Chicago duo Randy Gonet and Tom Miller, together with Slovenian vocalist Marko Duplišak, deliver the modern metal / hard rock debut Edge Of Silence, now available on all platforms
In 1986, a sixth-grader named Randy Gonet brought his guitar to Wayne School in West Chicago for show-and-tell. A classmate, Tom Miller, mentioned he had a drum kit at home. Before long, Gonet was walking to Miller’s house carrying his guitar and a small amplifier. Forty years later, that friendship has produced Edge Of Silence, the debut album from Cease To Resist, released independently on August 21, 2026 and now streaming and available on all platforms.
The album very nearly never existed. After the Chicago band True Witness dissolved following the departure of its vocalist, the intended follow-up to its album The Human Condition was left unfinished. Gonet, exhausted by the work of writing, recording and producing, and frustrated with the music business, was ready to let the songs go. Miller was not. Drawing on a partnership that began in childhood, he pushed his longtime bandmate to see the material through, and the project was reborn under a new name: Cease To Resist.
With the album out I had the pleasure to chat with Randy Gonet on the debut album, the release and much more on Cease To Resist. Read the Interview below.
1. Greetings from Metalheads Forever Magazine. Hope you are doing well. How have you been?
Doing great, thanks for asking! It’s been a busy and exciting year for Cease To Resist. After spending several years writing, recording, and producing Edge Of Silence, it’s been rewarding to finally have the album released and getting heard around the world. We’ve been spending a lot of time promoting the record and connecting with metal fans and media in different countries. We really appreciate you taking the time to speak with us.
2. Your debut full-length album Edge Of Silence was released on August 21 this year. Can you tell me about the songwriting and production behind the album?
Edge Of Silence was developed over several years, with some of the material dating back to around 2018. I handled the majority of the songwriting and production, along with guitars, bass, keyboards, and backing vocals. Tom Miller recorded the drums, and our longtime friend Aaron Czajka co-wrote the music on four tracks and performed guitar on three of them.
I originally recorded demo vocals to establish the melodies and arrangements. After working with several different singers, we eventually connected with Marko Duplišak from Slovenia in late 2023. He did an excellent job bringing the songs to life vocally.
The recording was done independently in our respective home studios, including Marko’s recordings in Slovenia. Once everything was finished, Johan Martin handled the mixing, and Tony Lindgren mastered the album at Fascination Street Studios in Sweden.
It was a lengthy process, but having that independence allowed us to work at our own pace and make the record we wanted to make without outside pressure.
3. Was there a concept or a particular theme the album was focused on?
Not really. Edge Of Silence isn’t a concept album, and we never intended it to be one. Each song has its own subject matter and identity.
The lyrics explore a variety of topics, including relationships, personal struggles, addiction, social division, and different aspects of human behavior. Some of the material is more personal and introspective, while other songs deal with broader observations about the world around us.
Musically, we wanted the album to have plenty of variety while maintaining a consistent identity. There are aggressive, riff-driven songs alongside more melodic and atmospheric material. We’ve never been particularly interested in following a formula or writing songs to fit into one specific category of metal.
4. The artwork portrays a deeper artistic meaning. Can you tell us about the creative work behind it?
The front and back cover artwork was created by Ruben Labarca, an artist from Spain.
I think the darker imagery fits the overall mood of Edge Of Silence extremely well. Even though the album isn’t built around one particular concept, there are recurring elements of conflict, emotion, and tension throughout the music.
For me, good album artwork should complement the music while leaving something to the listener’s imagination. I like the idea that different people can look at the same image and take away different interpretations.
5. Twelve heavy, hard-rocking metal anthems, great songs, and amazing musicianship. An album that bridges modern and old-school metal. As its creator, how do you feel about the outcome?
First of all, thank you! That’s a great compliment, and I appreciate it.
I’m extremely pleased with how the album turned out. It represents a tremendous amount of time and effort from everyone involved, and there were certainly moments along the way when I wondered if we’d ever actually finish it.
I’ve been playing guitar since the 1980s, so naturally a lot of those older influences are ingrained in how I approach songwriting. At the same time, I enjoy plenty of modern metal as well. I never consciously tried to combine the two styles; that’s simply how the music developed.
One thing I’m particularly happy about is that the twelve songs have their own personalities. I didn’t want to make an album where every track sounded like a variation of the one before it.
Looking back, I’m proud that we stuck with it and finished the record on our own terms.
6. Are there plans for an official music video?
We don’t have an official music video to announce at the moment, but it’s certainly something worth considering.
Because Cease To Resist operates primarily as a studio project, and with our vocalist living in Slovenia, putting together a traditional full-band performance video presents some logistical challenges.
That said, there are plenty of creative possibilities beyond a conventional performance video. For now, our main priority has been getting the album heard and introducing the music to new audiences.
7. Speaking of touring, what have you planned for the rest of 2026 and 2027?
At this point, there aren’t any touring plans. Cease To Resist was developed primarily as a studio-based project rather than a traditional touring band.
Tom and I spent years performing live with previous bands, so we’re certainly familiar with that side of the music business. But our circumstances and priorities are different today.
With Marko based in Slovenia and everyone having commitments outside the project, organizing a touring lineup would be a considerable undertaking.
Right now, we’re concentrating on promoting Edge Of Silence and reaching listeners internationally. We’re not ruling anything out forever, but there are no live performances currently scheduled.
8. Can you tell me about Cease To Resist and how it all started?
The story actually goes back quite a bit further than Cease To Resist itself.
Tom Miller and I met in sixth grade in West Chicago, Illinois, back in 1986. I had brought my guitar to school for show-and-tell, and Tom mentioned that he had a drum set at home. Before long, I was carrying my guitar and amplifier over to his house, and we started playing together. Nearly forty years later, we’re still making music.
Throughout the 1990s, we played the Chicago-area club circuit with a band called Conspiracy. Later, we worked together in True Witness, which released an album called The Human Condition.
We had started writing what was intended to be another True Witness record, but after the band came apart, the material sat unfinished for quite some time.
Tom was really the driving force behind getting things moving again. I had become pretty burned out on the entire recording process and the music business in general, but he kept pushing to finish what we’d started.
Eventually, we decided to move forward under a new name, Cease To Resist. What began as unfinished material from a previous band gradually evolved into Edge Of Silence.
9. What have been some of the highlights?
Honestly, one of the biggest highlights has simply been getting this album completed and released after all the years that went into it.
Beyond that, it’s been exciting to see the music reaching people in countries we otherwise might never have connected with.
We’ve received radio support in the United States and New Zealand, along with playlist placements and coverage from independent metal outlets internationally.
One particularly encouraging moment was receiving a 9/10 review from the UK’s Powerplay Magazine for its upcoming October 30 issue. Having someone outside our immediate circle listen to the entire album and respond that positively is very rewarding.
We’re an independent project without a record label or major promotional budget, so every genuine connection with a listener means something to us.
10. How do you see the future of the band?
For the immediate future, the focus is on continuing to promote Edge Of Silence and giving the album every opportunity to find its audience.
We spent years putting this music together, and I certainly don’t want to rush past it simply because the record has been released.
As for what comes next creatively, I think we’ll approach that the same way we’ve approached everything else: make music that we genuinely enjoy without worrying too much about current trends or expectations.
Cease To Resist gives us the freedom to create on our own terms, and that’s something I value. I’m interested in seeing where the project goes from here.
11. Any message for the metal community around the world?
First and foremost, thank you to everyone who has taken the time to listen to our music, share a song, add us to a playlist, or support us in any way.
There is an incredible amount of music available today, and getting noticed as an independent artist isn’t easy. That’s why the people who actively support underground and independent metal are so important.
I’d encourage everyone to keep discovering new bands and supporting the artists who are making music because they genuinely love doing it.
And if you haven’t heard Cease To Resist yet, give Edge Of Silence a listen. Hopefully, you’ll find something you enjoy.
Thanks again to Metalheads Forever Magazine for having us!
Track list
- 01 The Dark
- 02 Edge Of Silence
- 03 Can’t Stand The Fire
- 04 We Rise
- 05 No Man’s Land
- 06 The Rite
- 07 Walk Away
- 08 Loneliness
- 09 Wall Of Fame
- 10 Identity Crisis
- 11 Dragon’s Kiss
- 12 Save Your Life
