IN the words of Of Mice and Men drummer Tino Arteaga, get ready for a “bonanza”.

The California five-piece are just weeks away from unleashing their thrilling take on the metalcore genre at the O2 Guildhall Southampton.

After forming in 2009, Of Mice and Men, whose name is derived from the famous John Steinbeck novel, have enjoyed prolific success and are one of the most exciting acts on the global metal circuit.

The Daily Echo’s Rory McKeown caught up with Tino Arteaga from his home in California to get an insight into what fans can expect from their show on March 26.

“We are excited to debut new material and show fans what we have been up to,” Arteaga said. “The UK is a territory we enjoy exploring. We’ve played Southampton before and I am pretty sure it was in a really small venue.

“Our shows are intense, in your face fun. People are crowd-surfing but we will be playing in places where there are balcony areas if intensity is not what you are looking for. Everyone at an Of Mice and Men concert feeds off each other and that makes for very memorable shows.”

The band enjoyed widespread acclaim with the release of their self-titled debut in 2010 and released their third album, Restoring Force, last year.

New single Broken Generation was revealed last month along with an accompanying video that is a metaphor for the Internet and technology-obsessed generation.

And just last month they finished a major US tour with rock titans Linkin Park and Rise Against.

Arteaga added: “We have only been a band for six years and we still have a lot to learn. We are going to be pulling out all the stops on this tour and we are excited to bring it to our fans.

“There has not been a time when Of Mice and Men have been stagnant from when we decided to get the band together.

“Our fans will know we will do anything for them.

“If you haven’t got tickets already, get some. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Of Mice and Men appear at the O2 Guildhall Southampton on March 26.

  •  Tickets are available from the box office on 023 8063 2601 or online at o2guildhallouthampton.co.uk.