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Contents Vandala October .2014 8 ALBUM REVIEWS
The Interrupters - "S/T" (Punk/Ska) Operators "EP1" (Alternative) Chris Walla "Field Manual" (Alternative/Indie Rock) Accept "Blind Rage" (Metal) Mongol "Chosen By Tengri" (Folk Metal) Music Album Cover Feature - Feint "One Last Time" Documentary Review: Filmage: The Story of Descendents/ALL Doom and Gloom on a Beautiful Day in New York City Rock is Not Dead - The Glorious Sons Over The Top With Overkill 16 Reviews & Live
30 INTERVIEWS
A Sunny Day in Brooklyn with Stoner Rock Princess "In New York City we had the pleasure of meeting Emily Kopplin of Mount Salem." Emily Kopplin,
Hawkwind and The Spirituality of Music With Nils Turner
A bona fide "Rock Star" talks about his career, stories, and most importantly the spiritual aspects of his music."
YEARS YOUNG Interview with Chris DeMakes of Less Than Jake 22
"With the band gearing up for a North American tour, we had a chat with guitarist/vocalist Chris DeMakes about the band's history, the new record and more" *
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"Death metal LEGEND Rob Barret chats about the new record, and the lasting power of Cannibal Corpse. " 56 COVER INTERVIEW - EXODUS
Thrashini it up with Zetro Zetro of Exodus talks about what makes him tick, and why he loves the new upcoming record "Blood In Blood Out" and much more 60 EDITORIALS, NEWS & EVE/ T:t
Truth About Music Publicity Tanya Tagaces Animism Wins the 2014 Polaris Music Prize
Front Cover Design By Erin Torrance
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The Interrupters "VT" (Punk/Ska) www.facebook.com/wearetheinterrupters Review By Dustin Griffin - 5/5 Dragons • • MEM MN
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Tim Armstrong's Hellcat label (a subsidiary of Epitaph) has slowed in its releases the last few ,ir. [ I years, releasing only a couple records a year. But rI I / I there was a time when they were one of punk's heaviest hitting labels, releasing records by the likes of Rancid, Dropkick Murphys, Dis-tillers, U.S. Bombs and Aggrolites. Nowadays their roster of bands is still impressive, but it's the lesser known bands that are the most impressive on the team. 1 X
Take The Interrupters. An L.A. based band that represents the best of Rancid-influenced punkiska music with a modern sound and female twist. While The Interrupters have only been around a couple of years, their front woman Aimee Allen has had an impressive and busy decade all on her own. Contributing her impressive voice to movie soundtracks, presidential campaigns and collaborating with bands as diverse as The Black Eyed Peas and Jimmy Cliff, Allen is already an established presence on the music scene. The band also kept busy backing Tim Armstrong on his ambitious Tim Timebomb & Friends pro-ject. So Aimee's been busy and has, along with brothers Kevin Bivona, Justin Bivona, and Jesse Bivona, crafted one of the best throwback punk records of the last few years. The interesting thing about The Interrupters record is that it sounds classic while managing to sound fresh and new at the same time. "Take the Power Back", the album's first track, is a hard charger rally cry with impressive guitar and exciting hooks. "White Noise" is a straight ahead ska bopper with funky waltzing bass and no shortage of attitude-inflected deliverance on Aimee's part. "Can't Be Trusted" and "Liberty" are fast paced, mush ready tunes with a conscience. "Judge Not" is a lively cover of an early Bob Marley tune (originally released when he was just 13). The Interrupters version features a funky, razor sharp rhythm section and gang vocals in all the right places. "This Is The New Sound" musically exemplifies what makes the band so exciting, the 3rd wave ska boom of the 90's updated and given the boot, so to speak, for the new millennium's second decade. "Family" is a silly ska song that sounds like it could have come off of a two tone children's album. It's fun and simple and features Tim Armstrong whose delivery has obviously inspired Aimee's own delivery on this project. As a result the two voices complement each other nicely. 08 vandalaMagazine.Com - October 20t4
Album Reviews "Easy On You" is one of my favorite songs on the album. Its smooth delivery and uplifting message put the hook in you pretty deep.
"A
Friend
Like
Me" immediately recalls
"Topical London" from Rancid's
Indestructible record. It carves its own identity out of the influence though.
"Last Call" is pretty self explanatory and features more heel bopping, hyperactive ska and to top it of
"Haven't Seen The Last of Me" is my favorite track on this
record. I love Aimee's delivery on this, all snarly spitfire exuberance and punk attitude. The 'na na na' chorus is impossibly catchy and the surf guitar breaks are also a lot of fun and help to create a hell of a lasting impression. A great way to cap off a great record.
The Interrupters is a perfect record. A loving tribute to ska in every one of its waves, from two tone onwards. It's impressive when a ska record can spit out 11 songs that sound completely unique from one another. And while the Armstrong influence is obvious he helped co-write much of the record), it 's also apparent that The Interrupters are more than just a vessel for an -other one of his creative forms of expression.
All in all, this is the best record of 2014 I've heard so far.
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Operators"EP1" (Alternative) www.operatorsmusic.com 4.6/5 Dragons I have no real knowledge of this band. They are elusive shadows, gods of synth, but above all, they are brilliant. Having heard Operators at their fifth show, I have to say - Dan Boekners current band must have gotten a hell of a lot of practice between then and Pk_ their debut performance in Toronto's Music Week. AN:k; Not a single wire appeared out of place, each member looked completely at home in their respective stations. It's no secret that Dan Boekner is the king of noise manipulation, but his companions might surprise you. Graceful and bright, singer and keyboardist Devojka drifted across the stage like a cybertronic butterfly, effortlessly adding life to the trio's unique sound. The equally impressive Sam Brown played drums in a way that almost seemed crooning, adding 'funk' in all the right places. But enough about my mind blowing experience, this was supposed to be an album review. Too cool to possess a title, their first EP is an exciting promise of what's to come. It's dance-pop, it's fun, every note is art. It's as if Beethoven grew up with a Yamaha PR-36 and went through a progressive stage. Their last track Start Again is aptly named considering Dan Boekners departure from previous groups and although it isn't exceptionally different from the rest of the album (impressive as it may be), something about it just makes my heart race. EP1 is fairly consistent, filled with dance hooks and although the lyrics leave a little something to be desired, the expert electronics make this easy to forgive.
Chris Walla "Field Manual" (Alternative/Indie Rock) www.barsuk.comiartists/chriswalla - 4.5/5 Dragons
FIELF MANUAL
With Chris Walla (guitarist) gone, the responsibility of dancing like an embarrassing parent chaperone at a high school dance rests solely on Ben Gibbards (vocals) shoulders. I hope this isn't a burden he has to carry alone too long. Nick Flarmer (bassist), time to step up your game. I'm giving Jason McGerr (drummer) a free pass because he has to sit while playing. While I'm incredibly sad over Walla's departure, after listening to Field Manual I'm almost (emphasis on the almost) a little excited to see what he does next. Fans of Death Cab for Cutie may be familiar with his style already. Although Walla took a backseat throughout his career with them, his distinct
10 VandalaMagazine.Com - October 2014
Album Reviews, Dariiam Ma gees ioks writing shone through in multiple songs such as The Ice is Getting Thinner, Someday You Will be Loved, and Brothers on a Hotel Bed. Pensive with an affinity for ballads, Chris Walla's solo project seems to echo Transatlanticism in both sound and style particularly the titular track. Reflective and broody, Field Manuel makes for an easy comparison to his previous works but carries his unique flair nonetheless. Every lyric is poetry and with the exception of "The Score", each track carries the same heavy lullaby we've come to know and love. One track in particular stood out to me. Although not entirely flexible, Walla's voice possesses a certain richness and "It's Unsustainable" seemed to be built to show case his fluidity. It's smooth, dreamy, and candy to the ears. Not to mention the gorgeous acoustics. Despite my confidence in the guitarist, I can't bring myself to picture him anywhere but beside Ben Gibbard and I'm not quite sure I'm ready to let him go yet. But one thing we must remember - Chris Walla's barely gotten started.
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Album eviews. Jeff B a@ks Accept "Blind Rage" (Metal) www.acceptworldwide.com/ - 3.5/5 Dragons IHeard the last two Accept albums? Blind Rage sounds like those. You got your rubber-burners, ball-breakers, half-ballads and so on. Things fall right into line with what Saxon's been up to since 1997, which means that its modern heavy metal that you can depend on. Sneap's production is big and broad and immaculate (for better or worse) and leaves you with no surprises. Legendary guitarists Herman Frank and Wolf Hoffmann are just that, and Mark Tornillo MC's the affair with an approach not unlike Udo (or even Brian Johnson) but with a stronger focus on hitting actual notes. As per usual I dig the fast songs; street-walking "Dark Side of my Heart" is another standout. Despite the recent reinvigoration and modern facelift, I doubt the band will ever measure up to the dirt-fueled classics of their early catalog nor U.D.O.Ts Timebornb. File this one under: "Acceptable."
Mongol "Chosen By Tengri" (Folk Metal) www.mongolcanada.bandcamp.comialbumichosen-by-tengri - 3.5/5 Dragons Oh god, Not ANOTHER Turkic/Khaganate-themed folk band from Alberta. Look at that band photo -I don't care how many John Milius props they stole to make those costumes, you know those kids are Norwegian as hell. I used to think bands like this were weird but then I watched 20 seconds of a Babymetal video and nothing makes sense anymore. Fans of Ensiferum, Tengger Cavalry and Finntroll will find lots of like on this album including banjo, accordion, clan warfare, tempo-changes, glory, battle, glory-in-battle, and so on. Unlike most Baldurts Gate keyboard hosen by Tengri worship (accompanied by guitar and double-kick) releases, Chosen By Tengri explores actual riffs, a decent spread of vocal stylings and nifty song arrangements. A couple goofy things like the robo-vox during "Last Ride of the Merkits" (otherwise a gnarly track) but you can tell these gringos put heart and soul into this disk, which is more than you can say for a lot of flapdoodlery clogging the system these days. "Storming the Wall" and the first two tracks are my VIPs. 12 vandalaMagazine.Com - October 2014
STANDBY RECORDS PRESENT
NO PROMISE 10/11 - Mesa, AZ (@, The Underground) 10/12 - Riverside, CA (g Clash City Studios) 10/13 - Van Nuys, CA (©, White Oak Music) 10/14 - Bakersfield, CA (@, Jerry's Pizza) 10/15 - Orangevale, CA (@ The Boardwalk) 10/16 - Portland, OR (g. The Tonic Lounge) 110/17 - Bremerton, WA (@ The Charleston Music Venue) 10/18 - Seattle, WA (g El Corazon) 10/19 - Yakima, WA (@ The Lair) 10/20 - Spokane, WA (@ The Hop) 10/21 - Boise, ID (g The Shredder) 10/22 - Salt Lake City, UT (g, The Loading Dock) 10/23 - Colorado Springs, CO (@ Sunshine Studios) 10/24 - Albuquerque, NM (g Gasworks) 10/25 - Las Vegas, NV (g TBA) 10/26 - San Diego, CA (@ Woody's) ARTERY
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DECEMBER 04 The Deal insiltute. MANCHESTER. UK 05 Beigrave Music Hail. LEEDS. UK 06 Stereo, GLASGOW, UK 07 The Flamer. BIRMIGHAM, UK 10 Ch.& Itix Bach, CARDIFF. UK 12 Green Door Store. BRIGHTON. UK 13 Joiners, SOUTHAMPTON, UK
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Oct 30 - Montreal , QC @ La Salo Rosso
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Feint "One Last Time" (www,facebook.comifeintDnE) Review By Dustin Griffin
Feint is an experimental musician from the UK. His music is a hodgepodge of heavy electronic and industrial music, with skinny breaks of other genres splintered into the mix. The song 'No Chance' from his new EP One Last Time sounds at one moment like Deadmou5, at another like Coldplay. The album cover art of One Last Time is a beautiful painted scene from a long forgotten era or a snapshot of a old film. A western or a Lawrence of Arabia epic of past world adventure and intrigue. A line of people, possibly a Native American tribe making their way upon horses, perhaps through the towering skyline of Monument Valley in Utah, are headed into the horizon. A sunset bathing the desert floor in a wash of orange light welcoming the tribe into the land that sits in wait around the bend. Then again, it could also be a scene from a much older time. Prehistoric, from the looks of the rocks. And on further inspection, those don't look like horses at all, but camels. And that looks more like rocky ground than sandy. Feint's previous album covers have embraced more minimalistic ideas, but they all contain elements which make how they're perceived ultimately subjective, depending on who is looking at them, and whether or not the music is playing in the background. Whatever's going on there, it's up for discussion and debate, like all great album covers are. It may or may not have anything to do with the music found within. Not that it needs to. Just like the music on One Last Time itself, the album cover is open to a great deal of interpretation, which can change from day to day depending on your mood. All that and it only houses three songs. That's bang for your buck right there. 16 VandalaMagazine.Com - October 2014
A DIFFERENT KIND OF WILD TOUR
10/2114 VICTORIA, BC 10/3/14 VANCOUVER, BC 10/5/14 EDMONTON, AB 10/6/14 CALGARY, AB 10/7/14 SASKATOON, SK 10/8114 WINNIPEG, MB 10/10/14 MINNEAPOLIS, MN 10/11/14 MINNEAPOLIS, MN 10/12/14 MADISON, WI 10/13/14 CHAMPAIGN. 1L
10/14/14 LINCOLN, NE 10/16/14 FORT COLLINS, CO 10/17/14 BOULDER, CO 10/18/14 ASPEN, CO 10/20119 PHOENIX, AZ 10/21/14 SAN DIEGO, CA 10/22/14 SANTA BARBARA, CA 10/23/14 SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA 10/24/14 SANTA CRUZ, CA
Filmage: The Story of Descendents/ALL www.filmagemovie.com Review By Dustin Griffin - 5/5 Dragons
Artwork by Chris Shary
The introduction to some of my favorite punk bands, some of punk rock's most iconic bands, have been compilation albums. Albums like Ramones Mania and Bad Religion's All Ages. In 1991 the box set The Clash on Broadway was released. I couldn't get my hands on a copy, but I got one from my local library and never gave back, until a few years later, but it changed my life. That same year, venerated punk rock label 55T released Somery, a 28 song Descendents compilation album. Again, I was only 7 years old at the time and didn't actually hear the album for another ten years, when the bass player of a band I was in recommended it to me with the words, "you gotta hear these guys, their singer Milo is insane." I bought the cd at a Music World (RIP) and went a little insane myself.
Thirteen years later and I still have that cd. It's scratched all to hell and skips as many songs as it doesn't, but I still listen to it on a regular basis. When Matt Riggle and Deedle LaCour first started making rumblings about a Descendents movie they were working on in 2010, it immediately became the most anticipated musical documentary of my entire life. With the band's on again off again schedule, massive gaps between albums and the sizeable amount of time since they were last active (when Cool To Be You was released), a documentary about the band was just what I, and the world, needed to be reminded of the band's influence and invention. And that's what Filmage does best. Reminds us that this band is one of the best ever to wave the punk rock flag. With interviews ranging from the likes of Dave Groh! and Mark Hoppus, to Fat Mike, who's always been very vocal about his love of the band, and a host of his label's bands, Filmage includes a wide swath of rockers paying their respects and showing their admiration. The doc also goes deep into the band's history. Interviews with every living member, anecdotes and reminiscences ranging from the silly (Bill is a big farter) to the nearly tragic (Bill almost dies twice in a short period of time from serious medical conditions) to the triumphant (Bill almost dies twice in a short period of time from serious medical conditions and lives to tell the tale). It's not all about Bill, but he is an easy focal point. There's also a treasure trove of live footage stretching as far back as one of Milo's first shows, all the way up to their grand reentrance at the Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin and the touring warpath they've been on since. Finally, and I'm sorry this is an after note, but this band seems destined to be an after note wherever the Descendents are mentioned, the documentary gives a fine history of ALL The band, as Bill Stevenson so acutely points out, that has always been guilty of not being the Descendents. Filmage is a hugely important film for Descendents fans. But like End of the Century and Westway To The World, it is also a hugely important film for the history of punk rock. You can't not mention the Descendents when you mention punk rock, particularly the punk rock of the 80's. Now, you can't not mention Filmage when you mention the all time great punk rockumentaries. This is one of the best movies of the year. 18 VandalaMagazine.Com - October 2014
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Lime @overFa e. Uninvited Fest 2014 mompie.Doom and Gloom on a Beautiful Day in New York City By Matt Bacon Another night, another show, I'm going to three this week, and it's time for me to step up and deliver. Tonight's show saw me getting to check out Mount Salem and Blast for the first time as well as seeing my favorite band in the world, SubRosa, yet again. As I ride home back to college and class in less than 10 hours, I'm trying to take a moment to reflect on the glory of what I have seen and the magic that was unveiled to me. This evening, the first night of the open air Uninvited Fest, revealed to me that this is what I was meant to do, worship the underground. As one tattoo I saw succinctly put it, "If we didn't have this, we might as well be dead." The first band up was Mount Salem. Now I had been moderately familiar with them from their new record, but I had never seen them live before, nor did I know any of the band members. Yet I was very much impressed with their set, they delivered some hard hitting and groovy music that got me thinking of Pentagram and even Budgie. The only thing that let me a little down was the lack of a Black Sabbath cover, but I was promised "It's coming." See, Mount Salem are the kind of band who get at a much more primal state of rock and roll than most of their peers and it allows them to create something that will ring out for generations. Next up was SubRosa. As usual they stole the show and set my heart on fire. They are in my opinion the best band in the world today, and I got to see them do two songs I'd never heard them do live before. The open air setting of the festival allowed their sound to ring out in a much different way than usual it became far more grand and triumphant. This band touch on something beautiful when they play live. There is a majesty to this band that few other acts can even dream of. At the same time though they manage to dwell on the basic humanity that runs through us all Seeing fans cry is a fairly normal thing at a SubRosa gig. This band doesn't mess around, they go right for your heart and force you to face all of the emotions you might have been too afraid to acknowledge. ..: --
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The last band I got to see was BI'ast. I had heard good things about these guys from members of Phil Anselmo's Illegals, and I was very curious as to how they would go over. Suffice to say that their set was intensely interesting, it was awesome, if a little sad to get to see a hardcore punk band of such legendary status with only fifty or so people out front. Asides from a drunk punk couple, most folks just stood, enamored with the raw energy and infectious grooves of the band. These guys may not have really been playing to their audience tonight, but they certainly brought the rage. Harsh vocals and pumping riffs certainly got my heart racing.
In closing, all three bands that I saw tonight simply left me in awe. Mount Salem were as satisfying live as they are on the record, and I was left begging for more. Interviewing the singer afterwards showed me that these guys could be on the verge of something great. Meanwhile, SubRosa left me feeling satisfied and complete, the crushing dose of ritualistic glory helps keep my heart beating. Lastly, Blast proved that hardcore punk will never die and definitely got me to crack out the or two step a couple of times. This is the sort of thing that speaks to the glory of the underground, so if you have a chance, check out the next couple days of the fest, or at least find these bands live! By sheer chance two days later I managed to find my way inside the Uninvited Fest grounds for another dose of heavy madness. I got to check out two bands before heading off to yet another show (Who said the life of a metal journalist was easy?) Both groups, Ruby the Hatchet and Order of the Owl. These two bands both brought something refreshing to the table and gave me a moment to ponder the complete and profound beauty of heavy music, not just as an art form but also as a pure and simple way of life. Ruby the Hatchet were the first band I saw on that sunny Saturday. They play a distinct brand of psych rock that really got to me. The occult vibe was strong, but the drug one perhaps even more so. The bands dynamic front woman _Milan Taylor prances about the stage like a thing possessed. Her stage presence becomes a large focal point for the show, allowing all of the evil of the sound to come out through one crazed witch. Yet despite all this, the band has a distinctly forward thinking sound, and while they may hail past greats, they bring a lot of cool stuff to the table and left me begging for more. I may very well book them in the next few weeks. The only other band I got to see at day three of Uninvited was Order of the Owl. Now this is a band who knows how to put on a pretty interesting show. They have a lot of very unique and occasionally disturbing elements to their sound. Songs like Hel!rider demonstrate the crazed power of the band. The bands singer and bassist Brent Anderson of Zoroaster leans over the mic like a thing possessed. There is a glorious demonic beauty to this band and the high octane attack of these tracks immediately got to me. There is something strangely triumphant about these songs, they get into your head and then tear your ribs apart, metal madness for the crippled soul. This third day of Uninvited was something of a blessed accident. The two bands I got to see unleashed sonic waves that reeked of the madness of the true cult. There is a glorious darkness to be found in this kind of music, and though Ruby the Hatched and Order of the Owl approach this darkness in completely different ways they both invoked darker emotions within. Watching these acts rip it up standing alongside the likes of SubRosa and Elder was a truly special experience. It's the kind of thing that burrows its way into your memory and you hope will never be forgot. Univited Fest www.uninvitednihilgallery.com
Band Links Brast - www.blastofficial.com Mount Salem - www.mountsalem.bandcamp.com Ruby The Hatchet - www.rubythehatchet.tumblr.com Order of the Owl - www.orderoftheowl.bandcamp.com October 2014 - VandalaMagazine.Com 23
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Kelowna/ Rock is Not Dead Photos and Article By Crystal Lee
While other places had crappy weather and even snow I made my way with the AC to Flashbacks in Kelowna, B. This is a city that has a ton of local talent and even more pass through including some pretty big names. Airbourne, The Glorious Sons and Flash Lightin' were on the bill for the night. This was an early show and I got to the doors and was able to talk to a few of the fans. I myself was there to see The Glorious Sons since I had a sneak peak of their new album while most said Airbourne. Though I have to say the Glorious Sons came and impressed. First of was Flash Lightin' with their beardless lead vocalist. I was thrown off since at first I was not sure if this was the band I saw at Keloha Music and Art Festival due to the lack of facial hair. I loved their music though I knew at Keloha I was not seeing their best. When they were on stage it was 40 degrees Celsius according to my car and it felt a lot hotter in the photo pit. Though without a boiling hot sun I saw the real Flash Lightin', fun, alive and just great rockers. They went on first right after the doors opened, and before anyone had a few drinks thus had a hard task of getting the crowd warmed up. Eventually they did and shows how talented they are. By the time The Glorious Sons went on the place was packed with all ages and types; 19 to even a 68 year old man. Club wear to bicker clothing was sported which again shows that good rock brings out the masses. While interacting with many of the fans barn, The Glorious Sons come out with their hit " The Heavy". The crowd was hooked within minutes to this band. It was one of those moments that you knew this was going to be one amazing night on the stage. .
24 VandalaMagazine.Com - October 2014
Already the night was becoming a touch of the 70's just all the good parts of the 70's. As I listened to the band play I thought about their newest album "The Union" which is a really great album and top of the line recording and songs but the band makes it come alive performing live. With so many up and coming bands you can listen to their really good albums but the live performance makes you feel empty and unfulfilled. While you have Glorious Sons which knocked 15 years off my age and make me feel like I was back in University rocking it out. A feeling this editor needs to feel once and while to keep the passion going.
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Right off with singing "The Heavy" lead singer Brett Emmons was so comfortable on stage and was a pleasure to watch. At times he even went in his own little world of just feeling the music. This guy has passion and not the fake kind you see all the time, this is the type that the crowd feels the love he has playing every show.
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A highlight of the show was when they sang "Mama". This is one of those songs that be it your 55 or 19 you love. For myself I felt like I was in my dad's old pickup truck going fishing with him listening to his classic rock but this is 2014 and I am an adult listening to a song that brings the classic rock songs back to life even with a little Harmonica which I will touch on. Harmonica players I can be brutal on and it's no secret I will be critical to every detail when a musician is playing the harmonica. The lead singer did play the harmonica part in the song mama, this after a few songs and working the stage. Guess what he can actually really play that thing. I have been to so many shows that the young guys "think" they can play the harmonica. Not the case here -the guy can play and just like his passion for the stage it came through the harmonica. Yes a few little issues time and practice will fix but most of the great harmonica players have been sitting playing unlike this guy who worked the stage and got the crowd in to a frenzy which shows his skill. After The Glorious Sons were done, I heard fans say "OMG they are f#cking amazing" another said "these young guys are keeping real rock alive" and another guy yelled "Rock is not Dead". I have to agree. This crowd was ready for Airbourne and The Glorious Sons were the best opener they could ever have! Of course Airbourne got the crown going insane, with their stage presence and more Yes they put on a spectacular show but we all know that but for me the Glorious Sons were the highlight. High interaction with the crowd, floor shaking (literally), crowd participation and getting the fans louder than the band? Yes all in one night with 3 bands at Flashback Kelowna, BC where these bands are keeping real rock alive. October 2014 - VandalaMagazine.Com 25
Over the Top With Overkill By Matt Bacon 7 PM, I'm in the train on my way to see thrash metal legends Overkill. I prepared myself mentally for an evening of thrash metal madness, but also some cool alt metal vibes with Prong. I got to see three acts on this fine evening, and Overkill certainly took the cake, proving that New Jersey thrash will never die. As I got to the Trocadero, one of PhiHy's finest venues it looked like the older metal crowd had come out in full force. Sure the Eagles had lost, but that wasn't going to ruin our night of heavy metal fun! The first band up was the thrash act Orcus. Their sound wasn't super innovative, but it got the job done. This is the kind of basic, primal, yet also powerful thrash metal that forms the foundation of the genre. I thought it was really cool that Overkill were kind enough to let a local act open up for them. The band certainly brought their A-game and played some very tight music. The band had some really cool choruses too that helped to keep things fun and dynamic. As the hometown faithful chanted along, the band seemed to really hit their stride. Though their set was a mere half hour long, it certainly got me excited to see them again! Next to play was Prong. Now I had heard their latest record and very much enjoyed it, and though they didn't play my personal favorite track (Remove Separate Self) they certainly gave the crowd a good time. Their big choruses, poppy guitar lines, and chunky riffs allowed for the entire audience to get going. As the pit started, you could already tell it was going to be a good night. Sure there sound might not be ideal for opening for a band like Overkill, but with a set this tight, who can really complain? It was clear that the past two weeks of touring had honed Prong into a well oiled machine and on this final night of the tour they truly rocked. Finally it was time for Overkill to come on. Of the old thrash greats I am perhaps least familiar with these guys, but as chants of "OVERKILL, OVERKILL" started up, I started to get really excited. The entirety of their set was exciting and powerful. Blitz has a truly exciting voice that powered through the opener Armorist and never let up for a minute. And let me say, Blitz is truly a great thrash metal frontman, from his wonderful stage banter to his great stage presence (Including knowing when to step off the stage and give the spotlight to the rest of the band) helps to make Overkill a great live act. It was really cool to get to see all of the thrash faithful, dudes who'd been going to concerts for three decades head bang to these classics. The fact that Overkill are from right across the river in New Jersey was not lost on anybody and made the concert an even more personal experience. As the band blazed through classics both old and new it was possible to see that this is the kind of group who prove that true thrash will never die. Overkill know how to stand and deliver, so it's really just a matter of going out to the show and preparing to be blown the Pck away. Overkill Online: www.wreckingcrew.com 26 VandalaMagazine.Com - October 2014
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A Sunny Day in Brooklyn with Emily Kopplin, Stoner Rock Princess
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• it was a beautiful afternoon in New York City when I had the pleasure of meeting Emily Kopplin of Mount Salem. After talking for a bit we decided to do an interview because, why the hell not? What followed was a discussion on the power of music, and what inspires her band. Mow have you been Emily? :may: Great, we're stoked to be here, it's a really cool festival, Mothership is playing as we speak which is a band we're really connected with. We did our first tour with them, they're really awesome, good guys. Maybe it's not the apogee, but it's definitely a step forward... - - Anything that we get to do outside of Chicago, even shows in Chicago are rewarding. We do it all because it's fun, but anything that takes us outside of Chicago is fun. It's a weekend where you get to drink with your friends and listen to loud music and meet some cool people, it's awesome. How much do drugs impact your music? Emily: We've been asked that question before, it's not something we consciously think about, I'm sure it has an impact because people categorize us as stoner music. This kind of music is more about the high of writing the music, being stoked about the sounds that are coming out. It's really natural for those of us who partake in illicit things. We've been friends for a long time though and it's something that we are really stoked on. It has a part but it's more about just being stoked to be around each other and getting a good feeling from writing cool riffs. There's a marriage of old and new with your sound how do you do that? 30 VandalaMagazine.COM - October 2014
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Wawkwind and The Spirituality of gtiusic With wikTurner
My first interview with a bona fide "Rock Star" also proved to be one of the best of my life. Nik Turner of the legendary Hawkwind was kind enough to sit down with me for half an hour and talk to me about his career, his stories, and most importantly the spiritual aspects of his music. If nothing else, it's certainly interesting to see what a man who has been involved in the industry for more than fifty years has to say about how music impacts the soul. How've you been Nik? I've been really well. I've been enjoying this tour. I've had my boy Elfin here with me. He's been helping me because I'm getting old and feeble! (Laughter) I'm not really feeble. I'm just enjoying being here, the shows, and meeting the people. It's been very good and having a lot of fun. Never a dull moment! (Laughter) Will Hawkwind ever die? Nik: My feeling is that everybody who has been touched by Hawkwind is Hawkwind. All the fans of Hawkwind are the band. They're into that spirit of what the band was about. I wouldn't say the band is about that spirit anymore particularly. I'm more about that spirit than Hawkwind. I sort of perpetuate that vibe and that alternative attitude, that's what Hawkwind was and what we stood for, and I was part of it and I think I still am. So what's the band about then and now? Nik: A lot of people were touched by Hawkwind in the 70s, we did tours in America and people just loved it. We had silly gags going, fancy dress competitions and mask competitions on the tour. It was very exciting and a lot of fun. It brought people in and included them. It was great. A lot of people saw those shows, it's legendary now. I came over here in the 90s and did some gigs, I did a couple of tours. I get people coming up to me now saying "That tour you did in the 90s was great, I really love Hawkwind" and they see me as the personification of Hawkwind. I don't know if Dave Brock is going to come over here. I don't know if he's capable of coming over here. He's got a lot of legal problems and stuff like that. I don't know anything about him really, I worked with the guy and we were good friends and it was great but we went our own ways really for whatever reason. I'm just still carrying on, I'm just trying to make good music that people like and that I like. We're playing some of the early Hawkwind stuff that we played in the 70s. We're playing some new material as well. We're playing songs from our new album Space Gypsy we're not playing exactly what we played last tour we did. We're doing some of the same stuff. A lot of songs I wrote... I like singing my songs. People love it. I think it's great. I love it. Talk to me about Space Gypsy, what went in to the creation of that record. I feel like it's a very cool forward step. When I was invited to come over here I had already done some work with Cleopatra Records. I had done live albums with them and two or three other albums of samplers and stuff like that. They put out some Inner City Unit material which was another band I had in the 80s after Hawkwind. They invited me initially to play on some progressive rock fusion albums that were being together by a guy called Billy Sherwood from Yes. I've never been a listener of Yes, but he's a nice guy. I did some stuff with him. I played on William Shatner's album. (Laughter) October 2014 - Vandalamagazine.Com 35
Iraierview Flawzdirld and The Spitiitua its of
MUSIC
The band had already started working together, so Cleopatra Records invited me over and already had the band for me. We had a different bass player though and a different synthesizer and keyboard player. That was the album. It was put together by the record company. I wrote four songs really. I like it, people like it, it's been put together as a sort of Hawkwind oriented sound using different sounds and rhythms that Hawkwind would have used. That sort of music is in the air, it's everywhere, you can't really say "That's mine" It's almost more of a vibe, a feeling, than a musical experience. How do you create that? Nik: I let the band have total freedom to do what they're doing. I'm just happy to let them do their thing, they've all got their own ideas, I'm happy for them to express them. Then I write lyrics and try to incorporate the vibe of what I believe in and things I'm interested in to make it science fictionally plausible to me. I thought the album was rather like a book of science fiction stories. Each one is a sort of entity in itself. I like that. I was invited to come and tour last year, and now this is another tour, so I've been doing that. I enjoy playing music, I play all different styles, this isn't the only music I play. I was headlining a jazz festival about a week and a half ago in England, playing a lot of Miles Davis and Freddie Hubbard and that sort of stuff. I just like good music. I have a band that plays my whole repertoire, the whole Space Gypsy album, the Space Ritual album, stuff from all the bands I've had. All that material. I'm not only playing space rock, I'm going into other fields. I'm doing an album at the moment with Billy Cobham where he's doing drums. That's quite fun. I like doing different things really. What kind of music is that record going to be? Nik - It's probably going to be a space rock sort of thing. I like dance music, so I'm going to make it dancey. I hope that's acceptable to people. It's got a lot of different aspects really. It's space rock but if you can dance to it then... What name will that be under? Nik: I'm not actually sure at the moment, probably my name stuck on the front of it. As a Star Trek fan I need to know, what was it like working with William Shatner? Nik: I didn't actually go in the studio with him. I ended up meeting him at the studio where he was making a promotional film for his album. I met him there. I used to be a fan of Star Trek and stuff like that. We sort of embraced and he said "I've always been a fan of yours" and I said "I've been a fan of yours as well" and it was fun. He was making a commercial for his album where he was inviting people who had photographs of rainbows to send their rainbows to him so he could use them in the albums sleeve design or something like that. I was there while he was making this film, we had a chat, it was quite cool really. You've been doing this for SO years roughly right? Has there been some sort of big lesson that you learned from that? Nike I've been managing myself for 40 years and I've been my own agent. I've been 36 Vandaiamagazine.Com - October 2014
very free in what I've been doing. I haven't really been involved in business management and companies. I have a bit but I sort of became more wary because of that. I play music for pleasure really. I don't try to be too ambitious or play very commercial music, I just like music to be fun. That's what I try to do all the time. Making things spiritual as well. I just want people to be really healthy and vibrant and have a good time. So the music has a spiritual aspect for you? Nik: I think that music is a spiritual thing. I think it's a harmonizing thing, you can touch people with it, with emotion, with your expression, it's exciting. Does that manifest itself in what you believe in? Nik: I have my own convictions about things and I'm a very spiritual person. I was
brought up Roman Catholic but I'm not a Roman Catholic. I'm more likely to be a Buddhist, because Buddhism acknowledges all religions whereas none of the other ones do. I like music as a healing thing and I like to heal people if I can I like everybody to be healthy and happy. Has that idea of having everybody be "healthy and happy" been a driving force in your career? Nik: I think so yeah. I do heal people. I spent time inside the Great Pyramid in Egypt, I was meditating and putting on music. When I came back to Britain I found out I had great healing powers in my hands. So I heal people when I can. People are happy for me to try, I do it if they ask me, I don't make a thing of it. I was invited to talk and have a question and answer session at a showing for a movie about Hawkwind called Do Not Panic. It was a showing on BBC television. I did it, it was in Brighton. Then people were asking about my experiences in Egypt and I told them about this healing power. Then this woman in the audience said "I have this really bad pain in my back, can you heal me?" and I said "I can try!" So I put my hands on her and thought about the Egyptian gods and the mumbo jumbo and the power of the elements and tried to take the pain away. Breathing positive energy into her and drawing out negative energy all the while thinking about the elements and the Egyptian gods. Then the pain went away. It all confirms my belief in the harmonizing of music with other things. Is that a gift anyone can tap into? Nik I think everybodyâ–ş has the power. I think people give you that power, I didn't know I could heal anybody. Somebody said to me "I have this amoeba in my stomach, can you heal me?" and I said "I'll try" and I put my hands on him and it worked. I went to this festival of mind and body they have in Britain for alternative healing and stuff like that. The people there took a special photograph of my hands and they said "You've got great healing hands, join our group!" I said "No, I don't really join groups, I form them." I think everybody has it, people give it to you. I helped one guy with a terrible migraine and he said my fingers felt like ice. Another guy had a terrible pain in his stomach and wanted me to take him to the hospital and I said "Well try and help you without taking you to the hospital" I put my hands on him and took the pain away. How long have you been aware of this power? Ever since I went to Egypt which was in 1977 around then I guess. I don't make a thing of it or anything. I try to make the gigs I do into healing experiences for October 2014 - VandalaMagazine.Com 37
Iraierview
and The Spitiitua
By
of Music
Ever since I went to Egypt which was in 1977 around then I guess. I don't make a thing of it or anything. I try to make the gigs I do into healing experiences for people, not even touching them, just giving them that vibe. I don't understand anything about this sort of thing. '-lav - you been back to Egypt since 1 Nik: No I haven't. Instead I went to Mexico. I was playing at a progressive rock festival in Mexicali. While I was there we sort of stole the show and I got bored after our show. So I ended up busking outside the big theater that the festival was in to make a buck. The following year who put the festival on invited me to go there just to busk. So I was busking in the lobby of this big theater, playing all these bossa novas. I've got a huge repertoire of music I can play. Then I went down to the city and played with all these mariachi musicians. I was playing with them. When I went to Mexico City I met this guitarist and we had all these tunes we knew together and we'd play Latin jazz like Chick Corea's stuff from when he was in Spain. I got him to come up to the lobby of the theater and we did a gig there, it was great. They gave me some phone numbers of jazz people in Mexico City. I met these people, one of them had a restaurant and invited me to have a meal, then a keyboard player showed up and we had a lot of stuff in common so we played together. Then he said to me "I've got another gig in a cantina, would you like to come and play with me?" and I said "All right." Then these really beautiful Mexican singers turned up and they were all singing all this romantic traditional Mexican music. It was great! I was staying in a brothel by the side of Garibaldi which is the square dedicated to mariachi music. I was playing there with my tenor saxophone, busking with these mariachi trumpet players. Then I visited some Mayan ruins in the Yucatan which was very interesting. I visited the tomb of the Lord Pakal. He was supposed to be a feathered serpent like Quetzalcoatl. All these characters, I think a lot of them came from Atlantis. I'm really interested in extraterrestrials. These people, the Mayans had all this knowledge that we don't even have. They knew a lot of stuff that we don't know. They had science and astronomy, astrology, mathematics, agriculture. All of this stuff I think came from Atlantis, or another planet. I wonder about this sort of thing. I think all of these people went out from Atlantis to Mexico, Egypt and Sumeria, and all those other places, those power centers really, like Stonehenge. Where did your belief in this kind of thing originate? Nik: I've always been interested in mythology. I grew up on mythology with stories like Jason and the Golden Fleece. I've always been interested in ancient ruins. To me it's all very fascinating. when I went to Egypt I didn't know much about Egyptian mythology. I went there, recorded flute music inside the Great Pyramid. I also learned all about the Egyptian Book of the Dead and their rituals and then concocted my own idea of it. It was about this character who is on Venus and he goes into a pyramid there and he meets the crew of this inter-dimensional machine. Then the crew is actually Egyptian gods. The guy goes in there and he has to know all these spells and the gods names and stuffs. He comes through and he has his heart weighed and he meets all the gods. 38 VandaiaMagazine.Com - October 2014
He comes out in Egypt in 1977 and that's me. I concocted that sort of story out of the Egyptian Book of the Dead. I musically characterized all of the gods while I was playing my flute in the pyramid. I personified what I knew about them. I sort of then had all this information about the gods and wrote songs about them quoting all of their powers, abilities and what they do and how they work together. I thought it sounded very poetic so I put it all together. I had this guy called Steve Hillage produce the album. He use to play in a band called Gong. He's a nice guy. These are sort of things I do... Just through interest in something investigate it, then I come out of it with all these strange beliefs. They say that people who spend a night inside the Great Pyramid come out a genius or an imbecile. Interesting things really. I was offered the keys to the pyramid when I first went there by these Bedouins. The whole area around the pyramid is owned by these Bedouins, they were nomadic before they settled there. They opened shops. They own all the shops around there. These people adopted me when I was there. I would just go anywhere playing the flute wherever I went. Then they said "Oh come over here, play your flute and have some tea" Then they took me out to the desert and gave me a feast, they got me really stoned on this hookah and hashish. Do psychedelics still play a large part in your life? Nik! Not really. I smoke a little bit of pot, but not very much. I do occasionally take magic mushrooms. I don't think I'd take LSD again really. I took a lot of it at one time. It didn't really have a detrimental effect upon me. I probably took it every day for about two years. It was only in the latter part of that time that I started having bad trips ad I realized I'd had enough. I'd go and do a gig for this Andy Warhol thing with Hawkwind and then all the audience turned into skeletons. I thought "Oh that's not funny," so I looked the other way and they went away. I thought, "I'm a bit frazzled and need to focus myself" so I stopped taking LSD. I took it when I went to America when I visited Timothy Leary in psychiatric prison. We put on a gig as a benefit for him. I was involved with his wife at that time. She was taking me around meeting all the members of Jefferson Airplane and stuff around San Francisco. She took me to meet him in the psychiatric prison, he was a very interesting guy. I spent a couple of hours talking to him. He said that we were all elements, and everybody was a different element, however many elements there are in the periodic table. That's what he reckoned. I don't necessarily agree but I find it fascinating. I think we're all part of the same thing ultimately. What do you love so much about music? ""-- It's like a meditation really? It makes me happy playing it. The spin off for me is the joy it gives for other people. It gives me joy having other people enjoy themselves. It's sort of an exchange of energy really. One thing I've formulated lately is that it's a sort of sexual thing. With the reed and the tongue. I sort of focus my saxophone on the clitorises of the women in the audience, to give them maximum pleasure from the music. Do you have any final words of wisdom? Nik: I don't know, I'm not very wise! I just want to encourage everybody to play music and to have it in their lives. People say "I was told I was tone deaf so I can't play anything" and I think you just need to have an open mind, you can at least dance. People say "I have no sense of rhythm" and I say "You have got a heartbeat, so just attach your concentration to that" Everybody should have music and dance in their lives. www.nikturner.com October 2014 - VandalaMagazine.Com 39
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An Interview with Chris DeMakes By Dustin Giffin
IrdeRview, Less Tha' lake Less Than Jake are the among the elder statesmen of the ska punk scene. From their classic 1995 album Pezzcore right on through to last year's well received See The Light, the band has amassed a huge following on their many trips around the globe and have seen the 3rd wave ska revival withstand a number of peaks and valleys in its own popularity. The band is gearing up to knock down a number of North American shows, including a trek across Canada, with ska favourites Big D & The Kids Table and the impressive new Hellcat quartet The Interrupters. 4-
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째,117 We had a chat with guitarist/vocalist Chris DeMakes -''about the band's history, the new record and the band playing the equivalent of a full year's worth of shows on the Warped Tour.
So Less Than Jake is 22 years old. Now I know you've been asked this a number of times in the past couple years, but I have to start with the obvious question, did you ever think back in the early 90's that you'd still be doing this two decades later? Chris: You know it's funny because if someone were to say that to me now, I'd probably tell them they're crazy. Which is the same thing I would've told you back then. At 18 years old, I couldn't fathom being 40 and being on stage playing punk rock. So, no I don't think any of us really imagined playing past the next show. We were just young kids living life and playing music and, for the first year at least, our only motivation was to get to the next show, get some free beer and play for our friends. Do you have a secret to your longevity as a band? Chris: You know four of us have been with the band since the beginning and our sax player's been with us for 15 years now. And for at least the last 15 years, we've felt that keeping our band intact and keeping the core members has been really important. Some other bands can get away with switching up everyone but the singer, but in Less Than Jake, it takes the five of us to create the insanity that happens on stage, we're aware of that and we respect each other. I mean we still fight like hell, like any band of brothers travelling long distances in close quarters, but we're all still friends and we're all still doing it for the same reasons. Ska music and ska punk has lived and died a number of deaths since the early 90's. Were there ever any moments when you thought 'nobody cares about this kind of music anymore, let's just pack it in'? Chris: You know, if we would've just stayed touring the United States like a lot of bands we were running with in the 90's that fizzled out, I may have felt that way. But by the time it was started to lose steam here, we were travelling Europe, Australia, 44 VandaiaMagazine.Com - October 2014
Ohriffs DeMakes Asia, etc. and it was crazier and more popular there than it was anywhere else in the world for us. Ska punk hit a couple years later over there than it did in North America. And for us the mid-90's here, didn't really happen till 2001-2003 in the U.K. The interest wasn't then what it is today and sometimes scenes took longer to get to other countries. So maybe it was on a decline here, but we certainly weren't feeling it because our career in other places was going crazy. You released a couple records on Capitol in the 90's and now you've been on Fat (Wreck Chords) for a few albums. Are you happy being on an indie label or would you ever consider going major again? Chris: I don't think I'd rule out anything with this band's career. We've been back and forth on so many labels at this point, I think the only consideration is what's in the band's best interest and what we think would further our career. I mean a band that's been around as long as we have, probably no major would be interested, but who the hell knows? For us it doesn't really matter what label we're on so much as that we have a good business relationship with them and we're getting the marketing and promotion we feel we need. Getting our name out there to a new audience, while keeping our core audience interested as well. Like doing phone interviews with Canadians at 11am. Chris: There you go man. Hey, don't look a gift horse in the mouth. I don't know how many interviews you've done in your life, but there are people out there who get really grizzled and hard to talk to and we never got to that point in our career, because we never got jaded. I know why my band's still relevant to people, it's because every little thing you do adds up to something. Absolutely. You newest record See The Light is great, it contains some of the best material you guys have put out in years, in my opinion. Does it get easier as time goes on to write new stuff, or do you find it difficult to continually try to come up with something fresh and interesting? Chris: A little bit of both. There's stuff on the new record that would fit on any Less Than Jake record and then there's stuff that's maybe pressing the bar a little bit. We try to do things a little different in some ways, but at the same time you're kind of in a catch-22. If you don't change enough then people accuse you of rehashing your old shit and if you change too much, then people are calling you sellouts or complaining that you don't sound the same anymore. So you have to just do what you feel's best and I like to think with each new record we try to throw in a new trick or three and it kind of changes it up a little bit. Was there anything specific influencing the sound and shape of See The Light? You know this sounds just so egotistical, but really what was influencing this record was other Less Than Jake albums. I mean we just wanted to go in and just make a really good Less Than Jake record. And I think sonically, it's one of our best records. I'm really proud of how good it sounds and that the songs really came across the way they were supposed to. And without saying that it's necessarily my favourite record, I think there are a lot of really great songs on it. If you like Less Than Jake, you're going to love this record. Chris:
And it must, particularly after 22 years, always feel nice to have a fresh batch of songs to head out on the road with, to mix up the set list a bit. Chris: Yeah. I mean we create music ultimately for ourselves, because it keeps it interesting for us and we hope it keeps it interesting for our fans. There's always October 2014 - VandalaMagazine.Com 45
Irderiviiew ess Than Jake 22 Years Youptig going to be people that come to the shows and all they want to hear is Losing Streak or Hello Rockview or maybe Anthem, but we've got 22 years in and we like to represent every era when we play live so being afforded to play new songs definitely at the very least keeps it interesting for us. Do you guys write songs more at home or on the road? Chris: More so probably at home. But I've always got my computer out and recording riffs wherever I am. Typically at home though is where we all sort of get together and hash out ideas and figure things out. What do you do to keep yourself busy when you're not on the road? Chris: I'm actually getting ready to produce a record this week of a metal band down here in Florida. I also do solo stuff outside of the band, I give guitar lessons, that kind of thing. Do you find yourself getting antsy when you've been home for a while? Chris: Oh yeah, and conversely when you're out on the road for two months all you can think about is being home in your own bed, so it's nice to have a balance. Last time you came through Canada was with Reel Big Fish and (Celtic Punk band) Flatfoot 56 and now you're getting ready to do a tour with Big D & the Kids Table and The Interrupters. Do you guys like putting together and being part of ska package tours or does the genre of band you're touring with matter? Chris: Well it all depends. Certainly Canada for whatever reason has always been a really big ska country. So we've always had a lot of success touring Canada in a ska package. But there's other places where we'd want to tour with other types of bands. Sometimes it's fun to be part of an eclectic lineup and possibly make new fans you wouldn't of made otherwise. Can you think of a band you played with back in the day before they were big that you saw and said to yourself 'these guys are going to be f*cking huge?' Chris: Oh yeah. A number of them. Green Day, NOFX, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Rancid, My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy. We've played with all of them. I saw Green Day play to 100 people in Gainesville, Florida in 1992. You guys have also played Warped Tour once or twice... Chris: Haha. Yeah. We actually have played Warped more times than any other band in existence, by a long shot. On this Warped Tour on July 25th in West Palm Beach we celebrated our 365th Warped Tour show. So is it more enjoyable to play the festival circuit or do you still prefer the smaller headlining shows? Chris: They're both great for different reasons. I mean it's like anything else, if you play the festivals for too long, you want to be in the smaller venues and if you're playing the smaller venues for too long, you want to go out and do some festival shows. But we're pretty good at keeping a balance. Like we'll go over to Italy and play a club show one night to 5 or 600 people and the next day we're playing for 60,000 people at a festival in Switzerland. I think we're very fortunate that we are able to do that and keep that balance and keep things interesting. Fans can catch LESS THAN JAKE live this October touring BOTH Canada and the USA. You can find all their details and show dates at www.lessthanjake_com 46 VandalaMagazine.Com - October 2014
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41104114111MIL CORPSE The New Record and the Eternal 15 Year 014 Interview with Rob Barret
BY 141141*-YHow's life been Rob? It's been a pretty interesting long winding road of all kinds of interesting things. Where do you want to start? Why do you describe it as a long winding road? I'm 44 now and the band's been going for almost 26 years, that's about half of my life. Are you trying to say it's been an unlikely journey? Yeah. Especially for being a death metal band. People wouldn't expect a band like us to last this long I'm thinking. We get that question asked a lot, "Did you ever imagine you'd be going this long doing this It is amazing that we're still going this strong, we're still on the rise actually. I feel in metal media as a whole that a lot of people feel that classic bands like you, Obituary, Deicide et cetera are all putting out the best albums of your career now a quarter of a century in. Why do you think that is? Well, it's the motivation factor, as long as the band is motivated enough and inspired enough to keep writing quality music and not straying too far from the original sound. Some bands actually do tend to stray off of the path that their original sound was. That can affect you in a bad way most of the time. We stay motivated enough and inspired enough to keep writing music that our fans still enjoy and we don't feel that we're selling out or watering down our sound or anything. We're a reliable band is what I'm trying to say. In being a reliable band do you ever feel confined artistically? That all depends. Within the boundaries of Cannibal Corpse you can't expect us to break off and start doing an acid trip Pink Floyd kind of record. That is not something that's within our boundaries at all. But we built these boundaries ourselves and we're comfortable with the boundaries that we built. That's why we keep writing using the same formulas for this long. Corpsegrinder has a quote about how every Cannibal Corpse song is a story" how do you keep coming up with these new stories? It's not really too hard to come up with these different stories. You don't really need to dig too deep sometimes, Just watching the news or reading the paper, watching reality unfold... Humans do a lot of Pcked up shit man. There's a lot of aterial right there.
50 VandalaMagazine.com - October 2014
You'd almost say the goal of Cannibal Corpse then is to make us face the horror of our own reality? it's definitely a desensitizing thing if you want to call it that. Your average person wants to actually say what we're doing is disgusting and says "How could you talk about that stuff?" In reality that stuff actually happens. It's not that we're supporting it and saying that we want that stuff to happen but it's kind of like moving a rock and seeing all of the ugly stuff under it that most people would ignore. Maybe a little more out of left field, but how about this. Cannibal Corpse is essentially the only death metal band that 'normal people' know about. Is it weird being in that kind of position, in that 'ou're the urehead for such a hule : enre? We're honored to be that band. We've definitely worked for a long amount of time to get to that point and to be that band. As well as being honored to be that band, we're proud of being able to be that band because we put ourselves here. Nobody handed it to us, we spent a lot of years touring and recording. We have an aggressive work schedule, that's why we're releasing new stuff constantly and we're not taking long hiatuses and then coming back looking or sounding different. Like I said, we're a reliable band, and have been for many years now That's whyâ–ş were in that position, it takes a lot of work to get to the spot that we're about. Do you feel a certain accountability to the scene? We know that a lot of bands are looking towards us and paying attention to what we're doing, but there's no added pressure or anything like that on us. We're still going to do what we're used to doing. We've never actually written music with the intention of trying to gain new fans by watering down our fans or anything. We're always going to be Cannibal Corpse. If we changed at all it wouldn't be Cannibal Corpse. But, wouldn't you say the new record is significantly darker than previous releases? Most of the interviews that I've been doing have mentioned that. Mission accomplished on our part! We didn't make a conscious effort to sound darker than we ever did, but the stuff that we came up with and wrote the songs with the material just came out darker sounding I guess. So there wasn't any sort of driving force behind that in the creation process? No, not for me at least. I'm not sure what was going on with Pat and Aiex when they were writing their material, it might have been a conscious effort. Whatever comes out of me, that's what comes out at the time. I don't sit down and see 'I'm going to write a dark sounding song" I just want to write a good song.
October 2014 - Vandalargagazine,Corn 51
Do you think changing producers helped make it sound a bit grimmer? Yeah, that might be one of the main things that has to do with it. Mark Lewis did a great job, we're all happy with the way it came out. That's nothing against Eric Rutan, we did three great albums with him and we were happy with his production skills as well. If anything, just changing it up by going to a different producer keeps things from getting stale. Part of what impressed me most with this record is that its one of the freshest sounding Cannibal Corpse records to come out in a little while... That goes to confirm that changing it up by going to a different producer is sometimes the better thing to do, instead of doing the same thing repeatedly. Now, more about the legacy of the band... I remember being thirteen years old and getting into Evisceration Plague when it just came out and being like "Oh fick, this is the most brutal shit ever" Is there almost a eternal fifteen ear old within all of ou kee • in • the band alive? Oh definitely. That's so cool that you actually said that. Sometimes I'm wondering to myself 'What actually keeps us going" because we're getting into our mid-40s here now 'That's exactly what it is. Each of us still has that teenage angst} kid in us that's still letting out this aggressive shit. But I really have to say thank you, because that's one of the records that got me into death metal, and this is my job now. That's awesome man. I'm thankful to you for being a fan of our stuff and we appreciate you actually interviewing us. Tied into that, does it feel weird that you've essentially launched careers that are only tangentially related to your band? That's definitely an amazing feat. Asides from every-thing we've accomplished as a band ourselves. We've actually inspired a lot of people that have nothing to do with even the music business. Think about it, there's politicians who might go on to be president of the United States who might be able to say, "I saw Cannibal Corpse when I was a It's just so surreal how getting to this age and doing this kind of music for this long... Yeah, we still get to live like we're young guys, but we're in our mid-40s. There's something that keeps us young with the music. Being able to inspire people to do stuff with their own careers outside of the music that we're doing that's an awesome thing for us to be able to motivate and inspire people in a positive way. •
Do you think there's almost a sort of beautiful irony in that? In the 90s you were getting all this shit, and now here you are essentially a positive economic force. You're doing good for the nation and yet the nation hates you. I think that it was the old cliché. A lot of people want to destroy things that they don't understand. If you fear something you want to kill it. There was a lot of that going on in the early 90s. I think eventually after so many years, seeing us still being a vital band in the present day... we've gained a lot of respect from all these people that were hoping for us to fail back in the early days. We've gained a lot of respect over the years in that sense. It's kind of a crazy thing that we used to be disliked, and now we're embraced in a way.
52 VandalaMagazine,com - October 2014
Do you feel a sense of fatherhood with it? You're nailing a lot of these phrases man! That's kind of what it is.. We feel like we're forefathers of this movement that were doing and were still the top dog doing it. Eventually someday it's like, what's going to happen, are we going to have to knight the next king or something with a sword on their shoulder? Like "I now announce you king of death metal!" (Laughter) Do you ever feel the need to knock a band back in line? That's not something we do. We're not that type of band. Everybody is going to do what they want to do, we're not going to tell other bands what they should and shouldn't do. There's a lot of bands who respect us and ask for our advice and they might actually take it to heart. We're not that type of band who will say shit to try and change peoples ways. What do ou love so much about music? To me, what I love about music is that it's just a great mode of therapy. It's like free therapy to me. I would have probably gone nuts a long time ago without it. Who knows what I'd be doing if I didn't have music, especially the music that we're playing. Being a white guy from the inner city, just made me really interested in the aggression of the whole metal movement. It just made sense to me. All the daily strife that everybody has when they're younger and it just evolved into suddenly being 44.
October 2014 - VandalaMagazine.com 53
ELIROPEAN TOUR 2014
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I recently had the HUGE honor of chatting with Zetro of Exodus about the bands new record. In the interview we really got to delve into what makes this man tick, and why he loves the new record. If you're a fan of fast music and brutal riffs, the bands new record "Blood In Blood Out" is definitely going to be one of your all time favorites, it certainly is among ZetroTs! How are things? Zetro: Great! Things are looking up these days I've got no complaints! I'd definitely agree with you given the arc of your career... Zetro: Well put, it is an arc. It's a curve basically. I think the arc is on the upswing. Stocks go up and down and mine is going up right now. What does it feel like to be back in the groove? Zetro! I'm excited I'm refreshed. I think it's going to be better than any other time. Mentally I'm together, vocally I'm on top of my game. With my other band Hatriot doing every project that comes my way I think I'm at my best. This is going to be the greatest time for fans and everybody. That's incredible! How long do you think you will keep doing this? Zetro: I'd say we have another fifteen years. I could do this at sixty five, I'd like to say we have twenty more, who knows? I'm back in the gym working out every single day again. I've got a feeling that's changing about myself. I see that the other guys are more inclined towards that kind of mood too. I'm pretty sure this is not a one and out, I can almost guarantee it's not. You have a second youth essentially? Zetro: It's a third youth if you're talking about it. This is my third stint with Exodus. I'm excited about it, it's like a breath of fresh air. I think at one point it was really stale to me. I had a lot of problems with it, that's what led to my quitting the band in 2004. I was a terrible person to be around, it was a terrible time personally. I was trying to juggle this thing that I do... It was horrible, it really was. It's been ten years, I've got a lot of things straightened out. A lot of things that were issues are not issues anymore, so now the band is number one and it's time to rock again in a big way. Are these issues, things you felt you could work out better with Hatriot? It's more like that the boys were little kids and their mother, who I'm not married to anymore didn't really support them enough for me to go on tour. The woman I'm with now, my girlfriend is amazing and totally supports this. If you have that all in your corner you can do that kind of thing. I don't have to worry about my sons grades, because they're 25 and 21. They play bass and drums in Hatriot! They're all good to go, they have an apartment, and they live with themselves. I have a 16 year old daughter who lives with her mother, she does really well. It's all worked out. It's time for me to go out and do this. There's no real ties back at the homestead, I've already created productive members of society. That's why it's so exciting for me. What I think is always really cool with Exodus is that you're one of the few old school thrash bands who stays relevant. How do you do that? Zetro: I think that we're all still big fans, and if you're a big fan you know what you want to hear as a fan. You're not doing it because you did it in your 20s and were successful at it and now go through the motions because it pays you money. Go to an Exodus show, listen to the song Salt the Wound and wait until you hear the rest of the record. 58 VandaiaMagazine.Com - October 2014
Irderiview NthSteve Zetrio" Sswea You're going to say "Zetro was right" It's in our blood. I love thrash metal, I live for it. I'm listening to Dio now, Mercyful Fate, the week before I had Decapitated in there. It's always metal of some kind. Being a big fan, I feel like I never lose sight of what fans want to hear. What do you love so much about thrash metal? Zetro: The ferocity, the rawness, the intricacies of the drumming and guitar playing, the way the crowd reacts. No better crowd than a thrash metal crowd! We just played a huge festival in Columbia and there was like a hundred thousand people. When we played Toxic Waltz I could not count the pits that there were going on. It was amazing. It's really the only form of music where the crowd is just as much a part of the show as the band is. My attitude when I go on stage is "I'm going to get these mother*ckers whipped up into a frenzy, I'm going to get those pits moving! Come on! Time to get on the bicycle and move!" This isn't about banging your head and waving the horns in the air. There's lots of bands you can do that for, bands I love. But when I get on stage, or Slayer gets on stage, or Anthrax, Metallica, Death Angel, Testament, mother*ckers better be ready to go because it's time to get all the guns. When you're at shows do you go into the pit still? Zetro: I'm a riot inciter, I don't join in. I'm 50 now I don't bounce back as well as I used too, but goddammit I'll get that mother*cker going as soon as I can. I want to talk about the new record. How is it an evolution on past work for you? Zetro: I think it's a good blend of what Exodus has done over the years, even over the last 10 years over when I wasn't in the band. It's very brutal with lots of tongue in cheek lyrics. It's just Exodus, when you hear the changes, the chug parts, the time signatures which whip up the pit, when you hear the half time go into quarter time. It's so heavy, it's just Exodus. When I heard it I was like "It's so Exodus!" There's really no straying from the formula. I think they did something great. Lee and Gary are just f*cking witches. I never really played in the band with Lee, and I'm seeing how much of a f*cking witch he really is. I think the lineup is really solid. I think everybody is really going to like Blood In Blood Out, it's my favorite Exodus record. I just love every song on this album. I was just admiring your enthusiasm, this is seriously your favorite Exodus record? Zetro: I think so. You find yourself stuck in the past and I'll be honest, there's Exodus records where I click from song four to song six, because I don't care for song five. Maybe you like five, which is great, but it's not one of my favorites. I don't find that on this record. When I put on this record I listen to every f*cking song, one after another, not flipping from three to five. I do not skip ahead on this record. Have you ever felt this way on a record you made before? No, even on the Hatriot records and I love the Hatriot records, but there's still ei songs where I'm like "Eh" This record I still listen to it every day, and every day I'm not October 2014 - VandalaMagazine.Com 59
going "Eh, I'm bored" I'm still listening to all eleven songs and the three covers, it really came out well. I'm a fan. I've been out of the band for the last ten years, so I've always felt I've got to look at Exodus objectively. I remember seeing them in clubs when I was in Legacy, which would go on to become Testament. I was in Exodus, I then got to know what it was like to be out of Exodus. I know what it was like before Paul Baloff passing and what it feels like to come back in, and then being out the last ten years. I've been able to be a fan. Unlike Gary, Jack or even Tom, I'm a fan, so I've got to look at the band objectively as well. It's rather fortunate. What do you feel you bring to the band that Rob didn't? Zetro: I'd never say Rob didn't bring anything to the band, I think with me you have the guy who was there when the car was being built. I was there when they were still putting the seats in and the steering wheel on. You always look at the original guys as the foundation of the band you've always wanted to hear. It's like Journey, I love their new singer, but if Steve Perry where to come back, how epic would that be. Its the same with Dave Lee Roth and Van Halen. I have nothing against Sammy Hagar, I thought he did a great job, but Dave is Dave. I wouldn't say it's what Rob didn't do, but I've been a singer for thirty years, I have tons of history with the band. This will be my sixth record with the band. If you were to ask a fan or a listener they'd be maybe more likely to use me as their choice. I'm not saying Rob didn't do anything cool. Since I got back in the band I'm learning songs to sing of his I've already done Children of a Worthless God and I love the songs and feel he did a great job on them. You never worked with Kirk Hammet.. did you work with him now Zetro: No, but I've known him for years. Even when I was in Legacy he was in Metallica we'd be at Ruthie's Inn on a Friday night and then we'd meet up at a party later that night. We were all together and knew who each other were. We did Comicon in the last weekend of July with all of those guys, and it was a great little jam we had that night. I hadn't seen Kirk in the longest time, he gave me a big hug and we talked for a while. It was like being at a party back in the day. Is that a vibe you're trying to recapture? Zetro: I don't know if it's a vibe you can capture. I think it was just great because we were so close with the bands. Playing with Slayer a lot on the past couple of years made Gary and Kirk cross paths a lot. I believe there was a dinner conversation where Gary said "Hey would you like to play on the new records' and Kirk wanted to. I think his lead is awesome honestly. It sounds killer. Him and Gary complement each other. It shows great camaraderie even after all these years and it shows no one is too big for their britches which is also great. So, talking about Gary Holt being in Slayer, what are your thoughts on that situation? Zetro: I love it, I think itTs the greatest thing ever. If anybody deserved it, it was Gary Holt. You can ask anybody in this business. Jeff Hanneman was the one who handpicked him to replace him. I've been fortunate enough to do six records and tour the world many times over with that man, I know him really well. I'll have to say honestly Gary Holt is the real deal. Who else could have done it, gone in there, and been so sadistically heavy like Gary Holt? Who truly has the history and really deserves it? It's great, it helps both bands it really does. How's that going to work for the tour? Zetro: He has to do double duty. A couple weeks ago we played Heavy MTL in Montreal and Slayer Headlined and Exodus played the same day. We were off stage by five and he was on stage with Slayer by 9. On a more personal note. In a large part, the reason that I'm interviewing you today is 60 Vandaiamagazine.Corn - October 2014
because I heard your records when I was 12-13 and said I can't get a real job I have to do this... Zetro: That's what I thought when I heard records. Same thing. I still had to do a regular job for a few years, why I did one for the past twenty years. I'm very fortunate to do what I get to do at the level I get to do, I honestly am. So you work a day job? Zetro: Since I've rejoined Exodus there's been so much going on with the band that I've stepped down from doing that. It looks like I'm going to be busy enough to not have to do that. But I've been a union foreman for the past twenty one years. You're too young to remember when Nirvana came in and killed everybody and all the metal bands died. We lost our deals and metal couldn't survive unless you were Pantera or Black Sabbath. The bands only started getting back together in 2001 or 2002. I have a family and a house and things like that. At that point in time music wasn't paying what it used to. I'm actually vested, I've been in the union twenty one years, and I get full pension and everything. I can go rock now. When I'm dying and decrepit I don't have to worry about anything else. When I'm 63 I get to pull a pension! Hopefully I won't have to do that though, be okay still be playing music. off music and Tied into that, how does it feel to know that you've launched careers only tangentially related to your own? Zetro: At first it was really weird for strangers to know who I was. That was a very weird feeling. Eventually I grew into it. There were certain things through the years though... When they made the rock and roll trading cards in the 90s that was weird. When I was a kid I collected baseball and football cards. Here I am on a f*cking trading card, I stared at that. The things that I've done like playing with pretty much all of my heroes, I'm considered an innovator of a sound which is the greatest thing ever to be remembered for helping start something. That to me holds more water than anything. We're in the book! They say we're thrash legends. That's what makes it all worth it, the history of it all The money and the fame I could care less about, its the history, putting my name on the rock. You've carved out your own spot in the book... Zetro: I think so. I've been fortunate to be relevant for thirty years. Some people anticipate yet another new album I have coming out. I can't think of too many acts from 1985 in other genres of music where people are waiting for them to come out unless they're big time A linters or dinosaurs that nobodies heard from for a while. When we released Salt the Wound in the first 24 hours a hundred thousand people listened to that song. We thought that was great. In all your years, from jamming in houses in the 80s to festivals today, is there an overall lesson you learned? Zetro: Play music for fun, if anything happens for you, you're very fortunate. If you sell one t-shirt you're doing great, if you sell ten you're really kicking ass. Don't play music for money, play it for the love of it and because it's in your heart. If something happens to you that's great, if it doesn't don't be discouraged. A lot of people want to be rock stars and then nothing happens and they get disappointed and I'm like "You took the wrong avenue, you took the wrong attitude" Play it for fun. If you're good enough and the timing is right, and it's a lot of timing, you'll be okay. Final words of wisdom? Zetro: Be true to yourself. If this is the type of music you like, love it, don't care about what anyone else thinks. Don't worry if it's like "Here comes the guy with the long hair and the tattoos and the spikes" if you're true to your music and you're true to yourself, and that goes for whatever type of music, you'll be content. October 2014 - VandalaMagazine.Com 61
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By Arai Heinrich, Principal, Tsunami Publicity www.tsuna mi publicity.com So you have hired management, a publicist and a booking agent and you're ready for your music to be heard. What can you expect? After 13 years working in the music business, I can say first hand that music publicity can be tricky. While you may have just developed the most incredible collection of songs the world has ever heard, it does not guarantee you a spot in SPIN or Rollingstone Magazine. The truth is, it takes a team of people working closely on your project in order to position your music in such a way that it can actually be heard. From Management, to Licensing Brokers to the hard-earned efforts of your publicist we do live in a world full of people who work hard to pull strings. But don't be fooled. Just because your team has some hard-earned contacts that can help pave your way to success, not every contact may pan out. It's important to remember that a number of factors contribute to your teams ability to drive placement including location, relevance and timing. Just like the seasons, there is a time and place for a new album release, a tour and an event announcement. For example, mid-summer album releases tend to fall on deaf ears. Why? Well most of your best music journalists are out there taking in all of the live music that is available to them. They are seeing festivals, attending music conventions and experiencing the power of music performed live. Consider the colder seasons for your next release, and you may find a lot more people available to take the time for a review. It is also important to note that while most music blogs and newspapers are looking for new music and artists to break into the mainstream, the truth is that if they haven't heard of you and they do not believe your article will create viral results then they may not consider publishing an article about your music, no matter how much they loved the album. They too are looking for reputability that will create results for their media source. So be patient. Your team may have to approach their pitch from many angles before it sticks. In fact, we tell artists that it can take up-to-four months before our publicity efforts start to come into fruition. I can tell you, it's not from the lack of trying or the lack of pull we have with the media, it has everything to do with whether or not the media believes that article will be a success for them. Photos matter. You could be the best band in the world = if you don't have a nice collection of interesting photos, you might as well throw in the towel. The media thrive on using photos to attract the attention of their reader and if yours is the worst in the pile, chances are you won't get that front cover feature you deserve. Spend the time and money to hire a good photographer and get a diverse selection of photos. Use live, press and posed photos in your press kit and you may see a big shift in your results. Don't forget to always provide high resolution images for print. It's ok to giveaway tickets! So I mentioned earlier in the article that the media tend to favor articles that can provide viral results - and by far the best way that will happen is by providing them with tickets for giveaway, free swag or special perks that they can use to drive hits. Plus, that lucky fan that just won tickets will probably be a fan for life. We like to call that win/win. 64 VandalaMagazine.Com - October 2014
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Tanya Tagaq's Animism Wins the 2014 Polaris Music Prize TANYA TAO
Animism by Tanya Tagaq (tanyatagaq.com ) was voted as the winner of the 2014 Polaris Music Prize at The Carlu in Toronto. The winner was decided and announced during the 9th annual gala event. Tanya Tagaq was awarded a cash prize of $30,000. The winner was announced by the gala host, actor Jay Baruchel.
"We've been doing it our own way without backing down artistically or conforming, so to be recognized in this way and have so many people latch on makes me feel the world is tolerable. \ -0/ --- There's so much hurt in the world and within the ANIMISM world and within indigenous cultures with colonialism," said Tanya Tagaq. "Canada is in a desperate need for repair and I think a lot of people are tired of living this way and just to have people understand where we're coming from makes me have hope that we can move forward and expose the true history of Canada." Animism was produced by Jesse Zubot (Dan Mangan, Fond of Tigers) with additional production by Juan Hernandez. The record features Michael Red (Low Indigo), a live programmer whose wild northern field recordings often serve as Tagaq's de facto backing band, percussionist Jean Martin and opera singer Anna Pardo Canedo. Slaight Music awarded $2,000.00 to each of the runners up - Arcade Fire, Basia Bulat, Drake, Mac DeMarco, Jessy Lanza, Owen Pallet, Shad, Timber Timbre and YAMANTAKA f/ SONIC TITAN. The gala was webcast live on AUX.tv and broadcast live on SiriusXM channels The Verge ACM 173 and The Iceberg Sirius 161. The 11 member Grand Jury that decided the winner was Adam Bowie (Fredericton, Daily Gleaner), Lorraine Carpenter (Montreal, CultMTL), Stephen Cooke (Halifax, Chronicle Herald), Jessica Emond-Ferrat (Montreal, Journal Metro), Luke Fox (Toronto, Exclaim), Stephanie McKay (Saskatoon, Star Phoenix), Lilsa Ladouceur (Toronto, freelance), Melody Lau (Toronto, Much), Julia LeConte (Toronto, NOW Magazine), Alan Ranta (Vancouver, Freelance) and Mark Teo (Toronto, AUX). "This year's Short List embodied an enormous amount of diverse talent," said James Keast, who oversaw the Grand Jury. "I'm greatly impressed with the careful consideration that the Grand Jury gave to the Short List nominees. This was not an easy choice for those eleven people to make." Past winners have included Godspeed You! Black Emperor (2013), Feist (2012), Arcade Fire (2011), Karkwa (2010), F*cked Up (2009), Caribou (2008), Patrick Watson (2007), and Final Fantasy (Owen Pallett) (2006). We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage (Canada Music Fund) and of Canada's Private Radio Broadcasters. polarismusicprize.1 66 VandalaMagazine.Com - October 2014
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