Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band. 

 Vocals- Andrew Kohn 

Guitar- Dave Lombardo 

Guitar- Tony Javino 

Bass- Anthony Villani 

Drums- Jonathan “Gunny” Gunther 

For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to Allusions? How long has the band been around? 

 Jonathan "Gunny" Gunther: Typhon Rising (2012-Present), Ashes In The Sky (2017-2018) & Allusions (2018- Present).  

Anthony Villani: Eternal chaos (2014-2015), other unnamed projects, Ashes in the Sky (2015-2017) 

Andrew Kohn: Iodine Skyline, Forging The Truth, At Most Fear, Ashes In The Sky & Allusions. 

What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before? 

The name Allusions was inspired due to the overall writing style we have. It originally comes from the planned title of Ashes in the Sky’s sophomore album, the tentative Allusions of Suffering. 

Everything we write has an explicit purpose, but the way that purpose is portrayed is purposefully vague. We do this so that the listener can twist the meaning behind the song to make it unique to them and their experiences / situations. It’s one thing to tell someone a story, but it’s quite another to share an experience with someone. We all have our stories, and Allusions provides a platform to share our experiences in a manner that makes it personal to the listener as if we wrote it with them in mind.  

Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you think these topics will change over time? 

 We all put in different aspects to the writing process. On a few occasions Dave and Tony will put in ideas for drum patterns and I'll try it out and then put my own twist on it. I've put in ideas for guitar riffs as well. Andrew has written amazing lyrics to the new tracks; some lyrics are even written prior to the music even being laid down. Andrew has the skill to figure out what lyrics fit what song, and then BOOM! A masterpiece is born.  

What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making? 

Gunny:  "Bullet For My Valentine, After the Burial, Motionless in White, Killswitch Engage, Linkin Park, Static X, Korn, Adema & Slipknot." 

Andrew Kohn: "There are too many to create a comprehensive list of all of them! We listen to a ton of different bands and styles across various genres from several different time periods! The best way to explain it is simply that we have traditional roots and branches in every direction. We are inspired by metal pioneers such as Pantera and Metallica, but our tastes show within our instruments of choice! You can hear anything: Killswitch Engage, Parkway Drive, Korn, Linkin Park, Bullet For My Valentine, Trivium, Lamb of God, As I Lay Dying / Wovenwar, and even Memphis May Fire or Miss May I. Truthfully, you never know what you’re gonna get in an Allusions song, because we don’t always know what’s gonna happen ourselves!" 

Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band? 

Gunny: "Linkin Park. Chester Bennington was the biggest inspiration to me in music. And listening to his work has inspired me to make my own mark on music." 

Andrew Kohn: It’s close, but I’d have to say it’s four different bands. I would be torn between Linkin Park, Avenged Sevenfold, Breaking Benjamin, and Slipknot. Each had their own unique style that would be hard to replicate for all the right reasons and worked well for them. Once I started watching them perform on YouTube videos and I saw the energy both from them and the crowd, I instantly wanted it. More than anything in the world, I wanted to be a singer in a rock band. I started playing in bands when I was 14 and have been involved with rock and metal ever since.  

Anthony Villani: "Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s live shows are a big inspiration, on top of Billy Joel, Metallica, Breaking Benjamin, Van Halen, Eric Clapton, etc and their ability to write music that just resonated with me 

What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, ect … 

Gunny: "Stretching is a big part. Playing constant double bass patterns can get your legs cramped up pretty bad. Now what pre-show ritual would be complete without a flexing season in front of a mirror? Let's be real now. Getting in the “Zone” Which to get to that zone involves; many beers, listening to a good pump up song, and hyping up my fellow band mates." 

Andrew: "I developed the habit of soaking my head with water after feeling like I was going to overheat before one of my first sets. It calmed my nerves and gave me a second to breathe. I also like to stretch and jump around a little while warming up my voice." 

Anthony Villani: "A little bit of stretching. Used to do calisthenics but, as in life in general, been slacking on my fitness."   

What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far? 

Gunny: "The biggest highlight would be the turnout for the Music Video shoot at Blackthorn 51 in Queens. The crowd was engaging, they were moving, they were moving each other across the room, it was one of the best crowds to date." 

Anthony: "The release of our debut single “Nightmare” because of the positive response it's received."  

 If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why? 

Gunny: "Linkin Park. They are my biggest influence and being able to hang out with your favorite singer sounds like a good time to me.  

-Slipknot: If you had a chance to see that kind of energy on stage every night, would you pass that up? Didnt think so. 

-Static X: Wayne created his own Genre (Evil Disco). I think I could learn a lot from him as a musician and as a creative mind. Plus I wanna know how he kept his hair like that. (RIP Wayne) 

-Lamb Of God: Nuff said." 

Anthony: "Metallica, because Metallica, Breaking Benjamin due to just loving their music, Trivium and A7X because they are just phenomenal performers and big influences." 

Andrew: "If I could tour with any band, I would choose the group of bands I mentioned as the bands who got me into rock and metal: Linkin Park, Breaking Benjamin, Avenged Sevenfold, and Slipknot. Not only are they why I’m a musician today, but they are well respected and put on a hell of a show. It would be amazing to learn anything from any of these bands!" 

Is there anything else you would like to add? 

Gunny: “We are here to kick ass, and chew bubble gum. And we are all out of bubble gum”-Roddy Piper