Ryan Clark: The feedback has been overwhelmingly good so far. We're very pleased with how it's been received. We're extremely proud of the record, so it's nice to know our fans are truly appreciating it.

Ryan: It's hard to say where my artistic inspiration comes from. I'd say that my desire to create something that I haven't heard from anyone else is definitely a driving force. I've been underwhelmed with modern heavy metal for quite a few years now, so I have a longing to create what I want to hear.

Ryan: I would say the overarching concept is an unapologetic look at Christian faith in the modern age. In an age that consistently grows further and further away from the core ideals and beliefs of the Christian worldview, this album is about being steadfast in those beliefs, despite adversity or popular leanings. That's really where the album title comes from.

Ryan: The songwriting has always been the same. I write the songs, and when we get together to record, we make subtle revisions/additions/etc in order to fine tune them. I want everyone in the band to feel fulfilled in their respective roles, but the songwriting role has been mine since the band's inception (for the first four records, it was both my brother Don and I). The only blatant exception are the guitar solos, which are all written and performed by Patrick.

Ryan: Well, being the core songwriter, the songs are always going to have my fingerprints on them. There are more subtle aspects that you hear changing throughout the years (drum style, guitar solos, etc.), but the overall vibe and style of the music stem from my personal inspirations, and those are unchanging for the most part.

Ryan: I always call Aaron the "6th band member" in regard to the recording process. His input has really helped shape the Demon Hunter sound over the years. All of those little details you hear in the songs--the cool little keyboard parts, programming, anything like that--are all his doing. Additionally, he's a priceless asset when it comes to vocals. He really brings the most out of the melodies and harmonies. He's helped me completely re-write melodies, or bring parts to life with harmonies I would never have considered. He understands the band like no other producer could.

Ryan: It was a combination of things that led to the lack of guests on this record. For one, I was very down-to-the-wire with writing the songs and getting everything prepared, so I didn't have much of a chance to think about this aspect. Furthermore, I feel like we kind of hit the pinnacle on our last record, so it's hard to know where to go from there. Speed Strid (Soilwork) and Christian Alvestam (Misteration, Ex-Scar Symmetry) are two of my favorite current day vocalists.

Ryan: I hope that we're seen as the guys that are still writing great music and standing true to our beliefs. Like I said, there's a lot of modern heavy music that I can't really relate to, so I'm hoping our music really reaches people that feel a connection with what we do.

Ryan: This is a different tour for us because we've never done anything quite like it in the past. It's a bigger bill, and more of a "full day of music" type of tour, which is cool. We're friends with the Emery and Sleeping Giant guys, and we know a few of the other bands pretty well, so it should be cool to hang out with everyone. More than anything, we're just excited to play this new material!

Ryan: Thanks for the support! Come out to a show and give us a shout!

Demon Hunter's True Defiance is available now!