member Bryan Scott. In the process of recording, Joel Martinez and Robin Lopez joined to become the full lineup Of what is now Memory of a Melody. Together we have broken barriers and plan on continuing the long journey to accomplish our goal, dream, and vision.

Review Fix: You guys have been around for a few years now, what do you think you’ve learned about yourselves as a band?

Galdos: That together through unity as a band we can cross mountains and battle the toughest obstacles. Communication is key in any relationship. Playing in any band including Memory of a Melody is no exception to that rule.

Review Fix: How do you guys think it’ll help you moving forward?

Galdos: It’ll help us achieve the goals we’ve set for Memory of a Melody more efficiently.

Review Fix: What was it like to film a video in Magnolia Hotel?

Galdos: Filming at The Magnolia Hotel was a combination of experiences. We had a great time filming despite how hot it was. It definitely seemed that heat was amplified by the density of the energy the Hotel has. It was a great experience over all and we’re thankful to Erin O’ Wallace for letting us use her hotel. Will Scoville, and Alyssa Onyx were complete professionals to work with.

Review Fix: “Phantoms and Shadows” is a rockin’ track. How was it written?

Galdos: We like all our tracks. Each song has a different process it goes through. Usually inspired by one member and built up, Wade actually wrote the majority of the track. He had the inspiration to write something that pushed boundaries. When the band got together to work it all out it was pretty incredible how quickly and easily the song came together. Once in the studio our producer Bryan Scott put all the sprinkles to take it to the next level. We’re extremely proud of the end result.

Review Fix: What are the various musical influences in the band and how do they play a role in making the band’s sound?

Galdos: KoRn, Deftones, Iron Maiden, KISS, Alter Bridge are just some of the bands that inspire us. We wanted to take the New Metal sound and mix it with the energy and memorability of Classic bands that made you feel good.

Review Fix: For people who haven’t listened to you yet, why should they? How are you different?

Galdos: We have something for everyone, and our energy is uncanny. We have extremely memorable songs that will get in your head for days. Give us 5 minutes of your time. You won’t be disappointed.

Review Fix: What are your goals for 2014?

Galdos: MELODYFEST 2014; Memory of a Melody (Self Titled Album); tour everywhere

Review Fix: How do you want this new album to be remembered?

Galdos: Our plan is to self-title the album (Memory of a Melody). By self-titling the record, we want it to make a statement about who we are and where we plan on taking Memory of a Melody for years to come. We plan on remaining true to the sound we defined in Things That Make You Scream (melodic and memorable), but plan on pushing the limit further. We hope for everyone to remember the melody (pun intended) after this upcoming album is released.

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 14263 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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