Metal Army America spent some time chatting with Michael Gilbert, guitarist and songwriter for American thrash metal legends FLOTSAM AND JETSAM. The band is hard at work on their forthcoming album, Ugly Noise due out later this year. They are using a unique platform to produce and deliver their new album, using the social media crowd-sourcing channel Pledge Music to bring their music directly to their fans. Michael shared with us the thought process of using this means to make an album, the state of the music industry in 2012, the progress of making new music as well as a few surprises sure to raise some eyebrows and open some ears.
Metal Army caught up via email with GRAND MAGUS front man JB. The band has an excellent new album out, The Hunt, their first for Nuclear Blast. JB is never shy about his feelings on many topics and it was cool to touch base with him about what is going on with the band.
MAA: Please tell us about the writing process of The Hunt?
JB: The Hunt was a bit different than our past records because of the drummer situation. We knew that Sebastian (Sippola) as going to leave the band so we needed someone else to play on the album. At the same time we had tours booked that Sebastian had committed to do, so we couldn’t just bring in someone new for the writing. Anyway, three of the songs were written – jammed together- by me, Fox and Sebastian. The rest were written mainly by me and some by Fox and me.
MAA: The sound of the album is very crisp and analog sounding. What did you do in the studio to achieve that balance?
JB: Nothing special, just avoiding all kinds of triggers and sound replacements. All you hear on The Hunt is miked up drums and cabs, nothing else. I guess that makes it sound more analog, because it is, haha! Seriously, it’s weird to me that so many have reacted at the sound, that kind of shows how crazy the current standard of sound is. Super compressed, all replaced and streamlined to the max. This is something we wanted to avoid. The Hunt is meant to be played loud on a proper stereo. I guess this is not that common anymore.
GRAND MAGUS.
MAA: What has Ludde Witt (SPIRITUAL BEGGARS) added to the writing process since joining the band?
JB: He hasn’t really had a chance yet, like I explained above. He certainly contributed with his drumming on the album, that’s his vision entirely. On the next album, I’m sure he’ll be part of the actual writing too.
MAA: The band have always had such a classic early metal sound. After ten years do you think people have caught up to the sound of the band?
JB: Yeah, it’s about time too, haha!
MAA: Your vocals seem to be more powerful than ever lately. Who are some of your influences as a singer?
JB: RJD (RONNIE JAMES DIO), DAVID COVERDALE, ERIC ADAMS, ROB HALFORD…. You know, the classics… also JOHN LAWTON, PAUL RODGERS… too many to mention really, haha.
MAA: Tracks like “Valhalla Rising” and “Son of the Last Breath” really tell great stories. What was the inspiration behind these songs?
JB: Personal experiences in both those cases actually. I’ve always tried to follow the Scandinavian story telling tradition in my lyrics. The Hunt as a whole deals with man’s relation to nature in general and The Wolf in particular.
MAA: What are the touring plans for the near future?
JB: We’re doing festivals in Europe this summer and then we’ll tour in the fall. We’re actually doing our first transatlantic gig ever in the fall: we’re going to Calgary, Canada. Hopefully we can do some US dates within the near future as well.
MAA: Sweden is always known for so many great bands. Who are your favorite bands among your countrymen?
JB: BATHORY, UNLEASHED, DISMEMBER, ENTOMBED, MARDUK, NIFELHEIM, DISSECTION, WATAIN… there are more… Swedish metal bands in general are excellent players and songwriters I think.
Metal Army spent some time chatting it up with PRONG front man Tommy Victor regarding the bands’ new album Carved Into Stone (Longbranch Records/SPV). Tommy is never one to hold back on any topic, so he candidly shared his feelings about the band, recording, past successes and failures, other notable projects and people he’s worked with and a look back his career.
MAA: Please tell us about the making of Carved Into Stone.
TV: It was a long process. It started about two years ago writing the material, maybe even longer than that. I had some stuff on my computer I was fooling around with out of the initial five songs I started with, maybe one little part made it on to the record. Tony (Campos) came in and we did a couple of tours together, we were writing on the road together at Motel 6′s or what have you. Then we made a demo with Alexi (Rodriguez). We got up to fourteen songs and then up to twenty-five songs and more demos. We did a last pre- production demo before we did the actual recording, kicked a whole bunch of songs out, rearranged somethings in the last ten days before we went in the studio with Steve Evetts. We knocked out twelve basic tracks, eleven made the record. From twenty-five songs completely written down to eleven on the album! In the studio everything was done on the grid, like it was done back in the 90′s where we just played it live, all the basic tracks. It wasn’t a computer record at all. There’s no samples, no drum replacement, no quantizing, no cut and paste on any of it. It was just preformed. That’s what was so grueling for me. I was working on MINISTRY records where you’d lay a riff down and they’d cut and paste it a couple of times, ya know and bam bam! That why people have been doing since people started using Pro Tools and digital technology. Steve had me play every little thing, it was all dialed in precisely, the solos were designed, there was no improvisation. Same thing with the vocals, they’re completely doubled exactly and harmonies done without the use of Melodyne, etc.
MAA: What’s it like working with Steve Evetts?
TV: He’s an extremely hard worker and I needed someone like that to kick me in the behind because I’m getting older and stuck in my ways and he directed me to be more clear with the vocals and that was one of the big main reasons we got him for the work he’s done. I was really impressed with the vocal sound and the way he was able to get great performances. At first I thought he was a lot of using technology to do it but he was like ‘No! I get the guys to sing this stuff, the way it is’. I was like ‘Oh wow! Ok he’ll take a crappy singer and make him sound golden. I’m not saying I’m a crappy, but I needed work and he was great on that aspect of things. I knew he could get the guitar sounds and drums and the actual sounds together. Until we actually got in there I didn’t know how he was doing it. Everything was done outside the box. The only difference between then and back in the 90s was its on a hard drive rather then tape. Other then that everything was external and done really pure. Having a little bit of engineering experience, I really appreciated that. We talked about that right before we went in. He’s done like ninety records and his repertoire is unbelievable. We needed somebody broad based. He’s worked on THE CURE to THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN it’s just a broad base of that. He’s unbelievable. He’s a genius all business it was strict work. I’m not saying it wasn’t fun, but it was really hard, strict work.
PRONG in 2012: Alexi, Tony and Tommy.
MAA: You have been critical of your own output at times. How does this new album stack up to the history of PRONG?
TV: I thinks its one of the best ones, I mean it doesn’t have the cutting edge impact that Cleansing did where we were going in a new direction for heavy music in general. It isn’t anything ground breaking, but I think it’s up there in the quality of songs are up there with the best we’ve ever done. That was important for me. I wouldn’t know where to start to try to break any ground anymore, it seems like everything’s been done. So with that in mind, it was a matter of just getting the best songs we could possibly put together in reflection of the previous PRONG records, without going off in a complete different direction like we did with Scorpio Rising for instance. Where I think it failed, it wasn’t the right time. We didn’t work at it as hard. I just had a batch of songs I was just fooling around with. This wasn’t like that. This was much more intense. We put the work in and let the chips fall where they may. I feel this is one of the most hard working efforts I’ve ever done as far as PRONG goes. As far as anything really.
MAA: Carved In Stone has a lot more thrash feeling and a lot more lead guitar playing on it. Was that a conscious decision?
TV: It was conscious decision. I felt if the solos meant something or were designed properly, that was something I had the energy to work on. I was never been the kinda guy that practices and sits around figuring stuff out. It’s just been when I’m forced to do that like learning like with either MINISTRY: Mike Scaccia’s guitar parts or in DANZIG: with Glenn, John Christ and Todd Youth’s parts. I felt my chops got better. So I was able to do some solos that weren’t a bunch of noise or something that was completely off the cuff. I didn’t wanna do that. We had the option to design some solos that were precise that are actually part of the song, again. I wanted it to be a guitar record and a song record, rather then relying on haphazard routes like loops or other things to get more dynamics.
MAA: Between your work in DANZIG and MINISTRY would you say one or either have a reverse influence back to your work in PRONG?
TV: Not at all! PRONG is a completely different entity, it’s its own mindset. I don’t really listen to a hell of a lot of stuff. It all comes from the heart, really. I’m not out there scouring the charts or delving into countless hardcore metal records to find influences, I don’t have he energy to do that. I’m not being a snob, I just don’t have the time and energy to do that. I don’t want to do that or bring in any other project I’m involved in. I worked on the last two DANZIG records and Glenn has his own way of arranging stuff. Then with Al, I mentioned with his process, is highly computer oriented and I didn’t wanna do that either.
MAA: Where do you get your lyrical inspirations from?
TV: I think its in personal troubles and a way of coping. I try to find a way to deal with emotions. Then I have opinions too, so its a combination of those two things. There’s also some strict writing on this album, which is more like story lines. Like with the single, “Revenge Best Served Cold”, that is something completely outside. The title track also has a universal element to it where I feel there’s an external power that enables PRONG to still survive. Some outside force that is from the future, from the present and the past. Something paranormal. Then you get the angry ones like list of grievances. Then you have a song like “State of Rebellion”. I have a close friend who’s always talking politics with me. I try to leave these type of things to my songs a little bit. But when I’m hanging out or something I just don’t wanna hear about it. Let’s just ‘watch the game’ and shut the fuck up!’ That’s what that’s all about. I’m over it, ya know? I’m old school. I was brought up to never talk politics or religion with people. I’ve learned the hard way not to do that. (laughs) It’s not necessary.
Know your history.
MAA: Looking back did you know at the time that Beg To Differ and Prove You Wrong were going to influence so many other bands?
TV: For years I didn’t really see that. People have been saying that for a long time, its mainly people in the press. We’ve toured with younger bands, I don’t wanna name names, but the attitude we got was ‘Who the fuck are you guys?’ I mean completely unfamiliar with PRONG and didn’t like us. I almost feel like I’ve gotten more of that attitude out there then any congratulations. But on a personal side, I had to re-investigate the early PRONG records recently and I listened to Beg to Differ. I haven’t heard it in years! I was like ‘oh my god!’ How did this thing come about? It’s bizarre to me. I don’t know how that really came together like that. It’s like that song “Carved Into Stone”. It was something outside myself made that happen. I have not a clue! I wasn’t even really playing guitar that long when PRONG did that record. Its bizarre to me the things that go down. It wasn’t even calculated. On a personal level, I’m happy with the discography, but it’s not like I go down the street and people are ‘Oh Tommy!” I don’t hear it that much. It’s mainly press people, but other bands, they either don’t recognize it or they don’t know. If anything about the past, like when I was forced to re-investigate Beg To Differ, I just kinda of zap it into the void. Like anything in the past, I think everyone needs to do that, its like a personal psycho-therapy in a way. It’s all good. I don’t have any bitterness towards anything, maybe at one time I did. It’s been so worn out, I just have a different attitude about that stuff.
Long running Goth metal masters MOONSPELL have an ambitious new release which is the double album Alpha Noir/Omega White out on Napalm Records. Drummer Miguel (Mike) Gaspar caught Metal Army up to speed on why it took so long to make the new record, how the band approaches recording, their love of Peter Steele (RIP) and TYPE O NEGATIVE, other influences- metal or not and the state of the metal scene in the bands’ native home of Portugal.
MAA: Please tell us about the writing and recording of Alpha Noir/Omega White?
MG: Many thanks for the interview let’s do it brother ! This album was very different from all albums in the past due to the time, four years apart from the Night Eternal. We never took so long to put out an album. The success of the previous album also kept us on the road quite a bit. So we did not want to rush things and just let things flow naturally. In the begging process we had no idea we would release a double album. In reality this was more of a concept that would enrich our composing skills dividing them in half. We would write heavy songs on some days an others would go more into the Gothic style more melodic elements. Benny Ritcher came from Germany three times during the four years to help us out with all arrangements. Never had worked with him and found a new understanding. He really felt like a member of the band with a lot of enthusiasm to work until late hours just to get the songs right. It was strange to work with someone younger than us never happened before. He was like a little brother full of talent and skills that impressed us and contributed a lot to this magnum album.
MAA: What is the concept behind each part of Alpha Noir/Omega White?
MG: Alpha is more like a battle until the end in an arena full of blood, passion and determination. In the arena there is no time to play around our you’ll be killed. You fight for your honor and family paying respect to all those that have fallen before you. This was inspirational for a heavy dark album we wanted no compromises, just the best metal that we could accomplish. With Omega it’s a different story it is the time for the warrior to recover his mind and body. To bathe cleaning the wounds and the soul. To eat and drink celebrating the victories. A time to think and remember one’s family and loved ones, to salute all good things and pleasures so that one day we shall fight again.
MAA: Was the wealth of material the reason of the four year break between albums?
MG: Many reasons took us to have this decision. For one the Night Eternal tours were crazy we travelled all over the word making new fans everywhere and also welcoming back the old. We just had to do all the shows it is for us the main reason bands should exist! You have to do the best shows possible, it is the ultimate experience like no other. There was also the question of which label we would end up on but that became something that we did not want to worry about and just did the albums freely until the end before signing to anyone. We were confident and just wanted to release our best work to date. The acoustic project we did in Portugal called SOMBRA also took a bit of our time. We were 13 people on stage with Cellos, female vocalists and percussionists. It ended up even giving us a push for the Omega White album. One other reason that come to mind is just the fact that we make twenty years of MOONSPELL this year and it would be our ninth full length album. There was no reason to rush things the music could not be compromised so we said the hell with it just take our time.
MAA: It’s been said that the Omega White album was in part inspired by TYPE O NEGATIVE. What about them is particularly inspiring for the band?
MG: Everything we were huge fans from the begging of our career. They were the few bands that incorporated different styles in their music. Going from Hardcore, to Gothic sounds. The deep vocals would make your knees tremble and the lyrics were so intense and dark. They were everything from the street attitude with violence to romantic and sensual atmospheres to emotions that would comfort you on those terrible days that you, yourself wanted to slash your wrists. The identification with this band was brutal in the early years and to our luck did one of their biggest tours in Europe in `96. We became good friends and especially Pete was always on our side, helping us out in everything we needed. He left a deep mark in us. The tribute to him and TYPE O will always feel weak compared to the reality of what a divine band they where and the many that followed them. They will never be forgotten in hearts and in our music. Salute Pete, he was a true gentleman, we miss him a lot and having a song dedicated to him and the past just helps us cope with this tragedy. Hope he´s smiling somewhere and we will jam one day!
MAA: The band worked once again with Tue Madson producing and mixing. What does he bring to the process that appeals to the band more than another producer or producing yourselves?
MG: The pure calmness of his persona is so important to band that is from south Europe and can get a bit edgy and confusing at time. We have no real tradition of metal in Portugal so we had to learn for our selves and many times the hard way. Tue understands us very well and always gives 200% to make sure we are comfortable and satisfied with the results. He has no big ego and really just wants to get the bands idea and sound to the fans. He himself is a huge Heavy Metal fan and played guitar in his own projects. Also, a little bit older making him more like a big brother. Family is the key word when we feel that kind of environment I think we do our best stuff at least at this time in life. We have enough chaos and excitement all year round on the road. Can´t wait to see what we do next together. He just is a wizard with the sound and mixes all our elements without it getting confusing, he can make everything just sound spot on!
MAA: Who are some of the heavier bands inspiring you these days?
MG: For me personally I’m just a huge fan of the 80s. As a kid VAN HALEN and MOTLEY CRUE were bands I loved but as a teenager I got into bands like MORBID ANGEL, BATHORY, KING DIAMOND, SLAYER, METALLICA, DARKTHRONE, EMPEROR, ROOT, CANDLEMASS, but also Gothic stuff like SISTERS OF MERCY, FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM and of course, TYPE O NEGATIVE. So really from Hard Rock to Death and black metal to avant-garde, the name before Goth. I just absorbed so many dark styles of music it just showed with our era in the 1990s were bands like us mixed the styles. TIAMAT, SAMAEL, MOONSPELL, AMORPHIS, PARADISE LOST, LACUNA COIL, THE GATHERING we were all fans and at the same time influencing each other. The use of keyboards and female vocals or just poetic song writing was all a bit new for us and that what excited us the most. It was new and part of our generation. DEAD CAN DANCE was also a band that had so much world music involved it just touched us in a special way, incorporating something so distant in a new form of metal. So I still listen to all this these days, it´s our core inspiration and I think always will be! I have a hard time listening to new stuff, I think this is normal. I will always give a listen to new material from friends or even fans, but it never really sticks like the bands you heard when you were young!
MAA: At twenty years-old, is their a moment in time that stands out to you as the biggest highlight for the band so far?
MG: I would have to say the release of Irreligious in 96. It was our first taste of mainstream success . That album opened many doors in our career and to think that only three years before we released our first demo called Anno Satanae! It was all to quick to even understand and still takes us a bit to recall the reason for so much attention from a band that played very underground black metal from the south of europe. The odds of us being on tour with major bands our album in the German charts, winning new comer of the year in Finland the massive record sails, promotion fans going crazy at shows for us was just unbelievable! It really feels like your living a dream. It all took a lot of work, sweat, pain tears and blood to get there but when we were on the Dynamo main stage back in 97 , before there were Wacken’s, Hellfest etc. playing for 80.000 people, we new that we came a long way and it was all worth it! We even did shows with KISS during there reunion tour with the make up in the 90′s. Their production was insane and we got along really well, they gave us all the conditions to do a good show! But KISS fans are tough so are SLAYER’s’ to that matter, but for some reason we always win them over!
MG: Many thanks, hope to see you soon on the road! Keep it Metal!
(Thanks to Mike Gaspar, MOONSPELL and Napalm Records)
WATAIN front man Erik Danielsson sat down with Metal Army America on their tour bus at the next to last show of the just completed Decibel Magazine Tour as direct support for BEHEMOTH. Erik is on of the most focused, intense and articulate musicians we have ever met and we chatted about many different topics. We touched on conservative attitudes towards the band in the US and abroad, the bands’ career up to now, controversy, the notoriety that comes with critical acclaim, their next album and their new DVD, Opus Diaboli.
(Special thanks to Erik Danielsson, WATAIN and Earsplit PR)
Metal Army had the honor of chatting with music legend IHSAHN recently. He spoke candidly about his new album Eremita which comes out June 19th on Candlelight Records. He graciously discussed the writing and recording of the new album, choosing his many collaborators, the creative process and why some fans will always love EMPEROR much more than the current music he makes.
(Special Thanks to IHSAHN, Candlelight Records & Earsplit PR)
Metal Army caught up recently with the band HUNG at the annual New England Metal And Hardcore Festival in Worcester, MA. The band had just gotten off stage after playing a tight set early on Day 2 and we all piled into their van to discuss how the band came together, their influences and their debut self titled album, which is out now on ReThink Records/The End Records.
Metal Army caught up with MUNICIPAL WASTE front man Tony Foresta recently. We chatted about his bands’ just released album The Fatal Feast: Waste In Space (Nuclear Blast) , how the album came together, how the band approaches song writing and their various influences.
MAA: Please tell us about the making of the Fatal Feast?
TF: The idea has been knocking around since the first album. It was actually a song that was going to be on Waste Em All. We knocked it around. And then it ended up getting pushed back and got forgotten about for a few years. We have always wanted to to a “space” album. I don’t know why we have wanted to do that, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. This one is our venture into space. Any band that usually puts out five albums usually puts out a space album. It’s just something you do. This is our contribution to that.
MAA: Is the album a concept album?
TF: Um, not really. The sound and the style, it’s the same typical WASTE style. There isn’t any hidden, deep message really. Sorry. I don’t know if I’ll ever get a chance to do that, but it’s your typical WASTE record. (laughs)
Tony Foresta leads MUNICIPAL WASTE during their recent tour with GWAR.
MAA: Would you say after five albums the band has making music down to a science?
TF: There is definitely a style there. Nothing really goes said or anything. But you know if somebody one busts out a riff and you hear it and say “that sounds like a MUNICIPAL WASTE song”. If not and then it doesn’t if it doesn’t fit. We’re really picky. We actually wrote about four songs that got left off the record because they just didn’t fit. We didn’t even bring those into the studio. I guess there is a style definitely. If you listen to the band and are familiar with the music you would know. You can tell that it exists. We have definitely axed songs that didn’t sound like MUNICIPAL WASTE.
Ryan Waste knows what's up!
MAA: Can you talk about some of the guest appearances on the new album?
TF: I was really stocked to get Tim Berry. I’m from Richmond and I’m a huge AVAIL fan. The stuff that got me going to shows was that band. Some of my first shows ever, my first hardcore punk shows were AVAIL shows. I was really nervous to ask him. I finally worked up the balls to ask him. But he was really cool and said “Hell Yeah!”. Yeah, he’s a friend of the band. It’s not like we didn’t know him. He lives in the same neighborhood as Ryan. He was like “You guys remind me of THE ACCUSED, man!” which was fucking great because I love that band. And of course John Connolly (NUCLEAR ASSAULT). He’s on the song “The Fatal Feast”. It’s cool that we are getting known well enough now where we feel like we can approach these bands and ask them to be on our record. It’s cool that they were excited to be on our album! It’s awesome!
MAA: Any non punk or metal influences?
TF: The band or group that really got into playing music and really got me into performing and stuff was THE BEASTIE BOYS. When I was growing up I was just really obsessed with the BEASTIE BOYS. Two of my talent shows growing up, one in middle school and one in high school school I did BEASTIE BOYS impersonations with two of my friends. I used to dress up the like them rap over their songs. I really loved them. I loved that there was this band that could rap, but they were really funny and had a good time and they didn’t give a shit what anyone thought. I always admired that about them. I still love them.
Phil" Landphil" Hall gives good bass.
MAA: Do you feel MUNICIPAL WASTE are the leaders of neo-thrash as a style.
TF: You know I hear that all the time. Whenever I read something about us and when I hear it when people talk to me. It’s cool. But when all this shit came around, this revival thing, we were writing our third record. We were almost done writing The Art of Partying. When Hazardous dropped there were a million bands doing what we do .It’s really cool, I guess but we don’t think about it. We don’t think about it. I just wanted to be a thrash band. I would like someone to listen to my band twenty years from now and be thought of as a great thrash/punk band. Like SUICIDAL TENDENCIES or something. I don’t pay attention about the “new wave” of this or that. I just want to write good songs and tour my ass off.
MAA: Is ST a big influence on you? They were for me.
TF: Oh totally! They are one of the coolest bands we ever toured with too. No rock star bull shit there, man. They were so amazing and so good to us. I had never toured with a band that big that treated us so well. They were so good to us and treated us with open arms it was unbelievable. They were like “Come on our bus! Come hang out! Tell us what you need, whatever it is you got it!” They were so hospitable and kind to us, it was amazing. They were the best tours we’ve ever done. We toured with them three times actually. I’d go out with them in a heart beat. Any day of the week.
MAA: Who is the most underrated old school-thrash or crossover band?
TF: You know I hate to say it, but don’t you think NUCLEAR ASSAULT is really a little underrated? I mean, they’re known. Everybody knows who they are, but I feel like they are soooo great. They are such a good band. I really feel like they never got the credit they deserved. There’s a lot of bands like that. I think KILL YOUR IDOLS is always kind of underrated, also never got the credit they deserved. They have some huge fans. They are not a thrash band or anything, but still. Normally I can rattle off a million of these. Bands like ASSASIN and TANKARD. Not a lot of people know about the,. I always feel like more people should know about TANKARD. They are kind of under the radar. And one of the bands that put out the one of the best hardcore albums, like fast thrashy hardcore is this band THE SPERMBIRDS from Germany. It’s crazy how many people don’t know about that band. They are really a hardcore punk band, but one of the greatest bands ever. I think Something To Prove is one of the greatest hardcore albums ever written.
MAA: TANKARD could really be like the grandfathers of MUNICIPAL WASTE!
TF: I agree! 100% man! I will give credit where credit is due. Me and Ryan used to always talk about that. We listen to TANKARD and GANG GREEN and shit like that. Just punk, fun, drinking music that is fast and aggressive!
MAA: If you could host dinner at your house with anybody living or dead, who would you invite?
TF: I would say my grandfather for one, because he died when I was really young and he was awesome. Old relatives and dead friends are always on the list, that’s kind of a given. I’ve met Kerry King before, but I’d love to hang out with Tom Araya, I’ve never hung out with him. I’d love to eat with with Anthony Bourdain, because there would be some good ass food. I’d really like to sit down with Bob Odenkirk and David Cross, because I am such a huge Mr. Show fan. (laughs) I love that shit. That would be really cool to hang out with those guys. Louis CK because we were just talking about him. Bob and David would be really cool. And I’d invite George Bush Jr. so I could poison his food, since the guy ruined our country. (laughs hysterically) That’s about it!
MAA: It’s been really good to talk to you Tony. See you at the GWAR show!
TF: Thank you very much!
(Special Thanks to Nuclear Blast Records and Tony Foresta.)
We caught up with legendary CANNIBAL CORPSE drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz to discuss their new album Torture (Metal Blade). Paul chatted with us at length about the recording process of the new album, how the band approaches songwriting, how he stays tries to get improve his drumming and the legacy of the band.
Torture was released last month on Metal Blade Records.
MAA: The sound of the new record is immense. Is that a result of another magical Corpse/Eric Rutan collaboration?
PM: Yes and thanks for the kinds words about the album. We really just wanted to get a better sound we thought. Every instrument stood out on its own kind of a thing. I think when you listen to it that’s what your getting. The bass sits in so great with the guitar tones. The whole mix and sonically it’s the best of the Rutan three! But I think it’s a mix, Eric’s of course gonna strive and thrive at getting a better sound I believe. And we’re always looking for that as well. So if there’s anything we can tweak or try or do different we will, and try to make it better then the last one. So it’s a bit of magic from everybody here. Magic just meaning we’ve got some great musicians in our band and a great producer to work with to get the sounds that we need to have CANNIBAL sound as best as we can.
MAA: I hear a lot more grooves on Torture versus Evisceration Plague. Was that done consciously?
PM: I think it’s a little of both, but more how the writing went down. If you look at the two albums Evisceration and Torture; if you look at the credits for Evisceration Plague and Alex pretty much wrote 80% of that record. I think it turned out great, but I can understand what you’re saying how it’s a little more proggy in a sense. I think it’s indicative of Alex’s writing most of the material. They are great songs, but he just writes in that manor that’s heavy and brutal, but definitely could have some twists in it to make it a little more interesting in that way if that what you’re going for. Of course we don’t mind that. But when you compare it exactly to Torture, when you’re looking at the song writing credits for this one where you have Alex only writing about 50% of the music, having Pat writing four songs and Rob having three songs in there. I think that makes a huge difference. Because you’re dealing with diversity in the song writing department and of course the three of them are gonna be writing in different manors. That is the way it’s going to be. They have their own great style for CANNIBAL and I think arguably Pat and Rob wrote the best songs they’ve ever written for CANNIBAL CORPSE on this album. Aside from the fact that there’s more of them contributing. Rob has never contributed more than full one song per album has been on with us in the past, aside from some amazing collaborations. So for him to have three is huge! I think that differently those styles of writing a little more groove to it. I think that plays a key. I also gotta touch on when we were recording, if anything about how we recorded Evisceration Plague: we started using a click track for the very first time in the writing process and in the recording process. I think it was a great thing and I think Evisceration turned out awesome. But I think looking back it was such a new thing for me and I didn’t have a lot of time to really get around that and get it in me kind of a thing. Being it was only been a few months we were recording for Evisceration Plague and I think I did the best I could at the time, but man, when we started writing for Torture here and were pulling out the click track again and everything it was night and day in comparison to how both sessions started in that way. And I felt so much more comfortable to be able to do some more things around that click instead of being a little more stiff, which I think Evisceration is in the drumming department. I think that really helps us open up, and really helped me open up. It made the songs breath a lot better and just have a more natural air about them. And exactly makes the songs have a lot more groove going on in this record.
Paul pounds the drums live in 2010. Photo by Return to The Pit.
MAA: You co-wrote all of your five songs on the album with Pat. Why do the two of you work so well together?
PM: Obviously since Pat got in the band and he wrote his first song “Stabbed in the Throat” (from 1998s Gallery of Suicide), he’s not a lyricist. We’re at that point where Alex was writing lyrics and Jack (Owen) was writing lyrics so all the other musicians were writing lyrics, but Pat came in and only wanted to write music. He just didn’t feel comfortable, didn’t want to do it. So I took it upon myself and said ‘Hey dude I’ll write the lyrics’ and for some reason every song Pat comes up with I’m the lyricist for. But if you ask him he’ll say it’s us working together. He definitely knows that I’m gonna end up doing the song justice in that department. I love writing for his stuff and I think on this record as I was saying earlier I think Pat’s songs are best he’s ever written for us. They’re a bit more moody for him, mixed with a lot of the technical stuff he’s known for, but that fact that I’m writing these songs; especially “Followed Home and Killed” and “As Deep as the Knife Will Go”. They just kind of wrote themselves, at least in the pattern department. And then of course your just filling in what the words will be, but he just did a great job writing these songs. I think they’re his best and I’m really proud of the lyrics and they way they turned out in that department as well. It’s a good thing.
CANNIBAL CORPSE in 2012. Photo by Alex Morgan.
MAA: What keeps you motivated after all these years to keep improving as a player and a writer?
PM: I think its weird. To start off I’m think I’m playing better than I ever have. I’m 43 years old and starting back with this band when I was 20 or whatever. So looking back; it’s weird the way things go. It’s just that you mature. For me it’s just fine tuning everything and trying to be the best you can be. For some reason you get a little older and it matters to you a little more so. It’s a weird answer the way I’m thinking. I think I just wanna do the best I can do. You only live once, the band is not gonna be around forever and it’s your dream come true. It’s what you wanted to do your whole life and the fact that you’re able to do it, is giving the most to it. If you’re feeling good and you’re mentally prepared and you really love what you do then you should always wanna thrive to be the best you can be. I guess what I was getting at earlier was I realize that more so now than I ever have in the last say five years, mentally. I don’t know if that’s growing up, getting more mature. Whatever you call it I don’t know. I’ve done a lot to really do what I can do to be the best drummer I can be: sitting up a little higher, working out all the dynamics, changing pedals, what have you. It’s all these little things and really practicing my ass off and wanting to do the best for these songs these guys wrote. They worked so hard as well. So I think if it’s in you, you should be thriving and striving to be the best you can be. I guess that’s where I’m at this day and point in my life and career.
MAA: Have you added any new drum gear to your kit since the recording?
PM: I’m using Ddrum drums now, I was using Tama for a few years. It’s the basic set up I’ve always used. Pretty much at the end of Evisceration since the start of the writing is when I changed. I’m using new pedals I’m not using Axis anymore. I’m using Czarcie (pronounced shar-shee, Monolit Czarcie Kopyto Pedals). They’re these polish pedals and they’re incredible and it’s a huge plus for me. They’re great pedals! I’m very happy to be playing on them. I’m still using Regal Tip drumsticks, but I just changed sizes. There are the new E-X series with their nylon hybrid tip. I’m using the SpeedX and they’re a little bit better than was I was using I was using the quantum 3000s then I went down to the 1000 with the big nylon ball. I did notice a difference it’s helping me in a lot of ways. It’s really helping with my speed. Other than that not a lot has changed other than sitting up higher. Just working on all of the physics part of it to play optimally. I want to tighten things up to be the best drummer I can be. It’s the little things like gear and other things together. Everything came out great so it’s really cool.
The 2012 Summer Slaughter tour will begin this July.
MAA: Any thoughts on the upcoming Summer Slaughter co-headlining dates?
PM: We’re totally looking forward to that. The festival is doing really well. The mix of newer kind of metal with some death metal in there and all that. We were looking forward to that. It should be a lot of fun!
MAA: At this point CANNIBAL CORPSE is almost twenty-five years old. Do you feel duty bound to keep the quality of the band so high?
PM: We’re lucky to still be doing it this long. Obviously were doing something right to the people and the fans keep buying our records and going to ours shows all that kind of thing. Cannibal’s bigger than it’s ever been. We just look at it as we do our thing. But it also comes back to what I was saying about me stepping up doing the things I’ve got to. If were supposed to be a popular band playing some big shows and doing all that stuff, we owe it to the fans to be the best we can be. Like I said, we love doing what we do so as long as were having fun doing it and were able to do it and have the passion for it. We feel we can just keep going for as long as we want. I think we owe it to ourselves and the fans. Hopefully, when people can look back they’ll be very appreciative of what we’ve tried to accomplish in our career: to just be a brutal death metal band that fans can count on. At this point we just take it every day, one day at a time and hopefully forging forward as long as we’re passionate about it, why not? Who would’ve thought here we are releasing our twelfth album twenty-three and half years into being a band and it being arguably the best we’ve ever done.
MAA: Thanks for your time and for the music Paul!
PM: Thanks for the interview! Take care!
(special thanks to Paul and CANNIBAL CORPSE, Metal Blade Records, EarsplitPR and Return To The Pit for the live photo)
Last fall Metal Army caught up with the legendary ODERUS URUNGUS of GWAR. We had the time of our lives back stage hanging out with the former star columnist of Metal Army and talking about all things metal, punk, sex, drugs, rock and roll, politics, celebrities and especially killing sluts. Tragically, guitarist Cory Smoot (aka Flattus Maximus) passed away about a week later. We hung out with Cory at the show and out of respect for him we postponed publishing this mostly lighthearted interview until now. R.I.P. Corey.
Oderus works those bedroom eyes on stage in Boston.
MAA: For people who have never seen GWAR what could a fan expect going to a show?
ODERUS: Well they can expect the best and greatest, most amazing band and tour in fucking showbiz history, the mighty motherfucking GWAAAAR! And our return of the World Maggot Tour. A lot of people thought there was only one World Maggot. We are summoning the motherfucker. We’re gonna feed them into the machine, except their pussy’s. We’re gonna feed up to the pussies. We’re gonna try to tuck their legs under and feed them in. So basically you have a pussy cupcake you just kind of pull out and stick on your dick. Kind of like a brass ring of pussies to pile up on your cock! You pile them up on your cock until there is twenty or thirty of them. Then you know you had a good time!
MAA: What has been you all time favorite on stage “kill”?
ODERUS: My latest victim is my favorite: Snooki! (laughs). Last time we were killing LADY GAGA, but she died so quickly. There was nothing to her. There is so little to her body she basically disintegrated after about thirty seconds. Snooki is such a big, fat walrus of a scum sucking babbling brook of bile. A bitter, bulbous, uh…something else that starts with “B”, um bodylidge or something! With Snooki you can carve on that thing for half an hour and still be able to pull fresh guts. People love it!
GWAR is on tour all spring long. RIP Corey Smoot (Flattus Maximus)
MAA: Slavery has been been banned everywhere in the galaxy, but The Outer Rim Territories. How do you still get away with it?
ODERUS: Everything that we want we get because we are fucking GWAR. We call it the “G” card or sometimes you can call it the “G word”. When you drop that G-word people are like ‘Sorry Mr. Urungus, we didn’t know. Ok, ok yeah yeah yeah.’ It’s the threat of death that the word GWAR implies. You’re gonna do what we we say or you are gonna die. It’s not gonna be a normal death; its gonna be a horrible death. To die in public at a GWAR show? It’s gonna be horrible. But it does look like a fun way to die, to die at a GWAR show. But yeah the G-word gets us everything that we want.
MAA: Why have GWAR been such outspoken commentators of the failed political systems of our planet?
ODERUS: We’ve been commenting on the political system on Earth and it has been so fucking stupid for so long. I would remind the human race again is that in outer space the only reason we have politicians and lawyers is so we can crucify them on the planet of the crucified politicians and lawyers! That is the only fucking reason to have them. And I come to Earth these assholes are running your lives? Fuck! So I have dedicated my lives to overthrowing this power structure, but I guess my crack addiction holds me back a little bit. This tour I decided to ignore them and only kill fat celebrities like Snooki. I think this Occupy Wall Street thing is gonna sort things out for the human race once and for all. I think it’s time this Arab spring sets fire to something in The United States. It’s just a shame that an ally like Muammar Gadaffi had to be sacrificed. He has been a true friend to the United States for years behind the scenes.
Just the looks on the faces of the children makes it all worth it!
MAA: Any chance Bishop will rejoin someday as Beefcake the Mighty?
ODERUS: The original Beefcake was there at the last GWAR BBQ. Yes, we have these hulking armored war suits and sometimes a different life force inhabits that armor. Occasionally these godlike beasts are taken on quests of a greater magnatine. Mangnatine! Did you just hear me try to make a new word there? Magnatine! Yes! It’s like magnitude and magnets together. And it means nothing. So I gave up on it. So, mainly we have suffused a new life force into the Beefcake war-suit. Yes it’s true! During the GWAR BBQ we had both of them at once. The old and the new Beefcake. It really doesn’t make any sense to me. No matter who is in the suit, we have a badass bass player.
Bloody Pit of Horror came out in 2010. GWAR will put out new music when they damn well feel like it!
MAA: How much in Earth dollars does the Whirling Human Death Machine take to keep the blades cruddy and ready to kill?
ODERUS: We try to grease everything in human blood and we run bout 1000 people per night. And I guess it’s about eight gallons per body. So to keep the machine in tip top filthy form it takes about 8000 gallons of blood is the minimum amount required a night and million earth dollars each show. Which means basically if you look at it, you get AIDS. We try to poop on the blades whenever possible.
MAA: Any chance there will every be another GWAR woman like Slymenstra Hymen?
ODERUS: I don’t know. There are so many hot little sluts out there. That is why we are gonna feed them to the World Maggot. See what little fucking whores are out there to possibly suck our dicks. But really no woman is gonna replace a GWAR woman. I’m happy GWAR is an all male outfit now. I’m glad GWAR doesn’t have any women in it to kick my ass and smash me in the face with a mace every time I say something that is not PC. This is a man’s world and GWAR is proving that every night! I know that if Slymentstra was here she would kick my fucking ass, but she’s not. So I will talk shit!
MAA: As much as you say you want to enslave, rape and destroy the Earth, you keep coming back. Why?
ODERUS: Yeah, it’s the crack. It’s as easy as that. When we got the Scumship on Lust In Space and escaped the planet we were so bummed. Because outer space had become so boring. There was no sluts, no air hockey tables, because we really like that and the crack in space was bullshit. Nothing compares to some of my dudes in Newark, NJ. They fucking cook some amazing shit! So it was the drugs, and the metal and the groupies and the sluts. And I kind of created the human race by fucking apes, so you are kind of like my retarded child. I mean you suck. I fucking hate you. I mean you are the best thing out there and that doesn’t make sense. We dig it! It’s better to rule in Hell than not rule in the other place. I think I got that right?
MAA: Will there be more special events like the Crack-A-Thon or the GWAR B-B-Q?
ODERUS: We want to keep doing this GWAR TV thing. Basically the internet is a platform where we can have our own fucking television station. It will be free until we can figure out a way to get money for it. We can totally control the programming. We actually had that for a long time, but it turned out that our webmaster was a complete worthless piece of shit and fucked it up. But we’re gonna get that rolling again. Basically a lot of people say ever since the internet, with everyone downloading everything- it has fucked up the whole music industry. That is true. But it has also given you a lot of opportunities you never would have had. I never would have believed you that eBay and PayPal, and U-Stream would be something a demon from way past Uranus could be on and make a profit from. And with those profits, I buy crack. We’ve become web savvy. We’ve only taken 27 years. It’s not a complete coincidence that you got the internet when GWAR woke up. It’s obviously a gift we gave ourselves so we could exploit ourselves with kiddie pornography. We’ve had sex with animals on camera and made money off of it. Well, not exclusively of each other. We’re working in that direction. We are getting some new shit done and then I realize I am a completely worthless, alcoholic crackhead. I’m lucky to light the pipe much less try deposit any money in a bank account.
It's hard work kicking this much ass.
MAA: Where is the GWAR suggestion box for the next on stage kill?
ODERUS: That is basically the Internet. People are bugging us all the time to ask us who they want us to kill. The winner this year (2011) hands down was Justin Bieber. Is that an indication of how pathetic the human condition has become? I could kill anybody on the face of the fucking planet and you want me to kill him? Fuck! We could have killed Rosie O’Donnell. Actually I would like to see Rosie set up with her face like an archery target because they are basically the same shape, right? You could drop three hundred things into her face and not hit one on the ass.
MAA: What is your favorite GWAR song to play live?
ODERUS: Usually “Sick of You” because it is such a great hit. It’s also because it has that section in the middle where I make up different lyrics. Plus, it’s usually the last song of the night so I know I am only about five minutes away from getting my dick sucked.
MAA: If you had a one unified message for the people of Earth what would you say?
ODERUS: It’s obvious: eat your own fecal matter. For years you guys have set up this entire planet and for years you have been flushing away what is the best source of protein on the planet. We’ve been feeding that shit to the world maggot for years and now we have grown an entirely new World Maggot, World Maggot part two just from eating human feces. There are planets out there that base their whole world economies on their shit. Eat your own poo and you will double in size overnight!
MAA: I’ll keep that advice about the poo thing in mind and thanks for the interview!
ODERUS: (manically) Bwahahahahahahahahaha!
(Special thanks to Mr. Urungus for not killing me, GWAR in general for being Gods, Metal Blade Records and Freeman Promotions. )
