Let this sink in – having been around for eight years, Asking Alexandria have existed long enough to be elder statesmen of their scene. They were an influential band for Tucson, AZ’s Message to the Masses, who have shared the stage with them and whose Means to an End album came out earlier this year on Artery Recordings.

Here’s what singer Matt Diana says about the band’s cover:

I’ve always supported Asking Alexandra even before the Stand Up and Scream album, and doing this cover is showing my respect to them. All of them are rad dudes.

Covering ‘The Black’ does a very good job displaying my skills. The song is also relatable because I had a very close friend that turned his back on me and his dream. It was a very hard thing to get over and still to this day I miss him.

You can find out what’s going on with Message to the Masses by following them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.