When asked who the best band in Atlanta is, this past year I have, on occasion, responded Thy MightyContract. With members of the Blame Game, the Orphins, I Would Set Myself on Fire for You and SIDS, Thy Mighty Contract is truly an Atlanta super group. The music is loud, and their controlled chaos is somehow magically melodic. And who doesn't like to see a girl screaming at the top of her lungs?

While the ferocity of Thy Mighty Contract will appeal to a bunch of teenage headbangers in an abandoned basement party, the musical savvy, obvious intellect and wit, and weirdo cool factor of this band guarantees Thy Mighty Contract a place in the hearts of all types of music fanatics, as long as they like to rock.

Thy Mighty Contract is playing at the Star Bar 05 February as part of Pine's monthly free First Thursday shows. You should go, of course! Club Awesome, Mourdella, Glen Iris, Hawks and 40 Hells are also playing. Fun! Oh, and the name Thy Mighty Contract comes from a Rotting Christ album (we're pretty sure), which is also a bunch of fun in that crazy what the fuck black metal sort of way!

Justin Sias/Pine Magazine: You have members from Blame Game, the Orphins, SIDS and I Would Set Myself on Fire for You, all very interesting and unique bands. What brought you guys together? And what from those others projects do you each pull into Thy Mighty Contract?

Chris Ware/They Mighty Contract:  ...We've all been acquainted for the last ten years or so. Our bands would frequently play together and we existed in the same small scene. Ian(Deaton) and I were wanting to form a 'more poppier' post-Blame Game project and asked if Thomas (Barnwell) and Max (McDonough) from the Orphins wanted to play with them. Thomas was actually wanting to play music that was less poppier than the Orphins, something more aggressive.

We've basically found a comfortable medium which incorporates both of those ideas. We thought about singers for a long time, and decided to ask Lindsey (Harbour) from I Would Set Myself on Fire For You because we thought her style would compliment what we were doing well.

It's quite a mutant mix of backgrounds, but it work wells. We were all big fans of SIDS, so we asked Erin (Carmichael) to play with us when Ian left the band.

JS: Your style seems to range a few genres. If you were to write a sentence encapsulating that hybrid style, what would it be?

CW: Blame Game + the Orphins + I Would Set Myself on Fire for You + SIDS = Awesome.

Black metal tainted indie pop? Agressive catchy indie rock? Someone in Columbia, S.C., called us "Harbingers of Transcendence." Not really sure what it means but we like it.

JS: How has your recent line-up change affected your sound?

CW: We are close knit group of friends now, so there again, that only helps our overall sound. If anything the changes feel like a natural progression in our sound. I'd say our newer songs feel a little more streamlined, maybe more "efficient.” Erin has complimented us pretty well, sort of filing in the blanks in what we lacked. According to our first show with Erin, we sound better than ever.

JS: In your opinion, what local bands are ones to watch?

CW: We are, are you kidding? Hesitant to answer this in the event we leave someone out. How about our other projects: the Orphins and Gold Standard.

In all seriousness, Hawks, the Sunglasses, Hollow Stars, Carnivores, the Liverhearts, the Shylights, Club Awesome, Untied States, Battlecat, Anna Kramer & the Lost Cause, Magicicada (he rarely plays these days but always amazes) probably more. We've all been involved in projects for a while and have a love of local music. Thomas put together an internet radio station of local music. It should have a home soon. We're also involved in hotATLdiy, a wiki devoted to DIY Atlanta bands past and present.

JS: How do you feel about the local Atlanta scene and regional and national attention to it?

CW: Slightly unbalanced, focusing mostly on a single scene in Atlanta, but great to have attention nonetheless. I think it gives bands like Hollow Stars and Hawks (and maybe us as well) through touring a chance to show what Atlanta has to offer.

JS: You are part of the We No Fun crew, right? What prompted you to become part of that project?

CW: It’s kind of compilation representing a long running musical scene that we've all been a part of in various ways for some ten or so years now.  We are all friends and it just made since to document the bands and the music right now, as it's happening. People are in and out of bands all of the time and it was a chance to show their best songs while they're around. This comp will show everyone what our little group of friends can do and this increases our sense of community and friendship.

JS: What is your recording process like/are you working with any engineers in particular? Any plans for a debut release?

CW: We recorded everything but drums at Thomas' house and it was a laid back, fun, funny and non-stressful. A learning experience for sure but it was great to have full control and no time limits. Daniel Upton (the Orphins) helped us mix so it was another project utilizing friend's talents. We finally finished our first full length and will be self releasing it in February.