MM: The whole scene is way more intense, with way more bands and ground to cover. But it has a lot of stages and it has a whole different vibe to it than the other festivals. We seem to be attracting a lot of new fans and helps us keep growing. It’s a challenge for us, but it's good to try something new.

MCB: Does the idea of not knowing what time you are playing each day frustrate you?

MM: This year, it's been o.k. because we are playing generally between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. each day, since we’re headlining one of the stages. But we played a few dates on Warped last year, and on those dates, we ended playing real early and one night played real late after AFI, as most people were leaving was interesting to see.

MCB: Is it safe to say that Throwdown’s new record “Venom & Tears” (Release Date - Aug.7) is an indictment on the state of the world?
MM: I think so, it's more of an indictment on American society. You take a song like “Americana” and it talks about how ridiculous this society has become with things like reality TV. It has songs like “Holy Roller,” which goes after self-righteous, holier than thou people. It has a lot of themes about this society that I think people can relate with.

MCB: People have said some of the songs such as “Holy Roller” have a sound reminiscent of Pantera. Do you get annoyed with the comparsions or embrace them?

MM: I don’t have that big of an issue with it. I think most people make those comments because of the way Dave (Peters - lead singer) sounds. Pantera, along with Machine Head and Sepultura have been major influences on us. We’re just being very honest with the music and if helps people latch onto the band, then we’re o.k. with it.

MCB: You guys adhere to the straight edge lifestyle. Has that ever been a problem with tourmates who didn’t have the same beliefs?

MM: It's never been a problem on tour, to be honest. We’ve toured with bands like Every Time I Die that definitely don’t follow that lifestyle, but we have mutual respect for those bands and they are cool with it. It’s something that we take to heart personally and believe in greatly.

MCB: Who would you like to share the stage with at Warped this year?

MM: If given the chance, bands like Coheed & Cambria, Tiger Army and Bad Religion. I’ve been huge fans of those bands for a long time.

MCB: What do you think are the key factors for Warped Tour succeeding for as many years as it has?

MM: I think it has to do with the still low ticket prices and seeing a lot of bands and being around different sorts of people than usual. The diversity of it has helped it out a lot.

Throwdown will headline the Ernie Ball Stage at the Warped Tour in Detroit on Friday, July 27^th at Comerica Park. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster. Additional dates can be found at www.warpedtour.com.